#i could get arguing that they're just really close platonic friends but don't say they're like siblings because I'll start worrying for you

[currymanganese]

As someone really close to my brothers, like I confide in them things I'd never even risk telling a therapist, things I'd never tell another living soul, they've talked/loved me out of suicidal ideation before-type close; how anyone can see Sydney and Carmen 'like a brother and sister' is beyond me. My brothers dote on me as their baby sister, and we hug each other/exchange 'I love yous' as often as we meet up, but if they looked at me with the intensity and wistfulness that Carmy looks at Syd with I'd be mad uncomfortable, my spidey sense would start tingling if you know what I mean. People please bffr - y'all siblings out here gazing at you like that, like you hung the moon and the stars?

[ms--lobotomy]

platonic malcador x reader??? he's such a girldad and we could be some imperial agent or smthn I don't really mind as long as I get that SWEET SWEET cute grandpa moments bc I know you will always cook

Howdy! Sorry this one's so late, I was finishing my degree so requests kind of fell off the face of the earth for a bit. I'll try to get a good portion of them done, though! Enjoy!

Summary: Talking shit with your honorary girldad Malcador

Word Count: 744

Content Warnings: No clear base coat for doing nails, sue me. Implied malcemps, if you squint, and also the implication that reader has sister(s).

Image Credit: @squishyowl

It wasn't often that you got to take some time for yourselves. But your particular order of inquisitors had a meeting today, and you were going to look good for it. So you'd excused yourself to your temporary quarters, sent a quick vox message to your friend, and waited on a response as you threw on whatever caught your eye and arranged a few colors of nail polish for the two of you to choose from.

Hey Malc, I have a bit of time before the meeting today. Wanna do our nails? Cool. Thanks. You signed off with your name, sinking back into your chair and sitting there for a second.

The walls felt like they were closing in on you. Sure, these were temporary quarters, but this room felt more like a closet than a temporary accommodation. You were hunched over the dresser, fixing your hair when you heard a knock at the door. Your head snapped around. A yawn was audible through the door, and you grinned.

"I haven't got all day," he said. You could hear the smile in his voice as you headed over to the door, opening it with a slight creak. His breathing was loud, but nothing out of the ordinary for him, and he carried a stunningly large staff. It almost didn't fit through the door, but as he made his way in, he made it work.

"Malc!" you exclaimed. "Come in, if you can fit-"

"This used to be a closet," he mumbled. He made his way to the chair that you'd set out for him, something that much mismatched the one you had taken for yourself. "Looks like they're putting people just anywhere these days."

"Oh," you said. If you were friends with the Sigilite, you didn't want to know how the others of your order were rooming. You blotted the thought out of your head, and turned to the set of nail polish you'd set out.

"So we have green, and teal, and..."

"Green."

You blinked. You ran a finger over the crimson red nail polish, but his eyes were set on the cool green polish at the very front of the row.

"Green it is," you said, as you slid the green over to him and took the red for yourself.

"No, no, I want to do each other's," he said. There was a softness to his voice, one that was always reserved for private interactions between the two of you.

"Sure!" you exclaimed, switching the red and the green before laying down some paper towels to catch any overflow. He watched with bemusement as you hurriedly took out the green polish and rolled up his sleeves, placing his bony hands against the paper towels.

"What's the rush?" he asked as you started to paint the first stripe onto them.

"Rush?" you asked. "Weren't you the one who said you didn't have all day or something?"

Malcador sat back in his chair. Despite it being the sturdier option, it made a slight creaking noise. "I did," he said, his eyes closing as you worked with the first layer. "I've just never had any daughters, is all."

You paused for a second before continuing to swipe color across his fingernails. "No daughters?" you asked, looking up at him incredulously. "You're Perpetual, right? You've had all the time in the world to... uh..." you trailed off before clearing your throat. "My bad."

He smiled a wry smile. "You could say the Primarchs were partially my doing, yes," he said. "I wanted girls, you see. Much less arguing, and activities like this are more likely to be in the picture."

"Less arguing?" you smirked before bursting into full on laughter. "Clearly you never grew up with any sisters." You tilted the paper towel a little bit as you moved onto his right hand, painting it just as carefully as you'd painted his left. Silence filled the room for a moment before he spoke again.

"None of the Primarchs ever did my nails," he said with a hint of playful spite to his voice. "Even the ones we found early. Horus was always too important for things like this."

"Horus, huh?" you asked before the next words flew out of your mouth without much thought. "Guess I'm just better than him."

"Be careful saying that," he replied as you finished his pinky. "But do say that in front of him. I want to know how it goes."

Taglist: @bispecsual @justeverythingnothingelse @bleedingichorhearts @nekotaetae @historitor-bookshelf

[hepaidattention]

my chaotic obx4 part 1 thoughts.... without any order

OBX Spoilers!!!

JJ's name is Jackson............????????? WHATS HIS MIDDLE NAME

jiara is everything. they are my everything. they literally are all we ever wanted. would never complain for more kissing maybe, okay just slightly. like a kiss on the cheek even. but they are perfect. perfection.

ruthie. you don't even have to listen to jj's threats honey. because it's KIARA you should really be scared of. wrong pogue to make an enemy of.

protective jj makes me just.... ugh. he will do ANYTHING crazy and thoughtless and dangerous but if kiara wants to he's gonna be level headed and try to talk her out of it. he's a presh bean

absolutely love Kiara Carrera and absolutely hate her parents. wouldn't expect anything less from our girl, but the fact that her parents said "don't come back unless he's gone" and she said "okay bye then" and never looked back is just. I love her. I love jiara.

the writers really said "lets make jj's mom dead and oh yeah that asshole dad? not his real dad - raised him out of the goodness of his heart, then beat him. yeah but NO no no no noNO no sarah can't be his sister. the fans want that too bad."

the way kiara put up a pillow to make out with JJ (or more *wink*) in the chamber pod thingy *chefs kiss* and the way she and JJ had traded places, of course implying that there was definitely some rolling around going on in there *wink* best part imo (just woulda been better if we had seen them kiss but its fine IM FINE) I'm just a slut for some kiss scenes that's all. I honestly didn't even feel like their dynamic needs it. I just like to see that kissing content

I actually really love the dynamics this season. They have THREE couples in the main group and they've done amazing not making it feel like that, tbh. Though I did get frustrated because I COULD use a little more PDA sometimes, it also (especially for JJ and Kie) makes perfect sense for their characters. Plus, as friends first (and friends for so long), it's nice watching them get to slowly be more comfortable in showing affection beyond closed doors.

