#ANYWAYS before I start a rant about Mike

[am-i-the-asshole-official]

AITA for demanding a kid's mother compensate me for the expensive protective screen he ruined?

I (24F) used to work in a tutoring center with two classes, my class had around 8 kids, the other class had more because the tutor there is more experienced. I was having trouble managing my time and keeping up with all the classes the kids had. There was this one kid Mike (6M) who is a good kid but slightly mischievous, but I had a lot to say about his mother, I don't like her because she doesn't care. For example, the center closes at 6:30 and she's always like 1 hour late to pick him up, sometimes when I'm in a hurry to leave, I end up having to give him a ride myself because I can't just leave him alone and she doesn't pay me for the extra work. She even started to expect me to give her kid rides whenever she has plans, and never offers to pay. I could've been more strict with her but unfortunately I have social anxiety and have trouble asserting myself, but it's common sense to pay people for these sort of things.

Sometimes she even leaves for a trip OUTSIDE OF THE COUNTRY after she drops him off at the center (for her job- but it's her personal business and she could literally choose a different time or at least arrange for a pickup for her kid??)

Also Mike has two smartphones that he brings with him everyday and is very protective of them. I have no idea if both of them belong to him but that's irrelevant, the point is somehow he's allowed to carry two smartphones at the age of 6, I find it weird. And apparently the mother isn't even aware of it?! (As will be explained later)

It's been a minute so I don't remember what else I didn't like about this mother but there WERE other issues.

Anyway, the center was unofficial and there weren't any real guidelines for me to follow and I was new and very inexperienced so I often went to the other tutor (36F) for advice and copied her teaching style. For the poems and songs the children had to memorize, she suggested I use a recorded audio on my phone to help them with it instead of having to reread the entire thing for them over and over.

So I used this method a lot. At first I used to hold the phone for them and stay near them, but as time went to I started to trust them with my phone as I see how they handle it but I stay close to it. This continued for like a month and nothing happened to my phone. Sometimes when they are done and waiting for their rides I even let them play games on my mobile sometimes and yet nothing happened.

But one time there was a lot of homework so for Mike and another kid on the same grade I played the audio on loop and left the phone next to them, I warned them from messing with it and left to help another kid with her homework.

As I'm busy with this other kid go back to Mike and I find out he peeled the my phone's protective screen on purpose and he was laughing? Yes he's 6 but he knew exactly what he was doing. He often didn't let anyone touch his phones and often checks for damages and goes on rants about how handle a phone.

I went to the other tutor for advice and told me that was unacceptable and the mother should compensate me for it, so I decided to finally assert myself and immediately messaged her to tell her what her kid did and told her the screen costed me over 100$ (which is a lot of money in our currency) and my job was part time so my monthly salary was only about 660$ and it was the only job I had so obviously I couldn't afford it on my own.

She responded by telling me her a 6 year old doesn't understand the value of these things and it was my fault for lending him my mobile. I replied that I only allowed him to borrow my phone because I saw how he treated his two phones and listed several examples of how he handles them and takes good care of them and understands what damages them.

Her only response was: "Who said he has two phones?"

I was so done that was her only argument, but before I could reply she called management to complain about me demanding her money, they promised to resolve the issue and hung up to hear my side of the story.

My boss told me I was very bold to assume the mother would pay me, while the other tutor was on my side, and I learned in a private conversation with my boss that she wasn't a fan the other tutor's teaching methods.

Needless to say, I quit, for many reasons but this was a big factor so AITA?

What are these acronyms?

[ladykailitha]

The Eddie Munson Guide to Dating an Oblivious Jock Part 1

When I reached 1000 followers I put up a poll for what people wanted me to do to celebrate and the top two options (separated by less than one percent) were between doing nothing and just continue to do my regularly scheduled posting and doing a fun little one shot. Which I told people to put their suggestion in the comments. The only one to actually do that was @artiststarme who requested a pining Eddie and an oblivious Steve. I got half of that LOL! I have an actively wooing Eddie and an oblivious Steve. So I hope you like it anyway.

There is no set posting schedule on this one. I will be putting it out when possible as it’s still a WIP.

Summary: After Vecna Max is having trouble convincing Lucas to date her again so she turns to the one member of the party who is dating a jock: Eddie Munson. He breaks down his tips for dating an oblivious jock. Bold = the guide. Italicized = their conversation. Standard = examples Eddie is giving Max for each step.

