#Coping mechanisms that just make everything worse and make his friends worry…

[blakeswritingimagines]

Dating Yandere Superman Would Include:

As a Yandere he loves deeply and would do almost anything to protect you even if it ends up with someone getting hurt. He can be violent and can be obsessive and possessive but the one thing that defines him is how much he loves you.

He can be quite possessive and jealous. He might stalk you or even physically intimidate you. He would also likely have unhealthy coping mechanisms such as stalking, obsessing, and even violence.

He wants your affection and needs to be close to you always being with you and holding you. Anyone who comes near you or your friends will feel his presence and his desire to claim you as his.

He tends to be violent and unpredictable sometimes he's not himself as a Yandere, he hurts others because he sees them as threats or obstacles getting in his way of love. He would do anything to 'protect' you at all costs even if it’s unethical and wrong.

He can be controlling and paranoid. He tends to believe if he lets you out of his sight that someone else will steal you away or worse. He has a habit of trying to keep tabs on you and making sure you are alright even if that includes tapping into your things.

He can be manipulative to get his way. But he does love and care for you deep down. If you don't like him anymore or if you move on from him, he's capable of becoming unstable and not taking it well and he can become very dangerous to himself.

He can be both clingy and possessive. He would go as far as hurting himself just to make you worry about him. He can be very impulsive and unpredictable. He has no problem destroying or getting rid of anything or anyone that stands in the way of his love.

He is a devoted, possessive lover with a penchant for violent outbursts. He loves intensely, hates with every fiber of his being, and will do anything to ensure that your interest remains his. His violent outbursts tend to be targeted towards those whom he considers a threat to his love for you, though he has been known to direct it inward at himself as well.

He enjoys spending time alone with the person he loves, and enjoys taking care of you. He can be very controlling, demanding that you follow his rules and desires, and becoming enraged when his authority is challenged. He sees no problem using guilt trips and emotional blackmail to get his way.

Before getting together, once he sets his sights on you he feels as if he's a hopeless romantic and can be rather manipulative when it comes to acquiring and maintaining said love. He's not above using his powers of seduction to ensnare hearts, and he can be quite persistent in his efforts to convince you to return his feelings.

He is loyal, protective, and extremely territorial. His obsessive love and possessive nature can manifest in a variety of ways, making him both an exhilarating and dangerous romantic partner.

He will do anything and everything to ensure that you never leave him, even if it means using less-than-honorable methods. He is deeply insecure and often takes this out on those around him. His violent outbursts can be unpredictable and sometimes even unprovoked. He tends to be controlling and manipulative, using guilt trips and other psychological tactics to ensure that you stay with him. On the bright side, he is extremely devoted and faithful to you and will go to extraordinary lengths to please you.

When he's on a date with you, he is obsessed with being with you alone, having your attention solely for himself, and making sure that you enjoy your time together. You are the only one he cares about and he wants you to feel as special as you make him feel. He will take you to your favorite restaurants, activities, or just anywhere you would like to go. He doesn't let anyone or anything get in the way of your time together.

Affection for you is his absolute life and essence. He will be overwhelmingly sweet and tender to you, showering you with endless hugs and kisses. He will be your safe haven and never let you go. He will do everything in his power to make you happy and make sure you never have to want for anything else. He will never stop loving you.

If you were to try and leave him, he would not allow it. He would hunt you down and bring you back by any means necessary. You are his, he feels you have no right to leave him and you have no right to be happy anywhere but in his arms.

Punishment to you is something that he will never do, as you are perfect in his eyes and deserve nothing but the best. However, if you were to act against his wishes, he would find ways to make up for your misdeed with endless pampering and affection. However, if someone were to harm or try to hurt you, he would spare no time and exact a harsh punishment on whoever dared to threaten you.

Punishment for those who try to harm or cause any ill will towards you would be swift and harsh. He would not stop until whoever was responsible for such a deed was dead and gone.

Rewards for you would involve constant love, affection, and pampering, but with a touch of domination. You will be treated like royalty and given everything he has to offer, but you will also be reminded, in many subtle ways, that you belong to him and it would be foolish for you to forget it.

His marriage to his soulmate would be a glorious affair, a day he has dreamed of and looked forward to for his entire life or at when he met you. He would make sure that every detail was perfect, down to the last decoration. The passionate love and joy he would feel would reverberate throughout the world and light the skies with shining brightness. He would devote his entire self to making the day as special and joyful as possible, and his love for you would be the focal point of it all.

Hair-pulling: He likes pulling and playing with your hair during sex or foreplay.

Rough Play: He likes it when things get kinky and wild, with elements of aggressiveness and dominance.

Power Exchange: He likes it when you give him control over you, allowing him to tell you what to do and how to behave.

Voyeurism: He enjoys watching you perform in front of him, such as stripping or performing some sort of sexual act.

Humiliation: He likes it when you degrade him in some way, making him feel embarrassed or humiliated and smaller.

[halcyone-of-the-sea]

Omg I am in love with your writing, I want to eat it-

A humble request for a Soap Drabble-

In the aftermath of a mission where Reader is kidnapped and tortured for information (the 141 saved them) Reader seems like her usual sunshine self, like she wasn’t just beaten within an inch of her life. Some accident happens while everyone is hanging out that triggers a flashback. Reader feels like she has to escape the base facility where she’s being held and the 141 chases reader, not knowing that it’s making it worse-

Basically a PTSD episode that leaves reader going all Rambo and Soap calms her down- lots of Hurt/Comfort and hugs :)

—Find Me

⇢ ˗ˏˋ 5k Drabble Masterlist ࿐ྂ

╰┈➤ ❝ [You're finally back in One-Four-One's hands, but that doesn't mean you're saved. Johnny tracks you down after a violent episode.] ❞

The worst part is that you don’t even remember most of it. By whatever coping mechanism that you’d been cursed with, all you can bring forward is snippets. The doctors tell you it’s a blessing in disguise, of course—if you remembered how they had broken you over, and over, and over again, you would be…unrecognizable. 

But not knowing and having this paranoia in the back of your skull was far worse than guessing where the new scars started and ended; how they got there in the first place. 

It was like everything was one second away from falling apart again. 

Sitting in the rec room on base, you may have managed to fool the therapists and pass through the medical evaluation, but you can’t, not for one minute, fool Johnny. 

It started with a casual comment.

“We don’t have to be here, y’know?” The Scot had said. “Let’s just go someplace a bit quieter, aye, Dearie? It’s gettin’ late out.”

You had sent him a side-eye, your arms crossed. It had been wrong to ignore the pound of your heart like that—to ignore how your skin was sweaty and your voice shook as you spoke above the laughing of fellow soldiers. 

But you had to keep the act up. Even with him. 

“It’s nothing, Soap,” you ease. “We’re all here to have a good time. I’m fine.”

Those cobalt blues were tight, worried. Every part of his face was tight with concern as his feet shuffled, elbow moving back to the table behind the two of you.

“You’re not actin’ right, Little Lady,” he mutters, his jaw clenching as he watches you closely. “There’s no shame in it—”

“Would you just quit it, Johnny,” you snap, looking over sharply. “God, I’m not gonna break apart like some weak bitch, okay?” 

He’s quick to clarify, hand moving up in a display you would use for a feral animal. “I never meant it like that.” 

Your head turns away, and you roll your eyes. Simon and Price watch closely from the corner of the room, their conversation from previous falling silent.

But you couldn’t have accounted for the way Gaz strolled past, or how the soldier was walking back over from the pool table, swinging his cue stick in some wide arch to mess around with his friends.

But you also couldn’t have accounted for the sudden flash you’d have to the breaking of bottles over your head—of glass being ripped out of your shredded flesh and thrown to the ground. 

Your body seizes up as Gaz’s cup shatters, and your eyes all at once go far away. 

Johnny’s shocked face had snapped to the scene in front of him, blinking quickly as he stood and was about to go get a broom.

“Best watch where you’re swingin’ that thing there, eh?” He says to the soldier who looks highly embarrassed, Gaz frowning down at the remnants.

“Oi!” Everyone’s eyes dart to Ghost’s outburst, but he’s not addressing anyone left in the room—the Lieutenant dashes out of the hallway, Price hot in his heels. 

Johnny turns back and you’re gone.

Racing away, your blood is hot and rabid, taking corners with record speed; the pounding feet behind you don’t help, the shouts. Every moment you try to get your head under control the sounds make it worse. 

You end up outside, lost in the trees as the branches slap your face and body—running with no destination, no thoughts. And you just keep going. Panting, your stomach is stuck in knots, and your aching legs shake until you fall over and heave into the grass; sobs breaking through. Your lungs can’t get air down.

You don’t know how long you were out there, you don’t know how long it took for Johnny to find you, but when he did you heard his quick call of your name—his desperate plea for you to breathe when he grappled for your shoulders. 

Your eyes stare blankly at him, gone to all else but your ringing ears.

Hands cup your cheeks. 

“Hey, it’s me, Bonnie,” he rubs along your flesh, petting your skin with his thumb. You’ve never seen his eyes so afraid before. “Hey now, hey. Come back to me, we’re both right here—just focus on me. You’re back home, then, aye? Back with me on Base. There’s nothin’ that’s going to happen to you long as I’m here. I made that promise, yeah? I intend to keep it.”

His voice is grounding for you—for your failing body as your addled mind tries to calm down. 

Johnny. 

You pull on that shred of remembrance of when he’d found you, beaten within an inch of your life. His tiny pupils, stuck in a sea of deep blue. His callouses holding you to him as he raggedly breathed into your hair, screaming for med-evac.

“That’s it, Dearie,” right here, right now, you sag forward. Widened eyes quiver as your lower face is pressed into his shoulder, Johnny’s hand hard on the back of your head. “That’s it—it’s just Johnny.” The man is shaking just like you are, even when your wheezed sobs make his chest tighten painfully. How your hands weakly grasp at his shirt in desperation; clawing for purchase. 

