#tw too much information

[dumblemonchickenwing]

vent. too much information

I remembered I had notes on my phone saved, where I wrote down my feelings about my ex. This feels wrong to do, but even now I find my feelings are being controlled by their past actions.

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This whole thing just breaks me on various levels. Perhaps I was always supposed to only value platonic friendships, and what happened to me was my punishment for going into something new to me, and betraying my friend.

Today's addition:

I sort of felt something felt bad or off, and felt disoriented and confused, but now when I was making my bed, I thought to myself "I make my brother's bed every day too, and its considered a normal thing that should be taken for granted." And then I had a flashback to my ex's words and times with them.

I realized I felt like I was taken for granted, and everything I did. Obviously I did things Not for the sake of having something given to me in return. i started to feel that way after I got treated by them a 'certain way'. Despite me working hard for the relationship, I'd hear them lecture me and say how I "should work for relationship".

I listened to them when they vented. I was by their side when they were depressed and said hurtful or wrong things. I never judged them for their mental sicknesses. I proposed suggestions or said comforting words, even on times when they were unfair to me. I showed patience even on days when they accused me, doubted me, lashed out on me. I did what they wanted to do together. I did what they said was their need. I took time even when I was busy to comfort them. I didnt traumadump on them even when I had terrible things going on in my life because I knew they had their own stuff going on and that it would be unfair to them. I was not getting mad at them for struggling bc ..why would I? It would be unfair.

I did the activities they enjoyed, albeit I admit I was not the best watcher of streams and had my moments (esp when I was depressed or triggered by the content and behaved unexcited but didnt say what was wrong). I even waited for them when they were busy with.. gaming and school and other stuff.

And with all that, they would hint that Im doing something not good enough, and would keep on telling me "relationship is work". And yet Their part of work was them enjoying their life and not manipulating me.

When one time I tried to address how they were not very fair toward me, they, instead of hearing me out, replied by saying "Ive changed for you". Not "why do you think that way?" or "i want to listen to your point of view", but blatant "Hey, I know I was unfair and manipulative, but I have actually changed , and Your are problematic here, and frankly also you are ungrateful."

When They put what they called 'work", I believed them, I still do. And I was grateful for every littel crumb they left. But for them..

they'd say "Yeah, my needs are met so far, im satisifed". Not "Thank you for what you do, it must have been hard" or anything close to that. Just "My needs are met". Like I am a worker , and I should meet their standards (although, that was how I have been treated from the very beginning. Someone who must meet their standards)

When I addressed and said "I feel my efforts are taken for granted." I dont remember eveyr detail but I ll admit they did adk "How so?" But I was so confused and infuriated by years of mistreatment that I didnt react adequately at all. They then said "I think My efforts are taken for granted." And they couldnt bring a proper example, and said "for example, I ask you how you are doing".

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Phone notes.

Written on 27 of July:

Blatanly manipulating me

Threatening me

Traumadumping on first days when we just met without asking my consent

Comparing traumas when you didn't bother to learn what i deal with Antagonizing me and making assumptions about me based on your feelings alone.

When I didn't even do anything for you to say all the sruff you said to my face . Treating me like I was a bonus to your life and not my own being Took for granted all the hell i ve gone through to be with you.

Took for granted that i spoke Your language when I had other whole first language. Used my physical struggle as a cute quirk Yelled at me and cursed at me when I was at my lowest and out of energy to be strong, and never apologized for any of it. Blamed it on me instead. Acted like I add to Your problems

Overall being so damn entitled to me, to my being, to my time, to my energy, to my feelings. Blatanly refused to change something I suggested, in your attitude,bc i needed it bc it deeply hurt and made me feel like i was nothing. Refused to listen and called my attempts to explain myself as arguing without trying to look into what i felt or tried to say. Ghosted me and gave cold treatment, acted unfair, and Then demanded My apology. Made sexual advances without asking my consent and instead of owning up to mistakes or respecting my space, guilt tripped me For Having Trauma Related Uncomfortableness - by bringing up your trauma . Demanded my attention when i had classes, yet Shouted at me or got Openly mad because of you needing to focus on school. Said "it's pointless to talk with you" "you shit on me(my boundaries)" to my face when I was just trying to speak bc I was deeply upset (and traumatized by all the things you had done to me.) Would get upset at me being myself, and would only calm down once i got crooked into doing and acting like you.

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Written on 23 of April:

I could and I've always been willing to show understanding and let many things slide. But I'm just so tired. I've been doing it toward them, many.many times. Hearing that bordeline accusative request ,"look at how it makes me feel, be nicer to me" feels like insult to the deep, big,  injury. I Always looked at how things made them feel. I been giving in at every step. I've been making steps at hard times. And hearing them say that in a tone that implies I didn't work enough or like I was a jerk who didn't show understanding, arrives me at conclusion that they just.. didn't see it, or are insensitive toward our history. I gave in many times, I can't even count them. When they could make fun of me and turn away from me when i was struggling. And on top of that, they'd invalidate my personal problems and struggles by claiming I don't have them , just cause they feel like i don't have them. Oh, and also that time when they needed break from the stress they got from yelling at me.  When something was off, they'd jump to accusations at me, would decide for me what my intentions were or who i was When something was off, they'd say to me hurtful things like "you can't be reasoned with", "i just can't with you", "it's pointless to talk with you" They didn't want to listen to my pleads about what hurts me, and when i asked from them to change something they'd said "I won't do it" And yet i was not allowed to leave because they'd threaten me or throw guilt tripping lines at me. And with all that, they claimed they loved me and even told me that its them who does the work and i dont appreciate it , which only added insult to the injury. The way they treated me throughout years, left huge stain on me . I can't even articulate or put my thoughts together when i have to speak about them. I had to attempt to rewrite explanations on how they made me feel, for 2 years, to make sense of it. This note was written after many many attempts. I hope it was consize and informative enough this time.

