#if mike and will swapped places

[strange-anni]

I have been thinking about @greenfiend theory about The changeling and the murder case where a son died and then another boy came in to take his place but the mother was always convinced that this new boy wasn't her son (and she was right).

Similarly after J. M. Barries (author of Peter Pan) brother died one day before his 14th birthday Barrie tried to emulate his brother because his mother was so heartbroken. He wore the same clothes as him and even whistled in a similar manner.

Source

Here is a thing I never understood. Joyce loves both of her sons so very much. We've seen it over and over again. So how come there is only one photo of a blonde boy on the radio? This is presumable Jonathan but there is not picture of a young Will.

We know the Wheelers are not shy of taking photos of their children. Nancy has an entire pin board full of photos and memories of her childhood. On the fireplace too is an array of family photos and of two baby girls in particular. One of which Mike identifies as Holly. The other one above Nancys teen photo is presumably also Nancy. They're big photos and are taking up lots of space. Yet there is no such photo from Mike. We get one with him being a young teen and there is another black and white photo of a baby which could be him but it sticks out like a sore thumb. Not only is it black and white while none of the other photos are, it's also notably smaller than the rest and you can barely make out who it's supposed to be. It could be Mike but it could also be anyone else.

Here is another thing which also leaves me puzzled. It's a very well established fact that Lucas lives very close to Mike. He's the one Mike mostly talks to on the Walkie Talkie as the signal is so weak.

Lucas lives so close to Mike and they've also been friends for along time and yet as Mike entered kinderkarten in 1976 he knew nobody. He had no friends. There is no mention of Lucas. He didn't even know him. Why?

Have Will and Mike swapped places sometime in 1976 after they first met?

If you've stumbled upon this post and want to read a more in-depth version of it look here

Swapping places: Will and Mike - Part 1: Will Byers Swapping places: Mike and Will - Part 2: Mike Wheeler

[the-woman-upstairs]

Exactly HOW many stories about guys named Daniel placing themselves in dangerous situations with unstable people to capture the stories of life on the margins of society through a series of interviews am I gonna experience this month???

[revvnant]

also all my feelings about schmafton aside i love movie vanessa she's my perfect princess. she's a creep she's a weirdo she's a victim she's complicit her dad has been using her to lure in victims and clean up his mess all her life he blames her for it and she internalises it she plays with the toys of his victims she copes by reading the wiki she's spineless until she's not she lets people die on her watch because she's too afraid to say no and rightly so because the man will stab her remorselessly. she's my kitten who gaslit mike unprompted about those guys breaking in even though she saw him lock the door and had no way of knowing he was asleep on shift because he was awake to let her in and hang with her. she's daddy's special girl. she's an angel. she's responding to stress by threatening to shoot it. she's everything to me and i'm not joking.

[strange-anni]

This airplane is also an Antonov. Antonov An-2 to be exact. It was first manufactured in 1947 and was designed by Oleg Antonov.

Source

It is the airplane which brings Joyce and Murray into the Soviet-Union but since Yuri betrays them and they have to defend themselves the plane crashes so it can't get them out.

It's kind of funny that one Jim tells another Jim that he's not the father of Michael, isn't it?

The Antonov An-2 airplane is also type 22.

Like ...

Mike is arriving with flight 623 from Gate 2. We get this message two times.

Chance who can be considered Mikes Upside Down version also has the number 22.

Then there is Billy who's almost about to say something important when the temperature is at 220.

Jim/Dimitri/Antonov who's also Enzo/Henry and the (Not-)Father of Michael?

Nevertheless it's the plane which got them stuck and can't get them out again because it's been destroyed.

In the end it's Katinka who gets all of them unstuck. Katinka which is a nickname for Katerina/Catherine. This name is also the origin of the name Karen.

Catherine means pure but only Katinka the helicopter is pure. Yuris ex-girlfriend Katinka who the helicopter is named after isn't.

Maybe they're asking the wrong person? If the father won't get them the permission, maybe they should ask the mother instead?

Hopper is stuck, and Enzo can get him unstuck.

Hopper = basically another name for rabbit.

Enzo = Italian for "Henry" [father of Hawkins]/short for Lorenzo/Lawrence/Lonnie

"Enzo" is actually Dmitri Antonov. [Dmitri = follower of Demeter/mother Earth/motherland] [Antonov = derived from the Antonius root name, like the name Anthony].

Although Enzo initially is successful, he is found out and fails at getting Hopper "unstuck". He isn't the real "Enzo" [father]. To add to this, "Enzo" is not really "Mikhail"'s [Mike's] father... or is he?

This is absolutely what connects Henry [Enzo] Creel and Edward Creel I feel like- because Edward = Ted. It's all about the fathers.

This is definitely connected to:

Robin and Nancy -> finding the truth of Victor Creel [the father].

Robin and Nancy claimed they have received a recommendation letter from Larry [Larry/Lawrence/Lonnie] Brantley ["sword" or "fiery torch"].

Anthony [connected to Antonov] Hatch [opening a door/hatching an egg] allows them to enter, thinking they have permission.

Robin mistakenly says "Bradley" [the store where El stole Eggos from] instead of "Brantley".

Hatch finds out- realizing they were there under false pretenses. They did not receive permission from the real "Larry" [Father].

Now this is also connected to:

Suzie's father confiscating her computer and access to the computer's memory/data.

They need permission from the father to access the computer but there's no way he'll provide that.

Cornelius [horn] yells and turns off the power and distracts the father to allow them to access the computer data/memory. So yet again, they override permission from father.

This is ALSO connected to:

Bob overriding the security codes in ST2. In order to unlock the doors = the computer system needs to be rebooted. Bob manages to access the computer and manually override the code. Yet again, Bob is not the real father, there is no permission from the father [or rather the MF].

Are you still with me?

I know I'm missing some things here but damn.

When I tell you that father is super important to the story, I'm not exaggerating.

Father is guarding the truth, and has been this whole time.

[love-byers]

cornplate but idc we have fun here

in the van (not THE van scene, just the van in general), most of it is from will's pov or no particular pov. just about every time we see will and mike in the van, we see the surfer boy pizza logo on the window, very clearly flipped. backwards. we can't read it.

obviously it's not very hard to just read it backwards, but it's still wrong. it's not the correct pov for it to make sense. it's wrong, it's backwards.

the only time we see the logo flipped the correct way, where we see what it really says, where it is easy to read is here:

in the rear view mirror from jonathan's pov. the outsiders pov. not will's pov.

both times we see this mirror shot, will is not looking at mike. mike is looking at will quite intently. the boys also swap places, mike now appearing to be on the left and will on the right. mike is in will's place and will is in mike's. they are also both equally in frame, both in focus. there's no over the shoulder or anything like that. we are looking at them plainly, seeing them as they are, no bias. not warped by a character's pov. we are seeing reality. and what does reality look like?

yeah....

we also see it here:

on mike's side of the van. it is slightly obscured, a shadow, but still there and flipped the correct way. next to mike, who's pov has been hidden from us.

to me, this is saying that will's point of view, his idea of his love for mike being unrequited, mike being straight and in love with el, is completely backwards. he's got it all wrong.

im hesitant to call will an unreliable narrator because in creative writing classes i've been taught to not use that phrase. i've just been taught to not label characters that way and lean on that concept. a character's pov is simply a characters pov, and what they see is real to them. every character will have different povs, especially in a tv show. it shouldn't necessarily be a part of the plot that a character is unreliable, it should be more complex than that if that makes sense. every character's pov compares and contrast each others.

buttt there's really no other way to describe will in s4 😭

what makes will and mike interesting and what does make will 'unreliable' is that mike's pov is being purposefully hidden from us. we can't compare and contrast their pov's because one is being distinctly hidden. we only have one side. we only know that will thinks mike is straight and doesn't feel that way about him and loves el. but that doesn't mean the other side doesn't exist.

every character has extensive thought put into them. so mike's pov does exist, we just can't see it.

this is a prime example to me. this moment where mike looks back is HUGE, or it should be. a character doing this is very revealing of their mindset and point of view. it's there, it's just hidden from us. we can clearly see mike do it in the back, but it's blurred and we can't see what other expressions he's making. we have no clue what he's thinking in this moment as he's looking at the painting/will.

will's pov shows us what he thinks mike is thinking. which could either be accurate or inaccurate.

and, like im suggesting, he's got it all wrong. completely backwards. mike isn't straight, he doesn't love el, and he does have feelings for will.

i mean...look at him. let's put the puzzle pieces together guys...

[henry7931]

Uncle Nephew Swaps Vol.1

A Very Different Vacation

Caleb:

My best friend Jake and I always travel with our families together. His parents are friends with my parents and I’ve grown up with him all my life.

And when it came time for our family beach trip, we decided to shake things up. Specially, we switched bodies with our uncles!

That’s right! Our entire trip will be me in my uncle Shawn and Jake in his uncle Mike.

So far I’ve really enjoy being inside of Shawn. Especially since we haven’t told anyone in our families about the swap. Luckily, both Shawn and Mike are single so we can do just about whatever we want!

That means if we want to go golfing all day, party all night, it’s really up to us!

I’m not gonna lie, it’s kinda hot being inside of my uncle Shawn. He’s a good looking guy and I can’t help but notice my attraction to Mike’s body. I wonder if Jake would be down to fool around.

His uncle has a sexy chest, he’s fit like Shawn, and from the bulge I’ve seen Jake sport around on the beach— I just know that thing is big!

Maybe after we go out tonight, I’ll try to make my move. In the meantime, I’ll just low key flirt with him.

Wait a minute, I wonder… if I’m so attracted to Mike inside of my uncles body… does that mean Shawn and Mike may already have a thing?

Uncle Shawn:

“Okay smile for the camera!”

I feel Mike grab on tight to my nephew’s shoulder and seductively rub down my back as the photos over.

“You wanna get ready for the beach?” I ask him with a big grin on my face.

“Oh yeah let’s go get ready.”

The second we get back to our shared room, Mike yanks off my pants and my nephew’s eager dick comes flying out.

“Shit, Shawn this is so wrong but I love having these bodies. The amount of times we can keep going in one day.”

“I know! You thought this mornings shower session was enough but damn! I’m already horny again!”

My grabs on to my borrowed cock and I yelp.

“Sorry it’s just so sensitive.”

