#dogjeremy au

[actualbird]

Hey, what if your Jeremy dog au took a twist, like princess and the frog and Michael tries to kiss Jeremy and he turns into a dog too.

im conflicted about this because on one hand, it’s a bad idea because then we will have two dogs that should be humans. i assume theyd be able to communicate with each other now tho thru dogification magic, but still, now there are Two Problems and jeremy wont even be able to rely on michael for help cuz it’s very hard to research anything when you are a dog.

on the other hand, this is a great idea because we will have two dogs.

[ao3feed-bemorechill]

Jeremy Heere is a Dog?!

read it on the AO3 at http://bit.ly/2UA1ndg

by cottoncandymandy

Jeremy has really bad self esteem and wishes to be anything but himself. He wakes up the next morning as a dog. He then has to somehow tell Michael he’s a dog, and after that, they have to figure out how to make him not a dog. Hilarity ensues. Angst ensues. This is gonna be great, kids!

Words: 2195, Chapters: 1/?, Language: English

Fandoms: Be More Chill - Iconis/Tracz

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings

Categories: M/M

Characters: Jeremy Heere, Michael Mell, Jeremy's Dad (Be More Chill), Michael Mell's Mother, Michael Mell's Other Mother, Christine Canigula, Chloe Valentine, Brooke Lohst, Jake Dillinger, Jenna Rolan, Rich Goranski

Relationships: Jeremy Heere/Michael Mell

Additional Tags: DogJeremy AU, Post-Squip, Minor Jake Dillinger/Rich Goranski, Minor Brooke Lohst/Chloe Valentine

read it on the AO3 at http://bit.ly/2UA1ndg

[actualbird]

so a rather odd trope i ran into several times in previous fandoms is a fic where character gets magically turned into a dog and the only way they can turn back human is if they learn to love/trust others or love/trust themselves. now on that note i propose a concept: fic where jeremy gets turned into a dog 

now hear me out. 

post-squip or no squip, either works so long as 1) the gang is all friends 2) things are generally going well in the grand scheme of things and 3) jeremy’s self-esteem and generally his outlook on himself is still absolute shit. 

theres a lot of ways to spin Jeremy’s Terrible Self Esteem. if it’s post-squip, he’s better and things are better but he still harbors so much guilt inside of him. he still resents himself for so many things he did. if it’s no-squip, theres that realistic subtle tragedy of being surrounded by people who love you but never actually believing it. jeremy’s brain can convince him of the wildest, saddest shit, like for example: people dont actually like him and/or want him around and theyre just being nice. all aboard anxiety nightmare train choo choo.

anyway, jeremy gets turned into a dog. how isnt really important (okay i guess it IS but i cant really figure it out yet. magic curse? a witch? a really, really weird side effect of having had a squip? WHO KNOWS. HE’S A DOG NOW) what is important is that jeremy wakes up on a sidewalk where he passed out and for some reason his line of sight is way lower, he cant see the difference between all three lights on the stoplight, and when he tries to say “what the fuck” what comes out instead is a garbled bark. 

jeremy is now a dog and thats not fucking normal at all.

he freaks out. he totally freaks out. he catches his very much not human very much canine reflection at a storefront and he runs, panicked and scared and freaking out. he tries to go home. he claws at the front door and barks up a storm and when he sees his dad through the window and jeremy is so relieved until his dad just shoos him away and he remembers that his dad is deathly allergic to dogs.

jeremy tries to say “i’m jeremy!” but all that comes out is a pitiful whine. his dad looks sad for a moment before drawing the curtains and leaving jeremy alone on the porch.

terrified and alone, jeremy finds himself at michael’s house because thats always where he ends up when he doesnt know what the hell to do next. michael (and michael’s family) is not allergic to dogs and michael basically “adopts” jeremy. as a dog. because no matter what jeremy does, he cant communicate to michael that hes his best friend and not just man’s best friend. michael just thinks jeremy is a really noisy and anxious dog. michael loves him. michael names him something dumb and pointedly not jeremy. maybe one of the pacman ghosts. jeremy rolls his eyes. 

so heres where a bunch of shenannigans can happen because jeremy is a dog but he very obviously doesnt want to be one so hes….pretty shitty at being a dog. theres no way in hell hes eating dog food, hes so fucking clumsy because four legs, and maybe three days into his dog-existence he just gets so frustrated and ends up gnawing something to shreds. michael is kind and he loves dogs but jeremy can see the disappointment in his eyes sometimes. 

all dogs are good dogs unless theyre jeremy.