“It’ll always just be me.” Soap breathes, swallowing the saliva in his throat. “I’m gonna get you all the help you need….you bet on it. You’re going to be better, and I’m going to be with you through all of it.” 

The side of his face nuzzles into yours as you breathe in his scent, choking on the air but slowly starting to get it down.

“No one fights alone.” 

“Johnny,” you gasp.

“Shush, now,” he whispers, wrenching his eyes shut. “I’m here. Breathe. I’m here.”

“It hurts.” Your tears soak through his shirt, and his arms hold you tighter until he reminds himself to be gentle.

All he can do is try to hold back his own tears, his throat raw from his mad dash after you—he’d never run that fast in his life besides the moment he’d found you alive. 

“I know,” his voice cracks, rocking you back and forth like a child. “I know, m’sorry, Dearie. I’m so, so sorry.” 

“Don’t let go,” you plead. “Please don’t let go.”

“Never,” he growls. “Never in my life.” He says it with every ounce of goodness left in him.

“I’m never lettin’ you go ever again, aye? They’ll have to pry me off you.”

[gyumibear]

💖 create a sim(p)! — 25: rough

synopsis — after stupidly claiming on stream that you’ve been dating popular youtuber choi beomgyu in secret after accidentally creating an identically looking sim, you beg him not to reveal your lie to the public when it goes viral. weirdly, he agrees and you two begin to fool the public. can your lie become the truth or will it eventually catch up with you?

prev / masterlist / next

warnings — swearing + heavy angst, bad coping mechanisms, yn's not thinking things through. allusions to “suicide”, but there’s no suicide. (wc: ~1.4k)

It was like time had stopped.

Your eyes were glued to the screen in front of you, the blue light reflected in your eyes. Long had the screen gone black, evidence of the ended stream in front of you. You could vaguely feel Yeonjun’s presence next to you, but the ringing in your ears subjected you to only be able to stare forward. 

Why. Why? Why?!

Beomgyu. Why would he- why? It was so hard to fathom; what could he have been thinking? Did he really think everything would be fixed after that? That everything wouldn’t fall apart even more than it already had?! Now, you were off even worse than before.

He was selfish.

So unbelievably selfish. Because he couldn’t ‘keep up the charade.’ No. He wasn’t selfish. He was a fucking liar. A manipulator. Going out of his way to make sure that everything would leave him looking like the victim. The way he worded the stream, blaming everything on you. The fake dating had been your idea, yes, but he was just as involved! He didn’t have to agree! He could’ve fucking said no! No, he only sold you out because… Because… Because?

You didn’t know.

“Hey…” Warmth enveloped your torso, Yeonjun’s strong, assuring arms wrapping around you. “Come on, let’s go to the kitchen.”

You just let him drag you along, not having the mental capacity to fight back.

He released you when you plopped into the barstool of the hotel’s island counter. Crossing behind the other side of the island, he reached into the fridge to find something. You didn’t know what. You weren’t exactly focused on the black-haired model in front of you. You were too occupied calling Beomgyu every negative adjective conceivable in your head.

A crisp bottle of water slid in front of you, your eyes unfocused on its shape.

“You should drink this. Tears cause dehydration, you know…” Yeonjun spoke softly from somewhere in the room.

You were crying? You hadn’t noticed.

“I’m really sorry, Yn…” He kept speaking, barely making it past the ringing. “He’s so… Stupid.”

Stupid was an understatement.

“How bad is it?” Your own strained voice.

“How bad is what?”

“The backlash… Am I trending?”

“I don’t know… Don’t worry about that right now.”

“What am I supposed to worry about then, Jun? My career… Shit, what am I supposed to do to fix it? Everyone thinks I’m a liar. A user.”

“Not everyone.” Arms again around your body, you nuzzled your back into his chest. “We can fix this.”

“We?” You asked. “Jun, you don’t have to help me. We barely know each other.”

“That doesn’t matter. You’re my friend… And this is sort of my fault.”

No. It wasn’t anyone’s fault but Beomgyu’s.

“If I hadn’t gotten so close to you–”

“Can we talk about something else… I just– My head is pounding.”

A lie. You currently felt nothing. But, you didn’t want Yeonjun to have to dwell on feelings that were not his fault. Nobody was to blame for this, but Beomgyu. He was the problem. He was the cause.

“Drink your water.” He scolded you lightly, “I told you tears cause dehydration…”

–

“We came straight here.” Soobin stepped into view before your vision became obscured.

Kai threw himself at you, his familiar hold making you tear up once again. He squeezed you firmly, but not enough to hurt. Just enough to comfort. He murmured apologies, ones he shouldn’t be making, holding you as you’d disappear into the ground if he let go of you just for a second. You had a feeling he’d be mother-henning you for the next few days if he wasn’t stopped. 

You didn’t think you’d argue against that. Not right now anyway.

“Thank you for taking care of her.”

“You don’t have to thank me for that,” Yeonjun responded in kind, “You must be Soobin.”

Soobin nodded, pointing slightly in your direction. “And that’s Kai.” 

When Kai finally let you breathe, you pulled back enough to see that his eyes were red. Probably matching yours. But his face wasn’t streaked with tears, not like yours. That led you to the conclusion that he probably hadn’t slept since the stream came out. Oh, Kai…

“Ning, have you slept?” 

“No. How could I?” He pursed his lips before speaking again. This time not to you. “What do we do?”

“We go home,” Soobin shrugged. “We kick that… We kick him out. Then you and Yn get some rest.”

You and Kai nodded solemnly, both not wanting to argue.

“I hate to ask, but can I come? I feel like I and Beomgyu have a lot to talk about.”

“Mm.. ‘s up to you.” Soobin shrugged again. “As long as he gets out of my house.”

You felt like the next few hours might take some years off your life.

–

Coward.

He was a coward. That was what your mind told you when the four of you had made it to your front door. The house was intact, doors locked securely. But… There was a sticky note, most likely from your room, left right dab smack in the middle of the door. It read: I’m sorry. I took all my stuff and I got a motel. I know you don’t want to speak with me, that’s okay. I’ll be going home soon anyway.

“Well, that’s that I guess.” Yeonjun broke the silence, all of you turning to look at him.

“Maybe it’s better off this way.” Soobin turned to unlock the door for you all. “I don’t think anyone was really ready for a confrontation.”

You stumbled into the apartment behind him, Kai and Yeonjun taking up the rear. Everything inside was normal too. Nothing out of place or taken, not that you thought he would steal. However, you thought bitterly to yourself, you thought Beomgyu wouldn’t do a lot of things. Clearly, this time of you getting to know him was a waste. God, you had the worst case of judgment sometimes.

“So what now?”

The boys started chatting, trying to figure out the next move. You tried your best to listen along, but you just… couldn’t. The longer you stood there, the more your mind was being made up. Soon, you excused yourself from the circle, complaining of a headache. ‘Just going to lie down.’ You spoke. Their worried eyes bore into your back as you disappeared into your room.

You were going to crumple into your bed, but your tired eyes noticed something first. A letter. It was laid neatly on your bed, words written almost neatly, but also as if whoever had written them was rushed. You were going to ignore it, but you knew your curiosity would win. It was a human thing.

You picked it up, letting your eyes glide over the words. Face neutral, your eyes took in every word but widened over time as an indescribable rage filled you. You got to the last line of the letter, letting you know who had written you this bullshit of a final letter. ‘Love, Beomgyu.’ 

You crumpled it into a ball, throwing it into a corner of your room. Full of shit. He was full of shit. How could you have ever thought he could’ve really meant something to you? He was nothing.

And soon, /you’d/ be nothing too.

You made your way over to your computer, typing in the website for your streams. Scrolling until you found what you were looking for, your eyes bore into your screen. It was like time was moving slowly again, as your conscious tried desperately to get you to stop before making the worst decision of your life. But, you were determined to finish this. 

You had to. You couldn’t back down. You clicked your mouse once, mind made up.

The recording light lit up, letting you know you were now live.

As your chat filled, you heard an audible sound of confusion come from your living room. You forgot Kai had your streaming notifications on. You had to move quicker than he could get to you. You ran to the door, locking it before your friends could come to stop you. 

You could hear the banger from the door. You could hear them. Soobin loudly asking what you were doing. Kai begging you to open the door. Yeonjun pleading that you stop recording and come out the door. You couldn’t let them stop you. Not this time. You knew you might regret this, but soon /you/ wouldn’t be around to care.

“Hi.” You spoke bluntly into the camera. “Welcome to DigitalGirl’s final stream.”

a/n — so... how y'all doing? *sips tea* um, i’m not exactly good at writing super angsty stuff, but i hope y’all still enjoyed! anyways, what do y’all think the letter said? and what do you think yn’s gonna do/say in her “final” stream? lmk!

© GYUMIBEAR. do not repost, modify or translate my work onto other social media sites.  

[dullgecko]

I hc that Riz basically treats Baron as a pet while they're in his briefcase. He has to "feed" him twice a day, once before leaving school and once before his "bedtime" (he usually just throws food scraps, wet dog food, or just random trash int his briefcase to feed them). He sees toys and buys them specifically for Baron. If Baron ever escapes he just walks the block a couple times until they tire themselves out.

The other Bad Kids dont notice until one sleepover Riz forgets to feed him before sleeping and they crawl out to watch them all sleep. Adaine wakes up and then immediately wakes everyone else up by screaming. They ask Riz why and he just says he couldn't figure out how to get rid of them.

After the whole 'you tried to murder all my friends and also possessed some of them' debacle he does try to find a way to get rid of Baron for good. His first step was getting Kristen to help him talk to Cassandra and figure out what the fuck is going on but the goddex is also super confused, but tries to get Barron to chill out a bit.