“It’s all good, I like making you squirm a bit,” he says toying with Caleb’s 21 year old leaking equipment.

I look down at Jake’s beautiful big feet. Mike’s really good at putting those toes to work.

“Ohhh does someone want me to jerk them off again with these toes?” he says wiggling them in front of me.

“Please…”

Mike kisses me with his soft lips. We end up making out for a few minutes before he pushes me back on the bed.

“You ready ‘Caleb’?”

“Oh my ready ‘Jake’!”

Mike wraps Jake’s toes around Caleb’s sensitive cock and i immediately start moaning.

He runs his toes over the shaft down to Caleb’s tight balls.

“Ohhhhh…”

He proceeds to put the other foot towards my face and I start sucking on his toes.

I get the foot good and wet before he switches off to the other one.

His feet stink mainly from him refusing to wear any socks all trip but Mike knows I love nothing more than natural body odor. He’s even wore the same pair of boxers all week which he’s even cum into a couple of times.

I feel him start to pump faster with Jake’s toes. I rub and down his hairy legs. We keep eye contact which is so sexy to me. Both of us don’t want to miss a minute of our experience.

Now we’ve both fooled around with body swapping, especially with each other. I’m normally fucking my own body most of the time when I’m with Mike. But this switching bodies with our nephews all week is a whole new level of kinky!

I soon feel myself get close…

“MIKE!!! IM ABOUT TO!”

Cum squirts all over the place including all over his borrowed feet. Mike lets me lick them clean.

“Now my turn!”

Mikes pulls down his nephews pants and his cock is throbbing. He pushes my face into his crotch and the smell is overwhelming.

Mike throat fucks me tor 10 minutes before exploding down my nephews throat.

We lay back in bed and cuddle our nephews baked bodies together.

All of the sudden someone knocks at the door.

“Hey! Are y’all coming down to the beach?”

It’s my own voice with my nephew controlling it.

“Yeah give us a few! We’ll be down shortly ‘Uncle Shawn’!”

“Ready for the beach?” I say kissing him on the cheek.

“Yeah let’s get dressed!”

Uncle Jax’s Body For Halloween

Timmy couldn’t believe his uncle agreed to swap bodies with him for Halloween! Timmy wanted to feel like a real life superhero so what better way than his uncle Jax’s muscular body.

Now with the latest available technology these days body swapping had become the newest trend for costumes. Especially since home swap devices are so popular, you can really be however you want!

Luckily for Timmy, he’s gets to be his cool uncle all night! I’m sure he’s going to have lots of fun!

Uncle Rocky’s Massive Bod

Jeremy:

I work for my uncle Rocky and when he told me about his vacation I was super nervous to get everything done since I’m no where near as strong as him. But he told me not to worry that he has a plan.

So the day before he was planning to leave he called me to meet him at his house. That’s when he told me about his plan.

I wasn’t prepared for the words that came out of my uncles mouth. He told me we are going to swap bodies for a week. He’ll take my body on vacation while I stay at his house and go to work as him.

“Really uncle Rocky?!?!”

“Yep! Just be careful with my body.”

So here I am inside my uncle doing a bunch of physical labor. Kinda cool right?!?

I’m surprise by just how much easier it is to get stuff done with his big muscles.

The best part about all of this is that after I finish up, I get to go back to his place and enjoy just being him.

My Uncle is a handsome guy and I’m fully aware of it. He even has a giant thick cock which is so fun to jerk off with!

Tonight, I made him a Grindr page. I’m hoping I can find a really cute guy with his body that will let me top him. That shouldn’t be too hard, as long as they can handle this massive monster!

[legend-the-dumb-jock]

“Come on! Let’s just try it!” Kevin begged.

Mike tired of his friend begging “fine. I’ll try this one time! Ok?!” He was so tired of Kevin asking to try this spell that would help them astral project he couldn’t stand it. Kevin giddy at the idea that he finally talked Mike into doing this started to prepared everything. Kevin drew the circle on the floor and when he was done he said “ok Mike it’s time !” He was practically bounding on the balls of his feet. His hard gut bouncing with him. As soon as Mike stepped into the circle he felt a wave of energy come over him. Both men stood frozen in place as their souls lifted from their bodies. Kevin took control while Mike was still getting use to the sensation and pulled Mike to the center of the circle before flinging him in to his own body. While Kevin launched into the body of Mike. It was over with in a matter of seconds.

“I can’t relive this worked !” Kevin shouted in mikes voice. Mike feel the sudden weight of Kevin’s body looked down and seen the fit protruding from his torso. Covered in the ginger hair that coated his flesh. “I…I “ he stemmed and his hand went to his mouth …or rather Kevin’s mouth. He was actually in Kevin’s body!!! “See Mike! Isn’t this fun! “ Kevin was saying.

“No no no. I want to swap back!” Mike demanded. He wasn’t having fun. Kevin laughed and said “oh alright. Fine. But at least we know it works!” Again the two me. We’re lifted from their bodies. Only this time right before Mike was laced back I to his he seen what could be described as tethers linking the two men together on the astral plane.

The next day the two men were at work and in a blink of an eye the body swap happened again. Mike immediately messaged Kevin and asked what was going on. Panicked by the sudden change he ran to the bathroom only to see Kevin’s body looking right back at him. His phone buzzed and it was a message that said “I didn’t think this side effect would actually happen. But it should pass! Promise!” Mike was about to start going off on Kevin when he was suddenly back in his body. Mike message him and said “this had better have been the last time !” Mike was so mad. But it wasn’t the last time.

Over the next few days Mike and Kevin could barely leave the apparently. A sudden sneeze or cough would trigger the swap. And what was even worse was that the swaps were lasting longer and longer. Mike was panicking. He has been in Kevin’s body for three days at this point and he couldn’t take it anymore. He hacked into Kevin’s computer and found the site where he got the magic circle and spell information. He read all about the spell and how to make it stop. Excited Mike knew what he was going to do.

That night when Kevin got back home they suddenly swapped back to their regular bodies. Mike was so relieved. But he had to make this stop. Be waited until Kevin asked for a beer and he grabbed him one and drugged him. As soon as Kevin was passed out. Mike drew the circle and did the ritual. Soon both men were lifted out of their bodies. Only this time. Mike was the only one conscious as Kevin’s astral body was passed out much like his physical one. Mike acted fast reciting the magic spell he read and soon both men began to glow. The tethers that linked their two bodies soon began to fade. But that’s when the worst thing imaginable happened. As all other tethers faded one remained. Linking their astral forms to each other la bodies. Mike began to panic and he seen his tether to his own body disintegrate while the one linking him to Kevin’s body glowed brighter and brighter. Mike felt himself being pulled. He tried to grasp onto his body but it was as if he was repelled from it. On the ground he was begging dragged on the astral plane to Keven’s body. Screaming. While Kevin floated above him towards his body as his one and only tether now linked him to mikes body glowed brighter and brighter. As night was dragged into Kevin’s body he tried to leave it. He tried to fight it. First his feet. Then his legs. As his astral form connected with Kevin’s body was bright white light could be seen. Then his pelvis. Mike continued to fight when a tether from Kevin’s body shot up from the physical form and wrapped itself around his neck pulling him in. Mike put his hands up to try and fight it but it was to no avail. And it one final lost effort. Mike was slammed back into the body of Kevin. All the time the same happened to his old body.

Both men woke up. Mike tried his best to leave the physical body of Kevin but it was impossible. Kevin opened his eyes. Looking down at his new body and smiled. “I can’t believe you did it.” Kevin closed his eyes and tried to leave Mike a body but it was impossible as well. “Well. Look what you did Mike. You read that spell not know what it would do. I bet you never thought that read it would swap our bodies for good. And not just that. Seal us in here. You and I can never astral travel again with the spell you used. And what’s even more. Your soul now matches that body. And mine matches this one.” Mike looked down at his new body. Gut in the way. “What have I done!”

————————————-

Story inspired by one of my absolute favorite ones linked below

[evilmoldywizard]

Tma au where everything is the same but swapped places of archive staff and the avatars. But not in the way of the staff being creatures and the avatars being normal. I mean like Jane Prentiss covered in worms yelling at her assistants, Mike crew, Nikola, and Annabelle cane, to get the spray bottle with just regular tap water (instead of fire extinguishers) because the very normal Jon is in the walls again and they need him to leave.

Jurgen Leitner is still the same though, he's just a guy in the tunnels.

[thefirstlioveyou]

Is There a Chance Mike and El Were Swapped? Who are Mike's Parents?

This is a part 2 to my "Mike isn't Biologically Related to the Wheelers" theory. However, after some new things I've found, I wanna revoke my previous statement lol. I do believe Mike is technically related, he's just not their son. He is possibly a nephew, Henry's son. El is a Wheeler. Holly could be Jane (which I think is already something theorized). This could be part of some timeline fuckery thing, but I'm not knowledgeable enough to talk about that so this is all I can offer lol

The Wheelers Have Photos of El as a Baby

I'm like... 90% sure these are photos of El/Millie.

If I am correct, then that also means both Mike and Holly do not have photos up in the Wheeler house other than photos taken at the same age they are in S1. They have no photos of them any younger, whereas Nancy does and supposedly El too.

Holly and Mike are the odd ones out... Hence why they're matching the same shade of blue and white collar in the family photo. They're likely family, just not their kids.

This means that all these photos are Nancy -> Nancy -> El -> Nancy... And right above is a painting of 4 birds.

They Literally Are Telling Us Straight to Our Face What's Going On

The Duffers love a twist that's right in front of you. If I'm on the right track, then it really was right in our face this whole time. Like, it really is such a Duffers thing for them to display El's baby pic right in front of us because "Nobody's gonna think twice, right?" WRONG BITCH

Mike introduces his family to El. "That's my sister Nancy. And that's baby Holly." Holly isn't a sister? "What are your parents like?" No response because El doesn't know, but also.. Mike just said it already. "Do they live close?" Closer than the both of you are probably thinking, buddy lmfao.

Later in the season, the kids pretend Mike and El are cousins. Connect this to when Mike tells El that once everything is over, she could live with him and his family. She'd have a mom, dad, sisters. El asks if he'd be like her brother, and he tells her no because "it's different." Well yes... Since you guys are cousins.

Mike tells El that she could have his room since he's in his basement all the time anyway. This is odd considering Mike owns a bunk bed. El is replacing his spot in the Wheeler family. This also another example of Mike not fitting in with the rest of his family.

