#even though the elmax potential is right there…

[sinclairstarz]

very old party as the breakfast club thing…. very sad about leaving dustin out 😞 i might remake this but my art style is being… strange….

[jaaklops]

Any Ronance or Elmax headcanon?

omg YES!!!!

ronance: this one is very prevalent but nancy cannot cook for shit ok. i just love the comedic potential of nancy wheeler, the most intelligent and decisive and talented person robin knows, cannot set foot in a kitchen without SOMEHOW burning something. i also love the fact that it references to nancy not really ever wanting to live a life like her mother’s, so she just never learned to cook.

elmax: so yk how max showed el the wonder woman comic right, so i was thinking one day after that scene el would have been like “are there any more superheroes like her??” and max would have brought out an entire stack of comics like that and she would show el all of them and el would be like so surprised and happy as max shows her all of them, and when el moved away max lent her some of the comics so she’d have something to remember her by (even though she would never forget about max anyways)

thank you so very much for the ask!!

[hinge]

Hinge presents an anthology of love stories almost never told. Read more on https://no-ordinary-love.co

[elevenenthusiast]

Honestly, I’ve only just started unpacking how deeply Stranger Things leans into heteronormativity across the board. I used to think that was mostly a Mileven vs. Byler problem, but now I’m realizing it’s way more widespread. Like, outside of Lumax and Jopper every other “straight” couple either feels performative, underwritten, or just kind of hollow.

Lumax and Jopper are the only ones that feel genuinely earned. There’s a weight and emotional truth to their relationships. With Lucas and Max, their love doesn’t feel like it’s being shoved in our faces it just exists in this really organic way. You can feel the history, the tension, the care. They argue, they misunderstand each other, but there’s always this deep pull between them. It’s complicated and real, and it’s never treated like a prize or a fairytale. Same with Jopper they’ve been through hell, and their connection feels lived-in, flawed, but strong. They’re two people who’ve grown into their bond, not been forced into it.

Your point about Robin and Vickie? Absolutely nailed it. That final scene was supposed to feel like this big moment, but it barely registers. There’s no foundation for it. Meanwhile, Steve is still orbiting them, and it just reminds us that Robin’s queerness while acknowledged isn’t being explored. The potential with Ronance is right there, but instead we get this safe, shallow setup with Vickie that feels more like a checkbox than a real arc.

And honestly, that ties into something I’ve been thinking about a lot lately Jancy. I’ve never been a hardcore shipper I always preferred them over Stancy but I kind of glossed over them. And now I’m realizing how strange it is that no one is talking about how off they were this season. Their relationship felt emotionally distant, disconnected like they were just holding on because the plot told them to. And yet the fandom is weirdly silent about it?

It’s wild how Mileven gets constant breakdowns about how it’s falling apart people write essays about them but Jancy’s decline is just… ignored. No big arguments, no thinkpieces, no “is this the end?” speculation. It’s like because they’re a “default” straight couple, people assume they’re fine unless they’re literally breaking up onscreen. Meanwhile, queer ships like Ronance have to scream for crumbs, and even when there’s clear emotional intimacy, it’s dismissed or sidelined.

I also really love the way you’ve been dissecting Stonathan and both Steve and Jonathan’s characters. I know Steve is extremely queer-coded so naturally fans eat that up and while I’ve never personally been into ships like Harringrove or Steddie, I do find Steddie kind of fun sometimes. Harringrove, though, just never sat right with me I can’t get into it at all because I genuinely hate Billy, but that’s beside the point. What you’ve been doing with Stonathan has been so refreshing. It’s one of those ships that gets brushed off as just fanon, much like Ronance or even Elmax which I also think had real potential, even though I love Lumax. But it’s kind of telling that Byler is the only queer ship in this fandom that gets taken seriously largely because it’s the only one the show even slightly treats as plausible. And that just shows how strong the heteronormativity still is, even in a series with queer characters.

