#i was a teenage mall goth

[mallgawths]

I'm pretty nostalgic about vampire freaks, even though, honestly, we mostly used to be trouble makers and trolls on it. But omg looking at the site on the way back machine is so gross? Like it had a literal porn site linked right on the side bar of every page, and an overwhelming amount of users at the time were younger teens. Looking back on goth stuff in that era, there was such a huge emphasis on fetish stuff and sex and it was just... part of it?? Like we used this silly hot topic goth "hot or not" to make friends on the splash page of a porn site slash fetish wear site and we were like 15, wtf??? Anyways, I thought it would be fun to steal some bad jpegs off the old vampire freaks archived site, but now I'm just kind of sad lol.

[shopwitchvamp]

Thinking about a comment I got recently saying my clothes are "peak Gen Z bad taste" or something like that. And I'm so offended :[

Like, I'm 33. Born in 1990. This is peak Millennial bad taste! Obviously!!

[r0s3bl00d]

recently

[deas-junk-bin]

Hi my name is Maul and I am a hunter who walks a road of graves. I have killed so many (that's how I got my name). I have crimson red skin like the Sith of old with black war-marks that strike fear into my enemies and glowing gold eyes like twin suns and a lot of people tell me I look like Exar Kun (if u don't know who he is get da hell out of here!). I am knives in the dark. I'm a Zabrak and my horns are keen and sharp. I've been the apprentice to the most powerful being in the galaxy for three years (I'm seventeen). I'm a Sith (in case you couldn’t tell) and I wear mostly black. For example today I was wearing a black halter neck top with matching ribbon tassels on it and a black long double-split skirt, a black cloak thrown over one shoulder, and black Frank Thomas Titan motorcycle boots. I had my lightsaber, but I didn't really need it, because the Force is always with me. I was walking outside the Jedi Temple. It was thundering and raining so there was no sun, which I was very happy about. A lot of Jedi stared at me. I put up my middle finger at them.

[putridement]

you can be sure my wardrobe is filled with black clothes but there's NO way i'am going out without my PINK lighter. not the ugly flashy pink. the pretty, pale pink.

[plumbogs]

Mall finally got the makeover I neglected last round, featuring a goffik makeover, new glasses, and letting her hair down. i still don't know if i'll give her a special halloween costume too but i can always go back. she would do something fun for the holiday i think.

she woke up early to congratulate consort on all his enemies.

Darren did head to the studio today to get some current pictures of the greek houses to hang in the lots. This will be the second generation of greek kids to be photographed, as all the original members have moved out long ago. aww.

dude shut up he wasn't even selling art today. you intruded on a photo session.

However, today is once again important because it's Darren's birthday. cassandra invited all her friends (basically just everyone in the science career honestly) and anybody who is darren's friends/family as well.

consort immediately began with the fighting so he had to be locked in the basement for the duration of the party.

Darren came home and was able to blow out the candles in peace :)

he's old now. I think I will also have to give him an outfit change again.

He and Cassandra had some cake while the rest of the party guests kinda just stood around socializing.

cassandra finally pulled off her wish to prank Mall, who also wanted to prank someone. the war begins.

she just wants to be comfy. i've never even seen this want before.

she took over cassandra's old room long ago and seems to have followed in her footsteps of having a fondness for occasional yellow. she also likes looking over mortimer's insect collection all the time. she never really got to be close to him so i think that is sweet honestly.

everything is finally going quite well at the Goth household :)

[ghoulishautism]

This is less of a characterization thing and more as a general character design thing but

I dont understand why so many of the girl characters are wearing some for of a crop top, esp at school?

