#get used to them because they're staying for a while

[kxsagi]

Bllk boys with an s/o who somehow manages to make them fall asleep just by blasting sleepy phonk like they'd be wide awake and then sleepy phonk and they're knocked out cold and they question why every time ( kaiser, rin, shidou and anyone else you wanna add )

“𝐩𝐡𝐨𝐧𝐤 𝐟𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐲𝐥”

a/n: I THOUGHT THIS REQ WAS FUNNY

but i’m not really sure what sleepy phonk counts as, is it like the instrumental of roi by videoclub or the lost soul down by NBSPLV??? 

ft. kaiser michael, itoshi rin, shidou ryusei, itoshi sae, karasu tabito, isagi yoichi, nagi seishiro, bachira meguru

kaiser michael

you play one of those slow, mellow phonk songs with the deep bass and hazy loops, and he doesn’t think anything of it. he’s literally in the middle of dramatically trash-talking isagi when his body just… starts betraying him. 

his voice fades. eyelids droop. his upper body sways. 

“what the f– … why am i…” BONK. slumped sideways on the couch, dead asleep. 

you didn’t even notice, you were too busy wiping crumbs off your shirt. when you turn around he looks like someone hit him with a dart tranquilizer. 

wakes up four hours later like “who drugged me?” and you’re like “uh. the speaker?” 

absolutely refuses to believe it's the music. keeps blaming it on bad sleep or low blood sugar. 

tries to fight it like it’s a challenge. he’ll stare at you dead in the eye and go, “i won’t fall asleep this time.” cue you playing it again. three minutes later he’s dozing off mid-smirk. 

one time he got so mad he threatened to destroy your speaker. (he tripped over his own feet on the way and knocked himself out before he could.) 

itoshi rin

rin is fully convinced this is psychological warfare. 

he’ll be standing, talking to you normally, then you press play and suddenly he’s blinking slow as hell like he got rebooted. 

“wait. no. you’re doing it again.” 

tries to leave the room. doesn’t make it past the hallway. collapses dramatically like a fainting goat. 

once fell asleep in the middle of washing dishes. the faucet was still on. 

absolutely hates it. thinks it’s “unnatural.” starts researching “subliminal music control” and asks if you’re brainwashing him with some kind of audio hypnosis. 

he once accused you of trying to assassinate him with music. 

“turn that off. turn it off. my nervous system is shutting down.” 

refuses to let you have aux ever again in the car because last time he woke up in a parking lot two hours from home with a blanket on him and no memory of how he got there. 

shidou ryusei

cackles the first time it happened, he thought you laced his food. 

“you’re telling me you just played this… and my brain factory reset?” 

every single time he hears that beat drop, he immediately yells “NOPE NOPE NOPE. NOT THIS DRUGGED UP COWBOY MUSIC AGAIN–” then collapses mid-sentence like a tranquilized bear. 

literally wakes up mad. throws your speaker across the room while still rubbing the sleep out of his eyes like a grumpy toddler. 

tries to act like he’s too wild to be affected, then you catch him sleeping with the same sleepy phonk playlist under his pillow like it’s a bedtime lullaby. 

“listen i don’t need it, it’s just a vibe. you wouldn’t get it.” 

will absolutely start calling it your "sleepy black magic tape" and pretends he's scared of you. fake shivers and all. 

“my body associates your music taste with comas now. thanks, babe.” 

itoshi sae

you start playing it during a late-night drive, and within five minutes he’s gone. head slumped against the window. breathing soft. soul left his body. 

wakes up all confused like he just took a power nap in another dimension. 

“how long was i out? …why do i feel like i’ve been asleep for twelve years?” 

every time you play it again he tries to stay awake out of pure ego, but he gets so annoyed at how heavy his limbs feel. 

mutters a whole paragraph of insults under his breath before slipping into REM. 

eventually starts using it intentionally but won’t admit it. like he’ll go “i guess it wouldn’t kill me if you played that stupid zombie song again” right before bed. 

“i’m not addicted. i’m just being efficient.” 

pretends it’s annoying but secretly has the playlist saved on his phone under the name "🤨" 

karasu tabito

BRO STARTS DANCING TO IT AT FIRST. 

you’re like “karasu no” and he’s like “karasu YES.” 

and then two mins later he’s laying face-down on the floor like a body outline at a crime scene. 

wakes up, rolls over, and goes “yo did i die for a second orrrr…?” 

loves it though. finds it hilarious. he’ll literally set it as his own alarm so he wakes up and falls back asleep in a loop. 

“you don’t get it, babe. this music is laced. this is phonk fentanyl.” 

sometimes just asks you to play it to prove to people that it works. like he’ll invite bachira over and go, “watch this,” then collapse 60 seconds in like it’s a magic trick. 

he becomes the #1 believer that you’re a sleep witch. 

“this woman is dangerous. protect her. or let her drop a mixtape. either way we all win.” 

isagi yoichi 

isagi thought it was a coincidence the first time. “oh maybe i was just tired.” 

second time? “okay maybe i’m still tired.” 

third time? “wait a damn minute.” 

he gets so serious about it. starts journaling his sleep patterns. literally charts the timestamps of when the music plays and when he loses consciousness. 

“this is a phenomenon. i need answers.” 

he keeps trying to test it under different conditions like it’s a science project. “okay play it while i’m exercising.” falls asleep doing jumping jacks. 

one time he tried to fight it by drinking three energy drinks beforehand. the music still knocked him out. woke up with a headache and heartburn. 

“what is this sorcery?? this is stronger than melatonin AND ASMR combined.” 

eventually surrenders and asks you to play it when he has trouble sleeping. but only if you’re there. otherwise he gets paranoid and thinks he’ll wake up in an alternate timeline. 

nagi seishiro

honestly? he was already halfway to unconsciousness when it first happened. 

but the moment you played that dreamy, floaty phonk beat? instant deep slumber. like you enhanced his default settings. 

he didn’t even say anything. no reaction. he blinked slowly like a sleepy cat and just laid down right where he was standing. 

you were like “bro you good?” and he mumbled “yeh…” then snored 0.5 seconds later. 

he now refers to your playlist as the “ultimate sleep cheat code.” 

uses it on nights when even he feels too lazy to fall asleep naturally. 

“just play the thing. the lo-fi cowboy drug one.” 

weirdly enough, he becomes your personal sleep ambassador. 

you bring it up once around the blue lock team and he goes “it’s like being gently sedated by cloud ninjas. 10/10 experience. would die again.” 

if you’re gone and he can’t sleep, he’ll text: nagi: can you send the playlist nagi: the one that knocks me out nagi: i’m twitching like a windows xp shutdown screen over here 

has lowkey gotten emotionally attached to it. if someone else tries to play sleepy phonk, he gets offended. “no. only she can do that. it’s different.” 

bachira meguru

bachira thinks it’s funny as hell. 

“i’m like a dog with a whistle. only this one is a sleepy cowboy beat.” 

the first time he heard it, he got weirdly invested. like “oohh this is a vibe! what’s it called?” proceeds to pass out mid-groove like a light. 

you turn around and he’s in the fetal position under the table. 

he wakes up grinning like “that was so fun!! what happened?? do it again!!” 

he starts treating it like a carnival ride. asks you to “put him to sleep” like it’s a magic trick. 

“close the curtains, bring me a snack, and hit me with that sleep sauce 🛌🧃✨” 

you accidentally make him fall asleep in public once (you were just playing it on your phone during a train ride) and he collapses onto a stranger’s shoulder. 

you’re mortified. he wakes up three stops later, bows and goes “thank you for being my pillow today :)” 

he names the playlist. something like: “cowboy dream juice vol. 1 💀🐴✨” 

sometimes tries to rap over it and see how long he can stay awake. his record is one minute and 14 seconds. 

“this music is like a lullaby made by sleepy ghosts on synths. i love it.” 

© 𝐤𝐱𝐬𝐚𝐠𝐢

[aetherograph]

With men it's also like, part and parcel with them living in constant terror of not being seen as "man enough". Men aren't allowed to be gentle ever. Men aren't allowed to like animals or want to NOT kill things. Etc etc etc. That's why they get angry. Bc by assuming people don't want to kill things, you are insinuating they are not man enough, that they're weak and "soft".

I'm not excusing it as reasonable! I'm just explaining that's why they're reacting that way. YOU obviously do not mean "I think you're all pussies" because you're so divorced from toxic masculinity such as this that it never occurs to you that caring about animals dying would be gendered. But that's what they're hearing bc of how they were raised. Caring is womanly. Killing is the only manly choice of action toward a wild animal. You are not allowed, as a man, to care about something unless you're angry about it.

You're certainly not allowed to be scared of something if there's a Not Man who isn't, as I learned a couple years ago.

One time there was a rat snake in front of my apartment door in Georgia. The outside hallway my door was on went from the parking lot to a sort of wild area so the animals used it as a passage from sunning spots to hiding spots, and one hot night a person or car or something scared this poor snake on her way through this passage, so she was coiled up by my door trying to hide as best she could. My roommate and best friend @trellanyx went to put out the trash, and opened the door, and called me over, "[Aetherograph]! There's a baby." (she also likes snakes).

But soon enough, a person came along, and I found out our upstairs neighbours were all some sort of French-speaking African folks because this person, a gentleman in a delivery uniform (though I think he was on his way home rather than to a delivery), stopped dead and yelled "SNAKE!" and there was a great flurry of activity and French yelled back and forth from upstairs, and a bunch of people came down and sat or stood on the stairs, not coming all the way down.

I stood there, wearing a long skirt, trying to calmly explain that this wasn't a venomous snake, we don't have venomous snakes that look like this, to the people clustered on the stairs trying to call out to their male comrade on the edge of the parking lot. I was halfway between them. The snake was afraid of my skirt, and struck out in feints a few times, which terrified the people watching, but I just stayed calm, moving back a bit as she struck so she wouldn't hurt me or herself. But I was terrified FOR her, and kept standing between her and everyone as this poor guy tried to edge past me. It was a wide corridor, he had plenty of room, but he was just so scared, and my heart went out to him, and I just said, without thinking,

"Do you want me to hold your hand?" in a very calm, concerned way, holding out my hand. To me, he was just a scared human being, a fellow human being I wanted to help.