And while we’re on Steve I’ve always felt like there was way more to him than just the comedic relief role the show kept slotting him into. It honestly frustrated me for a long time. Like, yes, he’s charming and funny and has great moments with the kids, but it often came at the expense of exploring his actual depth. I loved seeing glimpses of his dynamic with Nancy and Jonathan, and especially with Robin, because those moments gave us a taste of who he really is beneath the surface. There’s complexity there a guy who’s deeply insecure, still figuring himself out, struggling with purpose and loneliness and the show just never gives that enough room.

Instead, we got seasons of him being Dustin’s babysitter, which yeah, was cute at first, but it ended up boxing him in. That whole arc kind of overshadowed other chances to dig into his character emotionally, especially in connection to the older teens where he actually fits narratively and thematically. His story could’ve intersected way more meaningfully with Nancy and Jonathan’s if they let it, and Robin could’ve added even more depth to that group dynamic. Instead, they leaned into the comic relief aspect, and I feel like that’s done him a disservice.

And that’s the core of it this weird double standard where straight relationships are assumed to be endgame unless proven otherwise, no matter how weak the writing gets. But if a queer relationship wants to be taken seriously, it has to be undeniable, explicit, and perfectly built from the ground up. And even then, people will still question it.

That’s why Ronance hits so hard for me. There’s this rawness and unspoken closeness between them that feels so much more real than what Robin has with Vickie or what Nancy still supposedly has with Jonathan. And it’s frustrating that the show refuses to really go there. It keeps skimming the surface instead of leaning into what actually has emotional depth.

So yeah, thank you for saying all this because you put into words what I’ve been slowly realizing. The way the show favors shallow hetero pairings while sidestepping more genuine, complex connections (especially queer ones) is a huge blind spot, and I’m glad more people are finally starting to call it out.

Vickie is straight

... and she has a crush on Steve

I know how controversial it is to state such an opinion given how Vickie seems to be one of the few characters in the show who actually seem queer. Yet if we are being honest she has never expressed any direct or indirect signs of actually being in love with Robin. It's Robin who is incredibly biased as she has a crush on Vickie and Steve who is trying to be supportive of Robin who gave us this assumption.

This whole thing is not as bad as it seems though. I can promise you this. So if you still care let me explain to you why I think Vickie is straight and has a crush on Steve.

Part 1: The Muppet joke

While still in the car with Steve in early S4 Robin gets reminded of her own advise: Just be true to yourself and stop pretending to be someone you're not. We need to keep this in mind as she is soon shown to not follow said advise.

When Steve reminds Robin at the basketball game that Tammy Thompson does sound like a Muppet she agrees with him. Vickie overhears this and in turn agrees with Robin.

The joke however doesn't originate from Robin. She just repeated what Steve told her before. Therefore the joke that made Vickie laugh comes from Steve. Or in other words: It was Steve who made Vickie laugh and not Robin.

We even get conformation of this a bit later in episode 2 when Steve admits and agrees out loud that it was his joke that made Vickie laugh.

Robin wasn't entirely herself.

While everyone is looking straight ahead it's Vickie who makes a point not to look in Robins direction after Robin is embarrassed of herself. There is distance between them.

Part 2: Vickie and Robin (and Steve) meet at the Weapon Store

It's Robin who notices Vickie first in the weapon store which is followed by Steve looking at her as he knows she has a crush on Vickie which is then followed by both of them looking sad as Vickies boyfriend enters the scene.

Robin is obviously sad because her crush has a boyfriend while Steve is just sad for his friend.

This shot is often brought up to proof that Robin is standing between Vickie and Dan as it's believed that her crush on Vickie is reciprocated but I don't think this is what it means exactly. It's Robins POV and she believes her feelings to Vickie are reciprocated so she sees herself as standing in between them.

But is it true? Let's look at what Vickie sees next.

Vickie notices the both of them and while Robin is just staring at her Steve is licking his lips. Then Robin turns around and leaves while Steve is still looking at Vickie and Dan and then smiles awkwardly at them.

So Steve is licking his lips and then smiles at Vickie and Dan. What message would Vickie receive here? My guess would be 1) Steve and Robin are close and 2) Steve might like Vickie as well.