El wears what Mike wore in his first scene, symbolizing that she's meant to be in Mike's place. She also wears other pieces of his clothing like his jacket. El wears Nancy's dress. El wears a blonde wig matching Holly's hair. She's meant to be part of their family.

El spends the whole show searching for her family, whereas Mike doesn't fit in his.

Karen tells Nancy that she must've been swapped at the hospital because there's no way she gets her good traits from them. Hopper tells Enzo that his son Mikhail is not his son because Mikhail is smart, therefore there is no way Enzo could be his biological father. alright.

Who are Mike's Parents?

While his mother would be unknown, I'd say it's likely Henry is Mike's father.

• Star Wars is the most referenced film franchise in ST and it's by none other than Mike. It's his top 3 favorite films. Star Wars is also a new poster in his room for S5.

Everyone knows the twist. The big bad is Luke Skywalker's father. Luke and Leia realized they're twins after being romantically involved with one and other. I don't think Mike and El are twins, though. There are more implication they're extended family to each other.

• Argyle calls Mike "Romeo." During the monologue, there is something that says "Montague" behind Mike. This could be implying the antagonist (Henry) is Mike's father.

• They share very similar dialogue to one and other. Here's a great post that compiles a lot of the parallels in their lines made by the one and only @heroesbyler !

• And outside of their similar dialogue, they're still very alike to one and other.

Will and Henry parallel because of their experiences with the Shadow Monster/possession and being outcasted from society.

El and Henry parallel because of their experiences with growing up abused in a lab and being outcasted by society.

Mike and Henry parallel because they are different within their family and feel outcasted by society/family. But, what I've also noticed is that their similarities are based on very specific things... Things so specific that it's honestly just giving father and son. Here's what I've found:

Mike and Henry both hold a special place for things that are different and rejected from society. They both put them on a pedestal. Henry finds comfort in spiders because how people are often afraid of them, but Henry believes they are just misunderstood. He resonates with this as he feels rejected from society and outcasted. In a recent panel, Finn tells us that Mike trusted El so much and wanted to help her because he naturally gravitates towards outcasts, as he is one himself. This is literally basically what Henry felt about El.

They both were very keen to helping El for basically the same reason. Like father, like son.

They are both different from their family, isolating themselves from them in their own safe space in their homes. Henry had his attic, Mike had his basement. Both are depicted as lonely individuals, with Henry arguably struggling much more with that due to having nobody at all. I go more into how Mike is isolated from his family and struggles with a sense of loneliness in the first part of this theory.

Henry's wardrobe consists of mainly browns and oranges. Mike's closet in S1 is completely blue and so is almost all of his wardrobe throughout the whole show. Mike in his photo is basically wearing basically the same shirt as Henry just blue.

• They look alike. The same facial structure and sunken cheeks. Young Henry's actor has the same wider smile and I think also has freckles, which I missed. Mike's nose looks more similar to Victor, which would be his grandpa. He gets his eye color from Virginia or his biological mother. His darker hair would likely come from his biological mother as well.

He even has the same comb-over in the epilogue leak.

• Mike has a very, VERY Henry coded song in his playlist. It's Mad World by Tears for Fears. I mean... Come on. This is insane.

• There's shadow that follows Mike throughout the show. It covers his left eye and left side oc his face. This only occurs to Vecna/Henry in Dimension X/Vecna Victims. @wheeler-things also has a bigger post about this, which is what introduced me to this detail!

Mike Being "Part" of Henry/Vecna

If Henry is his father, that could explain some things like how he saw El in the void and how he reached into the UD/Will's vision during Trick or Treating. He is weirdly intuitive about things he shouldn't know related to the UD.

I do believe Mike's monologue was influenced by Vecna to some degree. Not only does the lighting suggest he's being controlled by him, Vecna also.. Pauses? For god knows why?? Vecna literally tells El he wants her to watch and then proceeds to let Mike's monologue go on.

Mike tells El she's a superhero -> El stops smiling -> El looks over to Vecna, who we then learn has been frozen in place this whole time -> El realizes that too

Mike and Vecna could be fighting for control. Makes sense since considered this is all being called a "Mind Fight"

Now let's talking about Will and sensing Henry/Vecna.

Mike walks in the background ominously as Will talks about what he's experiencing. Will tells him he's here....

Here in the house and in Will. There's a separation.

While Mike has the ability to pull him out of his visions easily, he also happens to be there every single time Will senses something in S3 and in S4. They even emphasize it to remind the audience that "Mike is, in fact, there... Just thought you guys should know. No big reason."

Just before that last shot of Will sensing near Mike, we get this shot of Mike while Will talks about sensing Henry:

Will is completely out of focus and nearly out of frame by the end. It's pushing in directly towards Mike. His left eye is completely dark and gets darker throughout the whole scene as well. In scene from S2 I just talked about, Mike's right eye is actually pitch black. Hmmm

Mike and Realizing Henry is his Father

The stories underneath the Mike photo in this S5 bts could possibly be giving us a glimpse of how Mike would react to Henry being his father and his arc.

(I'm going based off what I find on google here btw so i'm so sorry for these likely butchered sumamaries lol)

I won't go too much into The Swiss Family Robinson because there really isn't anything that stands out to me to connect to the actual story, but it follows a big family that got stranded on an island. They all grow up there basically. There's themes of family unity and independence.

Treasure Island is a story about moral ambiguity. It follows a boy named Jim Hawkins who goes on a coming of age journey while on a mission for treasure across seas. He does what he feels is right and moral. He is very brave, intelligent and courageous. Sounding a lot like Mike lol.

Long John Silver is the complex antagonist of the story. He is a charismatic leader. Despite being the antagonist, he's still someone the MC can end up sympathizing and learning from. While he's cruel and manipulative to get what he wants, he still has moments of kindness and genuine care.

Jim is consistently foiling John's plans, much like Mike did in S2 and S3 with Henry. In the end, Jim and John learn a lot from each other and develop as characters as a result.

Mike is a character that thinks very black and white. He loves superheroes and dislikes the bad guys. He has a very "Us vs Them" mentality. While he's the only one not afraid to carry Dart besides Dustin, the moment he realizes it's connected to the UD, he wants to kill it. This part of Mike could use a bit of development because even the show itself doesn't believe in this logic. Bad Guys vs Good Guys isn't the point of this story.

I think him discovering his true parent(s) to be Henry could be an interesting way to explore this aspect of his character.

El looks nearly identical to Karen

I know some people theorize El is Henry's daughter, but she looks more likely to be Karen's daughter just by looks and the evidence I already shared. Mike looks more like a son than just a nephew to Henry.

Just like Henry and Mike, El and Karen share the same exact cheekbone and face structure. El also has the same exact dimple.

Karen's speech to Nancy matches with El perfectly.

"People are always saying that you can't, that you shouldn't. That you're not smart enough, not good enough. This world - it beats you up again and again until eventually... Most people just stop trying. But you're not like that. You're a fighter. You always have been [...] I'm proud of you that you stood up for yourself. That you stood up to those shitheads. And if you believe in this story, then finish it."

El always being controlled and held down by men in her life, always told she can't go somewhere or do what she wants to do. She's relentlessly bullied in Lenora. El stands up for herself regardless in the end. She is a fighter.

The Wheeler Parents have Yet to Actually Meet El

I mean... Don't you think that's interesting..?

She's found family in all her friends. She's found family in Hopper. She's met or is known by every single main character except the two that are likely her bio parents. Mike literally keeps her from his parents for the whole show.

While his parents are aware he's dating a girl, they don't know who she actually is. Mike hides all this supernatural shit in general from them. They've stayed out of the plot the whole show while still being relevant. Like I said in the first part of this theory, this is all for good reason. There is an important reveal.

What Does This Mean for El?

Now even though El could be a Wheeler, I don't think she's gonna choose to stay with them, or maybe this is all some timeline fuckery shit. I think the point is that she will choose for herself what's home to her and where she belongs. I don't think that's with everyone else though. Judging from the leak of Mike and Hopper, I think she's no longer with them. Not dead. She's alive!! Just somewhere else. That's what I think. They wouldn't ever kill her. That's stupid and cruel.

With Mike, I don't think he's gonna suddenly leave his family because of this and hate them, although it'll be hard for him at first when he realizes he's been lied to. But I think if anything, in the end this could finally bring them closer. Every single truth will finally come out.

[strange-anni]

Swapping places: Mike and Will

Part 2: Mike Wheeler

Read Part 1: Will Byers here

We have never been given as much inside into Mikes mind as we have with Will so this part will be a lot shorter than the first on. There is still some ground to cover though, so let's get started.

If Vecna or Vecman as Robin mistakenly calls him here holds the core of Wills deeply buried memories, there has to be something similar for Mike as well. I'm not sure if Mike remembers at all what happened to him or if he only has a vague sense that something isn't right. Or if his memories are as deeply buried as Wills and only appear like vivid images from a dream he can't shake off but there is one thing Mike is very sure of.

There can only be one Venkman and that's Mike!

The concept of two people existing at the same time who might hold the same role even if it's just a costume or a fictional character is not a thing Mike agrees with. There can only be one Venkman because there is only one Venkman in real life. Venkman could never be anyone else but him. Not Lucas or anyone else.

It's also very interesting to me that it's Will who brings up the concept of the two Venkman who could co-exist together. Will seems to be the one who is okay with it but Mike isn't. This indicates that Mike is trying to hold on to his identity and is not yet ready to face the truth.

However there is also the fact that when Will really needed Mike in S2 he was ready to help to bring Will home into his own basement. Mike's home which is apparently also Wills home. We see this contrasted with Jonathan who in the same season also brings Nancy home but to her own home and not to the Byers house where he lives.

Mike does the opposite and gets Will home into his basement. This could indicate a number of things and I would not put it past Mike to have picked up on the fact that Will has more reasons to be at ease in the Wheelers house than in his own home at the Byers house even if he doesn't know the reason why. Will who at home constantly had to be on the lookout for Lonnie would not feel safe there and feel a lot safer at the Wheelers simply because there is no Lonnie.

Yet there could still be more to it. Like Mike feeling that this place and this home belong to Will just as much if not more (Mike is very insecure) than to him. For it has originally been Will that lived there and not Mike so Mike get's Will home to a place he belongs.

