#that one spongebob episode

[thatonedudeinthecorner]

You’re telling me this ISN’T what happened in season 1 episode 1????

Is it hypocritical for Aang to be the one to call Zuko bald when he is objectively balder? Yes. Was this really funny to me? Also yes. God may forgive you for not capturing the avatar, but NO ONE will forgive you for that fuckass ponytail.

[bluesylveon2]

The first years spying on Yuu while she's on a date (it was Ace's idea because he is in denial about liking Yuu):

Ace: Ortho, what is Yuu saying?

Ortho: give me a second. I am trying to read her lips

A few seconds pass

Deuce: okay, so what did she say?

Ortho: "what"

Epel: Deuce asked, "what did she say?"

Ortho: "what"

Jack: we're wondering about what Yuu said

Ortho: she said, "what."

Sebek: ORTHO! We don't know! That's why we are asking you! Did you not hear what was being asked??!

Ortho, being annoyed: I did, and she said "what"

Ace: we know that! Wait...oh. She said the word, "what."

Everyone, except Ortho: ohhhhhhhhh

Ortho: 😑

[songsaa]

The no sabo kid, robot, and the gringo

Might update this later if I ever alter it since I had to rush the last few minutes

[den-ai-d]

The October reward, Pyramid Head! Better late than never eh? 😅

Looks like he's deep into that guy eh? Poor lad.

Three alts available on my patreon; small spicy preview of that under the cut😉

[ondeemand]

Transformers One Review

For the sake of convenience, I’ll be referring to the characters as their new names (Optimus Prime, Megatron, Bumblebee) instead of their old ones (Orion Pax, D-16, B-127).

Also, I didn’t grow up with Transformers, so this will be mostly from an outsider’s perspective. I can’t tell what possibly was or wasn’t a retcon or how accurate to the source material it was, but I think the background info on their world held up very well and they were able to explain it clearly to new viewers like me. It definitely would have hit harder if I grew up with Transformers and knew more than just facts from cultural osmosis, but I still enjoyed the movie a lot.

Notes/Things I’m Neutral On

Very weird to hear my name (Dee) being said throughout most of the movie by Chris Hemsworth’s bad American accent.

Also, I forgot that Megatron has transformed into ground vehicles before. I only ever knew him to turn into a jet, so I was kind of confused that he was a tank in this movie. I hope we get to see him get upgraded to a jet in the next one, but the tank is still cool.

Pros/Things I Liked

Simple but effective color theory with their eye colors. Main good guys have blue while Megatron has yellow, sitting between good and bad. Still a friendly color at first, but slowly turns closer to orange and then fully red as his anger and hatred consume him (and after he met the red-eyed Starscream, a cowardly man who ends up enabling Megatron‘s more violent/aggressive tendencies)

○ Also I don’t know if I was just seeing things, but it looked like Megatron’s eyes got more yellow whenever he looked at Optimus which is so sad and so gay.

I really thought they were gonna push a romance between Elita and either Bumblebee (goofy manchild x competent woman trope) or Optimus (male lead x female lead, blue x pink), but I was pleasantly surprised that they didn’t. Sadly, there’s still time for it in future installments, but I can dream.

Not to be gay, but spider woman sexy. Airachnid was so obviously evil that it was funny, but I can’t fault Sentinel for having her around because I, too, would want a deadly goth woman to be my right-hand lady. They felt like the evil, less developed versions of Mustang and Hawkeye. I am in love.

The animation is gorgeousssss. The environments, the character designs, the fight choreography, the transformations, the lighting, the texture, mwah mwah MWAH STUNNING!!!

○ Sorry, I’m never gonna stop talking about this. The way they were able to make square/blocky figures move so fluidly was fantastic (and proof of concept that a fully animated Minecraft movie would have worked). ○ The camera angles were also great for framing both the dramatic, intense, and/or high-action moments like fights or chase scenes, while also adding a lot to the comedic moments. Like when the camera stays tracking Optimus’ face when running through the forest, only for him to suddenly fall down a cliff neither he nor us saw coming, only to then zoom out to the perspective of the guards below, showing them stumbling and falling. ○ The contrast between the mechanical and organic elements on the surface were really cool, and the way it was introduced was able to convey this idea that organic life was this strange, alien thing. ○ The way the surface just rebuilds itself into these jagged, blocky terrains was really unique and interesting! It felt like a glitched computer model because of its rougher shapes which really added to the fear and hostility of the surface.