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Little things:

One day, when they kept talking about politics, asked them to not talk politics bc I struggle with it and its hard for me. They said "okay"

On the next day, they messaged me with political stuff again.

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It gets hard to type on mobile for me. my fingers struggle to move. So I use autofill or omit certain words and my way of writing looks a bit.. odd.

They started writing the same way when talking to me. Explained it by saying it looks cute and they find it quirky (?)

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When I tried to talk seriously with them about what hurt me in our interactions, I struggle with finding words, so my way of wording what upset me sounds odd.

They immediately would use my own words to shift blame on me, even when the blame was misplaced. Stopped trying to articulte my hurts, because hurts to have my words stolen.

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Had the courage to share something I dont tell peope because its a very deep mental issue I have that controls my well being and im ashamed of it. Confided in them about it once.

Saw them using my struggle in a joke them wrote where they self-deprecated. "Im just standing in the corridor bc I forgot something looking like a freak . I bet the ghosts are afraid of me". Saw that post in their blog right after I shared it.

Hurt pretty much, because that issue is very serious, and leads to me have [redacted] ideas just to ecape them. and they used it as a joke. and used it to make it about themselves. and to self-deprecate. when I actually cared about them.

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[shalom-iamcominghome]

If anyone is interested, please feel free to light a digital candle through Illuminate. I got a name a few years back, and it's a name I won't forget. May every name we have found be a blessing. May their names never be forgotten. May we never forget.

Never again means now.

[here-comes-the-moose]

I feel like if Phee was pregnant, she and Tech would act like how my parents acted during each of my mom’s pregnancies.

Phee would just be chilling, doing her own thing and going on as usual pretty much up until it’s time to have the baby (and gets annoyed if she’s told to slow down or take a break), and basically making the whole thing look effortless. Then you have Tech freaking out any time he has to go somewhere for longer than an average workday, constantly asking if she’s comfortable, nearly having a heart attack when he sees her doing things around the house, and tripping over himself to get whatever food she might be craving.

[kaeyachi]

Have you all imagined the days where Kaeya would scream in frustration when he tries to create a Khaenri'ahn dish, but the dish just doesn't taste quite right?

How about the helpless feeling he gets when he barely remembers what ingredients go in his homeland's dishes?

And what about the cravings that have never been satisfied since he was a child because his father didn't teach him how to make them?

For an adventurous food lover... perhaps forever losing your nation's food might just be the most painful thing.

[strangersteddierthings]

The Conversation

Final Part of The Interview [Part One] [Part Two] [Ao3]

Steve finishes putting on his boots, shoves a beanie on his head, and grabs his thermos of coffee before heading outside. Robin had texted when they left Pendleton so they should be arriving soon, and he wants to make sure the dogs stay clear of the driveway, and also finish some of the chores he is being lazy about. The mountain air is cold in February, and the snow is deep, but it's still warm for a winter day in Eastern Oregon.

His childhood house had been at the edge of a little forest. His current home is tucked away in the woods, trees for miles, and the nearest neighbor farther still than that. He's lived a lot of places, been able to see the whole of America almost, and in the process, he's learned that he'll always be a small-town boy. The real revelation is how at home he feels in this two-bedroom cabin sequestered away from any town at all. Sure, he's got to drive a little over half an hour to get to the nearest grocery store, but he's learned he likes that.

He's got 1600 acres of woods all to himself and the dogs. He's owned this property for almost four years, but recent events made him finally move out here. Originally, he'd bought it to make it as another flip project, but something in his gut told him to make it a vacation home / safe haven for his family instead. Robin, mainly, as a getaway from the LA life and overwhelming spotlight she'd started to face as her music career took off. He might be turning it into his permanent home and base of operations, but everyone knows they're still welcome.

Anyway, the day might be warm for winter, but the night won't be, so Steve sets his thermos on the top of the wooden railing of the porch and heads down the steps to the woodshed. The plan in the summer is to update the cabin, which includes adding central air and a good heating system, but until then, portable heaters are in the bedrooms and the wood stove gets the rest of the cabin. There's also plans to start the construction on the guest house. It's going to be a busy summer.

He replenishes the woodpile on the porch from the woodshed and debates chopping more but decides against it. That can be a tomorrow chore. Next is cleaning up the snow paths he's made previously. Doesn't want anyone falling on their ass on the way to the house, no matter how funny that'll be to watch. As usual, Pancake makes the task difficult because she wants to play with the snow shovel. Melody cries until he throws snow into the air by the shovel full for her to play in. Chowder, old man that he is, supervises from the porch, front paws hanging just off the top step.

It's rough going but he manages to complete the few chores, even with two dogs underfoot.

Steve is on the front porch, forearms holding his weight as he leans against the railing, thermos of coffee between his hands, taking in the afternoon sun and enjoying the silence when Dustin's work truck slides into the driveway. Almost literally, given the foot and a half of snow still on the ground. The driveway is long, okay. Steve's doesn't have enough time in his day to keep up with salting it all.

It'll be strange to see Eddie after all these years. He still can't believe Robin got him to come. When he'd asked how she did it, she brushed him off with an it's not important.

Speaking of Robin, she's the first person out of the truck, sliding out of the passenger seat and then cursing when she drops right into the snow. She shoots an accusatory look towards the cabin, and therefore Steve, like he placed the snow there himself, when the fault is Dustin, who has left the driver side with plenty of room between the truck and the snowbank.

