hyperfixation-stations

[hyperfixation-stations]

my prerequisites for Season 5 as far as Max are A) let her live. I’m okay if its drawn out and dramatized. Just don’t kill her B) don’t magically heal her 100%. I’m okay with suspension of disbelief, clearly people don’t get injured in this universe (Johnathan), so its okay if she can still function in some ways that don’t make sense. The big thing for me is to not just *snap* fix her. Because she could be just as cool and useful if she couldn’t walk or whatever. C) no more angsty Lumax drama. They’re together now. Lucas loves her so so much and Max loves him back. They deserve fluff now D) don’t put Max in more mortal peril.. It would be beating a dead horse to have her still be “targeted” by Vecna or somthn. She should be protected by her support group, and then she should get to exact some revenge. E) don’t forget about her (please Duffers) F) no more Billy apologizing. After two (TWO) scenes where Max talks about losing her brother, the respectful way and the honest way, we definitely don’t need more spotlight on him.  G) i think she should get to hold El’s hand <3

[hyperfixation-stations]

Right, and when Lmax are having relationship problems it is portrayed way differently. When Max was pulling back due to her trauma and emotional state regarding Billy, Lucas was trying to reach to her and they connected again. The show shows that while Max is pulling away due to her own problems it is that they still both reach out and connect with each other.

Beautifully put anon!

Lumax are shown to have a maturity and understanding of one another and their relationship which remains unparalleled! There's communication and reciprocation and real care - it's evident that they get one another but that it takes work, and they put that work in.

Lumax is so special to me. Additionally, I just think that it's interesting that such a ship can exist and still some people 1) try and say Milkhaven is the best and most strong / well written ship on the show 2) some ignore the proximity of Lumax and MotoMoto as foils (i think that's the term).

[hyperfixation-stations]

Best man!Dustin in LuMax's wedding who just flat out embarrasses the shit out of both of them

Best man!Dustin who just flat out goes "remember when I was into Max?"

Best man!Dustin who tells Max "If the two of you don't work out, I call dibs on him."

Best man!Dustin takes on the role of organizing the whole damn event because according to him, the maid of honor (El) just doesn't know what flowers to use for the theme.

Best man!Dustin who dances with Max and gives the "If you break his heart I swear-" talk and does the same when he dances with Lucas (which he heavily insisted on)

Best man!Dustin who kept hired the Byers bros to capture the moment (photography and painting, except they didn't accept the payment at all)

Best man!Dustin who hired corroded coffin because he knows no other perfect band for the event.

Best man!Dustin who accuses Erica for crying when he's the one who's actually swimming in tears.

Best man!Dustin who purposely sat RoNance, StEddie, and JArglye together because damn it they should've been the first ones to getarried but noooo they're just oblivious gay disasters.

[hyperfixation-stations]

You’re Not Alone

Ocean paced around the dark streets of Uranium City. The dimly lit lights guiding her way through the endless streets. Glancing at her phone, the time read 10:30 P.M. It was way too late to be out and Ocean needed to find a place to sleep.

Going the only place she can trust, she knocked on the familiar dark oak wood door. One minute. Two minutes. Had this been a bad idea? Maybe she was already asleep or- “Ocean? What are you doing here?” Constance stood at the doorway, her hair covered and wearing a matching pair of pajamas. “I- I got kicked out of my house. Again.” It was no secret that Ocean was related to the only hippies in Uranium City, hippies that did copious amounts of weed. And also tended to become irrational under the influence so when Ocean got the chance, she would flee the house before it got worse.

“Oh no. Come on in, Ocean. You can stay as long as you need.” Constance pulled herself away from the door as Ocean walked herself in. “Did you already eat dinner? My family has some left over stuffed chicken breast and pasta salad.” Ocean opened her mouth to say no, she would hate to intrude in her friend’s dinner but her stomach beat her to it. “Let’s go get you something to eat.”

Ocean and Constance sat alone in the kitchen, Ocean with a full plate of food in front of her face and Constance with cups of hot chocolate. Constance was one of Ocean’s first friends that she ever met and the only friend who ever stayed with her. It was not unusual for Ocean to come over but still it didn’t heal the pit every time it happened. “I’m so sorry Constance. I don’t mean to be a burden…” Ocean fiddled with her hands, the fork twirling between her delicate fingers and food seemingly uninteresting. Ocean felt Constance’s delicate hands on her chin, lifting up her face to be met with those soft brown eyes. “You don’t have to apologize for anything, Ocean. I know what your parents are like and you are always welcomed here. You are never alone. Don’t forget that.”

