#think about it. really think about it. if they decide that mike has to die to keep everyone safe‚ what's going to happen?

[brionysea]

if stranger things 5 comes out and they're like 'omg! the upside down has been a product of someone's dark and twisted mind this whole time! it's... WILL!' I'll immediately lose interest

[username0204]

"Will is such a whiny little helpless scared boy"

Excuse me what?? Are we talking about the same Will Byers? I really have no idea where those opinions come from... someone's ass I suppose.

There's a lot of talk about Will being traumatized and all but can we please acknowledge that he is also one of the strongest characters in ST? Tbh he's kinda badass if you think about it... but just more of a quiet, resilient, selfless kind of badass...

Ok, let's recap:

01. Will at age 11 beggs his mom to let him see Poltergeist. Fucking Poltergeist. I know people who couldn’t sit through Coraline at that age… This kid is a horror and punk rock fan, that doesn't really scream "snowflake" to me

02. After being followed to his house by an unknown creature at age 12 he doesn't hide under the bed... noooo, he goes outside and grabbs a shotgun - a fucking shotgun! I'd like to remind you, that the only other kid to hold any kind of weapon in S1 is Lucas and it's a slingshot... In S2 Max holds a bat and Mike holds... well... a lamp and a goblet xd To this day I believe he's the only one to hold a gun among the "kids" generation and probably is the only one to know how to use it (though I wouldn't put it past Max tbh)... and it was S1

03. Kid somehow survives a week in another dimension that killed multiple adults during that time... not only that - he manages to figure out a way to communicate (smart kid) and one of his first messages to his mom is not "HELP", it's "RUN" - his priority is to save her, not for her to save him

04. After waking up in the hospital, the very first thing he does is ask Jonathan about a bandage on his hand as if he didn't just almost die... "Don't mind me! There's a cut on your hand, are you sure you're ok??"

05. Will at age 12 starts seeing things that brings him back to the other dimension that tried to kill him but this time there's another creature following him... Then gets possessed by that creature at age 13 and in both instances decides at first not to tell anyone about any of it bc he doesn't want others to worry about him or treat him like he can't take care of himself

06. While being possessed at age 13 he manages to find a way to communicate (again) with a fucking morse code (smartass) and apparently he's the only one aside from Hopper to know it by heart (while being possessed, mind you). And what does he communicate you might ask? Well, he figures out a way to kill the thing that attacks the town knowing full well that it will probably kill him too. Does he say it might kill him though? Nope. He'd rather get himself killed than put his loved ones in danger. Gladly Mike was able to figure it out...

07. After all of that at age 14 he finally can live a "normal" life while still feeling the presence of that thing that possessed him and took control over his body... and he is so fucking patient and tries to keep a level head with his friends that straight on dismiss him and he is able to take so much shit from them (especially from his best friend he is in love with) before he finally snaps. Then again he sweeps that under the rug and doesn't hold a grudge bc there are more important stuff happening which he can feel thanks to that lovely bluetooth connection he has with his former supernatural abuser

08. At age 15 (shortly after his birthday that everyone forgot) he buries his feelings again for (what he believes is) the greater good. He "sells" his own love and a painting that he poured his heart into to repair his best friend's relationship and to cure his insecurities. After that he encourages said friend to make a grand confession at his own expense bc he believes that it might save the day.

And after all of this you want to tell me that he's whiny, weak and helpless? Did we watch the same show?

Funny thing about Will being "saved" in both S1 and S2 is that it didn't come from Will... he didn't ask to be saved. It was Joyce's and Mike's love that saved him, that brought everyone else on board. It was all those people who cared and went out of their way to save him even if he didn't care to be saved.

That is not a testament of Will needing to be saved, it's the testament of how much he means to all of those people for them to love him this much to save him.

He is not weak, he is loved. <3

*I know he goes through so much more shit but I really tried to focus on him handling situations and how it shows his character and not on the stuff that happens to him that makes us feel bad for him if that makes sense xd

[michaelswilliam]

lets talk about how byler will happen in ST5

mike will initiate it.

why? well, because will has given up on any chances that he might be with mike in season 4. i do believe that if byler is going to be endgame, it will be because of mike pursuing will.

will is not going to try to get with mike romantically, not when he thinks mike still loves eleven and vice versa. 12 year old will was really to kill himself to save the town that hated his guts, he is never gonna put himself before others, especially not someone who is now his sister and has saved his life.

if byler is happening, it will be because mike decides to make the first move.

i think the painting discussion will happen in episode 1, i think it will lead to mileven breaking up and both el and mike will connect the dots to will's feelings. next two episodes, mike's attention gonna stay on will as he tries to figure out his feelings for him.

maybe will comes out in between 1-3 episodes, this will affirm his sexuality to mike. i think in between those moments, when holly disappears and both of them are stuck in the circumstances with each other, there will be a heat of the moment, where mike tries to kiss will.

and maybe they get interrupted? or will tries to pull back because he just cannot comprehend that mike is actually returning his feelings, the feelings that will has made peace with himself to keep and do nothing about. oh i think it would be so angsty, i think there will be a lot of pining and yearning up until the last (two) episode. ngl i do think it will be dramatic, either will getting vecna-d or mike, and they confess their feelings to each other then. crazy together, right?

or maybe before the final battle? where both of them don't know if they will survive it? how mike will tell will that he chooses him. how their love isn't some coincidence, or god forbid, fate.

no, their love is the fruit of their will, their choice. mike will fight for this love, he is fighting for it, and both of them will not gonna die, because mike will bring his best friend, the love of his life, to the other end of the war. and they will spend the rest of their lives choosing each other, loving each other. oh and it's gonna be so sweet, and will gonna stand on his tippy toes and kisses mike. or maybe he will grab mike by the shoulders to pull him down, pull him closer and kisses him. and it's gonna be so, so beautiful. mike will hold will by the waist, lift him up until his feet barely touch the ground. it will be soft, but it also be hungry, and... desperate. because they don't want their first kiss to be their last, but if it does, they're gonna savor every moment, every touch. swallowing each other's breath.

and maybe either lucas or dustin will pull a harry potter and scream "OI, IS THIS REALLY THE TIME, WE HAVE A THREE-HEADED MONSTER COMING OUR WAY!!!"

[anonymous-dentist]

Or: Cellbit runs an alchemy shop with his family, and he's also the lost prince of the Gato Kingdom, but he isn't, but he really really isn't, you've gotta believe him, he isn't, really, he isn't, you've gotta-

For day seven of @smallchaoscryptid's Spiderbit Week - Royalty/Family

-

The day starts off normally:

Cellbit wakes up to find himself alone in bed, Roier having already gone to work downstairs in the store.

He lazes beneath the covers before hearing his son shouting in the other room. Grudgingly, he gets up, slides on his slippers and his bathrobe, and he goes to get Richarlyson settled with a new coloring book because, according to Richarlyson, Pepito ate the last one.

(Pepito did not eat the last one.)

Cellbit goes back into his bedroom to change, and then he goes to the wash basin in the hallway to brush his teeth and wash his face. He goes to the kitchen, shoves a singe slice of bread in his mouth for breakfast, tells the kids to behave, decides to live in ignorance and believe that they actually listened to him, and then, finally, he goes downstairs to help Roier with the shop.

That's when things get weird because, instead of the normal dozen or so customers they usually get in the mornings before things get busy, there are a handful of people in shiny armor with pointy swords, and there's a woman with cat ears leaning against the counter talking at an indifferent Roier.

Cellbit freezes on the stairs. Absently, his hands raise to his own ears, thankfully pinned down today with his alchemical goggles. He tends to have them out more days than not now, but. Well. Old habits die hard.

"I really don't know what you're talking about," Roier casually say. He isn't even looking at the woman, he's, instead, inspecting his nails- recently painted by Jaiden and absolutely adorable, just like he is. "But we do have a sale on luck potions if you wanna try one of those."

The woman's eyebrow twitches, and, for whatever reason, Cellbit doesn't think that she's here to buy something. Between the fine quality of her clothes and the literal knights with her and her entire aura, she just screams royalty, and that's a bad thing.

That's a really bad thing.

But Roier seems to have it under control, so, silently, Cellbit starts sneaking back up the stairs. If Roier needs him, he'll scream, and then Cellbit will rush down and kill everybody in the room and blame it on a sudden alchemical reaction gone wrong. Easy.