Dustin gets out of the truck and Steve faintly hears him say this side, man, less snow before pushing his door closed and turning to brace himself as Pancake and Melody rush from the porch to circle like sharks, barely restraining themselves from jumping up. Chowder follows after slowly, taking his sweet time getting to Robin, his favorite human. Steve can't even be jealous about that because Robin is his favorite human, too.

The back driver side door opens, and he watches as Eddie Munson all but falls out of the truck. It's the least graceful anyone's looked getting out of the back of the truck and that's counting Chowder and his old man hips. Seeing Eddie again is- well, it's a lot of emotions all at once, but they're are all overshadowed at the moment by how Eddie looks... well, bad. His hair is longer than Steve's ever seen it, a little longer than mid-back length, but it looks like it hasn't seen a proper hair brush in a couple of days. Even from this distance Steve can see the bags under his eyes. He looks like he hasn't slept in days.

He pushes himself off the railing and meanders down the two steps, waiting for them to notice he's waiting. Robin trudges out of the snow berm and to the front of the truck, where Chowder is waiting patiently for his pets and kisses. Dustin has managed to get Melody to stop hopping in front of him so she can get her side scratches, and Pancake has realized there is a new, third person with a set of hands currently not petting her, and is circling Eddie, waiting for him to reach down and pet her but he just stands completely still, heading tracking her in her circles.

"She's friendly, I promise," Steve calls out, which makes Eddie's head snap up to look for the source of the voice. Well, everyone looks, but Eddie looks like he's seeing a ghost, which. Fair. Steve kind of feels the same way.

"Hello, Dingus," Robin calls as she stands from her crouched position, where she's been cuddling Chowder. As soon as she stands, he starts making his way back to the porch. "I have delivered one Edward Keaton Munson. You are not allowed to ask anything of me for, at minimum, a year."

"Steve! Why didn't you tell me you knew the Eddie Munson?" Dustin shouts.

Robin is scoffing, clearly offended. "Am I not famous enough for you Henderson!?"

"Get back to me when you've run a 24-hour Dungeons and Dragons live stream for charity!" Dustin shoots back, then has to dodge Robin's half-hearted punch aimed for his arm.

Eddie stays silent, looking more pale than when he got out of the truck. Steve's a little concerned he's going to faint.

"You been living under a rock, Dustin?" Steve asks. "My knowing him is apparently the only thing on the internet currently."

Dustin puts his whole head into the eye roll. "You spend a month backpacking with your girlfriend in the southern hemisphere and you never get to hear the end of it. I told you I'd catch up on your drama after I catch up on my DnD Live Plays."

"You also missed me winning a Grammy, you know."

"I thought Steve's thing was more important?"

"You are impossible, Henderson."

"You guys going to argue in the snow all afternoon, or do you want to come inside?" Steve says then places his fingers in his mouth and whistles. Melody and Pancake dash for the front door, where Chowder is already waiting. Dustin, Robin, and a still eerily quiet Eddie fall into line to walk the trail to the porch Steve had cleared.

Steve jumps the steps, grabs his thermos, lets the dogs in, and then holds the door for everyone else. Robin and Dustin breeze past, but Eddie slows, eyes jumping around Steve's face as they just look at each other for a moment. Eddie opens, then closes, then opens, then closes his mouth.

"Hi," Steve offers up, shifting a foot to hold the door open so he can wave his fingers at Eddie.

Eddie swallows thickly, then whispers back, "hey."

"In the house, Eddie. Don't want to let too much cold in," Steve tilts his head towards the doorway.

"Oh, right, sorry," that kick starts Eddie again and he crosses the threshold, Steve close behind.

Robin and Dustin are currently occupying the bench just inside the door, taking off their shoes. Once Dustin has his boots off, he leaves the bench, heading to the kitchen. Eddie seems lost, just standing in the entryway, so Steve takes the spot Dustin just left and proceeds to undo the laces on his boots. He gets one boot done by the time Robin stands, wandering after Dustin once she's hung up her coat, scarf, and gloves. Eddie doesn't move still, so Steve pats the empty spot beside him.

"No shoes in the cabin. Dogs track in enough snow, don't need us doing it too," Steve says, then busies himself with his other boot.

He sees Eddie sit and begin to untie his- jesus, he's not even wearing boots. Just a black pair of sneakers. Eddie unties his shoes in silence, sitting rather stiffly next to Steve.

This quiet, obedient Eddie is not what he expected.

"You want something to drink?" Steve asks, once both of them are free of their shoes.

"No, thank you."

"Alright. Have a seat, then," he gestures towards the couch. The cabin door opens up directly into the living area, which Steve has set up as 3/4th a living room and 1/4th dining room, in that a small kitchen table is along the far wall. Beyond that wall is the kitchen, where Robin and Dustin are undoubtedly helping themselves to his coffee or hot chocolate.

Eddie shuffles off to sit on the edge of the couch, as close to the armrest as he can get. Now that Steve can see him closer, he can see he's added more piercing to his face than just the eyebrow ring he wore in high school. Snake bites, a septum piercing, and a second eyebrow ring next to the original. He's sure that if Eddie's hair wasn't covering his ears, he'd see more metal there. Eddie had hung up the coat he'd been wearing but under that is a hoodie he didn't take off, so Steve can only guess if he ever got those tattoos he'd been planning in high school. His entire outfit is black, which just makes him look sickly in the cabin lighting.

Steve drops himself into the chair facing the couch. It's Melody's favorite chair to curl up in, but Steve thinks she'll forgive him for taking it. There's tension in the room, so he tries to break it. "You look like you've seen a ghost, dude."

Eddie makes a weird nose, almost a whimper or a whine, but before he can say anything, Robin rounds the wall, holding a mug of hot liquid and she says, "Oh, I'm sure he feels that he has. I didn't tell me we were coming to see you."