[hyperfixation-stations]

Sorry for late reply. Yes everything you said about the characters are so true!!! And yeah the characters constantly work on their own stuff and flaws.

Yeah like so many people talk about them regressing (even I fall victim to it at times but I think I really only talk about it with stancy and maybe Dustin. but I also half think that the whole point it is to show that stancy aren’t well together and that it’s over between them in a romantic way. And they can start a friendship if they want to but it’s just going to be an adjustment for them if they want to do that). Anyway lol after that rant.

And yeah I hate how people just use the lab thing and twist it. Like so many people were saying that she’s relearning the same lesson over and over again. Which isn’t true and of course she’s going to have doubts especially when her abuser is back alive. And especially when she doesn’t have her powers who she’s spent her whole life with and her identity is based around it. Same I don’t get how or why people just miss the whole message. Especially when that message of not owing your abuser anything is a good message. And like you said her healing had a set back which is normal. And especially when her whole identity of having her powers were stripped away from her well that’s going to have a major setback for her healing/character growth.

It’s totally fine that you change the topic and omg you’re welcome. It is really fun whenever we write paragraphs to one another and I enjoy talking to you!

Hello! Yet again you have made some fantastic points that I really agree with!

I share your frustration about people missing the message of El and Max's parallel arcs about confronting their abusers. I will die on the fandom discourse hill about the "never forgive your abusers" theme of s4. So many people have completely missed the entire point and it really frustrates me! Post Vol. 1, I actually told my sister, "if they pull a 'Dr. Brenner was actually a good guy all along' thing, I'll actually listen to the people who call the Duffer brothers abuse apologists on tumblr." But come Vol. 2, they didn't do that! They hit hard with the scene where Max talks about how Billy was actually completely terrible, and they have El walk away from Dr. Brenner without giving him closure after realizing that he was the monster. I actually thought that it was brilliant that, as El is being manipulated by Dr. Brenner, the audience kind of is, too. Vol. 1 actually makes him out to be more sympathetic in some ways, but Vol. 2 has us realize that that was a false front all along and that he is actually irredeemably evil. That was well done! Yet it flew over some people's heads because I see people going "OMG I can't believe the Duffer's gave Dr. Brenner a redemption arc!!!" When it's the complete opposite of that!

ST sent a message that is very rare in modern media: that you can feel sympathy for those who hurt you, but you also don't have to forgive them. None of that "do it for yourself" bullshit that we always see. It said that it's okay to love them because emotions are complicated, but you are justified in hating them for the rest of your life. That is such a powerful message. The Duffers clearly listened to feedback about the way they handled Billy in s3, and then proceeded to completely fix the way that Billy had been framed. It is unquestionably my favorite part of s4. The emotions I felt when Max said that she'd wanted him to die are just indescribable. How the narrative didn't demonize her for those feelings, and actually supported her in admitting that Billy was actually just terrible and abusive. That emotional arc was just so well-crafted and empathetic that it breaks my heart when people either willfully misinterpret it or just completely ignore it.

So yeah, when I talk about the ST fandom as being an example of the "death of media literacy," I'm not talking about ships or whatever, I'm talking about the fact that people were unable to pick up on one of the main emotional through-lines of the show, and how some people were so blinded by their irrational hatred for the ST writers that they actually came to the opposite conclusion. Istg, critical thinking is dead and Twitter-esque "hot take" media criticism is the culprit.

Okay, I should stop before I start sounding like an angry literature teacher, lmao. Thank you for letting me know that I'm not alone in having these frustrations, sometimes fandom has a tendency to low-key gaslight you into thinking that you just completely misinterpreted everything, you know?

[hyperfixation-stations]

Chapter 5 of That's the Power of Love is up. This chapter features Lumax's long awaited movie date with a hint of Henfield sibling bonding. Next chapter will feature Robin and Nancy's high school graduation and a little memorial to Eddie. Enjoy!

[hyperfixation-stations]

This part of Chapter 13 in "Lucas On the Line" absolutely destroys me. Lucas is trying so hard to help Max but Max is also trying to make Lucas understand that she needs time and space.

When she finally tells Lucas what's going on she's crying. She's so hurt, and Lucas is too. But Max is hurt in a different way.

