Set You Free
Threw this up on Ao3 too
It sounds like a joke. That thing was in his head, speaking in that stilted voice and once it was gone Billy couldn’t stop talking. Couldn’t stop fucking talking, partially because he was scared that it would turn into the wrong voice, partially because he almost couldn’t believe he had survived.
“I don’t want him here, he hits me,” He told the nurse when his dad came to visit.
And just like that they’d barred his dad from the hospital.
Max had come by with her little boyfriends and he’d talked their ears off, half crying, about the year before, about the monster, making no fucking sense, until the littlest one with the creepy haunted doll look sat beside his bed and patted his hand.
He just couldn’t stop talking, but he had to because Harrington was apparently visiting today with his girlfriend or something.
And so he sat silently as Harrington rambled on about the mall, about some freako sounding Russians and fireworks.
“Anyway. I guess what I mean is I’m sorry, cuz I hit you with that car. And if Mike hadn’t pushed you out of the way you’d be dead, and… I’m real sorry, Hargrove,” Harrington said, “For all of it. Mike and Will are like obsessed with telling me how you saved all of us so, I just wanted you to know that… thank you. And I’m sorry.”
Billy nodded, glancing over at the girl who hadn’t said a peep.
“So you forgive me?” Harrington glanced up with those pretty puppy dog eyes.
Billy nodded again, biting his tongue.
“Great!” Harrington nodded, “I’ll go down and get us some coffee or something, and then we can all catch up. Robin, coffee?”
“Black,” Robin nodded, “And get something that won’t make Billy hurl chunks, please.”
“Got it… uh… ginger ale?” Harrington looked at him.
“Just water. I’m missing like ten miles of intestine or some shit,” Billy grumbled.
Harrington blinked, startled, “Right.”
He left with a few of those kicked puppy dog glances, and then Billy was alone with the girlfriend. Robin. The thing is he kind of liked her before she became Steve’s girlfriend.
“I liked you too. And I’m not, by the way,” She folds her hands in her lap, “Steve’s girlfriend.”
Stupid talking thing.
“You’re kind of interesting, Billy Hargrove,” She smiled, and then she frowned.
They just kind of stared at each other, until sweat started to form on his brow.
“Don’t tell him I’m gay,” He blurted out at last.
He knew it, she knew it. Caught him and Tommy having a… moment under the bleachers a million years ago. Billy used to see big poufy band geek uniforms in his nightmares for weeks, but she never said anything.
“I wouldn’t,” She shook her head.
“But I might,” Billy growled, “You gotta keep him away from me, girlfriend or no.”
“Why?” She wrinkled her nose.
“I’m… gay?” He almost scoffed. What was she not getting?
“Okay. Again. Why would Steve have to keep away from you?”
“It’s fucking… wrong. Wrong to have feelings for him. Disgusting pervert shit ok,” Billy frowned, “I told Max he shouldn’t come.”
“I don’t think it’s wrong.”
Billy bit his lip so hard he thought he might draw blood.
“The kids too. Everyone should just stay away.”
“Even me?” She shuffled in her seat, “Is it dangerous for me?”
He glanced at her, not sure what she was saying. Why didn’t people just say what they meant?
“Listen, I don’t really know what happened to you, but I think you staying away from everyone and everything is kind of what got you into this shit in the first place,” She shrugged. “Just sayin’”
“That’s not why it happened,” Billy muttered.
“Then what happened?”
“I was… trying,” Billy’s throat felt right but he pushed through it, “To be normal. And it didn’t work, because I’m fucked.”
“I don’t think you’re fucked. And I don’t think…” Robin scooted forward, taking his hand, “Look. I don’t think you’re evil or anything.”
“I killed people and I have a gay crush on your friend.”
“Okay, that fucking thing killed people and people get fucking crushes every day,” She shook her head. “It’s not a crime.”
“It kind of is.”
“Only to cops,” She rolled her eyes.
He exhaled, “fine. I still kind of like you.”
“Same to you, Billy Hargrove,” She patted his arm, “just remember. The truth will set you free. Maybe Steve won’t think you’re evil either, you know.”
Billy was about to answer when Harrington swung into the door, “The nurses said you could have one of these dinner rolls too.”
“Course you fucking charmed the nurses,” Billy grumbled, “They fucking hate me.”
Harrington just laughed, gamboling in like a happy puppy and setting up Billy’s table.
“The truth,” Robin mouthed over a fluffy cloud of brown hair, “Will set you free.”
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if you only focus on relationships/ships in general when getting into a new media youre weird. it's so odd to get into ANY media (especially medias like Homestuck with well written characters etc) and the first thing you think of is "oh these guys would be SO cute together"
like?? it's just odd
and viewing every possible interaction between any of the characters as something that is implied romance is SO weird aswell
like? ?? wdym??
specifically talking about the new hs^2 update
people have been saying? rose and dirks chat is ? incest?
it's not at all? they were just bonding?? if you view that as incest im going to assume you dont have very good relationships with your family
because there was no implied romantic intentions nor was there any sign of ANY kind of romance
you guys!!! need to read!! also just stop assuming everything is romantic/implied romance when its not.
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Some thoughts about John Mandrake's 'introduction'
This is by far my favourite character introduction in the whole series specifically because it's written that way - as an introduction
John mandrake is introduced as a suave young magician/ politician who is popular with commoners and feared by his colleagues. He's built up in the introduction to be cool, detached and incredibly powerful; someone who is level headed and self assured.
He's immediately an interesting character.
But it's only by the association of the name that we know this is in fact Nathaniel - his manner and personality are so different to the boy we've read about so far:
Nathaniel the terrified 12 year old boy who summoned a Djinni in his bedroom for poorly thought out and hot-headed revenge.
Nathaniel the awkward goth 14 year old desperately trying to fit in with his colleagues and make a name for himself. All while slowly losing his morality out of fear of survival, and who's fear of losing control is manifesting in a unhealthy relationship with cleanliness.
It's only when Bartimaeus' explanation of how their relationship entirely broke down we see it happen in subtle changes and understand how he became John - through the extreme stress of running two departments, the constant war; through having to abandon his moral compass to keep his head above water.
But at first he's almost presented as someone else, another character that needs to have his rituals and habits explained to the reader because it might as well be someone completely different.
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I saw a tiktok where this person was like "it is that deep its okay that you're hypersensitive" and it made me sob
all my life my parents have had this attitude of always being tough and grinning it and bearing it bc they had thru poverty, being an ofw, immigrating
and I get that I do
but they also have this idea, esp my mom, that it is how it is and there's no use making things easier for yourself if you don't have to
and all my life, anytime I felt emotional or upset at a thing that didn't seem a "big deal" my mom would imply that I was being too soft and that I shouldn't be crying or upset at things
so for a really long time I tried to be hard. I tried to adopt this stony persona, in my early 20s I attempted to be have this "cool, cold" thing going on but that is not me
I cry so easily, I feel so deeply all the time, a lot of things are That Deep for me. ive been so scared and ashamed at the idea of being thought as sensitive.
it took me until almost 30 to be able to come to terms w that and find ppl who respect that
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