THIS WHOLE TROPE IS BASICALLY ONE VERY PAINFUL JOURNEY THROUGH SELF WORTH. jeremy has a crisis by the 4th day about how maybe hes more useful to people as a dog than as a human. jeremy thinks about his place in the universe. jeremy watches the world go on without him but—

but it doesnt really. because the entire time jeremy is a dog, jeremy the human is missing. and everybody is affected

now i told jenny @listentotheshityousay this concept and she started to mercilessly kill me with these words

this is such a prime opportunity for jeremy to finally find out what others think about him when he’s not there. the one time where somebody will say sth about him and he can’t think they’re lying they’re just trying to make me feel better they probably don’t like me that much anyway 

he hears jake’s voice through the phone. yeah we’re worried. he’s smarter than he gives himself credit for, he’ll be okay. if anybody tries anything with him I’d fucking break them. christine visits and hugs michael, worry brimming in her eyes. oh I miss him, I want him to come back safely. jeremy’s dad stops by, looking tired and worried. I don’t know what to do, he’s all I have left.

and then there’s michael, who curls around jeremy on the bed, stroking  jeremy’s belly. I bet he’d love to meet you. he’s always had a soft spot for animals. michael laughs, a warm, wobbly sound that makes the tiny heart in jeremy’s canine-ribs ache. I always teased him about being a furry. his fingers tighten in jeremy’s soft fur. I’d never tease him about it again if that would bring him back right now, he says, his voice cracking on the last word. even on my worst days, seeing him smile made me feel like everything was going to be okay. I don’t know if I’m gonna be okay without him.

michael tells jeremy everything about the jeremy heere he’s grown up with for twelve years. about his kindness, his wicked smiles, his competitive nature revealing itself during their gaming sessions. a jeremy heere that jeremy himself has never seen and only sees now, through the lens of michael’s stories, and the realization of how much michael loves him, how loved jeremy is, it’s too big to fit into his chest.

AND

“I shouldve told him I loved him,” michael whispers, burying his face aginst jeremy’s side to hide his tears. “I wish I’d told him that he could always come back to me.” 

I’m here, jeremy wants to say. I came back to you. I always come back to you. he wants to scream and instead whimpers, nosing against michael’s shaking shoulder. I want to come back to you, I want you to tell me, I want to, I want to, please

when they start looking for jeremy, jeremy cant help but feel little bitter about it. even when hes missing, all hes doing is causing trouble and being an inconvenience. but then this painful scenario of feelings happens and jeremy starts to see how much people care but in the most painful way possible. it feels like being flayed open, watching people mourn him when hes right there. when that happens all he wants to do is go back. he needs to change back.he doesnt give a fuck about himself but for everybody else, he needs to come back but he doesnt know how to

michael breaks down and jeremy has to watch. it hurts jeremy so fucking much to see his best friend like this, to know that it’s his fault but he tries to help how he can in the form hes in. he doesnt leave michael alone when hes looking rough. he cuddles next to him (even though somehow that feels wrong, like hes taking advantage of the situation but for fuck’s sake hes a dog). jeremy is getting used to the feeling of shaking fingers threading through his fur. and it fucking kills him

i actually dont know how to fix this. eventually jeremy is gonna find a way to communicate to michael, maybe he knocks over a scrabble set. and then they work together to figure out how to change him back (and guess what it’s through the power of SELF LOVE) but uh yeah. 

so thats my oddly depressing concept where jeremy gets turned into a dog. thanks for reading

[actualbird]

dogjeremy au: wherein im still a little fuzzy on how things get resolved but i want some fluff so let’s fast forward to after for a moment

i may be cruel enough to turn jeremy into a dog but im not that cruel as to leave him with that much homework oh my god. for reasons of convenience and kindness, this au takes place like, in the summer. or over some other type of school break. 