This however is the last look we get of Steve in this scene. It's his back while he is still looking after Robin. So whatever made him lick his lips and smile is no longer of interest to him the moment Robin leaves. I think this means that he is Robins friend first and foremost. He is not romantically interested in Vickie and doesn't reciprocate her feelings at all.

Robin is gone and Steve has turned his back on Vickie but her gaze still lingers. Maybe her feelings towards her own boyfriend aren't as sincere as it seems and everything considered I think it's fair to ask who this is truly about? Robin or Steve? Is she saying the truth when she makes it about Robin who she did meet in band or is she using Robin as a shield as she doesn't want to admit to her boyfriend that she has a crush on another man aka Steve?

In the end she looks back towards her boyfriend and then again to the place where Robin and Steve just were. Is he perhaps still standing there?

Then we get a scene transition to Nancy holding a very long gun. It's not subtle at all.

Part 3: Providing Food for the Suffering

There is light behind Robin which can indicate that she is the one who is most sincere in this scene. This makes sense as it is true that Robin has a crush on Vickie.

It's Vickie who gives her the information that Dan is no longer her boyfriend but from the scene in the weapon store she also knows that Robin and Steve are close. So everything she says to Robin is likely to reach Steve as well which means that Robin could be the one to tell Steve that Vickie is single again and therefore available to him.

First notice how Vickie wears spiral earrings. This is very interesting to me as it's triangle imagery that is used to indicate queerness in the show. So here we have the supposed love interest of one of the only confirmed queer characters in the show not wearing triangle imagery when it really matters. Why? Because she is straight.

Vickie also mentions how she rambles about her boyfriend when there are people out there suffering at which point in time she looks up and slightly to her right. Later when the scene transitions from Robin and Vickie to Steve we also get him at a alight angle which to me indicates that Vickie was looking at him as she was lifting her head.

It's Steve who Vickie perceives as the one suffering and who she wants to provide with food. Or to put it a bit differently: It's Steve she has a crush on and who she wants to be with and support.

Steve on the other hand is also smiling and looking at Robin and Vickie. He is happy for the both of them as everything seems to be working out for Robin and Vickie which could not be further from the truth. He's also shaking his head just slightly. Most likely because he thinks a certain assumption he's made just an episode earlier turned out to be wrong.

That assumption about Vickie pausing Fast Times at 53:05 however might be true after all. Steve is just misreading the signs Robin and Vickie are giving off at the gym.

Tbc in a reblog because I almost hit image limit. Look here.

[serendipitous-magic]

god, don't remind me of the lack of fantasy aus in the fandom. i am suck a sucker for those (especially prince/stable boy AUs) and they have so much potential for byler but like... why is no one talking about them or writing them? ajshajsjahs since you're loaded with other works already, i only want to ask if you have specific ideas you'd generally want to see?

Weeellll.

I do have one idea that’s been sitting in the back of my mind for a while, actually. (And I’m halfway through typing this and it’s getting longer than I expected, so buckle up.)

It’s a fantasy AU (set in a Renaissance-esque world) wherein most people can use magic, and where “light magic vs dark magic” is the LGBT analogy. So, the majority of magic-users are “light magic” users, and by comparison only a small percentage are “dark magic” users, but there’s so much fear-mongering and misinformation and prejudice against dark magic that a) if you are a dark magic user, you’re likely to hide it away completely (be “in the closet”), and b) as a consequence, everyone else thinks that “dark magic users” are these incredibly rare, scary, malicious ~monsters~ that must be vigilantly protected against. There are all these (completely false, ridiculous) rumors about how if a dark magic user touches you, your light magic will get “infected” somehow and turn dark too, or how dark magic users use human blood in rituals (they don’t), or how dark magic is a perversion of light magic (it’s not, it’s just a different type of magic), etc. (And little do they know that some people can use both types of magic (the analogy for bi/pan people), and there’s like a whole spectrum of magic-wielding and it’s not binary like their society thinks, and etc. etc. you get it.)