I just wanted to help.

But I was a "girl" in a skirt, and I wasn't scared of a snake, and he was. And I guess me offering to hold his hand made him realise he was more scared than a girl, and he snapped "No I do not need you to hold my HAND" and speed-walked past me to the staircase. I was a little startled, but just happy the snake wasn't being attacked, and he had found a way past me.

"You are very brave," said one of the ladies on the stairs, lingering after the men seemed to have gone up. "Or crazy, I don't know which."

"We don't have mambas or anything here," I said. "The dangerous snakes here have a head like a heart shape, and a rattle on their tail, or they are striped red and yellow. They are shy and don't want to waste their venom on you, here. She's just a rat snake. She won't hurt you, she's scared. She just wants to go home."

This went back and forth for a while, because they didn't know at first that I was familiar with why someone that had immigrated from Africa would be afraid of snakes, and also I do not speak a lot of French, certainly not enough to give a science talk. But the ladies were willing to listen, and to chat back and forth to me, and I hope that some of the information I told them helped them not be afraid of our wildlife.

But my compassionate offer to help someone who I saw was frightened? That was not seen that way by that gentleman, because being afraid is not manly.

But at least the snake got away free. She had just eaten, so the stress was hopefully not too bad. I guarded her until all was quiet again, and then went inside to give her space. When I went to check, she was gone. I hope she made it back to the overgrown field.

I still don't fundamentally understand toxic masculinity in terms of how you're supposed to interact with it, but I know enough to understand why men react certain ways to stuff. So yeah. I hope the explanation was helpful.

You know that post I made about telling people not to run over wildlife and joking about people getting mad at me? That is not an exaggeration. Based on a real experience. I used to live next to a lake with a large reptile population and one spring I made a post in the community Facebook page about what types of turtles are native to that area in North Carolina, which ones are endangered/rare, which ones are likely to musk/bite you, telling people to check their boat lifts before docking their boats because aquatic turtles like to sun themselves on structures like that, what to do if you find a turtle nest, how to make a turtle dock so turtles don’t sun themselves on your dock. Helpful turtle primer for those who were curious because we did make little wildlife spotting/identification request posts on the page.

The women replying to the post were like “Wow! They’re so cute! I didn’t know we had so many turtles around here!” “This information is so useful, I can’t wait to tell my kids these fun facts!” and the piece of shit redneck dudes were irate at the post for some reason, they were like “I HATE those motherfuckers! I kill them on purpose! They ruin my fucking lawn! I run over them on purpose. Fuck these turtles. Fuck you bleeding heart hippie fuck.” and it was such a bizarre surreal experience. I was not condescending in the post in the slightest, I was just giving advice on how to help wildlife for people who may be interested. Just an informative post about turtles. And it made them really mad?

[bratbarzal]

Oh I would kill to see luke and his lover travelling europe idk :’)

I sort of have a ~vacation thing in the pipeline for them so I'm gonna bullet point some random thoughts on this while they're fresh in my brain bc I love the idea of them having a little european trip together and doing it the authentic way bc they're just two kids in love and exploring the world!! not super in depth bc like I said there's something else in the works but I am really enjoying doing these extended thoughts!!

luke is the ultimate airport boyfriend no one can change my mind!! like standing in the check in queue with his arm slung over your shoulders or you're in front of him and his chin is resting on your head as he watches the boards to figure out where your gate is!! and he's hauling both of your cases around even though you say you're fine to wheel them, but you like watching as he lifts them onto the belt, and you like eyeing up the way his sleeves cling to his muscles when he's leaning on the desk and going through all the information with the guy behind it!!

and obviously his first thought when you're through security is food, so you're walking hand in hand and he's pretending like he's giving you the choice but he's lowkey dragging you to wherever he wants to go, and you both end up getting burgers and he steals your fries when he's done with his, but you're used to his crappy distraction techniques by now so you just let him do it!! and the two of you have a whole thing where you're swapping parts of your burgers like he'll take your pickles and you'll take his tomato and you just do it without asking because you guys eat so often together that it's just normal!!

and he'll smell all the perfume testers with you in the duty free store!! and try on a bunch of sunglasses and you're taking a bunch of pictures of him in shades that make him look like a bug or an alien hahaha!! but he buys some unisex fragrance you can share and it's that thing where it's the only thing the two of you will spray while you're away so that it will always remind you of that vacation!! and it ends up being a cute tradition every time you leave the country!!

the only thing you'd let him splurge on for the whole trip is the extra leg room seats, and he just about convinces you that premium economy is the way to go, so he gets to stretch out his legs and you get to cuddle into his side with the arm rest raised and you share a set of earphones to watch some random movie on the flight together 🥺 like you don't even bother syncing screens you'll just lay your head on his shoulder and snuggle his bicep and probably fall asleep on him while he's watching conclave or smth

and the two of you aren't exactly hostel hopping but you really wanted a lowkey trip so the hotels you stay in are all super cosy and small, because you're spending most of your time out and exploring anyway, so when you're in your room you're constantly all up in each other's space, and he's always bumping into you and grabbing at you to move you out of the way, and it's all just super intimate and precious to you that you get to be a normal young couple doing normal things away from like him being recognised all the time back home, or not being entirely secure in such a random hotel - when you're away, it's a bit like the bubble you get at the lake house, where he's just Luke, your boyfriend, not Luke Hughes.

and he's been to Europe on tournaments before but he's never been able to properly explore, so you do all this touristy coupley stuff together!! and Luke very much gives goofball energy like if he was in a relationship I don't think he'd be all mr cool I think he'd embrace getting to do dorky shit so like he's eating food from street vendors with absolutely no etiquette, and he's making wishes throwing coins in fountains and taking pictures "resting on" the leaning tower of pisa or pinching at the Eiffel Tower - speaking of have you ever seen those videos of dua lipa and Callum turner dancing near the Eiffel Tower???? they give me Luke and lih!reader vibes all the time they're so cute!!

and Luke is the perfect victim of a tourist trap so he's getting his portrait done by those whacky artists who draw your mouth about half the size of your face and they make his curls all crazy and his neck super long lmao!! and he's getting suckered into buying you flowers all the time off of the ladies who say it's romantic - and yeah, even if the roses aren't real, it is romantic because he gets all blushy and bashful about it!! and he says you have to collect fridge magnets for everywhere you go as a memento because you're not bulking up your luggage but it's cute to have something back home that reminds you of being away together!! and he's super serious about his fridge magnet criteria so you let him have the last say even if they're going on your fridge.

also he's clinging onto you for dear life everywhere you go. your hand doesn't leave his in public, and he's cuddling you in the back of taxis, and standing behind you with his arms draped over you in museums, you're tangling legs under the tables in restaurants, and falling asleep on his shoulder on trains!! bc physical touch Luke is the realest thing to me!!

and one more thing bc I love this concept is he's obviously way quicker at getting ready than you so he'll always sit by you while you're getting ready and just watch and talk to you like you curling your hair is the most interesting thing in the world!! and he's weirdly intimidated by a curling iron but one time he offers to do it for you and he doesn't burn you by some miracle so he's always doing the back of your head while he yaps lmao!! he's always zipping the back of your dresses, and untying your shoes when you finally get back to the hotel room!! and he's watching you put on moisturiser before bed and he always likes when you spread the excess onto his skin 😭😭 he's such a little obsessed lover boy I adore him!!

[kiame-sama]

It's been as hot as hell these past few days in America. My AC units are having to go on seperate plugs just because they're getting overworked and overheated. I've heard that some people's AC is shutting off entirely.

How do the boys react to an overheated Darling or kiddies? I feel like Jamil would love the humidity and all, but someone like Ace or Deuce would be unable to function in this weather.

Also, for those who have pets, keep an eye on them during this weather! Don't leave them alone outside without supervision! There's been reports of animals being left out and dying! Take care of yourself and your animals, please and thank you!

Warnings; yandere behavior, Human= Reader, gender neutral reader, multiple yandere monsters, Monster TWST AU,

Rollo is panicking and unsure how to help. He can only heat things up, not cool them down. He will try to find a shaded area for you and will be willing to fan you, but he lets out constant heat, so he may overwhelm and warm you on accident.

Jamil LOVES the heat. He enjoys laying in the sun and warming his scales under the light. Dry heat or wet heat, he doesn't care, it feels nice to him either way. if he notices you are uncomfortable or heating up too much, he can actually lay his coils on top of you or wrap you in them. Because he is Naga, his body is naturally colder than most other species, so being under his scales while he moves them every few minutes would actually mean he constantly has a cold spot to help cool you down while you in turn warm him up. He can even find something to fan you with using his tail.

The Dragon can easily shield you with his wings as well as use his magic to create a breeze for you to keep you cool on the unbearably hot days. Malleus is unbothered by the heat most of the time and is happy to do what he needs to so you are comfortable, but if he genuinely thinks you are overheating or in extreme discomfort from the heat, he will begin to get upset. Malleus' sorrow beings about a blizzard, so you may long for the heat once he actually gets in his emotions. For the most part, Malleus is good at keeping you cool before it gets to that point.

Idia is technically considered to be as cold as the grave despite his flame hair. As a creature from Tartarus- the Land of the Dead- Idia is cold enough to chill others to the bone. He isn't often one to soak up the sunlight, more a creature of shadows and darkness. If you are too warm and hug onto the Shinigami, you may actually start to shiver because of how cold Idia can be to the touch. Lay on top of him wrapped in a blanket and he will keep you at a nice chilly temp. You may even long for your heated blanket if you snuggle Idia long enough. He is quite cold and that chill can be felt by touching him.

Kida is an Air Nymph and can easily create a breeze to cool you down. Due to his natural affinity for air, if you mention to him that you are feeling too warm, he will happily make a chilly breeze that cools you down in the heat of the day. Let him know if the wind is too cold and he will adjust as needed.