At least it makes sense for Sam to wear one for being "rebellious", but it also shows how out of touch the people behind the show were since there were plenty of different styles in the 2000s for women besides crop tops

[akicklineisinevitable]

so I've seen people say that since the LIB look like high schoolers when they're summoned at the Hatchetfield High Black Altar, their forms would changed based on where they're summoned, and I rock with that headcanon. business suits for the CCRP building, theatre costumes for the Starlight, fancy 1820s dress for the Waylon place...

but what the fuck would they look like at the Lakeside Mall? mall goths? 80s mall rats?? who hangs out at malls, teens??? would they just be teenagers again???? retail workers???? these are the things that keep me up at night

[r0s3bl00d]

[buttered-milky]

This bird is a crow and when it hits crow teenage age he absolutely has an entire murder of crows following him around, annoying the shit out of everyone else, stealing people’s pocket change, etc etc. some of his rings are definitely Crow Gifts tm. One day this crow just starts showing up with More Crows and eddie is like okay i guess. I can’t change this I already know from experience. Some days he just wakes up and there’s a fuckton of crows in front of the trailer, and they are all yelling at him the second he steps foot outside

I see so many posts about Eddie being a cat dad but I can't stop imagining him with a bird. He'd found it abandoned and sick as a baby and nursed it back to health, but when he tried to release him, he just kept coming back to Eddie. The third time the bird came back, Eddie sighed and shook his head. "Guess I'm a teen dad." They've been inseparable since. Everywhere he goes, the bird goes along with him; completely content to sit on his shoulder and peck at his shiny earrings.

During hellfire, he sits on a perch next to Eddie and is dubbed 'Dungeon Master in training'. Whenever Eddie wants to annoy the kids, he leans over to whisper to the bird and says it was his bird's idea to introduce the dragon that kills Dustin's character.

The bird doesn't like Steve. He pecks at Steve's fingers and screeches rather loudly whenever Steve tries to lean in and kiss Eddie. Sometimes, he will let Steve pet him, giving him false hope that they've become friends before the bird proceeds to chase Steve around his own house while Eddie cackles. "I think he's starting to like you."

The only other person the bird likes is Wayne. He likes to sit perched on Wayne's shoulder while the older man drinks a beer and watches whatever sport he's into at that moment. Wayne refuses to call the bird his grandson, but that doesn't stop him from spoiling the little thing rotten.

[adobe-outdesign]

Can we get a review of Gelert? I personally think baby Gelert got a better deal being converted.

Gelerts are basically dogs to the Lupe's wolves, but while basic Lupes are pretty much just normal wolves, Gelerts are a bit more distinct due to their long tails and ears, which flow forwards over their heads instead of backwards. This gives them an interesting visual element right off the bat that makes them stand out. (They've always reminded me of Whippets or Greyhounds due to this, though their main body anatomy is closer to a Labrador.) It's a simple design, but an effective one.

I generally think Gelerts benefited from customization, gaining a subtle pair of eyebrows and less fur on top of their heads. Most important is the smoothing of the ears; originally, the Gelert was known as the Polypup (as in polygonal) and the "pointy-ness" was a selling point (no pun intended). While the right angles were kind of interesting, the ears never matched with the tail and they always kind of felt broken to me, so I'd say smoothing them was a good call.

The only cons to the converted versions are that they have a really messed up tiny hind haunch that looks worse the more you stare at it.

Favorite Colours:

Maraquan: I really like how the Maraquan Gelert plays around with the regular ears and tail by making them into tentacles, which feels very natural. The purple and green palette works well, the spots and underbelly add just the right amount of detail, and the additional fins flow nicely.

The only disappointing thing about it is that the converted version doesn't look half as good as the UC/styled version. The original design had a beautiful, natural flow to it, while the converted version is posed really strangely and has no flow whatsoever (not helped by the awkward foreleg placement). On the plus side, the shading improved greatly, but that just makes me wish we had the styled version with improved shading and highlights.

Baby: Baby Gelerts are really cute, leaning fully into the puppy aspect instead of being weirdly humanoid like some baby pets. They're basically just the same thing as a regular Gelert but smaller and more condensed; however, not only do they now have a collar and more head fur, but the ears also flow backwards instead of forward, kind of like how some puppy's ears don't perk upright until later in life. Very cute!

There's a UC/styled version for this one, but unlike Maraquan, I agree with the asker that it looks way worse. The shading is practically non-existent and the expression and face are really off-putting. Plus, the converted has the benefit of being able to remove the collar if desired.

Mutant: Another Gelert design that adds tentacles, but this time it's done in more of a slimy horror-y way instead of a sea creature way. The concept is obviously strong and the neutral palette works well, with brown paws and a lighter underbelly for contrast and black spike accents. My only nitpick is that I kind of wish the tail and the ears were the same color.