They can't get rid of him, but they come to a decent understanding. Barons not going anywhere (until Riz fixes what created him in the first place and GOOD LUCK he's not unpacking that can of worms until highschool is over probably he's got other shit to worry about).

He wouldnt be activly mean about Baron being in his suitcase, leftovers if he thinks Baron would like it but dogfood and trash is going a bit far (and definitly makes things worse, as do all terrible coping mechanisms when you're dealing with a literal manifiestation of your psyche). If he sees something he thinks Baron would think is interesting while out and about, he'll get it and he usually gets a couple weeks of peace without seeing them afterwards.

He doesnt even need feeding really, Baron technically doesnt NEED to eat he just needs to be acknowledged and if Riz forgets to say goodnight a couple of days in a row THEN he does the whole sleep-paralasis demon thing (*Baron staring unblinking 10cm from Riz's face waiting for him to notice he's there even though he's asleep* you did not sae goodneight Riz Gukgak~ It is okae, i shall say it instead but do not forgaet again.).

Baron is the manifestation of something repressed that Riz wants to ignore, but ignoring it makes it worse (and ignoring it a lot gets you locked in a metaphorical/literal haunted house where everything is trying to kill you oof). Sometimes you have to acknowledge those feelings and thats OKAY even if you dont have the time or energy to work through them right now.

[wolfpawzjakey]

political marriage Jercy AU

When Juno announces exactly how the Romans and Greeks will consolidate peace between themselves, Jason wants to fall at her feet to beg or laugh hysterically and ask who came up with such a funny joke. Next to him, Percy turns pale and his legs weaken, Annabeth holds him gently by grabbing his elbow. Marriage, a divine marriage fixed between souls... the marriage of the leaders of both camps, the marriage of the most powerful demigods, the marriage of Jason Alexander Grace and Perseus Dylan Jackson. Venus is smiling at Jason, her smile is bright, dazzlingly beautiful, her hair is silky black curls, and her eyes are the color of sea waves. You didn't dare dream about it, did you? She asks, teasingly desirable and looking like Percy. Jason is bad at feelings and he experiences them at the most inopportune terrible moments - hunger when Thalia is sick, the desire to get maternal affection when Beryl is too drunk, falling in love when it's his best friend who just got out of the real fucking hell, broke up with his girlfriend, because their relationship is not the healthiest coping mechanism and just wants to go to his mother and live with her like a mere mortal.

Jason is in love and feels terribly guilty.

Percy is tired, he just wants peace and his mom.

This is such an interesting take on it and I like it a lot. Perce taking to the marriage as a chore initially, his duty has been to accept his roles in missions even if he does so backhandedly. He doesn’t go easily into it, but does all the same. He has no energy left to spit at the feet of the person who even raised the subject to the level he gazed upon.

Jason however takes it on like he usually does, silencing his complaints and just taking it like a good prince like soldier should. Sure, maybe it is the most hysterical joke his life has played on him, but what’s another one to the pile. He’s more worried about his friend whose mental health just took a dive into the deep end as the announcement. Percy being subdued is not a look anyone likes to see on him. And to make it worse, the feelings Jason has for Percy just makes the way Percy looks now feel all that much worse. Jason feels ill when he can visibly see the sick feeling on Percy’s face.

The following days just have this dreadful, sticky feeling to them. Percy is just a bitter husk and Jason is a sad puppy watching the person he loves look less than ecstatic at this new turn in their lives. And he gets sadder when their whole group grows quiet too, it’s like everyone is mourning but for what, it’s hard to tell.

Jason sitting in his pining and sadness, because he understands why the mood is so low, but marrying Percy isn’t a bad thing. He would be happy if it’d been done on better terms. But everyone is acting as if they’re soon to attend a funeral procession. He understands, but it doesn’t make him feel any better, any less rejected.

And Percy just lurks in the feeling, unable to break himself of the unannounced spell of silence he’s held especially toward Jason who’s just as much a victim of circumstance as he is. But could you blame him? He’s exhausted, he wants to live a normal life, go home to his mom and cry in her arms like he did when he was little. He escaped hell with Annabeth, their relationship severed from the sheer horrors they’d faced, from the evil he held within himself, and now he was forced into yet another plan of the gods. Forced into something he just can’t yet bring himself to accept. And he sees how his mood is affecting others, how it’s affecting Jason, but he can’t help but wallow in his self pity. He can’t help but to give himself one moment of utter weakness because this, after everything, is just too much. His wish for normalcy depleted to ash.

-

The idea is a lovely tragedy. It makes for great opportunity to fix broken bonds.

Thank you for send this to me :)))

[froot-batty]

Hello! I am in love with your AU, it tickles my brain just right and I adore everything about it. So I just have a couple questions:

1. Why is Jervis so eepy all the time? Does she have narcolepsy? Is it a side effect of his brain damage? Or is she just like that?

2. So this Jon is aspec, right? Who does he love/care about, and how does he show his love and affection to him? (Also bonus: does Jon go by "it" exclusively when Scarecrow?)

Thank you!!!! And have a lovely day ^^

Thank you very much !! I'm always glad to know my AU is infecting people like a little brain parasite

Jervis is permanently eepy mostly because of the brain damage, yeah! She liked to sleep before the bump to the head (it was a kind of coping mechanism - to sleep through her problems - and it has been ever since she was a kid), but it only got worse as a result of that

One of the symptoms he experiences is a whole ton of fatigue. Chronic migraines paired with muscle weakness make a lot of activities physically exhausting for him, so sleep is one of the ways he recharges or escapes from particularly painful days

Also, sometimes it's just a good excuse to cuddle up with your friends :]

---

Jon is both Demiromantic and Demisexual :]. As of right now he doesn't have a partner, and he's quite content with that, but he's got lots of people he loves - even if his emotionally stunted ass won't admit it

His closest friends are Ed, Jervis as of right now, and Waylon! He also has a soft spot for Harley, as they were former coworkers! How he shows his affection differs depending on the person:

With Ed, they're both really emotionally distant guys, and neither of them seek physical touch (with Ed disliking it), so he's all about actions with them. Busting them out of Arkham, reluctantly answering riddles or testing out their puzzles, things like that. Ed is much the same way. They are a very snarky pair of guys.

Jervis' main love language is obviously physical touch, so the easiest way for Jon to show his affection is by letting Jervis cuddle up with him or hold his hand. He also will NEVER admit it, but he worries about her physical condition. When she gets tired, he'll let her sit on his shoulders (He also does tend to consider Jervis weak and in need of protection, and often underestimates him)

Waylon and him are SOUTHERN BUDS. Jon likes being around Waylon because he's just a genuinely nice guy. They have nice chats and look out/do favors for each other! Another example of Jon's love language being "busting your pals out of an insane asylum" though

When he worked with Harley, he thought of her as an overconfident, naïve, but well-meaning little sister. They're still friendly after Harley turned over to the dark side, but there's a part of Jon that resents how the Joker stole that glimmer of real promise that Harley had. Jon shows his affection for her by not injecting that annoying clown with a lethal dose of fear toxin

And to answer your bonus, yes! It came from the news articles written about the Scarecrow when Jon first started out, which used it/its for it because nobody really knew what the Scarecrow was. Jon liked it so much he adopted it into the Scarecrow persona (he probably wouldn't mind being called it/its in his normal life, but he ain't opening that can of worms, no sir)

Thank you for your questions !! I hope this satisfied >;}

[the-wiggler]

I hope we kiss goodnight, it might just end my life

phyiscally cannot stop thinking about elliot and sunshine and im projecting bad in this fic but shhhh im allowed to.

sypnosis: sunshine cant sleep, except when elliot is around. [title is from Kiss Goodnight by IDKHOW]

word count: 1.1k

Their eyes slowly fluttered open, blue morning light washing over their room, tinting everything in the same hue. They were facing the ceiling now, their blanket tangled between their legs. 6 am. Their eyes fluttered shut, a weary sigh filling the empty room. That was what…2 hours of sleep? It’s better this way. Force themselves to sleep later, the self-induced insomnia meant that their brain prioritises deep sleep over REM, the dream-having sleep phase. That was what their therapist said anyway. Less sleep means less REM means less dreams means less nightmares.

Sure, it was an “unhealthy” coping mechanism, with its “averse” side effects, and a method their therapist “highly discouraged”. But if it meant fewer nightmares, Sunshine would brave the sluggishness, the irritation, the occasional nausea and the concerned looks from their friends.

Like now, as they sat on the worn, soft couch of Elliot’s apartment. Sinking into the worse-for-wear leather, scratched and faded in a way that perfectly matched Elliot’s second-hand-vintage-found-on-the-side-of-the-road-borderline-trash-esque design choices, they avoided the watchful gaze of their friend and hoped that their concealer had done a good enough job to cover their eyebags.

“Don’t take this the wrong way, because I think you look amazing as you are, Sunshine,” He chuckled, settling down next to them, “But, uh, you’re looking a little….worse for wear.”

Ok so maybe the concealer wasn’t doing the best job.

They waved their hand dismissively, making up some excuse about jobs, life, busy this, busy that, no time to rest. It came easily now. Lying, that is. And it wasn’t really a lie, they had filled and jam-packed their schedule full of random events to avoid a moment of rest, should they accidentally slip back into the ever-inviting embrace of sleep.

Not good enough for Elliot, though. As they watched his brow furrow in a way that made them want to instinctively smooth out, they racked their brain to reassure Elliot. There was, after all, no need to pile on more shit to Elliot’s plate.

“I’ve just been having trouble sleeping is all,” They reassured him quickly, “Nothing to worry about, I got some melatonin pills and it’s just taking some time to get used to.”

He conceded with one last concerned look, before turning his attention to the TV. “Alright, so, I was thinking for tonight, we could watch…The Tunnel? Or….Final Prayer?”

