#and—y'know—all emotion or conscious thought

[dukeofriven]

What Star Trek Species Has The Most Difficulty Giving Good Head?

[lvest]

ᯓᡣ𐭩.ᐟ ⊹ William James Moriarty, Albert James Moriarty, and Louis James Moriarty with depressed!reader. (seperated!)

|| Trying out new stuff, if i can write something with this topic then I'll write more. Sorry if i mischaracterize them. T-T.

|| Tw : mentioned of suicide, depression, opinions.ᐟ

ᯓᡣ𐭩.ᐟ ⊹ William James Moriarty .ᐟ.ᐟ

In my opinion, he'll notices the signs instantly. He's an observant person after all, he noticed how you act whenever you look at the mirror and at yourself, how you seemed to be more self aware or self conscious when you're close with him.

He won't directly asked you, he wouldn't ask but wait for you to bring up the topic and would help you with actions or words, if you decided to tell him about it he'll listened and tried to help you step by step, he's a consultant after all.

If he knew you're planning to kill yourself he'll try to stay by your side for who knows how long, he wouldn't let that happen, no. He'll talk it out with you, not pushing you to tell him about it if you're uncomfortable, but he'll wait but doesn't mean he won't look out for you. He would watch you from afar, he would also asked Louis to hide anything sharp or anything that you could think of to off yourself. Not that he'll tell you, but he'll be more gentle than usual. (He's always but.. y'know)

He'll asked Louis to keep an eye out for you if he's out, however expect he'll never leave your side if it's not an emergency. (Mission, professor stuff etc.)

Overrall a good listener and will give the best advice, he'll show that he cares for you by actions and words, how he'll be so gentle and attentive to you whenever you're feeling depressed. He'll help you realize your worth by helping you with loving yourself first and then he'll help you to shoo away those bad thoughts.

ᯓᡣ𐭩.ᐟ ⊹ Albert James Moriarty .ᐟ.ᐟ

He might not noticed the signs at first but the more you act around him, he'll notice it. He wanted to asked you about it but he doesn't want you to be uncomfortable and decided to wait for the right moment.

That right moment being him finding you crying in your shared bedroom, he immediately rushed towards you as you then opened up to him about how he deserves someone who is equal.

He would listened to all of your pent up emotions and wouldn't brush it off easily, he would listened while caressing your hand with his thumb while giving you his full attention.

If he heard you planning to kill yourself, he would asked Louis or Sebastian to keep an eye on you since he's busy being the head of Moriarty and couldn't be home for most days, still he'll help you step by step no matter how long it takes.

He'll hide all the sharp things that could hurt you or kill you even, hiding it in place you never knew after all he and the brothers knows about the house more than you do.

Overall he'll help you whenever you're feeling depressed or even a slightest bit of sad, if he can't be there he'll write to you, sending letters asking about your day or how you're doing and sometimes he'll send you little gifts to cheer you up.

ᯓᡣ𐭩.ᐟ ⊹ Louis James Moriarty .ᐟ.ᐟ

He'll also noticed if you act a little "different" what i meant by different is how you avoid mirrors and starts to skipped meals, that's when he got suspicious.

He'll not directly asked you but will observe you from afar, keeping an eye out if someone words or actions is making you do this, but when he learned you are actually depressed he'll help you..

He's not good with words but will show you with actions, like if you told him about how everything is hard, how the slightest mishaps can make you burst into tears, or how the simplest thing makes you tired.

He'll listened throughout the whole process, no matter what, even if you accidentally spilled tea all over you or how it's hard for you to leave the bed. He'll help you by showing you affection, making you meals and making sure you are not skipping meals again.

In my opinion, i think he'll leave little note on your nightstand, saying things he couldn't say. He'll leave a note everyday, each with encouragement and unsaid feelings he can't say with words along with a small little flower attached to it everyday.

If he heard how you're planning to kill yourself he'll went into panic mode, he'll be so worried and tried to stop you by hiding all the sharp objects and asking for advice from William.

Overrall he'll not say much but he'll help with actions, he can't convey his feelings to words but he'll leave little notes that he hope will help you get more confident and more free from those thoughts that haunt you.

[g1rlintun3]

ﾟ･*☆¸¸.•*¨*••*¨*•.¸¸☆**☆¸¸.•*¨*••*¨*•.¸¸☆*･.

~𝓢𝓱𝓪𝓭𝓸𝔀𝓼 𝓤𝓷𝓼𝓮𝓮𝓷~ ════ ⋆★⋆ ════ ꩜ Jackie Taylor x Fem!Oc

ｔｅｎｓｉｏｎ

chapter 1

⋆ ˚｡ ⋆୨♡୧⋆ ˚｡ ⋆

───

──────

1384 words

──────

Chapter 1 Chapter 2

───

"So, what's the 411?" Jackie asked excitedly as she laid next to me.

"Oh," I choked out, my mind racing. I was terrified she'd find out about my secret. So, I had made up a lie months before. I told her I liked this guy named Michael at our school, which I had completely forgotten about until now.

"I, uh, y'know," I said, fidgeting with my shorts.

"You're totally blushing, oh my god!" she said, playfully hitting my shoulder.

"Oh, eat my shorts," I laughed, looking down at my crossed knees on the bed.

"There's a party soon," she said with a laugh. She got up from my bed and pulled me up.

"This will give you the chance to talk to Michael!" she squealed. "Are you gonna go?"

"Yep," I said with a fake smile.

"Ugh, you're the bomb!" she laughed, hugging me.

Little does she know, I have absolutely no liking towards Michael. If anything, I literally hate his guts.

"Imagine us both having boyfriends at the same time, just imagine!" Jackie daydreamed as she rummaged through my closet.

"Mhm, also, what are you doing?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Picking your outfit out, duh!" she replied with a mischievous grin.

"But the party is in a few weeks?" I said, sitting back down on my bed.

"Soo, about that..." She peeked out from the closet with a guilty look.

"Jackie..." I gave her a stern look.

"It's tonight," she admitted, scratching her head.

"Are you serious? We have a game coming up!" I yelled, springing up from my bed.

"Take a chill pill, it's fine."

I sighed, walking over to her. "Seriously, Jackie?" I mumbled, resting my head on her shoulder.

"Cmon, this is our chance to yknow, hook up with our boyfriends!"

"Well, your soon to be boyfriend atleast" She misecheviously smiled.

"I don't know if i'm ready.. for that" I groaned as I wrapped my arms around myself.

"Oh,well,thats okay." She said as she rubbed my arm.

As Jackie made her way back into the closet, my heart began to race with a mix of anticipation and trepidation. I watched nervously as she emerged with a short, fitted blue dress, holding it out to me with an eager smile.

"Here, this will look so good on you," she exclaimed, the excitement in her voice palpable as she playfully tossed the dress in my direction.

I couldn't help but let out an awkward chuckle, my mind whirling with a myriad of conflicting emotions.

"Ohh, so this is why you brought that huge ass bag," I retorted, my voice tinged with a hint of sarcasm as she rummaged through it, pulling out her own dress and shoes.

"No duh!" she laughed, seemingly oblivious to the turmoil brewing within me. As she began to change into her new outfit, I felt my eyes widen and I immediately turned away, my cheeks flushing with a mixture of embarrassment and something else I couldn't quite place.

This was uncharted territory for us; growing up, we had always been so comfortable around each other, like two peas in a pod. But over the past few years, something had... shifted. And I always found myself becoming increasingly nervous and self-conscious in her presence.

The way my heart would drop whenever she hugged me, the way I would stumble over my words and feel my face grow warm to the touch – it was all so foreign and overwhelming. And the jealousy I felt when she would mention her crushes, the way I had to excuse myself to the bathroom that night she told me she had a boyfriend, just to bawl my eyes out – it was all so confusing and terrifying.

I knew, deep down, that she was straight, and that our friendship was the most important thing. But in some dark, secret corner of my mind, I couldn't help but wonder, "what if?" – a thought that both thrilled and terrified me.

I couldn't help but wonder what it would be like if we were together in that way, if we could explore this newfound electricity between us. I knew it was a dangerous path to go down, but the allure of that alternate reality where Jackie and I could be more than just friends was a temptation I sometimes struggled to resist.

As I turned to watch her shimmy into her party dress, I steeled myself to push those thoughts aside and focus on being the supportive, platonic best friend she needed me to be.

After all, that's what was real, no matter how much my heart ached for something more.

"So whatcha think?" she said as she did a 360, the fabric of her dress swishing around her legs as she turned. I paused, trying to piece my words together as I took in the sight of her.

"You look..." I started, my eyes scanning her outfit approvingly. "You look totally fly," I finished with a smile, feeling a bit awkward at my own compliment.

"Here, can you help me?" she said, turning around and facing away from me, her back exposed as she gestured to the zipper on the back of her dress.

"Uh, with what?" I questioned nervously, my palms suddenly feeling clammy.

"I can't freaking reach it," she said in exasperation, shaking her head.

"Right!" I said, shaking my own head and immediately walking over to her. I slowly reached my hand out, my fingers grasping the delicate zipper and carefully pulling it up, my knuckles brushing against the bare skin of her back. I backed up once I was done, crossing my arms awkwardly.

"Thanks, go get ready, I don't wanna be late!" she said, flashing me a bright smile as she turned and walked over to my vanity, already beginning to apply her makeup.

"Right," I mumbled, glancing down at the dress she had picked out for me, lying on the bed. I fumbled with the fabric, unsure if I should leave the room to get changed or stay here with her. I mean, she had just changed in front of me, so it would be fine to do the same, right? But what if she got offended if I left to change somewhere else?

I made sure she wasn't watching as I quickly slipped off my shorts and tank top, then pulled the dress over my head, smoothing out the material. I had just finished adjusting the straps when I heard a sudden whistle.

"Looking smoking hot!" Jackie exclaimed, getting up from my desk chair and coming up behind me, wrapping her arms around me in a tight hug. I let out an awkward laugh, quickly slipping the dress straps all the way up.

"Wait, let me do your makeup," she said eagerly, grabbing my makeup box and plopping down on the bed, patting the spot in front of her invitingly.

As I slowly made my way over and sat in front of her, I carefully placed a soft pillow onto my lap, hoping it would provide a comfortable surface to rest my awkward, fidgeting arms.

The air felt thick with a palpable tension as she instructed me in a gentle yet firm tone, "Close your eyes." I heard the faint rustling of the makeup supplies in the box as she began to prepare.

"Kay," I mumbled, obediently shutting my eyes, though I couldn't help but feel them fluttering nervously.

The proximity of her face suddenly grew closer, and I immediately found myself holding my breath, desperately trying to remain as still as possible. However, my body betrayed me, squirming and shifting despite my best efforts. Sensing my discomfort, she firmly pushed me back onto the bed, causing me to lay down fully.

"What—" I began to protest, but she quickly silenced me with a hushed "Shh." Without warning, she straddled me, her weight settling on my lap as she continued the makeup application as if nothing happend.

In this intimate, compromising position, I couldn't help but wonder if the tension I felt was real or simply a product of my own overactive

imagination. Was I the only one acutely aware of the charged atmosphere between us, or was she equally affected by the close proximity and the vulnerability of the situation?