I know Rafe is crazy. really I do. but I really want him to become good. I love how this girl has seemed to help that, too. she's a pogue and he doesn't care - like he does but he loves her anyway and it's helped him realize why Sarah did what she did. being a pogue doesn't really change who you are. He also has shown remorse for hating on pogues, like the whole beach scene. I saw someone say they didn't understand the point but I think the point was to show us Rafe and his gf (forgot her name I'm so sorry girly), and show how mad she became, and for Rafe to realize maybe this whole pogue vs kook thing was STUPID and hurtful. It also seems to have to do with Topper development but I kind hate Topper so I don't care about him lolll

still not over the jiara kiss. THEY"VE BEEN TOGETHER FOR ALMOST 2 FUCKING YEARS.

JJ. Babe. I love you. But you have dated that girl for 2 years and have not taken her out on a date???? I know, I get it, you've been very busy building a life. BUT HONEY. tsk tsk. Treat her right, sir.

Absolutely love how soft he gets towards her.

Pope: scolding

JJ: I KNOW MAN I DON'T NEED TO HEAR THIS ALRIGHT??? I DID WHAT I DID AND I DIDN'T DO NOTHING WRONG

JB: argues

JJ: IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT ACTUALLY

Kie: scolds

JJ: you're right baby I'm so sorry I'm just trying to help

the pogues being pogues. this season feels very fanfic in the best ways. like we actually got all of them living together in one house???? all just being best buds and loving one another platonically (and romantically)???? and I'm just. I love it. it's what we all asked for and it was worth the wait (tho the wait has been very very long)

it's the way Sarah and JB put up a seashell to let them know they're busy *wink* and Kiara almost walks in and says it's getting excessive IMPLYING that Sarah and Kie are roommates. which that makes me cackle because now I think JJ and JB are roommates and Kie and Sarah are roommates but JB stays in Sarah's room so much that Kie basically lives in JB and JJs room

cannot get over how solid jiara is. they're just... they're just right. they fit. and now that they've been together for 2 years working crap out, there's no silly early dating drama. it's just JJ being JJ, or Kie being Kie, and they both know each other so well they know there's not a reason to even argue. like JJ didn't even fight Kie on diving because he knew he couldn't fight her. she's too stubborn. just like Kie knows there's no need in getting mad at JJ when he does something wreckless because he does something like all the time. she knows talking to him calmly is the only way to even reach him anyway.

JJ: does something stupid

Sarah: "your bf's doing something stupid again"

Kie: "I know this and I love him."

cannot wait to see how they all get back together, or how Kie and JJ reunite, or how Kie will react to the news, or Rafe will help with this adventure, and how JJ will meet his dad (even though I wish it was Shoupe and not the random evil dude).

Also. They WOULD give JJ a death curse. SMH.

[writings-ofthe-heart]

What are your Luco hcs😎😎😎😎

I don't know if you want an x reader platonic or romantic so i did both ! hope you enjoy "anon"😊

LUCIO

Dating + Platonic headcanons!

TW ; None, fluff

WC ; N/A

Side notes ; sorry this was late I'm not doing too well but anyways, lucio is such a cutie patootie

HOW DATING HIM WOULD GO !

• First of all, let's all agree he's definitely shy

• Bro might have all the confidence to defend his friends, hell, taunt his opponents but when it comes to his crush???

• He's stuttering and blushing HELLA CRAZY

• I mean its literally canon by his voice line

• I imagine how that would work is literally on Valentine's Day (shit cannot get more cheesier)

"Can you be my uh- my- uh.. my v.. man, why is this so hard!"

You'd laugh, take his hands in yours, "Of course, Luci." He'd grin soo big and hug you tight, swing you around (well, try to.)

• From that point on, expect the corniest texts ever

LuciO : Good morning my love the world says hello :3

You : Really???

• It'd be funny but very endearing sometimes (I'd gag no lie but you do you ;-) )

• I think his love language is quality time/physical touch, the corniest duo..

• He looooves touching you, always holding your hand, leaning his head on your shoulder, etc etc

• Whenever you make a date, he'd go above and beyond.

• As in like, rose petals around your table, romantic music stuff like that!

• Also also, he'd probably make songs for you.

• OMGGG or he'd sample your laugh, or something you said as his producer tag, just because he thinks it goes really well with his music (he just wants to hear you when he's working)

•Honestly, no matter if your part of Overwatch or a civilian that casually met Lucio, he'd worry so much about you

• Pacing the house when you're late from work, almost throwing up when you're out on a solo mission etc, (of course he wouldn't show this AT ALL)

• After the events in Rio de Janeiro, he has a better guard up than before, knowing someone could say they're one thing then turn out to be the opposite.

• It took a bit for you to be let into his heart, and he was relieved to be able to air out his concerns and insecurities to someone instead of bottling it up.

• A few years into the relationship, I feel like he wouldn't want to get married, be committed, especially with his career and fame, he's constantly moving countries. But if you convince him, he'd let you win, and you'd propose to him

• In terms of children, he'd love to have children. He's grown up, taking care of the kids on the streets of Brazil, he's always had a soft spot for them and has that caretaker gene.

• He'd definitely want to foster children. Period, don't try to argue with me.

• All in all, he's incredibly grateful for you and everything you've done. You're his best friend, and partner. Lucio couldn't ask for anything more.

HOW BEING BESTIES WOULD GO !

• Oh boy.

• Having Lucio as a best friend will ALWAYS end up with you two doing some dumb prank and getting in trouble, but he'd take the blame for you.

• Guys pls, hear me out, he'd probably have a crush on you in the beginning especially if you're just insanely nice to him and stuff, the feelings would go away though.

• You, Hana and him would be the ULTIMATE TRIO™

• Doing everything together, going shopping at Hana's begging and whining. Etc etc.

• Y'know those dynamics, in friendships

• Lucio is the mom friend, 100%

• You and Hana are the crazy ones, always running away, Lucio was so, SO close to buying those leashes that parents get for their feral children.

• Especially after one incident, Hana had a bit too much alcohol and she ended up following a stray CAT just wandering the city. It took 2 hours to find her, petting it in an alley. The group voted not to drink in public again.

[reblogs appreciated!]

[whoami-24601]

So, I don't know what this is.. could be a full story, maybe. Let me know if you are interested. Danny-focused because he always is when I write here. Some platonic Dando and Maxiel to start. I'm not sure if it will stay that way. It's a bit long, so it's mostly under the cut.

International Incident

"I'm scared, Danny," Lando said softly, leaning into his friend and ex-teammate's side.

Putting his arm around Lando's shoulders and pulling him closer, Danny agrees, "we all are Lan. It's ok." Danny dropped his head down onto Lando's, where he was slouched next to him sitting on the carpet, knees close to his chest.

"What's going on guys? Everything ok?" Max asks as he walks up to the pair, standing over them.