Now it was their turn to quirk an eyebrow. “You want to watch a horror movie? Mr. Never Watched FNAF, Mr. Scared of the Babadook, Mr-”

“Ok listen, I think we both know that the 4th FNAF game is genuinely horrifying. And, well, no, I’d much rather watch an actually feel-good movie. But if my bestest friend of all time has been raving about how wonderful this movie is, and has been feeling down, I will concede and watch whatever mind-fucky content you so eagerly consume as a coping mechanism. I’m simply fulfilling my best friend duties. No matter how messed up it is. And I will ignore how the fact that you watch horror movies as a coping mechanism is a major red flag and possibly a sign of a budding serial killer. Because I’m such a good friend. The best, even. ”

They scoff indignantly, “Ok, yeah I’m the serial killer. Says the one whose forever excuse is Sorry, was burying the bodies.”

It always starts like this. As Elliot loads up the movie, they make sure to maintain a completely platonic distance between them, two friends sitting on a couch, five feet apart because they are not pining for their ridiculously attractive, soft-hearted best friend. Elliot scoots closer, the leather dipping under his weight, forming a crater around them, cocooning them together, pushing Elliot closer to them. They feign annoyance as Elliot shoots a mischievous look at them. “Oh don’t think you’re getting away scot-free, Sunshine. I might be sacrificing several nights of sleep to cheer you up, but you’re going to be my human shield tonight. Trade-offs.”

Despite this, he wraps an arm around them, the dip of the couch pushing them snugly into his side. Who’s protecting who, Elliot? Regardless, they lean into his touch, his hand gently moving up and down their arm.

They blink.

The blanket around them definitely did not belong to them, but smelled familiarly comforting in a way that broke down all of Sunshine’s defences. Half asleep and not fully cognizant of their surroundings, they push themself deeper into the blanket burrow around them, instinctually chasing the fuzzy feeling of slowly waking up in the morning after a good, solid, rejuvenated night of sleep.

“Morning sleepyhead.” A familiarly husky voice; and the words don’t register, nothing but the groggy understanding that this voice emanated safety, understanding, and protection pulled Sunshine out of their dazed state. They push themselves up, rubbing their eyes to see Elliot standing there, morning hair unruly, beaming down at them. “You zonked out last night on my couch.”

Too groggy to come up with a retort, they lean into him as he sits next to them. He makes a noise of surprise, but otherwise lifts his arm to allow them to press into his side. “You’re oddly snuggly Sunshine,” He chuckles, pulling them closer, “And you fall asleep every time we hang out, am I that boring?” They half-heartedly slap his chest, feeling his chuckles reverberate through them. They sit there, in silence, simply enjoying the slow mornin in each others presence before Elliot clears his throat awkwardly.

“Anyways, uh, how was your sleep last night?”

“Good,” They mumble, “Slept well.” No nightmares, no dreams at all, actually rested. Better than they had all month

“That’s uh-that’s good.”

“Only ever sleep well when you’re around.” Still sleep-addled and fueled by the simple wants of the heart, they bring their arms to wrap around his torso, mumbling sleepily against his chest, “Maybe you’re magic.”

As they drift off back into a dreamless sleep, Elliot’s hands move to pull them in closer. Pressing a kiss to the crown of their head, he whispers, his voice impossibly soft, yearning dripping from his words, “Just for you, Sunshine.”

[starsurface]

Fire God Liu age regressor? Ooh! Maybe with human Raiden as caregiver?

THERES A BUNCH OF ANGST BECAUSE I HAVE SO MANT FEELINGS ABOUT LIU KANG AND I WOULD LIKE TO APOLIGIZE NOW, POOKIES. <3 <3 <3 🥺

<3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3

CG Raiden w/ Regressor Liu Kang Hcs

🌟 MK9-11 Liu Kang vs MK1 Lord Liu Kang regress very differently

🌩 MK9-11 Liu Kang regresses to about 4-5

🌟 But Lord Liu Kang regressed to about 2-3, very small baby

🌩 Raiden and Kung Lao are his favorite CG’s but well focus more on Raiden <3

🌟 Loves his babysitters though!! A lot of people babysit him (his Kitana tries when she can <3, I like breaking canon)

🌩 Unfortunately, Liu Kang has a habit of pushing off his regression until he's physically unable to

🌟 Swears it's not a problem, but it very much is

🌩 He's constantly worrying and trying to fix his timeline and others and doesn't like relaxing until he feels like he's done everything correct and right

🌟 ^ Raiden is helping him break this habit, don't worry, he'll be okay :3

🌩 Learnt of age regression from Fujin in his old timeline, and used it as a coping mechanism there (also helped take care of his Kung Lao so he has CG experience)

🌟 Uses both regressing and CGing as coping mechanism though, absolutely adores spending time with his littles

🌩 Didn't like regressing for a VERY long time and got upset whenever he did before he got Raiden and the others in his life

🌟 ^ He didn't like how alone and scared he felt all alone

🌩 (Don't worry though!! He had Geras, he helped a ton)

🌟 The first time he regressed around the others (and how they found out) is that he actually broke down because he was feeling small and Raiden was there to comfort him and it reminded him of his Raiden

🌩 (^ I don't mean to promote my AO3 in this, but I do have a fic of this!!)

🌟 I'm going to stay on the angst train, Liu Kang regresses very small and becomes very clingy when he thinks about his past timeline

🌩 He knows that his new friends aren't his old friends, but he still likes to cling to them

🌟 Raiden doesn't mind this at all, he knows Liu Kang still misses his old friends (will remind him that he's his own person though, and that he's going to be okay)

🌩 Liu Kang calls Raiden 'Rai Rai', but Dada has slipped in a few times and he'll tear up a bit

🌟 His old Raiden was his Dada (or Grandpa of he was trying to make Lord Raiden mad >:3)

🌩 When he's not breaking down, Liu Kang is actually a very sweet little

🌟 Doesn't like getting in trouble, doesn't like getting yelled at, doesn't like any of that

🌩 Its actually perfect because Raiden doesn't like punishments and would rather talk about what happened, maybe a stern voice when he needs it

🌟 However, Liu Kang has thrown a few hissy fits when he's angry or really frustrated, and unfortunately this has involved his powers activating

🌩 Raiden usually stands a few feet away and puts out whatever Liu Kang sets on fire

🌟 Liu Kang always feels really bad whenever his little tantrum ends, and will begin blubbering out apologize

🌩 Depending on the damage depends on how mad Raiden gets, although he does use the situation to express how important it is for Liu Kang to communicate his feelings in healthier ways

🌟 Luckily, however, these tantrums don't happen very often, and the damage isn't anything worse than a few burn marks on the floor (they were terrible when Liu Kang was training for the tournament in his old timeline)

🌩 Otherwise, Liu Kang is a very sweet little

🌟 Super energetic though

🌩 Raiden is a lap baby, Kung Lao feels like a leash kid at times, and Liu Kang has a decent mix

🌟 Adores sitting on Raiden's lap and having story time

🌩 Also adores rolling around and having fun and giggles

🌟 Will attempt to do his really cool ninja moves (and pouts when Raiden tells him not to

🌩 It's fine, he'll just have to show Raiden this new skill!! (Raiden also said no >:(

🌟 Normally takes no for an answer, and will give puppy eyes and beg for five more minutes? Two more minutes? One more minutes?

🌩 Likes going to the Whushu garden while small

🌟 Pretty flowers? He loves pretty flowers!!

🌩 Trees? He'll climb them!! (Doesn't get super high and Raiden is always next to him just in case)

🌟 Use to really like play wrestling although now he's a bit too small for it

🌩 It's okie though, Raiden will so easy on him

🌟 Favorite little nicknames are Liu-Liu, Liu, Firestarter, Little Flame, Tiny Fire, Hatchling, Squirt, Little Dragon

🌩 On the topic of dragons, my gosh, he is obsessed

🌟 Has two plushies and they're both his favorites, please don't make him choose

🌩 One is from his old timeline, a monkey plushie his old Kung Lao gave him (Kung Lao use to call him a monkey cause he was so energetic)

🌟 Y'all when I tell you that stuffie looks like it's been dragged across the Netherrealm and drowned in a pool . . . I mean it

🌩 Bald spots, rough fur, barely holding onto the limbs (he's been very loved)

🌟 Liu Kang sobs whenever it gets even the smallest tear and Kung Lao has to fix it, Raiden isn't allowed to fix it, it has to be Kung Lao (it also might send Liu Kang spiraling)

🌩 His other stuffie is a dragon!! She's still new and very soft and fuzzy (Raiden got it for him)

🌟 Raiden makes sure both stuffies get love and care and feel are ‘healthy’

🌩 Most of Liu Kang's regression items are dragon related (although he doesn't own much)

🌟 He doesn't buy himself things but gets really happy whenever Raiden gets him stuff

🌩 HAS ONE OF THOSE BLANKIES WITH A DRAGON HOOD AND I STAND BY THAT

🌟 Ngl, I could also totally see him as a dragon regressor too

🌩 ^ The blankie really helps him slip into that mindset

🌟 Steals. Everything.

🌩 Raiden could spend thirty minutes trying to find his hat and it's on Liu Kang's head in his nest of everyone's favorite things

🌟 Back off!! Its all his!! >:(

🌩 (He'll later apologize for stealing everything and sheepishly give them back to everyone)

<3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3

Stop, I'm so sorry for how much Liu Kang stuff there is. He's my favorite tragedy. 🥺

[alfiely-art]

I'm voting Kotoko Guilty this round for quite a few reasons. First off, the only other two characters who have been voted guilty are Haruka and Muu. Yk. Minors. Who are already in a shitty mindset, who's verdict will most likely make that worse? Yeah. I would rather not have them beat up by Kotoko. And she WOULD beat them up- she would have beat up Amane if she hadn't been stopped, and Amane is much younger than Haruka and Muu.