ﾟ･*☆¸¸.•*¨*••*¨*•.¸¸☆**☆¸¸.•*¨*••*¨*•.¸¸☆*･

[honeyjars-sims]

2.3 Just Go For It

Cece: This was a nice idea. It’s so peaceful out here.

Ben: I figured it would be a nice change of pace for our first official date since we’re usually hanging out somewhere loud and crowded.

Cece: Yeah, it’s nice that we’ve had more chances to have actual conversations lately. I feel like there’s still so much we don’t know about each other.

Ben: That’s true. And whenever I do learn something new about you, it always manages to surprise me.

Cece: Really? Why’s that?

Ben: Well, you seem to have these really particular ideas about how self-conscious and cautious you are, but when it comes down to it, you never back down from a challenge.

Cece: Hmm, it’s weird, but I never really saw myself as shy when I was a kid. I loved being on stage and I never really cared what other people thought about me. For the most part, both of those things are still true. But I actually feel more comfortable being in front of a large crowd behind a piano than I do when I’m singing a song I wrote in front of a few people.

Ben: Yeah, it’s more intimate. I get it. Like, I’m a pretty personable guy and I’ll strike up a conversation with anyone, but talking one on one with someone about my feelings hasn’t always been easy.

Cece: Exactly! I’m not a very emotional person, but I’m not cold and unfeeling, either. But sharing my vulnerabilities with someone seems really intimidating.

Ben: Oh, totally! But y'know, nothing else beats that moment when you open up to someone and they accept you, flaws and all.

Cece: I think I just got it in my head that I need to be the strong one. My siblings have been through so much, and they needed a lot of extra support from our dads. My brother in particular had a really hard time, so I didn’t want to burden our parents with my feelings.

Ben: What about your mom? Could you talk to her?

Cece: My mom and stepmom are great, but they keep themselves busy. I think I get my need for order from my mom and my expressive side from my dad. The thing is, any of my parents would have been there for me. I just hold myself up to a really high standard.

Ben: I can see that. You do put a lot of pressure on yourself. But you’re also creative and passionate. I’m really looking forward to seeing what you’re capable of when you really let go.

Cece: Hmm, and you think you’ll be around to see that?

Ben: I wasn’t planning on going anywhere. Well, maybe on tour once I make it big. But in that case, you’d probably be with me.

Cece: That’s quite an assumption!

Ben: What, can’t you see us traveling the world with our band? Selling out arenas, hearing the crowd singing along…

Cece: Don’t get too ahead of yourself. We haven’t even kissed yet.

Ben: Is that a hint? You know, if you want something, Cecelia, you should just go for–

[Cece grabs Ben and kisses him] 

Cece: How’s that? 

Ben: Perfect. See, you’re full of surprises.

Previous | Beginning of story | Beginning of chapter | Next

[jkl-fff]

Oh no! Skeletons are attacking!

They've just broken through your front door and are chittering ominously at you as they pile inside. Whats your escape/attack plan?

Please note, the skeletons are many. But only two have weapons, one sword and one stick that looks like a sword. Also one is wearing one of those propellor hats.

First Thought: Break their bones? No, they don't have muscles, tendons, or ligaments holding them together. Likely magic. Breaking bones just means more pieces of magically animated bone. Crushing them might work, but I can't do it fast enough to survive the onslaught.

Second Thought: Fire? Might work eventually--several minutes of constant burning? longer? can they put themselves out or escape the fire?--but in the meantime I'll have to deal with flaming, magically animated skeletons setting my stuff and/or me on fire.

Third Thought: Flee? They don't have lungs, ergo won't run out of breath and will just keep running after me. If I can get to the car, I can drive away, but they might be able to drive, too, especially if they have skeleton keys (Ha!) to other cars. Or motorcycles? Pop culture suggests skeletons like motorcycles. So they'll likely keep chasing after me until ... when? And why *me*?What do they want with *me*?

Fourth Thought: ... Can I reason with them? Gotta be worth a try, right?

***

I raise my hands non-threateningly and call in a loud voice, "PLEASE WAIT JUST A MOMENT! IS THIS ANY WAY TO BEHAVE, MY SKELETAL SIBLINGS?"

The ominous chittering stops as they all turn their empty eye sockets towards me. Though they no longer have faces with which to emote, it's clear I've surprised them.

"Yes, I called you my siblings. For you see, underneath it all, I too am a skeleton. So I can't help but wonder why you're trying to attack me. We are the same, are we not? I am one of your own, just ... y'know, fleshier. So why? Will you please tell me?"

One skeleton (wearing a propeller beanie) is nudged forward. To represent the group? And this one begins to tap against the wall.

"... Oh! Is that morse code? Is that how you communicate without all the vocal organs?" When the one nods, I explain apologetically, "I'm afraid I don't understand morse code. But if you can write, I've got plenty of pens and paper for everybod--Oh! Sorry, was that insensitive? I didn't mean to offend. Um, I'll just ... go fetch writing utensils."

They patiently wait for me to do so, and then the one jots down a message. "We're here to free you from the flesh that traps you."

"I see ... That's very thoughtful of you, but ... I don't feel particularly trapped in my flesh. Actually, as skeletons go," I add quickly as the thought occurs, "I'm sort of a little .. shy. I really wouldn't feel confortable walking around basically ... well, naked without my flesh and clothes on."

All of the skeletons present then look down at their bare bones. Some of them even move reflexively to cover their pelvic regions.

"Not shaming anyone, or anything," I assure them. "I would just prefer to keep my flesh and clothes on. Er, speaking of, would any of you like some clothes, since some of you are now acting kinda self-conscious? You can borrow some of mine, if so. They might be a bit big, and I can't promise they're all that fashionable, but if it'd make anyone feel more confortable in their own sk--bones, I mean--then you're welcome to them."

They have a conversation amonst themselves in which whoever wants attention holds up a hand until they're passed the stick-sword. Then they chitter (it occurse to me the chittering is morse code, too, just faster) while the others listen carefully. Except some of them prefer to tap on the stick-sword instead. Maybe they're newer to being skeletons--newer ro morse code--and it's easier?

After a bit, the one jots down another message. "You're sure it wouldn't be too much trouble? Some of us would actually really appreciate it, turns out."

"No, none at all. We could put on a movie, too, or something while I scrounge everything up and y'all dig through it for clothes you like. Honestly, it would help me a lot with telling you apart ... Er, sorry, no offense?"

"No, we all look alike to each other, too. We tell each other apart by magic aura," the one writes.

"Oh, thank the gods," I breathe out in relief. "I was worried I'd inadvertently said something kinda ... fleshist? bonist? ... racist? thoughtless, at any rate. And this is magic then, like, I suspected. Intriguing ... Okay, if y'all don't mind, how about while I go get all the clothes I can, your leader here writes down what this is all about, and the rest of you chose a movie from the DVD shelf. Okay? Sound good?"

And since they all nod instead of attacking me, I decide to leave my new friends(?) to it. Even as I try to calm my racing heart by keeping busy with being an accomodating host.

[reminiscencez]

ﾟ･*☆¸¸.•*¨*••*¨*•.¸¸☆**☆¸¸.•*¨*••*¨*•.¸¸☆*･

~𝓢𝓱𝓪𝓭𝓸𝔀𝓼 𝓤𝓷𝓼𝓮𝓮𝓷~ ════ ⋆★⋆ ════ ꩜ Jackie Taylor x Fem!Oc

~Yellowjackets fanfic

~wlw

————

Chapter 1

————

⋆ ˚｡ ⋆୨♡୧⋆ ˚｡ ⋆

───

──────

1384 words

──────

"So, what's the 411?" Jackie asked excitedly as she laid next to me.

"Oh," I choked out, my mind racing. I was terrified she'd find out about my secret. So, I had made up a lie months before. I told her I liked this guy named Michael at our school, which I had completely forgotten about until now.

"I, uh, y'know," I said, fidgeting with my shorts.

"You're totally blushing, oh my god!" she said, playfully hitting my shoulder.

"Oh, eat my shorts," I laughed, looking down at my crossed knees on the bed.

"There's a party soon," she said with a laugh. She got up from my bed and pulled me up.

"This will give you the chance to talk to Michael!" she squealed. "Are you gonna go?"

"Yep," I said with a fake smile.

"Ugh, you're the bomb!" she laughed, hugging me.

Little does she know, I have absolutely no liking towards Michael. If anything, I literally hate his guts.

"Imagine us both having boyfriends at the same time, just imagine!" Jackie daydreamed as she rummaged through my closet.

"Mhm, also, what are you doing?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Picking your outfit out, duh!" she replied with a mischievous grin.

"But the party is in a few weeks?" I said, sitting back down on my bed.

"Soo, about that..." She peeked out from the closet with a guilty look.

"Jackie..." I gave her a stern look.

"It's tonight," she admitted, scratching her head.

"Are you serious? We have a game coming up!" I yelled, springing up from my bed.

"Take a chill pill, it's fine."

I sighed, walking over to her. "Seriously, Jackie?" I mumbled, resting my head on her shoulder.

"Cmon, this is our chance to yknow, hook up with our boyfriends!"

"Well, your soon to be boyfriend atleast" She misecheviously smiled.

"I don't know if i'm ready.. for that" I groaned as I wrapped my arms around myself.

"Oh,well,thats okay." She said as she rubbed my arm.

As Jackie made her way back into the closet, my heart began to race with a mix of anticipation and trepidation. I watched nervously as she emerged with a short, fitted blue dress, holding it out to me with an eager smile.

"Here, this will look so good on you," she exclaimed, the excitement in her voice palpable as she playfully tossed the dress in my direction.

I couldn't help but let out an awkward chuckle, my mind whirling with a myriad of conflicting emotions.

"Ohh, so this is why you brought that huge ass bag," I retorted, my voice tinged with a hint of sarcasm as she rummaged through it, pulling out her own dress and shoes.

"No duh!" she laughed, seemingly oblivious to the turmoil brewing within me. As she began to change into her new outfit, I felt my eyes widen and I immediately turned away, my cheeks flushing with a mixture of embarrassment and something else I couldn't quite place.

This was uncharted territory for us; growing up, we had always been so comfortable around each other, like two peas in a pod. But over the past few years, something had... shifted. And I always found myself becoming increasingly nervous and self-conscious in her presence.

The way my heart would drop whenever she hugged me, the way I would stumble over my words and feel my face grow warm to the touch – it was all so foreign and overwhelming. And the jealousy I felt when she would mention her crushes, the way I had to excuse myself to the bathroom that night she told me she had a boyfriend, just to bawl my eyes out – it was all so confusing and terrifying.

I knew, deep down, that she was straight, and that our friendship was the most important thing. But in some dark, secret corner of my mind, I couldn't help but wonder, "what if?" – a thought that both thrilled and terrified me.

I couldn't help but wonder what it would be like if we were together in that way, if we could explore this newfound electricity between us. I knew it was a dangerous path to go down, but the allure of that alternate reality where Jackie and I could be more than just friends was a temptation I sometimes struggled to resist.

As I turned to watch her shimmy into her party dress, I steeled myself to push those thoughts aside and focus on being the supportive, platonic best friend she needed me to be.

After all, that's what was real, no matter how much my heart ached for something more.