"Robin!" Steve is shocked.

"What? You said you wouldn't mind getting some closure, so I got him here. Does it matter how?" She takes a seat on the opposite end of the couch from Eddie, making a show of how comfortable she is in the space by sitting cross-legged and leaning back against the couch, in comparison to Eddie who is sitting up completely straight, barely on the couch with how close to the edge he's sitting.

"Yeah, it does! If he's not here voluntarily- if Eddie doesn't want to talk to me you can't-"

"I do," Eddie says. It grabs Steve and Robin's attention and Steve sees Eddie almost wilt under their twin stares. He clears his throat before continuing, "I mean, I would have come still, if she'd told me. I do want to talk to you. Apologize for.... for everything. So much I don't even know where to begin, or how."

"Uhh, this feels like something personal," Dustin says from where he's standing with his own mug, hovering nearby. "Should I be here for this?"

Good question. Steve doesn't care if Robin and Dustin hear what they talk about, but Eddie might. "How about we just relax a bit. How was the drive?"

Eddie scrunches his face, a half confused expression on his face.

"Fine," Robin says at the same time Dustin says, "Tense as fuck."

"Those two things don't seem like they match," Steve says.

Dustin moves to plop himself on the couch in between Eddie and Robin, then quietly curses as his drink sloshes over the edge of the mug. He starts mopping at it with the sleeve of his shirt as he says, "Robin is a liar. The tension in the truck is going to linger that's how bad it was. I'll be feeling the tension every time I get in the rig. Clients will feel the tension when I pull up to their curbs!"

"It was not that bad!" Robin swats Dustin. Successfully this time, since there's no way for him to dodge unless he wants to spill his drink again.

Steve just laughs. "Robs, light of my life, mate of my soul, knowing you and your grudges, Dustin's probably going easy on the description of the tension here."

"Well, there wouldn't be tension if I was allowed to say what I want to say."

"Can we go, like, five minutes without your negativity?"

"My negativity!? I'm not negative, I'm rational and level-headed!"

"You are not sounding very level-headed right now."

Dustin chimes in, "Steve's right. Level-headed people don't have to shout that they're level-headed."

"What say you, Eds?" Steve asks, the old nickname slipping out. He doesn't have time to be embarrassed about it though.

Eddie stands quickly and flings his hands in the air, having reached an invisible limit Steve is unaware of, pacing about the living room as he basically shouts, "Why don't you hate me!? You should hate me! I hate me! I can't- why are you just sitting there, trying to have a-a decent conversation with me? You should be screaming at me! You should be mad! Why aren't you? My fuckin' song ruined your life!"

The silence in the living room is heavy following that, all eyes on Eddie. Even the dogs, who had been in various states of sleep, lift their heads and look in Eddie's direction.

He looks mortified by the out burst, and his face turns red. "I-I'm sorry. I- I'm just, I'm sorry. I need air."

They all watch silently as Eddie jams his shoes back on and goes out the front door without tying them or grabbing his coat.

Steve sighs, deep and annoyed. At Robin and himself. He looks to Robin and she looks shocked by Eddie's outburst. She was watching the door, but turns her head to meet Steve's eye, a small frown on her face.

"Well, it's not like he's going far," Dustin says. "You going after him?"

"I don't know if I should."

Dustin scoffs. "Don't be an idiot, of course you should. We drug that guy to the middle of nowhere to talk to you. He agreed to come to the middle of nowhere even though I could have been a hit man hired by Robin to off him in the woods and he didn't even complain. Didn't even question. I don't know what happened, but I think you two need talk it over."

Steve blinks at Dustin. "Since when did you get so wise?"

"I've always been wise. You just refuse to see it with your ageism. Go. Robin can fill me in on the beef, here in the toasty, cozy cabin, while you two chat in the cold, and freeze your asses off."

"I don't have ageism-"

"Wrong argument to be having, Steve!" Dustin interrupts. "And take another cup of coffee with you. Even if he doesn't drink it, dude doesn't have gloves either so y'know, warm the hands."

Steve does just that. Fills his other thermos with coffee, taking a chance by adding cream and sugar, before putting his boots, coat, and beanie back on. He throws Eddie's coat over his arm and tucks both thermos' against his body with that same arm so he can have a free hand to open the door.

Eddie isn't far. He's pacing back and forth in front of the truck, talking to himself.

Taking a deep breath to steel himself, Steve steps off the porch and makes his way to Eddie. "Hey."

The pacing stops and Eddie turns to look at Steve. They just look at each other as Steve approaches. Steve doesn't stop until he's close enough to reach out and touch before he shuffles the two thermos's to his other arm and extends the one with Eddie's coat on it out.

"Thank you," Eddie says, taking the coat and shoving himself into it quickly.

"Brought you coffee, too," Steve holds out one thermos and after a pause, Eddie takes it, too, then almost instantly brings his other hand up to cradle it, warming his fingers.

He looks up from the thermos and meets Steve's eye. "I am sorry, Steve. I'm sorry for how things ended between us, and for the song I wrote, and for-for not thinking about how people would be able to work out that you were the Steve from Hey Steve. You should hate me for that alone. I'm so sorry for everything that's happened because I didn't think of the consequences."

"I don't- I don't hate you man. Not... not anymore. Not for a long time."

"Well, you should!"

Steve frowns. He wants to argue because who is Eddie to tell him how he should feel? But that's not going to help anything. "When Robin called me. During her interview after the Grammy's and asked if she could tell the truth I never- I didn't know what she meant by the truth. But. Well, nothing she said was a lie, but it wasn't the full story."

Eddie stays silent, seemingly waiting for Steve to continue.