Lando pulls back from Daniel quickly muttering, "Yep, everything is fine here," barely glancing up at the Dutchman.

Frowning, Danny leans over and whispers in Lando's ear, "it's ok not to be fine Lando. None of us are fine right now." Lando nods but doesn't scoot closer or say anything else. He just hunches further into himself and starts chewing on his nail, avoiding looking at anyone.

Max frowns but sits at Lando's other side. He looks over Lando's head to Daniel and asks, "you are ok?"

Glancing back at Lando for a moment before directing his attention to Max, Danny answers, "not really, Maxy. This whole situation is kind of f'd isn't it?"

Sighing, Max agrees with a nod, "Yeah it really is."

Daniel starts to rub Lando's back, slowly up and down, hoping to relax him. Although he initially stiffens up, Lando leans into the touch after a moment.

Suddenly he sits back and says, "we have to do something. We can't just sit here and wait for whatever they're going to do. We have to figure out how to get out."

"I think that is what George, Lewis, and that group are doing," Max says, pointing to a small group of drivers across the room. They were huddled together and clearly arguing passionately, but too quietly for the trio to understand. Other driver pairs and trios are scattered around the room.

"We should help," Lando whines. He pulls his knees closer to his chest.

"There might too many cooks in the kitchen at this point," Danny points out. "If you have an idea, we can pass it onto them to work with it." Lando shakes his head miserably.

"Why don't we play a game?" Danny asks. Both men turn to him, confused.

"A game? A game, Danny? You have a deck of cards in your pocket? Or you want to guess what our kidnappers favorite color is?" Lando asks sarcastically.

Daniel patiently let's Lando rant for a moment and then answers, "a distraction. Like truth or dare, f*ck, marry, kill, twenty questions. I don't know. Just something to distract us from what's happening."

All of the drivers were locked in a room in the paddock. The driver's meeting had ended, and when they went to leave, the doors were slammed shut and locked from the outside. At first, they assumed someone had made a mistake and were going to unlock the door, but when their phones started ringing, all of their team's contacting them, and they knew it was no mistake. The government had decided that Formula 1 was being disrespectful and that the driver's should not only not be allowed to race, that they should suffer further consequences. Unfortunately, no one told them what the consequences were going to be (or even how they were disrespectful.) They had been locked in the room for over two hours at this point and their teams all claimed they had no way to rescue them. Guards stood outside the doors, and the government leaders were negotiating with the FIA elsewhere.

"It would cause an international incident if they actually hurt us!" Alex can be heard yelling. "We need to wait!"

At Alex's outburst, Lando shuffles a bit more to his left, letting his side touch Danny's. Danny took that movement as an opportunity to shift his arm around Lando's waist. "I got you," he said quietly. "Alex is right. They don't want to hurt us. They want to make a statement."

Another outburst, this time from Fernando, "maybe if you could just follow the rules for once, this wouldn't be happening!" He appeared to be yelling at Lewis, who stood from a folding chair and yelled back, "nothing changes if we just follow the rules Nando!"

"Oh, and this is so much better?" Fernando retorts, standing from his own chair, throwing his hands in the air, gesturing at the room and their situation.

"Calm down, both of you!" George yells, his arms out sepating the older drivers. "This solves nothing!" The group continues their conversation back in hushed tones.

"So, a game?" Max asks conversationally, turning back to Daniel and Lando."Feel a bit old for the games you suggested but I will take a distraction. What do you want to do Daniel?"

"Truth or dare, Maxy?"

Max sighs and answers, "I am not sure what dares we would want to do right now, so I will stick to truth. Is there anything you do not know about me?"

Daniel leans his head back against the wall and thinks. "Hmmmm. If you hadn't crashed with Lewis in Monza 2021, would you have let me win?"

Max's face turns a bright red, and he turns back towards the arguing drivers across the room. "Why would you ask that?" he asks stiffly.

Max's answer interests Lando and he turns to watch Max's reaction.

"Come on Maxy. We'll never tell. Will we Lando?" Lando shakes his head no, while continuing to watch Max's face closely.

"I, of course, always want to win," Max says.

"Sure, of course you do," Daniel laughs. "But that doesn't answer the question Maxy."

"I was not disappointed that you won," Max continued carefully.

"Closer," Danny replied softly.

Max, exasperated, huffs, "I do not know for sure, but I did not intend to take any risks." He is still watching the drivers across the room so he does not see Lando's eyebrows raise.

"What if I'd gotten the lead? Would you have taken any risks then?"

"Not your turn," Max answers stiffly.

"Make it my turn then, ask me something," Lando responds. Max finally looks back at Lando and purposefully turns to Daniel.

"Truth or dare?" Max asks.

Danny laughs and says, "dare. I'm scared to know what you'll ask now."

Max frowns. He has no idea what to dare anyone to do right now. He glances at the other driver pairs around the room before coming up with an idea. "Go give everyone in this room a hug," Max suggests, turning back to Daniel with a bright smile. "Everyone loves your hugs and we could all use a little comfort and laugh."

Danny looks around the room and debates his response. He is not opposed to hugging the other drivers, even the normally standoffish ones would accept a hug from him he thinks, but this is an odd situation. Will they think he is making light of the situation if he moves from person to person with a quick hug? "How about this? I hug everyone over the next hour or so." Danny leans over and hugs Lando tight, holding on for several seconds until Lando starts to wiggle.

"Too much," Lando mutters. When Danny lets him go, Lando leans more into his space.

Noticing the shift, Danny leans over and pats Lando around his waist once more before standing and walking to the closest group.

Danny immediately walks up to Charles and hugs him close from the back while chatting over his shoulder to Pierre. Charles stood there stunned for a moment before turning himself around and wrapping his arms back around Daniel. After a moment, Danny leans back and asks, "Alright, Sharl?"

Charles offers a small smile and nod, "yes, yes, I am fine. Just want this to be over. Want to go back to racing."

"Of course you do," Danny says with a chuckle. With a pat on the back, Danny backs up and transfers his attention to Pierre. "Come 'er Pierre Gasly," says, for once saying his full name fairly normally, holding his arms open. Although Pierre sighs, he goes willingly into Daniel's arms. "That's it. Danny Ric is here." Their hug is brief but strong. With a pat on the back, Daniel says, "Lando, Max, and I are over there," pointing over his shoulder at the remaining duo, "if you want more company."

"Yeah, might join you in a bit," Pierre says while Charles nods. They are generally more comfortable speaking French when they are stressed, but being with their fellow drivers and friends might help too.

More?