Except:

The door to the living quarters slams open and Pepito comes rushing out of it with tears streaming down his face.

"Apa!" he cries, leaping into Cellbit's arms and nearly sending him stumbling back down the stairs. "Richarlyson ate my crayons and now he's dying!"

(Richarlyson is not dying.)

Cellbit can practically smell the irritation coming off of Roier, even if he can't see him with his back turned to both him and the store and the really annoying royalty inside.

And, sure, Cellbit is annoyed, too, but he's also a father. So he just sighs and holds his son and lets him cry into his shoulder.

"Who's there?" one of the knights asks.

There's the sound of a sword being drawn, and then there's the sound of another sword being drawn and, really, is a peaceful retirement too much to ask for? Pac and Mike got one. Bad got one. Even Etoiles has some sort of retirement plan he's supposedly following between father-daughter dungeon-busting field trips.

The way Pepito is being held has him looking down the stairs and at the very rude people about to kill his parents, so Cellbit turns around so that Pepito is facing the door instead. He's always preferred looking danger in the face, anyway; it's much easier to be stabbed in the back than the front, after all.

Cellbit passively looks from one knight to another. He skips his eyes over the woman entirely. He catches Roier's eye, subtly rolls his own eyes, adjusts his hold on Pepito.

"Sorry," Cellbit says, "but my son is dying. I'll be right back."

"He's dead!" Pepito wails, ever-helpful. He's such a good kid.

The woman frowns. Cellbit doesn't think he likes her face. It's too... uncanny, like a doll come to life. Or, rather, like an image escaped from the mirror above the wash basin, and Cellbit does not like the implications of that, thanks.

As the knights start to advance, the woman holds up a hand to stop them.

"Hurry up," she says.

"Yeah," Roier agrees. "Tell Richas to die quicker, we have company."

Pepito screeches right into Cellbit's ear, making him wince very angrily in Roier's direction; all Roier does is wink and motion with his fingers for Cellbit to hurry up.

Cellbit quickly takes Pepito back into their living quarters and puts him down on the sofa.

Richarlyson is on the floor, very calm, very much not dying, and very much using Pepito's crayons in his own coloring book.

Pepito gasps, tears gone and replaced with wide, shocked eyes.

"But you ate them!" he exclaims.

Cellbit sighs, "Your brother is a magician, now can you two please behave for ten minutes while Roier and I deal with those people downstairs?"

Richarlyson's head perks up. "There are people downstairs?"

Cellbit nods. "Bad people, probably. If you hear glass breaking, you know what to do."

It's Richarlyson's turn to nod.

They have a plan. If things go down in the shop, Richarlyson and Pepito stay upstairs and hide until either Cellbit or Roier goes to get them. If the kids hear glass breaking, they are to escape out their bedroom window and climb down the tree outside and run to their Uncle Bad's house until Cellbit and Roier can get rid of the bad guys and save the day.

(Roier's words, not Cellbit's. Apparently, calling unruly customers or the police "the enemy" is bad. Go figure.)

Cellbit makes the kids both pinky promise him to follow the plan before letting out a long, stressed-out breath and starting back downstairs.

First, though, he dips into the kitchen and grabs his favorite butcher knife from off of the counter and tucks it into the custom-made sheath hidden beneath his jacket. Just in case.

Once downstairs, he's immediately manhandled by the knights until he's pushed up against the counter. Unfortunately, he isn't pushed behind the counter. But at least he can act as a shield... just in case.

On instinct, Cellbit reaches behind himself and takes Roier's hand. Roier takes it and squeezes gently, his thumb rubbing little circles into the skin by his thumb.

"Well," Cellbit says, looking from the knights to the woman, "you want something. What is it."

It isn't a question. It's more of a demand, really, and maybe he's stupid for demanding answers of royalty, but, like. Fuck the monarchy. What have they ever done for him?

The woman speaks: "We're looking for whichever one of you is Cellbit."

If they weren't already pinned down, Cellbit's ears would be flattening themselves to the top of his head. He bites back a hiss and instead just squeezes Roier's hand.

The woman continues with, "I'd like to bring him back with us to-"

"Yeah, okay," Roier casually says. "I'm Cellbit, hello."

Out of the corner of his eye, Cellbit can see Roier waving; he stifles a smile. He's so stupid...

Cellbit turns around and gasps dramatically. "Gatinho, no! You can't leave us!"

Roier bites his lip and looks away, turning his head to the side.

"But guapito," he says, dropping his voice an octave just for effect, "if I don't go, then... what about you and the children? They might-" (He moans and bows his head.) "-kill you. And then what would I do with myself?"

"Oh, don't worry!" the woman quickly says. "We won't hurt your family! That's why we're here, actually, to bring you and your family with us."

Cellbit ignores her. He reaches across the counter and cups Roier's cheek with his free hand, gently nudges his face until he raises his head and looks Cellbit in the eye; Roier's eyes are already wet with unshed tears, wow, he's good.

"But what will I do without you?" Cellbit demands, pitching his voice up just slightly. "Don't be stupid! I love you, pendejo!"

(They do this a lot, believe it or not. It drives Richarlyson crazy every time they do it because it somehow always ends up with them kissing until they're out of breath and shaky in the knees.)

"Não!" Roier cries. He squeezes his eyes shut and rips himself away from Cellbit entirely, staggering back and leaning against a display shelf full of anti-gravity potions. "Don't say that!"

"Say what?" Cellbit asks. "I love you!"

Roier screams and flinches against the case. "Não!"

Cellbit leans over the counter. "I love you."

Roier moans his time, his hands flying out wildly and grasping onto seemingly-random bottles on the shelf. "Não!!"

Cellbit extends a hand. "I. Love. You. Te amo, guapito."

One of the knights asks, "What the fuck is going on?"

And then the knights all start shouting as Roier opens his eyes and lunges to shove a potion into Cellbit's hands.

Cellbit grins and yanks the cork out of the bottle and chugs the potion and slams the empty bottle against the floor. It shatters, and he jumps.

"What the fuck?" the woman demands.

Cellbit twists mid-air and lands on the ceiling. He waves down at Roier, blows him a kiss, and takes off running for the back potion room. The door is closed, but the ventilation window above the door is open because he was supposed to be making potions right now. Silver linings.

He dives through the window, just barely managing to squirm through. He grunts, frowns, regrets getting this old, makes it through.

His goggles are nudged off of his head, though, leaving his ears on full display as he escapes into the potion room.

The woman gasps, "Get back here! Cellbit!"

But Roier just cheers, "Corre, gatinho!"

The potion room's door thuds and shakes in its hinges as the knights all slam against it. But, like, fuck those guys.

Cellbit runs down the length of the ceiling until he's reached the wall facing the alley behind the shop. He steps onto the wall, and then he runs down that until he's by the window. Again, ventilation, he should be working right now, but no, he can never know a moment of peace.

The potion starts running out just as Cellbit crawls through the window and lands on the shop's outside wall. He wrinkles his nose at the smell, but it's fine. Just trash, it's fine.

There's shouting from the front of the shop and the sounds of more bottles shattering. Roier sounds fine, though. He's even laughing, of course he is. He's badass, and Cellbit loves him, and Cellbit just wishes he was there to watch Roier swing his sword around like the sexy piece of shit he is.

The potion's effects wear off as Cellbit's feet touch the ground; two minutes, just as he'd made it to be.

He can see Richarlyson and Pepito running for it at the far end of the alley. Good, they actually followed directions for once.

Cellbit turns to run after them and get Bad's help, but he's stopped by a firm hand grabbing his shoulder from behind.

He snarls and pulls his knife out of his coat, spinning and slashing and just narrowly missing the woman's throat.

"Cellbit!" she shouts. "Calm down, it's just me!"

Cellbit responds by lunging at her with his teeth bared. He's been filing his teeth down for years, but he knows that he still cuts an intimidating figure when he's pissed enough.

The woman doesn't seem afraid, though. If anything, she just seems angry. And sad. Mostly angry.

She easily sidesteps his attack and yells, "It's me! What the fuck is wrong with you?!"

Oh, that's cute. Royalty asking why someone would want to hurt them, that's funny. They have the self-awareness of a walnut, all of them.

"Stop shouting 'it's me'!" Cellbit snaps. "Why should I care who you are?"

The woman's face starts turning red from frustration. "Because I'm your sister!"