While mutant was redrawn for customization, the design itself thankfully didn't change at all, just the pose. That said I wouldn't mind getting some styles for this one in the future, just because the alternate poses are fun.

BONUS: Instead of going for a standard ninja look, the Stealthy Gelert opts for an assassin look, and by that I mean it's a Hot Topic mall goth teenager who's watched too much anime. The design is really fun and the hooks on the ears and tail are just the right amount of absurd. The base color also looks good.

[vorpalfae]

looking for more ppl who have similar interests💜

my interests include: fairy goth, alice: madness returns, fran bow, dragon's dogma, skyrim, teeth, oddities, bugs, mythology, mortuary science, bones, anatomy, video games in general, fantasy, horror, lisa frankenstein, ginger snaps, corpse bride, nightmare before christmas, werewolves, coraline, dragons, the color purple, witchy things, whimsigoth, mall goth, metal, nu metal, goth rock, the birthday massacre, switchblade symphony, diva destruction, H.I.M, type o negative, 90's grunge, halloween, vampires, crochet, art in general, twin peaks, buffy the vampire slayer, charmed, sabrina the teenage witch, foggy forests, gloomy/rainy weather, candles, crystals, castles, spells, potions, bats, the ocean, kurt cobain, emilie autumn, old internet graphics, glitter, vinyl, rob zombie, graveyards, abandoned/haunted places, lord if the rings, game of thrones, cult of the lamb, cozy games, and so much more but thats all i can think of off the top of my head lol 🥰

[sendpseuds]

Me: I should work on Perfect Spiral

Brain: Drabbles

Me: No, I really have to—

Brain: Divorced Dad / Mall Goth drabbles

Me: ...fine

.

“Yeah, Dad! Leave him alone.”

It’s far from the first time Anakin has decided to take out his devastating boredom on some poor unsuspecting middle age, middle-class, middle-management looking mother fucker in a stiff button-up and a corporate vest.

Hell, it’s not the first time today.

They come in several flavors.

The financial advisor desperate to relive the glory days, flipping through posters of naked women and pretending not to peruse the enhancement products.

The pharmaceutical salesman with the maturity of a fucking middle schooler, waving around dildos Anakin is sure would make the meathead cry for his mother.

The delusional IT technician who seems to genuinely believe that the girl he's been talking to on Tinder isn't going to freak the fuck out when he pulls out a pair of fuzzy handcuffs on their first date.

Then there's "Dad."

Almost always divorced.

Almost always depressed.

Almost always being dragged around by a horribly hormonal teenage boy with a scowl on his face and a chip on his shoulder.

But in all the time Anakin has been working at this stupid mall, he has never seen a Dad quite like this.

He's never seen a Dad this fucking hot.

"Well, that's definitely unexpected."

Given the age of the kid calling him "Dad," Anakin had assumed the man would be at least in his forties if not pushing fifty but now he's thinking this guy might have knocked up his high school sweetheart.

The man's expression is frustratingly unreadable, though his bright blue eyes are sharp and curious, watching intensely as Anakin shamelessly looks him up and down. Much to his delight and dismay, the man only becomes more and more interesting the longer he looks — the shocks of early silver in his hair and his beard, the tattoos poking out beneath rolled-up shirt sleeves, the well-loved pair of Converse on his feet — and Anakin finds he wants to see a lot more.

Placing his hands flat on the counter in front of him, Anakin hinges forward at the waist, arching his back in a way he knows makes him look like a slut, flashing a slanted smile when the man tilts his head in interest.

"I think I'd rather call you Daddy."

The man's brows shoot up, his mouth falling open with a small surprised gasp and Anakin wants to suck his perfect teeth.

"I— I beg your pardon?"

Oh and if that isn't just the cherry on top.

A voice so silky smooth Anakin wants nothing more than to hear it unraveled.

"My pardon?" he repeats innocently, bending forward even further to rest his forearms on the counter and looking up through long heavy lashes, "I'd beg you for a lot more than that, Daddy."

That seems to get his attention.