[raayllum]

I remember starting the show because my friend told me about Callum and Rayla and how cute they were together. But after binge watching all 5 seasons, I just feel like the writers don’t really give a damn about them, in many ways, compared to other couples. But, to be fair, I have lots of issue with the writing. But, to me, the primary idea was to make Callum and Claudia a couple (no, I don’t ship them together), because they actually have a background, development, even chemistry too. So, I don’t understand why the writers changed their minds on this (please, tell me if they ever addressed this issue). I just think that him moving on from a childhood love, like that, out of nowhere to Raylla was again a bit odd and out of nowhere. Because nothing indicated that in the first 2 seasons. Same goes to Rayla too. And, in S5 they have acted more as friends than anything else. It’s just weird. What’s your opinion about this? And again, I don’t ship Callum with Claudia, it’s just my opinion after watching all seasons.

Thank you for sharing your feelings, I definitely have been in fandoms where the Big Ship (canon or fanon, in show or in fandom) have just not been things I could click or with or understand, so you have my sympathies. The crew has gone on record saying that Callum and Rayla being a couple was not originally the plan (we don't know if there were any endgames being considered for either of them as alternatives, but I lean toward no) with Janaya and Ruthari presumably being the main couples. This changed in 2x04 with the lightning flash and moment the two share on the boat, "everyone in the room saw it" (legit quote from showrunner) and they began to write and develop it. It is unknown if they went back to add or shift anything in S1 (we know the crew works on seasons simultaneously) but it wouldn't surprise me given the vibes

I definitely can't promise to change your mind (I'm obviously a big Rayllum shipper and I have been since S1, so I'm clearly coming at it from a different perspective) but I do have some metas that do address what you've brought up, I'm gonna link them below and then do a quick summary in case you understandably don't wanna read all that!

Rayllum and Loneliness (Post S3): a meta about how it is likely (now confirmed in supplementary material) that Rayla grew up pretty friendless and a deeper dive into how Rayla is/was the first person Callum had who was unequivocally his peer and his friend (as Soren bullied and Callum's crush - as well as other things - made him and Claudia have a fair amount of distance.)

Callum and Claudia: You Already Did (Post S3): On what appeal the ship has, why it may not appeal to others, and why I don't think Callum and Claudia were actually that close pre-S1, the various factors why, and why they were doomed to fall apart since 1x02.

How/Why Callum's feelings for Claudia and Rayla Were Overlapping (Post-S3): Exactly what it says on the tin, mostly because he is obsessed with Rayla lowkey in S1 (trying to get her to laugh three times in 1x05, taking a flirty tone with her when they aren't arguing in 1x06, etc) and then outright devoted in S2, trusting her over Claudia in 2x03.

Rebuttals to Rayllum Reservations (Claudia, Pacing, Etc) Post-S3: Pacing, emotional intimacy, platonic development and romantic feelings, etc. Probably the simplest meta and the most on brand for what you're (presumably) looking for, but the other metas I think uh do contribute nicely to explaining why Rayllum is what it is and som of the reasons it appeals to people.

It's also honestly not surprising to me that in S5 they just feel like Friends (hopefully best friends) given that a decent chunk of the Rayllum fandom, myself included, are on the aromantic and/or asexual spectrums, and don't really care if they're Romantic as long as they're Life Partners. (Aspec Rayllum tag here) Callum and Ezran are two of the, if not the, most important people in Rayla's life, and Rayla and Ezran are two of the most important people in Callum's life. To me, romance / devotion / whatever you want to call it intermingling makes sense. One of the things I've loved most about S4-S5 is the fact that whatever they are, they have each other's backs, and they care for and protect each other, no romance required, which hits different since they do both also have romantic feelings for each other. It's just not a pre-requisite for them and a lack of it is never something they'd hold against one another. In other words:

Chemistry is also something that's hard to pin down sometimes - like all shipping preferences are subjective, but evaluations of chemistry tend to be in particular (for example, I don't really think Callum and Claudia have chemistry in that way, but that doesn't mean that they can't or they don't).

That said: platonic Rayllum tag here and foils Rayllum tag here, and I hope whatever parts of the show you do enjoy, well, give you joy.

[yonpote]

For me the most unbelievable part of them just being platonic besties is that we know they dated up to 2012/2013. That's FOUR years. People will sometimes point to mitch and Scott from superfruit as an example of two best friends who dated and lived together but they dated in high school for like 3 weeks and werent living together while they were dating. Who breaks up with someone they dated for four years and then continues to live with them, work with them, spend all their time with them, intertwine their lives with them and eventually buy and design a house with them. That makes no sense. You might as well just stay together at that point. Plus, their closeness leaves no room for a romantic partner. You could argue that they fell out of love but wanted to stay close friends, but then they also clearly plan to live together for the rest of their lives. So you'd have to say they broke up bc they fell out of love but then continued to share a life AND they don't ever want to find serious romantic partners, or at least never want to live with one, despite neither of them being aro/ace and both of them expressing a desire for one. That is so much more complicated and takes so many more assumptions than them just being long-term romantic partners. I get that people don't want to assume. I know they have good intentions. But guys...usually the simplest explanation is the correct one. It's fine. Dnp know we know and they're able to have fun with it now. I promise you you can assume the obvious without them biting your head off.

honestly ive been saying that even if they really were long-term exes that still live together and work together and fuck and act as a married couple in every way other than being labeled exes in their own minds, that's such an incredibly lesbian move of them that i would be fine with it

[tinyangryeddie]

no accounting for taste (i missed these guys, how are they doing?) ((can i also ask about evan needs a father?? jade?? 🥺))

I answered about Evan needs a father here!! Go look, friend!

No Accounting for Taste?? They are doing fine?? They're having some issues with their personalities (aka they don't have fully fleshed out ones) but I'mma post a later snip that you haven't read and who knows if it's gonna end up in the actual finished piece. Or if there will be a finished piece lol

(MY EYES JUST POPPED THIS GOOGLE DOC IS 108 PAGES)

Okay I know this is a lot of names but bear with me I like this snip and also it includes lesbians which is your jam.

-- -- --

Gil points, but sees Mara and Tory heading toward them. “My friends are just—”

“You must be Harry!” Mara all but yells, despite being only a few feet away. Tory shushes her, and Mara waves them off, and it leads to both of them almost stumbling over before Harry takes a fast step forward and catches Mara at the arm. It’s almost comedic, the way both Mara and Tory stare up at him, like their knight in shining armor, as if there weren't several solid objects within reaching distance that could have saved them instead. 

“Oh my god, thank you,” Mara mumbles, and Tory nods their agreement. 

“No problem, you okay?” Harry answers, concern in his eyes. Mara laughs, high and breathily, and Gil logs this for later. Neither of them are allowed to make fun of him for how he is around Harry. Never. 