"Those first two years after our breakup were- I'm not going to lie, they were fucking awful. I think I received my first bit of hate mail the very same day Hey Steve released. It was harsh. All from the same person, but sent to my Facebook and my Twitter and Instagram. Guess they really wanted me to read it.

"And then, with each passing day, a new person, new message, just as awful. After three days I deleted Instagram and Twitter. Then I locked down Facebook but like- physical letters showed up at my house. I can't lie, it certainly felt like you'd ruined my life."

Eddie makes a wounded sound at that. "That's because I did! What I did was unforgivable and-"

"You don't get to decide for me if I forgive you or not!" Steve snaps. "I haven't actually said I did forgive you, did I? All I've said is I don't hate you."

That gets Eddie quiet again for a moment, then he says, "you ended up hospitalized because of me."

"Robin said I ended up hospitalized, and that's true, but it wasn't- It was more complicated that just being your, and your fans', fault. For people who were supposedly on 'your side' of our breakup, they used a lot of homophobic language. That's how my mom found out. The letters were easy enough to just get rid of because all the bad shit was on the inside, but someone sent a post card, and mom collected the mail that day. It's... I don't like talking about this."

"Then don't," Eddie is quick to say, "you don't have to explain anything to me, or make yourself relive these events. It's- you don't owe that to me."

"I think I need to. I wrote you a song, said I'd do it all again, and I meant that. I want you to understand why. Just. Just give me a minute."

Eddie nods and takes a sip of his coffee. He looks pleasantly surprised and takes bigger drink before his face falls into a frown as he stares down at the thermos and Steve has to look away. He turns and squeezes his eyes shut to continue. "Mom showed the postcard to my father, and he confronted me that evening. It was.... it didn't start off bad. He asked if it was true. That I was gay. I made a choice, then. I didn't have to; I could have lied. I could have told him I was straight and that I didn't understand what the postcard was saying, but I didn't.

"I knew how he felt about queer people, and I told him the truth anyway. I was bisexual. I thought it was a miracle that he didn't kick me out instantly. Instead, he calmly asked me if that meant I liked woman. I said it meant I liked more than just woman.

"Then he told me that didn't matter. That so long as I liked woman, I would be with a woman, and that we never had to speak of this again. And I told him no. He didn't get to decide that for me. He said that he would rather have a dead son than a faggot one. And I thought- I never- surely he was just meaning, like, metaphorically, right? Like, he'd disown me, kick me out or something so I scoffed and said- God, I was so stupid. I knew it wasn't safe, but I was so angry at him, I shouted 'dead or alive, I'm your faggot son so deal with it.' And he- he said 'dead it is' and he attacked me."

He hears Eddie suck in a breath, hears the crunch of snow in what could only be Eddie taking a step towards him but stopping after just one step. Steve doesn't know if he wants Eddie to close the distance and give him the hug he knows Eddie wants to do. Steve doesn't know if he'd welcome the embrace or not. He sucks in his own shaky breath, and continues, "He almost beat me to death that night. The only reason he didn't was because mom dialed 911," Steve turns around, looks at Eddie and sees the tears falling down his own face reflected on Eddie. "As far as I know, dad's still serving time for his attempted murder, so like, at least I don't have to worry about him. And mom... I don't even know what to think of that.

"She called 911, didn't want to see me die, I guess, but also couldn't have a gay son. She sold the house, and everything in it, while I was still in the hospital, and just... disappeared. Robin's family took me in. She told that story during the interview, you knoe, but I wasn't even at the house when that guy with the gun showed up. I was meeting with a lawyer.

"She-Mom was- I don't know what she was trying to do but she gave me the family business. The whole company! It felt like she was trying to buy my forgiveness, except she didn't ask for it and still hasn't contacted me. It's like... she felt guilty about what happened but hated me at the same time. Felt she needed to do something to alleviate her guilt? Or maybe she just wanted to cut herself free of the whole Harrington name; free herself from me and my father. I don't think I'll ever get closure for that one."

Steve quits talking, needs to take another moment. He'd already rambled on about more than he meant to but talking to Eddie had always done that to him. Afterall, before they dated, they'd been friends. He sips at his coffee, not knowing what else to say.

"Jesus, Stevie, I'm so sorry. I didn't know- It's no excuse but I'm just so sorry."

He doesn't think Eddie knows he called him Stevie, but it's nice to hear. "So, see, it wasn't your fault. Your song set things into motion, for sure, so it's nice to hear an apology, but like, if anyone is the bad guy in this situation, it's Richard Harrington."

"But Robin said she just had to help you move to here. That you still get hate mail, and doxxed. That's on me. I saw your list of addresses, Steve! You've had to move, like, eight times a year!"

Steve can't help the cackle that springs from him. He surprises himself with the laugh, and Eddie, too, if his wide eyes and eyebrows hidden behind his bangs are any indication. "I- yeah, I move a lot. And yes, this most recent move was because of a brick with Hey Steve scratched into it broke my living room window, but like, I've only had to move because of harassment like, four times, if I'm counting the whole mom-selling-the-house thing."

"What?"

Steve holds up a finger, adding a new one as he counts them out. "Mom sold house. Scary gun guy at Robin's. The year anniversary of your first album's release. I was still in Hawkins, figuring out what to do with all the money I'd, uhh, inherited I guess, so I was easy to find. And the most recent one. Not sure what inspired it this time. Usually, the hate mail resurges when you go on tour, but it's less and less every time. Anyway, none of those other moves are because of crazy fans."

Eddie blinks at him, a picture of confusion. "But I found a YouTube video and that guy- he showed all your old addresses. He said- I thought..."

"Well, there are a lot of addresses. But not because of your fans. I move for my job. Do you... did you even read the truck?" Steve gestures to Dustin's truck and Eddie steps around to see the printed H&H Project Flip and below that is their website.