"Young man," he startles, eyes wide and cheeks flushed a fluorescent pink, "That is— that is extremely inappropriate."

"Damn," Anakin scoffs, still smiling as he straightens back up and steps out from behind the counter, taking another step forward when the flustered man doesn't move, "I was aiming for downright offensive."

The man looks a bit like a deer in headlights as Anakin comes closer still, but just as he's close enough to reach out and touch, the man seems to snap out of it, taking a small step back and startling when he collides with a display of novelty shot glasses.

"What are you doing?" The man hisses, looking around in a pretty panic, "My son is right—"

"He's not paying any attention to us," Anakin says confidently, taking another step closer and reaching out to play with the zipper on his vest, embroidered with the letters of what Anakin thinks is probably a law firm, drawing the toggle down an inch to reveal more of the tartan shirt beneath, "Got his nose buried in a graphically illustrated sex position guide." He pulls the zipper down another inch, watching as the man's eyes narrow sharply, "Do you think he's looking at the girls or the boys?"

"You're trying to get a rise out of me," he says, his smooth voice low and dangerous and Anakin wants to hear him say so many filthy things, "It won't work."

Whoever this man is, he's clearly never met Anakin Skywalker.

"Oh, I think it might," he purrs, pulling the zipper down the rest of the way, confident even as the man's expression hardens and all Anakin wants to do is break him, "Come back during my lunch break and I guarantee I'll get a rise out of you."

The man quirks a curious brow at that and it feels a whole lot like victory.

"Your lunch break?" The man repeats, his voice frustratingly even yet tantalizingly firm.

"I only get thirty minutes," Anakin explains, hooking two fingers in one of the man's belt loops and trying not to tell him how lame it is to tuck in his shirt, "but that's more than enough time isn't it?"

The man gives no ground as he sucks his own tongue, studying Anakin's face like he can read every lie he's ever told, asking simply, "Enough time for what?"

Well, if you're going to make me say it…

"Enough time for Daddy to fuck me—"

"Hey, Dad?"

The man tries to get away from Anakin so fast he backs into the rack of shot glasses and proceeds to practically jump out of his skin, spinning around with a yelp to steady the rattling display.

"Yes, Korkie!?"

Stupid name, Anakin thinks but does not say, stepping back to give the flustered father some space because, while he absolutely wants to continue making the handsome stranger blush, he has no interest in traumatizing the teen who comes wandering out just a moment later looking hopeful and holding a small box in his hands.

"Can I get a black light for my room?"

The man turns around very slowly, his expression a mixture of panicked horror and exhausted parental exasperation.

The kid looks obliviously innocent.

Anakin can't help but laugh.

"Korkie," the man sighs like he really doesn't want to have this conversation, especially not in front of a stranger, his eyes briefly shifting to glare at a still chuckling Anakin before focusing back on his son, "I don't think that's a very good idea."

"Why not!?" Korkie exclaims, holding up the box in his hand, waving it in his father's face as if he has no idea what a black light is, "It's only, like, five bucks!"

The man groans softly, pinching the bridge of his nose like he's trying to fight off a migraine or concentrate hard enough to spontaneously combust and avoid this situation all together and Anakin decides he can't simply stand there and let this stupid hot stranger suffer.

"Because spunk glows under black light, champ," Anakin intervenes, watching as two sets of blue eyes snap to his face, father and son going red in unison and Anakin can't help but laugh, "So unless you want Daddy here to know exactly how often you polish your lightsaber—"

The kid disappears so fast Anakin thinks he should be impressed.

The man is still there, still blushing, still staring wordlessly at Anakin who only smiles in return.

Still hot as fuck.

"My break is at two-thirty," he hums, glancing quickly at the back of the store to make sure the kid is still hiding his adolescent embarrassment by the lava lamps before stepping forward to press a kiss to the stunned stranger's cheek, "You can thank me then."

[PART ONE]

[theresattrpgforthat]

@alizarinessence thank you for your patience as I took my time to respond to you! PbtA games can be pretty daunting, and I certainly didn't understand how the play flow was supposed to work at first. I personally learned through trial and error, as well as watching other GMs who had figured it out - I am blessed to have a friend who is very experienced in running PbtA games so I was able to play in some of his games and ask him questions.