Oh, that's rich.

"I don't have a sister," Cellbit sneers.

He swipes at her. Of course he does, he doesn't have a sister. He didn't have a family before he and the others found Richarlyson, and he only has one now that he has his kids and his husband.

"Then why do we have the same ears?" the woman demands.

She ducks under his knife and sweeps his legs out from under him. He falls and hisses and growls and does all sorts of things that princes might do because he isn't royalty. He knows that for certain. His first memory was him eating the corpse of a soldier on an empty battlefield, and it's with that image in mind that he snaps his teeth at the woman's throat.

"Only the royal family of the Gato Kingdom is born with feline features," the woman snaps. "Idiot!"

"Fuck the Gato Kingdom," Cellbit spits. "Your war destroyed everything I had!"

The woman's eyes turn sad. "It destroyed everything I had, too. It took my family from me. My friends. My home. We're just now starting to rebuild, and-"

She shrieks as Cellbit manages to flip their positions so that she's the one being pinned to the ground.

"So you show up and try kidnapping someone to fill in for your lost prince?" he snarls. "You people haven't changed."

The woman's mouth thins into an angry line. "I'm not trying to kidnap you! I just want to bring you home!"

"I don't have a home! This is my home!"

"You really don't remember, do you?" she asks, voice low. She isn't even struggling any more, not really. "It's me, your sister. Bagi."

The name stings Cellbit's brain in a way he doesn't like.

"I don't know you," he firmly says. "You don't know me. Leave my family alone."

He stands, hands shaking, head spinning. He doesn't like this.

Roier calls his name from the front of the building.

Cellbit, sure that this Bagi won't do anything while she's busy crying, turns and starts running towards the store.

He doesn't make it three steps before getting thwacked in the back of the head with something large and heavy and metal.

"Sorry," Bagi flatly says.

As he falls to the ground, his knife falls from his hand and ends up just out of reach.

He lands on his stomach and immediately tries standing again.

But he's stopped by a foot on his back pressing him down.

"I'll be sure to bring your family with us," Bagi tells him. "I'm not here to hurt you."

"Could have fooled me," Cellbit mutters.

Darkness takes him at last as Bagi smacks him again with her weapon, and all Cellbit can think is that he hopes that the kids ended up making it to Bad's after all.

[undreaming-fanfiction]

Thinking of a modern AU when the kids get to be kids after it's all over and they go to the movies, they play games, hang out, all that. And of course, Steve drives them everywhere. He vouches for them in front of their parents, watches them like a hawk, tries to tell them about the adult stuff he's learned so far and chases Robin and Nancy to give them info on uni application and the things he feels he's too dumb for. Still, when Robin and Nancy are away and one of his kids needs something, he'll grab that legal document and either stare at it long enough to get a migraine or begins hounding the smart people who stayed in Hawkins (Mr. Clarke is Steve's go-to person and Mr. Clarke won't say it, but he's so proud of Harrington's progress).

So, Steve's life is basically nonstop work and babysitting (with lots of complaints and grumbling from the teens), they ask him to drive them somewhere and he'll bitch about it, sure, but he will get up after 4 hours of sleep and do it anyways. Dustin often reprimands Steve for not taking care of his health, but he doesn't see why.

When Encanto comes out, El really, really wants to see it, and how can Steve say no to her? He drives the whole gang to the movie theatre (some of them stacked on top of each other, some in the trunk on a pile of blankets) and decides to join them. He doesn't really like animated stuff, but Robin loves these movies and he wants yet another reason to call her and talk through the night.

He didn't expect to enjoy the movie so much, but it's colorful and catchy. The songs are nice and the characters are relatable. He makes a lot of mental notes to discuss with Robin. He thinks she will love Mirabel.

And then "Surface Pressure" starts playing and Steve wonders why he suddenly feels like crying. "I'm pretty sure I'm worthless if I can't be of service" hits especially hard. He's just sitting there and feeling incredibly stupid for tearing up at flying glitter-covered donkeys.

When they leave the movie theater, everyone is pretty excited and discussing which characters and songs they liked the most (even if some feel like rolling their eyes at a kids' movie, El's excitement stops them from doing that). They all start discussing to who they relate the most, El feels with Mirabel for being left out and different, even if she actually is the only one who has a gift, Will dares to utter that he really sympathizes with Dolores, Dustin loves Bruno for trying to fix the cracks in Casita.

And then they turn to Steve and someone makes a jab at him, saying he resembles Mariano the most. Steve is ready to shrug it off, there's some truth in that with what happened to his relationship with Nancy, but El just shakes her head and says: "No. Steve is our Luisa."

Everyone goes silent. There's a lot of hmmming and "well, he did get up to drive us when he had a night shift..." and "we could have just biked...". Steve tries to make them feel better about it, joking that he really has nothing better to do, but the drive home is full of whispering, and the party actually diligently thank him when they leave his car.

The next day is Sunday and Steve is ready for his usual routine, making himself busy until someone needs something. But there's a knock on the door to his small apartment and when he opens it, he sees his group of kids, proudly presenting a tray of muffins and two cartons of orange juice.

Out of all of them, it's Mike who speaks up. "Nancy said you often forget to eat breakfast," he states in his usual annoyed tone. "She also said that you like chocolate muffins, so we are here to ensure you don't die from hunger. Now move, I'll get the glasses and plates."

Steve just watches in awe as they swarm his flat, Will smiling at him and producing a DVD of the latest Spider-man movie. "This one was a tip from Robin, she says you haven't seen it yet."

Max is standing in the kitchenette with her cane, watching the pile of meds Steve has to take after his injuries with disdain. "This has to take forever for you to find what you need. Don't argue, I remember how shitty it was for me. Let me help you build a chart and thank me later."

El and Lucas are rearranging Steve's couch and placing pillows in front of the TV so everyone can sit comfortably. El also ensures the blinds are closed so Steve's eyes don't have to fight against the light.

And if that all wasn't more care than Steve has known in years, Dustin grabs his elbow and sits him down, threatening him with violence if he even thinks about working on Sunday.

As the opening titles start, Steve is surrounded by six teenagers in his tiny and cheap flat, chewing on a subpar muffin with an orange juice that probably never saw the actual fruit, and he thinks that there's no greater happiness than this.

[tapwater-made-everyone-gay]

Short SBG theory (Ashlyn’s control over the rift/phantom dimension)

I’m not really sure if this has been talked about before (it probably has) but I only really noticed it when reading with my mom. This could also very well connect to that one “the phantom dimension is alive” theory I saw recently.

So, we know that during Ashlyn’s birth, it happened right outside a rundown building, and we also know that Ashlyn isn’t necessarily needed to pull someone in as others not around her have been pulled in some time in the past without her energy present. We also know that her parents encountered a phantom right after her birth. But rifts don’t take their time pulling people in, it happens immediately upon entering, which is why Mike’s call went out. What if her parents were already in the phantom dimension when Emma was giving birth, meaning Ashlyn was quite literally born in the phantom dimension, and that’s why she has such an intense connection to it?

More importantly, they only exited the dimension AFTER Ashlyn started crying, and her ears were bleeding. I feel like it’s very likely that the phantom dimension (alive or not) heard Ashlyn, realized that she wasn’t supposed to be there (because she’s an anomaly being born into the world), and sent her back. But she’s still now connected to the phantom dimension, and her dimension knows it too. Ashlyn is quite literally an anomaly in both dimensions, and neither know if she should stay or go. That’s why when she was pulled in herself, she got placed in limbo. Because neither dimension wants her, and with the others getting pulled in with her as well, the dimensions couldn’t decide with them either.

I’m not sure how she’d get out considering she’s permanently connected to both places, but I think her becoming even more “phantom” is why things are getting stranger (like her pain causing more people to get pulled in even without a rift being present).

ALSO WHERE ARE THOSE FACILITY WORKERS THAT GOT PULLED IN??? DID THEY DIE IMMEDIATELY OR WHAT??

Hear me out on this, I swear I’m not going crazy reading this series over and over

[cloudycleric]

I had an idea for a byler au but I dont have the brain energy to think abt it..

Whats do u think a hunger games au would look like?? What districts would everyone be from?