Eddie looks back to Steve like that answers nothing. Which, fair, but it would answer a lot of questions if Eddie had looked up the website. "After that surge of anniversary hate, I knew I needed to get out of Hawkins. Robin was graduated, then, and headed to college. I decided I wanted to see more than just Hawkins. I followed Robin to college in Chicago, and uh, bought a house. A real fixer upper but that was fine. I had plenty of money to throw into it. On a whim I thought, what if I try to fix it. I had a lot of free time and if it ended up badly, I could afford to pay a professional to fix whatever I broke. I found that I loved doing that."

He's still just being looked at like he's not making sense.

Steve rolls his eyes, "I flip houses, dude. Me and Dustin. Harrington and Henderson Project Flip. I was in Chicago for three years, lots of addresses for that city. But then Robin pointed out there were a lot of states. That I should see all 50 of 'em by renovating a house in each. She'd moved in with her then-girlfriend by this time, so she said I should go. See the States at the least. So, I did. I find it easier to just live in the house I'm renovating, so I'm not paying mortgage and then rent somewhere else in the same city."

Eddie looks like he's had a rug pulled out from under him and he lets out a laugh that's a little hysterical.

"And moving so much has allowed me to meet so many amazing people, y'know? I got friends in all the states. So, like, yeah, you did ruin my life, but like, just my life from 18 to 20. So, yeah, I'd do it all again. Did you think I've been living in perpetual misery for the last ten years?"

"Robin certainly made it easy to assume that, so yeah!"

"I think she did that on purpose. To hurt you back."

"I deserve it," Eddie says. "I didn't even try to check in on you. Well, once, but when I couldn't find you on any socials I just. Gave up."

Steve shrugs. "I didn't reach out either. And if you'll remember, I broke up with you. Screamed in your face that we were over and went home."

"I don't know when, or even if, Corroded Coffin will tour again, but I swear to you, we'll never play or release Hey Steve again. And I'll release a statement, or go on camera, or something, and address this. I can't make it right, but I can make a change starting now, to do better and be better," Eddie says this while gripping his thermos to death.

"I believe you, and I forgive you."

Eddie nods grimly, then looks from Steve to the cabin, and back to Steve. "Do you think Robin will ever forgive me?"

"I don't know. You hurt her pretty badly, too. We were all best friends in school and when we broke up, you cut off Robin, too. And then, when she started to gain her own fame- I think when she first moved to LA, she thought you'd try to reach out. But you never did."

A silence falls over them, and Steve refuses to break it. He's done enough talking. They drink their coffees 'til they're empty before Eddie speaks.

"Where does this leave us?"

Steve thinks about it before answering. "You were my best friend before you were my boyfriend. You'd been in my life longer than you've been out of it. We don't have to be anything. We can have our closure and go our separate ways, if you'd prefer. But, I think I'd like another chance at being your friend."

"I can do friend," Eddie says slowly, like he's picking his words carefully. "I can. But, full transparency, I think I still love you."

It hurts to hear, after all the pain and the time, and it's a bittersweet kind of hurt. "I'll always love you, Eds. I meant it, you know, every word of the song. But I don't know if we can, or should, try again. We were so good until we weren't."

Tears spring from Eddie's eyes when Steve says he loves him, and they don't stop falling even as he's nodding along with everything Steve says. "No, I know. I know. I just, I needed you to know. Friend is, it's so fucking great. More than I ever expected, and certainly more than I dared hope."

"Come on. Let's go inside where it's warm and chat with Dustin and Robin like civilized people. I need a break from the heavy talk."

"Yeah. Me too. Thank you, Steve. For the chance."

Steve shrugs and shoots him a crooked grin. "Yeah, well, ruin this a second time and Robin will rip you to shreds on live TV, probably."

There's more to talk about. More hurts to heal and things to discuss, Steve knows. And maybe after all the talking, they'll learn they've changed too much to even be friends. But that'll be okay, because if that's how it goes, it'll be because they talked it out instead of screaming at each other in a living room.

If they've changed too much, this time, it'll end gently.

It doesn't stop Steve from letting a little bit of hope in. That this won't end, that they can find a way to be in each other's lives again.

As friends, or more.

[mariocki]

Evil Dead II (Evil Dead 2: Dead by Dawn, 1987)

"Honey... you're holding my hand too tight."

"Baby, I ain't holding your hand."

[politemagic]

Please tell me more about Alpha Wolf. pleaseeee all of the thoughts

okay. first thing's first, i love those guys with my whole heart. they all just seem like such great dudes, who genuinely love what they do and have a good time performing together & interacting with their fans. (mitch has responded to my silly replies to his ig stories before and just let me tell you that man is a treasure and i adore him)

the songs i think i think about the most are the "golden fate" songs. there's three, Golden Fate; Water Break, Golden Fate; Gut Ache, and Golden Fate; Isolate. the first two are from their first album Mono, but Isolate is from A Quiet Place to Die, and i just think they're incredibly powerful songs. god i might cry writing this

i listen to each song as a stage of grief, following the suicide of someone you loved (presumably a partner), and then if you want to absolutely decimate yourself emotionally you can follow all of them up with listening to Don't Ask... But I think the story can be pretty well summed up with these lyrics:

Golden Fate; Water Break - anger

you were my everything and you knew it / what did i do for this to be given? / no longer bound to this earth / no longer with me in remission

Golden Fate; Gut Ache - bargaining

i never thought you would let go / your perceived strength, was it all for show? / i know it was hard for you / and when i gave up you gave up too