“We’re fine!” Tory answers for her, and then shoves a hand out into Harry’s chest. “I’m Tory!”

Harry takes their hand, then claps the other on top. “It’s so nice to meet you, I’m Harry!” He pulls Tory closer to him and smiles warmly. 

Mara chuckles, offering her own hand, but also asking, “You’re not a hugger?”

“Oh god,” Harry says, looking to Gil. “I actually really am,” and then Mara is pulling him into one of her tight, squeeze until you feel connected at the soul hugs, and Gil sighs. 

Alright, so. There might be some further swooning today. He wasn’t expecting the platonic swooning, but honestly, he should have. Luckily, that’s his favorite kind. 

Harry breaks from a second hug from Tory and turns to him, shining, dopey smile and fingers stretched out and wiggling. 

“What’re you, gonna tickle me? Please tell me tickle wars are not coming back into style here,” Gil says, creeping backward while Harry laughs.

“Shit, do you remember those?” The wiggles get more aggressive, and his smile turns devious. “I used to fucking demolish you.” 

“You did not,” Gil argues, shrinking further back until he’s backed up to a tree. “You cannot be as competitive as you were when you were fifteen.” 

“Oh, I certainly can. I can be worse, actually,” Harry says, closing the distance between them until Gil can feel his breath, until his hips sidle along front of Gil’s and Gil wants to be pressed into the bark of this tree until he leaves an imprint. “Whaddya think?” Harry asks, and Gil stares up at him, completely at his mercy. 

“Yeah,” Gil says, no idea what it means, and then someone yells behind them. Gil sees Jasmine and Therese, waving and walking toward them in the parking lot, and Harry moves naturally away from him, but Gil still feels plastered to the tree. My god.

[cyphyree]

Giorno 2, 3, 9,and 15

Hell yeah, the lil guy himself!

2. Favorite canon thing about this character?

I love how the narrator states that Giorno's heart became a righteous one, but whatever that means is incredibly subjective. Sure, I like to think that he tries his best to do good, but we hardly get to really see what his goals really are. Can we trust that he actually wants to ban the drug trade aimed at vulnerable people, or did he say so because he's deduced that he could manipulate Bucciaratti that way? That's something I've seen being debated a lot, especially since the manga didn't have that anime scene where The Gangster is specifically against drug trading with children (therefore implying that Giorno adopted the same belief). He also just has no qualms about killing an enemy before he's met them properly (like Sale), because hey this is the mafia, they're going to kill you if you don't kill them first. Even in the enemy rush that's Stardust Crusaders, most enemies just have to get bonked hard enough to take a nap.

But listen, maybe it's because I'm biased or whatever, but even from a more objective lens, Giorno seems to care deeply even if he can't show it. I keep thinking specifically about the part where he talks to Bucciaratti in the car to Rome, and how distraught he seems. You can argue that his pride was hurt because GE failed and he was about to lose a strong ally, and I mean maybe that's part of it. But it's during the solitary and quiet moments that we see Giorno as himself a little bit more, and coincidentally those are my favourite canon moments of him.

He also just let cats walk all over him at the docks and doesn't bother to do anything about it. So there's that.

3. Least favorite canon thing about this character?

We could've gotten a cool 1 v 1 battle between pre-GER Giorno and Daivolo, BUT WE DIDN'T and I'm so sad about it. His dad got to destroy half of Cairo with Jotaro, this just isn't fair. I want to see what a life-bringer vs time-skip fight looks like. Maybe Giorno's doing that to distract Diavolo while everyone else was chasing after Chariot Requiem, you know?

What if Diavolo thinks he can stand-rush Giorno's vine shield during the time skip, but when time resumed he gets pummeled via attack reflection.

What if Giorno distracted Diavolo with a giant tree growing, which Diavolo dodges via time skip, only to get skunk-sprayed in the face.

What if he slips on a banana that turns into a gun.

We were robbed of self-proclaimed time lord mafia boss getting decked by a 15-year-old flower boy in the most looney tune ways possible.

9. Could you be roommates with this character?

Eh......... I feel like that's more up to him. I'd probably be nervous because I don't like to bother people in general, but I think we'd mostly likely keep to ourselves most of the time anyway. Maybe share infodumps sometimes, I don't know.

It might just be a security concern if I keep bumping into enemy stand users and gang members though.

15. What's your favorite ship for this character? (Doesn't matter if it's canon or not.)

I don't have one, to be honest. I like the symbolic duality that he and Fugo has, but I've never felt super strongly about Giorno being attracted to anyone romantically.

I do think he has very deep bonds with his friends though. I just like the idea of him trying to maintain relationships with what's left of the team. It would be hard because of power imbalances, the journey's aftermath, and the consequences of Giorno's actions. Maybe he grows up never being close to anyone, platonically or otherwise. But there's still the possibility that, after years of ostracization and neglect, maybe he'll finally have a family.

[struggle-but-its-all-ocean-floor]

I was asking if you're a jikooker?

Anyways, the question is as you're jungkook biased whom do you think was closest it jungkook back then and now. See why I'm asking is for me it was very clear that he was very much closest to jimin like i know he was close to V in the early years but later it seemed he became close to jimin and we all know the ITS talk happened which made it clear that jungkook and taehyung has not been same from soe time although now it seems they're close again

Idk where jikook stand as a friends right now like close? Yes they are but like closest? Idk anymore.

The question I'm asking is because for me he seemed pretty closest to jm than other members then why does so many people in this fandom does not think like that? More importantly why the jk biased people are mostly taekookers and hates jm? Like if you're a jk biased can't you see he's close to jm the most?

I wanted to write more but my mind is not working currently so that is all i wanna ask that why do mostly jk biased are tkkrs and hates jm. I wanted an opinion of jk biased or just an ot7 and not a jikooker that's why asked you if you're a jikooker.

Sorry, I didn't think you were talking about Jikook... I'm a Jikooker, but Jinkook is tied with Jikook as my favorite dynamic - a platonic one. I'm not a shipper. I only believe in Jikook, though that makes me sound like a shipper to a lot of people haha. I'm probably not who you wanted to answer this question, but I'll give it a shot anyway!

V and Jungkook are the most popular members and Taekook the most popular ship, so it makes sense that statistically there are more Taekookers who are Jungkook biased than Jikookers... And a lot of Tkkrs hate Jimin because of the competitiveness between the ships.

I also think, as a Jungkook biased Army, that it's beyond obvious that Jikook are extremely close. You could argue that in the early days, and maybe in chapter 2, Vkook are closer - because there's so much content between them, - but, like you said, ITS showed they weren't as close as they could've been until recently. Given Jungkook's history with Jimin and V, and all the little Jikook moments we still get (such as Jungkook mentioning and interacting with Jimin, watching his videos, singing his songs, etc.) it's clear as day that Jungkook adores Jimin. But I get that Vkook are besties now, which is great. However, Jimin and Jungkook are very private and have really different schedules right now. It doesn't mean they're any less close.