i dont want jeremy behind on his studies and if “my dog ate my hw” is bad i dont think anybody will accept “i couldnt do hw BECAUSE i was a dog”. so break time it is.

after weeks of sleeping next to michael as a dog, now that he’s back he cant sleep without...something. he cant exactly be cuddled next to somebody every night so the the population of pillows on jeremy’s bed has increased. he needs something to hug. or something bracketing him. 

jeremy responds to shiloh. 

jeremy thinks he can fit into smaller places for a while. like, he forgets hes upright and tall and bangs his head against some places. he kinda has to remember hes not border collie sized anymore

for the first few days, jeremy doesnt talk. he couldnt as a dog so he forgets that he can. this one is really unsettling but thankfully, it’s short term

and this is the one jeremy hates the most: the squirrel chasing urge has followed him into humanhood. he never does it, but man he fucking wants to. 

MAN THIS IS A TWO WAY STREET. 

michael will make fun of jeremy for all the usual furry jokes + basically teasing him over every asshole thing he did as a dog. michael is a bit of a dick so hes not above using it sometimes to get his way 

“hey jeremy can you get me soda” 

“get your own fucking soda” 

“remember when you accidentally swallowed like eight scrabble pieces?” 

“michael im breaking up with you.”

but jeremy can make fun of michael for so much too. michael was such an idiot, he was gonna use shiloh as a tracking dog. michael babytalked shiloh. like “awww who’s a cutie pie? you are! yes you are!” at the time, it was fucking humiliating for jeremy but now? he never lets michael live it down

“jeremy youre the worst.”

“no im not. im a cutie pie. you said it yourself.”

“THE WORST! YOURE THE WORST!!!” 

post-dog, theres a lot of heavy feelings these boys will sift through but also theyre dumb teenagers. theyll tease each other to death.

oh fuck oooohhhh fuck i never thought about this but now that you mention it, absolutely. i can see this happening like maybe a few months post-dog, when michael and jeremy are together already (because of course they will, this is an actualbird au), jeremy realizes that...michael misses having a dog.

he doesnt miss jeremy being a dog of course. michael is very much happier with his best friend and boyfriend being 100% human, thank you very much. but michael is a huge dog lover, he deserved a dog that wasnt, yknow, jeremy. and jeremy notices. 90% of michael’s likes on twitter are pictures of dogs. 

as a textbook romantic, i wanna say that for michael’s birthday or something, jeremy takes michael to a dog shelter. theyll pick a dog together

(and just to be sure, they ouija board test the dog immediately. not taking any chances)

[actualbird]

okay so apparently(according to my groomer)neutering doesn't actually do much to stop a dog from marking/being territorial and such. like just as long as your dog isn't going outside and roaming around you should be fine. idk i'm just imagining michael doing all this research on Why Shiloh Doesn't Need To Be Fixed and his parents going 'okay,' and then later be like 1/2

yknow what. michael makes a powerpoint. he shows it to his parents while jeremy sits next to him. heres the first slide

[actualbird]

Dogjeremy is such a good au I can't handle it. You talked about how people always confess things to their dogs - what kind of things does Michael confess to dogjeremy?

Things Michael Has Confessed To Jeremy Because He Thinks Jeremy Is A Normal, If Not Freakishly Well Trained, Dog: A Curated Selection Compiled By Jeremy Heere But Like, Mentally, Because He Currently Does Not Have The Luxury Of Fingers To Write With

“I don’t like avocados.”

“I never actually learned the multiplication table. I just count real fast on my fingers.”

“Don’t touch that! I’m trying to knit gloves for Brooke’s birthday, so don’t chew that up, okay?”

“Rich’s red streak is tacky. Jenna pulls it off, but Rich?”

“I was supposed to name you Marley, like Bob Marley. But then I remembered I cried watching Marley and Me, so it wouldn’t be a good idea. But I cry watching a lot of movies. I cried watching Click. Don’t tell anybody that, by the way. Only Jeremy….knows….”

“I miss him.”