All I can think of is El being a genetically modified mutt made by the gamemakers to spice things up in the arena and have her as the district 12 girl tribute next to will as the boy tribute

hunger games aus are hard because it’s always difficult to sort out districts AND have only one boy & one girl from each, but your el au theory is so fucking awesome dawg, espc with will & el district 12 tributes??? ooookkay cook…

the hardest thing (as of right now) is coming up with 22 more tributes that are under 18 (if you want a cast filled with entirely stranger things characters, but fillers would def be the better choice) & realizing that each family lives in the same district so you couldn’t have holly & nancy competing at the same time according to those rules, & the different families in stranger things would all have to be spread out across the different districts.

i would say none of the families in stranger things are in a district higher than 5, & i feel like the sinclair family & wheeler family are about on the same level (especially if you want to incorporate them being neighbors like in canon, & it makes you not have to worry about putting lucas &/or erica in the game & making them survive or die or whatever).

i think the most interesting pair you could put in rather than will/modified el is probably mike/holly as a team. of course it’s extremely unlikely that two people from the same family would get chosen, but imagine:

holly gets chosen as female tribute. nancy is over 18, & mike is going absolutely feral. the only thing he can do is volunteer as the male tribute to try & keep holly safe. i feel like it’s an interesting twist on the original story, & mike/holly relationship (up until st5) has been explored so little.

also, does will know el is genetically modified/a plant? i think it could be interesting if, going into the game, the game makers try to push for this found-family type story for will & el, similar to canon.

then don’t even get me started on mike/will falling in love in the arena or before during training. i feel like if el & will stuck together, will probably wouldn’t talk to other tributes, & mike would be focused on holly, so they’d only really start connecting in the arena. that makes me wonder, in what circumstances do the two meet in the arena? are they about to kill each other? one is more hurt than the other? are holly &/or el there, or are the duos still separated? maybe el is the one being aggressive towards an injured mike, & will has to calm her down? maybe after the chaos of the bloodbath, will finds a crying holly, separated from mike, & decides to comfort her, leading to mike’s auto trust seeing how will has decided to care for holly when he wasn’t around?

i would think they’d meet probably day 3 or 4 (depending on how long you think the game would last). it would also make sense for holly & mike as well as el & will to be separated at the beginning of the game cause of how chaotic the opening is.

the other challenge is who would survive? it’s hard to have all the characters to root for when (if all goes as planned) there is only one winner that can make it out alive, at most two if they do a katniss/peta thing.

if you ever end up writing a fic or making art PLEASE tag me. sorry this was so long.

[xcherryerim]

Si tú me quisieras

(If you loved me)

Mike schmidt x Gn!reader | wc: 2.2k

“Si tú me quisieras, el amor que quisieras lo tendrías conmigo. No soy cursilera, pero si me quisieras, sería todo distinto” — Si tú me quisieras by Nia Vanie & Adrian Bello

Warning: Friends to lovers | Sappy | angst and fluff (?) | mentions of sex | fighting | a bit of aggressive Mike

notes: it seems like I love writing sappy stuff for Mike at 1-4 am. I didn’t really revise this so sorry if there is many mistakes or repeated words ✨ Also the lyrics in this story is the same as the one from the intro (and yes. Mike knows spanish here)

Summary: As time goes by, it becomes increasingly difficult for Mike not to hide the secrets that are troubling him. He has had enough and decides to reveal his feelings to you, his best friend.

You caught sight of Mike wearing the same shade of sage green shirt you were wearing. With a deep breath, you called out to him, "No, no! Change, please. That's too much of a coincidence!”

Mike sighed heavily, slamming the car door shut behind him. His eyes narrowed, frustration etched onto his face. "Can you give me a break? This is the only clean shirt I have left!"

Reluctantly, you let out a frustrated groan. It wasn't about the shirt or the coincidences; it was about how deeply it affected you every time he wore that particular color. But you knew pushing him further wouldn't solve anything. So instead, you relented, "Fine, fine."

Why does it matter anyway?" he asked, increasing the volume of the radio in an attempt to cover up his unease.

Your fingers tightened around the steering wheel as you tried to explain your concern. "Because people are going to think we're a couple,"

Mike couldn't help but feel a pang of disappointment. He had been hoping that today would be the day when you finally noticed him in the way he wanted you to. But here he was.

“But like, we aren’t so it doesn't matter, does it?”

“I guess.” You shrugged.

You started to suggest what movie to watch at the end of the day. A little tradition you guys did after running errands together, but Mike was staring at the street, drowning in his thoughts. Did you hate the idea of dating him that much?

“No hay nada que pueda hacer que me veas, y eso me duele tanto. Y aunque tú no me quieras como yo te quiero yo te seguiré amando.” / “There's nothing I can do to make you look at me, and that breaks me. Even if you don’t love me like I love you, I'll still adore you.”

"Isn't this the song that you like, Mike?" you asked, a small smile forming on your lips.

Mike's response was quiet and subdued. "Uh, yeah."

He didn't like the song, not really. He related to it, to every verse, word, and beat. It was a reflection of his feelings, a mirror to his unspoken thoughts and emotions. The lyrics echoed through the car, resonating with both of you in different ways.

“Dicen que de amor nadie se muere, pero si este dolor es la alternativa, prefiero la muerte” / “They say no one dies out of love, but if this pain is the alternative, I rather die.”

Mike sat silently next to you, the strum of guitar strings and the singer's melodic voice echoing throughout the car. A wave of disappointment washed over him, making the atmosphere in the vehicle almost suffocating. You could sense his discomfort, but you pressed on, trying to stay focused on the road ahead.

“Te estoy amando aunque no te diga nada. Estoy guardando este secreto para mí en el fondo de mi alma. Si tú me quisieras, no perdería ni un minuto más. Me entregaría con sinceridad, si te quedas conmigo.” / “I'm loving you even if I keep quiet. I’m keeping this secret in the depths of my soul. If you loved me, I wouldn't lose another minute more. I’ll sincerely give myself to you, if you stay with me.”

…

Feeling the need to intervene, Mike quickly stepped in to assist an elderly woman who was struggling to reach for a specific medicine. "Oh, let me help with that," he said, his voice filled with genuine kindness. As he handed her the item she needed, a warm smile spread across his lips, and you couldn't help but feel proud of his compassionate nature.

The woman thanked him graciously, her eyes twinkling with gratitude. "Thank you, sweetheart," she said, her gaze shifting between you both. "You two look like a nice couple. It reminds me of when my late husband and I used to go shopping together."

A sudden flush crept up your cheeks as the weight of her words settled upon the both of you. You knew it wasn't intentional, but the implication made your heart race faster than it should. Swallowing hard, you felt the need to clarify things.

"We're not a couple," you quickly replied, your voice tinged with slight awkwardness. The heat from your blush radiated outward, an audible confession of your true feelings.

Mike smiled gently at you, his eyes dancing with a mix of mirth and sadness. "Definitely not a couple," he affirmed, a hint of longing lurking beneath the surface.

As he turned to face you, he couldn't help but notice the defensive posture you took, your arms firmly crossed over your chest. Was there pain in your eyes? No, it couldn't be. He pushed the thought aside, choosing to focus on the present moment.

"Well, you seem pretty insulted by that," he remarked casually, attempting to shift the topic away from the elephant in the room.

You raised an eyebrow, feigning offense. “What? I’m not good enough for you?” Your words were laced with humor, but the underlying emotion was undeniable. There was a yearning, a desire for something more.

Mike sighed, rubbing the back of his neck as he shook his head. "We are not having this conversation again," he stated firmly. Today, he simply couldn't muster the energy for the friendly flirtation that had become a routine between the two of you.

The innocent, fun activity of grocery shopping quickly transformed into something far more uncomfortable between the two of you. The mood had shifted dramatically, leaving behind a heavy silence that seemed to grow more oppressive with every passing second.

Mike could no longer mask his emotions – his face bore the unmistakable signs of anger, complete with furrowed eyebrows and heavy breathing. His movements became more forceful as he tossed items into the cart, each action an expression of the tumultuous emotions churning within him.

Unable to bear the tension any longer, you hesitantly asked, "Are you alright?" The question hung in the air, seemingly adding fuel to the fire. The guilt you felt for asking it gnawed at your insides, knowing that you might have only exacerbated the situation.

Mike glared at you, his dark eyes flashing with hurt and resentment. At that moment, he couldn't bring himself to answer your question.