I don't know. It's just so obvious that I don't know what to say? Anyone who's watched BTS content should know Jikook are attached at the hip, and that there are always periods of no content, followed by a flood of Jikook content, upon which we suddenly realize Jikook were attached at the hip all along but we didn't see it. Memories 2020 and 2021 come to mind.

My mind isn't working right now either, sorry, but, yeah, Jikook are still the closest imo, although Vkook are much closer now - which is great!!

In the past, do you mean before 2015? From at least 2016 onward Jikook seem extremely close. I became Army in 2019 so there's a lot I don't know. But even in their pre-debut and rookie days Jikook were close. They've told so many stories about hanging out together while everyone else slept, being late night buddies, sharing their struggles, etc.. I mean, Jimin convinced Jungkook to stay in the group when he came back from the US and wanted to dance. And Jungkook has always really admired Jimin's work ethic and now he devoted himself in his trainee days. Jimin has adored Jungkook from day 1. Their early v-logs are almost embarrassing. Jimin was besotted.

I don't know if this was helpful lmao. Thanks for the ask!

[novelmonger]

Favorite platonic OTP?

D8 Y-You mean...I have to...pick...just one??!!?! TToTT

I can't possiblyyyy! ;A; I've been wracking my brains over this, and I just can't do it. I can't pick between my top three bromances, because they're all perfect and lovely and wonderful *clutches six strong bois close*

So here, have my top three brOTPs instead (because I love other kinds of platonic relationships plenty, but somehow bros grab my heart tighter than anything else):

Steve Rogers & Bucky Barnes - Does it get any better than this? Their love for each other is so selfless, so unconditional, so powerful than it spans a century and breaks through all the evil that tries to hold them apart. It was the undying strength of their bond that kept Steve alive before the serum, that led Steve to save Bucky from Hydra, that broke through 70 years of brainwashing. Time and time again, when one of them is ready to give up, the other reminds him: "I'm here, and this isn't where our story ends." Time and time again, they lay down their lives for each other. And we know that "greater love has no one than this." (Steve's ending in Endgame muddies the water a bit, of course, but that's why I wrote a fix-it fic and made a music video about it :P)

Edward & Alphonse Elric - I was almost going to just settle for saying Steve and Bucky are my favorites...but how could I ignore the bromance that made me realize how much I adore brotherly love in the first place? (Besides, it doesn't get bromancier than actual blood brothers.) While other girls my age were probably swooning over whatever the latest heartthrob or love triangle was popular, I spent my teenage years swooning over the self-sacrificial, angst-riddled, indomitable love of the Elric brothers. Not only are Ed and Al excellent foils for each other, the former generally being loud and brash and the latter generally being quiet and gentle. Not only do they act just like real siblings, bickering and teasing and arguing and making up and sharing inside jokes and practically being able to read each other's minds. They also lay down their lives for each other, again and again and again. In the beginning, Ed more or less chops off his own right arm just to get Al's soul back, so they can be together again. In the climax, Al effectively sacrifices his own life to save Ed's. And there are a hundred other examples in between, of them sacrificing their time and their health and their peace and comfort, to make each other whole again. The Elric brothers ensured that I would never take my own siblings for granted.

Frodo Baggins & Samwise Gamgee - But this...this is really my OG brOTP, before I'd ever heard any of these terms, before it had ever occurred to me that people might want to ship characters non-canonically. If it weren't for Frodo and Sam, I might not have fallen so hard for the two bromances above. Frodo and Sam paved the way, with their selfless devotion to each other and the pure, gentle care they have for each other. The way they start out as just a dude and his gardener, friends but maybe not even best friends. The way their struggles only pull them closer and closer together. The way Sam staunchly refuses to be left behind, but marches into Mordor right alongside Frodo. The trials and pains and terrors they endure side-by-side, with no other friends there to back them up. The My dear Sams and the Frodo me dears and Don't go where I can't follow and I love him whether or no and I can't carry it but I can carry you and I'm glad you're here with me and a;ldkfjsd;klfjsd;lfkj *dissolves into tears*

[irena-dubrovnaa]

damijon, timsteph, dickroy and rosecassie (as in wondergirl lol <3) for the ship bingo xoxo

OUSGISSHJ i could write literal essays abt each one of these

1)

okay so i have very mixed emotions about this one, bc on one hand i feel like in main continuity it wouldn't work out, but maybe in like an elseworlds thing it could??? but im also very much a fan of them not being romantic but not also being traditionally platonic so i just settle for calling them "a secret, more sinister third thing". also they're both trans. so like. t4t best friendship that only they (and me) really #Get. i just have so many complicated feelings about their lore and friendship and how damian's friendships are so inherently complex because of how he operates on a personal level and jon simply understanding and not needing damian to change a thing, they're just so content existing w each other and within each others spaces. i very much appreciate how even after all the change they've gone thru they're still close and care about each other, and i am also a massive fan of them both getting along with each others People

2)

OH LORD OK TIMSTEPH OK i don't think ive ever actually talked abt them before, but i should. they're t4t bi4bi most definitely. i actually did enjoy their relationship to an extent while they were dating but it wasn't entirely my cup of tea bc i tend to ship them w other people but the appeal was definitely there, like it was clear how much they cared for each other, its cute and its there and i can get behind it. i do actually prefer their dynamic as exes because of how rare it is to see m/f friendships without ulterior motives on either part, ESPECIALLY if the characters in question are exes, so it's actually refreshing to see them still have a caring dynamic without secretly being hung up on each other. i also think tim's regret over ending it the way he did was nice to see, because while it wasn't out of character to ghost her it also wasn't out of character for him to look back and realize "i could/should have handled that better" so i feel like it does well to convey how he does actually still love her even if not romantically anymore

3)

H. HHHH. SHAKES THEM

i feel like their dynamic in preboot comics is a hell of a lot better than anything the new 52 or rebirth had to offer. i miss when roy and donna were dick's best friends honestly. i feel like their relationship was sidelined a lot in favor of jason and roy and dick and wally which sucks because??? they were fine as they were?? they've got a lot of love and care for each other, especially in the 80s and 90s comics, they're always complimenting each other and telling each other how well they're doing but they're also not afraid to call each other out if one of them does some stupid shit, i think thats good for both of them. i also think roy's relationship w the bats would be funny, as well as dick's relationship with the arrows. they've both got similar family dynamics but also very different in a loooot of ways