“I like early mornings more than late nights, but I don’t mind staying up. Never minded. He was always more of a night owl.”

“I’ve been in love with him since we were fourteen—why are you looking at me like that? Are you gonna throw up? Shiloh?”

“I don’t know what I’ll do if he doesn’t come back.”

[actualbird]

Okay, but like, for the dogJeremy au, after Michael finds out, imagine him deflecting every time his parents ask when he's going to get Shiloh fixed.

michael’s mom: when are you bringing shiloh to the vet to get fixed?

michael: uhhhhhh //looks at jeremy

jeremy: 

michael: yeah uhhh maybe. maybe next month. or next year. i heard it’s, ah, unlucky to get a dog neutered on the year of the dog. haha. yeah. 

[actualbird]

after seeing that art of dogjeremy wearing his t shirt im just imagining michael giving jeremy the option of wearing it if he wants and jeremy says yeah and everyone is just. Mildly to Very concerned about michael's well being bc of it. like i dont know if jer and michael would Ever do that but. idk it crossed my mind lmao

michael’s parents are really really worried about michael these days. first michael finds a weird dog and they were pretty on the fence about letting him adopt it from the street but then a day later jeremy is declared missing and theyre glad the dog stayed. michael gets increasingly more distressed and sad as the days go by, and shiloh is one thing that still manages to put a smile on his face. 

michael, like most teenagers, doesnt like showing Emotions to his parents and in a time like this, theyre worried that him closing himself off would be really really bad. the only person michael truly trusted enough to talk to about feelings was jeremy and jeremy isnt here. but then one of them passes by michael’s room and overhears michael just…rambling to shiloh in a hushed voice. around the house, they see michael talking to shiloh about jeremy, voice all bittersweet, sometimes breaking. it’s very worrying but michael’s parents arent going to stop him. theyre glad michael is managing to externalize somehow.

so fastforward to where michael learns shiloh is jeremy and a hilarious but unsettling misunderstanding happens. if talking to your dog about your missing best friend was bad, now michael’s parents are seeing him talking to the dog like he is the missing best friend.

michael’s mood suddenly shifts. he’s still distressed but theres more determination now. more energy. but also michael is now calling the dog jeremy. michael is now talking to the dog as if it is jeremy. what the fuck. michael tries to not do these things while his parents are in the room, but he slips up. a lot. and you MUST realize how bad this looks from an outsider’s perspective. his parents think that mikey, out of grief, has fucking lost it

meanwhile, michael is in overdrive trying to figure out the puzzle that is jeremy’s dogness, but thats another post altogether. what is relevant to this current topic is that now that he knows his dog is jeremy, he wants to do his best to make jeremy as comfortable as possible. theres always some form of communication on the floor for jeremy to use, marginally more junkfood for jeremy to eat, and michael. does offer jeremy the option of clothes. because jeremy is like, technically naked all the time what does he do with this information. 

jeremy does Not take michael up on the offer because it would be a lot weirder if he was a dog wearing human clothes. but one night, michael is researching on his laptop in the living room and he shucks his hoodie onto the couch. jeremy cant help but snuggle into it. its warm. and the next thing he knows, he’s nosed his way into it completely, head slightly covered by the hood.

“yeah, youve always liked stealing my hoodie, huh?” michael says. “typical jeremy.”

michael’s father watches from the hallway and slowly backs away. he resolves that it might be time to talk to michael about. all this.

[actualbird]

A concept; Michael wafting a Jeremy shirt in front of doggo Jeres face in hopes he’ll pick up a scent,,.. Jeremy looks at the camera

hjJHKJFSD THATS HILARIOUS. i can see this scene kinda playing out like. michael is in his room rambling to jeremy about jeremy and he just kinda starts going getting softer, looking at jeremy intensely. “jeremy is missing.” michael says. “jeremy is missing and i now conveniently have a dog.”

jeremy perks up from where he was laying on the floor because holy fuck. 