I don't even mind her fighting injustice to feel good about herself. I mean, she's still fighting injustice. Regardless of her personal feelings about it, she's still doing good things. It's the way she goes about it that worries me. The article she was reading on her phone states that "more violence than necessary was used". Of course, the article could always be biased, but Kotoko has shown herself to be a violent person. Her call to us to vote everyone else in Milgram as Guilty, regardless of their crime, is a request for us to give her permission to make them her enemy and crush them. She would apply the same amount of force to, say, Yuno- someone who simply had an abortion because she didn't want the baby- as a person who kidnapped a child.

Kotoko sees everything in black and white. Yuno's "crime" of an abortion is just as evil as Haruka's crime of murder. Here's a reminder of the character's crimes (from my understanding):

Haruka: killed out of desperation to be seen, to have his mother finally acknowledge him after he wasn't good enough (ie, neurotypical) to keep up with the other kids.

Yuno: Had an abortion because she didn't want the baby. She didn't have some tragic reason why, she had a normal life. She was simply doing as she pleased.

Fuuta: Took part in cancel culture, which ended up doxxing a minor and she took her own life. He didn't want to accept responsibility for this, but it was clearly weighing on his mind.

Muu: She bullied others with her friends, and then her friends turned on her. She reached out to a classmate for help, but didn't receive any. Muu stabbed her in a panic, after alluding to either her or the classmate dying at the end of all of this.

Shido: Medical malpractice ? I think ? It's still not clear to me idk

Mahiru: Abused her boyfriend until he offed himself due to her sheltered life and toxic positivity. She feels as though she can't change, and she wants someone to love even if it hurts both of them.

Kazui: Lied about romantically loving his wife so that he could fit in to society at large. When he finally opened up about his feelings, the shock of it all caused his wife to end her life. He cared for her, but can't continue lying like this.

Amane: Killed her abuser, and is clinging to religion to both justify it to herself and comfort herself.

Mikoto: Still unclear whether he or John did the murder, how many murders there were, who was murdered, etc. The focus isn't exactly on the murder, moreso how mentally ill people are pushed to their limit with no support or help from others and the unhealthy coping mechanisms that can arise from that.

She tells us to throw away our sympathy. But understanding and kindness and sympathy are so so so important- not just in Milgram, but everywhere else, too. Yes, these are just characters, but a popular theory is that they represent societal issues. And I do believe that's true. They may not be real, but they represent real problems real people face. By ignoring the nuance, we blindly swing at whatever we're told is "guilty". Kotoko only attacked the prisoners we announced as Guilty. She won't act on her own moral code, merely the law. We are the law in Milgram, so she follows us.

I adore Kotoko, but her mindset is genuinely dangerous. While this is unlikely (cough, Amane) I hope her Guilty vote will help her. But it probably won't- Guilty votes destroy a person. But I can't vote her Innocent, either. I don't forgive her for her black and white thinking. Thus, she is Guilty to me. I'm very curious how she'll develop after this. I'm a little scared, too, but oh well.

[jacksdinonuggets]

I have not seen any little Lloyd from the ninjago movie so I made a fic! Also, Koko is a way better mom than misako ever will be.

Lloyd was not having a good day. He was on the verge of tears. Stupid kids at school, stupid dad, stupid class! His brain was not working properly either! Everything was fuzzy and he could barely think properly. His dysphoria was also coming back to him whenever he saw his reflection. His hair was getting too long and it looked…feminine.

When the school bell rang, signaling the kids to leave the school, Lloyd could not be happier. Luckily, his dad didn’t attack that day but it was still stressful. His friends checked up on him during the day but it didn’t change much. He was mostly silent or would just push them away.

But the day just decided to get worse. The bus decided to leave without him and he needed to walk home now. His mom, Koko, wouldn’t be home for another 20 minutes so he couldn’t even call her to pick him up. So he walked home. His ribs ached due to his tight binder and feet hurt because he decided to wear sandals. 

When he finally got home, he skipped getting a snack. He didn’t feel like he could even make one. He sat on the couch for a bit and watched the news but it made him feel worse. It was like he forgot how to read but at the same time, could make out words.he was so frustrated with the turnout of his day that he stomped into his bedroom. 

His bedroom was pretty small. It had a loft bed and a desk underneath. It was against the wall so there was plenty of space in the room.

Lloyd couldn’t even make it to his desk before he crumbled. His knees hit the floor as the waterfall started. Tears flowed freely down his face. The pressure of the city was constantly weighing on him, the kids harassing him, and the stress of school was all coming out. He sobbed loudly while curled up in a ball in the middle of his room. He felt different. Like he was younger. He’s heard about this coping mechanism before and always wanted to try it but was too scared to. But now, the weight of the world was finally getting off his shoulders as he fell deep into littlespace for the very first time.

__________________________

When Koko walked up the stairs of the apartment building, she couldn’t help but feel like something was wrong. As she got closer to her apartment, the faint sound of a little kid crying could be heard.

“I hope that kid is okay” Koko thought. However, it got louder as she came closer. 

When she opened her door, the sobbing was its loudest. Thats when she realized that the kid crying wasn’t just any kid. It was her kid.

She quickly closed the door and threw her purse and stuff onto the couch before rushing to Lloyd’s bedroom in worry. A million thoughts plagued her mind. She opened her son’s bedroom door and immediately felt a mixture of feelings. Here she saw her son crying on the floor, tucked into a ball. She was glad he didn’t seem physically hurt, but something was clearing bothering him.

“Oh Lloyd, honey,” Koko sighed in sympathy. She knelt down to him and right when he realized she was there, he jumped into her lap and hugged her tightly, crying into her shoulder.

“Mama!” he bawled into her shoulder, knowing that he had regressed and was being extremely vulnerable with his mother. He didn’t care though. He wanted his mama.

“Shh, shh, its okay,” Koko comforted him in a soothing voice and rubbed his back. The childish voice was concerning but she decided to bring it up later.

The crying was muffled by Koko’s shirt and shoulder. She was extremely worried as he hasn’t cried this hard in years. As he calmed down and his sobs turned into soft crying, Koko noticed him bring his thumb up to his mouth and began to suck on it. 

Once he calmed down, he decided his mom needed an explanation.

“Mommy-, i mean, Mom. I- I’m sorry… for acting weird and babyish,” he took his thumb out and instead fiddled with with fingers.

“No, no, its not weird. I think i know whats going on,” she said.

“You- you do?”

“Yeah, you’re regressing. I know what is and i support you no matter what,” Koko ran her fingers through her son’s hair.

“T-tank you…” he dug his head into her chest and hugged her. 

“So, how old do you feel, sweetie?” 

“T-woo,” 

“Aww, alright. You can tell me what caused you to slip later. Do you want to take a nap for now? you look so tired,” she asked, looking at him.

“Yesh p’ease..” Lloyd was changed into some jammies by his mom and helped up into his bed. Koko did her best to tuck him in while standing on the ladder. When she got him down to nap, she snuck out of his room and into the kitchen. She sat at the table and opened up her laptop. She was going to do the best research and shopping she’s ever done. And it’ll all be worth it for her kid.

Lloyd woke up about two hours later. He was still feeling young but a little bit older. About 3 years old. He really needed to pee but couldn’t get down from his bed.

“Mama!” he yelled for his caregiver. It wasn’t long before Koko came in.

“I need to go potty!” 

Koko quickly helped him down and just barely got him to the bathroom. As she waited outside the restroom door for him to finish up, she wondered if he would need any protection. It did take him a while to get fully potty trained when he was younger. She would ask him for his opinion later.

“Mama?” Lloyd called for her from behind the door.

“Yes, honey?”

“Cans you gets me..umm.. A new boxer?” he asked. His boxers he was wearing were a little damp since he didn’t exactly make it in time. He didn’t know why this was happening! He never really has bathroom issues! Maybe it was the regression?

“Of course, sweetie,” Koko said. She went to his room and got him a new pair. When Lloyd was done in the bathroom, his mom changed him into more casual clothes. She had already ordered him an adult pacifier but there was still a bunch of stuff she wanted to get him. But she would ask him before getting any type of protection, as it may make him uncomfortable.

“We’re gonna get you some little items, is that okay?” she said as she tied his shoes.

“Otay!” 

She held his hand as they walked to the car. She decided that they would go to the mall. That place had everything. When they got there, Koko made sure to get Lloyd’s opinion on the little items he wanted. He was excited to get all this new stuff and flapped his hands excitedly. They stopped by the clothing store and tried on a bunch of clothes. Lloyd seemed to really like the dinosaur, dragon, and space themed clothes. After that, he got to pick out his sippy cup and even a couple toys! Their final stop was a stuffed animal store. The employees didn’t really like the fact that he was there, but they still helped him out. Lloyd picked out a cuddly teddy bear. Koko was a little confused because the store had dragon stuffies and dino stuffies.

“I wike da texture better,” he explained when she asked. 

After he stuffed it, he picked out a dinosaur outfit for it. Even though Koko was a bit tight on money, she made an exception for him. Lloyd was always worried about their finances and the fact that he finally didn’t care about it, made Koko happy.

They stopped by a fast food place for dinner before going home. Lloyd ended up passing out on the car ride home while cuddling his new stuffy. So when they arrived back at the apartment, Koko carried him on her back and the bags from the mall in her hands. She was glad she still had the strength of lady iron dragon or else this would’ve been impossible. The sight of her Little finally getting the rest he deserved made her smile. 

[imagine-you]

Reach Out and Touch Faith pt. 6 (Steve Harrington/Reader)

Summary: You leave Hawkins for the summer and come back to a total shitshow. The new mall burned down, Chief Hopper and Billy among the causalities, and everyone, including Steve, seems to be hiding something from you. To make matters worse, you keep hearing and seeing Billy, but that can’t be possible. Billy’s dead…isn’t he?

Word Count: 2.7k

Author’s Note: This is the sequel to Boys Like You. Be warned, there is some angst, but I swear this will have a happy ending.

