#he's like 80 years old I'm so scared he's gonna die soon😭😭

[h0dge-p0dge]

if anyone doesn't want me around anymore they could just tell me that Harry Shearer died and I would kill myself

[perexcri]

!!!

“Mike’s shoulders instinctively scrunch up to his ears, his posture curling over a little to try to bring himself down a few inches in height. He looks like he’s trying to fold himself up into some younger version of himself where these doubts lie, to make his eighteen year-old self fit properly with the insecurities he’s carried around for this entire decade.” This paragraph is a) Very in character (u continue to have characterization in a chokehold), and b) a extremely big and painful mood that stabbed me in the throat.

The tiger !!!

Us 🤝 Mike wheeler: knowing Will deserves a stuffed tiger rheikedidj

(Tbh cheating at a fair game is Well deserved lol bc those games cheat so.)

also lmaooo at the matching rings of power, Mike is such a nerd I’d die for him.

Mike being afraid of heights!! Leah u are 1000% correct and also Ow😭

“You two have very bright futures ahead of you. Only lightness–no more shadows from other worlds around us.” 🤔 their history teacher tapped into some magic methinks. Maybe some latent power from byler’s previous life? i wonder what Mike was hoping for from her that he didn’t get?

Tbh this is Very realistic of a first date w the awkwardness between them—even if it’s someone you know as well as these two know each other (aka literal reincarnated soulmates) it would be unrealistic for it to go perfect for them. Esp since they can’t fully relax since theyre in public and it’s the 80s. Is the night over tho? 🤔

Also just wanted to say your friend’s binding of THABA is Literallt So cool and it’s awesome that you have a physical copy now!!

I hope you are doing exceptionally well!!💐

Vee!! i'm glad i could get his character down well (something that i am often Very Worried i am not doing for ANY of these characters), but ACK sorry for stabbing you in the throat (metaphorically, of course). i think Mike is relatable to a lot of us for lots of reasons like this, unfortunately :')

Will deserves all of the stuffed tigers!! and honestly after his Vegas comments in the van, it only made sense that he and Mike cheat to get it. like you said, those games are rigged anyway, so who cares?

they are loser nerds, first and foremost. i wanted them to have matching necklaces like in aftry, but i thought the lotr spin would make it funnier. lol nerds

OH YEAHHH the heights thing!! the funny thing is i was originally gonna have them have their first kiss in that scene? the more i thought about it though the more i was like "eh this doesn't feel right," and then it occurred to me that after Mike. you know. willingly threw himself off the cliff at the quarry, that maybe he's a little scared of heights now. it makes sense to me :D and ahhh i'm glad you can appreciate some of the awkwardness of their first date!! again: they are loser nerds!! and it's basically both of their first official dates, so i felt like they'd be a little awkward about everything. to a certain extent, i think they're both trying to live up to their own expectations, but also the expectations that get put on first dates in general by *society* or whatever. *insert obligatory we live in a society meme here*

heheheh some of Mike's behavior is addressed in the rest of the fic (or at least i sure hope i managed to convey it - anyway that's going up right after i respond to this, so i guess we'll know soon, right?). i've been dissecting his character with a spoon lately and it unfortunately bled into this fic. oops

AHHHH i'm glad you liked my friend's fic binding!! T_T they're such a lovely and talented friend, and they do all kinds of cool stuff!! it made me so happy to get, but it also made me happy seeing other people talk about how impressed they were with their handiwork. they deserve so much heheheh 💜

i am wishing you all the best as well, Vee!! i hope you're having a good weekend :] 💜💜💜