"I don't know if I can ever be happy, Lucas. Not even with you." She's in the worst state of mind right now and this is honestly the best choice for her. It may not seem like that to Lucas but it does Max. You can tell that he loves her so much that he isn't going to argue with her. He's just going to listen, like Robin suggested to him a little earlier.

"I can finally hear loud and clear what she's been trying to tell me all this time. I can't be with you anymore." He doesn't want to accept it but he has to. Lucas has said that him and Max "defy tradition" as a couple. They aren't like other couples. And they are definitely showing it here. We already know what happens in the show is mostly same as the book but with specific character POVs. Lucas' POV is so so devastating and so is Max's. I really hope we get a S4 Max book. It would be amazing to compare Lucas and Max's POVs.

In conclusion, stan lumax and their healthy relationship and communication.

[hyperfixation-stations]

Here are some bonus ones if you’re bored

[hyperfixation-stations]

Each member of the choirs favourite movie and why

hi thank you for this ask lovely!!!!

i know that some of them were mentioned in the text, so i'll be giving them an extra one. also i personally watch and know of more lighthearted stuff, so that's why they might sorta skew that way :)

mischa: obligatory "saw v" (saw vi) mention, but beyond he also likes zombieland and shaun of the dead. i see him really enjoying action horror comedies that have some heart behind them. has everything.

constance: she loves non-traditional animation and designs, the creativity that flows through that and the honesty behind that storytelling that isn't really the same in a disney movie (sure, she loves disney and pixar, but they aren't her top tier). she says "she's a lyrics person, not a melody person", so i imagine her preferring expression through beautiful visuals over story. think the vincent van gogh movie made through oil paintings, the book of life, coraline. coraline is the total package for her. while terrifying for her, it grounds her in that sure, she can get angry at her family, but she is so so lucky that they aren't spiders that want to eat her.

noel: a silent movie bitch, as we know from canon, who loves lola (1961). but if the choir forces him to go with something in english, he opts for ratatouille (i'm really sad i can't use this as a virgil joke btw). the core message of "anyone can cook" is so inspiring to him. of course, he adapts it to "anyone can be that fucked up girl". he can exist in that dingy world, he can make his way there and pick up men in alleyways behind the restaurant. the french setting and the distance between child and parent resonate with him (sure, his mother loves him, but he never feels understood by her).

ocean: my mind simply manifested the black cauldron. mischa's adoptive parents had a bunch of old disney vhs tapes (bc they were expecting someone 15 years younger), and she watched all of them. eilonwy is a decisive and knowledgable character ocean can project onto, and when she wants (or is forced) to unwind, high fantasy is a great genre for that which doesn't remind her of all the stuff she has to do. she does hate the kissing part, but finds comfort in the fact that eilonwy can find another princess to fall in love with later on down the track.

ricky: definitely a star trek fan, leading to heated discussions with noel about star wars vs star trek over google docs. but their favourite of all time? the rocky horror picture show. it's chaotic and sexy and scifi and this messy combination of genres that they absolutely fall in love with. i think that they do love music and musicals, and the horror comedy aspect just enhances it for them and every time they watch it, they feel like they're levelling up. that being said, 9/10 not enough cats.

penny/jane: i really want to channel menace!penny and say sausage party, but i do have the slighest amount of dignity remaining. she seems like a monty python and the holy grail fan, going back to the classics for her comedy and one that's decently unhinged. she likes some newer stuff, naturally, but i think a lot of other things can't give her the balance of making her cry with laughter while not trying too hard.

again, thank you for the ask, i had a blast considering this!!!

[hyperfixation-stations]

noel and ocean are so siblingcore

and im here to tell you all about it

- they really do care about each other deep down

- ocean has a Bad Home Life ™ because shes just like me fr

- one night, she shows up at noel’s door, soaked from the rain, shaking and crying

- he takes her inside, cleans her up, lends her an old shirt and pair of pajama pants, and lets her cry in his arms

- they fall asleep together on the couch, watching mamma mia, cuddled together

- noel’s mom finds them, and wraps them in a blanket

- they don’t talk about it the next day

- but from that day forward, ocean goes to noel when she needs to get away from home

- noel’s mom loves ocean, she’s like a second mother to her

- noel will, in the span of a few hours, go from saying how much he hates ocean (during choir), to comforting her and telling her how much she means to him (later when she knocks on his door)

- they get lowkey defensive of each other

- like, they are generally pretty cold to people they don’t know, but when they overhear someone insulting the other, they become openly rude

- the choir has no idea that they are close

- noel has Severe self-esteem issues.