“jeremy is missing and i have a dog so—” michael scrambles to where jeremy sits, nodding, tail wagging enthusiastically. michael is putting it together, michael is figuring it out, michael is a genius. “that means! that means—”

“—that means you can help me find jeremy!”

michael is an idiot.

michael is rambling about how this totally makes sense because duh in all movies the dog can always catch a scent and find the missing person and while thats happening jeremy just trots over to michael’s desk and thunks his head against it. 

(it’s frustrating and mildly entertaining until michael comes back with a shirt and, huh, jeremy’s been wondering where that went. he waves the shirt in front of jeremy’s snout and this is ridiculous so jeremy just grabs it with his teeth and runs circles around michael, trying to get the message across. this is my shirt because im not a dog im jeremy---

and then michael is trying to get jeremy to stop and his voice is laced with concern, maybe a little anger, and hes saying “hey, careful with that! bad dog! dont---”

michael manages to get the shirt back from jeremy. he holds it close to himself. “you have to be careful, okay? you can break my stuff, but not his. i still have to return this when---.”

michael sits on the edge of the bed, talking softer now. “---when he comes back.”

jeremy feels shame curl in his gut because here he is ruining everything as usual but he pushes that back for now to focus on michael. he trots over to him and lays his head in michael’s lap in apology. michael scritches jeremy’s head and manages a shaky smile. 

“he’s coming back, right?” michael asks. 

he’s right here, jeremy says but michael can only hear jeremy’s soft whine.)

[actualbird]

dogjeremy au: more on how the dogness happened (a post sponsored by this post talking about squip possibilities. posquipbilities?)

MAN if we’re going route 2, i think the code to get turned into a dog is like a really fucking hard to activate easter egg. like, so many prerequisites have to have happened along with like, brain activity or whatever. everybody who got squipped totally has the possibility to get dog’d (so only michael is safe really) but only jeremy heere has the massive unlucky-ness to manage to activate the Installing Dog Program. 

though after jeremy gets undog’d, at least everybody knows what happened and generally knows what to do. if you get turned into a dog u got some internal issues u gotta work through. 

spinoff sequel to dogjeremy au: jake dillinger opens his front door to see a panicked corgi. “rich?” jake says. the corgi, very distressed, nods.

(im gonna get really emotional thinking about dogrich. dogrich who is scared of dogs and has SO MANY ISSUES to possibly explore. im not strong enough to think about that...........yet)

still in route 2 and i’d say no if only because jeremy is going through enough pain and hearing the squip on top of all of that is too much for my heart to handle. but jfbkjdbvksjdf that second ask is hilarious i need to entertain the concept for a hot second. the squip would be so confused and also oddly pissed cuz it’s one thing to be stuck in the brain of a teenager, it’s another thing to be stuck in the brain of a teenager who is now currently a dog.

(jeremy you never cease to surprise me. i didnt think you could downgrade more than how i left you but---

“shiloh?” michael asks. “why are you growling at empty space?”)

MAN this is basically canon but the squip is the most asshole witch ever with a cruel sense of humor. jeremy is like “i wanna be Loved” and the squip is like “well everybody loves dogs” and then poof. 

i dont think jeremy would wish to have a higher self esteem tbh. i think hes deep enough in self loathing to not word it like that but then instead go and wish on the external factors. kinda like “i wanna be loved [in spite of who i am]” instead of the actual reality of “people do love me but i cannot see it/believe it”

anyway, cursed he still is. woof

similar to last ask but this time the squip is the shooting star kjkfhdsjf. but this is different because while this is also a wish of misunderstanding but like. jeremy’s intentions are different. this one hurts more because he doesnt even wish to be better, he just wants to be not this. 

the only way to turn back is to want to be jeremy again. but it has to be more than that. he cant just want to be himself because others are worried, but he has to want it for himself. 

(and man. i know i made this au and i know that this is also present in canon but like. jeremy getting so desperate and sad that he goes and makes witch deals or wishes on shooting stars. how much sadness do you have to have in your heart to do that? how much sadness gets trapped along with him when he gets turned? how much sadness does he have to work through to change back? man.)

jeremy: i wanna be chill

squip programming: ive never seen anything chiller than a dog

jeremy: WHAT

[actualbird]

Also I’m cackling at the idea of Michael’s google search history being filled with a bunch of weird stuff Jeremy does “can dogs understand English?” “Do dogs smile?” “Dog knocked on my door before coming in” “I think my dog winked at me no really it seemed intentional” “my dog gets really excited about video games, should I play with him?”