Neige is eager to try and keep you comfortable, going as far as fanning you with his wings to help you cool off. Neige will happily do whatever he can to make sure you are comfortable and cool on event he hottest of days. Do you need a cold drink? He can get that for you! Do you need shade? Well, he can happily use his wings to shield you. Just communicate with him and he will do what he can to keep you comfortable and at peace.

If it is getting too warm for you to stay comfortable, go swimming with him. He can hold you right along the waterline on his back, letting you longue across his equine figure as he swims lazy circles through the water. If you really want, he can cast a spell so you can safely submerge completely under the water and chill out in the lake with him. He will ensure you are comfortable and safe regardless while you spend time in the lake with him.

Sounds like you could use some time beneath the waves with him. Azul promises that you will be comfortable and safe while you are by his side. He will give you a potion that allows you to breathe under the water and he will happily swim with you while the two of you escape the heat of the day. Just let him know and he will move his schedule around to accommodate your needs.

[jeonscatalyst]

I just have to ask them, since that cult won't stay out of Jikook spaces or off Jikook's back. Why do you want Tae to date Jk, who you claim does fanservice & hurts him? Why do you want Tae to date Jk, who prioritizes another man over him? Why do you want Tae to date JK, who spends couple days with another man and not him? Why do you want Tae to date JK, who enlisted with another man over him? Why do you want Tae to date JK, who told 20 million people he showers with another man? Why do you want Tae to date JK, who went on vacations with another man & created a show together, said he wanted to do the show for 50 years with him, where Tae had no clue & found out through group chat and had to insist on coming himself? Why do you want Tae to date Jk, when he was clearly happy with someone else?

These are valid questions. Nothing here would be considered healthy or romantic. So what do you get out of it then, if TK is real? Wanting to see them date cause they're hot? Popular? or cause you're scared to see your bias with someone else so you say its cosplayers & use JK to feel better? Clearly its not because you think they're in love, because you don't love someone & do 'fanservice' with someone else, shower with someone else & tell the world while throwing it in your partners face or leave someone you love to enlist with someone else, when you had a chance to be together. They can't answer it cause its never been about TK, its about them wanting it for them no matter how toxic it is. What does that cult think is gonna happen? Jk is gonna get out of the shower with Jimin and go get in Tae's shower? What do PJM's think is gonna happen. Jimin is gonna leave Jk's side after 18 months and never speak to him again? What do JJK's think is gonna happen. Jk is gonna drop Jimin and marry them or some woman to fulfill their fantasies? All this crashing out over Jikook since enlistment & discharge & traveling together from all sides, is pure insanity. All while JIkook are living their best lives without a care in the world about your negativity or your tears. This fandom needs a real reality check.

You know what’s funny, anon? Taekookers are losing their minds over Jungkook traveling with Jimin to multiple countries right after his military discharge even though, on the day Jungkook was discharged ,Tae was off hanging out with his Wooga friends. You never see them upset at Tae for not being there with Jungkook, even though you’d think that’s when a boyfriend would be expected to show up. But God forbid Jungkook decides to spend time traveling with someone he’s just spent 18 months with in the military.

The reason Taekookers are so quick to strip Jungkook of his autonomy and paint him as some kind of puppet is because deep down, they know that if Taekook were truly in a relationship, then it’s clearly not an ideal one. So to cope, they convince themselves that everything Jungkook does for, to, or with Jimin is either forced or tied to some contractual obligation. That way, Jungkook isn’t a “bad boyfriend” he’s just doing what he has to do. He’s not choosing to be with Jimin, he’s simply following orders.

They’ll say anything to avoid admitting that Jungkook does these things with Jimin because he wants to. But of course, it wouldn’t make sense to them that Jungkook would rather travel the world with Jimin than spend quality time with a “boyfriend” he barely saw for 18 months so instead, they twist the narrative to fit their fantasy.

Truth is, they want Taekook to be in a romantic relationship so badly that they’ll accept any theory no matter how far-fetched as long as it protects that illusion.

[remyfire]

Ooh subtle smut prompts! "I like being close to you, you're warm" for rabbot, if the spirit moves you?

This was so fun to write!! Thank you, anon :D I hope you enjoy!! Subtle Smut Starters [AO3 Crosspost]

Part of Robby accepting that he is middle-aged has been recognizing how his body is changing. He needs to stretch his legs thoroughly after a shift so they don't get too knotted up and fuck with his knees. He's begun to consider a multi-vitamin geared toward men in their fifties. And, whether he likes it or not, he can't tolerate the cold as casually as he used to. It's not that he isn't familiar with frigid winters—he's lived in Pennsylvania for the majority of his life, before the rising temperatures from climate change began to make themselves known—but he needs to wear more layers for longer. People will have to pry his hoodies and jackets from his dead hands.

He doesn't think on this very often—has instead altered his lifestyle and closet to make more room for extra layers that aren't constrictive—but it comes to him while he's at the movies with Jack, catching a late-night showing of what was supposed to be a decent action flick. He's not sure he should trust critics ever again. The movie isn't engaging. It's not even keeping his mind off of the fact that the theater has him chilled through to the bone, hoodie or not. So while a buxom brunette hangs off the arm of a gung-ho, muscular man at the very tippy top of a building while explosions go off all around them, Robby does everything in his power to blow up the HVAC system with his mind. It does not work.

If he and Jack were at one of their apartments, then Robby would know what to do. Clearly he'd start by messing with the thermostat, if Jack's desire to keep everything just so allowed such a thing. But if that wasn't an option or if he was already cozy right where he was, he'd simply lean into Jack and give him a few good snuggles. Then they'd stay wrapped up together for the rest of the movie. But it's very different when they're in a public theater. It doesn't matter how late it is, there are still people in the room, and whether he'd like to admit it or not, he's afraid of what their response might be to the sight of two grown men cuddled up close. Frankly, he's also concerned how Jack would react if somebody was an asshole. All he needs is his knife-carrying veteran lover to get his dander up.

His nerves do not change the fact that he's shivering, however. He should've worn a sweater under his hoodie, but how could he have known that the theater would be colder than a witch's teat?

When Robby wriggles in his seat for the tenth time in so many minutes, Jack shoots him a look, lips curved in a barely there smirk. "You can go hit the head," Jack drawls under his breath. "Pretty sure I can summarize whatever happens while you're gone."

"There's something to summarize?"

"Sure. And if there isn't, I'll make it up."

"Whatever it is will be a hell of a lot more interesting than this."

Jack huffs a chuckle. "It's brain-rotting entertainment. What more could a guy want?"

In all honesty, Robby...likes being out with Jack like this. It's one of the first times they've gone out together on what is very clearly an official date, not just a prelude to a hook-up. They had dinner before this, and Jack had toyed with Robby's fingers on top of the table, lacing them, not pulling away when the waiter had come to take their order. Call him a fool, but he's in no hurry to leave and break the spell that's settled over him tonight, no matter how shitty this movie is.

He is still cold, though. And if this is a date, then maybe...maybe they could... Maybe it would be all right if they...

Christ, you're a grown man. A doctor. You make major decisions on the fly for a living. Will you just do something?

Robby tries to make it subtle, how he nudges the armrest between them so it lifts up. Though Jack's not touching it, he still turns his head the moment that Robby takes the chance, because of course he does. War vet. He's probably aware of a couple dozen more things than Robby is at any present time. His reflexes are sharper than Robby's and always will be. Just the tiniest change in anything from a patient to apparently an armrest is instantly noticed by his eagle eyes. For his part, Robby keeps staring at the screen, though he knows his cheeks are turning pink the longer that Jack stares at him.

Without a word, Robby finally tilts toward him and rests his cheek on Jack's shoulder. Jack snorts. "What's this about?" he asks softly.

"I like being close to you, okay? You're warm. So sue me."

"Why the hell would I do anything to make you stop?"

Robby blinks. The flush is now traveling down his throat. If nothing stops it, it'll flood into his chest where it'll really embarrass him. Yes, he's a grown man, and yes, he's chronically afflicted by perpetual blushing. He'll consider himself fortunate that Jack just thinks it's cute, even though it means Robby has to suffer so much teasing about it while Jack's spreading him out in his bed (okay, so maybe it doesn't make him feel that bad).

Before Robby can fashion a reply, Jack murmurs, "Here," then unzips his own hoodie. He's only wearing a thin white t-shirt beneath it. How he survives, Robby has no idea. The miracle of genetics and all that. Robby lifts his head long enough for Jack to shrug the garment off, but when Jack offers it to him, Robby doesn't reach for it. "C'mon, just put it on," Jack murmurs.

"It's not gonna fit," Robby insists. Jack's arms are thicker than Robby's, but Robby is overall stockier than his lover.

"Not if you don't try it, that's for sure."

Robby rolls his eyes. The heat's trickled into his chest. Never once has he had someone remove something they're wearing and offer it to him. That's always been his job. He can still name the exact scent of half a dozen women who he's dated, how he'd lend them his jackets, then bury his face in the sweet-smelling fabric once they were returned and he was alone. Jack dangling it in front of his face is enough to turn him into a flustered mess.

Jack scoffs. "Fine." Then he drapes it over Robby's lap. He throws an arm around Robby's shoulders next and pulls him back in with a chuckle. "What, are we gonna have to start bringing a blanket everywhere we go, old man?"

"Old—" Robby lifts his head and shoots him a look, trying and failing not to be stirred by that smug expression he's wearing. "Oh, fuck you very much. Y'know, your chances of getting laid tonight are decreasing by the second."

Jack does not look the least bit intimidated. Whatever power Robby might've had to bring him to heel disappeared years ago. "Mm, that's a shame," he murmurs. "What if I get you laid instead, how 'bout that?"

"I just told you—"

"No, no, I won't get anything out of it. Only you will." He rests his hand high on Robby's thigh; lava bubbles up on that very same spot.

They both know that the minute Jack makes Robby come, all playful reluctance to let Jack do the same will be thrown to the wind. It's maybe kind of pathetic, actually, how quickly Robby will spread his legs or open his mouth nice and wide for Jack while his orgasm is still rolling through his veins. But what's he supposed to do? Act like he doesn't want the guy inside of him every second of every day? The one he's pretty sure he's in love with? Robby's done the whole island-unto-himself thing. He's sick of it.