This speech from Mike in the van is not about El. It's about Will.

Like Will does just a few moments later in the same scene I think Mike is also using El as a shield to convey his own feelings to Will and it talks volumes of how he really feels.

He's contrasting himself with another person who was born special unlike him and assumes that he may be the first person to realize that. Mike though wasn't the first person to realize El was special. There were a multitude of people before him like Brenner and the lab people, Owens and the ones who El is currently with who realized it way before he did and Mike knows this. They are currently on their way to rescue her from these people, so why would he word it like that?

It's not about El but Will instead. It's Will who was born special and Mike was one of the first people to realize that back when they were still five years old. He's insecure because he's afraid that Will might one day no longer need him once he realizes who Mike thinks he really is. Just some random person. Just some random person who met Will by pure chance when he needed someone. I'll come back to that in a bit because we have already seen what this is about.

It's after that that Mike suddenly seems to change topics because now it is no longer about Will but him instead. It's Mike who after that moment got lucky that Superman landed on his doorstep and saved him.

Lucky. Being there by pure chance. Coincidence. Mike is completely discarding all the small and big choices both of them made along the way which really got them together and made them fall in love with each other. He's reducing it all to pure chance which it is not although it did play a role in how they first met.

These are two people who are said to be explorers. Holly wo is a Wheeler and then there is Henry who is also 001 and Wills persecutor alter. Both saw something they should not have seen. Holly saw the Demogorgon, the representation of Lonnie in the wall and Henry found out the secrets of the parents.

Maybe Superman came to Mikes doorstep, explored a little too much and then saw what what his father Lonnie was about to do and couldn't bear to see Mike get hurt like that so he swapped their places. He became the Will we know him to be and Mike became the Mike we know him to be. This also means that for the next few years it was Will who had to endure all the ab*se Lonnie inflicted on him. Ab*se Mike would have suffered if it wasn't for this one moment of chance that got them together.

So now he's afraid he'll lose Will when he realizes what happened and might come to the conclusion that Mike wasn't worth all of what Will did for him and to an extent he's right. Henry is full of hatred for them both and resents them for having to endure all of the pain he had to go through because they swapped places. If this hadn't happened, Will would still be Wheeler after all.

Yet Henry is not Will. He's only part of Will and part of the reason why he is so full of hatred is because he's been alone with all this pain he had to absorb for so long that it twisted his mind. Will will have to face Henry and come face to face with this truth as well and then he'll realize that in the end, he still loves Mike even if there was a part of him that resented Mike for what happened. That's what Will is all about. He doesn't want to let the bad guys win but for that he needs to face his darker side as well and then overcome it.

What happened wasn't Mikes fault and it wasn't Wills fault either. There is no one to blame but Lonnie.

Mike will have to realize this too. For him it's his fear of losing Will and his own insecurities he needs to face. He needs to realize that Will did what he did because he wanted to. It's a decision Will for the most part doesn't regret and would probably do all over again if he had too. Most of all though Mike needs to understand that to Will he was in fact worth it.

Then they'll be ready to deal with the past, face their trauma and the lives they've lived prior to 1976. They'll be able to set things right.

This is the moment when Mike - that random person - was there for Will when he needed him. On on random lucky day on his first day of kindergarten he met Will on a swing and then made the decision to ask if he wanted to be his friend because they were both alone. It was a decision he's never regretted. In fact he believes it to be the best thing he's ever done.

It's a real memory from way back before they swapped places I think. As to why Will was alone or why he needed someone in that moment I have no idea. But Mike was there and it changed both their lives forever.

[thewintersoldierdisaster]

a cutie little barzal family moment because @youunravelme came to nyc and shared the headcanon with me 🥰

getting into the city looks a lot different with two kids, but you and mat love to do it as much as possible to expose talia and max to culture and make them comfortable with the city atmosphere

this trip in, a few weekends before christmas, is talia’s idea. she’s been begging to see the jellycat cafe at fao schwartz and finally mat has a saturday off that will work. so you bundle the kids up into the car and toss the stroller in last minute, packing snacks and toys in case the traffic is bad

the entire drive talia chatters about her jellycats, an obsession since nadia and mike had sent her the hockey puck one from canada. liana helps the collection by sending ones from london and even taking one on a “day in her life” and sending you the video to show talia.

luckily, you make it into the city pretty quickly, parking in an icon lot on 56th street and unloading. you strap max into the carrier on your chest, his sweet chubby cheeks squished against your chest and his eyes fluttering shut from the warmth and the car ride. if he naps, he naps. you’re not overly pressed about it

talia skips along at mat’s side, swinging his hand and chattering about her list for santa. mat’s face is in a broad smile, eyes twinkling as she chatters. you follow along behind them, pushing the stroller because you know talia’s going to get tired eventually and she’ll want to sit down. for now, the seat belongs to talia’s american girl doll and max’s diaper bag.

the weather is gorgeous, sunny and a little cold, but perfect for walking up 5th avenue and seeing the decorated windows. you snap a million pictures in front of the tree, swapping phones with another mother so she can take a picture of the four of you and you can take a picture of her family

“mommy, let’s do a selfie,” talia tugs at your sleeve and you and mat squat down to get your faces into frame. mat presses a sloppy kiss to talia’s cheek for one of the pictures and makes her squeal with a laugh

by the time you get to fao schwartz, mat starts to get concerned, brows furrowing when he sees the crowd control ropes and long lines. “this isn’t for the toy store, right?” he asks you in a low murmur.

“sorry, babe,” you pat his arm. “this is all for the cafe”

“oh god,” he groans, but rearranges his face into a smile when talia squeals with excitement and starts bouncing in place. “okay,” he mutters, “all for t, it’s all for t”

you get in line, max waking up and baby talking at you and talia at your side playing with her doll. after about fifteen minutes on line, your shoulders start to scream at you and you need to swap with mat so he can take max and the carrier on his chest. max is thrilled to be with his dada, slapping excited hands on mat’s cheeks and chin.

another half an hour on the line and you’re really regretting being the kinds of parents that will do anything for their kids. talia is fading and getting cranky, but you know if she misses the cafe, she’ll be furious, so you strap her into the stroller and tell mat you’re going for snacks and drinks.

talia ends up napping for a little bit while you find the nearest starbucks and get mat a black coffee, yourself a peppermint mocha, and talia a hot chocolate. she’s perked up when she gets her drink and cake pop and an hour and a half later, when you finally get into the cafe, she’s perked back up

it’s silly and if you didn’t have talia, you certainly wouldn’t have paid for it, but she loves the experience. being held on mat’s hip so she can see the worker put her stuffed pancake into the pan and then the special box, she beams hugely and makes sure max is looking too, telling him, “look, maxsy, it’s a pancake! like mommy makes, you like pancakes. and that’s your bagel - see?”

the bagel was your pick since it’s an exclusive to the nyc store. max can’t pick on his own so that’s your mother’s prerogative.

max giggles and taps at the glass, as excited as the six month old gets about anything.

on the way back to the car, talia keeps looking into the bag and sighing happily. “mommy, daddy, this is the bestest day ever!”

mat grins at you and you grin back, happy to have made another memory for her. and now you’re more excited than ever to bring her to the american girl cafe 🥰

[daflangstlairde-art]

lightning in our fingertips today

Work 1 of DFL's Whumptober 2024

Summary:

Donnie and Leo get hit with a wayward body swap spell. You could say it gives Donnie a new perspective on the matters of his dear twin. When was Leo going to tell them that his Ninpō hurts him?

—

Chapter 1

It was an autistic nightmare, sure. While yes, Donnie felt like a god in physical form on good days, on bad days, he barely dealt with his own body. Especially after the Invasion. He shuddered.

And now–

“Duudeee, you seriously have to take this thing off more!” his own voice teased in Leo’s cadence, and the softshell turtle body let out an exaggerated sigh as he put down Donnie’s battle shell. 

Donnie stared at him, as he moved over to take his battle shell. Dang it, it shouldn’t just be put down in the living room, he has a specific place for it.

“Man, this is still totally boggling Raph’s mind,” Raph commented. He hadn’t stopped looking between them and addressing them incorrectly the whole way back from the mission to their Lair. 

“Eh, I’m sure it’s got an easy fix or something,” Leo shrugged with Donnie’s shoulders, unconcerned. 

Donnie stared at him, holding the battle shell close. Fingers flexing with a phantom memory.

“Oooohh, maybe I can magic you up!” Mikey wriggled his fingers in their general direction. 

“No way Mikes, let’s leave this up to Draxum, huh?” Leo countered. 

“Yeah Mikey, your hands are still recovering,” Raph reminded, and Mikey let out a dejected-slash-annoyed grunt.

Oh, perfect opportunity, Donnie cleared his throat. 

“Right, Mikey’s hands,” he started smoothly, and eugh it was weird to hear Leo’s voice from his own mouth– “speaking of, uh, Leo, can we–”

“Oh, truuee!” Leo grins with Donnie’s face, and starts doing carpal tunnel stretches in the middle of their living room. “Now I can finally prevent you from ruining your own!” 

Donnie huffed at yet another change of topic. Was Leo seriously unaware? Or was he doing this on purpose? 

Donnie tried to bring this up several times ever since the Hidden City mission that caused this whole Freaky Friday situation (on a Tuesday, no less). 

Some overly-confident-but-otherwise-clearly-inexperienced wizard with a staff violently going wild. It wasn't even the mage herself that was the culprit; the staff seemed to be firing off on its own. Not really important. They just grabbed the staff from her. 

But not before Leo jumped to block a wayward spell, causing him and Donnie to get the ol’ switcheroo in the middle of the whole thing. And sure, at first, it was jarring! Then, at second, it was kind of fun, actually. Leo laughed and rolled with it, and amidst the action and all, it gave Donnie the thrill to also roll with it. They are twins after all, much as he denies it for The Drama. 

And then... at third... 

Donnie stared at the sight of Leo, in his body, retreating to med bay to inspect for injuries. 

When they got switched, Donnie had been in the middle of a swing with his bō, a Ninpō construct of a hammer at the end. 

When they got switched, Leo continued the arc of the swing, smoothly. This gave Donnie, ever the curious scientist ready to experiment within new circumstances, an idea. 

And he swung Leo’s sword. 

And that is when he felt it. 