OH MAN michael is really weirded out by shiloh, his new dog and his many human like mannerisms and attitudes. shiloh/dogjeremy seems to get flustered, nervous, and his body language looks like he can understand what people are saying. his ears perk up and he sighs and sometimes this dog even barks when asked questions, it’s freaky. shiloh knocks on all doors before coming in and barks at michael to wake up in the morning. because of the Collar Incident, shiloh and michael walk without a leash and yet shiloh is very, very well behaved. shiloh definitely tries to follow michael around but alas there are places dog cannot be. when michael is at school, shiloh stays at home, but sometimes they go out together. when michael goes into 7-11 to get a snack shiloh just sits outside patiently. shiloh hops in the passenger seat of michael’s cruiser and shiloh fuckin manages to buckle his seatbelt over himself with his teeth. when shiloh sleeps, he grabs the blanket with his teeth and pulls it over himself. michael cant even get mad at how this dog is now hogging the blanket hes just impressed.

of course none of this computes as hey maybe shiloh is actually my missing best friend. michael kinda just figures that shiloh is very well trained.

which leads to

SO shiloh’s odd behavior and amazing intelligence leads michael to bringing him to the vet to get him scanned for a chip. it’s honestly something he shouldve done on the first day, but he put it off because…he didnt want to give up his dog. but then he thinks about if dog does have an owner. he thinks about how much missing somebody hurts. 

so he gets dog scanned.

the vet comes up empty of course and michael drives them back home. he’s really relieved and maybe it’s wishful thinking, but shiloh looks relieved too. michael decides to flush the rest of his anxiety out by playing some viddy games (single player), and dog just kinda sits next to him (where jeremy wouldve been).

“i wish you could play video games,” michael says instead of getting emotional and spilling his guts to his dog for the nth time this week. 

shiloh just sighs but michael honestly doesnt know what that means.

[actualbird]

the whole ouija scrabble best friend quiz bonanza of Proving This Dog Is Actually Jeremy takes place well throughout the night (because when else are you gonna pull out an ouija board? the aesthetic doesnt work in the day :/ )

they spend like, an inordinate amount of time hugging. or well, jeremy getting hugged by michael because it’s hard to hug back when you’re a dog. all jeremy can do is wag his tail lots and feel really emotional because finally. by the time they manage to themselves off of each other, theyre exhausted. it’s well past midnight and they spent the past few hours in the most stressful game of 20 question ever. 

michael manages to ask jeremy a few more questions: am i dreaming? (NO) are you okay? (AS OKAY AS I CAN BE) how did this happen? (LONG STO---) and then jeremy, adorably, yawns. it’s late and theyre both tired so they go to bed. michael settles in and jeremy hops on the bed as usual, closes his teeth around the blanket to pull it over himself before michael yanks it out of his grasp.

“oh no, fuck you,” michael points at jeremy. “you hogging the blanket was impressive back when i thought you were just a freakishly smart dog but now it’s just greedy.”

jeremy squints at him.

“jesus christ, how did i not notice you were jeremy,” he laughs softly. michael pats the side next to him. “come on, we’ll share, jerk. like old times. except not really because you’re a dog, but you get what i mean.”

jeremy hesitates for a moment before snuggling up to michael and going to sleep.

(the next morning michael wakes up to jeremy’s snuffling head on his chest. in spite of the overwhelming weirdness of the situation, michael cant help but feel just a little bit at peace.)

(jeremy has actually been awake for a few minutes, but he tries not to stir. he wants to let the moment last for a little longer. he pushes back the inevitable stress of figuring out what to do next and listens to michael’s heartbeat through his chest.)