That being said, there have been a few things that I've also found helpful that I can refer to you, so I'm going to put them up here.

The Flow Chart

This flow chart was originally posted in a Dungeon World reddit post, and later referred to me when I started asking for PbtA advice. You'll likely see a similar flow chart in Apocalypse Keys, where Rae Nedjadi illustrates how a typical session of play is likely to look like.

In any given PbtA game, you as a GM are going to be presenting pieces of information to the players, just as you would in any other ttrpg. PbtA codifies this information as "moves," and each game will present you with information that is considered useful for the kind of story that it is design to tell.

In Masks, the players are teenage superheroes, so the game encourages the GM to introduce facts such as "civilians are in danger" or "your dad thinks you're being irresponsible."

In The Ward, the players are medical doctors in an Emergency Ward, so the game advises the GM to introduce truths such as "a patient's condition is worsening" or "someone's dad is fighting with a nurse in another room."

This reinforces the common maxim that the game is a conversation, a cycle of presenting new information, letting players decide what they want to do with that information, and making a roll if the fiction calls for it. This is a rather simplified cycle of course - the "see what happens" sections may include moments when players may jump in with their own characters' reactions, generating more events that the GM doesn't need to add to in order to make them interesting. Many PbtA games thrive off of player conflict, which can occupy the table for a couple of hours without the GM needing to add anything (Last Fleet is a good example of this kind of play.)

Listening to Others

Listening to other people play PbtA games can give you a sense of how the game is meant to feel, especially when the GM's and players take their time to talk through their moves and how they work.

I found Monster Hour to be exceptionally helpful; they started out as a Monster of the Week podcast, and even though I've never run MotW specifically, listening to Quinn talk the players through how to ask questions or use different moves made the game very easy for me to understand.

Joining a Community

Joining a community that loves a specific PbtA game, or PbtA games in general can be very helpful when seeking out advice. The PbtA Discord channel has a number of players and designers, who have a lot of game experience and are more than happy to dish out advice.

Start With Games That Have Guide-Rails

Not all PbtA games are created equal, and while the original spirit of the game was to make sure you didn't plot out a story-line, there's still some games that have a certain amount of prep that will give you the tools you need to gain confidence as a GM. Here's some of my favourites:

Visigoths vs. Mall Goths can be played as a one-shot, and doesn't require players to make a lot of decisions when putting their characters together. It has a number of scenarios that you can throw at your players, a mapped-out mall with details on all of the NPCs (and whether or not you can flirt with them), and some pretty hard limitations on what you can and cannot do. You can't leave the mall, for example - go through an exit on one side of the mall and you'll just pop back in on the other. You can visit the stores throughout the day, but each team of players can only go to so many places before the mall is closed for the day, therefore bringing the mission to a close.

Apocalypse Keys has a game structure that looks daunting but can be broken down into steps, and also comes with pre-written scenarios as well as instructions on how to create your own. The concept is pretty straightforward - you're solving a mystery, and you need to do it before one of the Doors of the Apocalypse is opened. This puts the game on a timer, which helps GMs keep their players on task, and also provides the Game Master with a list of clues to drop into the story as the players look for them. I've heard very good things about how Brindlewood Bay, which inspired some of the mechanics in Apocalypse Keys, makes itself easy to run for new GMs, so if you can get your hands on that book, you might find it helpful!

Last Fleet is laser-focused on a very specific premise - you are humans, in space, running away from a terrible and insidious threat. What is more, this threat has the ability to infiltrate your fleet. The laser-focus brings everyone at the table to the same page pretty quickly, and the setting includes a mounting pressure track that will make sure things keep happening, so as the person running the game, you won't have to do much after you set up the initial scenario. The game also comes with some really good advice on where you want to start with your players, to make sure they're on edge, but not fully panicking yet. Then you just need to tip the scales enough to cause them to ask questions, make questionable choices, and start a series of actions that snowball into catastrophe.

Wrapping Up

This is all the advice I have for stepping into PbtA, but more than anything, I recommend just diving in and giving it a go! As with any GM-ing endeavour, you will likely walk away from your first session with a list of things that you'll want to do differently the next time around, but that's just a sign that you're learning.