"So whatcha think?" she said as she did a 360, the fabric of her dress swishing around her legs as she turned. I paused, trying to piece my words together as I took in the sight of her.

"You look..." I started, my eyes scanning her outfit approvingly. "You look totally fly," I finished with a smile, feeling a bit awkward at my own compliment.

"Here, can you help me?" she said, turning around and facing away from me, her back exposed as she gestured to the zipper on the back of her dress.

"Uh, with what?" I questioned nervously, my palms suddenly feeling clammy.

"I can't freaking reach it," she said in exasperation, shaking her head.

"Right!" I said, shaking my own head and immediately walking over to her. I slowly reached my hand out, my fingers grasping the delicate zipper and carefully pulling it up, my knuckles brushing against the bare skin of her back. I backed up once I was done, crossing my arms awkwardly.

"Thanks, go get ready, I don't wanna be late!" she said, flashing me a bright smile as she turned and walked over to my vanity, already beginning to apply her makeup.

"Right," I mumbled, glancing down at the dress she had picked out for me, lying on the bed. I fumbled with the fabric, unsure if I should leave the room to get changed or stay here with her. I mean, she had just changed in front of me, so it would be fine to do the same, right? But what if she got offended if I left to change somewhere else?

I made sure she wasn't watching as I quickly slipped off my shorts and tank top, then pulled the dress over my head, smoothing out the material. I had just finished adjusting the straps when I heard a sudden whistle.

"Looking smoking hot!" Jackie exclaimed, getting up from my desk chair and coming up behind me, wrapping her arms around me in a tight hug. I let out an awkward laugh, quickly slipping the dress straps all the way up.

"Wait, let me do your makeup," she said eagerly, grabbing my makeup box and plopping down on the bed, patting the spot in front of her invitingly.

As I slowly made my way over and sat in front of her, I carefully placed a soft pillow onto my lap, hoping it would provide a comfortable surface to rest my awkward, fidgeting arms.

The air felt thick with a palpable tension as she instructed me in a gentle yet firm tone, "Close your eyes." I heard the faint rustling of the makeup supplies in the box as she began to prepare.

"Kay," I mumbled, obediently shutting my eyes, though I couldn't help but feel them fluttering nervously.

The proximity of her face suddenly grew closer, and I immediately found myself holding my breath, desperately trying to remain as still as possible. However, my body betrayed me, squirming and shifting despite my best efforts. Sensing my discomfort, she firmly pushed me back onto the bed, causing me to lay down fully.

"What—" I began to protest, but she quickly silenced me with a hushed  "Shh." Without warning, she straddled me, her weight settling on my lap as she continued the makeup application as if nothing happend.

In this intimate, compromising position, I couldn't help but wonder if the tension I felt was real or simply a product of my own overactive

imagination. Was I the only one acutely aware of the charged atmosphere between us, or was she equally affected by the close proximity and the vulnerability of the situation?

ﾟ･*☆¸¸.•*¨*••*¨*•.¸¸☆**☆¸¸.•*¨*••*¨*•.¸¸☆*･

[classicsubliminalbo]

Captured #3: What It's All About

Originally published Apr 15, 2017 This series is being revised

If you asked, Madison would probably tell you that she wasn't a lesbian. That might seem curious, considering the many sexual advantages that she took in a house full of fit, brainwashed young women. But some girls think anal doesn't count toward their virginity. People are funny that way.

The truth was, it wasn't a sexual thing for Madison. At least, it wasn't all about sex. Sure, she had Piper knelt down at the end of the bed, suckling tenderly on her clit. And yeah, Madison's toes were curling as her body shook in orgasm. "Oh, fu-u-u-u-uck," she moaned. "Getting good, yeah, that's better. Getting so good at this, you dirty fucking slut." And when she propped herself up to stare down into the empty, submissive eyes of her new favorite pet, Madison knew what Piper was thinking.

I'm a dirty fucking slut. And that's what it was all about.

She knew what Piper was thinking, because she told Piper what to think, and until she was given orders otherwise, Piper could only think what Madison told her to think. Madison could bend any man to her will, no mind control necessary. A couple of pics on Snapchat to hook them, the promise of pussy to reel them in. Sex was a powerful tool and Madison knew how to use it. But women, they were the problem. Madison bounced from group to group in high school, burning everything in her path like a retreating Russian. Friends, family, that girl who worked at Ralph's, y'know, the one with the freckles and the great eyebrows, they were all the competition. It didn't even matter that freckles was a high school drop-out. Even she had to be destroyed.

For a while, Madison got enough of a high from destroying relationships. She'd seek out the boyfriends of her most hated enemies and work her way between them, slowing breaking down the poor asshole's resistance until one night he found himself tangled in Madison's sheets. But, like a junkie in an after school special, Madison needed something stronger.

I don't know how she landed on brainwashing, but it was her ultimate thrill. She got hot just thinking about it. When some bitch would contradict her in class, Madison would smile. Just another face to bury in her sweet muff. That's what she really got off on. They all thought that they were so superior, but Madison hadn't met the girl who didn't melt under the visor.

"Let's go again," Madison said between sharp breaths. A second wind. "Less teeth this time."

"Yes, Mistress."

Piper was a virgin. I'm sure Madison got some thrill from that too. She'd grown up in a traditional, religious family, and for a long time she believed in all that too. While I was giving it up to any guy in a band with wild hair and a nice smile, Piper was out fundraising for her youth group. These days her virginity wasn't so much about religion anymore. Even in high school she'd done some hands stuff with the minister's son. But Piper wasn't about sex. She was an emotional girl, careful too. She really believed in that sex is a special thing shared between lovers shit, and she'd never been in love.

Now Madison was training her to eat pussy like the other girls. It's a shame. I would have taught her some things if she wanted, but I would have never asked for her mind.

"Good girl," Madison smiled as she came down from her climax. Then she sat up, this time swinging her legs over the side of the bed so she couldn't be tempted by Piper's willing mouth at the end. She stood up and said, "Let's go clean up. We've got a big night."

That night, Madison had planned to unveil Piper's new personality at the Delta-whatever fraternity party. Over the last few days the socially conscious young woman had been molded into the perfect sorority sister. The old Piper had never set foot in a fraternity party, but now she was everything Delta-whatever's wanted in a woman. When they got there, Madison volunteered her for a game of strip pool. Her opponent was a dude named Trevon with a Hitler Youth haircut and a wardrobe full of polos. He was also good at pool.

"Right pocket, middle," Trevon said, and after a few seconds of intense concentration, he took the shot. "Fuckin' A!" Trevon shouted as the ball sank into the pocket, and then he downed the rest of his beer. "Bra. Lose the bra."

Piper bit her lip, then she said, "But then I'll have nothing left..." Piper had lost the game so easily, a smarter bro might have been suspicious. "Come on, bitch," He almost made it sound endearing. "I won. I wanna see 'em."

Piper smiled, then slowly she began to walk around the pool table, closing the gap between them. She unclasped her bra and let it fall to her feet. Trevon gazed over her naked body like he was admiring an original Picasso.

"So are you gonna fuck me now or what?" Piper asked. Trevon giggled. "Goddamn, girl." "C'mon," she whined. "Look around."

Trevon had lost track of the party around him. The crowd had lost numbers. The Alpha girls had found their marks and they had all retired to the bedrooms upstairs.

"Let's go," Piper whispered, and she held out her hand. Trevon followed her eagerly up the stairs, and she led him to one of the few vacant rooms. It wasn't his but fuck, he'd been eyeing this girl all night. She dropped on the bed and he tumbled down on top of her, his lips smearing against hers. He took her breast and squeezed it, his other hand exploring her pussy. She squeaked in pleasure.

"Say it again," Trevon told her. Piper smiled, and then she whispered in his ear, "I'm a dirty fucking slut." "You Alphas are so fucking great," Trevon laughed. And then he raised up, frantically ripping off his shirt and fumbling with the button of his pants.

Trevon had managed to pull the zipper down when he heard the sound of stilettos creeping up behind him. "Remember, Piper. Like we talked about now."

"Huh?" Trevon turned around in time to see Madison standing in the doorway, a pool cue in one hand and a Solo cup in the other. And then he felt claws digging into his cheek. Piper reached up, digging her nails down into the skin, and then she ripped quickly down to the chin. "Fuck!" Trevon screamed. "You fucking cunt bitch!" And when he raised a fist toward his attacker, Madison came from behind with the cue. It snapped across his bare back, and he toppled to the floor. "What the fuck, Madison!" he cried. Next came a face full of beer to round out this surprising turn of events, and before Trevon could even get it out of his eyes, Piper was holding the sharp end of the broken cue to his neck. She pressed hard.

Trevon was really crying now. "What the f...what the f-uck, Maddie?"

"Good girl, Piper," she said to her young recruit, then leaned in close toward Trevon. "You think I don't know about these parties?" She held the empty cup up to his face. "What you've been putting in these drinks? Color coded cups, right?" "Jesus, Maddie!" He cried. "We're just tryin' to score like e'rybody else! Girls don't come to these kinds'a parties if they a'int looking to fuck, we just make it easier for 'em!"

He cried as Piper dug the cue deeper into his neck. "Maddiiieeee! Make her stop! Make her stop! It hurts!"

"You're done, Trevon. And you know what's worse? You're mine now. You understand?" "Yeah, yeah, I'll do whatever you say, just make her fucking stop!"

Madison smiled, and Piper knew that she'd made her mistress proud.

You might think it was a double standard, going after Trevon, and you're not wrong. But Madison was full of double standards. The truth was that she couldn't stand the idea of anyone else controlling women like she did. That was her game, and she was the only game in town.

"What are you going to do with him, Mistress?" Piper asked when they returned to Madison's bedroom. "I dunno," Madison replied. "But it never hurts to have someone in your pocket." "You're so powerful," Piper stood by the door in awe, watching her mistress strip down to her underwear. "I don't know how I ever thought I could resist..."

Madison gave Piper that evil smile, and then she strutted across the room, pulling her slave into a kiss. "I am so fucking powerful," she said.

It had been a week since I last saw Piper.

[autisticgirliesbracket]

What makes Nagi Usui from The World Ends With You the autistic girlie ever of all time? Here's what the people have to say:

Nagi-related asks/reblogs: x This post will be updated after each round!

Image ID in alt text and under the readmore.

[Image ID. White slide with a screenshot of Nagi Usui in the bottom left corner, her glasses are all white and there is blue lightning coming off her. She is surrounded by text boxes which read,

"Has a special interest in EleStra, a mobile game, and it is her main motivation to live (or to come back to life, at least). Has an unusually formal, sometimes awkward manner of speech; often refers to others with Lord/Lady honorifics. Hyper-empathetic; can sense when people are masking their feelings, and is strongly affected by others' negative thoughts and emotions. Her power allows her to go into others' minds, but she dislikes doing it, both for their privacy and because dealing with their strong emotions exhausts her. Puts significant thought and care into her interactions, calculating every aspect of her behavior when communicating."