Robby shivers—he feels disgustingly fond of Jack when his response is to hold Robby closer—and takes a shaky breath. "Wanna cut our losses and head out?" he asks, already prepared to grab Jack's bag and get the hell out of dodge.

Jack's lips twitch, eyes sparkling. "What's your hurry? We paid to see a movie, didn't we? We've still got at least a half hour left."

"No way. Are you honestly enjoying this shit?" Robby's brows shoot up.

Jack shrugs. "Maybe it'll redeem itself in the end."

"Yeah, by killing the guy off so we don't have to listen to him screaming every time he lays into somebody."

Jack's hand slides a little higher, bringing all of Robby's thoughts to a stop. "We don't have to go anywhere for me to keep you warm, that's all I'm saying."

Robby's heart skips a beat, then thunders onward. "You're not serious."

"Why wouldn't I be?" Even higher still. Another inch and he'd be able to feel Robby's dick through his cargoes. As Jack tips his head with playfulness radiating from his intense gaze, he takes his hand on a detour, moving to the side so that he can slip under the hoodie in Robby's lap. Then he gives his pocket a little tug.

He is, in fact, very serious. Fuck. Robby turns around, craning his neck, wide-eyed, making a note of the location of the other three people in the theater. Two of them are making out so feverishly in the back that Robby'd be surprised if they hadn't beaten them to getting their hands in each other's pants. There's a woman with a massive tub of popcorn who seems more than happy to have an entire row to herself, sprawled out like she owns the place. They're nowhere near Jack and Robby. Not even close.

When Robby looks back at Jack, he's biting his lip, and he knows that gets Robby going, the way it makes him look a little bit like a dirtbag, like a guy who just took Robby out so he could get his dick wet. Jack leans in until his exhales tickle Robby's lips. "What do you say, babe? You want me to play with you, don't you?"

Robby nods quickly enough to make his neck ache. Of course he wants it. Of course he wants to feel like a teenager again, messing around in a movie theater with somebody for the first time—only it's a man, not a girl who everybody told Robby was fast but who was just as happy to come home and lie around with him in the afterglow, reading together without a stitch of clothing on. He hadn't realized how many firsts he still would experience once he started dating another man, nor how addictive it would be to check them all off, one by one.

Jack doesn't wait for any verbal confirmation. Just gropes his thigh again with a bruising grip, making Robby hiss and wriggle in his seat. "Shh." Jack grins like a kid in a candy store. "C'mere, baby. You just sit back and let me make you feel good."

Robby doesn't miss the fact that he was anxious as all hell to cuddle up to Robby, but that now he's seriously considering letting him get him off in public. It's different, his brain bleats. It's under a hoodie.

One that'll make it pretty damn clear something's moving under it? Robby's more sensible inner voice retorts.

But then Jack's hand slides higher still, cupping Robby through his pants, and said sensible voice is promptly shoved inside of a pillowcase, a knot tying it closed before it's chucked over a waterfall. Jack makes Robby into this eager creature too easily. He'll tease Robby sometimes about Langdon following him around like a puppy, wanting nothing more than to be liked by him, but for better or for worse, Robby knows how it feels to enjoy someone's company so damn much that he'll do anything to get a smile of approval out of them. Jack Abbot just so happens to be at the top of that list.

Jack nips at the shell of Robby's ear with a hum, sending electric sparks scattering through his system, running through every inch of his veins before they all meet in his pelvis. In seconds, he's hard enough to ache, and the pressure through two layers of fabric isn't enough to grant him relief. Robby bites his bottom lip as he bucks against Jack's palm, but then his hand disappears, and Robby uses every ounce of self-control not to whine at the loss.

"What'd I say?" Jack whispers. Then he sucks Robby's lobe into his mouth, laving it with his tongue, his quiet moan vibrating the sensitive flesh. "Don't do a thing. Let me take care of it."

"You're a tease," Robby accuses under his breath.

He can feel Jack's shit-eating grin, one of the rare ones that stretches across his entire face. He follows it with a kiss on the cheek. "No teasing tonight? Okay. Heard." And then he goes for Robby's belt. He has an unfair amount of dexterity in his left hand. It works his buckle open in less than ten seconds.

Fuck. It's happening. It's really, really happening. Robby squeezes his eyes shut as his breath catches.

"Mm-mm. Watch the movie, Robby."

"Fuck you," he hisses. But when Jack lifts his palm away again, Robby's taken by surprise by the rush of despair, and there's no holding back his whisper-thin whimper this time. "Okay, okay, okay." He'll stare at the bright screen, but that's all that he can manage.

He never meant to need Jack this badly. Robby had all but set himself up for a long future alone, believing himself to be too set in his ways, too confident in his inability to be wrong, that there wasn't anybody who could handle him at his worst, that his best wasn't nearly good enough to make the bad worth it. And then here's fucking Jack Abbot. Calm. Slow to anger. Patient. In therapy, for fuck's sake, and not in a sanctimonious way either. He's made it perfectly clear that the resources are there for Robby whenever he's ready for them. He isn't pushy. He snuck through Robby's defenses under darkness in a stealth mission before Robby even realized that he was anywhere close by. And now Jack's unzipping him, then tugging Robby's belt loop until he lifts his hips enough for Jack to ease his pants and boxers down. And Robby's letting him. And Robby's going to let him do anything he fucking wants, anything at all, just so long as Jack comes home with him tonight and holds him when the inevitable nightmares peck at his brain.

He thinks sometimes that he really would do anything for Jack too, if given the opportunity. And every day, he is realizing more and more that he may very well receive it sooner than he thinks.

"There we go," Jack breathes when Robby's cock bounces free from its restraints.

Robby licks his dry lips and swallows past the nervous knot in his throat. "I'm gonna ruin your hoodie."

"You sure are, big guy." He doesn't sound the least bit perturbed. "It's not the first time you've marked up my clothes, is it?"

The rush of heat through him is so sudden and overwhelming that Robby buries his face against Jack's neck. When Jack takes him in hand, he's grateful for his instinct to hide because it means his low moan is muffled further by his skin. The guy plays with Robby like it's a science that he's perfected, knowing to gather his slickness in his palm before he goes anywhere near his shaft. Knowing that Robby loves a twist of the wrist whenever Jack reaches his tip. His other arm is still around Robby's shoulder, and he traces his fingertips up and down his throat, tingles and shivers that only accentuate the pleasure with pinpricks of overstimulation.

It's ridiculous how good it is. He shouldn't get to have this kind of attention or bliss. Lightning should strike him right here where he sits for daring to take a chance on love again after everything he put women like Heather through. And yet the movie keeps playing. They are undisturbed. Whatever cosmic vengeance that Robby keeps anticipating decides to wait for another day. And something about the brush of Jack's kisses on his cheek feels like absolution for sins that Robby has been unable to name.

God, he's too fucking perfect at this. Robby pants against him as Jack picks up his pace, his grip so tight. His forearm must be bulging. Fuck, fuck, his arms, his body, covered in freckles from top to bottom, dusted with dark hair that hasn't yet gone silver, so strong, every inch begging for Robby to get on his knees and worship him, marking him from head to toe. His mind catapults him back to the last time that Robby was inside of him, how effusive praise dripped from Jack's lips like the sweat beads falling from his brow, and without another thought, Robby sinks his teeth into Jack's neck and sucks and sucks and sucks because there isn't any other fathomable way to keep himself from mewling so the whole world knows what a lucky son of a bitch he is to have caught this man in a trap that he hadn't even known he was setting. Jack's wedding band is palpable, rubbing against Robby's cock as he tugs him, a symbol of eternal devotion, a constant and crystal clear reminder of what kind of tough act Robby is following. For the first time in a very long time, Robby has been waking up every day with the impulse to recite Modeh Ani.

Just like Jack, Robby's orgasm sneaks up on him, and he bites down hard as he whimpers and shakes through the ecstasy bleeding out of his very marrow. Jack grunts, then groans, long and rough, as he slows his fist before he can overwhelm Robby. He fondles his softening cock for a few moments more—he's always been amused by how he can make Robby twitch and gasp with so little effort once Robby's actually relaxed into the sheets, helpless but to surrender all of his tension to the pleasure.

Once Jack releases him, it takes Robby a few seconds more to realize that he should do the same. His jaw actually stings when he opens his mouth. He's stunned he didn't draw blood. In fact, he's...he's...

He's marked Jack. Right there on his neck. Where everyone will be able to see. Robby's eyes widen; his heart picks up the pace all over again. It's dark. Massive. And it's only going to get more noticeable before they both work tomorrow. "Oh, my God," Robby whispers.

Jack's smirking like the cat who ate the canary. With absolutely no regard for his hoodie, he uses the fabric to rub Robby dry, then cleans off his own hand. "Y'know," he breathes back, "if you wanted to make it official, public, all that, you could've just asked."

"I'm so sorry. I'll, uh, fuck, I'll buy some...what the hell do they use?"

"Concealer?" Jack asks, chuckling.

"Yeah. There's a drug store on the corner, right?"

"Robby." Jack cups the back of his head and turns him to look him dead in the eye. "Listen to me." Then he rests his other palm on his cheek. "I'm not saying no. You understand?"

Robby blinks.

With an amused and fond shake of his head, Jack sighs. Then he rests their forehead against Robby's, and for a long moment, they simply breathe in tandem. Then he whispers, "I'm not gonna walk into work tomorrow and run my mouth about who gave me this. Unless you want me to. And then I'll do it happily."

Robby tries his hardest to understand what he's saying, really, but his entire brain is bluescreening. Him. Them. Together. Public. And then it hits him with the force of a runaway train, and before he can think, Robby grabs his face in both hands and slams their mouths together hard enough to hurt. He just gave them both bruises and he's sitting here with his dick out while his cum dries on Jack's hoodie and he could give less of a shit about any of it.

Jack's grinning when he pulls back. "That a yes?"