Mikey’s hands, hah. Ironic. Donnie flexed his fingers again, shuffling the battle shell to one arm. He looked at his free hand—Leo’s hand. Like there would be any indicatory, enlightening wounds, which of course, there were not. He rubbed the fingertips together, remembering the feeling. It's like it lingered still.

When was Leo going to tell them that his Ninpō hurts him?

—

Well! One positive of this body switch thing: Donnie could be sure Leo would check them both over for injuries, and do it well. Since one was Donnie’s body and the other was, currently, Donnie’s perception. 

As Leo was doing now, in med bay. Standing in front of Donnie, in Donnie’s body. Donnie sat on the gurney, going along with the examination. Leo clicked off the light, and Donnie blinked to clear his vision. 

“No concussion,” Leo commented, and oh, that’s good. His shell—an actual, hard-scute carapace—and his right shoulder were a bit achy, but if Leo found nothing wrong, it was probably regular fight aftermath and would all be gone by tomorrow.

Donnie had never before questioned whether Leo treated himself medically as well as he did with them. But, well. 

Donnie looked back down at his hands—Leo’s hands—rubbing the fingertips together, frowning.

“Alright, you’re good to go,” Leo said, in Donnie’s voice but in his own manner, very odd. The words lilted all the wrong directions, down instead of up. They even spoke with slightly different registers. He patted Donnie on the shell, getting up. 

Donnie had never questioned Leo’s care of himself before, but this situation made a lot of new queries pop up. 

Did Leo’s mystic powers hurt him? Or was this a consequence of Donnie being in his body? Or, if it was a regular thing for Leo—since when? Since always? Since they unlocked their Ninpō? Or was it some sort of recent development?

And, more upsettingly, if it was a regular thing... why did Leo never say anything? How did they never notice? Donnie wracked his memory, but not a single peep about it arose. No complaining, no jokes, no flinch or wince, no stutter when summoning up a portal (except back when his portals were at their most... faulty), nothing. Not a single thing. 

Perhaps– perhaps Donnie really was just making far-fetched assumptions. Classic Donnie overthink! It was most likely just a side effect of the body swap—their Ninpō was a reflection of themselves, it was unfitting and unnatural to use someone else’s, surely. He wasn’t even sure why he’d considered the option! 

(“Casey, when I get to the other side, you close that door–”

Staring upwards, shellshocked. 

Color and light and debris hurling as a portal snaps shut.)

Donnie’s breaths were shallow and perfectly measured, and he–

“Dee?” his own voice questioned, and Donnie blinked, clearing his throat and pushing himself to his feet. He was faced with his own questioning eyebrow arch. Man, that really did look great. What an occasion, to truly witness oneself from an external point of view. Fascinating!

“I’m good, I’m good, no concussion,” he affirmed. 

“You’re spacey,” Leo pointed out, arranging his stuff in med bay. Which was hilarious, considering he left a mess literally everywhere else. But med bay? Always stocked up and organized. 

...Well. Hm. Thinking about it... Leo’s room was... cleaner recently, too. Or perhaps that wasn’t the most precise of descriptors. More... neater. Far less clutter. 

Far less trinkets and colorful posters. Odd.

Anyway. Wow, Donnie’s face was expertly skeptical. 

Donnie rolled his eyes. Leo’s eyes. The eyes that were currently under his temporary ownership, responsibility and control. 

“Yeah, I was... thinking,” he said casually. 

“Uh, yeah, when aren’t you?” Leo joked, his lighthearted grin cracking over Donnie’s face. 

Donnie generously ignored that, because he had questions to dig out answers for. 

“Hey, you kinda used my Ninpō during that fight, right?” he started. 

“Sort of, I guess,” Leo shrugged, closing the cabinet and leaning on it relaxed to face Donnie.

“Did it hurt?” 

“No.”

And then. 

“Yeah, a little, now that I think about it,” Leo tapped his chin, casual, easy. No tells whatsoever. Donnie scrutinized him. Absolutely zero deviation from his regular mannerisms. Heck, he somehow made them sit comfortably even in Donnie’s body.

But. 

But Donnie had caught that. The immediate denial. He narrowed his eyes at his twin.

There were two options: 

Leo had not felt the pain, and it was specific to Donnie using Leo’s mystic ability; 

Or Leo had felt the pain, and his immediate reflex was to lie about it. 

Donnie had absolutely no clue which one was the truth. At his sides, he rubbed his fingers together, reflecting. 

It was sharp. Like a shock. But a... shock from a very tiny blade. But if a small blade could cover the entire surface of his hands. His fingertips and palms, gripping the katana’s hilt. 

“Did you?” Leo asked, approaching and reaching a hand to take Donnie’s current ones, probably to check them over. 

Ack. Welp, can’t really get out of this one. 

“Yes, a little,” Donnie said, offering his—Leo’s—hands for inspection. Oh, wait, this was a perfect opportunity! Leo was actually engaging the conversation instead of deflecting! “Does it usually–”

“‘Course not, imagine that,” Leo laughed, gently rubbing and prodding his fingers and palms. No pain. 

“...Huh, I... guess it must be from the switch,” 

“Oohh yeeaahh yeah yeah yeah!” Leo nodded, “Totally, you’re so right,” 

...Very weird to hear that from Donnie’s mouth, but, okay.

—

All things considered, dinner was pretty normal. Sure, Donnie’s body felt... weird, and their brothers kept getting them confused, prompting a quick mask switch. Donnie also took his goggles and arm brace. 

Seeing Leo’s blue bandana on his own face, and with no additional eyebrows, was incredibly... well. Donnie never quite understood the feeling of “uncanny valley”, but he was now getting a Bachelor's. Maybe he'd experienced something similar when seeing humans for the first time? But he’d been so young, it had been easy for his mind to adapt and roll with it. They're mutants and they engage with all manner of other sapient and non-sapient and of-questionable-sapience beings—he doesn't pick up on facial expressions on all of them equally. 

Not the point.

Point is, he was watching his body, with Leo’s cut mask and Leo’s mannerisms, across the table. But Leo appeared... unbothered, really. Behavior: standard. Which seemed to be putting everyone else at ease. 

Donnie wondered how he looked from the outside. He tried to imagine Leo’s body with his own posture and expressions, and it just felt... uncomfortable. They're twins, so a lot of their attitude often overlaps—to the point where their brothers call it creepy sometimes. But when it differs? It differs. Kind of like when Donnie messed with their brains and accidentally overdosed them with his personal brand of Neurodivergence™, but... in reverse. Mmmmkind of.

But! Right now, they were just eating pizza, with Mikey showing them videos of a new Youtube channel he got into. Uhh something about scrapbooking or journaling?? And Donnie actually felt quite hungry, so he was just... eating.

Everyone was just... sort of alright with the current situation. It's just a thing that is. Draxum will fix it. And if he doesn't, they'd find a way. Compared to the world ending due to an alien invasion, this seemed banal. 

“Hey hey hey, dudes, watch this,” Leo caught their attention, waving his hands and getting up. Then, with Donnie’s voice and way too accurately in Donnie’s style, he leaned back and crossed his arms, saying “Eugh, this pizza has cheese? That is way too much flavor for moi’s precious taste!” 

Oh so that's how it was going to be, huh? 

“That's not how you use moi,” Donnie said dryly. 

“That's not how you use moi,” Leo parroted, in Donnie’s voice, just as dry. With just a toooouchh of mockery in it, and their dual-trademark smirk. Raph and Mikey, the traitors, giggled and cackled.

Donnie leaned back, a hand to his plastron—Leo’s plastron—for The Drama™. 

“Well I, your lea-dur, say it isn't flavorful enough!” he stated with a swooping tone. “Put some kiwi on there! Throw in a couple marshmallows too, for good measure!” he declared, making their other two brothers laugh. 

“I prefer mine with radiation,” Leo said primly, sticking Donnie’s snout up, making Mikey chortle.

“Careful, it may mutate you,” Donnie warned kindly, trying to mimic Leo’s way of speech from memory, “And then you might actually gain a second brain cell,”

It... hm. Yes, they teased each other, yes, it was banter. Raph and Mikey wooped, they started placing bets, and Donnie and Leo did increasingly stupider impressions of each other, and it was fun.

But it didn’t... feel right. Now that Donnie was seeing everything through a new perspective—quite literally—Leo was acting... odd. Unusual, as in, outside of what Donnie grew used to being Leo. He was only noticing it now, when Leo’s face and his voice couldn’t deceive him that it’s still Leo, of course he’s acting like himself.

Leo didn’t escalate it. Not really. He didn’t go for the throat. He didn’t go Full Silly. His entire demeanor felt... dampened, which was really, really weird for their Always Full-Max Silly brother.

...Oooorrr Donnie was just being weirded out by watching his own face and body move externally and out of his control. 

— 

Donnie felt nausea upon going to bed, but that's alright. Stomach upset sounded like a reasonable side effect of being body swapped. The pizza sat heavy. 

His shoulder and shell were still cramping, too, even after he'd done some stretches. Eh. Not like he isn't used to some cramping or whatevs. 

It just... felt like he couldn't get comfortable in his bed. Maybe it was the hard carapace, he'd theorize, but it's not like he hasn't slept in his battle shell before which, sure, wasn't exactly snuggly, but he'd still been able to sleep. 

He tossed. He turned. His eyes—Leo’s eyes—felt a little buzzy, like the melodic hum of electricity all around, so it's not like he wasn't sleepy. And it felt like there was a... some sort of weight on his chest. He couldn't decide whether his blankets were too warm or not warm enough.

Donnie sighed, rubbing his face. Leo’s face. Weiiirddd. 

He turned on his side yet again, to check the time on his epic purple analog clock. 

00:23 p.m. 

Not even that late. And yet it felt like the night was stretching endless. A liminal space. He turned to lay on his plastron. Leo’s plastron. The weight there persisted. Hm. Hopefully Leo wasn't having lung issues. Just in case, Donnie inhaled. Long and deep, feeling the air pass through his nostrils. Until he felt his lungs stretch and strain. 

Nope. That felt like a pleasantly deep inhale. No whistling, no obstruction, nothing. 

Strange thing: Donnie’s room smelled like... him. It smelled like Donnie. Which... shouldn't be surprising. But usually you can't smell your own scent, due to being exposed to it constantly, and therefore being entirely desensitized. 