90% of their jokes landed and they landed hard. The bit where Optimus looks like he’s about to transform and then just fucking books it is incredible. The audio and camera work help add to these as well, like the music building as Optimus pretends to transform, the camera zooming in close to different parts of him, only for all background noise to cut out as it shows Optimus running away. I won’t name every joke and quip I found funny or we’d be here all day, but they’re certainly a highlight of the movie.

I love Keegan-Michael Key, but I wasn’t a fan of him as the comic relief character of Toad in the Mario movie. When Bumblebee showed up I got a little nervous, but I really loved his performance of the character.

I really liked the midpoint pep talk about hope. That’s a really nice reason that Optimus is the leader despite not being as skilled as other people. He has the hope for a better future and it was a core part of his character from the beginning, and I really like the idea that a leader is someone who can envision a brighter future no matter what.

Alpha Trion transforming was SICK AS FUCK!!! I love that he was more animalistic when the rest of the cast become vehicles. His final fight was so cool, and it actually made me kind of emotional to see him at the end with the rest of the Prime ghosts.

The stabbings? The beheadings?? The branding??? The way Megatron tore Sentinel in half and then ripped his heart out on-screen holy shit???? This movie was incredibly brutal and I loved it. It’s such an interesting phenomenon that children’s media is allowed to be about as graphic as they want as long as it’s against robots, even incredibly sentient ones like in the Transformers series.

○ I watched the 1986 Transformers movie for a class earlier this year, and while it also had a lot of brutality in it’s fights, the new movie felt more intense. Part of this could be attributed to me watching the 2024 movie on a big screen vs the 1986 movie in my living room, but there are other reasons as well. The 1986 movie had more upbeat songs playing over the fights, specifically songs like The Touch and Dare, which helped keep the tone lighter and more exciting. The 2024 movie didn’t have anything like that, allowing the action, while still cool and exciting, to take on a more serious tone. This is also emphasized by the graphics of the movie being 3D instead of 2D. While the 2D 1986 movie is a stunning masterpiece, people still view it with the idea in mind that, since it’s a cartoon, the stakes and story will be less intense. The 2024 movie being 3D with very detailed graphics and lighting already has more visual intensity. The characters are still these bright, poppy colors, but they can come across more moody and dark due to the environments, lighting, and textures that the 3D medium more easily allows. And while the painted backgrounds and cell shading of the old movie are great, the CGI backgrounds are a lot closer to realism, so the harsher elements like metal and rock, which make up a vast majority of the environment and characters, look real too.

The way Megatron’s hate consumed him to the point where he started acting more villainous and, while not entirely similar to Sentinel, still ended up hurting innocent people was tragic. Trying to push away and deny everything about a person only to wind up being just like them. This was perfectly shown in the end credit scene where Megatron is branding himself and the new Decepticons with Megatronus Prime’s face. To him, it may be him reclaiming the traumatic experience and literally using it like a badge of honor, as well as thinking he’s honoring Megatronus Prime. But in reality, he’s just inflicting the same trauma done to him onto others, just like Sentinel. Such a cool way to show how every villain is the hero of their own story.

The doomed yaoiiiiii I’m never gonna get over them. The only other Transformers media I’ve consumed is the 1986 movie, which kills off Optimus Prime in the first 25 minutes and Megatron becomes Galvatron, so I never knew the depths of their homoerotic relationship.

I’m a sucker for “the hero and villain used the be friends (and maybe even lovers?)” trope, so Optimus and Megatron’s relationship and the general premise of the movie was already a slam dunk for me.

I’m also a fan of legacy stories like Avatar and She-Ra. While this movie didn’t get as in-depth with the concept, I enjoyed that they played with the idea of legacy and taking up the mantle of the former Primes.

I absolutely loved the end message that Optimus gives us. Hope, freedom, and autonomy are incredibly important things to learn, and as a trans person who very much wants to keep control over what I do with my body, I really resonated with that last one. I think it’s really cool that they included a message like that in this children’s movie about robots that turn into cars.