4) NOBODY EVER TALKS ABOUT THIS SHIP SO *IM* GOING TO

i literally can't get over their rivalry, like they hated each other so much but also there was just something so unexplainable about them to me??? like idk i just always loved how they interacted even when they were arguing and fighting. i just KNOW if dc let cassie be butch in the 00s during the peak of their rivalry they would have kissed. i feel it in my bones. it's also nice to see since they've both got more complex relationships w the people around them it would be nice to see them sorta bounce off of each other in the respect that they've got a lot going on and they know how the other feels so they bond over the struggles of navigating relationships and friendships and just life in general. i also think it'd be funny to watch diana smack slade for saying smthn out of pocket at like an in laws family dinner or some other gathering but thats mostly just bc i think slade should be smacked in general

[someotherdog]

“and don't you forget it!” mattie gave a small smile. though she quickly figured out joey had a strong personality, she was the experienced one in the arena of deception, so she had to be the boss of their operation. if he was to ever get her onto the ice some day, which would've been a fucking miracle and everyone should check their windows to make sure pigs were indeed flying, then he'd get to be the captain. off the ice, she was in charge.

“that's an expensive way to prove your worth, meu amado.” she teased, though it wasn't exactly a lie. her own time at college had been costly and she dropped out after one year. she couldn't imagine the debt she'd be in if she had gone to law school, it would've been astronomical. the various credit cards in her name had enough debt to pay for two trips to law school, but mattie preferred to ignore the credit statements she got nearly every day in the mail and debt collectors that constantly left her urgent voicemails. “well, if today has taught me anything, it's that you love to argue and broker deals. you're halfway to being a lawyer already! don't count yourself out yet.” she had to wonder: did lawyers make more money or did professional athletes? it would've been uncouth to ask, but it always came down to net worth for mattie.

anyway, it wasn't as if they were getting married and his money would become hers... hm, how much would she get for alimony?

put on to do list: marry a rich man for his money, then divorce him.

she surprised herself, getting a bit misty-eyed after telling her sordid tale. not tears of sadness, but embarrassment, maybe. perhaps it was from relief. mattie blinked, looking away from joey. she had just been the most vulnerable she'd ever been in years, crying in front of him would take it too far. one step at a time, girl, she thought.

so far, this fake relationship was the most successful one she had. really, all of the relationships she had were fake, even the platonic ones. in a way, their arrangement was the most genuine relationship mattie had ever had since moving to america. their boundaries were set, they were honest with each other, and now they had a secret to share. if she had been a honest person, and she naturally learned who joey was beyond his playboy persona, maybe they would've actually dated. maybe they would've had a real friendship, at the very least. alas, mattie was not an honest person, so who better to be his fake girlfriend than her? she could lie as easily as she breathed. for all he knew, she had made up that whole backstory, but for once in her life, she told the truth. a historic day!

he didn't think she was pathetic. well, that made one of them. still, it made her exhale a breath she hadn't realized she had been holding. “then we're both pathetic, i guess.” despite the insulting words, there was a soft smile on her face. how had she missed it? when she met joey, she wrote him off as some dumb jock that didn't have nearly as much money as their friends, so there wasn't any point in trying to get close to him. he always looked at her with a critical stare, and she tried her hardest to be as pleasant and agreeing as possible, but it was clear from the moment she started hanging out with the group that jess and ryan were the suckers. there had been no point in trying to win joey over. now here they were, and joey was the one winning her over.

“thank you. and, y'know, you too. i don't have much to offer, but if you want... i don't know, shoplifting tips or something, i'm your girl.” being a con artist and occasional petty thief came into clutch sometimes. “let's cross that road... bridge... whatever the saying is when we get to it. if we play it smart, they'll never find out the truth and we won't need any dirt. besides, they're total idiots anyway. jess thought nashville was the name of a state, not a city. i mean, i'm not even american and i know that.” mattie laughed. out of all the people she conned in the last few years, jess and ryan were the easiest. it was as if they were saying please, mattie, take our money. we don't want it anyway. “why're you friends with them, by the way? did you go to school together or something?”

"i get it." he understands where she's coming from and the last thing he wanted to do was make her uncomfortable. boundaries were important to establish in any relationship, even those that were fake.

before their arrangement, joey hadn't bothered with mattie. he watched her from afar, charming all of their so called friends, claiming to be used to the life of luxury. he had seen right through her, even before catching her waiting tables in the bronx. it probably had to deal with the fact that before his career in professional hockey, he had lived a life similar to hers. trying to keep up with the joneses. it wasn't easy work.

"aye, aye, captain." as crazy as it is, he trusts the other woman. she may con people for a living, but she never tried to do it with joey. she probably wouldn't have gotten very far if she had, but still. working with mattie, he knew that they would both be able to pull this off, and get what they wanted in the end.

"i guess i do, although i don't know how much i'd want to be a lawyer. can't say i was ever really interested. it was one of those things i went for because everyone thought i wouldn't be able to. just wanted to prove them wrong." he shrugs. it feels weird to share this much information about himself to someone other than his teammates. outside of them, joey didn't really have many friends (correction: friends who actually knew the real him.)

he listens as she shares her story. the man can't help but wonder how many people, if any, knew the truth about her. it was a shame she had to put on such an act, because the real matilde seemed a lot better than the matilde she pretended to be. once again, he couldn't really blame her for doing what she did. she was just trying to survive, like the rest of the world.

"you have a lot to learn about me then, if you think that's going to make me look down on you. i don't think it's pathetic. maybe if the world was different, but it's so damn insistent on making us feel like we have to live this grand life to make our lives worth while. plus, everything is so fuckin' expensive." he chuckles. "besides, i'm the one who's asking you to be my fake girlfriend. isn't that a bit pathetic?" although, it was only being done because he had damaged his reputation a little too much in the past couple of months. the last thing he wanted to happen was being traded to a shit team because he couldn't keep it in his pants.

"and during this whole charade...if you ever need anything, let me know, alright?" he wanted to help her and not because he felt bad for her, because he didn't. just knew what it was like, having to impress people he could give two shits about. "i'll fill you in on some of the dirt i have on ryan and jess, if you'd like. give you a leverage over them so they can stop being smug little assholes."

[thegirlwhowatchedeverything]

It's interesting Tina introduces Sydney to her son as "Jeff's friend" in episode seven (and that her son repeats her words literally saying "Hi Jeff's friend"). Had this been episode one when everyone at The Beef was just meeting Sydney that line would make sense. It'd fit with Ebra's "Carmen, there is a girl" and Richie's "Fuck is this?" and "sweetheart" and new fucking broad".