"Winner of the The World Ends With You autism bracket! Nagi is very emotionally perceptive and is easily overwhelmed by others' emotions, suggesting hyperempathy. She has a big interest in a game called Elestra, which she talks about often and relates situations from it to situations in real life. She particularly loves one character from the game, and pretends that someone from real life that she knows is that character. While Nagi is very empathetic, she struggles to see things from the point of view of those who are very different from her."

"Trapped in a death game and her sole motivation for escaping is to get back to playing her fave video game which she hyperfixates on. She has a speaking quirk where she talks very eloquently and overly formal and makes a lot of sounds/unintelligible noises to express when she’s feeling excited. Hyper empathetic and makes an active conscious effort to understand and communicate with people, calling it a skill that can be honed like any other."

"Literally died and landed in a death game, but was more worried about not being able to play the next chapter of her gacha game hyperfixation than y'know, being dead She is also hyperempathetic and makes So Many Noises"

" "I am simply aware of the importance of communication. And I take great pains to ensure my interactions with others remain as peaceful as possible. Asking questions. Gauging responses. Reacting aptly. I leverage every element at my disposal—actions, words, emojis, anything at all—to ensure everyone feels welcome.” - This is a direct quote from the game, which should be pretty autistic on its own. But wait, there's more! This is how she's able to Dive into other people's souls and help rid them of their inner demons. When she ends up in a three-week-long series of death games in another layer of reality played by the dead for a second chance at life, her motivation to get back is that there's a new chapter of her special interest mobile game and she can't play it until she's done with all of it. She joins the team because there's a dude who looks eerily like her favorite character who hangs around with them. Her arc resolves not by being less interested in EleStra (said special interest mobile game,) but by getting someone else who she'd previously had trouble getting along with because he spent the game masking INTO EleStra, on the grounds it'll help him cope with grief and improve his social skills. Nagi was voted Most Autistic Swag of the game duology in a fandom tournament, and this is saying something because you can make a case for like 60% of the cast at a low estimate being readable as autistic. She is an autistic queen."

"She obsesses over a mobile game (and one of her teammates because he looks JUST LIKE her blorbo/husbando). She has an ita bag covered in pins of said blorbo. She speaks in an old-timey fashion (she's 19 in modern day Tokyo) and refers to others as "Lord/Lady [Name]". AND she refers that special interest game to others as a way to "heal (their) hearts." She was voted Most Autistic TWEWY character on tumblr in a finals match against someone who's literally nonverbal with a special interest in tech who talks EXCLUSIVELY using text and rarely facially emotes. That's how autistic she is."

"Nagi is described as devoting most of, if not all her time to her pastimes, especially for a certain in-universe mobile game (Elegant Strategy, or EleStra), which she carries an itabag completely decorated with merch of a singular character from the aforementioned game, from several buttons and pins, to a charm, to a keychain plushie. She is also described as "more of a subdued character who can't assimilate into a social environment as easily as other people" by her character designer. I could go on but I'm not sure how to put concepts into words"

"She has an INTENSE special interest in a mobile game called Elegant Strategy to the point where playing it is her main motivation for trying to escape the literal actual death game she gets chucked into. She is highly empathetic which is highlighted by her psych (essentially the magic system in this game) being the ability to dive into other people's minds. She is extremely observant and puts a lot of effort into effectively communicating with the people around her, calling things like jokes or emojis "tools" to make sure everyone has a good time. The twewy fandom hosted an autism poll and she won so she absolutely deserves to go here" End ID.]

[maizeversal]

Tbh I love Underverse!Ink, I think he's a lot of fun and seeing him get to play a non-heroic role for once is,,, chef's kiss. Fuck it up little man. Fuck everything up. Okay maybe not that much. Girl you are KILLING it. GIRL you can STOP NOW it is ALREADY DEAD

And, like... I totally get why some people dislike it, especially since in other cases, the Soullessness thing has been taken as a mental health metaphor. I think that's a valid take with a lot of potential and it's reasonable that people would be uncomfortable with this new angle.

But, at the same time, as somebody with its own cocktail of mental issues, a few of which are things that people tend to ascribe to Ink as aspects of the lighter, more flavor text versions of Soullessness, I honestly don't see it that way. So I don't have a problem with UV!Ink on that front. By no means is it a perfect series, nothing is, but that's not one of the things that's bugged me, y'know?

Personally I like the idea of Soullessness being something... Alien, for lack of a better word. Not "eldritch", either, but like... Okay. Let's try a comparison.

So, to a Human, a Soul is the source of magic, right? And it's definitely connected to emotions and identity and all of that, but it's main job as an organ is to contain and control the person's innate magic. It gets its color based on the Human's behavior, not the other way around, kind of like how flamingos turn pink because of the shrimp they eat.

A Monster Soul, however, is the ENTIRE ORGAN CAVITY. That's the brain. That's the heart, the lungs, the guts, all of it packed into a sort of nucleus (although that's not a perfect analogy, either, because an animal cell's nucleus only houses the genetic material, but... You know what I mean). The rest of the body is essentially a machine that allows the Soul to get around, feed itself, and fend off threats.

So imagine if you met someone, and they just... Didn't have organs. No brain, no heart, no lungs, no guts. There's a lot of variations that the human body can survive and even thrive with; we have ways to pump blood and oxygen through the body without a standard circulatory system, thanks to inventions like pacemakers and organ transplants. But you can't live without a brain. You just can't, like, fundamentally. Yet, this person talking to you has lifted up part of their skull and there is nothing there. They do the same thing with their ribs and there is no blood. They seem to be doing fine, no machinery or even surgical scars, but there is no way they should, scientifically, be a functioning organism.

That's what I've always thought of it as. Ink is not a Monster, nor is he Human; he is something else entirely. The best way I've been able to pin it down is that he is a spirit, or a pure manifestation of Creative magic. And quite frankly, yeah, a spirit would have a completely different way of interacting with the world around them. Our experiences, our motives, even our ability to bond with others, are uniquely human in the most animal, evolutionary sense; Monsters, too, would be influenced by the conditions in which they evolved.

But Ink? Did not evolve. He was Created. Though he learns and grows as a conscious being, as a mind, he will never physically grow; any changes over time are superficial results of his internal, personal growth.

And I love that. I LOVE how goddamn weird he is. I absolutely adore the conceptual tug-of-war between him wanting to be like the others and having to embrace that he just isn't in order to move forward - the idea that, yes, he is alien, he is "unknowable" but only if nobody tries, he is a different kind of creature and that is okay, he is still a person. He's done something horrible. But, like any person - Human, Monster, or otherwise - he is more than that one mistake. He has free will. That is his responsibility.

[i-love-sweet-william]

out of context pre-stozyers #7

with context post-stozyers: byler branch

a collective 6k words of fic+rant. I tried so hard not to add byler but here we are.

"You're not busy unpacking, right?" What a weird tone…Mike hadn't heard Will use it before. "I'm not sure how long this might last."

"I'm free!" For you, always. "What's up?"

"Do you still love me?"

Mike dropped his fucking phone.

But only after performing a shitty juggling act in an effort to catch it, and then proceeding to eat the floor. With the sudden barrage of emotional and physical and property damage, it really would have been no big loss if his phone had dropped right on his head and knocked him out cold. Unfortunately, he was fully conscious, and aching, and on the verge of a fucking heart attack.

Will's distant voice continued as Mike tried to recover, patting around for his phone. "—you okay? Mike, are you still there?"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine! I just…fell. Uh, can you repeat that?"

"I asked if you still love me." Jesus fucking Christ. "Like, do you wanna date and—whatever comes with that territory, I guess."

(As if he ever stopped.) "I, I mean…Territory? Is dating a quest to conquer?" Shit, that was stupid. Why did he say that. He rolled onto his side and muttered, "Never mind, ignore me."

"I don't think I can do that." God, he could hear that soft, reassuring smile through his cracked phone. "Besides, you're the only other person in this call, and…Listen, it's okay if you moved on already. But if you—"

"I haven't!" Fuckfuckfuck, that was too fast. He didn't even know what Will was going to say. What if Will wanted him to move on. The initial rejection was offensively gentle and hadn't affected their friendship for years, but what if Richie and his weird friends said something to Will over spring break? "I…haven't…" Real fuckin' smooth, Michael. "…Why?"

[disclaimer: Will doesn't have all the vocabulary to explain what he's talking about, but he's gonna try to describe having a poly relationship and being aro/ace. there's a rant about his mindset (and byler backstory…and stozyers context) that's over half of this post]

Will hesitated. "So…the thing El is doing with Max and Lucas, would you do it with me?" What. "If I was with someone else first, would you still—"

Mike sat right the fuck up. "Are you dating someone?!" When did this happen? Mike didn't even know Will was considering dating yet, let alone have suitors lined up! (Well, of course he did…but he didn't show them any interest before!)

"I…think so. No, I definitely am. In some way." In some way? What the fuck did that mean?! "And I thought, I don't know, maybe I could date you that way. If it's…okay."

Okay with Mike? Of course it would be, because Mike was currently having heart palpitations over the option of dating Will in any way, but also, just to be sure, "If what's okay? Like, if dating me is okay with your…" What, his first partner? Fuck, Mike did not enjoy how that sounded.

"Oh, I already cleared that with them." Them? Is it not a guy? [note: Will labels himself gay, and in past conversations he's generally used he/him for a hypothetical partner (because his only point of possible reference was Mike) and it was just easier to say "gay but not looking to date rn" than "not actively looking to date ever"] "It's just, uh…Okay, y'know how Richie"—please, god, do not be dating Richie—"supposedly has a looong history of sex experiences. I mean, claiming to have fucked every mom in the city is his peak of humor. But turns out, he hasn't had sex in, like, five years or some shit."

Mike took a deep fucking breath. "Please hurry and tell me what Richie's sex life or lack thereof has to do with us dating. Please." I am not mentally or emotionally strong enough for this.

"Okay, so what if we dated…but instead of kissing and having sex and whatever, we did something else. Can you still be, y'know, 'fulfilled' in a relationship like that—"

"Yes." Not a moment of hesitation.

(Honestly, Mike would be fulfilled if he got to touch Will's hands and share deep eye contact everyday. Simp.)

"Wait, think about it for a while," Will insisted. "It might be more important than you realize, and…I don't want to hurt you again. If I can't—do something."

The "something" in question was Will's first and last kiss. Everyone else had had their first kisses (even Dustin when he was off at camp), and Mike had hoped that…

Well, Mike wasn't exactly expecting movie sparks to fly, but he thought Will would at least like it. Or maybe be neutral. And if it was bad, maybe they could've awkwardly laughed it off. But instead, Will reeled back to wipe off his mouth, grimacing like he'd accidentally eaten something rotten.

It took Mike several days to recover from that, even though Will had started apologizing immediately afterward.

It took Mike several years to fully internalize the fact that Will wasn't grossed out by kissing him, just kissing in general. And when Mike reached that stage, he also realized that he didn't need that shit! Sure, it was nice, but honestly even the fantasy of being with Will was better than actually making out. (Unfortunately, such fantasies also needed to end. At least a physical kiss didn't lead to reality crashing down on him. The reality in which Will did not reciprocate whatever Mike was feeling in the past, and would probably never reciprocate in the future.)