"That's a let's go home and talk," Robby murmurs back, as though he's not beaming with every muscle in his face.

"Home, huh?" Jack rubs the tips of their noses together.

The words catch on Robby's tongue. He can't say it. Not yet. Can't even begin to dream of having a home with him. And Jack seems to understand this. He steals one more gentle kiss without a word, then reaches under the hoodie to begin putting Robby's clothes back to rights. He's wearing a secret smile, the kind that only makes the edges of his lips quirk, but that lights his eyes up brighter than the sun itself.

Something is changing tonight. Something that makes Robby stand and stick his hand out the moment that he's decent again. And Jack lets out a deep, pleased sigh as he takes it and lets Robby tug them away from the movie and out of the theater and onto the road that's possibly leading them toward the rest of their lives. And for the first time in a very, very long time, Robby feels fledgling hope burning in his chest.

[velvetvexations]

This is literally just me venting and it turned into an essay, sorry, but can I say in the wake of the PDB situation I keep seeing other trans people posting about how a cis person being involved in trans discussions at all in any capacity or even just having an opinion on trans issues is a massive red flag and all cis people should stay out of this forever, and while I get the root of what these posts are getting at...for most of my life I thought I was cis and for most of my life I have been on the front lines fighting like hell for my trans friends, and now that I know I'm trans I still want cis people to be on our side and fight for us and understand our struggles even when no other trans people are around, and this just. It feels like "cis person has opinions about trans people" isn't a good description of the PDB shit and suggesting that no cis person should ever have an opinion on trans issues is just going to make this happen even more, because what happened is "cis guy took 'you should listen to trans women' to such an extreme that he fell in to a reactionary hate ideology without noticing" and "shut up and listen to trans people" isn't gonna fix a "I shut up and listened to trans people but it turns out the trans people I listened to suck" issue.

Like people have JUMPED on the "he's cis so he doesn't get an opinion" angle so hard that it legit feels like they're missing the point. It's not that PDB shouldn't have an opinion on trans issues, he should, but he should also be able to tell when the trans people he's trusting are spewing bigoted bullshit and question that. I want cis people to think for themselves and not blindly listen to every trans person without questioning anything. I WANT cis people to have opinions about trans issues because that's what stops them from ending up transphobic. I mean I don't think it's necessarily a cis person's place to start shit with someone like Blair White or Kalvin Garrah or speak on those issues like they have first hand expirience being trans, but I do want them to have enough of a grasp of trans issues to know that they're wrong and not repeat their harmful lies on the grounds of "well I'm just supposed to listen, not make judgements" like no you are supposed to know that transmedicalism and radical feminism are bad and I actually I expect good cis allies to know that and be able to explain why.

Back when I thought I was cis I made a post about transandrophobia and radical feminism and I got told as a cis person it wasn't my place to get involved, but a trans friend reached out and told me they were glad I made my stance clear because it made them feel safer to know I was the kind of queer ally who would stand up and protect trans people who are being faced with bigotry even when that bigotry is coming from other trans people. The queer community is useless if we can't stand up for each other. The problem with PDB isn't that he's a cis person who has thoughts on trans issues, it's that he's uncritically repeating the lies of a major hate group because he never learned to think for himself well enough to recognize a hate group when he sees it.

But also like, I get it. The way he took on an "honorary tboy" title and speaks as if experiencing cis male privilege means he understands the transmasc expirience of misogyny and antitransmasculinity def smacks of someone who got a little too big for his britches, but I don't wanna write everything he said off as "he's cis so everything he says can be ignored and is wrong by default" because that feels like sidestepping the issue. He is a bad ally, but not for paying attention to trans issues or having an opinion on them, and we can and should actually deconstruct what he actually said and why it's wrong. I've seen his posts and he genuinely does seem to be repeating what the TRFs around him are saying, he brings that up and does acknowledge that he is listening to trans people. And yeah he takes the "honorary tboy" thing to a weird place but come on, we all make jokes about "lgbt+ and Coleman" or cis people who question their gender being cis+, he's being weird about it but blessing someone with honorary queerness is kinda just a thing we do when someone is cool. Maybe we should stop, idk, but this isn't unique to PDB or TRFs.

Anyway vent over. I just feel like there are better ways of discussing why what PDB is doing is wrong than just shoving it all in a "cis voice don't listen" box denies us a good opportunity to discuss how blindly listening to minorities without any critical thinking can lead to you listening to bigoted marginalized individuals because being trans is not an indication of how correct someone is about oppression, if it was we wouldn't have abelist disabled people and transphobic trans people. And I think about all the cis people who have stood up in the face of bigotry and explained to those bigots how wrong they are, and I cannot, as a trans person, endorse the idea that cis people should never have an opinion on trans issues or raise up their voices when they know they'll be listened to, especially listened to by people who might not listen to a trans person. Having an opinion isn't the problem, it's not being able to think critically enough to recognize when a trans person is being transphobic.

Hope that makes sense, and thank you for listening. This is just my opinion and it's okay if other trans folks disagree. I just don't want mindless allies who repeat everything I say, because I'm not always right about trans issues, and I want my cis allies to feel comfortable asking for clarification or offer up what other trans people have told them so long as it's respectful. Allies who just repeat us mindlessly aren't good allies, and are at a much higher risk of ending up like PDB. Just repeating what TRFs are saying and putting himself on the back for listening to trans women when they point out their "enemies" and attacking without remorse as if tearing down other trans people isn't a massive red flag a trans ally should have enough knowledge to fucking pick up on and the confidence to at the very least internally disagree with them and not repeat what they say.

Also, side note, it is kinda funny how TRFs will claim TERFs don't hate men because they ally with them while perfectly emulating the relationship TERFs have with the men who will uncritically repeat their lies and attack when they say the word. And them dropping him the second he fucked up on the grounds that he's cis and cis men just don't get it actually like. They do the same with transmasc TRFs and it's so hypocritical. How do they not get it, they're living it!

(Pls keep anon if it breaks, thank you!)

Surprisingly, I disagree. I fully believe allies have a place in discourse when they use critical thinking, but this is a White cis guy talking to TMoC about how oppressed they aren't. This is absolutely a "cissie does not get an opinion" issue. It'd be like me repeatedly talking down to Black people about colorism, allyship is not a blank check to wade into every discussion speaking as an authority unprompted at length. There are some things they should shut their fucking mouths about.

[redheadsramblings]

Ship Sleep Dynamics

I was tagged by the lovely @aetherflowers for this 🥰

I need more screenshots of the two of them. All the ones I have, someone has their eyes closed or is pulling a weird face 🤣

So I have to keep reusing the few good ones 😅

💚Emmrich Volkarin 💀 Rowan "Rook" Ingellvar💜

How often do they sleep together?

Once the relationship is a go every night, but not in a sexual sense as Rowan is not ready (also I haven't quite decided if their first time is the coffin or not) and he would never ever think of rushing her. Emmrich is horrified when he sees Rowan's sleeping situation at the Lighthouse. And will not hear of leaving his darling to sleep in a cold, damp room on that abominable sofa with nary a pillow or blanket that isn't her pack and cloak (his exact words).

It starts with them just in the same bed, he being a gentleman offers to go sleep elsewhere, but Rowan asks him to stay. So he puts a bolster pillow down the centre of the bed so she feels safe and as a barrier. Which lasts all of her first nightmare. He knew she sleepwalked because of bad dreams, what he didn't know was how it all started before she started walking. Lots of whimpering, talking in her sleep (he didn't know his heart could break over such innocuous phrases like No, Don't, or It hurts) so how can he not hold her and try to soothe her and the rest is history (OK the rest is kind of written but not really, and I want to keep some things a mystery for later fic chapters)

Where do they sleep?

Once the relationship is a go they're both in Emmrich's bed in his room at the Lighthouse (I am an Emmrich has a secret bedroom behind a bookcase truther) and again in Emmrich's bed in his flat/house in Nevarra once they go home. Before, Rowan didn't have a bed either in the Lighthouse or Nevarra. She barely had a room in the Necropolis before she had to leave after the War of the Banners.

How do they prepare to sleep?

Emmrich I see as have a very structured routine. A bath followed by applying his various lotions and potions to his hair and skin, I'm not saying the man has the Thedas equivalent to a Korean skincare regime, but I'm also not not saying it. Puts oh his fancy pyjamas (he strikes me as a silk pjs kind of man) then a calming cup of tea before brushing his teeth, getting his clothes ready for the next day, putting the ones from that day in the laundry basket. Then finally gets in to bed to read for a while before going to sleep.

Rowan in comparison is a lot simpler, not because she doesn't want to, but because she couldn't afford the lotions etc and never had the time or space. A wash if she can, then braids her hair, puts on her old worn shift and heavily darned socks (she's always cold), brushes her teeth, and then crashes out on the nearest flat surface. If she even bothers going to bed in the first place. She, Lucanis and Neve are giving each other a run for the worst insomniac in the Veilguard. Bellara is disqualified because she actually falls asleep while she's working.

Once they're sharing a bed, suddenly Rowan has a multitude of lotions, potions, and oils that Emmrich gifts her. She also has beautiful nightwear and warm slippers, stockings, and wraps to wear if she gets cold. Her old shift may have "accidentally" got burnt after a mysterious, very localised fire.

What do they wear to sleep?

Emmrich is an absolute silk pyjamas man and nothing will make me change my mind. In sumptuous jewel colours and no doubt embroidered with gold wherever it won't be itchy.

Rowan had a simple linen shift that is very old, faded, much mended and while it used to be black it is now a dingy grey shapeless thing that she has slept in for years. It's also the shift she wears under her "formal" dress when needed, or is her other dress that she wears when she's not on an expedition or patrol. It's ugly, shapeless, but it's all she has.

After Emmrich sees it, he makes it his mission to a) make sure she has beautiful things to sleep in and b) remove that shift from existence entirely. It's not that he doesn't think she's beautiful in it, she is stunning in his eyes no matter what she wears or looks like. It's the sheer magnitude of neglect and a life bare of anything like kindness or affection, it encompasses.