Donnie couldn't smell Leo’s, right now. Yet he could smell what he could only, logically, deduce was his own scent. Or at least that of his room.

Metals and plastics and other materials. Soldering. Ever so slightly—pen and marker ink. The bed sheets. Something specific he could not quite describe.

It... wasn't a bad smell, he was pleasantly surprised to note. He could see how this smell could be comforting, even. Familiar and homey and secure. He pulled the blanket a little tighter around himself, curling into himself. Yawned. Buried his face—Leo’s face—into his pillow. 

...

Simultaneously, the weight in his chest both loosened, just a little, and ached more. His shoulders—Leo’s shoulders—felt too wide, his thighs too thin, his back... weird. He curled his toes.

Donnie wondered if... there was something he needed. Something the body needed, that he just couldn't analyze and figure out. Water? Food? 

...No, no it didn't feel like any of those, even though he was not an expert on the matter. He’d practically just eaten, too. Maybe it was the ache in his shoulder and his shell that was off-putting? 

...You know what! There could be a simple, obvious solution to this. Donnie grabbed his phone. 

The smarter twin™: I can't sleep and I feel weird

The smarter twin™: Is there something I'm missing for your body

It was immediately seen.

Yapper boy™: lol

Yapper boy™: cmere

The smarter twin™: ???

Yapper boy™: youkl see

The smarter twin™: SIGH

Donnie sighed, for realz, rubbing his eyes. He hated it when–

...Hm. Well, actually. Thinking about it.

Leo hasn't really done the very annoying “not telling them the plan” that he used to do. Not since the Invasion. Only really for silly stuff. 

Huh.

You could say this situation was giving Donnie a new perspective, zing. He was really seeing the world through different eyes, ha! 

He grinned a little, wrapping the blanket around himself. Time to go tell these to Leo and then gloat how he had been the one to think of them first, because he is hilarious. 

Leo immediately opened his arms upon Donnie’s arrival, smirking, and huh.

Huh. 

The press of another’s body helped tremendously with that... weight. With the odd sensation of misplacement. Like everything slotted into place as easily as slotting into an embrace. Literally. 

This wasn't much like Donnie. Sure, it's not that he hated physical contact—was quite the fan of it, really, unless he was actively upset. Or if it was from somebody who wasn't his loved ones. He wondered what brought on this new craving. Leo’s body?

...Strange.

Leo never came to them to snuggle. 

Even though he was a huge cuddle-bug before. But not anymore, evidently.

Donnie, ever-so-discreetly, frowned at that. 

...When did that happen? 

—

When he woke up, the light pain in his right shoulder and that one crick at his shell—Leo’s shell—remained. 

Donnie grunted, rolling sort of on his side, sort of on his back, digging his heels into the mattress and rolling his shoulders. Pushed himself up, smacking his lips, blinking. Rubbed his eyes. Yawned.

Eugh, his breath was rancid. 

“Do you ever brush your teeth,” he muttered, jarred to hear his voice sounding so different. Right, right. Body swap. 

He was a little surprised to hear an off-tone chuckle, and he properly cracked his eyes open. Oh huh, Leo—in his body—was, in fact, still here. He looked to have been awake for a bit. He was scrolling on his phone, but clicked it off and put it to the side now. 

“It's a waste of time, I've got so much leadering to do,” Leo joked, also pushing himself up and stretching. 

Donnie rolled his shoulder, trying to rub it a little to see if that’d relieve the persistent ache. It didn't. He yawned again. 

Leo got up, snatching a hoodie to put on.

“My battle shell is–”

“I know, D,” Leo cut him off. “I’ll go get it in a mo. Your shell just feels weird bare,” he shuddered theatrically. “Like a lizard,” 

“Yeah, well, yours feels like a badly fitting box,” Donnie fired back. “Box boy,” 

Leo gasped. “My curves! You wound me,” he dramaticized himself out the room, and Donnie chuckled. 

That just left him. Still sitting in Leo’s bed, in Leo’s body.

He should get up. Right.

It just. Felt... like... mmm. Not fun? 

He... doesn't usually have this pause before getting up. Usually he's itching to get out of bed and get back to whatever ongoing project he has. 

He stared at Leo’s room, still sitting there on Leo’s bed. 

...Dang. Leo’s room... was cleaner. Hm, well, again, maybe not cleaner. 

...

Emptier. Where did his many posters go...? Now there were only two left. One of Lou Jitsu, and one of Jupiter Jim. 

...Welp, Donnie wasn't going to judge his brother’s turn to the light (tidiness)! 

Now he just had to get up. 

...Except... there was a new weight. Was it Leo’s shell? Was he not used to the weight of a natural, irremovable carapace? Weird. 

That didn't ring very plausible, because the weight wasn't at his back. It was... it was... 

Chest. Legs. Everywhere. Making it difficult to break the position he hunched over in the longer he remained in it, a vicious cycle. 

He just had to get up! Go and brush his teeth so his mouth didn't taste foul. Get water to drink. Coffee, perhaps breakfast, even though he did not feel that hungry. Maybe. He wasn't sure. There was just a prodding in his stomach. 

Ugh.

Thinking about it all made the weight worse. It felt like standing on that rooftop, looking up at the Technodrome. Raph lost. No plan, no direction, no hope. Nothing. And now, no Leo to turn around with a crazy idea that nonetheless inspired some desperate hope within. 

Just weight. Just... dread. Anticipatory exhaustion at the awaiting cardio. 

Why was he feeling like this?

In the end, Mikey called him for breakfast and that aided in kicking his buttocks out of bed. 

—

Donnie didn’t feel much like eating this morning, so, he wasn’t eating much. It wasn’t unusual for him. Mikey knew not to be hurt by it. Donnie was focusing on some fruit. 

Leo was eating normal as ever. He was smiley and fresh as ever. Which were strange observations. Not things you’d pay mind to. But Donnie was. He wasn’t sure why, but he was paying a little more attention to Leon after their switcheroo. 

Leo was hurt after the Invasion, but he’d bounced right back up. In fact, he’d bounced back up faster than any of them. In fact, he’d bettered himself.

Case in point, 

“So when’s Draxum coming by with his magic whatever-there?” Leo said, in Donnie’s voice, slurping on a smoothie. 

Readily asking for Draxum’s presence. Donnie would bet it was for his sake, not due to Leo having a sudden change of heart about the man. 

“A little later!” Mikey answered. “Why, is something bothering you??” 

“Nah, not really,” Leo shrugged. “I just want to go back to feeling happiness looking at the mirror,” he teased, and Donnie rolled his eyes. “Plus I’m sure D can’t be enthused about this,”

“Meh,” Donnie shrugged. “Honestly? It is not as abhorrent as you’d imagine,”

Leo looked at him, just for a second. Over too quickly for Donnie to pay proper attention to it and to then analyze it. 

“Wanna know whose body would be super cool to warp into?” Leo brought up. 

“Oh! Oh!” Mikey waved his hand up like he’s in a school classroom, grinning, “Lou Jitsu?”

“Lou Jitsu, babeeyyy!”

It was half an hour later that Donnie realized just how smoothly Leo had diverted the conversation. 

(And only later would it occur to him it might’ve been intentional.)

That half an hour later just so happened to include Donnie’s alarm blaring.

“Oohh, a crime,” he stated, checking the info to rattle off the relevant code. 

“Alright team, let's roll!” Leo exclaimed easily, his energy immediately bouncing off the rest of the team, everyone going off to grab their weapons. 

...Wait. 

Their... weapons, oh, boy, uh, well Donnie had leagues more experience with a bō, buuut they never tested if they can access their own Ninpō like this, ah, dang–

That question was quickly answered by Leo skidding to his lab. 

“Dude, you would not believe this–”

“You can't access your Ninpō? Yes, me neither,” Donnie agreed, already holding his bō out for Leo to take. “You know how to use it?” 

“...Well if I don't, I'm about to learn real quick,” Leo was grinning with his face, “Portal us in, leader in purple!” he tossed his katanas to Donnie, and Donnie scrambled to catch them by the hilts and not roughly in the middle i.e. where he would catch a bō staff. 

Hoo boy was this about to be an experience. 

At least like this Donnie needn’t relay the location information to his portal-able brother, because now he was the portal-able brother. 

Now all he had to do was make a portal. A proper one, with concentration. 

And with that same shock-burn to his hands. 

Hhhngh. Well! At least getting lightly (or medium-level) electrocuted wasn't a new experience for him! Honestly, Donnie wasn't sure why it was so hhhngh to him. It should be familiar as anything. 

Perhaps he was overthinking it. Classic. But judging by his scanners, they had to get to the scene now. 

So as Mikey and Raph joined in on their huddle, Donnie sucked in a breath and slashed the swords through the air in one of the ways he's seen Leo do. 

“No, you gotta put more juice into it,” Leo commented oh so helpfully upon the nothing that took place. 

“Ah, thank you, such constructive critique,” Donnie deadpanned, hands gripping the hilts. Ugh. He'd already struggled with one set of mystic powers, now he had to figure out another?! 

...Hmm, y'know, that might be a good idea. Donnie thought back to his own arduous mystic journey. 

He never quite managed to get the hang of “just do it”. It didn't come naturally to him, not in the same way it appeared to with his brothers. 

But Donnie focused on the same feeling that helped get his Ninpō thrumming. Acknowledging the facts: that this was something he could do for his family, to help them, to boost them, and he liked helping and boosting them. Even now it pushed this not-unpleasant tightness at his chest that made him want to shake his hands and chuckle a bit. 

In the same rhythm, a glow crawled up the blades. 

“Oh, uh, also you gotta think about exactly where you wanna go,” Leo mentioned, and now that was actually useful guidance. “And where you are and the distance between the two. And, y'know, the size of the hole you're shredding. Ooh, and also the angle and where it's facing, and–” 

“Jeez, do you seriously think about all that when making portals?” Mikey was staring at their– well, their current soft-shelled brother, which, huh. Good point. Now they were all looking at Leo, who shrugged, nonchalant as ever.

“Donnie, portal,” Leo snapped his fingers, and right! Right, crime! 

(Another diversion Donnie only caught later, when he thought back to it.) 

“Right!” he slashed the blades through the air, and then once more with the crackle of mystic energy and–

Donnie yelped as the electricity-like pain bit down on his hands, immediately dropping the swords to the ground. Gah! It was worse the second time around! 