If they'd had this conversation when they were younger, Mike might not have been so confident; he might've been scared shitless of feeling that deeply repulsive again. But now he knew how to separate himself from initial reactions, things Will had no control over. Mike was ready for it, if ever given another chance…if he'd ever asked for another chance.

He had planned to wait for Will to show interest in finding a relationship, and thought up hundreds of ways to have this conversation…but among all his hypothetical scenarios, not once did he imagine anything close to what was happening right now.

Despite his complete lack of preparation, he could not afford to fuck this up. "You won't hurt me again," Mike promised.

"But how do you know?"

"Because—" Maybe it would be best to have that talk after this one, or the anticipation might literally kill him [read: I need to contain the word count]. "Because meeting you was the best thing that ever happened to me…and no matter what happens or doesn't happen, that will never stop being true. Okay?"

Will fell silent…for an uncomfortably long time.

Fuck, was that too much? Did Mike get ahead of himself already? They were being so open and he—

"Okay," Will said quietly. "Then there's…one more thing I want to say. I've just…I'm not…I don't—"

He took a shallow breath. And tried again.

"I can't fall in love with you. But!" Will hurried to beat Mike's impending meltdown. "I think—I've already done the closest thing I'm…capable of. A long time ago, probably."

…Which meant those words were the closest thing Mike could get to a mutual confession! This was the best day of his life! Fuck!

"So, after hearing that, do you still…wanna try dating?"

Oh, there would be no fucking "trying" about it. They were gonna be SO good at this, immediately, without any challenges whatsoever. "Yeah. Yes."

This was happening. Holy fucking shit.

"Okay." The relief in that one word washed over Mike, and he almost felt bad for causing enough tension that Will could be relieved at all. "I just…I want to make you…so happy." Christ, how can you just say that shit without warning—"I think I can do that now."

Mike was going to fucking explode from the emotions rampaging inside. Each one was distinct and frantically clawing at his throat to be the first expressed, but they all sounded like I love you, I love you, I love you.

Unfortunately, before Mike could choose the perfect response, a distant door burst open, and Will let out a very tiny oh no.

"Will, what's wr—"

"Uh—"

"Oh shit, he said yes?" Richie's stupid voice. Of course.

Something fell with a dull thud, and the cord of Will's earbuds rustled in the mic as he moved. "Wait, Ri—"

"WELCOME TO THE HAREM!" Mike nearly threw his suffering phone against the wall to save his hearing. "We meet under every full moon to give thanks to William Byers for blessing our pathetic mortal lives," he informed, at a much more tolerable volume.

You only thank him once a month? Wait, that wasn't the fucking issue here—

Mike was so caught up in the euphoria of having Will's reciprocated love that for like a minute he lived in a world where he didn't sign up to share that love…but Richie made sure to give him a violent reminder.

"Give me my phone, Richard."

"Nooo, lemme bond with him, I'll be so civil, I promise—"

"Mike, I'm hanging up!"

"Mike, tell him not to!"

Hold the fuck up, did Richie just use his actual name? Was he being serious for once? "Wait."

And Will did.

After a few moments, Richie asked, "Is he still there?"

"…Ye."

"Okay, cool, everyone sit comfy for confession time!"

Richie really had to use that word right now, huh. If he interrupted this conversation just to ask Mike out as a joke—

Starting out with a dreamy sigh, Richie said, "Ever since I first saw your bitchy little face on that fateful video call, so many moons ago, I knew…" Mike braced himself. "I wanted to bully you. Relentlessly."

What the fuck.

"Bro, you got so pissy before I even did anything. I was just existing in this assigned room and you looked like I was fucking your boyfriend on camera—(Hey, was he like this with all your roommates?) Were you like this with all his roommates or did you just know I was special? That'd be some fuckin' ESP shit. You should've told me sooner, because then we…"

Richie trailed off and Mike could feel the intensity of a Will Stare radiating through the phone. Good. Keep him under control.

"Anyway, now that we are officially boyfriend-in-laws, I have taken it upon myself to begin the painstaking process of not taunting you on sight…no matter how fun and easy it is to piss you off. But also! Also! It's illegal for you to be jealous of me ever again, so jot that down."

Since when was Mike fucking jealous? Richie was just annoying as hell, why would he even think—

"I'm gonna be on your little screen, touching his hair and holding his hands, and you're gonna have to roll with that." Motherfucker. "But on the bright side, you've only got a couple more months to go before you can be here too! Well, not here, in this dorm, but somewhere…Eh, those details aren't important yet. What is important is I am going to befriend you by force, so be fucking prepared." Richie put on some weird villain voice, rasping out, "You have two months left to steep in your loathing before I drain it all out and flavor you with love. Enjoy being bitter while you still can."

So this was what Mike would have to deal with for the rest of his life. Agony. But it didn't matter because Will Byers could cure all his pain with ease and grace. (And regrettably he trusted Will's judgment enough to accept that Richie must have some redeeming qualities…deep down, beneath that obnoxious surface, so it might not be as excruciating as he anticipated. Hopefully.)

"Okay, that's all!" Richie said, returning to his usual aggravating tone. "Just wanted you to be aware that you will be fundamentally changed as a person soon. Love you, bye~🙈❤️🧂👌👨‍🍳😘"

…How the fuck did he say that out loud? And what did it even mean?!

And then Richie disappeared as abruptly as he'd intruded, and Mike absently muttered, "I'm going to suffer. So much." However, he made sure to speak up when he added, "But you are so worth it. I hope you know that."

"Um…thanks?"

"But also please, please, please, fill me in on why and when you started dating him," Mike said.

"Okay, so over spring break, I found out—how did he word it…I guess Richie and Stan have been 'courting' me. And they—"

"Both?" Where the fuck did Stan come from?

"Yeah," Will said. "For at least a few months or so."

Months?! At least? But he hadn't even known Richie for a year yet, and Stan even less than that, and—and Will was okay with it? Immediately after finding out? They just told him and he accepted? That was it? "What did—" What did they do that I couldn't? "Why exactly did you start dating?"

"I discovered a lot of things this week…about them, and about me. And I think you might learn a lot too, if you felt like talking with them." He paused and reconsidered. "Well, with Stan anyway—because with Richie…y'know."

Yeah, he knew. Yet despite this, Will chose to date that fucker before Mike. A tragedy and an injustice, truly. This was not at all like "the thing El is doing with Max and Lucas", and Mike had no fucking idea how he was meant to interact with them. He hardly knew a thing about Stan, and he only knew annoying things about Richie. (But remember, trust Will's judgment! Redeeming qualities, redeeming qualities, Richie has redeeming qualities…and Stan has…unknown positive qualities? Well, if nothing else, he has good taste in men.)

As if reading his mind, Will continued, "Now that I think about it, Stan isn't that far away from you. He's just a state over, if you happen to wanna meet him before graduation…But you're not obligated to have interest or go out or anything—"

Fuck it. "I want to."

"I mean, he's never talked to you directly before, and you probably want to have some sort of online friendship before meeting him in real life anyway, and there's not a lot of shared interests (except me), and—What?"

"I want to meet him." And see if he's really good enough for you.

"…Okay!"

BYLER BACKSTORY

okay so after the kiss (the kiss Mike asked for, the kiss Will agreed to, the kiss that was just supposed to be Getting It Over With so they could say they did it, the kiss without any explicit feelings attached to it), Will discovered he might actually be thoroughly disgusted by things he previously thought he was neutral about. he was forced to acknowledge how little he could assume about his own limits. before that, he thought "well I don't particularly want to kiss people but I think it'll be fine when it happens" and then it Wasn't Fine. what else would be like that? what else couldn't he do? he had no way to find out without Finding Out and he didn't want Mike to be on the receiving end of such a visceral reaction again (and also didn't want Mike to be the cause of such a visceral reaction again) which is why he rejected Mike later on. he thought that Mike needed the kinds of things that all their friends talked/joked about, and giving him that chance would probably just make them both hurt worse in the end.

Mike was about halfway through his personal journey when he decided to try to confess properly, he was working through what he really wanted in a relationship and wanted to see if they could figure things out, but Will didn't accept it. and made the rejection as gentle as possible and took all the "blame" and looked so fucking Disappointed in Himself that Mike just. chose to wait until Will was ready to pursue his own relationship…which he didn't do, up until now, when bringing up Mike's confession out of the blue. (even tho Mike was somewhat confident that they could figure it out, he didn't want to risk crushing their chances by forcing Will to do something like this before he was equally open to it)

in that time frame Mike did try to date other people eventually. at the start it was casual teenager shit to take the weight of his confession off Will's shoulders, but later on it was because he was mentally preparing for Will to never want a romantic relationship and was genuinely making an effort to move on and be able to just be his platonic best friend. he hadn't been successful, but he was still friends with those exes, because that's the kind of connection he created naturally when he actually chooses to date and isn't pressured into it without an escape. he is full of love and affection and support but in the end Mike's the one that Wasn't Enough because those partners could tell he wasn't fully committed emotionally

(actually they all went into it Knowing he wouldn't be emotionally committed at first because Mike's pining is radiating out of him at every moment. everyone at his college with bare minimum romantic attraction or functioning eyes knew he was fucking whipped for someone from home that he didn't seem to have a chance with. or else they would be together already. there is no way Mike "Where's Will" Wheeler could interact normally with this unfortunate one-sided love. and they thought they had a chance to help Mike move on, especially since Mike was also making a conscious effort to do so. but they gave up within weeks or months because it was honestly kinda depressing that even with his best efforts and genuine emotional connection, the pining for who he Actually wanted to be with was still blatantly clear)

(IMPORTANT NOTE: Will's disappointment was entirely built around "I wish I could make Mike happy" and not "I wish I enjoyed the kiss/I wish I wanted a normal relationship/I wish I felt what everyone else feels/etc". he didn't care much about his own enjoyment or being able to blend in. if he was at least Neutral about that kiss, he would've accepted Mike's confession and fully appreciated the emotional intimacy that came with the physical shit. but he wasn't neutral, and didn't want to submit Mike or himself to that.)

(bonus note: in this au, Ben is that type of asexual. having sex and anything relevant to that is pleasant only for the intimacy he gets with his partner. otherwise it doesn't matter and he has no need or desire for it. but also he is absolutely not anywhere on the aromantic spectrum he is All Romance All The Time. the main difference between how he and Mike see sex is that Mike does actively like the idea of sexual intimacy as its own thing despite not Needing it in his relationship, vs Ben never actively wanting sex itself but he always wants to make Bev feel as loved as possible and sex happens to be one option at his disposal.)