*

The Eddie Munson Guide to Dating an Oblivious Jock

Foreword:

Eddie Munson had the best functioning gaydar in all of Hawkins. Perhaps even the surrounding areas. He hadn’t been wrong yet. Mainly because it only used it on actual teenagers and they weren’t as good as hiding it as they thought they were.

So far he had clocked Robin Buckley, Vickie Lawrence, Will Byers, Mike Wheeler, Tommy Hagen, and few others around their school. But his absolute favorite was Steve Harrington.

Now, some of them were bisexual instead of gay, but the radar worked all the same. Mike, Vickie, and Steve to be precise. Although he was pretty sure Hagen was feeding Harrington a line about it not being gay unless their dicks touch or whatever and passing off his crush on King Steve as just being bros or some shit.

He honestly felt sorry for Carol Perkins because she most certainly was straight and her boyfriend and his best friend were not.

Eddie thought about telling her, but then he remembered she was a bitch and just didn’t.

Now, King Steve was a bitch too. He wasn’t going to deny that. But that was what attracted Eddie to him the first place. His bitchy little remarks, his snide comments, his lip curling sneer.

He was pissed when Nancy tried to stomp it out while they were dating. He didn’t think she succeeded. At least not all the way if the little glances Steve gave him during his famous lunchroom rants were any indication.

And then the world came crashing down around Steve and Eddie got see a whole new side of Harrington that he hadn’t seen before. Steve would still sneer at Eddie’s rants, laugh at Eddie’s attempts to wound him, but there was something else.

He began flinching at loud noises. He went from the top of most of his classes to barely skating by. He started wearing sunglasses all the time. He would turn to his right side when people talked.

That’s when the start of Eddie’s crush happened. This deposed king, was quieter, rougher around the edges, but also the same time gentler, too.

Steve graduated and Eddie did not. It lessened their interactions a great deal, but when Eddie found that Steve was working at the mall in the most ridiculous outfit. It wasn’t even cute, but fuck did it do a number on Eddie’s libido. His attraction turned into full on lust.

And then they ended up saving the world together. And Steve full on saved his life. That’s when Eddie knew he was trouble. That’s when he fell in love with Steve. Head over heels.

That’s when he knew he was going to need a game plan to woo this bastard. This beautiful, sassy, completely oblivious bastard.

*

Step One: Determine if you are their flavor of partner.

There is nothing worse than assuming a guy might into dating you and then for him not be. Now, everyone Eddie had pegged as gay or bisexual had been correct, but there was always that chance. That first time he was wrong.

And considering that they had become friends after all that, Eddie had be sure.

“I’m just saying that Luke was prettier in the first one,” Eddie defended. He was harassing his favorite Family Video employee, Steve Harrington.

“Come on,” Steve argued back. “That’s not fair. The actor got into a really bad accident between the first and second one. But I would say he looked best in the third one with the teddy bears.”

“They’re called Ewoks,” Eddie moaned. “They aren’t teddy bears.”

Steve rolled his eyes. “Whatever. Besides everyone knows that Han Solo is the hottest guy in the Star Wars trilogy.”

Eddie slammed both hands on the counter making Robin and Steve both jump. “You take that back. This Lando Calrissian slander and I won’t have it!”

Steve laughed.

“Since when did you have an opinion on hot guys anyway?” Robin asked from the candy display in front of the counter, where she was restocking the Reese’s Pieces.

Steve frowned. “Since always?” Eddie and Robin both raised an eyebrow at him. “Me and Carol and Tommy would rate the guys in every movie we saw. Doesn’t everybody do that?”

Robin raised the other eyebrow. “No. I certainly don’t. But I’m gay, so guys just don’t do it for me.”

Steve turned to Eddie. “So what’s your excuse then?”

Eddie grinned. “Because I’m gay and guys do do it for me?”

Steve blinked. “But I like boobies, too. Unless there’s a thing for both?”

Eddie grinned. Gotcha! “Sure there is, beautiful. It’s called being bisexual. Freddie Mercury from Queen and David Bowie are both bisexual.”

Steve frowned. “Is that what Vickie is?” he asked Robin. “Does she like both, too?”

Robin blinked. “Oh. I mean, yeah. I hadn’t thought of that. Yeah, I mean she could like both.”