Oh and one more worldbuilding detail: little kids might occasionally use magic by accident or instinct, but (somewhat like the Harry Potter world), you don’t really start to manifest your actual magical power until you’re like 13-16 - at which point it’ll start to manifest itself as “light” or “dark” or both or something in between, etc. (But they only think it’s gonna be light or dark, binary.) And obviously, everyone is expected to manifest light magic. Like, manifesting dark magic isn’t even considered as an option of something that might happen. (Like straight people being considered “the default” in our world.) Which makes it doubly likely for kids who manifest dark magic to panic and hide it away and do their very best to pretend they manifested light magic, because they know if they’re discovered they’ll be shunned or even thrown out of the kingdom.

AND NOW THAT I’VE DONE THAT INCREDIBLY LONG-WINDED BACKGROUND EXPLANATION, on to the byeler.

SO. The Party is the Party, in the kingdom of Hawkins or Hawk’s Landing or whatever it is. Will’s family is a little bit poorer, probably working-class, Mike’s family may be upper-class merchants or something, you get the idea. They’ve been best friends since they were little, they hang out a lot - maybe Joyce works as a maid or servant or something in the castle, and Mike’s parents are low-ranking nobles in court, so Mike and Will end up spending most of their time together through proximity even though they’re from slightly different social classes. IDK okay, I haven’t sussed out the details. Point being, they’re bffs, they’re in love but may not realize it yet and definitely haven’t admitted it, they’re like eeehhh 14 or 15 or something, right at the age where their magic should be manifesting any day now.

Bonus points if: Will, like his mother, works around the castle for a living, and he’s like a stable boy or something, and Mike is the noble’s son who’s kind of fed up with his parents’ snobbish lives.

And then, you guessed it - Will’s powers manifest. And it’s dark magic. And Will absolutely panics, because not only (see everything above), but his best friend is a light magic user - or so Will thinks. Little known to everyone, probably including Mike, Mike can use both light and dark magic (or if you wanna HC Mike as gay instead of bi, maybe Mike is a dark magic user in the closet, who knows). 

Cue some complication wherein Will is desperately trying to hide his magic for a while, and then somehow Mike ends up discovering it, and Will is convinced that Mike is gonna hate him for it - I don’t need to explain this all to you, you know how it goes. It’s the classic in-love-with-your-best-friend-but-in-the-closet-and-then-they-find-out story. We’ve seen it a thousand times, we love it, it’s prime byeler material, but THIS time not only is it gay but it’s Fantasy and there’s magic and swords and castles and all that, because YAY FANTASY AU.

-_-_-_-

ANYwho, apart from that, I would also love love love:

-prince/servant AU (somewhat like the elmax au aesthetic I made a while back but byeler)

-OR alternatively the “you’re a prince and I’m your bodyguard and we’re not supposed to get into a relationship with each other but we kind of did oops” AU

-The one where the Party is an actual party of adventurers

-darkcleric!Will (possibly at least partly under the control of the Mind Flayer) / paladin!Mike (who may start out as enemies because they’re on opposite sides of the Mind Flayer battle thing until Mike realizes Will is being controlled by the MF)

-Literally any kind of soulmate AU but in a fantasy world (actually, just any kind of soulmate AU - I love me some soulmate AUs)

-Ooohhh OOOHHH how about combining royal and soulmate AUs, actually, for: “I’m just a commoner but it turns out I’m your soulmate and you’re a noble/royal and it’s kind of a big scandal but now I guess I’m getting swept off to live in the castle with you???”

-Arranged marriage royal/noble AU perhaps? Esp good if there’s the good old-fashioned misunderstanding plot device wherein byeler is dating but maybe they both think that the other is just a commoner because they met when they snuck out of their respective castles/mansions to escape their lives for a while, and they’re actually arranged to be married to each other but don’t know it, and they’re both equally vehement that they’re not going to love their arranged partner and they’re not going to go through with the marriage until finally they actually officially meet and... uh... well hi there Will, my bf, or should I say, Will-who-I-never-knew-was-actually-William-the-First, Heir-to-my-rival-kingdom-and-my-betrothed. 

... 

Look can you tell that I just really like fantasy AUs and this fandom never ever does them?  😂