OH YEAH!

and

ben vs bill

Richie + Bill

Often I ship them. I think the two of them were very much the “LETS GO DO STUFF!!!” friends of the group, while eddie and stan were more likely to want to do things that they’d done before, so they often back each other up.

Over time, they definitely develop the kind of friendship where they might not talk a lot—well, Richie’s there, so there’s never zero talking—but no talk of substance. They’re doing things next to each other because it’s better to be parallel playing than alone, but all their other friends are sick of them. Richie thinks quick and Bill thinks well, Richie talks fast but Bill talks persuasively—so they can get out of a lot of trouble if they stick together, and they always do. Bill makes the plans and Richie gets them over unforeseen obstacles. If they fuck up, Richie smoothes things over as well as he can before Bill puts on his “but I’m a good kid, look at my big wholesome eyes, I promise I’m responsible, don’t you know my dad?” routine.

So they get into shit, is what I’m saying.

Richie is really precious to Bill for reasons he can’t quite explain—all of his friends are precious to him, though. Richie looks up to Bill, but I think he also sees through some of Bill’s BS—and maybe that’s what Bill values.

When I ship them, I think they have mad physical chemistry.

Ben vs Bill

Imagining Ben and Bill fighting is dealing me some kind of psychic damage. Uhhh… I’m going adults this time, I know I said kids for the last fight ask but. Deal.

Ben has insane gym membership on his side, but he’s also not a fighter at heart. He’s definitely had to deescalate a lot of drunk fights when he beat someone in a drinking contest and the other person absolutely could not take the loss. I think he’d be a master of “grabbing your fists and putting them behind your back while you scream at him.” Does that count as winning?

Bill is a writer with big feelings. Definitely throws fists and screams. Usually he relies on the fact that he’s had to evade being pummeled by bigger kids his whole life, but Ben shares that experience, so I think he’d lose.

Sorry Big Bill.