But by this point, Sydney has earned Tina's respect and affection. She even corrects herself calling Syd chef rather than Jeff. So, ways she could have introduce her that would make sense:

a) Chef/Jeff

b) Chef/Jeff Syd(ney)

c) Syd(ney)

So, not only is it an interesting way to introduce her but in my opinion no one else comes close to being categorized as a friend of Carmy's. Pete, Nat, and Cicero are his family, Richie is unofficial family, and everyone at The Beef are officially employees but more like found family. Most of them knew and worked for Michael for years (Marcus seems to be the only exception besides Syd?). And many of them already knew Carmy, knew of Carmy, or know his extended family. An example: Tina knows Carmy's mom from her Christmas party (and tbh probably from multiple Christmases) and knows Sugar from the times she used to come by The Beef (we know because she asks Carmy why she doesn't stop by anymore). A second example: it's confirmed Fak's known Carmy since at least Michael's 15 birthday because of the story Carmy tells about trying to break up a fight at said party. All of his family members (Sugar, Cicero, and Mikey) call him Bear at one point on the show, and Fak is the only non family member to call him by his childhood nickname. However, despite many at The Beef's direct and indirect connections to the Berzattos, I still don't think "friends" is the right description for anyone at The Beef.

I will die on the hill that is a Carmy/Syd romance, but even if you wanted to argue for their relationship being strictly platonic, it's significant that she really is his only friend on the show. And that title is significant because this man has no other life or hobbies outside of his career, his family, and now The Beef and all the people that come with it. Syd is the only person who comes into his life not connected to those things - his life in New York, his family, and his family restaurant. From the start, their relationship is separate from anything he's had or currently has, not mentor/mentee, boss/employee, not family - they're straight up equals, partners, friends. Ideally we get to lovers (whether they make it canon or not, we all know). I don't think either of them are aware of their growing feelings yet (Syd maybe, Carmy definitely not), but neither would object to the label of friends as of now. They're giving One night he wakes/Strange look on his face/Pauses, then says/You're my best friend/And you knew what it was/He is in love vibes to me.

So yeah, labeling Syd as "Jeff's friend" is interesting. To me, it's the writers explicitly communicating the nature of their relationship in a seemingly throwaway line.

[screamingfrenchfries]

milkvans are so funny bc they argue so much abt how mike is in love w el but have never once tried to adress the fact that el isn't even in love w mike???

like at this point in the show we actually have no idea wether or not they're even still in a romantic relationship anymore. sure we didn't get a super clear breakup but we never really did with stancy either.

but el's last note to mike literally said "from", something the script even emphasizes with repetition and an underline.

then when they reunite they don't kiss, which isn't even that big of a deal but if the plan was to keep mileven together don't you think they would drive the point by making them do so? "it's the little things that count"

before mike's monologue, we get to see them interacting but nothing romantic, in fact the scene in the pizzeria is probably one of my favorite scenes between them because of it's lack of romantic undertones. it's actually adorable imo!

but during mike's monologue we don't actually see her happy that he's finally said ily, nor do we get any romantic scenes after this either.

you could say this shot where theyre standing together looking at max could be coupley, but it shouldn't have to be and i think it could also be to throw off the audience by making us assume so. in reality they are best friends and max is literally in a coma so they needed comfort in the moment. (that and my platonic!mileven (elmike?) obsessed ass thinks it's the best thing ever to see best friends be touchy like this :[) (n for u bylers out there, the way they made will stand so close to mike but lucas has so much space between him & el.. just a little detail i find interesting..)

and honestly, mileven doesn't seem to have either side of the party all in anyway. they're both not fully committed at this point in time, so it's completely possible a breakup could happen in season 5, depending on where the duffer brothers want to take it.

but the fact of the matter is, none of the big mileven scenes this season have come from eleven herself, because if they were to officially break up in s5, the duffers would probably rather it come from mike realizing el isn't in love with him, than el realizing mike isn't in love with her. (because i think she's already figured that out at this point)

[beepboop358]

Whether platonic or romantic, Byler is an example of a really strong, wholesome, and meaningful close relationship between two boys. Their connection isn’t rooted in dirty jokes, rivalry over women, toxic masculinity, any of the bullshit ways male friendship is often depicted in shows or experienced in real life. You can look to them as a model and say, “See, guys can be vulnerable, they can cry, they can show genuine affection for each other.” It’s similar to Chris and Gordie’s amazing friendship in Stand By Me (which some might argue is also queer coded). Do you think Byler being confirmed romantic could set male friendships back in media, in a way? Where writers become afraid to write vulnerable, sensitive best friends like will and mike lest they imply their homosexuality? Or even in real life, where straight guys (or guys who aren’t out of the closet) become more scared to open up? Like could it accidentally reinforce weird toxic boundaries where things are either traditionally masculine OR they are gay? I don’t know if that makes sense.

hello anon!

I totally agree their friendship is super wholesome and meaningful! It's one of the main reasons I love byler so much, because their relationship is built on genuine care for each other, and not stupid teen cliches or anything like that, like what you said.

I love Stand By Me. I think the writing's genius. It's one of my favorite movies of all time. And there's a lot of Stand By Me influence in ST! Also, don't worry you totally make sense. I think while we can definitely make the argument that Chris & Gordie's friendship is queer-coded, and it very well may be because the attitude in the 80's for gay characters in mainstream movies was "how much can we get away with", which is exactly what Nightmare on Elm Street 2 did. However, Chris & Gordie do not have the level of detail Mike & Will's relationship does to make a case for why it's queercoded, mainly because they're missing the OVERTLY *not just friends* moments that Mike & Will have. Chirs & Gordie don't flirt with each other or make really queercoded comments, etc. But Mike and Will...they flirt with each other, they shoot each other playful glances, there's so many small touches between them, the LIP STARES my GOD, the coded dialogue, etc. I think that's what distinguishes byler from ever being criticized by that argument/stereotype of 'guys being really close friends means their gay', is because Mike & Will don't just act like really close friends do, sometimes they act like they're more than friends, and hopefully people will open their eyes a bit to see that that is actually happening, and that all those little moments they either didn't notice or glossed over, is what separated them from being just friends, to be being more than friends. I mean, guys who are just friends do not constantly check out/stare at their other male friends lips all the time...But Mike & Will do. I'm all for breaking down toxic masculinity and showing guys can be vulnerable with each other without them being stereotyped as gay for showing emotion to each other, but I think Mike & Will's relationship goes beyond that because of all the little things they do in their interactions with each other, that indicate that this is not just a strictly friends thing. I think if Mike & Will were just meant to be good friends and not be romantic, there wouldn't be all these lip stares, flirty touches, them being glued to each other in season 3, etc etc. Sorry this was so long, I hope I made sense!

Thanks for the ask anon! I hope you're doing well! xx