WILL'S MINDSET

okay so Will's not trying to invalidate being poly or aroace by not outright stating the terms or phrasing things oddly, he was just never really concerned with being able to discuss his sexuality with specific words (obviously if someone told him they preferred certain labels he would acknowledge and respect that, he just doesn't care about searching for more terms for himself. he So Much does not fucking care when he could spend his time thinking about like…monsters and shit). "I like boys" "I like girls" "I like both" "I don't think it matters as long as they like science" statements like that were enough for him to comprehend. and for him it was just "maybe I like boys (mike)?" until Stan exposed him to the option of not liking anyone, not in the ways people usually mean when talking about their sexuality (which probably contributed to why he gave so few fucks. everyone around him had preferences that could be labeled and worried over, while he had a severe lack of preference and didn't feel the desire to look for something that wasn't needed)

(also after everything he still calls himself gay and that's his Right, he doesn't have to change the label if it still does its job for him. and he's a dude that's now dating three other dudes. sounds pretty fuckin gay) ngl I didn't know I was aromantic until a friend was talking about their Stan for an au and called him aro and I was like. Wait. that?? counts as aro??? that's a defined thing???? so Will got my Stan Awakening in this au.

btw Will (and hanbrough, the Other Byler) is trans (but hanbrough Fucks, because 99% of the time I make a character trans they're also some kind of asexual. and I think they deserve to Want To Fuck sometimes) so Will's also passively aware of there being more than just two possible genders. but again, he isn't real concerned with learning or claiming specific labels, he just does what he wants. (he and El still look really similar but Also they're the same height now. and depending on who gets seen first when they're standing near each other, a stranger might think they're both girls or both boys, but willel isn't bothered by this. it just happens. then the difference in vocal range makes the stranger change their mind)

anyway finding out stozier had been happily dating for years also showed Will that even someone that really enjoyed sex and romance could be satisfied in a relationship with "someone like him". he didn't think he could do that before, he didn't think he was going to be "enough'', but Stan was more than enough, so maybe Will could be too. that was his thought process when deciding to start the phone call.

the way Will describes his feelings to Mike is partially copying how Stan described his connection with Richie (because Will didn't know they were dating and didn't even think it was possible for Stan, which is one of the things they bonded over, so Stan had to explain). Stan's not exactly In Love with Richie and probably never will be, but it doesn't matter because whatever feelings he has, it feels right for them. and they're all that matter in the relationship they've chosen to commit themselves to (well, plus Will now. and potentially Mike. if he gets there. he'll take a bit more time than Will for that tho…or he might only ever date Will, but he'll at least become less jealous of stozier over time)

(when Will was younger and other people talked about romance, he usually assumed "eventually that'll happen to me. it hasn't yet but it will, because everyone does that, right?" and once he became aware that he treated Mike a little differently than his other friends, he just Expected to fall in love with him. he was waiting for it to happen. he was waiting to wake up one day and just be like "aight cool. I feel distinctly different now". feeling like that is about the closest he'll get to actually Falling In Love. but even if he had fallen in love, he wouldn't have felt the need to ask Mike out. he'd still have been like "I'll keep all my emotions right here, and then one day I'll die". he wouldn't have wanted to date Mike until Mike wanted to date him)

when Will brought up the topic of Maybe Possibly being able to date Mike (he's dating for the first time in his life and it's with two people that have open communication down to a science, so yeah he's gonna bring up his hesitant Mike Thoughts), Stan emphasized that, naturally, they (stozier) don't know what Mike needs in a relationship and can't say whether Will could give it to him. Mike isn't Richie, he might not have any alternatives that Will could do with him. but they won't Know that unless Will asks and byler have an actual discussion about what they can and can't do/try with each other, a conversation that Will had closed off before (a conversation which…kinda becomes unnecessary because of the self discovery Mike had gone through already, but it's still a good conversation to have).

stozier didn't plan on their efforts causing Will to consider dating someone else, but they're definitely aware of Mike being "different" for Will, and they would rather give him the chance to find out if byler could survive than for Will to continue wondering about it. tbh they weren't even 100% confident that Will would choose them if Mike was an actual option but refused to date Will with other people involved. but I think the most simple kind of love is wanting someone to be happy, regardless of how it happens. and after finding out that Will deadass wasn't aware of a single mcfuckin stozier thing going on, they kinda feel like it wouldn't be the worst thing if all they did was teach him it was possible to have a relationship like theirs. (but Mike also wants Will to be happy in whatever way he chooses, so even tho he really fuckin wanted to be Will's only partner, he wouldn't ask Will to immediately dump stozier. his general displeasure with Richie's presence will be fucking suffocating, but he won't make it about Will's choice in dating. it will be entirely Richie's Fault Always Forever. and as long as Mike continues not to take his jealousy out on Will, Richie really isn't that bothered by it since he constantly provoked Mike before this all happened. but someday Mike will notice that Richie's no longer actively doing things to upset him.)

PREFERENCES AND SHIT

Mike can make out or have sex without repulsion but he doesn't require a particularly sexual relationship, his needs are primarily emotional and just having that general physical intimacy, which byler already did Without actually dating…but now they can get Even More Emotional!!! and Completely Erase their Already Minimal Personal Space!!!! they can add another dynamic to their life long friendship, and try out things that even Mike "I'm gonna get you home (to our nerd basement)" Wheeler couldn't pass off as platonic, and continue to discover shit about their boundaries and preferences, and it's gonna be a good fuckin time.

Will and Stan both lack romantic attraction but in different ways, and they chose to date for different reasons. Will was aware a lot earlier than Stan that he wasn't going to fall in love the "usual" way (tho he didn't have a word for it), but once Mike confessed Will Did actively wish he could date just to make Mike happy, and would have done it if they hadn't kissed. for him, the idea of saying "we're dating" is kinda like giving Mike a limited edition cd for a band Will thinks is average at best. he doesn't really care about it but he Does care about the happiness Mike would get from it. but dating isn't a cd, and he knows he has to address the expectations that come with that word before even considering using it (but he kinda shut down the possibility because he would rather Mike be sad from not dating him than purposely put themselves in the path of his repulsion).

meanwhile Stan was Full of dating thoughts but wasn't super interested in pursuing them, he treated them more like a blorbo thing than a personal goal. he wasn't actively disinterested (in fact he really wanted to have a romantic relationship "eventually"), he was just more preoccupied with the fantasy of romance. but when Richie asked him out he wasn't opposed to trying, and he became a little disappointed as he slowly realized he wasn't going to get to experience a romance out of a story, but he still enjoys doing some traditionally romantic gestures (and Richie likes them too)

(when it came to Will accepting stozier's confession/proposal, it was more like informing him that they were already acting like they would if they were dating. because before stozier did Anything, Richie basically asked if it would be okay to so much as flirt, just in case Will would be uncomfortable with an established couple having interest in him (Will is fine with it because people have Apparently flirted with him before and he's never noticed until told, so he figures it won't bother him if people are expressing their interest. it's not his problem if he's not aware. but he didn't explain this logic to Richie, he just said "it would be okay/fine" or "I don't really mind"). and after they had Permission to Pursue, they did just that, gradually building up their individual and shared bonds with him (with Richie increasing the intimacy and affection in his body language and crafting his own Soft Will Voice, since he already uses dramatic romantic/sexual displays with everyone, and Stan changing his actual verbal language, since he only had online contact). but they never stated in Extremely basic terms "we are already in a serious relationship but would like to also maybe date you. can we try that out and see what happens? also this is Not a joke." so Will just did not process anything as having actual romantic intent. oblivious aroace representation)

on the sexual side, while Will has felt "bad" about not being able to do something Mike would like, he's never felt guilty or wrong or anything. just disappointment or sadness. about equal to being disappointed he's severely allergic to Mike's favorite food or something, unable to even touch it let alone eat it together. not a personal failure, just an unfortunate fact. and after entering his first relationship(s), he continues not to have any guilt about what he can't do for Mike or Richie, because they are clearly satisfied in the relationship. he can make them happy. meanwhile Stan occasionally feels guilt about it despite how aware and accepting he is about shit. logically he knows that there's nothing wrong with not wanting to have sex or kiss or whatever, but he can tell himself that as many times as he wants and it won't stop the feeling from popping up (partially because he wanted it so much, and he can imagine Richie wanting it too. but unlike Stan, Richie actually Could have that kind of romance if he was with someone else). he's also open with Richie about when it happens and gets reassurance that he's enough

one big issue Will had with dating Mike was not wanting Mike to miss out on doing things. but stozier was literally already dating long term and had been gradually involving Will in the level of intimacy they were used to, so he wasn't worried about not being able to give them what they needed. he accepted without much thought. honestly Richie's type of personality is probably the only reason they were able to get to this point. Will wouldn't feel the desire to "try" dating if he wasn't already confident he could offer what the relationship required, so basically anyone could ask him out and he would immediately say no. but Richie didn't ask him out, he just asked for Permission to fucking Pine and Express Interest and Flirt and shit, and because Richie already made a big show of general physical and verbal intimacy with everyone, Will didn't even notice it shift from casual/joking to a genuine pursuit.

Richie (and losers in general) is a lot more experienced and chill with sex-repulsion (Stan and Eddie). that disgust is treated kinda like offering someone a really shitty candle and saying "this is so bad. you have to smell it." and giving them the choice to smell it or not. sometimes the scent is intense enough that they Know it's bad even without getting close, but with a weaker scent they can go into the situation knowing that it'll Probably be a negative sensory experience, while also acknowledging that candles only make it to the shelf because Some people like it, so there's a Possibility that it won't be that bad. because of that casual outlook, Will is eventually (Eventually) going to start his Fuck Around and Find Out phase with Richie, and slowly begin to define his physical limits more explicitly.

Will was fucked up about Mike getting that fucked up over their failed kiss, but also he was fucked up about Mike ever being a source of that kind of disgust and he doesn't want to be in that situation again. even if Mike thinks he can handle it now, that doesn't mean Will can handle it. he wants to know what actions he's capable of doing and what things he can never do. and for stozier, Richie Being Gross is like a core part of their dynamic. so Will wants Richie to show him the Shitty Candle Collection and be able to comfortably enjoy being disgusted or pleasantly unfazed (or maybe possibly find a slightly good candle) even if he gags or pukes, even if he can only smell one candle a day or week or month, he wants to know his limitations. he wants to learn that for Himself so he's never surprised by sudden repulsion again. and he wants to do it with someone that's not Mike. 

(about kissing specifically, one reason Will was particularly confident that it would just be neutral is because Byers openly do kisses on cheek/forehead/hand/etc and he never had any reactions stronger than exaggeratedly wiping off his cheek or fake gagging at Jonathan or some shit. he didn't think a kiss on the mouth would affect him like that. anyway plot twist even tho Will was always half-assed grossed out by kissing and pretended to throw up when he walked in on El and Max making out, now he's gonna be one of the the gross ones. he absolutely can't do mouth kisses and doesn't enjoy being kissed in general but he's fairly neutral about Giving kisses (Stan doesn't give or receive any kisses anywhere, stozier makeout session is pure forehead touch babey) and Will's gonna get to see Mike collapse to the fucking floor from a gotdam palm kiss. fucking simp.)

ONE FINAL NOTE

since byler are equally stupid and Mike got the majority of his stozier exposure either through Will or from Richie butting in on their calls, Mike Also did not realize that Richie and Stan were dating. literally from his pov rn, it just looks like Will's annoying roommate fell So fucking hard that he must have gone on lovesick rants that made a whole second person also fall for Will. and since Will's mostly talked about Stan in reference to roasting Richie together, Mike hasn't yet made the connection that Stan is the reason Richie hasn't fucked in "five years or some shit" (more like 3-4, but no one ever accused Will of being good at math) and is also the one that encouraged Will to try to explore multiple ways to have and define a relationship. not that Richie didn't also encourage him, it's just that Will never took anything he said seriously until Stan's comments made him realize that Richie was in fact Not fuckin joking or talking purely in hypotheticals over the past several months.