Regarding the message of autonomy, I love that it gives the term Autobots a new meaning. Auto meaning “automobile”, since they transform into cars, and Auto meaning “self”, as they are now fully their own bots with control over themselves.

Cons/Things I Disliked

Mid vocal performances from everyone except Brian Tyree Henry and Keegan-Michael Key. And as I mentioned before, it was hard not to focus on Chris’ attempts at an American accent, not to mention how recognizable his, as well as Scarlett Johansson’s, voices are.

The plot felt a little disjointed in the first 1/3-ish.

○ Good setup with the main characters being an oppressed working class with one dreaming of better things and the other hesitant to fall out of line or take risks. But then suddenly there’s a race, and then they’re in it, and then they lose, and then their leader wants to promote them. At first it feels like there are hints that he’s a scummy celebrity-type and that meeting their hero is what will spur on the disillusionment with their society. But then some random douchebag that doesn’t like them reassigns them which goes against their leader’s command, and that’s how the plot kicks off? ○ Also, Elita’s involvement felt kind of rushed/hand-waved. They all get stuck on the surface, but instead of trying to make her way back to report them like she was saying she would for the past few minutes, she makes a complete 180 and heads the expedition herself. ○ It all just felt a little strange, but once it got going the rest of the plot felt fine.

Megatron’s descent into “evil” felt kind of rushed. I understand that he feels betrayed and I really love where the character ends up by the end, but it felt like a real 180 without a lot of build up.

Some jokes fell flat or felt annoying and kinda cringe. That’s the territory of children’s movies though, so par for the course.

TLDR

Overall, this movie was a really fun watch and I’d love to go see it again. While some parts fall a little flat, the movie is lifted from mediocrity by its many Pros. From the stunning visuals, to the quick humor, to the tragic origins of two friends driven apart by their ideals, I’d recommend this movie to anyone interested in animation or the Transformers brand.

8.82/10

[plaths]

See ya later, Bran Flakes!

SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS | 3x47A 'AS SEEN ON TV'

[dragons-hoard-of-fandoms]

Me surrounded by good content but irritated that there's officially no Season Two

[d4rk-x-w0lf-17]

adding onto the nicktoons unite idea; the gang journey through timmy's memories and thoughts, trying to find his 'inner self' to save him but are stopped at every corner by old, forgotten wishes and distorted memories that try to push them out

the gang realizes that this task might be a bit more difficult than they realized when they find a 10 year old timmy holding a dirty fish bowl and wearing full white

[bgthree]

Obviously it wouldn’t work in-game, but in terms of story imagine this:

Orin kidnapping Tav.

…the fucking chaos that would ensue

[yourfavaschips]

dean winchester from supernatural !

couldn't help it. i had to add the boys™

[tragicclownwrites]

Why the ending of "Sponge-Cano!" was great SquidBob fodder

Hello! I'm back with an analysis post as I came across something recently and wanted to share some thoughts.

I'm likely late to the game here, but I saw an old post in which the author (a fellow SquidBobber) was upset by the ending of "Sponge-Cano!" and I just have to say... huh!?

Were we watching the same episode? 🤨

Needless to say, I was thoroughly perplexed by this reaction because I personally read into it much differently. Then again, I am a clown.

Therefore - in the spirit of friendly fandom discourse - I wanted to provide another perspective on this episode. Absolutely no shade to the OP either - people are allowed to have differing opinions, after all.

If you're with me, let's clown around below the cut!

The lie that started it all

Before we dive in any further, let's take a look at the scene that started this whole conversation.

Essentially, after Squidward's heartfelt confession to SpongeBob, while he's hanging on for dear life over a boiling volcano...

Squidward: "Please SpongeBob, I didn't mean any of that! I do appreciate your friendship. I am grateful. I'm… I'm… I'm grateful for the life I'm living! Who knows how long I'll have it? I learned that from you, remember?"

He says this after being rescued by his true love SpongeBob:

Squidward: "You know SpongeBob, in light of everything that just happened... I lied to you. I am not grateful for anything! I mean look at me. I don't even have a roof to sleep under, anymore!"

Now, this is the moment that had the OP so heated about this episode. After everything he said, after SpongeBob saved his life, he just... lied?

Weeeell, not exactly.