[bloodismymedium]

Another big part of why I love The Painter so much is because it reminds me so much of early 2000’s, ultra edgy, grimdark creepypasta in all the best ways, it reminds me of a simpler time where a badly written horror story written by a teenager can inspire an entire fandom that draws edgy selfship art of the monster/killer and be 100% taken seriously despite how ridiculous (but still rad as hell) the original concept was. It truly takes me back to the wild west era of the internet where people took creepypasta and urban legends at face value and genuinely wondered if Eyeless Jack was real.

Mona herself, to me at least embodies the early 2000’s mall goth, grunge/emo subculture that I miss so goddamn much too, she screams edgy, self-insert OC and I love her for it.

I think I finally understand how women who were attracted to Jeff the Killer felt.

[blushweddinggowns]

Steve was completely normal the next day. Infuriatingly, normal. Flirting with girls and spinning his hat around. Normal enough for Robin to start to think she had a full on hallucination last night. But she wasn’t crazy. She knew that she saw those two going at it, all in front of Eddie's signature shitty van.

Didn’t she?

“You’ve been quiet today.”

Robin jumped at the sound of Steve’s voice, completely lost in her own thoughts. He was staring right at her, popping his gum as he went on, “You don’t even bring the flirting board out. Did you get bored of it or are you finally willing to concede that I’m a great flirt?”

“I’ll never concede that,” Robin said easily. It was true anyway, the guy was freaking terrible at it, at least with girls his own age. Now housewives and cougars he had a knack for. But anyone who could possibly be girlfriend material ended up leaving with a giggle and a funny story about the dork in the sailor suit trying to pick them up, and nothing more. 

But Robin had a feeling that maybe Harrington had been downplaying his skills in that department afterall.

He raised a brow at her, “So what’s your problem then?”

“I’m just tired,” She lied, “A consequence of having to be here so late. Alone. Thanks again for that by the way. Hope your night was worth it.”

The little shit didn’t even try to look like he felt guilty. He just smirked, “Oh, it was. And I’m holding up my end of the deal aren’t I? I’m not flirting with grandmas for kicks over here.”

She had to give him that. He really had been turning up the charm for the mall walkers. But still…

“Aw, poor you. Like you wouldn’t have been trying to get in someone’s pants without owing me,” She said, trying for casualness. Like she wasn’t watching for his every reaction out of the corner of her eye, “Isn’t the hump and dump the Harrington way?”

He rolled his eyes, his voice on the colder side when he answered, “Don’t believe everything you hear Buckley. I happen to be the perfect gentleman, thank you very much.”

Weirdly enough, part of her was starting to believe it. 

But still. Even if she saw them kissing, it left too many unanswered questions. What about the trail of heartbroken women he had left in his wake? What about Nancy Wheeler, the only girl who ever landed him for more than a day? They had been pretty serious before he’d gotten dumped, hadn’t they?

But now that Robin thought about it, no matter how many women came into Steve’s life, Eddie remained the only constant. Hell, in the short few weeks she'd been around him, it was obvious that he was obsessed with Steve, and vice versa. He was in nearly every day, until the manager banned him for being "distracting" to the workers. Which was half true, but Robin had a feeling it had more to do with him scaring customers away with his looks.

That was the only semi-scary thing about him though. He never really freaked Robin out that much, despite what others said about him. He was still in the loser category afterall and those were her people. Yeah he was loud, dressed like a confused goth, and sold drugs, but he wasn’t violent. He was shit stirrer, sure, but outside of appearances he was just mildly intimidating, at least to Robin. But when he was with Steve, even that was out the window. He basically just became a ray of sunshine, sweet, happy, bright, and weirdly enough…obedient? 

He basically did anything Steve asked of him, whether that be getting him lunch or helping them close up, the guy just did it. No questions asked, like it was an honor to be on Steve’s beck and call. Though Robin was sure the free ice cream helped.

Steve had sulked for days after Eddie was banned, and Robin thought it was because he lost his free personal assistant. But now…she didn’t know what was going on. 