(for the record Will takes Richie seriously with other topics, it's just the romantic/flirty shit that he is fucking physically incapable of processing as genuine (especially when directed at him). it was like that with Mike too, Up Until he was forced to acknowledge that Mike was serious and actually did want to date and be gross)

aight if anyone made it to the end…god bless. I hope you're fed because this won't be happening again soon

my favorite parts of Mike's very uninformed narration…

"what if Richie and his weird friends said something to Will over spring break?" what if Richie and his weird friend told Will it was okay to ask you out a couple days after he started dating them

"please, god, do not be dating Richie" guess what bitch

"well, if nothing else, [Stan] has good taste in men." Guess What Bitch

[ntrider]

5 13 27 39

hehe I asked for more attention and I got it thank youuuuuuu I love you anon

5: Do you take drugs? in a sense, no. I am personally really against alcohol and drugs for recreational use. one of the advantages of having a driver's license is that you can always count on me to be sober no matter where or when. I don't have any drug trauma or anything I just. REALLY hate it. cannot stand it. I'm cool with other people doing it of course, but I can only be so cool about it. if everyone's hanging out to drink and smoke yall can see me some other time yknow

13: Biggest turn ons shit that's hard to say. to answer honestly, I guess I like when people surprise me with how they approach me and others. so I would say people who display a lot of patience but still make you feel like they WANT to be patient, or that love to play on both yours and their terms and engage with teasing you but are still mindful to how much moderation they should have based on your reactions. attentiveness, even when subconscious, is very attractive. also when people see affection and attraction in similar ways than me or differently but still in a way that can connect with how I see it. so, focused on conversation, playing both together and in parallel, and casual intimacy. I guess. I was going to describe physical turn ons too, but slowly realized I was just going to describe the full anatomy of a human being. also praise. I adore compliments, especially when they feel earned (i.e. something I actually put effort into doing or saying was recognized and appreciated)

27: A description of the person I like they're really beautiful in every sense of the word. the passion for the things they engage with is extremely inspiring, and you know I mean it knowing the person I am. they show a kindness and way to... I guess focus on what they are and want to be? that makes me feel like I want to help them get there. not that I'm needed, but that it would help me to be there for their help, y'know? their sense of humor delights me, and the stories they share with others makes me feel assured that they're someone I want to truly spend time with because of how well they can exist with others and with me. I guess. is this what you'd call a description? look, I post a lot of poetry on main that you can read, like 90% of that is a description of a person, just through my emotions (so I guess it's also a description of me, in a sense?). besides all this admiration, they also just make me feel like they like being friends with me, which is really important. I feel appreciated, and pulled into allowing myself to be there. I suppose. they're someone who I feel like I would appreciate their every word but also their silence. their every touch but also their distance. whom I'd just like to hear about their day more than anyone else's. I suppose. I guess. I think. the more I say things, the more I feel like I'm saying the wrong things, or that I should be saying more things, or that I should be giving more. but I imagine they'd be satisfied with my answer because it's what I thought of saying...? or maybe not maybe they'd super not! but that's unlikely. would YOU be satisfied with my answer, anon? that I have no clue of. but I think people here like me because of how I am, and if this is a mess, then they like my mess. if you wanted a description of appearance, sorry I'm really bad at those. but I did say beautiful in every sense, didn't I? also it's embarrassing if I describe them too much because they and everyone else who knows them can read this. oopsies. I know I'm like, the honest person who's also really romantic and loves giving compliments, but you have to understand past a certain point of being a loving mess I just start getting self conscious of how much they should be hearing. some things I should not be saying!!!!! some things I should probably keep to myself!!!! I couldn't tell you what, though!

39: My favorite ice cream flavor hm... I like most flavors equally because I like ice cream more than most things in the world... I just really want every flavor available... but neapolitan is always nice. and lime. lime is very important. lime ice cream is so... so important... my favorite ice cream type ever was those cones that came FILLED with stuff, but I've never found diet ice cream cones, so I haven't had anything like that in years. sad!

[tobiasdrake]

WHAT THE FUCK WHAT THE FUCK WHAT THE FUCK

Moraine implied that we're on a time crunch with that core, so a standoff isn't going to do any good. Time is on Serai's side.

The hell just happened? Erlina managed to zap Serai without Serai reflexively slitting Brugaves's throat. Uh. Okay.

Well. You guys can destroy the core now, right? Unimpeded?

You guys are gonna destroy the core now, right?

...right?

:-s I am not comfortable with the tonal shift in this room.

Hey. Uh. Brugaves? I don't know if this matters to you. I don't even know what's going on. But. This is technically my belated birthday party. I called dibs earlier.

So. Y'know. You... wouldn't... wanna do anything to... ruin it. Right?

This is why you didn't want us to join the team!? I thought you were being overprotective about our wellbeing. ~_~ You wanted to... what, protect the fucking Dweller!?

I AM NOT OKAY WITH ANYTHING THAT'S HAPPENING RIGHT NOW.

AND NOW I'M EVEN LESS OKAY WITH IT. WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK, GUYS.

There is clearly a complicated argument to be had here but what is not ambiguous even a little bit is that the Dweller of Woe sucks and should be destroyed.

If we could just. Do that. Then we can all convene at the First Stage of Grief for a rousing political debate. They should have no problem hosting us; They're used to tuning things out.

Was there not already going to be no more of this nonsense? This was the final Dweller. We need Solstice Warriors to slay Dwellers, so when there are no more Dwellers to slay, shouldn't this argument resolve itself?

Maybe it's because I'm young and poorly educated, thanks Moraine, but I really don't understand what you guys are fighting about.

See, to my young and poorly educated ears, that sounds like it's antithetical to the goal of "Nobody has to be Solstice Warriors anymore". That sounds like you guys are very confidently asserting bullshit.

You are definitely confidently asserting bullshit. I made a very tangible argument and your response was "NUH-UH".

NO. DO NOT. You're trying to topic-shift in order to appeal to me emotionally. Unfortunately for you, I am emotionally exhausted, supremely cranky, wired on triple triple-shot shots, and all I feel is betrayal and rage. The only thing keeping me conscious right now is the impulse to wrap my hands around your throat.

When Brugaves threw his Moonerangs into a solar barrier like this, they would pass straight through but catch on fire. I am genuinely wondering if I can do that right now.

FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK Serai, I'm sorry I doubted you; You and I are crime besties forever FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK

We were supposed to be finished. T_T Goddamn morons I looked up to for like my whole childhood.

My fake birthday party is absolutely ruined. There's no salvaging this. I only said that to look tough in front of the terrifying cosmic horror from beyond time and space, and yet somehow I'm mad about it nonetheless.

That's the thing that killed Momo. So. Uh. No, probably not. I do not have enough bravado to console you right now, Garl. In the emotional state I'm in, I don't even have enough false bravado.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA We have three. HAHA. HAHAHAHA. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.

We should go see if the Last Stage of Grief is still offering coping mechanisms even though their cause for despair is vanquished.

[prowerprojects]

Aside from noticing a shift in how "found family" is portrayed in fandoms these days, I wonder if this is a semi-conscious side effect of Tails over the years being semi-shafted until the past decade. (Aside from AOSTH{though was often a kidnap victim} and Boom, most adaptions had him downplayed or outright replaced. Yes, Prime, this technically includes you. The comics aren't exactly clean either, but Archie is the most guilty.)

But yeah, I get the appeal of "parental big sibling" tropes. Not every sibling relationship is the same though, or is all peachy. I don't think Sonic thinks Tails is so inept that he can't trust him to be on his own in most circumstances, young or not. (Fox is more likely to run INTO trouble than make it himself. High intelligence doesn't mean you won't do dumb stuff on occasion; especially if you're not well-versed, but I sooner buy the idea of 'baby' Tails having separation issues than willingly getting into a shootout with cops. Not unless he was saving someone anyway) Sonic's influence on Tails is mostly guidance and support. While Tails does seek approval, Sonic does not have huge authority over him. Tails striking out on his own and living his own life doesn't make his bond with Sonic any less close. Reunions can be just be as emotional, y'know? (Plus, wouldn't Sonic be proud of that? For Tails to achieve his dreams through his own efforts? Give me a Sonic being the loudest person at his little brother's science presentation.)

Also, I don't think Tails would care who Sonic dates. Curious at best, and I'm sure he would want to be on good terms with his romantic partner and even bond with them, but I don't think he nor Sonic would appreciate the former being babied at every turn. Plus, wouldn't Tails being a gremlin by giving snide, knowing looks to Sonic be funnier? (And there's plenty of sibling activities that doesn't involve parenting one another: Movie nights, water gun fights, pranking, sparring, camping, gaming. Even just napping in the sun under a tree.)

Likely another side effect to the "non-action" and "dependency" Tails got hit with. (Which is funny because I have witnessed at times back then of some accusing Tails of being potentially appearing too competent to the point of making Sonic look "weak". Wanting Tails to have limits on his mechanic skills is one thing, but saying he should stick to tinkering vehicles only is very restricting though?) Nine may have endured bullying longer, but it doesn't mean it stopped having an effect on Tails himself. (Called names, had his tails messed with, people smashing his inventions. He may grown to embrace his qualities, but he clearly still has self worth issues that is ripe for exploring more. Nine's is mainly trust. Companionship too, but mostly trust. They've both been hurt, one was just lucky enough to get support early and ongoing.) Heh, I could go on a tangent on how finicky fans are at the thought Tails talking back to Sonic or dare have a different opinion than him and Nine gets a pass because he's "Anti-Tails", but that'd be another essay. xD (But yeah, hopefully Prime ends well.)

((Oh, and cool ponytail Tails art, btw. :] ))

Hmmm, could be. Early portrayals call still influence the way people see a character, even after all those years. (I mean, Sonic and chili dogs thing even got canonized and everything)

I definitely see Sonic as more of a mentor rather than parent figure. I think Sonic has a lot of trust and respect for Tails, and it's hard for me to imagine Sonic like. Grounding Tails or something similar. If this happened I imagine it would be such a wild concept to Tails he would think it's a joke, but more importantly Sonic wouldn't even think of doing this, I don't think he thinks of himself as that kind of authority figure in Tails's life. And Sonic is Tails's biggest fan definitely. I like that one bit from a q&a where Sonic gets asked who's smarter, Tails or Eggman, and he immediately picks Tails... (It's so cute, idk, especially since there's no way to actually prove it, and it's probably not even true (of course, "smartness" is relative), and then he goes on to say how Eggman is still a close second and very dangerous and not to underestimate him)

[No comment on the shipping thing, I pretty much agree though]

I've mostly seen people wanting Tails to have a limit on his skills to make him as a character more "grounded" and "realistic", but Shadow can have 10000 superpowers and I don't see anybody complaining. You know what else is unrealistic? Flying by spinning your tails. Especially since Tails was portrayed as this "pan-purpose scientist" since the beginning, and it's not a part of "flanderization". Like for sure, vehicle engineering has always been his specialty and biggest interest, but for example he made a Chaos Emerald radar back in Sonic 3, and had a robot back in Tails Adventure. People bring up the fact that he struggled with a plane prototype in Adventure 1 as an example of him being not that great with his mechanical skills initially, but he had already made a rocket back in Sonic the Fighters at that point.