As you tried to find a way to bridge the gap, you couldn't help but wonder if this was truly the last straw in maintaining the delicate balance of your friendship. For years, the two of you had shared laughter, tears, and dreams, but now you stood on the precipice of something unfamiliar and uncertain.

…

To lighten the mood, you attempted a weak joke, "Where else, boss?" but it fell flat in the wake of the tension between the two of you.

Mike provided a terse response, focusing on giving directions to Walmart without acknowledging your attempt at humor. "I need to get a few things for Abby, she's doing a project for school," he said, buckling his seatbelt.

Attempting to ignore the growing discord, you asked, "Oh, are there any close by?" and started the car, navigating the streets according to the directions Mike had given you. However, your nerves got the better of you, and you found yourself missing turns and getting lost.

Each error only served to fuel the fire. Mike's frustration grew with every misstep, a slow burn that threatened to consume the both of you. And then, finally, it boiled over. "Left, I said fucking left!" he shouted, his voice cracking with the strain of holding back his emotions.

"My fucking god. Can you drive?"

Stung by his harsh words, you couldn't help but retaliate. "What the hell is your problem? Why are you suddenly acting like a bitch?" Angry tears pricked at your eyes, the frustration of the day taking its toll on your composure.

His eyes locked onto yours, the transit stretching on as he struggled to find the right words. Finally, he snapped, "Because you're terrible at driving!" It was a feeble excuse, an attempt to deflect from the real issue that loomed between you.

Your heart sank as you demanded answers, pleading with him to reveal the truth. "I'm not stupid, Mike. Tell me what is it!"

Mike's jaw clenched tightly, his mind racing as he tried to find the words to articulate his thoughts. But the harder he tried, the more elusive the truth seemed to become. The weight of the question pressed down upon him, threatening to crush the fragile foundation of their friendship.

Finally, he posed the question that hung between him like a cloud. "Do you hate the idea of being with me?" His heart pounded in your chest, waiting for your response, fear and hope to battle within him.

"What? Am I disgusting to you? Is it because I don't have a set job? Why?"

The weight of those words hung heavily between you, the car falling silent except for the hum of the engine. In that moment, everything felt on the line – your friendship, your future, and the truth that had been bubbling under the surface for so long.

"I never said that," you responded, your voice shaking with hurt and confusion. You grasped for some semblance of control amidst the chaos of your emotions.

"Well, you don't have to!" Mike declared, his voice wavering. Years of unspoken feelings finally burst forth, spilling out in a torrent of raw honesty. "We've avoided this for years. We're not friends!" The accusation hung in the air.

Mike recounted memories that flooded your minds, moments shared between the two of you that transcended the boundaries of friendship. "Holding hands at IKEA? Almost kissing? Showering together and almost having shower sex?"

With a bitter laugh, Mike snarled, "Friends, my balls. We're more than that, and we've been avoiding the truth for too long. It's time to face it."

"I just didn't know you liked me..." you reply, your voice barely above a whisper. The weight of the truth bore down on you, and you couldn't help but feel a sense of relief mixed with the overwhelming emotions that threatened to consume you.

Mike's eyes softened, and for a moment, the tension between you seemed to dissipate. "I've liked you for a long time," he admitted, his voice barely above a whisper. "But I was scared to say anything, scared of losing you as a friend."

The car fell silent once more, the hum of the engine the only sound that broke the heavy silence. At that moment, the two of you sat there, grappling with the new reality that had been laid bare between you. The path forward was uncertain, but one thing was clear – the friendship you had cherished for so long has now changed.

Mike sighed deeply, attempting to gather his thoughts and steady his escalating emotions. "I understand if you don't want to ever see me again," he murmured, his tone filled with a combination of regret and resignation. Despite the turmoil, he reached out and gripped your hand tightly, a silent plea for understanding.

"But, if that is the case," he continued, his voice catching in his throat, "at least let me kiss you... for the first and last time." The request hung in the air, heavy with the implication of finality.

You felt your body tremble at his words, a mix of excitement and fear coursing through you. The prospect of sharing this intimate moment with Mike, the one person you'd always cared for, both thrilled and terrified you.

"I don't want to die without knowing what it feels like to kiss you," he said, his voice filled with a mix of longing and desperation. The weight of the moment bore down on both of you, the unspoken emotions finally giving voice.

"And you won't have to," you whispered, desperation mingling with determination in your voice. Without another word, you leaned in, closing the distance between you until your lips met his in a searing kiss that echoed the years of longing that had built up between you.

Mike hesitated for only a moment before responding, his arms wrapping around you as the passion of the moment took hold. The weight of the past years melted away, replaced by the intensity of the present. For once, the uncertainty that had plagued your friendship was gone, replaced instead by the electric connection that had always been there, hiding just beneath the surface.

As the kiss lingered, you began to realize that this was not the end, but the beginning of a new chapter for you both. The path forward may be fraught with uncertainty, but you were ready to face it together, finally embracing the love that had grown between you.

Fin, Hope you enjoyed! I just wanted to write more than smut 😪

[idyllphile]

once again thinking about the surprisingly short amount of time that passes between Nacho carrying on his secret oxy slinging and Nacho deciding he's in such imminent danger from Tuco finding out about it that Tuco has to die

like, he doesn't stop buying from Pryce because Tuco starts doing meth; he stops because he sees that Pryce is obviously gonna get himself caught, and that happens somewhere between July 18th and July 25th. he steals Pryce's baseball cards, Mike comes to talk to him about it and set up the exchange, and then on August 17th (23 - 30 days after) the vet calls Mike and tells him that Nacho is requesting him specifcally for a job. Tuco starts using after the car-for-cards thing

so three or four weeks pass between Nacho showing up to what was supposed to be just another deal with Pryce (not intended to be the last, he only decided that after seeing the car) and Nacho becoming convinced that Tuco is going to find out that he's dealing on his own and kill him unless he kills Tuco first. I really wish we could have gotten a look at what that period of time was like for Nacho! when did Tuco get into crystal, how long did Nacho deal with it before moving to eliminate him? how quickly did Tuco's behavior ramp up beyond what Nacho felt he could control? was there something specific Tuco did that made Nacho decide the risk was too great and he had to take him out, or did he make that choice mainly based on his knowledge of Tuco's past behavior while using (Dog Paulson)?

oh, if only we had more Tuco scenes...

[sade-alicious]

The Wheelclair Argument (1x05)

watching the show the first couple times around i thought that mike got upset out of defense for el. but when rewatching this time, i realized mike got upset because lucas was losing hope on finding will. thats what made mike angry. the fact that they werent actually closer to finding will.

at first when lucas says el's been playing them, mike deny's it because he thinks that el's been helping them find will. el's importance to mike in the first season is to find will; to reconnect mike with his best friend. mike has no issue leaving el when he thinks that will died, and he had no issue using her again to find will when he thinks will's still alive (and I don't recall any scene of him apologizing to el for how he treated her during the quarry scene.)

secondly, we don't see mike defending el out of personal interest throughout this scene. in fact, when lucas says how el used the party, or when he claims that mike is blind because el isn't grossed out by him, mike doesn't look particularly angry or mad. even when lucas shouts in his face to “wake the hell up.”

but you know when we do see mike get ticked off? when lucas says that el is letting will die in the UD. that moment is what made mike get majorly pissed off, even more than he was beforehand. hell, there's even a whole beat after lucas yells in mike's face. mike doesn't get defensive over el, he get's defensive over will, and the fact that they do have hope in finding him.

when we look at when mike decides to speak up, it's not really to defend el's position. the closest we get is when he says "screw you." but there are many other moments where lucas spews things about el that mike says nothing about. but the moment lucas suggests that will could be dying, mike yells at him. he can't bear the possibility that he'd have to grieve will's death again. even when we examine camera angles, it shows mike's reaction to lucas saying that mike is blinded by el not being grossed out by him, and the reaction to him saying that will could be dying.

and at the end of the scene, when mike yells at el. “what is wrong with you!?” if mike was defending el while arguing with lucas, then wouldn't he show at least a bit of concern for her and how she feels? which also leads me to believe that when he was looking for el after lucas stormed off, it was because he still had hope for finding will, and as far as they knew: el was their only hope.