The truth always reveals itself

Now, for my hot take... I don't think Squidward was lying at all when he said he was grateful for SpongeBob.

Before you immediately decide that I've completely out-clowned myself this time, just hear me out!

There are a few reasons Squidward may have reacted the way he did in the aftermath of the volcano debacle.

He's Squidward

Our man's just lost his whole fucking house for the billionth time

The reality of what he just said is slowly catching up with him

He's Squidward

Unlike his more chipper counterpart, the guy doesn't exactly wear his heart on his sleeve and has been shown to struggle with vulnerability and admitting failure. I mean, he can barely manage to apologize for his less savory actions without choking and sputtering like a fool!

However, when his life was on the line in this scene, he was vulnerable in more ways than one. Physically, he was quite literally dangling over an active volcano - you can't get more vulnerable than that! Emotionally, he bore his soul to SpongeBob because he thought he was going to die and wouldn't have another chance to say any of that again. Keep in mind, he truly believed he wouldn't live to see SpongeBob ever again.

I've mentioned this in my Reigisa x SquidBob masterpost, but there have been several other instances where - particularly, in a dire situation - Squidward will openly admit that he has always liked/cared for SpongeBob. And similarly, he's also tried to take it back or act like he didn't mean it when everything turns out okay or if other people aside from SpongeBob hear his confession.

So, as much as he "hates" SpongeBob and can't stand him, when it really counts, the truth always reveals itself.

Is it possible that he was just trying to play at SpongeBob's heartstrings to save his own ass? Perhaps.

But then, he accepts his fate. He loses his grip, giving everyone a tearful farewell. That is, until his little yellow angel comes to his rescue.

SpongeBob: "Squidward, I always knew you felt that way. Aw, buddy. Thanks for finally opening up to us."

⬆️Just look at the pure love in his eyes! (*Patrick voice*: LOOK AT IT!) The sappy sponge was even prepared to sacrifice himself for him. 🥺

While there was absolutely no way SpongeBob would actually let Squidward perish - promises be damned - it wasn't until Squidward poured his heart out, putting his true feelings towards SpongeBob out in the open, that he was saved from certain death.

You know how they say, "the truth will set you free"? No kidding!

As for why SpongeBob was completely fine with Squidward's lie after the fact (another point of contention for OP), well... he loves him. Period. And I think, despite his emotional constipation and frequent annoyance with the sponge in question, it's pretty clear Squidward loves him, too.

Therefore, SpongeBob wasn't upset by Squidward's outburst here because, as naïve as he may be, I don't think that fact is lost on him either.

In conclusion...

I think it's safe to say that "Sponge-Cano!" was a pretty great episode to add to the ever-growing SquidBob pile.

And if you thought the scene I talked about above was the last of it, ohohoho~ 🤭😏

You. Just. Wait.

At the very end of the episode, after Squidward loses his home and complains that he no longer has "a roof to sleep under anymore," SpongeBob does what SpongeBob does best: he offers to help him out.

Even after Squidward's selfish actions in "Can You Spare a Dime?" (which had some great fodder as well, such as *ahem* Squidward making SpongeBob wear a sexy maid outfit), SpongeBob still lets him stay at his house for an indefinite amount of time. Continuity? I don't know her.

To which, this gets even better.

Squidward doesn't refuse and find somewhere else to crash. After all, wasn't SpongeBob the reason he was miserable enough to be sacrificed in the first place? Why would he subject himself to even more SpongeBob, if that were the case?

At SpongeBob's house, he doesn't sleep on the couch or in a spare room. He doesn't even take SpongeBob's bed for himself while SpongeBob sleeps elsewhere - just like he did in "Can You Spare a Dime?"

NO.

The two of them share SpongeBob's bed. As in, they sleep in the same bed together.

Are these two fucking serious!?

They totally cuddled. Maybe even kissed.

All that to say, as much as Squidward whines and gripes about how much SpongeBob makes him miserable, it's clear to see that - even in the face of life-threatening adversity - SpongeBob's presence in his life is the key to his happiness. In this case, the key to his survival as well.