Yeah, bullying messes you up big time, and it's not easy to get over it... If this wasn't something Tails had to deal with in the past, he might have a completely different outlook on himself nowadays, even if he still felt inadequate. Though I do like how the games don't really push this into our faces all the time, it's just a part of the backstory that helps understand the character better but you can still understand what's up with him even if you don't know the details. (Also makes me think he probably doesn't talk about this, it's something that only Sonic knows about most likely, and even then still probably not in detail).

(There's a lot of things that I don't quite like in Prime, I just don't bother talking about it, but I'm pretty optimistic on how they're handling Nine! (& Tails))

(Haha thanks =^-^= )

[residentdormouse]

Find the Word Tag - Eeeee!

Alright, I agree @mrsmungus, best to enjoy the easy letters as we have them while we have them. (Check me using 'Enjoy' logic. 😂)

My Words: Exit, Ever, Each, End, Enjoy

Still keeping this OPEN TAG because this is becoming daily, and I’m not trying to bog down anybody's tag game to-do list. But please Jump on the Train if you feel even the slightest bit inclined to do so!!

Your Words: Fix, Frantic, Fear, Fun, Flip

Went all for 'Something like a Spiral' this time. Nostalgia, yay! As always excerpts below the cut because I don’t know the meaning of short/brevity/pithy/concise you get the point…

Exit

A good deal of Stu's nightmares, understandably, focused on their escape. "When we finally got to the exit, he stepped out to block it. Couldn't see much outside of the glowing red eyes and his smile." He also mentioned that his wolf showed up frequently, with the same eerie eyes.

Then it was Hayden's turn. Her Mother Abagail dreams followed a similar suit as her companions, but she got self conscious as she started on her nightmare. Glen passed over the vape, which she eagerly accepted. A few puffs and she explained that the same figure appearing in Stu's dream showed up in hers as well. He blocked out the light and chilled the air, meaninacly hovering over Stu. It was hard to explain that the nightmare wasn’t so much a direct attack on her, or to Stu really, but more like she was interrupting him.

With a cheeky smile, Stu gave her a bump on the shoulder. "You know, when I asked you to watch my back, I didn't mean you had to while you were sleepin’ too."

"Oh, you're funny now."

"This is a serious 'Thank You'. Scout's honor."

Ever

Tears were swelling up steadily as Fran gave them all a last chance to reply. Once she finally accepted that no answer was coming though…

“Then you’re as useless as Harold was saying!”

And with that, she stormed off. Smug as ever, Harold shot a smirk before heading back to the bikes leaving Stu, Glen, and Hayden to stand there in silence.

“There was a town a little ways back. Could have supplies, books, medicine...” Count on Stu for a game plan.

“So, we’re really going to try this?” Glen raised his eyebrows and cocked his head to the side, letting out the breath he was holding.

“Seems we really don’t have much of a choice.”

Stu capped the conversation as he headed towards the bikes. Another quick look was exchanged between Hayden and Glen before they followed in tow. While it was obviously not his preference, bikes were clearly the fastest option to get to town. Unable to argue the urgency of the matter, Glen hopped on behind Hayden as Stu took his own, and the group set off to scavenge anything that could make a miracle possible.

Each

"Common Harold, you're deflecting, and I wish you would just talk to me." Attempting to pull emotion from Harold was like trying to read expressions on a stone wall sometimes. There may be smiling graffiti, but that didn’t mean it was happy. "You've been through a lot recently, and---"

"What do you want me to say, huh?!" The outburst took her off guard, but his anger slipped behind the mask just as quickly as it came. With a huff, he brushed it off before responding in his normal Harold tone. "If you're trying to smooth things over so Stu feels better about himself, you can report back that we're fine."

He was connecting her to Stu. That was enough to write her off.

"That's not what this is, and I think you know that. Me and Stu, we have each other's backs. He's a good guy if you give him a fair chance." She wasn't surprised at the automatic ' Hmph ' in response. "But this isn’t one or the other. We're a group, and I'd like to think, friends? I have your back too, y'know.” Nothing; she wasn’t sure if he truly thought she was just Stu’s lackey, or if he was too stubborn to acknowledge this. “Do you have mine?"

End

While stuck in CDC solitary, she explored this location more than she cared to admit. Aside from Mr. Squeak, her fuzzy roommate, she had nothing better to occupy her time. The desire to search for anymore answers had passed when she left that special spit of purgatory behind.

Landing on the bookshelf, her fingers drifted along each spine on the bottom row. No titles, no authors, just weathered browns and tans. A few reds. And at the very top sat a lone teal tinted one.

As she made her way to the end of the shelf, she pulled out one of the plain tan books. Flipping through it quickly for good measure, blank pages taunted her. Closing the cover again, she sighed before sending it crashing through the nearest window.

Head in her hands, she slumped to the ground. Her disappointment continued to command attention. Attention that normally would have noticed the guinea pig sketch hanging by the bedroom window or Stu's name scribbled along the edge of a discarded book by the fireplace. Possibly the dark painting with glowing red eyes laying next to the door.

Enjoy

Immediately, she missed the comfort as he broke away to head towards the pantry, but the warmth to his smile remained. "Well, there’s certainly nothing we can do about this right now, so… " A couple bottles of alcohol were held up to her. "Why don't we just focus on tonight?”

Looking them over, she pointed to the smaller bottle. Handing the drink off to her, she began to rummage the cupboards for glasses while he went to the living area.

“You can't let what will be, bog you down from enjoying what is ."

Two shots of coconut rum were already poured out as the music started. Quickly turning around at the sound, she saw Glen vaping away, very pleased with himself for finding the battery operated player. As he came back over to her, she handed him a shot.

Her glass raised towards him, "To making the best of the time we have,"

He followed suit, "dancing on the grave of the world."

[catty-words]

season 3 is probably my fav season of nhie and although as baxton girlie number 1 i love the blooming of their bromance in the 3.06 episode, a part of me wonders about how paxton saw benvi's friendship while daxton was dating like... its not possible that only aneesa saw their chemistry right?? we know that paxton is veryyy perceptive like he was in his phone the entire time he saw fab and aneesa interact for less than 30 seconds and he caught the chemistry with no previous background of their interactions, no way he didnt see his gf tension with the guy she previously cheated him with!!! i totally get him playing it cool and not saying anything, but i wish to see how he felt about it while he was dating devi yk?? what are your thoughts on it?

mm, this is a very good point - paxton is very perceptive and it hardly seems plausible that he'd fail to notice the benvi of it all completely. though i am willing to buy that ben consciously chose to approach devi only when paxton wasn't around + that devi was cautiously tight-lipped about anything ben-related around paxton because of how the cheating played out. if i were going to rationalize a canon for the dissonance, that's how i'd do it.

my main thought, though, is that this is another solid example of season three feeling like the rightful emotional continuation of season one, with season two existing as a fever dream floating out there in a liminal space between being part of the narrative and completely outside it. because season two paxton was almost unbelievably self-conscious about what everyone would think about him taking devi back, but season one and season three paxton knows that people will adjust to his choices or they won't - he's going to be over here living his life how he wants to anyway, thanks (here, have a bonus post on this topic).

the true shame, i think, is that devi doesn't have to have cheated on the both of them for paxton and ben to recognize and engage with how they're foils. the fact that ben is a foundational pillar of devi's identity would necessarily come up in a daxton relationship, if the relationship were given its due by way of a full season to develop and breakdown, because paxton 👏 is 👏 perceptive 👏. and i highly doubt he'd sit idly by after watching ben be obviously in love with devi for an extended period of time. any resulting confrontation would almost certainly leave ben frustrated by the fact that paxton isn't the bad guy who only cares about getting into devi's pants that ben's cast him as in his perception of their love triangle. eventually, they'd reach the same place they do in the hospital in 3.06 - a recognition that they a) both care deeply for devi and b) are far more complex individuals than is convenient for continued resentment.

and, y'know, if i were going to write paxton noticing the benvi of it all, it'd look something like this. 😘

[strangersteddierthings]

Oooo. Oh op the Things this has unlocked in my brain. My own lil rant/vent below the read more.

It's like... Eddie's The Freak™, and sure it ostracizes him from his peers, but he gets to come home to Unconditional Love. That's the kind of thing that makes it easier to be yourself. (Speaking from experience, as someone who was the Weird Anime Girl that came out as a freshman) And Eddie's not living an easy life by any means, but it's easier to get through with Unconditional Love, knowing you're loved and there isn't a single thing you can do that would make that love go away? Knowing you have the kind of love makes life simpler.

Steve on the other end. His parents' love for him IS Conditional. They have all these expectations for him, and how he should act, and who he can be seen in public with. He can only like the right kind of Things, play the Good sports (the ones that get you scholarships), hang out with people whose parents are Influential in some way (or at least come from money), and the list of conditions never ends. The love is Conditional and if Steve deviates at all, it's gone.

Steve has to follow the crowd, gain the acceptance of his peers and the Majority. Being accepted by the Majority is the only thing that matters to the Harrington's. And I think Steve doesn't really know the difference between Acceptance and Being Loved. Steve acts the way he does s1 because it makes his father yell at him less. He's bitchy, and an asshole, and frivolous with other people's emotions because that's how his parents are to him. 'Cause if he's the one doing the hurting, then he's not being hurt. But I don't think that's a conscious decision on Steve's part. That's just How Things Are.

And then y'know, the Upside Down happens and Steve changes but also can't change because his parents' love is still Conditional.

So, he Changes but Doesn't Change and Eddie doesn't get to see the Changes because Steve isn't allowed to show them. The others know he's a good person, can be a kind and thoughtful person on occasion, even, because you don't go through what they've gone through and not see the other sides of people that they try to keep locked away.

Gonna stop myself there because I don't know if I'm even making sense but ugh, the Idea you've thought of, OP, so good. I'm going to be thinking about this forever.

the temptation to write a body swap au where eddie survives s4 but he and steve really were antagonistic, but it only shows after because eddie sees steve as the spoilt rich kid who has no right to complain about his parents when they gave him everything he ever wanted.

some vecna upside down magic nonsense happens and it's 1984 and eddie is in steves body and steve is in eddies. and at first, it's kinda funny. they're just waiting for that timelines eleven and the gang to figure it out... but the trauma jumps out.

bc wayne is amazing. he just does his best to be there. especially when steve tries to use the excuse that he's just having a rough time. wayne takes a weekend off and insists on steve staying home. they have a movie night and its... lovely. it breaks steves heart a little, to feel how loved eddie is.

but eddie is having an actual rough time. he half-asses trying to fit in as steve for the first few days, but when steves parents come home? eddie is not only horrified, he's scared. steves house isn't safe when his parents are home and, until eddie starts to "behave like a man", they're refusing to go anywhere.

eddie nearly cries with relief when he finally wakes up in his own body. steve thinks it's hilarious, thinks he's exaggerating for a joke.

but eddie has decided to make it his mission to make sure steve still gets the love he's clearly been missing out on. he makes it his mission to undo any pain his parents gave him. he even snaps at dustin, when he makes the same jokes eddie did about steve being spoilt.