[dying-marshmallo]

the comic has my mind fucking buzzing and i am in pain

i'm trying to picture what comes next, how leo and mike react to leo also getting bitten,

how the hell they'd even break the news to donnie and raph-----

would they even have time to break the news? how long does it take to turn???

either way, *how do donnie and raph react*?

i mean- not *well*, obviously, but i can't decide how i think it would go

please, enlighten us, we are suffering /lh

☆ I was trying to write an entire fanfiction like response to this but then I realized two things, I cannot write and I am too embarrassed to respond that way in the first place. To answer tho!

☆ Mikey was in an almost catatonic state, just kept staring into the distance and replaying the scenario in his head over and over again. He's so used to trying to keep positive about the situation, but he keeps wondering how it all went so wrong. Is it his fault? Were they doomed because he admittedly got scared? Doomed because he ran from a zombie that chased him at a speed zombies shouldn't be able to run at, Doomed the moment he was cornered?

☆ I mean, he's supposed to be a ninja. A mystical warrior that fought a literal cursed demonic- creature! Thing! But a ZOMBIE is what ends up killing him!? He feels horrible. He felt worse when Leo got bit protecting him. Not once but TWICE in the same attempt.

☆ Leo stayed calm, while Mikey trembled and sobbed and apologized, Leo kept up the jokes and light heartedness. "You know when I tell someone to take a bite out of me, I didn't mean it like this."

☆ It just makes Mikey cry harder.

☆ And Leo is just trying his best to keep Mikey calm and convince him it wasn't his fault (Cause it's Leo's, he should have been protecting Mikey better. God, Donnie and Raph are going to be so mad at him. He really thought he could handle this.)

☆ To be honest, they consider just staying in this dirty alleyway, waiting to turn and die and hope that Donnie and Raph never find them and at worse just assume they abandoned them (they know they'd never think this), eventually though, Mikey and Leo both feel somewhat selfish because they want nothing more than to die in the comfort of someone dear to them.

☆ So they stumble their way back home, Leo using his portals to try lessening the load on their seizing limbs. Their head is swimming. Leo hardly notices when they apparently get home. He hears the sound of Donnie and Raph and feels himself being grabbed at. He sees Mikey hiding his face in Raph's plastron.

☆ Sorry, is all he manages to think before Donnie is talking to him and man. He's seen Donnie cry before but never like this.

☆ And Leo does what he does best, he tries to joke and keep it light hearted, "Looks like you're going to be the older one now hmm~?" Donnie hits him, Leo keeps smiling, Donnie hits him again and again and Leo hugs him while Donnie curses at him for doing the OPPOSITE of what he said he's do.

☆ "I mean, I came back alive didn't I? Still talking, and breathing...thinking..."

☆ Donnie is devastated.

☆ While this is happening, Raph is holding onto Mikey like he's about to crumble away, and maybe in a way, he is. His brother is melting in his arms, gripping onto him and whimpering that he's terrified, that he doesn't WANT to die. And Raph instinctively promises, "Raph won't let you. Don't worry, Raph won't let you die, neither of you."

☆ Leo ends up turning first, tied up to a post with Donnie shakingly standing in front of him with Leo's swords in his hands. He promised Leo he'd kill him when he turned, but he. He can't- do it. Not when Leo's eyes are still so full of mock life.

☆ Soon enough, Mikey turns too, tied beside Leo. Donnie and Raph stare. They know they should kill them. They can do it in a way that's quick and merciful.

☆ ...they'll. Do it. Tomorrow.

☆ Not right now, they can't do it right now.

☆ Tomorrow.

☆ Definitely.

[samsayswhatever]

There are only 2 episodes left and I'm so curious about how it will all end. Personally, I don't care about moralism and I know that I'm watching a series about fictional characters and I would like the guys to realize their attraction to each other, accept it and be together and screw it all. Among all the terrible things that are happening in the world, 2 brothers who want each other are definitely not on my list of disasters. At least their love won't produce children, lol I have a feeling that most likely hbo will go the way of denial and non-acceptance (after all, this is not GoTh) and we will have a sad ending. Most likely, Lochlan will die. He is the one who clearly felt the attraction from the beginning and who fell more and will suffer and of course this is not accepted in the world and a happy ending is impossible for them and therefore, of course, from a "moral" point of view, he will be killed and so they will put an end to the incest. I would like a different ending, but I think it's not worth hoping for something good. The bare minimum is that they are both alive, but will separate and never contact each other again, and Saxon will live a standard and correct life. Lochlan will forever close himself off and just go with the flow.

I agree, I would also love to see Saxon and Lochlan accept their desires, and just be together. But I also agree that it's unlikely.

I don't personally think the show will kill Lochlan. A lot of shows will kill the most clearly gay character off, but I don't think that this show will. Mike White is openly bisexual and in previous seasons he's let some gay characters live. I think Lochlans age also plays into it. Mike hasn't killed off anyone this young in the show before, and he seems to have a more positive growth mindset, where younger characters learn about themselves over the course of the show and make a big decision at the end.

I want Loch's big decision to be accept his desire for Saxon, but I think it's more likely that he will will realize that trying to follow the path of his siblings isn't good for him. His parents only talked about him getting into those two colleges, but I can't imagine his guidance counselors would be happy with someone who only applied to two colleges total. So he might make a stance in the last episode about his college being neither of the two mentioned. This could be a big dramatic thing at the airport where he tells his parents his decision, or it could be a subtle scene of Loch scrolling through another colleges website.

I think the show is going to give a little more resolution for the saxloch arc, but I'm not sure whether it will be together or on their own. I think at least the show will have a few more scenes of each of them spiraling, and going through the stages of grief in their own ways before resigning to their fate. But I hope that after that they will have a few meaningful conversations, maybe tear up, maybe share a sad brotherly gesture that's full of longing and then finally be able to sit next to each other on the flight home as a sign that they will be able to grow closer again. I mean, I can hope for more, but this is upper limits of my tempered hope.

As far as their life after this, I think Saxon's identity was the most broken down, and I think the next two episodes will only break him further. So I think Saxon will also have a big change in his life. Either he will accept he is queer in some way, or he will accept that he doesn't really know himself, and that he doesn't like working for his dad. I think Saxon only thinks he likes working for his dad, because he likes getting constant feedback that he's getting his dad's approval. But he doesn't have any hobbies, and I doubt he has any super close friends. He might decide to quit and become an arborist or something seemingly insanely out of character, but has been hinted at.

And I don't think Lochlan will completely close himself off. I mean, depending on how crazy things get, it's a possibility. If Lochlan ends up murdering Gary or Vlad before or after fucking Saxon, and then his parents reveal they watched it all on the security cameras, then yeah he'll be closed off as hell. But I think it's more likely for Lochlan to be mildly closed off to Saxon specifically, and otherwise gain a bit of self confidence. If Lochlan see's Saxon break down and do some stupid shit, there's the chance he will realize he doesn't need to look up to Saxon anymore. That would be a little sad, but it's a possibility.

Anyway, thank you for the inbox message!! I love thinking about this stuff

[slashfic-daydreams]

How would the Slashers react to Chappell Roan?

Slashers Listen to Chappell Roan

Fandom(s): Dorian Slashfic

Character(s): Ghost, Leather, Jay, Mike

Pairing(s): None

Writing Style: Headcanons

Genre(s): Cracks, Mild Angst

Warning(s): None

Note: Ohohoho, Chappell Roan! I'm not a die hard fan, but I do love to listen to her songs. They're such a bop! I'll do my best to write these headcanons since I love the queen as well ✨ Rlly sorry for taking a long time btw

At first, Ghost didn't seem to show a lot of interest in Chappell. Her music just doesn't hit him hard.

After some time of listening more of her songs and albums, he also slowly grew more fond of her. Ghost honestly surprised himself.

He loves her songs that are giving club night vibes such as After Midnight and Guilty Pleasure. Red Wine Supernova is his top-tier. (He also thinks HOT TO GO! is brings a sense of nostalgia when he was still studying.)

Ghost doesn't really get the hype of her sad songs, though her song Casual did made him feel a pang in his chest. It almost reminded him of Lysa.

Overall, I think he's alright with Chappell Roan. He's not a die hard fan, but he's chill with her.

Yeahhhh Leather doesn't really get the hype about Chappell Roan.

He tries to listen more to her songs, but he just doesn't like her music. He likes her as a person, though.

Leather genuinely thinks her life is "different from normal people in a good way". She's so confident and loved; he wonders what it feels like to be like that, too.