Boys Like You / Read on AO3

You were lost in thought for the rest of the evening. Steve seemed to realize he wasn't going to get much of a response out of you if he asked you anything, so he settled into silence at your side, letting you journey through your whirlwind of thoughts and suspicions at your own pace.  

Was Billy alive? Everyone swore that he was dead, but then why was he still lingering? Why could you hear him and feel his presence everywhere? He was a ghost, drifting in and out of your life, taunting you. 

You were worried that maybe all of this wasn't real. Maybe you were starting to go crazy or you were already there. Maybe the shock of losing your best friend had created a grief-fueled fantasy in your mind.  

It was a lot of ‘maybes’ that had you doubting the threads of reality that had woven themselves together since you got back to Hawkins. There was no Upside Down and no young girls with superpowers. There was no monster and no fantastical explanation for why people happened to disappear and mysteriously die in Hawkins. Maybe there really was just a fire at the mall that took the lives of several people, including your best friend.  

You could feel yourself beginning to doubt everything you had been told. This had to be a dream, right? Or some kind of coping mechanism your brain had cooked up.  

But despite the doubt, you couldn't help but hope. It couldn't be a conspiracy. Steve was incredibly real and right there and telling you that you weren't crazy. Steve wouldn’t lie to you. Not ever and certainly not about something this important.  

There was another dimension that held monsters and ghouls and it might just hold your best friend.   

Steve dozed off on your bed once night started to give way to morning, but you were having trouble falling asleep. Steve had tried, you knew, to stay awake with you. You appreciated the gesture, but you would rather him get some rest, even if you couldn't.  

It was almost three in the morning before you finally found yourself lying down, counting the sound of every one of Steve's soft breaths, letting them lull you into a light doze.  

You jerked awake at the sound of the phone ringing. The sound was loud and echoed through the house, but Steve didn't even stir at the noise. You expected to hear your mom's door open and the sound of her footsteps trailing down the hall, but she didn't seem to wake at the sound either.  

The phone kept ringing and ringing and ringing and you finally found enough strength to pull away from sleep's clutches to roll out of bed. Steve didn't move, still lost in slumber, so you crept across the room, making sure to be silent. You skipped the floorboards that would creak and shuffled down the stairs, keeping to the edges to avoid any that were sure to make a noise.  

The phone was still ringing when you made it to the living room. You hesitated for a moment, your hand hovering over the receiver, before you finally made yourself grab the phone. You put it to your ear, static answering you. You thought maybe it was a wrong number or a prank. Who would possibly call you this early in the morning? But there was a feeling, deep down in your gut, that had you staying on the line, not daring to hang up.  

Because you just knew.  

"Hello?" You tried, your voice straining on the word. You were abruptly aware of how dry your mouth was and how much you wished you had a glass of water to wash away the feeling.  

There was only static for what felt like hours. It was a sound burning itself into your brain, drowning out everything else.  

And then finally, a break.  

"Y/N," came through, faint and broken, but there.  

You felt a sob claw free from your throat, grief and relief warring for space in your chest.  

"Billy?" 

More static, jarring and choppy in your ear.  

"Yeah," he answered. "I didn't think this would work. Seemed like a longshot, y'know?" 

"Billy," you started, not sure where to go from there. There was so much you wanted to ask him. Where was he? Was he okay? Was he alive? Were you going crazy? Instead, you only managed one word. "How?" 

There was a chuckle, dark and raspy, broken by more static. "Fucked if I know. Wherever I am...it's dark. And cold," he added, his voice shaky. "It looks just like Hawkins." 

"Billy, are you okay? Are you hurt?"  

"I don't...I don't know. I feel like shit, but I'm still here. Been throwing up, though. Lots of this black shit that tastes like death. It moves," he added with an incredulous laugh. "And then it just wriggles away and disappears." 

"Where are you?" You asked, your mind trying to process everything. If you could figure out how to get to him, then maybe you could save him.  

"I don't know," he answered, confusion in his tone. "It looks like home. I'm even right here in the living room. Sittin' on this filthy fuckin' couch and talking to you on the phone. But you're not here." 

You couldn't help looking around the room, searching for a sign of Billy. If he was here and you were here, then why couldn't you see him?  

"But I'm not the only one here. There's something else. I think he...he wants to use me again. He told me that I was the perfect host. That I could get close enough without letting her know. I can feel him looking for me, but I’ve been hiding." 

"Letting who know?" Your hands were shaking and you curled your free one under your thigh, hoping to calm yourself down a bit. You hated the idea of Billy hiding away, terrified and waiting for the inevitable to happen.  

"Her," Billy answered, taking a deep, shuddering breath. "Eleven. He wants her, I think. Wants to kill her. He hates her. I could feel it. There was so much anger." Each sentence was fainter, as if Billy was running out of energy. You knew, instinctively, that the call would come to an end soon. What if this was the last time you heard from Billy? What if you couldn't find him in time? 

"Billy..." You didn't know what to say. You needed answers, but you didn't know how to get them. "How can I find you?" 

"I--I don't know," the static was growing louder, nearly drowning out his voice. "I thought I was done for, when I stepped between her and it. I accepted it. I was a shitty human being, but at least I did something good at the end. But it wasn't the end. I woke up here, wherever that is. It looks just like home," his voice broke on the last word and you heard him take a shaky breath. "I don't know how much longer I have." 

"Please," you begged, leaning forward on the couch, as if you could reach out and touch him. "Please don't leave me. Not again." You hated hearing Billy talk about himself like that. “You weren’t a shitty person,” you assured him. “You’re brave and loyal and thoughtful.” You let out a broken laugh, clutching the receiver tightly, your only lifeline to Billy. “You’re family,” you whispered, “And I’m not planning on losing you any time soon. Never, if I could help it.” 

"I can't help it," Billy offered with a defeated laugh. "Here, it's like you're the ghost. I can feel echoes of you everywhere. There's people and voices, but I can't quite reach through. I'm not strong enough. I can feel myself slipping. Time just comes in flashes now. I’ve been sleeping a lot." 

"Billy," you faltered for a moment, struggling to breathe. You didn't know what to do. You felt so helpless in that moment, you couldn't even begin to imagine what Billy was feeling. Because at least you were on this side, with people and your loved ones and Steve. You couldn't have survived this without Steve, but Billy was going through this all alone. Trapped in some nightmare world with a monster. He said the monster wanted to use him again, but you didn't plan on letting that happen. Not while you were around. "I'll find you, okay? No matter what. Just hold on, okay? Hold on for me. I’m coming." 

"Can't promise that," Billy sighed, his voice fading in and out, replaced by static. You weren’t sure if he was talking about himself or you, and it hurt even more to think that he doubted you would find him in time.  

"Billy, I--" you cut yourself off, not sure if you could say the words. They seemed so final, but you needed him to know. "I love you," you told him, pouring in the warmth and affection you felt for him. He was the brother you never really asked for, but needed all the same. You'd go to Hell and back for him and that was what you planned to do.  

"I know," Billy whispered before the crackle over the line drowned out everything else. You heard a beeping noise before the line went dead, the dial tone an unwelcome sound in your ear.  

"Fucker," you breathed, a reluctant smile tugging at your lips. Even when you felt like you were going to fall apart, Billy knew how to pull you back together.  

You weren't sure how long you sat on the couch, phone receiver clutched in your hand, held to your ear. You weren't sure if it was all a wistful dream or if maybe you were really asleep upstairs. You longed to hear a word from Billy again, letting you know that he was still there. He was stuck in a mirror world that was decaying and rotten, but Billy was very much alive. There was hope, a small little fire of it, that took root in your chest. You couldn't move, you wouldn't, until you were sure that this wasn't all just a fantasy.  

"Y/N?" You glanced quickly at the phone in your hand, but there was still only a dial tone to greet you. Your eyes moved to find Steve standing in the doorway of the living room, concern in his expression.  

"Steve? What's going on?" 

Steve moved to your side, cautious and unhurried, as if he was worried he was going to spook you. "I woke up and you were gone." The 'again' went unsaid, but from the fear in his eyes, you knew he was expecting you to be halfway to the mall by now.  

“I--,” you started, frowning at Steve, unsure and confused. You felt like you were being roused from a doze, thoughts foggy and distant. “What am I doing here?” 

"You tell me," Steve said, finally sitting down beside you. "Phone call?" He asked, nodding towards the receiver in your hand.  

You had almost forgotten about it, the dial tone so familiar to you by now that you could easily ignore it, letting it lull you into a daze. You forced yourself to put the receiver back in the cradle, trying to push away the inane feeling of betrayal you felt for finally hanging up.  

"He called me," you found yourself saying, looking at Steve.  

Steve's brow furrowed in confusion, before his eyes widened in understanding. "Billy?" 

You nodded your head, shooting a longing look at the phone. "He called me. He told me..." you trailed off, tears beginning to well in your eyes. You drew in a shuddering breath, grateful when Steve's hand found yours. He laced his fingers through yours, squeezing your hand in his grip.  

"Hey," he whispered, pulling your attention to him. "It's okay, alright. Just take a deep breath. We've got the time." 

You shook your head, not sure you did have the time, but unable to voice that concern. You followed Steve's advice, mirroring the deep breaths he drew for you, and then letting them out. Your hands stopped shaking and you felt like you could finally think with Steve there to carry you through your fears.  

"He said he was in a place that's like home, but it's cold. It's like home," you repeated, thinking over everything you had learned the day before. You were sure, more than anything, that Billy was in the Upside Down. How, you didn't know, but you couldn't deny the truth any longer. Even if it didn't make sense, it was real.  

"Steve," you started, finally drawing from your thoughts, glad that Steve was willing to wait for you. "Billy's alive," you whispered, not willing to speak too loudly and shatter the moment between the two of you. "He's in the Upside Down." 