Golden Fate; Isolate - acceptance

i try to make sense of it / put myself in your shoes, forever chasing a different outcome / it doesn't matter in the end / you're gone, never coming back

it's not necessarily cut and dry, but neither is grief. there's sprinklings of all of it throughout all three, but they just. i think about them a lot, as someone who has been the suicidal one in a relationship before, and listening to it from the other side is both heart wrenching but also helpful, in a way, for my own healing.

and as i said, you can follow it up with Don't Ask... which is a song i have to put on consciously, I cannot listen to it unprompted or i will become a blubbering mess.

i should've said it more, i love you, i always will / i should've paid more attention / but everything moves so fast / when you're on the edge of your own breakdown

which??? in combination with the line "when i gave up you gave up too" makes me want to rip my heart out of my chest. this whole song is so, so, so incredibly painful. it's an incredible song, amazing lyrics, excellent performance, but once you really listen to it... you can hardly stand to listen to it (and i mean that in the best way possible)

anyways, i love them. i love them so much. and their music is so incredibly important to me, i cannot even express it. their music makes the horrors go away, which is all i can ever ask.

if you're interested in learning a little more like, actual information, i'll direct you to this post i made a while ago!! (well, technically i'm directing you to a reblog of the post i made but i think it has valuable information!)

[caressthosecheekbones]

Achtung, Achtung. 🚨 Health Beschwerdepost under cut... ⚠️ Lesen auf eigene Gefahr. 🧨 You have been warned. 🥲

Diese scheiß Periode, scheiß Endometriose, verdammte Scheiße, ich könnte schreien. Mein ganzes scheiß Becken tut Scheiße weh, als wäre der komplette Knochen überzogen mit einer dünnen Schicht Schmerzen. Und das seit Mittwoch. Vorgestern und gestern hab ich mich noch zur Arbeit geschleppt mit Ibuprofen 800 intus. Heute ging es einfach nicht mehr, also ab zum Arzt. 15 Minuten für eine Strecke, für die ich sonst die Hälfte brauche. Natürlich geschlossen zwischen den Jahren. Der Vertretungsarzt? AhHAHHAAHAHHAhhahshjfjrhajej eine halbe Stunde mit Bahn und zu Fuß entfernt. Natürlich regnet es in Strömen und jemand labert und packt mich von der Seite an in der Bahn. Ich war so kurz davor auszuholen. Dann: Gööögle Mäps zeigt mit das falsche Gebäude an, ich irre zehn Minuten umher, Internet im Arsch. Als es endlich wieder da ist, kann ich in der Praxis anrufen und nach deren Versteck fragen.

...

Plot Twist: Alle waren So Nett zu mir. 🥺 Und ich kam ganz schnell dran und der Arzt war nett und hat zugehört und trotzdem andere Fragen gestellt um was anderes auszuschließen. 😭 Ich bin so erleichtert, psychisch zumindest. Krankmeldung und Rezept für IBU 600 bekommen. Dann Netto (Kekse!), Apotheke (ibu) und dm (Monster Tampons). Halb eins wieder zurück Zuhause. Um neun bin ich los. Was für eine Weltreise. Wärmepflaster drauf, jetzt erstmal frühstücken und auf die Couch. 🥹 Alles wird gut.

(außer Silvester. Das ist wahrscheinlich im Arsch. ☘️👀🤪😑😔)

[elias-magnussy]

Apologies coming in with such an, ah, personal ask, but I'm sure you will be able to understand my.. curiosity, to put it simply.

As I understand your Barnabas.. met quite an unfortunate fate. And having been through some eerily similar situations myself, I can't help but wonder about your feelings on the whole thing.

The choice you made. Was it quite difficult for you as well? No need to go into any of the finer details, of course, I wouldn't want to spoil anything for your Barnabas, but I feel the need to ask. The need to Know, if you will.

-👁️(AKA yet another Elias)

What a delight to receive such a missive... Hello to you too, good sir!

To answer the question, mmh. Well. How could I not, really? Would the man even be worth mentionning if I didn't? Yes, I truly did care about him, I'd even call my feelings something like love. But I sacrificed him -or let him die, whatever you want to call it- all the same. It was necessary. Because the hunger inside me was relentless and intoxicating, and I couldn't stand to not know. How he'd die, what would happened, the effect on me, on the other people who cared about him. Because Beholding fed on my misery and loss as well, and I knew It's presence always at my back would make things quite a lot more tolerable and even enjoyable.

Let me ask you a question in turn, then: What about Jonathan Fanshawe's, er. Shall we call it a betrayal? I will admit I felt more sorrow over this particular loss, mostly because it wasn't a decision of mine (although obviously not helped by my actions.)

[quietwingsinthesky]

I don’t know why I am the way I am, but I feel like starting to watch the CW hit show supernatural, where men cry all pretty and get beaten up and kissed or possessed against their will a whole lot, as an impressionable preteen may have been part of it.

[buddiekinard]

i am very not doing well i’m so sorry, besties ignore me using tumblr as a diary i have scratched three new places raw on my arms today and basically spent the entire day crying and resenting my life and wallowing in self hatred i hate when i sink into these holes.

[mad-hunts]

[ shower ]   your muse joining mine in the shower.