He doesn't admit it, but he likes the song Picture You. He genuinely likes to melody and the double meaning of it intrigues him at some point.

Overall, he doesn't really like her music, but he is intrigued about the artist herself. Leather loves Chappell's curls, too, he thinks they're very nice on her.

Jay likes Chappell Roan! She's so pretty and she has red hair like him!

As for her music, he is down to binge her albums, especially The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess. The songs are so freaky and he just loves it. The sad songs are nice, too because they're so raw and real.

The song Pink Pony Club makes Jay feel triggered for some reason. Maybe because of how Chappell sings about "breaking the rules" and he does not like that.

But when he finds further analysis about it, the dislike remains but now with envy and longing because he wanted to achieve that freedom of choice as well.

Overall, Jay loves her and her songs, and he is possibly a die hard fan of Chappell Roan... except when it comes to Pink Pony Club.

I love to think that Mike says he hates her music, but in private, he's dancing along to Femininomenon LMAO

Her music is eccentric in his opinion. It's so loud, so upbeat. Then suddenly it's so quiet, so melancholic. He's amazed at that but he never shows it.

Mike secretly loves her songs, even though they are not that sinister or murderous for his mood. It's his guilty pleasure (yes, he likes the song, too).

There was this one time when Mike sang along to Chappell's Naked in Manhattan. His voice was very gruff but goodness, it was damn attractive. The other Slashers know about this, but they decide to keep it as a secret between them.

Overall, Mike listening to Chappell Roan is his guilty pleasure. No matter the accusations, he always says he hates her. Just wait until he starts singing, though.

(The banners used are created by me. Ask for permission first if you wish to use them in your works.)

[estrellami-1]

If I Should Stay

Part 1 | . . . | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54

After everyone’s finished eating and the dishes are washed, Steve calls the rest of the Party.

They assemble at his house within the hour, and he has the dubious honor of standing in front of them with Robin as they go over the plan one last time.

It’s determined there will be three groups: the ones who stay above, the ones who cause a distraction in the Upside Down, and the ones who go in for the killing blow.

El, Will, Barb, and Jonathan stay above. Eddie, Dustin, Lucas, and Mike are named the Distraction Team, leaving Steve, Alli, Nancy, and Robin to walk into the belly of the beast.

Or it would, if Steve hadn’t forgotten about the adults. “You weren’t here last time!” He tries to defend himself.

Wayne volunteers himself to stay with the Distraction Team, and no one thinks to challenge him. “Hopper, you stay above,” Steve pleads. “And Joyce-”

“I’m a damn good shot,” she nods, fire in her eyes. “And he made this personal.”

Steve smiles hopefully. “That’s what I’d hoped you’d say.”

“Well,” Wayne says, checking his shotgun. “What’re we waitin’ for? Him t’be ready?”

“Maybe we could wait five minutes,” Eddie murmurs to his uncle, catching Steve’s eye.

Wayne looks Steve over, then nods and jerks his chin off to the side. “Hop to it, then.”

“Steve? A minute?” Eddie asks, but Steve’s already moving.

They make their way down a hallway and into an empty room, and once the door is shut, Steve stares at Eddie. “Well?”

“Well,” Eddie parrots, chuckling nervously. “I never thought anything like this would happen. And I don’t mean…” he waves his hand off to the side, encompassing everyone waiting in the living room. “I always knew I was gonna die in an unbelievable way.”

“Don’t-” Steve starts harshly, then shakes his head and turns away. “Please,” he says softer. “Don’t.”

“I’m sorry,” Eddie murmurs. “Bad phrasing. I don’t think I’m going to die. I don’t plan on it. In fact I’d rather like to live and see where this goes, since this is what I never saw coming.” He takes a small step forward. Two. Holds his hands out. “You and me. What are the odds, really?”

Steve chuckles, lets himself take Eddie’s hands. “You’re better at the math than I am.”

“Well then, I’ll tell you the odds: next to impossible. Yet somehow you saw me, decided you wanted me, and really, who am I to defy that? Who am I to not let myself have the one thing I never thought I could?”

“You’re talking circles around me,” Steve admits. “I think I get the gist of what you’re saying, but I’m confused.”

Eddie giggles. “It’s alright, I confused myself. Let me lay it out, as plainly as I can: I never thought I’d get to have this. You. But I do. And I’m going to do whatever I can to make sure we all make it out of this intact.” He gently tugs Steve’s hands, leading him closer. “And I really wanted to kiss you again. Just in case.”

Steve grins, rolls his eyes, and cups Eddie’s face. “Why didn’t you just say so?” He asks, and kisses Eddie soundly.

When they pull apart, Eddie blinks a few times before breaking out into a grin. “Damn. I’d tell you to kiss Vecna like that, and he’d do whatever you want, but then I’d have to kill him anyways.”

Steve makes a face. “That’s an image I never wanted in my head, thanks so much.”

Eddie giggles. “Can I make it up to you?” He murmurs, pushing closer in another kiss, softer and slower, less a goodbye than a thousand beginnings at once.

When they pull apart the second time, Steve looks at him for a solid minute before tearing his gaze and hands away. “Okay,” he says, blushing high in his cheeks. Even his ears feel red. “We’d better go before I get started on that dessert I mentioned earlier.”

Eddie’s silenced for a moment. “I mean,” he starts, “I wouldn’t be opposed.”

Steve grins. “After,” he says. “Extra incentive.”

“Y-yeah, okay,” Eddie nods, and follows Steve out to the living room.

His uncle immediately fastens him with a look, and he responds by shrugging and nudging their shoulders together when he sits down next to him. “After,” he murmurs in explanation. He feels a little cowed by the amount of afters he’s amassing, but it’s comforting, all the same: it means there will be an after for him, when everything is said and done.

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[doombum]

Ok, this is a longer post than I planned, but I love thinking about Mike's relation to children and how he ended up with so many kids despite never expecting to have any.

I just like the idea of Mike being very adamant about not ever wanting to have children up until Cassie enters his life and then he ends up taking care of like 10+ children. They just keep popping into his life, he has no idea how it keeps happening.

Like, he's spend his childhood forced to take care of his younger siblings (and even though he loved them, it was very taxing on him and he feels like he failed enormously at it, considering they both died "because of him") and now he's scared of failing whatever child he might have. And of course, he's terrified of turning into his father and ending up hurting his kids, so he just decides that he doesn't want to have any at all, and he makes it very clear to Jeremy when they get together.

Jeremy is a bit sad about it because he loves the idea of a big family, but he understands where Mike is coming from and it's not really a deal-breaker for him so he goes with it. Though he is a bit sad for Mike anytime he sees him interact with kids, especially in one of the restaurants when they have the occasional dayshift because he's actually very good with them (both before and after getting scooped too)

But then, Cassie enters their life after Phone Guy dies in Fnaf 1, and they get custody of her because they are her godfathers and Mike is scared of screwing up, but he can't just let her end up in an orphanage. So they take her in and she changes his life entirely. He loves her so much and he would die (again) for her. He's very protective and he's so grateful to have her in his life. (Jeremy is so enamoured with him and loves seeing the two of them interact)

And then Cassie becomes friends with Gregory, and after they all find out he's been abandoned by his parents and living in the street, they take him in too. And it's so easy to fall into a routine, and Mike finds himself happier than he's ever been.

But it doesn't even end at that, because after Mike freed the Missing Children in Fnaf 3, they get attached and end up staying with him and Jeremy on and off (even more so as Susie/Chica is in fact Jeremy's little sister and she is glad to be reunited with him)

Cassidy is more wary of him at first, but they quickly get along anyway. Evan is just excited to be with his big brother again, even if they're a bit awkward at first.

And then UCN happens, and they find Liz and Charlie, who end up coming along with their ragtag family too after some tears and revelations.

And Mike and Jeremy end up having a house full of kids out of nowhere and neither of them would change that for anything in the world. The ghosts mostly come and go, but they still consider them as parental figures and Mike definitely cries when they all prepare something special for him on father's day.

[artist-issues]

You're my new favorite blog! You have no idea how I wish I could peck inside your brain like a chicken. 😭😂😂 I am a Catholic and a recovering agnostic. I struggle with letting go of my old way of life and philosophy constantly, I have been struggling with it since the day I decided to revert - that was back in 2017. (I think you would like to know my journey back to the Faith started after watching HBO's The Young Pope! 👌🏼) At this point I don't know if I'll ever be the person the Lord wants me to be, oh well, I'll die trying and I know that will mean something.