"But--" 

You shook your head, not willing to let Steve poke any holes in your theory. Not when you knew it had to be true. Not when it was the only hope you had. "We have to call Max," you told him, a hundred different plans trying to form in your mind. "And the others. They have to know," you insisted. "We have to--to figure out how to get him out of there. We've got to make a plan." 

"But the gate is closed, isn't it? I mean, that's why Hopper died. They closed the gate, so how could we possibly save him?" 

You shook your head, not that far into your plan. "I don't know," you sighed, leaning over to rest your head on Steve's shoulder. "I don't think he has much longer, though. He said that something's after him," you admitted with a shiver, glad when Steve wrapped his arm around your shoulders, pulling you in closer to his side.  

"If there's a gate still open in Hawkins..." Steve trailed off, not able to finish his thought.  

You knew what he was thinking. If there was a gate still open, then everyone was still in danger. Maybe Hopper died in vain or maybe there was always going to be danger in Hawkins. Either way, it meant that you might still be able to save Billy.  

You thought of the phone call, Billy reaching out to you from the other side. You thought of the knocks on your bedroom door and Billy yelling for you to hear him, only for it to barely echo into your side. You thought of sleepwalking to the mall, tugged there by a feeling, a certainty that you would find what you were looking for there.  

"The mall," you blurted, suddenly sure that it held all the answers. "It's got to be the mall. Maybe there's something there."  

Steve watched you for a moment before he nodded his head. He glanced at the clock on the living room wall before he moved to stand up. "Well, it's just a little past five in the morning," he sighed, holding a hand out to help you off the couch. "Let's see how many of those little shits we can wake up." 

"Thank you," you whispered, pulling Steve closer to you once you were standing. You brushed your lips against his, breathing him in for a moment. Steve was your safe place. When his arms wrapped around you and you let your head rest on his shoulder, you could forget for just a moment that you were about to try to delve into the darkest recesses of what Hawkins had to offer. It didn't seem so bad knowing that Steve was going to be with you every step of the way. You knew he wouldn’t let you take one step towards danger without him tagging along to watch your back.  

"I've got you," Steve promised, pressing a kiss to your forehead. "I've always got you." 

You let yourself pull away from Steve, managing a smile just for him. "I know," you told him, trusting Steve completely.  

If you were going to fall down the rabbit hole to save your best friend, then Steve was going to follow you.  

"Let's call the others," Steve said, breaking the moment. "They'll want to hear about this." 

"Yeah," you agreed, letting yourself step out of Steve's hold. "I guess it's time to get this show on the road." 

taglist: @fangeekkk @outoftheregular @thebossiswrongasrain

boys like you taglist: @artsymaddie @lolychu @daddystevee @chloe-skywalker @witchcraftandwit @live-at-the-rainbow @xroselights @alexloveskili @mayleenmaybank1 @writingsbyleah

[omiteo777]

Continue from the previous questions: what was post abstraction relationship was like with pomni? (And zooble)

Kaufmo - Pomni and the clown have a really strong bond with one another. The two like to work together and keep in touch since the two have similar thoughts and feelings when it comes to kindness and the exit itself. He tries his best to keep her safe whenever she thinks about an exit, worrying that if she goes to far, she might abstract herself. He educates her about the circus and wants to give her a pleasant experience so that she doesn’t grow insane about escaping one day, similar to what happened to him before he abstracted back then.

Queenie - Pomni likes to take the time in aiding her with her condition. She sometimes joins in thinking of ideas on escaping the circus that might work out if possible. She also comforts the Queen chess piece whenever she’s in need of help and support.

Rett - The two have a really heartfelt relationship. Whenever he feels down from his current state, Pomni would take the time in comforting him. Knowing that the dog can only resort to sign language, Pomni would learn about it, thanks to Ragatha. She tries her best in communicating and understanding the dog and gives him hope in his friends, knowing that they’re there for him as much as they are for each other.

Wriggle - The worm on a string can be very protective towards Pomni as much as those who haven’t abstracted yet. He has the goal of keeping everyone safe and wouldn’t forgive himself if they would get hurt or abstract. The two like to do fun activities with each other and prefer to examine Caine at times, in case he does anything suspicious.

Moppsy - Pomni takes the time in helping the sock puppet out. Whenever she feels paranoid, the jester steps in to assure her that everything will be alright with her friends by her side. Pomni would also make sure that Moppsy doesn’t let herself lash out at her friends since she finds it to be concerning of course. The two understand each other’s struggles in finding the exit and hope that they find one someday, even if it takes until their lifetime in the real world.

Yucko - The yellow clown and Pomni don’t really have a pleasant relationship when it comes to how he sees the jester try to find an exit with a few others, thinking that it’s rather pointless and unnecessary, but he does make sure to keep her educated on Caine. His goal is to keep Pomni from trusting the AI as he could have intentions on trapping and lying to the latter about the exit on purpose. The clown wouldn’t want another human to suffer or abstract in the future, knowing how much it could hurt him and the others.

Bizz - Although the jester can catch Pomni off guard with his sudden yelps after spacing out for a moment, the other jester understands that his trauma makes him who he is. She doesn’t hesitate to help her fellow jester as she wants the best for him. Whenever he would lose memory on the situation he’s in, Pomni would make sure to remind him about it to help him remember again. The two have since spent the time on doing various jester related activities together, thinking of them as coping mechanisms to keep them from worrying about the exit too much.

Doz - Unfortunately, the two have a very strong dislike for one another. From the purple dinosaur’s cruel personality towards Pomni to her inner rage, the jester prefers to leave her alone, not wanting to deal with her negative attitude. Though there can be times where she tries her best to confront the dinosaur about her thoughts and actions, she wouldn’t have it and just make things worse. Pomni doesn’t want to see her as a lost cause, but doesn’t want any trouble with her at the same time, so she just prefers to let her be. She would only interfere with her if things go too far with the others.

Blonk - The pink cyclops finds interest in the jester. Despite only being able to sense his friends by touching or feeling their presence, he finds comfort and protection from Pomni as well. The jester likes to assist him throughout his time at the circus and tries to help him keep calm whenever he feels desperate and upset from his disabilities. One thing to add is that he has a walking cane for assistance to keep in touch with his movements. This is only when he’s alone, where he has to rely on himself for his own safety. In the end, Pomni and Blonk are in good terms with one another, no matter the hard times.

[nyarlathotep-thecrawlingchaos]

Hi, just wanted to say that I love your blog and everything you write, but please remember to take care of yourself first! I hope you're doing well, and don't worry if you feel uninspired or unable to finish a fic, you will write again when you're ready and in the meantime, just try to do what makes you happy.

Sincerely, a friend💘

Thank you so much, sorry I didn't respond sooner.

Things are still pretty rough right now, but writing helps. Literally been my primary coping mechanism since I was a child, just escape into another world and ignore reality for a little while. I'm definitely not pushing myself where writing is concerned, but even when I'm writing a little slower or just vividly imagining plots in my head, I'm still writing. It's ingrained in me and I'd be much worse off if it wasn't.

I am deeply grateful for your kindness and concern, more than I can properly convey with words. Thank you again, this means so much to me ❤️❤️

[stargazeraldroth]

You mentioned an idea for the horse ranch AU where Ink gets really bad anxiety and thinks everyone hates him/is mad at him… Do you have any other thoughts about that 👀 Because I’ve been constructing idea after idea in my head about when and where and why that would happen (yes I’m projecting, shush), and I need more information on such a scenario.

Does it cumulate in him trying to run away because he’s been convinced he makes things worse, potentially due to misunderstandings or bad luck?

Does he start shutting people out to keep from getting hurt by their rejection or disapproval?

Does he try and hide how much it’s affecting him to keep from worrying people while he’s internally having a mental breakdown?

I need to know the specifics of this hurt/comfort scenario, damnit. Please tell me he gets buried in a pile of dogs and cuddled by horses.

Oh sweetheart, we all project onto characters sometimes. I'm projecting too. Regardless of what I say, though, I'd love to know your thoughts about why Ink's like this and what happens. Tell me everything you've got hidden in that brain of yours.

I imagine Ink's always struggled with some anxiety in this AU, not just after the others arrived for their program (or whatever brought them here). That's just when it started becoming more active and detrimental. He's pretty okay when interacting with his family members and the animals, it's just... socializing with new people is hard. And Ink isn't exactly what you might consider "normal"... especially considering he's an animal whisperer in this AU, so he talks to the animals. A lot. As for when and why it started, that's a bit trickier to figure out, but I do think it had to do with some bullying growing up. Even without bullying, he was often isolated by his peers because he was perceived as "weird"... 'tis the unfortunate canon event of us autistics. Maybe it got so bad that at one point, they had to pull him out of public school and start homeschooling him. His family might not even know that he's an animal whisperer and might think he's weird for having "one-sided" conversations with the animals, but there's no harm in it. Unfortunately, the potential dismissal of Ink's closeness with the animals as nothing more than a coping mechanism (which it does help him cope with loneliness, but it's more than that) doesn't do very much for his confidence.

I think the only attendee that Ink wouldn't be so jumpy around is Epic, because he's Cross's best friend and has been to the ranch several times before. I think it'd be nice if Dream and Ink are online friends meeting for the first time, and while Dream's bursting with happiness, Ink's having all these suffocating thoughts about how Dream's surely judging him and how different he must be from what Dream imagined. It definitely doesn't help that Stretch and Red are kinda like the "bullies" of the bunch and are natural assholes, that Nightmare has a resting bitch face 24/7, or that Error's very quick to judge and very easy to irritate. Can you imagine how much worse it'd be if the Murder Trio was here? Especially Killer. I'm doing Ink a service by keeping them away from the main group.

I wasn't entirely joking when I said that the dogs at the ranch are Ink's emotional support dogs. At least one of them, maybe Glaze (golden retriever) or Canvas (corgi), was professionally trained to be his emotional support animal. All of the dogs are very protective of Ink and have imprinted on him, especially Paperjam. PJ is so territorial, they're definitely growling and just barely holding back when Error starts getting closer to Ink. Especially if Error and Ink have some not-so-pleasant first interactions.