Leo snorted and clapped his back, hopping into the portal that hung before them. And he did need to hop, it wasn't particularly large, oh boy, Donnie sure hoped Raph would be able to fit through.

[louloulemons-posts]

I don't know if your requests are open, if not ignore this! But what about Eddie asking reader out at school, but his friends are laughing not so far away so they think it's a joke. They get really upset cause they liked Eddie and it ends up fluffy at the end!

Different Kind Of Chemistry

Eddie X Fem!Reader

Summary : Eddie asks reader out, but it doesn’t go as he planned.

Word Count : 1k

Warnings : Not proofread, 3am writing (again - i’m sorry), toothrotting fluff, minor angst, petnames, miscommunication, stupid teenage boys lmao, minor sad reader, cute mom, supportive hellfire besties.

A/N : Guys we hit 400 followers! Thank you all so much for the love and support it means so much to me, I can never thank you enough 🤍

~ / / / * \ \ \ ~

You’d always been the quieter type, keeping to a small and close group of friends. You weren’t cruel to others though, always kind. It made you known, but never popular. People liked you it was that simple.

You had your faults, you didn’t actively make friends, they had to come to you. That was your shyness taking over at times. The newest person trying to break through that was Eddie Munson.

Sitting down in your seat, you pull out your textbook and notes. “Hey Sweetheart,” a voice spoke, you looked up to meet a pair of brown eyes. “Hi Eddie, how are you?”

“Great, but how couldn’t I be? I get to sit next to the most beautiful girl for a whole hour!” he grinned, sliding into his own seat next to you. Rolling your eyes you couldn’t speak again as your teacher stood.

“Settle down, we’re doing some recapping on Organic Chemistry today. Chapter 15,” she said to you, turning to the board behind her to write some things.

Flicking open your book and notes, Eddie spoke again, “Hey Sweetheart.” You slid the book in between you, “Need a pen?”

He nodded and took the one from your hand, “You’re really my favourite person ever.”

“Yeah yeah, whatever you say Munson.”

You couldn’t help but feel your cheeks warm.

~ / / / * \ \ \ ~

Swapping some books between your locker, you shut it behind you and headed out of the school. “Sweetheart!” a voice called from behind you.

Pausing in your place, you turned to find Eddie jogging towards you. “Hey,” he said, once he was in front of you. “Hi, what’s up?” you asked.

“Oh … I um, I wanted to ask you something, if you have a minute?” he spoke. You heard some voices from behind him, his Hellfire friends.

“Yeah go for it,” you smiled, trying to focus on him. You could hear his friends whispering and sniggering from across the hall. “I was just wondering if maybe, and feel free to say no, if maybe you’d want to go on a date some time?”

“Go on Eds!” One of the boys spoke from behind him, making the others cackle. Eddie waved his hand as to shush them, but was unable to hide his own smile.

How could they be so mean? This was something you’d imagine Jason Carver and his friends did, not Eddie.

“Why are you being so cruel?” you asked.

“Sweetheart wha-” you didn’t let him finish. “You think it’s funny? To ask girls out? Embarrass them? I thought we were friends,” you scolded him, eyes watering.

“No, no you’ve got the wrong idea,” he tried to explained, but you were gone. Turning around and pushing through the door. “Shit,” he said to himself.

~ / / / * \ \ \ ~

“Woah man what happened?” Gareth asked. “I just blew my only chance with her,” Eddie spoke, rubbing his face with his palm.

“What do you mean?” Jeff questioned.

“She thought I was kidding.”

“We didn’t mean to make it come across that way man,” Gareth spoke.

“I know, but she didn’t. God, I messed up.”

Dustin tried to comfort him next, “Don’t worry man, we’ll fix this!”

“How?”

“Romantic gesture?”

“Oh yeah cause all of us have so much romantic knowledge.”

“Hey me and Mike have girlfriends!”

“She’s not like them,” Eddie wined.

“We’ll fix this man, let’s make plan,” Jeff offered, putting a comforting hand on his shoulder.

~ / / / * \ \ \ ~

Lay on your bed you sighed for the millionth time in the past minute. How could he be so cruel to you? What was the point of being your friend? Was it a bet?

You sat up, suddenly furious, were you a bet? How much were you worth? $15? $10? $1? You screamed in frustration.

“Honey! There’s someone here for you!”

“Coming!” You sighed, pushing yourself up off the bed and stomping your way out of your room.

“Have fun,” your mom said winking at you, walking past. You scrunched your brows in confusion, who could be here? Pulling the door open you were surprised who was stood there.

“Hi Sweetheart-“ you grabbed his hand and dragged him away from door. Stopping in front of his van, you inhaled deeply, “I pulled you away from the door because I don’t want my mom to see me mad.”

You inhaled again and then snapped, “What are you doing here? Embarrassing me in front of your friends isn’t enough?”

“Hey, first of all I’m sorry okay, but I’d love to explain if you’d let me.”

You hummed, nodding your head stiffly. “These are for you,” he said, handing you a bouquet. “Tulips,” you said softly.

“You said about them being your favourites, since you went to Amsterdam.” It’d been a passing comment, your Chem teacher had had a bouquet on her desk.

“You remembered?”

“I remember a lot of things you say. Anyways, I’m really sorry about my friends they were just teasing me. They didn’t mean to embarrass you.”

“Right.”

“They know how much I like you and have not let me live down how much I’ve been pining over you.”

“I see.”

“Yeah, they walk me to Chem when they can, just so they can tease me from the door.”

“Oh,” you said gently.

“I’m really sorry we embarrassed you, we’re idiots. But I really hope I haven’t messed up completely, Sweetheart would you maybe considering going out on a date with me?”

“I’d love to.”

“I get if you don’t want to- What?”

“I’d really love to go on a date with you Eddie.”

He couldn’t contain his grin, which you matched. “Cool,” he said.

“Cool.”

“Well um … I’ll call you about it.”

“Great,” you said, standing on your tiptoes, pressing your lips to his cheek.

“Goodnight Eddie.”

“N-night Sweetheart.” You walked up your path and to the door, turning round you waved to him. He raised his own hand, seeming a bit stunned.

“So, he’s cute,” your mom said.

“Mom! Were you snooping?”

“Me? No! Pretty flowers honey,” she kissed your forehead and walked away smiling.

~ / / / * \ \ \ ~

A/N : Thank you for requesting! I hope you enjoyed it 🤍

Also I had another request and have had to leave it, I don’t really feel qualified to write about topics (eg SA) as I don’t feel like I have enough understanding and experience with it to write about it in a sensitive and proper way.

Thank you so much for reading! Please leave any requests 🤍

[conflictofthemind]

holly wheeler - who/what are you? an informal post about all of the holly oddities I've discovered so far.

where do I even begin with this one? I'm just going to jump into it and show you all the weird connections I've found that mostly relate to holly-el/jane, holly-alice and holly-sarah. I have no real conclusions so far so I invite everyone to take a look and share their thoughts.

oddity one: the hair

All four are blonde girls, and three have pigtails or twin braids, reminiscent of rabbit ears.

oddity two: the rabbits

terry ives' home, inside what should have been jane ives' room:

holly wheeler and her rabbit lite-brite:

alice creel and the dead rabbit:

And why the rabbits? Well, they're all a reference to Alice in Wonderland. The first rabbit in the painting in Jane's room is just literally the rabbit from AIW, fitted with a pocketwatch.

Alice in Wonderland:

Just check out #whiterabbitgate for more on the two above, the song 'White Rabbit' is also connected to El and just general HNL activities.

The Rainbows:

(above is the Terry Ives flashback from season two)

Holly's outfit in Season 5 is incredibly colourful and there are at least 3 different rainbow items inside her room.

The Flowers:

^ Holly even has yellow red and blue flowers on her bicycle basket.

My questions have already been: why is Vecna/Henry seemingly interested in her enough to not only lure her but continue 'playing' with her for multiple scenes? Why is Holly suddenly relevant?

I'm also a BTVS fan, and the idea of a younger sister suddenly introduced had me thinking of Dawn. Dawn was Buffy's younger sister introduced suddenly in Season 5 (literally out of nowhere) - until it turned out that she wasn't a fully real person, but a powerful energy turned into a human that was sent to the Summers' house where they would protect her. She never existed until she was fourteen, but they all believed she had with false memories. Furthermore, she becomes the target of that season's villain which Buffy has to protect.

So then we get to Holly's room:

Most notably for this post are ALF and the 'A Royal Pain' book. Let me just show you the plot summaries for both, starting with ALF:

I initially thought the ALF reference was just a reference to El (and it very much could be a dual thing). But considering the strangeness.... and the parallels that are coming to light between them.

A Royal Pain:

There has already been baby-switch precedent in the show. In fact it's a major theory about Jane Ives and El - that they aren't the same child. But when it's been specifically brought up, it's been in relation to the Wheelers. Karen, was your other daughter swapped in the hospital? Or something even crazier?

I'll get to more when my ideas are less of a mess. But there's also something interesting @bylerposting has brought up - the way that Mike has this whole interesting out of place dialogue with El.

But what if it wasn't about El - what if it was also subtext for Holly? She came into the family even though she wasn't a biological daughter. The Wheelers were like her new parents, and Nancy was like her new sister.

And there's so much more I'm thinking of but can't get to right now, like Holly with the lights and her perception of the supernatural before others sense it. I just want to get this ball rolling for real.

[strange-anni]

That's a good catch! I think Joyce is probably right. It's Will just not the one who's been living with her for the last couple of years.

Joyce also mentioned once that Will has a birthmark on his right arm but I don't think we've ever seen it.

The one with Nancy and Jonathan is also quite interesting. If it's a mix-up I think it's quite a sloppy one so that means it's probably intentional. Maybe to confuse us as to who is actually the parent couple with the age difference. Lonnie is also greying a little so it could mean that it's truly Lonnie and Joyce. Considering that it's Nancy who says it is also interesting. I don't think she was swapped as well, so maybe she's just delivering the message?

Making a cut here for metaphors of CSA under the cut.

At Rink-O-Mania we also get this shot. The word rentals is directly above Mike and El while Will walking besides them. Could this mean that Mike should rent the Als? (El and Will) Or is this about Mike and El being rentals? Or all three of them?