Now, if only our favorite grumpy octopus would take that spongey key, embracing him fully, to unlock that door... 🌈

[yuwuta]

This is silly but i want to give gold star stickers to jjk guys that have a praise kink. Like imagine megumi with a praise kink he won't admit to" even though it's obvious, and giving him a sticker in the middle of a convo or during the act 😭

yuji would get it 😇

LMFAOOO the way satoru and yuuji would unironically be very into this 😭😭 yuuji has literal stars in his eyes to match the stickers, peels them off and puts them in a book or on his water bottle or something. satoru does ANY little thing and is like “eh?? i think that was gold star worthy don’t you???” and don’t even tempt him in bed, he’s on the verge of passing out after fucking you, flopped right on top of you and still has the energy to flash a shit-eating grin and goes “that was at least a five gold star performance” like he’s the michelin man or something. hate him so bad 

you try doing that to megumi and he freezes, realizes what’s going on, and then playfully flicks you on the forehead before putting the star on you, and then going about his business. he tells you off for it, but a few days later he’s got his head in your neck and the audacity to ask, “what? i didn’t do anything star worthy today?”

[turnipoddity]

Why is everyone here talking about SpongeBob? (Have you seen that one episode where they go to Rock Bottom and everything's dark and creepy there? I love that episode but I remember it scared me as a child)

bc i used too many spongebob reaction images… HAHAHAHA

AND DUH OFCOURSE I’VE SEEN ROCK BOTTOM it’s a classic!! save me early spongebob episodes save me

the one episode that scarred me as a child is SB-129… that was my first brush of existential crisis NSNDKFKF

[sleepingdayaway]

AAAAAAAH I LOVE YOUR WRITING !!! i saw your requests were open so im wondering if you could do Legend or warriors (whichever you prefer!) with a reader who's extremely afraid of butterflies like they see one and are already halfway across the forest! like immediate sprinting away

AHHH! TY FOR YOUR TIME :D

KAHSKSHSIW THIS IS SO ME. I TOO FREAK OUT WHEN A BUTTERFLY COMES NEAR ME-

ALSO IM SO SORRY THAT I TOOK SO LONG??? IM SO TERRIBLE MY BAD I REALLY APPRECIATE YOU REBLOGGING MY STUFF <3333

Legend:

The crunching of leaves can be heard all around as the mindless chatter among the group can be heard in the room.

The Chain has allowed themselves to rest after Wild introduced them to the Great Deku Tree. Old man nature welcomed the various heroes and their companion to rest. He is slightly found of the young adult who interacts kindly to the children of the forest.

Speaking of the Koroks, they are currently giggling and flying about as they played with [Name]. They seemed to be playing a simpler version of hide-n-seek. The koroks are giggling behind their hands as they tried to quiet their laughter. [Name] pretends for a moment that they are unable to find, and loudly calls for their name.

Watching them for a moment as he smiles in content before focusing his attention on his inventory. [Name]'s laughter is heard and the following giggling and shrieking of the Koroks being found. Quickly rushing away, desperately trying not to be caught do the koroks move. [Name] laughing loudly; not moving from their spot since they found it too amusing.

The Hero moves his attention towards his pouch, making sure that none of his items are misplaced. Knowing that the young koroks are curious and mean no harm, he's content for the time being. Enjoying the moment of being able to relax and not being hunted down by malice blooded monsters.

A loud shriek is heard as Legend's ears twitch at the sound. A sound that came from the person who he thought was safe. He saw them play with the koroks just a second ago. Without hesitation he stands up from his place and moves his body to the sound.

"[Name]!?"

The sight that greets Legend is comical. [Name] pushing themselves against a tree as they stare at the little creature on a koroks hand. it's giggling as it brings it closer them as they let out a small sound of fear. Legend walks over to see what made them scream, and taking a closer look at the creature is a small butterfly.

The butterfly calmly stands on the hand, and gently flaps it's wings in a calm motion. It's antennae would twitch here and there but it wasn't really moving.

This confuses Legend as he gently grabs [Name] and pulls them away from the tree. But they refuse to move from the spot as they make dead eye contact with the butterfly. "Are you alright? Do you want to move from this place?" He asked but [Name] just shook their head and refused to move an inch. Slowly moving his focus back onto the butterfly as he thought he saw movement. The korok inched closer to them which caused the butterfly to twitch and fly forward.

It was like a chain reaction when that happened.