Maybe this shouldn’t have been as shocking as it was. It’s not like there hadn’t been rumors. People had been making fun of them for being close for years.  But they were teenage boys around other teenage boys. How seriously was Robin supposed to take that? And teenage boys calling each other gay was like…a constant. Not just for Steve and Eddie. For literally any guy who did something slightly out of the norm was up for the title. Someone found out that a dude liked baking? Bam, gay. A guy dare cries in front of his friends after he gets dumped by a girlfriend? Super gay. She even heard a dude be called a fag for admitting to liking soccer for God’s sake. There was no rhyme or reason to male straightness, how was she supposed to know which rumors were true? 

She needs more, some kind of confirmation that guarantees she’s not wrong about this whole thing. And on a particularly slow day, she finds it. She hadn’t gone into work with the intention of eavesdropping on Steve through the break room door, but that’s where she landed. 

They had only been on shift for two hours and the guy was already on his second fifteen, insisting that he only had to make one “quick” call before going back to work. And she just…followed him back there, her curiosity getting the best of her.

“I know, I know. But it’s only a few more hours,” Steve’s muffled voice sighed, “I just wish you could still come see me. That rule is total bullshit.”

By this point Robin was pretty used to the tone of Steve’s voice. He usually sounded bored, always with a little edge of cockiness, unless you did something to rile him up. But he sounded different on the phone. Kinder. Sweeter even. She wasn’t sure. 

“Aw baby, are you down that bad?” Steve cooed. That cockiness she was used to was back in his voice, but now it was mixed with something else. Like he was breathless or something, she didn’t know, “Want me to walk you through it? I got ten minutes.”

Robin furrowed her brow, more than a little confused. Walk him through what?”

"Well if it feels so tight why don't you take it off?” Steve purred, barely loud enough for Robin to hear, “There you go. Isn't that better?"

Robin froze, mind racing at what she was hearing. But that couldn’t be right. She had to be misinterpreting this somehow, right? There was no way in hell that Steve would be have freaking phone sex at work-

“Yeah sweetheart, you can touch yourself now. Can you make it a little wetter baby? That’s it, good boy. Love when you get all whiny.”

Jesus Chrsit, he was. She had to stop listening after that, half out of embarrassment and half because…it just felt wrong. Though she’d be lying if she said she wasn’t curious about where that conversation went. Extremely curious. But the small ounce of decorum she had left wouldn’t allow for it. 

Steve came out of the break room with a flush and a smirk ten minutes later, like the fucking weirdo he was. 

While he was distracted with their third customer of the day, she snuck back to the break room and pressed re-dial, not surprised in the slightest when she was met with a breathy, “Munson residence!" on the other line.

She hung up immediately at the sound of Eddie’s voice. That was all the proof she needed. There was no doubt about it now. Steve and Eddie were together. And had been for awhile. That four years comment wasn't looking like an exaggeration. 

And just like that her entire high school worldview was smashed into a million pieces. Because Steve fucking Harrington was in a relationship with a guy. A serious relationship. The same dude that she spent years obsessing over and being jealous over because of his charms, was as gay as she was. 

What a world. 

But somehow, this massive realization didn’t fix the jealousy. Because before she was jealous of all of the attention he got, from people she always thought he never deserved. But now she was jealous over the fact that he had managed the impossible. He was in a committed relationship with a man, a man whose dick he sucked while they were driving and who he walked through jerking off on the phone. While no one else was the wiser. How the fuck had he managed that? In this town of all places? While Robin was over here still pining away over every pretty blonde girl that smiled at her, Steve was living her closeted gay dream. How could she not be jealous?

But at least now it was mixed with some awe. Because if Steve Harrington could get away with being gay in Hawkins, why couldn’t she? She just wished she could talk to him about it. She just didn’t know what to say. But she knew she wanted to say something. 

Like maybe, Hey, I totally saw you making out with your boyfriend and I'm so far past being cool with it, I actually think it’s amazing. And oh I’m also gay and can we be best friends? 

Honestly though, from the little she did know about the guy, maybe that speech would be taken pretty well. She just didn’t know how to bring it up. Or when. 

But she was going to, eventually. She was going to get to know that dingus if it killed her.

Part two to this & from an this fic