I just know I can't go back to being a non-believer, because as Carl Young said, now I don't just believe, I know. The irony is my struggle to believe in something I know to be objectively the Truth.

I have a question for you though, actually I hope for some advice from you. How do I reconcile with the reality that I haven't become who I dreamed to become (like career wise), but now that a new career has been shoved upon me (a career my parents wanted for me - and they valued safety and stability over "following my dreams" I suppose)? ...which isn't necessarily a bad thing, because it is an extremely noble profession and it pays quite well.

The thing is, as much as I try to accept my new career, I keep telling myself and to others that I'm doing this for my parents and not because I want to be here. I feel terrible about it. But, again, it's not like I am unfulfilled (I am unhappy though, but that comes with the work culture/environment, I feel like I am surrounded by 40+ year old teenagers); as a matter of fact, I do think I know - objectively - in my heart that this is exactly where the Lord wants me to be? But I keep fighting against it, keep struggling against this sense of vocational calling that I'm feeling towards my new job, instead I desperately wanna give into my want to go "live the life I want." Like throw this all away, get new training and start all over with the career I wanted all those years ago.

I want to be better, to be sacrificial like Christ on the Cross. I've always known I had a little depression (comes with my disability from a young age and this whole dream thing); I have been suicidal over this, I actually used to joke with myself that I'd kill myself if I don't achieve my professional goals by the time I turned 25. I will turn 30 this September and even though I haven't been literally dead, I feel like I've been in a vegetative state - mentally - ever since the day I turned 25. I hope that makes sense.

I started seeing a therapist 2 weeks ago since my mental health started affecting my new job - she did say I have depression and is trying to help me but I just don't know if I want to be helped at all, because I am unable to do the exercises she tells me (like create a routine, exercise well, write down good thoughts, etc.) I feel like I'm failing myself, my parents and, most importantly, my Heavenly Father.

I apologise if this is nonsensical, I apologise for dumping all of this on you - random stranger on the internet - but idk I felt like maybe you'd have something wise to tell me to knock some sense into me (without a bump to prove it hehe).

Thank you and God bless! 🥰

You’re very kind, and I’m glad you feel comfortable enough to share all this with me! I really never have anything good of my own to say, or any wisdom to offer, except what I “steal” from God…and I guess what I mean is, if I ever say anything helpful or good or true, I’m just the messenger. I didn’t come up with it. On my own I have zero wisdom or good things to offer.

Anyway, I was surprised reading this because I have gone through (been going through) a similar sort of mindset. I went to school for the career I dreamed about (still dream about) and I worked hard and I wanted it more than anybody around me (very Mike Wasowski in MU of me) and it hasn’t happened the way I planned, or in my timetable.

I mean, in all humility: I work with a studio making a tv show, but it hasn’t got off the ground yet, and I work for a company that writes movie reviews, but neither of those things pay my bills. I have a third job, working with therapists, that’s nothing like what I always wanted to do. That’s my “career,” but it’s not the career I’m passionate about and working toward. And I wonder if I’ll ever do anything “major” in the line of work I love and went to school for. And when I do, I have gotten into some really dark mental places.

Forgive me for not using the words “depression” or “suicidal.” I hate using those words because they’re overused and romanticized and flooding the culture. But more importantly I hate using them because the only thing I identify with is Christ, not any mental struggle I try to slither back into, like a snake trying to put back on old skin. I’m not my overthinking—I’m not my depression—I’m not my suicidal thoughts or emotions—I am one with Christ. Those are things inside me that are defeated and dead—the teeth have been knocked out of them. They just gum me from time to time. So I want you to know I empathize with you, but that’s my point and that’s how I want to answer you:

The only thing about you that really matters is Christ.

Who He says you are, what He has done and how He lived, which is applied to you because He said it is, by grace alone, through faith alone. No matter how you feel.

And I say that to you, as the answer, because I think you and I focus too much on what could be and what “should be” as if God has a set path for us, and if we don’t figure out what it is and walk it, we’ll have a less-fulfilling life. “If I stay at my therapy job and just work with teenagers and write on my blog for the rest of my life, I’ll be fine, but I won’t be as good as I could be.” Or for you. “If I stay in this career I’m in, the one my parents backed me into, I’ll make it, I’ll be fine, but I’ll never be as happy as I want to be.” We’re both thinking, every once in a while, “This is career is what God wants for me, and all my misery is coming from not submitting to it, and if I could just wrestle my contentment into place and give up the thing I want, and submit to what God wants, I’d be fulfilled.”

But how do we know any of those thoughts are true? How do we know God wants us in these boring old careers we wouldn’t have chosen—didn’t choose? Or, how do we know these boring old careers are what we’re stuck in because we didn’t take the plunge and work harder for our “dreams,” which were what He really wanted us to do? How do we know either of those things?

We don’t. We don’t get to know. That’s the point.

Because that’s not how God works. Not from what I can tell in the Bible.

“And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”. Colossians 3:17.

Whatever you do. Not “the one specific thing you figure out He wants you to do.”

My mom described it to me once when I was in a really dark place trying to figure out what He wanted me to do, paralyzed with indecision, afraid He wanted me to do something I just didn’t want to do, like this: “God doesn’t hold out one flower and say, ‘this is the one I want you to have, so you can either take it or take something worse.’ God makes a field of flowers, and He says, ‘Which one do you want? Pick one, and do it with excellence for Me.’ Then just trust Him to make it good.”

It sounds like you’re in a career, but you are wrestling with whether or not to pick it, now that you have some autonomy as an adult, or to pick starting over. Well. Pick one. Just pick one. And trust God to take care of you. Trusting God looks like thinking it through with excellence, then making the decision—and making the decision means letting go of worrying about the thing you didn’t pick. “Take every thought captive in obedience to Christ.” Once you make a choice, make it all the way, and don’t let your mind wander anymore to “what if this blows up in my face? What if I should’ve stayed back there at the crossroads, or gone down the other path?” It’s going to be hard and God is going to take care of you, no matter what you pick. So don’t let your mind go to those places where you worry; acknowledge the worry, and every time, ask God to help you remember that He’s got you.

Because here’s the point, here’s the thing: He does have you. Because ultimately, your career really doesn’t matter. It doesn’t, it doesn’t, it doesn’t. Neither does your dream. Not ultimately. And now I’ll say “our” because I need to hear it too. Our dreams and careers are not the point of us, and our dreams and careers are not what God means when He says “I’ll take care of you.”

What He means is, “I’ve already taken care of you.” Because the most important thing isn’t our job or our dream. The most important thing is, we’ve been rescued out of eternally being trapped in our broken desires, and now we get to live for Christ, Who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. That’s the major. And that truth is where our fulfillment is supposed to come from, what our lives are meant for, our purpose. As long as we pick one, and do it with excellence to make the name of Jesus famous, with that goal in mind, we’ll be emotionally fulfilled. We’ll be satisfied. Because that’s the goal. Not making movies, or whatever it is you want to do. Not having secure means of living. Just…living our lives to make who Jesus is famous. We can do that wherever.

So then the choice? It becomes a minor, not a major, and the pressure of “will I be happy?” is off, because happiness isn’t found in that stuff. And whenever I forget, and start looking for happiness in my dreams, goals, career, that’s when it all starts to feel dark and stressful and hard and crushing. Because it was never meant to give me happiness or fulfillment—that’s a need only Christ can fulfill.

Don’t misunderstand me. He cares what you do. He cared about every decision you make, and He does have a plan. But that’s going to happen anyway. So just pray, consider which option is a) wise to go for and takes care of the responsibilities God has entrusted you with, b) which option you genuinely want, when your wants are not influenced by fears, and then c) step out and do it in faith. And do it with the mindset of, “I’m doing this, and I’m not thinking about the alternative if I can help it, and I’m also not putting all my happiness-eggs in this basket, because even if it crashes and burns, hey, I’m still one with Christ and I can still make Him famous no matter what road my career goes down.”

I hope this helps. It’s a subject I’m hamster-wheeling around in my mind right now a lot—but when I just fix my eyes on Christ and think about how the most important things, the things that give real joy and happiness, are already and forever taken care of and I can’t mess them up—then can get off the hamster wheel and enjoy the life He’s given me, right now, today, without worrying about the future.