I don't think Ink would be convinced that running away is the only solution, but maybe he does leave without saying anything and it causes a panic. Especially if he doesn't take Broomie or any of the dogs with him. As for what might lead to that situation, maybe he overhears some of the things the others say and misinterprets them as being about him? This could be helped by awkward interactions or miscommunications.

Even if he doesn't leave or anything, I do think it would gradually lead to him shutting down and just... changing. Even if he's awkward and anxious, he still wants to be around the others and be friends with them, with some support from his family to start making friends again. But everything else is just so discouraging... he's not very good at teamwork or anything that can actually help them, and some of them don't seem very interested in anything he has to say, so... maybe he should just stop trying. It's fine, he's used to not being wanted around anyway. He still has the dogs and the horses, he'll be fine. The others deserve to get the full experience, without someone as clumsy and awkward as him around to ruin it. It's slow, but he stops trying to strike up conversations and eventually stops showing up at all, just doing what he has to and then going back into hiding. Cross notices, of course, but he doesn't want to be insensitive to Ink's struggles and pushy, and he doesn't know what to do.

I know I probably have a reputation as an angst addict who spews tragedy and worst-case-scenarios, but I'm gonna say there are some limits to what angst I'll do for this AU. Or at least for what's canon to the AU. For example, Ink may very well have depression (ayyy depressed gang rise up), but I won't say he's suicidal or does self-harm. Or, like, deliberate self-harm. Did you know you can burn yourself in the shower? I didn't know that until my mom told me I was, I just thought the hot water was nice.

Matter of fact, the eating disorder episode is probably about Ink. Our angst baby. Angst punching bag. Because everyone was pointing out how it wouldn't even work with the horses, as stablehands would've found the food in Pepper's stall immediately. Cross and Ink are very proactive with keeping the stables clean and proper for the animals. But Ink... who would notice with him? The animals would probably notice first, especially the dogs that are practically up his ass lol. My dogs do it too, it's a sign of love. But this could actually work with him disappearing in the woods, maybe he ends up passing out from not eating while still doing the physical labor. Only, in this one, I'd say he takes at least one or two dogs with him... and one comes back to the ranch, barking and whining up a storm, trying to lead the others (namely Cross) to Ink's location.

Getting into the specifics is difficult because there's so much you can do. Stretch and Red can make jokes that are common for them, but end up hurting Ink a lot. One thing I do want to mention, though, is that the horses are aware of the divide and largely one-sided tension between Ink and the others, so they're gonna react to things their owners say and do. One of them can say something about Ink being too jumpy and a horse might nay or something, and so they joke about Ink "talking to their horses behind their backs" or "turning their horses against them", and if Ink overhears this... yikes.

[babsvibes]

The Million Dollar Question for It’s My Party (and I’ll fry if i want to): can you give some more details on what Logan and Louise’s previous fling that took place before the events of the story was like?

Oooo I can absolutely tell you about that! And y’all know you can ask this stuff anytime, right? I’ll tell you literally anything you want to know (if there’s an answer) even outside of ask games lol

It’s My Party (and I’ll fry if I want to)

Sometimes, when you meet someone with a hurt like yours, there’s an almost instantaneous connection, even without really delving into what that hurt is. People can call this a spark, and it makes sense because of how intense the bond can be… like something is hot and comforting but also scary. That’s Louise and Logan’s first fling. They never labeled it because, on top of everything else, how do you label a fire?

They both grew up being told that parts of them were not worthy of love. Their interests, the way they expressed themselves, it’s all “too much” or “too rough.” They developed strategies, coping mechanisms, for how to get around being made to feel unlovable. Logan embraced it, deciding to lean into the asshole persona wholeheartedly because then it was his choice to reject people. Louise receded, tried to hide the parts of herself that were shamed, and became an even worse communicator than she already was.

But suddenly, they’re reconnecting, and here’s Louise, not scared away by Logan being a massive jerk. Suddenly, there’s Logan, pushing Louise until she shows those ugly hidden parts.

To anyone else? It’s a mess. These two are yelling at each other about where to park and fuck they really shouldn’t be using language like that on something so trivial. So, they kept it a secret. Maybe not intentionally, maybe it just didn’t come up, but neither made an effort to share this part that meant so much to them. The recognition of their brokenness made them feel whole, and the idea someone would try to take it away scared them. Only Tina knew about their relationship and she’s not to blame for being worried and confirming Louise’s fears of not being understood. How could Louise explain it in a way that made sense when she didn’t get it either?

Louise and Logan look for fights, and they’d both admit it. The first time they ever kissed was during a fight, so they’d keep that habit (hate sex, make up sex, we’re having sex so we don’t define what this is sex). Even with the fighting, they’ve never known peace like this, sitting on the couch and talking about how terrible a movie is while continuing to watch it together. She stays at his place more nights than she doesn’t and when a spare toothbrush shows up in the bathroom neither mention it.

It works for them in a way that it shouldn’t, and they reaaaallyy need therapy but won’t get it.

One day Logan gets a job offer. More money, different state. Maybe that’s what he needs. Maybe that’s what they both need. Logan’s not sure if he wanted Louise to come with him (he did), but he wanted to talk about it with her at least. She’s his girlfriend, enemy, person? She’s his. For her part, Louise is scared. It’s change. It’s communication. It’s the other shoe dropping and now that someone knows her he wants to leave. They do what they always do and fight, but this time it's different. The words actually hurt, and when Louise said it’s over Logan’s too shocked to know what to do.

They leave. It’s not a break up because they were never together, so the wound heals wrong and just adds on to the hurt from before.

Them reconnecting in a bar at the beginning of It’s My Party? It’s not kismet. That was their bar, the one that’s far enough out that none of their friends would catch them. By now, it’s a new bar staff and new regulars that Louise doesn’t bother learning the names of because they’ll leave too. Neither Logan or Louise mention it because neither of them want to address what it means that they would both find themselves in their bar again. For Logan, it means Louise really did want to stay together, and he’s wasted a part of his life being sad about someone who was right there. For Louise, it means Logan wasn’t running from her, and she’s made another mistake by entangling herself with someone that doesn’t know her.

This made me sad lol, but I hope this helps understand what their previous fling was like. Feel free to ask follow ups if you’re interested!

[symbioticsimplicity]

Because I’ve now reached a level of projection of late unseen, I'm back on my shit.

Which is neurodivergent things the ST kids and teens do.

El is very quiet, typically being nonverbal unless she has to talk or shes excited about something. The others learn quickly that this doesn't mean she's upset and there's no reason to push her to talk. She eventually learns ASL, which is one of the ways she bonds with Steve.

Dustin has special interests and hyperfixations both. Sometimes a hyperfixation will make the jump into a special interest but not always. He will talk the ear off of anyone who will listen about the entire history of whatever he's most interested in. Sometimes, Dustin's special interests, like walkie talkies, save their asses.

Will notices everything. There is nothing that happens in and around their group that he doesn't pick up on. Hes the first to notice new haircuts and new outfits, and he always know when a Party member is upset. He might not always address it the best, but he does try to help. Some of the Party secretly think he can read minds due to his connection with the Upside-down (He can't, he's just autistic and detail oriented), Will knows this too and thinks its kinda funny.

Mike has emotional disregulation issues like crazy. He doesn't feel anything in shades of grey and it feels like everything it cranked up to 10 for him. He doesn't know this is what his problem is, either and self blames which in turn makes things worse. He wants to have a better handle on himself but cannot figure out how.

Max has apathy issues. Having been raised in the environment she was and having Billy of all people be who she spent a lot of time with, she quickly learned that showing too much emotion or "flinching" made things worse. It started as a coping mechanism but grew into a problem if its own. Lucas and El have been the biggest help in getting her to connect to her emotions again.

Lucas didn't come with any neurodivergence to start with, but hes picked up PTSD (on its way to CPTSD at this point) and generalized anxiety. He has a bad habit of not addressing his own issues though so those only worsen with time.

Erica has narcissistic personality issues. This is due to her mother being constantly at work and prior to season 3 her brother being away with his friends for long periods of time. She largely got left to fend for herself, and therefore thinks of herself first. She gets better with time and love from the Party, but its still there.

Steve had abandonment issues a mile wide. Its why he'll never leave a single person behind if he can help it and why he's so fiercely protective of the people he cares for. There is nothing worse in the world to him than being left behind, uncared for. He also has a tendency to be very physically affectionate with loved ones for the same reason.

Nancy has eldest sibling syndrome, as well as an intense fear of failure and anxiety. Of all of them, she masks the most convincingly, so much so that even most of The Party don't know she feels like she does. Mike, Will and Jonathan know, but they're about the only ones.

Robin has autism as well. She's also pretty good at masking, but she has a hard time with social cues, she tends to say the God's honest truth as soon as it hits her head, and she knows way more about linguistics than any neurotypical person would reasonably want to. Also she has a living, breathing, vendetta against the texture of plastic table cloths.

Jonathan has depression, hands down. He's coping with it as best he can, but it weighs him down hard. He had to grow up way too fast, and in a home with a severely abusive father. He tries not to let anyone else take notice of it, he doesn't want anyone to worry about him of all people but Nancy, Will and oddly Argyle do.

Argyle notices because he also has depression, but the kind that hides behind an easy smile and funny one liners. Its part of why he smokes. The weed does an alright job of treating the depression so he can continue on.

Eddie is an Aud-hder. Hes got autism and ADHD. Boy wouldn't know a social norm if it bit him. He stopped trying to fit in early on and while some part of him still hurts about not being able to, he owns himself. Unfortunately this being undiagnosed and untreated means he doesn't do well in school and probably has low self esteem tied to those kinds of things. He won't show it though. He masks just as hard as Nancy does, though his is crafted differently.