Do they cuddle?

Yes. Rowan is always cold and Emmrich is warm, so she always ends up draped over him and snuggled in, no matter her intention when she goes to sleep. Add in her nightmares and Emmrich noting that if he holds her, they are less frequent, then he sees no reason why they should deny themselves the pleasure of sleeping in each other's arms.

What are their preferred sleep positions?

Emmrich is a side sleeper preferably and Rowan is a curl up as small as I can to keep warm and maybe no one will find me if I'm small sleeper by necessity/upbringing to start. Once they're in the sharing a bed stage, then Emmrich is still a side sleeper with Rowan cuddled to his chest with her legs draped over his hips and her arm over her chest.

They do also often end up with Emmrich on his back and Rowan draped over his chest more often than not. She's unconsciously trying to get as much of her on his warmth, and even in his sleep he could never refuse her anything.

How easy do they fall asleep?

Emmrich falls asleep relatively easily, as long as he's not deep in his research or too deep in his own head.

Rowan just doesn't sleep unless she is just about ready to pass out, and even then it depends on how much caffeine she can get in her system before she crashes. Until she's sharing a bed with Emmrich. It's the first time she feels absolutely safe and secure, add in how warm she is, and she's out like a light.

It's not always effective as she's very good at ignoring her body's needs, but Emmrich knows if he can get her horizontal and next to him, then she'll sleep. That's the easy part. Catching her and getting her to listen is the hard part.

Do they toss and turn a lot?

Emmrich no unless he's in his own head.

Rowan to start, yes. She has nightmares, or a Dread Wolf in her head, or just bad headspace. Again, it gets better once they're sharing.

Do they snore?

Emmrich has been known to on occasion snore, but it's not all the time. And it's more gentle wuffles than full on snoring.

Rowan doesn't.

Who hogs the blanket?

Emmrich. Mostly only at the start and because he's used to having blankets to hog. Rowan doesn't fight for herself, even in her sleep. But as they're usually cuddles together, the blanket hogging quickly becomes a non entity.

What do they dream about?

Emmrich has mostly innocuous dreams, lots of whimsy and fade walking. He does have nightmares occasionally of losing his parents, losing Manfred after Blackthorn and after Tearstone losing Rowan and his fear of death.

Rowan has nightmares more than dreams. It's part of why she doesn't like to sleep. Not going to go into her nightmare subjects because a) Spoilers and b) dark subject maters.

How easily do they wake up?

Emmrich wakes up easily, but he typically sleeps deeply, so he doesn't wake up to every noise or movement once he's asleep.

Rowan sleeps like a 9-tailed cat in a rocking chair factory. She sleeps poorly if she even sleeps at all and every little noise or movement wakes her. It's from all her years of solo expeditions deep in the Necropolis, where sleeping too deeply was the fastest way to die quickly.

Once they're sharing a bed, she sleeps a bit better because she feels safe, but she still wakes up at the drop of a pin.

How awake they are afterwards?

Emmrich is fairly awake and chipper after waking, even if he had a late night.

Rowan is wide awake as soon as she opens her eyes and is usually on the move before then. She's not happy about it, but her survival hinged on it for too many years to easily unlearn it.

She gets more relaxed as they continue to share a bed and feel safe to grumble and take her time as she wakes up. But it's rare.

OK, this was so much fun, so I need to more people to do it so I can read about your ships and their sleep habits 😍

No pressure tagging:

@the-font-bandit @officialnostradamus @serbarris @emmg @themontess

@mosoderbergh @randomnonsensedragonage @galacticsparkles @sunny374940 @tinygameralec

@mistressandry @draco-illius-noctis @jukkaricity @holdingontojupiter @crimsen-khalessi

@pseudospaceship @notyourmamasdeerbat @curiouswisp @guacamolleee  @thequeenofthewinter

@queenmuzz @andthekitchensinkao3 @lavenderprose @caughtnyact @hedwigoprah

@sofiemystique @omabell-illustriert @soeasilyswayed @paramortality @theyearningghoul

@novaobscurity @ermagerdperpehs @kirain @razildor @mojo-bro-tho

@theshotsheardacrossworlds @dymme @mercars-musings @ar-ghilas-vir-banal @silshinobii

@serstolas @woundedsoul12 @dragonracer @starfleetteddybear @blightedcrow

@ferocious-notes @avoskorm @basic-x-witch

And anyone who sees this and fancies a go tag, you're it 😁

Dividers are by flowersforthemachines and can be found here

If you would like to go on my tag list, I have a post here where you can sign up

[sir-kettle-of-countertop]

Safety above all else!

FINALLY, definitive edition of Geier's reference sheet I've made for artfight! Styled like an in-universe manual, too! Here's it plus all the written info on the unit - as well as the Corrupted version and the Gestalt neural pattern donor!

Replika Overview and Known Issues

GEIR maintenance guidebook with design details

Corrupted Geier

Neural pattern donor - Emil Ning, with his little sisters and mother

Below the cut: lots of written notes, beware!

General notes:

- Friendly, polite, responsible, selfless and careful, but generally neurotic, anxious and meek. Very secretive and fraternal - whatever happens within a Geier cadre stays within the cadre. Highly protective of people they love, whether platonically or romantically, often failing to see their flaws. While they tolerate a lot of mistreatment towards themselves, they DO NOT tolerate it towards those they care about, and tend to violently lash out.

- Adore all fiction in general, but films the most. They can get uncharacteristically snobby about them. Geiers sometimes come up with stories to tell each other for comfort. Geiers also tend to blow up any rumor they hear way out of proportion, as they change the details to "be more interesting".  

  

- His hair is almost always messy because of the HAZMAT hood. 

- Treat their suits more like clothes than anything, are normally embarrassed to be seen without them outside of their dorms. Depending on their field of work the normal Geier attire consists of either the full suit with the SCBA or the suit without the gasmask and oxygen tank. The belts may be used to attach heavy weights to their backs.

  

- Besides themselves, Geiers get along best with Eules, however they're prevented from interacting with them frequently as they get along along too well, and get too attached. Best "mandated" connections are with Mynahs and (well-trained) Storches.

- Rank-equivalent to a Mynah normally, may act as subordinates to a Mynah if one is attached to lead their cadre on a mission.

Corrupted Geier notes: 

Visual: abscent lower jaw; heavily damaged throat; the left arm is dislocated out of its socket by a huge lump of cancerous flesh and drags on the floor behind Geier when idle - he can still move it, though; corroded and rusted chestplate from constant stream of oxidant and stomach acid; the collar forms jagged "teeth" from corrosion; slits on their face from tear streams; eyes still appear "normal", with a sad and pained look to them.

Behavioral:

- Still have sparks of consciousness and sentience left, to their agony. Instead of being immediately aggressive, they stalk their targets before striking.

- Geiers are very strong normally, but keep their strength under constant restrain. Corrupted Geiers do not.

- Quiet due to heavily damaged larynx, but constantly sob.

- Attempt to still do their jobs past corruption - drag dead bodies, hang around monitoring machinery, patrol hospital wards etc.

On Emil Ning:

While I don't want to reveal too much about him ahead of time (I have plans), in general: he was a smart and hardworking, promising young man successfully accepted to a fairly prestigious university and studying to become an engineer on Rotfront.

However, due to his father's sudden passing and mother's disability, he had to return from Rotfront to Vineta, to help raise his youngest sister, Elisabeth, and provide for his family by working in a factory. From where he insisted he got all his bruises and broken bones from - just "accidents", and all. And didn't have to do with him being an outcast, a "killjoy" who stuck to all the safety rules and raised the production standards expected for his coworkers by overworking himself and a "weirdo" with passion for cinematography.

He had to abandon his dreams over his adult sister, Edith, by societal norms (I think it's fun to think about that in Signalis's universe the gender roles are mostly reversed - so Emil, as a man, is expected to take care of his family first, rather than pursue a career). He had very mixed feelings about it, but he didn't complain.

He loved his family deeply after all. He would not have ever abandoned it under any normal circumstances.

...

and that's the Geier masterpost! I may add to it later especially with more guidebook pages. Insane respect and appreciation if you have managed to sit through this entire wall of a post, dear reader! Any questions appreciated!

[queenofhalloween94]

Master List: OotP Ch. List

Summary: The poor guys are losing the plot the longer they're away from Y/n. Maybe one will think of a plan...

Warnings: 🔞eventual smut, slow burn, p in v sex, heats/ruts, possessive tendencies, read at your own risk ⚠️

Ch. 5 Pull💜

Meanwhile Online

🐾 @staydetective1: ok hear me out. something is HAPPENING with skz.

Chan wears the same hoodie 3x, constantly rubbing his face in it like hes addicted to the scent.

Felix is literally glowing but also feral??

Han sang a love song and forgot the lyrics murmuring a name no one can make out.

Minho is either scenting or staring into space someone found their omega and it’s not subtle anymore

🌶️ @noonascinnamon: what if they ALL found the same omega 😳

🍜 @ramenbrain: Han literally said “I miss her” during a Insta Live and pretended he was talking about a cat. bro has no cat

💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜

The guys were slowly losing the plot the longer they are away from their omega…

 Felix stirred the pot of ramyeon too aggressively. “Hyunjin, it’s boiling over!”

“I know what I’m doing,” Hyunjin said, standing ten feet away and not helping at all.

“It’s on fire,” Seungmin added flatly.

“It’s steaming,” Hyunjin corrected.

“It’s turning into glue,” Jeongin muttered, poking the noodles with a single chopstick. “We can eat glue, right?”

“Why do we let any of you cook?” Chan asked from the couch, tossing a pillow at Felix’s head.

Felix ducked and grinned. “Because when you cook anything other than meat, you burn it.”

“I was distracted!”

“By what?” Han asked. “The sound of your own need?”

“Shut up,” Chan muttered, but not convincingly.

Han smirked. “You miss her.”

“We all do,” Minho said.

Everyone turned. Minho didn’t even look up from his phone.

💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜

It was getting harder to focus.