The korok moves, then the butterfly moves forward. Which then causes [Name] to scream once more and quickly back away, but Legend was still holding onto them. It made the both of them fall onto the ground; both keeping an eye onto the butterfly. Legend blinks before shaking his lover, "Did you seriously react that negatively to a tiny fucking butterfly!?!"

"They just as bad as spiders, Legend!" They shouted back at him with a slight voice crack as the butterfly flies away from them. A harsh sigh escapes from his lips. As he rolled his eyes before grabbing them and dragging them away. The little korok giggling in the background/

___________________________________________________________

Warriors:

Warriors looks down at the map that Twilight lent him. It's a miniature copy of the outside of Twilight's castle town; he asked Warriors for a favor and gave him the map to help him. It was to search for a certain bug that has a unique color that should be easy to spot because of it. Wars had no problem with it, so he agreed to go and look for it.

[Name] found out about his little exploration and decided that they wanted to go with him to keep him company. Warriors didn't mind and readily agreed; silently cheering since he wanted a bit of alone time with them.

Both of them rode together with rented horses from castle town as they neared an area on where the bug was supposed to be. Wars looked up from the map when they heard [Name] shuffled from behind; they gently got off and patted their horse to soothe them. They smiled up at him before speaking, "Just wanted to stretch my legs for a bit since I noticed us slowing down."

Wars returned their smile before sliding off himself, "No worries, we're already in the area on where it should be." [Name] nodded before walking around for a bit and resting underneath a tree. Beside the tree is a cliff that has a group of of flowers near the edge.

Warrior's steps forward and begins searching at the tree and the surrounding area. He remembers Twilight saying that this was an easy way to obtain money since the person who collects these bugs offer a huge sum or rupees. That caught his attention, someone who paid a a lot just for some bugs? Count him in.

[Name] joined in because they wanted to spend time with Wars. Plus have an in depth look at Twilight's Hyrule. They remember the land being big and having space as well as beautiful from their screen. And they were right, the graphics on the game didn't do the actual place justice. Just even exploring castle town itself was a shock! The game showed an always moving place, but actually experiencing it was different.

A small sound of jingle can be heard from which caught the attention of the two them. Wars noticing it because it was something that was told to him that he was near the bug, but [Name] slightly tensed up because they finally realized what that noise meant.

Warriors looked up at the cliff, squinting a bit he noticed that faint sparkle of color. It moved in between the flowers that are near the edge before it showed itself fully and slowly flew down gently near them. He perked up and stayed stilled but kept his focus on it; he wasn't going to scare it away and lose rupees.

Meanwhile [Name] eyed the butterfly as it came closer to them. Fuck, they should've told Warriors before hand. With zero hesitation they crawled away from Wars and the butterfly, and with a safe distance away from them did they sprinted away.

Wars to preoccupied on staying still so he wouldn't startle the golden bug. Before quickly snatching it once it was in reach for him. Grinning widely he turned towards [Name] to show them, but didn't see them near the tree.

Spinning around before he caught a glimpse of their [color] tunic a good feet away from him. "Oh wow! Did you catch it? Cool! Don't come near me with it in your hands" They exclaimed as they eyed his hands with slight fear. Wars staring for a moment before it clicked in his head, "Are you afraid of butterfly, [Name]?"

"Pfft- Whaat! No way I'm just- NO WARS STAY AWAY FROM ME"

[peppymintdreams]

desperately need a fic of pickle who hasnt been sleeping for a while and isaac notices

Ofcourse my child

Insomnia Who?

Isaac Rhoades x Pickle

Pickle has been really sleep deprived and who better than Isaac the insomniac pot calling the kettle black

Isaac sat at his desk, eyes scanning over the case files spread out before him, but his focus kept drifting. Across the room, Pickle was curled up on the couch, wrapped in a blanket, their face illuminated by the soft glow of a tablet. Isaac had noticed something over the past few days—small things at first, barely perceptible, but now impossible to ignore.

Pickle was exhausted.

At first, Isaac had chalked it up to stress or a busy week, but now he could see it in the way they moved—sluggish, as though the weight of sleepless nights was dragging them down. Dark circles had begun to form under their eyes, and even now, as they sat with the tablet in hand, their head kept nodding forward, as if their body was on the verge of surrendering to sleep, but they just wouldn’t let it.