[actualbird]

@werejerk submitted:

DOGJEREMY…

JBKDJBVKSJDFDS PRETTY MUCH

[actualbird]

dogjeremy au: things that happen after michael now knows his dog is jeremy (part 1 to basically the resolution of this au plotwise)

see, michael now has a mission. he has a purpose. gone are the days of vague sulking and sorrow because dealing with a missing person’s case with no leads was awful, everybody was just searching blind. but now michael knows whole things 1) jeremy is a dog, 2) thats not normal, and 3) if he turned into one, there must be a way to turn him back. 

so it is time for michael to go into Research Overdrive: This Puzzle Must Be Solved So That I Can Save My Friend From Eternal Dog-itude. and research overdrive will vary depending on which route of squiptitude caused jeremy’s dogness, all rather entertaining in their own right. 

if this au is post-squip and the dog is a squip sideeffect, it’s likely jeremy has no idea and michael finds it out while combing thru squip information. he stumbles upon a weird forum buried under a bunch of internet mazes. the forum is basically like “SHES A DOG NOW AND MTNDEWRED ISNT WORKING PLS HELP” to which michael has to respond by like, taking deep breaths, because what the fuck is a squip even?? he does digging, establishes contact, finds out the dog was able to turn back, but comes up empty with how she managed it. “i turned back when i found peace” “k cool but wtf does that mean”. yes this means michael probably makes jeremy drink mtn dew red. it doesnt do anything sadly but it’s really funny watching a dog drink soda from the bottle.

jeremy was cursed by squipwitch or made a wish on a shooting s(quip)tar, jeremy has to fess up. when michael interviews him about all the events that led up to jeremy getting turned into a dog, he gets a little cagey before finally admitting that he, well. kinda wished for it. he didnt wish to BE a dog, he just wished to not be him (which breaks michael’s heart in so many ways, but one problem at a time.) curses/wishes are easier to work with because fairytale logic dictates that curses are mostly to teach lessons. theres something jeremy has to learn from being a dog, and once he learns that, he’ll turn back. now the only problem here is that...they have to figure out what that thing is.

(”you have like a hundred issues, dude, how are we supposed to find and fix one,” michael tells jeremy.

“hey!” michael jeremy a second later when jeremy nips at his arm.)

michael has a lot more energy though now that he knows. things are still bleak but now he’s working towards a goal and his best friend is no longer missing and by his side. it’s kinda like a fun few days for a while yknow. like the 2 minutes music montage in the movie with the pop song in the background and michael and jeremy are trying to figure things out either through squip testing (maybe if we fuck up the squip coding so much, itll just undog jeremy) or....weird talk therapy. weird because michael is quiet genuinely terrible with other people’s emotions and jeremy can only talk through an ouija board and pre-written index cards. 

im on the fence on whether or not michael would tell anybody else about jeremy. it’s ultimately jeremy’s choice, but michael thinks more people knowing might increase their chances of finding a solution but jeremy also doesnt want to like, do more damage (because what if nothing works? it wouldve been better off if people just...didnt know). so maybe they tell christine. or the rest of the gang. but the one jeremy is adamant about not telling is his dad. (and that hurts jeremy a lot but he doesnt think he could survive watching his dad not believe that hes jeremy. jeremy kinda wishes he could get michael to bring jeremy back to his place just so he could see his dad. maybe cuddle against him. but his dad’s allergies. also, his dad’s probably worsening depression under the brunt of jeremy’s disappearance. jeremy isnt strong enough to go through that.)

so they keep working to find a solution!! but the fun montage can only last for so long and every lead they try to follow comes up empty. things are starting to look bad again. michael tries to keep a brave face on for jeremy, but he realizes that kinda useless. jeremy’s already seen him break down countless times over his own disappearance and---

oh man

in the midst of all the research michael. kinda fucking forgot about all that. about everything he told jeremy. 

he told jeremy that he’s in love with him.

and now michael cant even seem to help him turn back so they can talk about it.

[actualbird]

Ok but when jer turns back won't he be naked & does michael put a collar on jeremy these are important questions -TheReferencer

1) YES HE WILL BE NAKED. when he gets turned back i assume it’s a very happy and emotional moment but also he is naked, somebody please give that boy a coat. (idk how this bit happens yet but excuse to make jeremy wear michael’s hoodie? yes. yes. and yes.)