Your work was still there—spreadsheets, calls, claims to process—but everything felt hazy, like you were watching your life through someone else’s lens. The bond threads tugged constantly now. You smelled them in dreams. Tasted them in the air.

You stopped taking the suppressants. With this partial bond all the did now was make you feel nauseous. Luna noticed the change first—she followed you more, brushed against your ankles, slept curled under your neck like she was guarding something fragile. You opened your phone and stared at the group chat. No one had messaged yet today.

That was rare. You didn’t want to bug them since you had seen other Stays guessing something was going on the good detectives they all were. 

💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜

Chan, He had a plan. It wasn’t good. It wasn’t even solid. But it was a plan. He paced the dressing room while Felix re-laced his boots and Han rifled through a bag of snacks.

“I want to send someone back early,” Chan said.

Jeongin perked up. “To Texas?”

Felix stopped tying.

Han’s mouth dropped open mid-chip.

Chan nodded. “Just for a day or two. A rest excuse. Visit family. Whatever. One of us sees her before the tour ends. Reconnect.”

Seungmin raised a brow. “Management won’t like it.”

“If everyone can keep their mouths shut management doesn’t have to know every fucking detail. Especially not this.” The last sentence practically growled out by how worked up Chan was getting. 

“Who goes?” Hyunjin asked softly.

They all looked at each other.

💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜

You were still sitting in bed when your phone finally buzzed.

🐈 Minho:

Can I see you?

Friday night. One day.

I miss your scent.

Your stomach flipped.

You typed with shaky fingers.

🍎 You:

Yes. Please.

He didn’t answer with words, but you swore you could smell vanilla and tobacco bloom in the air like heat.

💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜

Later That Night – The Group Chat: Den Racha

🍎 You: So uh. Minho’s coming to see me? How'd he win that one?

🐿️ Han: WHAT

🧁 Jeongin: WHEN

🐈 Minho: Friday you dorks

💪 Changbin: alone???

🐶 Seungmin: super shady

🌸 Hyunjin: are you bringing gifts?

🐺 Chan: just bring yourself, guys we talked about this earlier....

🐿️ Han: wear that one shirt

💪 Changbin: the black one

🧁 Jeongin: THE ONE WITH THE BUTTONS

🐈 Minho: I will block this chat

☀️ Felix: tell her we love her

🐈 Minho: she knows

You read the whole thread three times, heart full.

**Thank you for reading!!**

[purplesimmer455]

Meanwhile, in Mt. Komorebi:

Nancy heads to Senbamachi to visit her friend Hanako Okada. Hana, in a pink, white, and brown shirt, is outside with her brother Izumi. Hana greets Nancy with a cheerful wave, and Nancy waves back. "I love your hair, Han. It's so pretty," Nancy says, eyeing the short curls on her friend. "Thanks. I love your hair too, it's such a fun color." Hana says shyly. "My moms say I can dye my hair once I'm a bit older, so maybe I'll copy Zumi and go with pinkish purple, or I'll go full redhead like you," she says, and Nancy grins. "Red hair would look so pretty on you," She agrees and Hana turns pink as she smiles.

Hana's moms, Rowan and Juliet, step outside. Nancy can't help but notice how good Rowan's silvery-black braids look with her silver glasses, and how pretty Juliet looks in her long sleeved green blouse. Juliet and Rowan greet Nancy warmly and ask about her parents, and Nancy grins and tells them that they're good. Rowan also goofs around with the teens, making Hana and Izumi grumble jokingly as Nancy laughs. "My kids think my jokes are cheesy," Rowan jokes to Nancy. "They're not too bad," Nancy says, and Hana nudges her but grins.

Juliet and Rowan bring the kids inside, and Juliet makes yosenabe using the hotpot. While it simmers and cooks, Juliet asks Nancy about school, which Nancy says is going well. "I love art class, especially. Hana and I have it during the same period, so we always pair up and it's so much fun," Nancy says. "I loved art class too! It was what inspired me to get a fine arts degree at Foxbury, and how I met Rowan at st. Laurel library," Juliet adds, giving a playful look to her wife. Izumi and Hana make a face, but Nancy smiles.

Once the food is ready, Juliet offers for Nancy to take first. "Thanks," she says shyly, ladling some food into a bowl. She focuses on eating while Hana tells everyone about a haunted well near her grandma Emiko's house. "I saw a woman in a sodden white outfit with long black hair just looking at me one night from outside my window!" Hana says dramatically, and Nancy privately thinks to herself that she'd never take the offer to stay at Hana's grandma's place. "Nooboo, it was probably just a dream," Rowan says, being the more logical one of the family. "Mom, I swear its true," Hana says and Izumi lets out a nervous chuckle. "Maybe there's a restless spirit on the property. Auntie Tess is a medium, right? We should call her to put this to rest." Izumi offers, his own voice a little shaken. "Okay, enough," Rowan says firmly and Hana sighs. "It's okay, Han. I believe you," Nancy whispers, and Hana gives her a small smile.

Edit: I took a closeup of Nancy's face to show the slight makeup she did. It's just brown eyeliner and purple eyeshadow for fun, just to have her experiment with makeup because she's now 13 and started to get interested in it. I have some fun eyeliners and eyeshadows myself, and it's fun to try different looks like purple eyeliner or pink glittery shadow. 😄

Also, I included a photo of the Okada's photo wall. I took these photos of the kids before Hana was born, so its her three oldest siblings in this photo. The girl in the maroon sweater is the oldest daughter Hinata, who's currently married and living with her wife Nanami in Evergreen Harbor. The next oldest is Izumi, who's attending a college nearby and living at home. Then its Rina, who goes the most after Rowan and also wears glasses, as well as being the most logical and smart of the siblings. She's in 11th grade and excited to go to her mom's alma mater, Britechester. Finally, the baby of the family is Hana, who goes the most after Juliet and is artsy and creative, and she's in grade 8 with Nancy.

Also, Rowan Okada (nee Feldman) is cousins with Tess Feldman-Lewis. Rowan is a few years older than Tess, so Tess always saw Ro as an older sister.

[aayakashii]

my thoughts abt the whole episode

Lyca being considerate of MC's curse........ LYCA LEARNING CERTAIN SOCIAL CUES IN ORDER TO KEEP MC CALM.... I LOVE MY BABY

mc is so nice 😔 giving the doll a proper name that fits the Kirisaki family :(((( the little quiver in Zenji's voice :(((( man I cant, Zenji makes me so sad LMAO I love him but he's such a tragic character... every time I look at him I remember how his max affinity line is saying he hopes to meet MC in their next life because he was too late in this one... god that DESTROYS me

SOMEONE JUST TELL LYCA THAT TOWA REFERS TO MC AS DANDELION PLEASE

ALAN GRUNTING OOOHHH GOD HAVE MERCY ON ME

HAKU JESUS CHRIST. that man is horny 24/7... asking for a picture.... WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO WITH THAT PICTURE AFTERWARDS THEN ARE YOU GOING TO JERK OFF TO IT AND [GETS SHOT]

Oh my god subaru looks so pretty asking us to take his hand....... oh my god and he's being so? Protective? Am i going insane or what

I LOVE THE SIBLING BANTER BETWEEN TOWA AND LYCA 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭 TWO BIG BABIES while Lyca is the nicest kid and Towa is the one that misbehaves the most

The Sky King......... is so gorgeous. I Need him

HARUUUUUUUUUUUU AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH LET ME HELP HIM ON HIS BOOTH PLEASEEEEEEEEE

LYCA WANTING TO PAY FOR OUR SODA ://////// HE'S SUCH A GOOD BOY (he's doing better than most irl men and he canonically barely had any human contact)

HARU IS RHIS A CO FESSION. BECAUSE YES I DO GIVE U MY HAND IN MARRIAGE

ZENJI IS BEING SO SAD FOR WHAT REASONNNNNNN IM SO WORRIED

Lyca loves Sho's food ����🥹🥹 im so happy he's interacting more with other ppl (even though he still skipped the line w Towa lmao)

Also why is Sho so hot when he's cooking and being nonchalant goddamn

Towa and Lyca are like. The dumb brothers that enable each other's bad behavior

Btw I talked to Mal abt this, but I was a bit worried Towa would treat Subaru weirdly but I'm glad they get along okay!!!!

SHO IS SO KIND MY GODDDDDDD HE'S SO SWEET TRYING TO GIVE THAT HUGE CANDY TO THE DOLL :(((((((( UGHHHHHHHHH

Also not Alan acting as if Sho is his vice captain while Leo is nowhere to be seen

Zenji is being so melancholic this episode 😔 I wish I could wish for him to be a living being again

STOPPPPPPPPPPPP NOT ALAN GETTING SO LOST HE ENDED UP IN THE SPIRIT WPRLD LMFAOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

I KNEW LYCA WOULD LIKE ALAAAANNNNN FINALLYYYYYY PLEASE BE FRIENDS IM BEGGING

Also Subaru being happy Alan agreed that they're allies :'))) cute

I MISSED LUCA AND KAITO SMMMMMM MY CHAOS DUOOOOO

My god I wanna kill everyone that's prejudiced against Lyca. Like legit I want to explode them with my mind. I hate hate hate them so much UGHHHHHH THE WAY I WOULD SNAP AT THEM SO FAST LET ME IN THE GAME RN

If Zenji doesnt speak up and say whats wrong im gonna go insane

THESE FUCKING PRICKS ACCUSING LYCA ARE MAKING MY BLOOD PRESSURE RISE SO MUCJ I WANNA KILL THEM ALLL

SUBARU OH MY HOD LMFAOOOOOOOOOOO FINALLY HE SNAPPED FINALLYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY AAAAAAAAAAA

Man I'm so sad. Why does Lyca have to always be blamed for EVERYTHING all the time :( I'm glad he has more people supporting him, even Towa, but goddamnit

What the fuck. This ending was so sad. I would stay behind with Zenji btw wth? I wouldn't just leave him all in his lonesome 😭 and yet another reminder that the 3rd years are leaving..... where is this story going bruh

Idk I'm sad. This was such a fun episode but it ended so bittersweet :/ im sad....... i dont want the 3rd years to leave and I want Zenji to be happy again ughhhhhhh I'm SADDDDD

[itsall-delicate]

season 4 rant

hi, excuse me... I'm just gonna list all the Carmy and Syd paralels and invisible strings I can remember right now just because I feel like I'm going insane after THAT finale. I get why he decided to leave and all, but it doesn't mean I like the fact he LEFT SYDNEY ALONE. He knows how scared she is of failing and losing it all and instead of trying to idk GO TO THERAPY while being there or stepping away from the kitchen but still being at the restaurant to just give moral support he dipped to be a stay at home boyfriend to a girl who reminds him of fire, an element that has been associated to nothing but traumatic experiences for him on the show.