Then there is this at the Pizza parlor and all I can think about is what you've recently told me about the meaning of pies as well as Pizzas which are also pies.

Here we have Mike who is totally in the dark and behind him is a lamp shaped like a slice of pizza. Is he in the dark about himself being a pie or El being a pie or possibly both?

I think it's entirely possible that the day Mike has swapped places with Will was not the first one he was (or was about to be) ab*sed. It probably happened before as well. He's experienced it but most likely doesn't remember which could in turn be another reason why Will doesn't want the truth to come out. I'd mean that Mike would have to remember as well and Will doesn't want Mike to go trough this.

Thinking about @strange-anni 's theory on Mike and Will swapping places...

Joyce mistakes Mike for Will... or was she correct?

Then we have this possible intentional mix up or continuity error?

Nancy states that her mom was young and her dad was older... but in The First Shadow... Ted and Karen are about the same age.

BUT...

While we aren't given knowledge about Lonnie and Joyce's age different within the show... in The First Shadow, it's Lonnie who was older and Joyce was young.

What's going on here?

[californ1asnow]

Call Me Up Again - pt. 2 Mike Schmidt x Reader

Part two of All Too Well Angst!!! So much angst everyone I've decided to turn this into a miniseries, this post being the second part. I'll continue to link chapters as I post them This is also being updated on ao3 (cough cough) No warnings this time 1.9k words

Snowflakes fall silently, coating everything around them in a white dust. The wind blows with a crisp chill, nipping at all the rose-pink noses. It sends shivers down the backs of those who dare be out in this weather. The pumpkins and fake graveyard decor that had once littered every home’s front yard has long since been swapped for tinsel garlands and pine wreaths. 

The Schmidt residence beams with colored string lights and holiday music. A tall, sturdy evergreen sits patiently by the window. Its branches are decorated with years worth of homemade ornaments, ranging in all size and age from both Mike and Abby. The red skirt beneath it falls relatively empty of presents, only donning the few small ones Mike could afford to buy this year. They’re wrapped pathetically in an old birthday paper, the only wrapping Mike could find to reuse. 

Usually, the tree is so full that he’s had to store things in his closet, but that was when you were still a part of their Christmas. Stockings hung happily above the fireplace and a love so innocent it wraps the house in a warm glow. However, it’s void of that feeling now, instead Mike is left to pick up the pieces that you once fit together. Abby doesn’t understand why you don’t come over anymore, or why Mike has been so quiet lately. All she knows is that something went wrong, and now everyone is upset. She’s stopped bringing up your name in conversation when talking to Mike, because it always ends with him withdrawn and retreating to the solidarity of his room. 

That didn’t stop her from drawing you, though. Sometimes she’d sit at her desk, tears collecting in the well of her eyes, and doodle old memories of the three of you. She remembers them being happy, but by the time the crayons were set aside and the picture was finished, it was a glum mess of dark blues and frowning faces. 

After a drawing is finished she’d slip past Mike’s room, quietly tiptoeing out the front door, and make a break for the house across the street. Your house. She’d work fast, her feet carrying her quickly to and fro. It was unclear from her perspective whether you paid attention to what she’d give you, but by the time she slipped a new piece of paper underneath your door, the old one she had gifted you was gone. 

Mike was unaware of it all. 

He had found a new job in town where he could bury all his thoughts. It was working construction for a local contractor, a job that certainly wasn’t ideal but it paid better than what he’d been used to. Unfortunately, it required longer hours and ate up all his free time, meaning Abby needed a new babysitter. A job that was once happily filled by your company, now replaced with an afterschool program suggested to him from a flyer he found at work. He hated the thought of her sitting in essentially another classroom, surrounded by strangers and snotty kids, but it was his only option left. 

With a third of his paycheck dedicated to it, Abby now spends her weekdays at the nearby YMCA. 

The first time he told her about the new program didn’t go over very well. He remembers it clearly.  

“Abby please,” his irritated voice interrupts her incessant protesting, “listen, it’s the only place that can watch you.” 

“No it’s not!” She yelled at him, her finger pointing to your house across the street, “I want her back!”  

A pang of guilt struck his chest at her words. The lack of your presence has clearly been taking a toll on the both of them, but it’s the first time Abby’s ever been so vocal about it. He crossed his arms with a sigh, watching his little sister stare up at him with solemn eyes. Her lip quivering ever so slightly, evident that she’s holding back tears. 

He crouches down to her level, just like he had done to you so many nights ago, “I’m sorry,” he pleaded with her, “but she’s not coming back right now.” 

Her head shook with disbelief, stubbornly stuck in her spot, “Then make her come back.” 

–

You’re not sure when the Mike shaped hole in your heart stopped aching, but it’s significantly less sore compared to a fresh wound. That’s not to say the constant reminder of him and Abby living across the street from you doesn’t sting. It’s hard enough to ignore all his calls, but trying to get to your car while avoiding his gaze is even worse. Eventually, he gave up on contacting you by the third month of radio silence. It hurt both of you, but you knew deep down neither of you could continue functioning like how you were. 

The back and forth pull of his affection took too big of a toll on your mental well being. You can remember every moment down to the exact detail of how much you craved for him to just do something, anything. 

All those times you held him in your soft embrace whispering sweet nothings in his ear, reassuring him everything will be okay, just for him to turn around the next day and never bring it up again. Or when you’d run your warm fingers through his hair to calm him down after a panic attack, and he’d let his head rest in your lap. Words of affection dripping off his lips like a rich honey, warming you up from the inside out. Then he’d disappear for a while, claiming he needed some space to figure stuff out, all the while you’d beg and plead for him to tell you what’s on his mind, only for him to give you nothing back.You stood by him regardless though, keeping a silent promise that you’d always be there for him when he needed it, a love that was never reciprocated back. 

A long sigh escapes from you, eying the new delivery that just appeared by your door. You shuffle towards it weakly, unsure if you really wanted to torture yourself by looking at it. It’s one of those things that curiosity will drive you to do, unable to ignore it like a pedestrian passing by a car crash. The paper crinkles under your touch, unfolding it reveals the familiar childlike style of Abby’s drawings. A man drawn in green crayon frowns up at you, holding hands with an equally sad looking child. Your gaze drifts over to the other side of the paper, highlighting a person relatively similar to you standing alone with their arms crossed, angry. Your heart hurts at the sight of it, knowing that Abby is implying that you’re angry at the two of them. You shake your head quickly, trying to evade any tears that threaten to spill. It’s not fair for Abby to be caught in the middle of whatever is going on between you and Mike, and you realize that. 

The sound of your phone ringing breaks your train of thought, and when you check the caller ID your breath hitches. Standing in the middle of your living room frozen with indecisiveness, you stare at the screen while chewing on the bottom of your lip. Without thinking, you accept the call.

“Hello?” 

There’s a sound on the other end of the line, somewhere in between a choke and a gasp, and then your name is mumbled out in disbelief. 

“I didn’t think you’d actually pick up…” Mike’s voice is still a little startled, mimicking the internal panic in your chest. 

You suck in a deep, steady breath before answering, “Yeah, I didn’t think so either.” There’s a slight pause from both of you, unsure how to continue the conversation. It’s felt like years since you last heard his voice. 

“Are you…doing okay?” 

“...Yeah.” Your answer is unconvincing, but Mike doesn’t have any ground to be able to question it. So it’s left like that, timidly dangling in the air between you both. 

You hear shuffling in the background, and a smaller voice asking a question before he dismisses it. Your heart lurches thinking about how Abby is there, trying to figure out who her older brother might be on the phone with. It almost makes your cool demeanor crack, urging you back into your savior complex. 

“Uh, sorry about that,” your phone crackles back to life, “anyways, I wanted to ask you something.” 

“Oh okay.” 

“Can you,” he stops, leaving you on edge, “meet me somewhere?” 

The lack of response from you causes him to start rambling, going on about how it would be better to talk in person, and how it would be easier if you could see each other’s expressions. Soon afterwards, a string of apologies ensue, and you pinch the bridge of your nose in frustration. 

“Okay Mike. Promise me this will be worth it.”

“I promise.”

–

A young waitress stares nervously at your booth. Orders continually piling up, hungry customers giving her rude looks whenever she ignores their impatient huffs. It’s been a good thirty minutes since you first showed, and she’s checked up on you at least a handful of times by now. Mike had suggested this little diner down the street from your house, and you agreed to meet here. 

However, it seems like you’re the only one who showed up. 

Your back is pressed against the uncomfortable foam board of your seat, a leg bobbing rapidly out of habit. You pick at the pills on your sweatshirt sleeve, trying to avert your gaze from the sympathetic waitress. Prior to your predicament, she had asked if you were dining alone, and you told her no. However, It’s starting to look like you just might be. With anger bubbling inside of you, a voice in the back of your head is saying you should have seen this coming. It’s so typical of Mike to make promises that he’s unwilling to keep. 

The air smells like grease, mostly from the old fryers sitting in the back of the kitchen. Oil bubbling and brooding in their tanks, waiting for someone to drop a morsel of food so it could shrivel in the scalding lard. Stomach stirring with disgust, a wave of nausea washes over you. It’s unclear exactly what’s causing it, you’d like to give credit to the sleazy restaurant, but something deep down points to the lack of a certain person’s company. 

You keep your attention trained on the dwindling heat of your coffee. Both corners of your mouth scrunch downwards at the smooth ceramic now held in your cold hands. When did watching a cup of coffee become so interesting? 

“Would you like some more?” The sweet but timid waitress asks you, now back at her spot beside your table.  

A joyless smile flashes across your face, a futile attempt at masking your dejection. Pushing the cup forward, silently accepting a fresh refill from her kettle. 

“He’s not worth it.” She adds, tipping off your mug. Her eyes refuse to meet yours as she does so, and you are thankful for that fact. 

“No,” you respond back, “he never is, I guess.” Your voice is shaky, as are the hands that are folded in your lap. 

Mike is not worth the years of being hurt and pushed away. Not worth the tears that fall after coming home from a night spent at his house, inconsolably sobbing because you know no matter what you do it leads back to the same thing. To give up all your time, love, and patience just to receive nothing in exchange. 

It’s not worth the unrequited love. 

“Can I have the check please?” You ask quietly, still avoiding the gaze of the girl next you. 

Her head shakes with pity, fingers wrapping around the arm of the kettle, “it’s on the house.”

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