/ i got tempted whahss

although it wasn't necessarily a bad thing for a date to be early, barton thought, in this scenario... it likely would've been better if regulus had shown up at his home at the agreed upon time. he was sweaty and still sort of out of breath from a run whenever he had come face-to-face with reg after all. though he wasn't mad, of course; barton was just a bit embarrassed when he'd found that his daughter had already let the other into the house once he entered it. this was because the doctor wanted regulus to only see him when he was at his best, all dressed up and smelling nice as well; but barton was probably the furthest thing from being that at that moment in his opinion.

he just remembered almost running into the bathroom after he told reg he just needed a little time to wash up, and that then he'd be out, as well as ready to go by 5:00. this would give him a little extra time to do what needed to be done: and by that, i mean barton was willing to scrub his skin raw if that's what it took just to make sure no remnants of his exercise clung to his person anymore. a sigh left barton's lips then as the scent of rain water — albeit an artificial one, originating from his body wash — permeated the air. tonight had to be perfect or barton might just throw away his chances of getting even closer to reg than he already had.

he may have become a little spaced out after starting to hum along to a tune. barton was going to get his shampoo when he felt something brush across the small of his back. he gasped a little in shock and turned around right at that moment. now, until barton realized it was regulus, he was ready to strike at whatever the thing in question was that touched him. but upon seeing it was reg, his stress had eased just a little bit. a breathy laugh had escaped from his lips, and out of sheer cheekiness, he decided to give the other person a gentle hit on the shoulder even though reg wasn't a danger to him. ❝ oh, my god. you know... whatever happened to saying 'hello,' hmm? you almost gave me a heart attack there! ❞

barton appeared to need some time to comprehend that regulus's presence there suggested that the other might have wanted him, in some capacity. a fake, thoughtful murmur escaped his lips and as he stood up, curiosity raised an eyebrow. barton's eyes traveled from reg's feet up his face as he placed a palm on his naked chest. ❝ but ahh, i suppose that can be excused for now. i am all for fooling around a bit with a handsome man like you. we've got to keep things quiet, though, alright? and i can think of one or two ways we can do that. ❞

[yurki-posts]

Just some midnight vent art. Some context down below because I need this out of my chest.

Big warning tho, it's a lot of text and if you're going through some hard stuff, I highly recommend not to read it. There's nothing motivating there, just venting

In 2021 I got hospitalized for Anemia. Anemia is caused by a lack of iron in the body, and because of my very strong food selectivity, I dislike a lot of food, including almost all fruits and no vegetables (except potatoes). This is a part of my autism, but I didn't knew that at the moment.

Because of this, I slowly lost all my iron. A normal person would feel very dizzy and probably faint over any kind of physical activity and even have a heart attack if pushed too far (and also if their anemic state is very bad), but I was asymptomatic, which means I didn't had any symptoms of it, which made it impossible for my parents and doctors to tell something was wrong with me. This is why my Anemia wasn't noticed for 4 months, and yes it was bad back then.

On January, me and my family went to a far away place to watch some waterfalls. We had to walk a lot, and I mean A LOT. I remember feeling really tired and that the air was heavy, but I couldn't do anything really. Doctors said my heart should not have resisted the physical effort and I should've got a heart attack, but for some reason I didn't, and I just kept going.

Then, we skip all the way to 4 days before I got hospitalized, on March.

I was in gym class. We were doing some running from cone 1 to cone 2 and so on. We could take a break for a couple seconds after getting to cone 2 and then we should get back to cone 1. Gotta say, we also had other activities before that one, but I only remember this one honestly, but have that in mind because I was already tired from before.

It was my and other 4 childrens' turn to run to the cones. I, ofc, was the last one to get there, and I while running my stomach was hurting really bad because of my breathing. My sweat was cold and my lungs could not hold for much longer (or at least that's how it felt). I finally got to the cone. I usually would not lay down because I was embarrased to do it in front of my classmates, but I was so tired I didn't cared about that and just layed on the grass.

I close my eyes. I breath. I feel the warm sun hitting me and the noise surrounding me disappeared. All I could hear were the birds. I opened my eyes and saw them in the sky. I felt very calm, for once. It felt like I spent a lot of time just looking at the sky, but it really were just some seconds.

After I got hospitalized and I was saved (all while I was concious and awake), the doctor, red haired woman, came to me amd my mom, and told me with a straight face:

"I don't know how are you here. You did gymnastics on Thursday, your heart should had not be able to handle it"

I remembered that moment in gym class again. That would had been the perfect moment for me to die. Why I didn't die? Why my body refused to die? How? How it managed to survive without ANY iron for 4 months straight without even a symptom until the very end?

Funny, butt this reminds me of that line Mike says on Fnaf Sister Location:

"I should be dead, but i'm not"

I should be dead too, and now I have been trying to....end, what the anemia started. It's really hard rn, I don't want to go to school tomorrow, I don't want to wake up tomorrow.

All I want is wake up in that place. The olace i've drew myself in before. Where the birds fly without a care. I want to be like those birds, but life isn't fair ig.

oh and about the drawings, if something shows up in the drawings that I didn't mentioned here it's probably because my emotions were drawing at that moment, like, idk how to explain it but I just draw it without too much thought?, it feels so weird

[vampykween]

i can feel a writing slump coming on :( i have ideas just nothing i really want to actually commit to writing and i knew i should’ve never posted the first part of second chances cause i’ve already lost steam writing it 😵‍💫

also realistically i won’t even have much time to write in like less than two months and i’m trying to not stress about it cause like who cares but also i am unfortunately addicted to people liking my writing woooo lordy

[mordcore]

thinks about how everything points at me having moral ocd and about how my abusive flatmate triggered that same thing on purpose yesterday, calling me an abusive fash prick and saying i'm not really a leftist i'm all talk

and my partner not understanding how bad it is bc i suggested calling the cops to have abusive flatmate evicted and my partners reaction was one of disgust at "pigs" and. well i'm certainly having a time here. and not a good one.

[itsbaku]

Your BLOOD'S becoming LIPSTICK, we're gonna KNUCKLE IT UP!

Another lil doodle I finished of Sushi from Ghøstkid because I'm bored and I felt like doing another doodle. Idk I may doodle him again.

Anyways FSU is a current fav of mine and I'm so excited for the album.