2) now see michael tries to put a collar on jeremy. michael has wanted a dog all his life but when he was eleven his betta fish died from neglect and poor fish care and his parents have never trusted him with a pet since. he is seventeen now and so responsible please can i have this dog, look at him he’s adorable. michael makes puppy eyes at his parents. jeremy, who does not wanna go to the pound and adopted by some stranger, also makes puppy eyes at michael’s parents. he hopes hes doing it right. he feels like his eye is twitching. 

anyway michael’s parents let him keep jeremy so long as michael really goes all the way with dog ownership. he’ll feed him, take care of him, walk him. the whole shebang. michael’s mom squints at jeremy and offhand mentions that theyll have to get jeremy his shots and also get him fixed and michael will have to pay for it.

it takes a few seconds for jeremy to realize what she means by fix and—oh FUCK he has to change back before that happens holy SHIT

ANYWAY this means michael totally buys a collar because how else is he gonna walk this dog? it does not go well at all. michael chases jeremy through the entire house holding a collar while jeremy dashes with his speedy little legs because theres no way in hell hes gonna wear a collar. it’s actually pretty fun. michael is yelling but also laughing and for the first time since jeremy’s turned into a dog, hes having a little bit of fun.

but then michael corners him and clips the collar on and jeremy wants it off. it’s too much of a reminder about the situation and the weight of it makes him panic. the moment it’s in place, he’s trying to paw it off, whining and whimpering loudly.

“hey, hey, hey, okay,” michael rushes to him immediately. “i’ll take it off, im sorry.”

michael unclips the collar and jeremy curls up into himself. 

“im sorry,” michael says again. “i didn’t mean to make you upset. i wont try to put it back on again, i promise.”

and when michael makes promises, he means them. jeremy has twelve years of experience behind the fact.

“im sorry,” michael approaches him slowly and jeremy realizes he’s been cowering. “forgive me?”

jeremy walks to where michael is crouched nearby and accepts the hug.

(”i just dont want you to run away,” michael tells him later that night, just as jeremy’s about to fall asleep, curled at the foot of michael’s bed. 

michael sets his glasses on his desk and drags his hands down his face. jeremy realizes he looks tired. 

“i dont wanna lose another friend this week,” he says.)

thankfully, michael realizes that this weird dog doesnt need a collar or a leash anyway because when they walk, the dog is always by his side. it doesnt run forward or lag back. it’s always by his side.

[actualbird]

okay but the squip squad's reactions to michael's new, awkward, kinda clumsy, incredibly cute, lovable pet dog (which is actually jeremy but none of them know that)

AW MAN well we’ve definitely got some dog lovers in the squad (christine, jake, jenna) but everybody else doesnt really have any Strong Opinions. rich i think would be a little scared of dogs (bad experience with a neighbor’s german shepherd when he was a kid. guys, dogs came from wolves) and brooke and chloe are more cat people. 

michael will probably bring dogjeremy/shiloh over like on the first/second day of jeremy’s dog existence. theyre all just hanging out. and you must know that jeremy really is an adorable dog. he’s so soft. christine says this at least seven times while giving jeremy so many pets and jeremy should honestly be resisting but christine found the scratchy spot and the dog body is a traitor. jeremy is helpless. he can do nothing but scratch. jenna is more chill but she i staring at jeremy the entire time with the signature Oh Thats A Great Dog look. jake announces to the room at large “michael, that’s a cool dog, i might steal him.” brooke thinks michael’s new dog is cute. chloe thinks michael’s new dog is a little weird, but still cute. rich is cautious (guys, they came from WOLVES) but he thinks the new dog is cool so long as it doesnt start snarling. 

so everybodys just hanging out and having a good time (and jeremy starts feeling like shit. are his friends happier when he isnt there?) but then they will bring up that jeremy like...didnt show up today. and that hes not replying to any of their messages. this obviously gets jeremy’s attention and he starts barking, starts running around, tries to get the message across, but it wont work. michael just scrambles to get shiloh under control cuz he’s making rich antsy.

but thats how the mystery Begins. also jake tries to bring shiloh home. michael stops him before he can steal his dog.