Most important: the best dish she ever ate was made by him, but not only that, we found out this season that she went to NY with the intention of trying his food and also, the first time we see him rebel against his asswhole chef is while making this random dish and pretending the customer has an allergy (which we know isn't true because Syd has used fennel in the first dish she made at The Beef right at the start). So even when they didn't know each other, they were alredy making each other better and pushing each other and being inspired. If that's not some cosmic fucking soulmate shit you'd what in a romcom, i don't know what would be.

The panic attack scene in season 2, I don't even have to explain it, it's just so on the nose it's CRAZY. It looks, sounds ans smells like samething a fan would make, but i'ts actually in the show.

All those montages of them fucking up and dropping shit and cleaning restaurants.

The beach montage where they're looking at the ocean with almost the same outfit (we have never seen Syd wear a cap ever since).

The sauce that looked like Syd's bandana and was obviously mde so because they zoom that shit and cut everything else around.

The table scene is also another crazy work, because what do you mean you're whispering to each other about how much better you make one another and how you, Carmy, wouldn't even WANT to do this all without her in your life, and you've know each other for less than 6 months atp. Aand the lighting and the voices are so soft and intimate and tender, I could go on and on.

As they're opening The Bear for the first time he legit lets her say his brother catch phrase in a way to show her that she's a legit part of this and the family

"You look nice".

All of the staring, all of it all the time.

The stare off affter he invites her to the Ever funeral

The way the static noise in his head that happens in season 3 alwyas stops when he listens to her voice or when he looks at her. It all just stops. In fact, he say's his head is always busy this season while talking to Claira and the few times when he's calm he's with Syd.

Both of them have a tattoo of fishes

One of the fist things he learned was how to remove the wishbone of a chicken, she has a tattoo of a broken wishbone

The first time we listen to strange currencies is they really talk in season 1 after the brigade fiasco and then it keeps playing in the backgound for Claire in season 2, but then there's the panic scene where it's palying fucking backwards ultill Syd comes in focus

She made the margins wider because he writes in the margins

i'm legit shocked about HOW MUCH i just remember about these fuckers. anyways... feel free to add more

[chillinwithbyler]

Okay WILL IS NOT GOING TO DIE. (Big ass theory below the cut).

I imagine a lot of people have already clocked this but I'm just a dumbass who wants to add my own theory on the topic because I can't help opening my trap and I can't stop yapping for the life of me.

We have quite a lot of parallels between Will Byers and Harry Potter. Which is crazy because I spent so long obsessing over the story of Harry Potter but anyway.

Harry Potter

He wasn't born with the ability to look into Voldemorts mind, only when he was caught up in the disastrous events that killed his Mother and Father did he gain the curse of housing part of Voldemorts soul inside of him.

He was CHOSEN.

Because of this, he knows when he's close. He feels it in his scar when something is about to go down. And somewhere along the way, he's able to actually hear Voldemorts thoughts and all that pizzazz.

"There's a reason Harry can speak with snakes. There's a reason he can look into Lord Voldemorts mind. A part of Voldemort lives inside him."

I imagine we're going to get a scene similar to this in season five where they figure out the exact reason Will can feel the Upside Down and Vecna.

Will Byers

Again, not born with the tingle. We're not given much time to see his life before he was taken into the UD, but I think it's safe to assume he didn't have the tingle before he was possessed.

And again, it seems like Will was chosen. For some unknown reason which I think will be revealed in season five.

Will VS Billy

I know their exorcisms were different (Billy with the sauna and Will with the radiators), but the MF seemed a lot more adamant about keeping Will than he was with keeping Billy. With Will, he held on for as long as he could, even staying when the tunnels were literally being burned to ash. He stayed until the last possible second.

Billy was loyal right from the start and didn't stand a chance against the possession. He was carrying out the MF's plans right from the get-go.

But the SECOND Billy showed signs of resistance, he was disposed of.

However, Will fought against it and even managed to keep the MF at bay for DAYS before the MF finally took over. So many times, Will stepped out of line, fought back, and even attempted to sabotage the plans. Yet the MF didn't dispose of him.

So what is my point here?

I'm going to say that..perhaps Will could still have part of the MF in him. A small enough part that could go unnoticed and wouldn't interfere with his body temperature, which could be why he can still feel the UD.

Perhaps the MF is just biding his time while he's waiting.

In season 3, he didn't NEED Will. He could have gone after him if he wanted. It would have been all too easy to go after Will in season 3 with him being cut off from his friends and feeling alone, but he didn't.

HE DIDN'T.

Because while he was flaying people, he was killing them.

Billy and all those other people were expendable. Will isn't. To the MF, Will is worth more than all of these people he killed. The MF needs him, so he kept him aside purposefully.

So how does this relate to Harry Potter?

Throughout the movies, we see Harry fighting the connection, with Snape trying to teach him how to gain control over his own mind so Voldemort can't control it. Even Hermoine advises not to let him in.

However, in Deathly Hallows, he's seen using the connection to locate where Voldemort is and even forms the plan to go and sacrifice himself. He goes to die.

I think we could get something like this from Will, as we know he's the self sacrificing type.

But we could probably see elements from A Wrinkle In Time as well, where Charles Wallace ALLOWS himself to be hypnotized.

Already, these two are linked by the fact that they're finding strength in what has cursed them. They're finding strength in the big bad. (Charles with IT and Harry with Voldemort).

Sound familiar?

Camazotz

In a Wrinkle In Time, their dad goes missing in the alternate dimension called Camazotz, which we can assume is similar to Max being trapped in Vecna's mind.

Using all this information, I think it could be very possible that Will is going to be fighting possession OR Vecna through the season but eventually gives in in order to use the connection to find Max and..

Escape from Camazotz.

In A Wrinkle In Time, when Charles Wallace allows the hypnosis to save their dad (Will allowing Vecna to possess him to save Max), Calvin and Meg try to save him.

"That's so like you to try to come to the rescue, isn't it, Calvin? Always so helpful, overly cheery. Trying to please everyone. Hoping that you're not just a burden. Pathetic." I can see Will saying this so clearly while he's deep in the possession.

"It's not why I do it." (This is just so Mike)

"Of course it is! Why else would you come on this ridiculous journey with people you barely know?" (Mike working with the new kids we've been shown in the trailer)

In response, Mike would have a reason to confess. He came on this journey to save Will. Because he loves him.

I've seen people saying Will is going to pull the "Ha I'm on the bad guys side now but OH WAIT it's just a trick and I'm actually the inside man and I was good all along."

This would be a good way for Will to call Vecna off while he "deals" with Mike, essentially leaving Will in charge. And because Vecna is confident he has Will, of course he steps back and leaves it up to him. Because he wants to see Will thrive on THEIR side.

"What has the IT done to you?"

"The IT has shown me my potential."

"Please. Charles Wallace, I'll do anything you want."

"Charles Wallace isn't here right now."

(These are scenes I can see happening in season five I CAN JUST SEE IT IN MY TINY BRAIN)

In In A Wrinkle In Time, Meg tells Charles how much she loves him and how much she cares about him in order to free him of the control. I think this could be the moment where Mike finally confesses to Will to break him out of the possession.

It would also make sense for Mike to confess his feelings in this episode because Camazotz is a place where people are forced to confront the norms.

If Mike and Will finally confess, they'd be escaping from Camazotz. So already, this episode is looking to be the ultimate byler episode.

Another similarity I noticed was the way he said "I thought you were like me, Charles Wallace. I thought you were special. And you are. You passed the test."

This sounds like something Vecna would say to Will.

But Vecna isn't the Big Bad.

In In A Wrinkle In Time, the man with the red eyes isn't the real Big Bad. As we can see, he's just a puppet on strings, which portrays what Vecna is to the MF. A puppet on strings.

But also..

What if...surviving in the UD was Will's test? To see if he could bear the stress of what the MF has planned for him.

And Will passed. We KNOW he was highly resourceful in the UD and survived longer than anyone else did.

Why does Will look like he's always dying in the teaser?

I think somewhere along the way, Will could learn to use the connection for his own gain, as we see Harry doing in Deathly Hallows. He could use the connection for HIS benefit instead of Vecna using it to torment him.

He flips the board.

Maybe that's why we keep seeing Will on his deathbed in the teaser. He could be practising using the connection.

There are so SO many connections between these three (Charles Wallace, Harry, and Will) that it's impossible to ignore just how much they parallel each other.

I can't see Will dying, not after everything that has happened. If anything, I think breaking Max free from Vecna's mind is going to play a key role in defeating him and the UD for good. Even after Harry LITERALLY went to die, he didn't. And Charles Wallace being hypnotized, he didn't die either.

And I can't see them killing Will since it would be lazy writing and so underwhelming. I expect they have some big plot twist that I can't wait to see.

This is just a fun little theory, and I couldn't help but point out the similarities between them all!

Please be aware my mind is..not good. ADHD is a bastard when it comes to putting my thoughts into words, so it's often clumpy and confusing (which is why I don't post about theories even though I've done quite a lot of them), so please forgive me.

This would be SUPER interesting to see and I can't wait to theorize with yall when the full trailer and volume 1 drops.

[lock-my-feelings-in-a-jar]

[biggest-gaudiest-patronuses]

hero/villain showdown but one of them has a spontaneous medical emergency and the battle gets put on hold while their archnemesis drives them to Urgent Care