- ocean does her best to comfort him

- half the time she is just rambling about how wrong he is for hating himself

- “how could you even think that- you’re so cool and kind, and anyone who doesn’t see that is stupid-”

- ocean has a drawer of her clothes in noel’s room, they’re the only clothes she has that smell clean.

- the two of them debate movies all the time, because 90% of the time thats what they do after ocean is calmed in the evenings.

- ocean makes noel little gifts, like friendship bracelets and bookmarks

- noel lets ocean read his poetry

- she loves it, but insists on correcting any grammar or spelling she can find, even if it’s a stylistic choice

- they love each other deep down

[hyperfixation-stations]

no okay but has anyone ever thought about joyce and lucas like

they don't interact outside of the group but has anyone ever thought about how joyce is probably the person who understands the most of what lucas is going through with max because she inadvertently brought bob into the mess with the upside down, the only difference being that bob is dead with no return but max has the small sliver of a chance at making it

has anyone ever thought of when joyce visits the hospital, she finds lucas all alone, refusing to leave max's side, and how her heart aches because if bob were in max's position there is no doubt she would do the same

has anyone ever thought of joyce holding lucas, apart from everyone telling him to go home, she lets him stay, brings him extra clothes and food, becomes a 2nd mother to him apart from sue sinclair (and assuring sue that she'll take care of him), holds him when he cries because this is all my fault, i should've never let her into this mess, opens up about her trauma with bob, assures him that he is not at fault and he is so strong and brave for being with max despite it all, that she will pull through bc she knows her foster daughter and everyone will save her come hell or high water

has anyone ever thought of that? bc i just did. and i cried.

[hyperfixation-stations]

read runaway max. obligatory billy hate post </3

seeing the way that 12-year-old max thinks about billy really adds so many layers to 14-year-old maxs grief. this girl is so beautiful and so strong and st does a great job at showing how abuse and grief are both complicated and messy and rarely as straightforward as tv shows make them out to be

[hyperfixation-stations]

also the way that max was expecting steve to be like billy disregard her opinions and treat her as less than “the way high school boys always did” but he treats her with respect and dignity and continually protects her makes her feel safe. steve is the antithesis of billy in s2 max’s mind. i wonder if she talks about this in her letter to him agh

bonus! when billy shows up at the byers, steve immediately assesses the situation and lets max know he’s not going to let anything bad happen to her before going out to talk to billy

[hyperfixation-stations]

one of the final statements in runaway max is

and it makes me cry every time i read it bc like. max is such a wonderful character and even though she has serious repression and isolation tendencies, she knows her friends will show up for her if she let them. it’s just so beautiful

she spent all of s2 wanting to be accepted by the party and by the end she’s found a family in these weird kids from hawkins and their monster-fighting reality

[hyperfixation-stations]

anyone who is still defending b*lly should read runaway max, I already hated that piece of shit but

HE BROKE MAX' FRIEND'S ARM

HE LIGHTED A DEAD CAT'S CORPSE ON FIRE

HE IS FUCKING CRAZY ARE YOU KIDDING ME HOW ARE Y'ALL STILL DEFENDING HIM

and yes, I AM tagging him because some of you need to get your eyes checked and stop acting like he wasn't an abusive and crazy pos

[hyperfixation-stations]

i feel like we as a fandom don’t talk enough abt how badass steve is. like everyone mentions the fights he loses but never the ones he wins, which are wayyy more important in my opinion

like in s1 he literally saves jancy from a fucking demogorgon and manages to help them kill it. jancy would no doubt be dead if steve hadn’t gone back for them

also, he protects three middle schoolers ON HIS OWN from several deadly alien creatures IN THE DARK and with only a fucking BASEBALL BAT

like how is that not badass? how does that not absolutely make up for the two singular fights he lost to human teenagers???

and i stand by this 100%, steve was definitely winning the fight with billy until the guy smashed a fucking plate over his head which like ofc he lost after that! that was not a fair fight!!

ALSO people make fun of him for being beaten up by trained russian soldiers, that shit does not make sense !! what the hell !!!

leave steve harrington alone DAMN

[hyperfixation-stations]

fall fair suite brings such intense joy to my soul and it deserved to be on the official soundtrack

every time i hear those opening notes i KNOW the best three minutes of my life are incoming