Isaac closed his file and set it aside, his gaze fixed on them. "Pickle," he called softly, breaking the silence of the room.

Pickle blinked, lifting their head as if they had just been caught drifting off. "Huh? Yeah?" they mumbled, sitting up a bit straighter, clearly trying to seem more alert than they actually were.

Isaac frowned, his brows knitting together. "How long has it been since you’ve had a good night’s sleep?"

Pickle waved a hand dismissively, though their expression didn’t match their nonchalance. "I’m fine. Just a little tired, that’s all."

Isaac wasn’t buying it. He stood up, crossing the room and sitting beside them on the couch. "A little tired?" he echoed, raising an eyebrow. "You’ve been like this for days. When’s the last time you slept properly?"

Pickle hesitated, their eyes darting away as they pulled the blanket tighter around themselves. "I don’t know... a few nights ago? I’ve just been... restless. It’s no big deal."

Isaac sighed, his hand finding Pickle’s and giving it a gentle squeeze. "It’s a big deal if you’re not taking care of yourself," he said, his tone soft but firm. "You’re running yourself into the ground, and I’m worried about you."

Pickle bit their lip, their shoulders slumping as they leaned back into the couch. "I don’t know why I can’t sleep," they admitted, voice small. "Every time I try, my mind just keeps racing. I keep thinking about everything I need to do, or everything I should’ve done, and then suddenly it’s morning, and I haven’t slept at all."

Isaac’s expression softened as he listened. He knew that feeling all too well—the weight of responsibilities and endless thoughts keeping you awake at night, despite your body begging for rest. "Why didn’t you tell me?" he asked gently. "You don’t have to go through this alone."

Pickle sighed, leaning their head against his shoulder. "I didn’t want to bother you. You’ve been so busy with work, and I didn’t want to make a fuss over something like this."

Isaac wrapped an arm around them, pulling them closer. "You’re not a bother," he murmured. "You never are."

They sat there in comfortable silence for a few moments, the warmth of Isaac’s embrace easing some of the tension from Pickle’s body. Finally, Isaac spoke again, his voice quiet but resolute. "You need sleep, Pickle. You can’t keep going like this."

"I know," Pickle mumbled, their eyes fluttering shut against Isaac’s shoulder. "But I don’t know how to stop all the thoughts."

Isaac pressed a soft kiss to the top of their head, his hand gently rubbing their arm. "Let me help," he said. "I’ll stay with you, okay? You’re not alone in this. We’ll get through it together."

Pickle didn’t say anything, but Isaac could feel them relax slightly against him. After a few more minutes of silence, Isaac shifted, pulling back just enough to look them in the eye. "Come on," he said, his voice gentle but leaving no room for argument. "We’re going to bed. No more tablet, no more distractions. Just rest."

Pickle opened their mouth to protest, but Isaac shook his head. "No arguments," he said with a soft smile. "I’m your personal sleep enforcer tonight."

Despite their exhaustion, Pickle chuckled at that, a small, tired laugh that made Isaac’s heart ache for them. "Fine, fine," they relented, letting him guide them up from the couch.

Isaac led them to the bedroom, making sure the space was calm and comfortable. He turned off the overhead light, leaving only the soft glow of the bedside lamp. Pickle climbed into bed, and Isaac joined them, pulling the covers up over both of them.

He wrapped an arm around them, pulling them close, their head resting on his chest. "Just focus on my breathing," Isaac murmured softly. "Let your mind relax. You’re safe, you’re here, and nothing else matters right now."

Pickle let out a deep sigh, their body sinking into the mattress as they finally began to let go of the tension that had been holding them captive for days. Isaac continued to hold them, his hand gently stroking their back in soothing circles, his own heartbeat steady beneath their ear.

Slowly but surely, Pickle’s breathing evened out, and before long, the exhaustion they had been fighting off for so long finally overtook them.

Isaac stayed awake a little longer, just watching over them, relieved to see them finally resting. He pressed another soft kiss to their forehead, whispering, "Sleep well," before closing his own eyes and letting sleep take him too.

[charlesoberonn]

Spongebob's Rock Bottom as a metaphor for being autistic/neurodivergent in an uncaring allistic society.