Steve bumped her with his hip. “There you go. Now ask her out already!”

He laughed and ducked when she threw a packet of Reese’s Pieces at his head.

He bent to pick them up, but they were a little abused and a corner was torn. “Shit.”

Steve held it up so they could see.

Robin grimaced. “Oops!”

“I’ll buy it,” Eddie said. “That way you guys won’t get into trouble.”

Steve smiled wide. “You’d do that?”

“Sure thing, princess,” Eddie said returning the smile. He paid for it and then bid them goodbye.

As he walked out the door he heard Robin say, “I thought he hated Reese’s Pieces.”

Eddie laughed.

Max laughed. “That one’s easy. Being straight has its privileges. I know Lucas is straight, so I have that one in the bag.”

Eddie grinned. “It certainly makes it easier, that’s for sure.”

She laughed even harder.

“Now do you want to hear the rest of these or not?” Eddie growled.

Max waved her hand. “Yeah, yeah. Go on. I’m the one that asked for this.”

*

Step Two: Find Common Interests

On the surface, you couldn’t find two people more fundamentally opposed than Steve and Eddie. Rich, prep, jock, alt rock, pretty boy. Poor, metalhead, nerd, did I mention metalhead?

In the Venn diagram of life it should be two completely separate circles. But there were overlaps. Their taste in movies for a start. Steve Harrington loves horror movies.

“Hold up,” Max interrupted. “There is no way in hell that Steve can even stand horror movies. Have you met the guy?”

“I am dating him,” Eddie said with a laugh. “I would certainly hope so.”

“He really likes horror movies?” she asked incredulously.

“He thinks they’re great date movies,” Eddie said with a grin. “It’s great for cuddling.”

“Ew, gross!” Max said with a sneer.

“Don’t knock until you try it kid.”

*

They were all at Steve’s for movie night and they were having a hard time choosing a film that they could all agree on.

“We aren’t watching Gremlins!” Robin protested. “They’re too creepy.”

Jonathan threw his arms in the air. “That’s the point. They’re supposed to be creepy.”

Nancy wrinkled her nose. “I don’t like it either. I don’t think I saw more than five minutes of it when Steve took me.”

Steve laughed. “That was rather the point of taking you.”

You could almost hear the record scratch the universe made when every head in that room turned to Steve.

Steve smirked. “What? The point of taking any date to a horror film is to get cuddles when it scares them.”

“Ooh...” Jonathan said. “That makes sense. I never pegged you for a horror guy, but you were always on top of when they came out in theaters.”

“Hey,” Steve said, “I do enjoy them for their own merit. And I always pre-screen them so I know it won’t be too gory or too scary. Because giving the date nightmares is the last thing I want.”

Eddie ran his tongue over his teeth. “You like horror movies? You’ll pardon my skepticism, but like what?”

Steve hummed for a moment and then scratched his cheek. He snapped his fingers. “Damn it, I’m really bad at movie names. Just give me a minute.”

He ran up to his room and brought down about four or five VHS tapes.

“Let’s see,” he said absently. “Evil Dead, Nightmare on Elm Street...The Dead Zone. That one is really good. Went right out and read the book after that one. And Poltergeist.”

Eddie made grabby hands for the tapes and Steve handed them over. Eddie looked them over.

“Got some pretty good taste here, Harrington,” he said after a moment. “But why aren’t they down here with the rest of the tapes?”

Steve blushed. “My mom said I had to keep them in my room so her friends didn’t think she liked that trash.”

Robin’s eyes went wide. “I don’t like horror either, but to call it trash is a bit harsh.”

Steve shrugged. “Not all horror is created equal. Like the one about the dog in the Antarctic killing people? No thanks.”

Eddie’s eyes went wide. “You’ve seen The Thing?”

“Is that what it’s called?” Eddie nodded. “Yeah. It was too gross even for me.”

Eddie licked his lips. “Did you know it was a remake from the 1951 classic, The Thing from Another Planet?”

Steve’s eyes lit up. “Really? Maybe I’ll like that one better.”

Eddie grinned. “My Uncle Wayne owns it. Why don’t you come over on your next day off, and we can watch together without these heathens.”

Steve laughed as Nancy and Robin squawked indignantly. Jonathan just shook his head.

“Sound like you’ve got a deal, Munson,” he said with a grin.

They ended up watching Pretty in Pink again, because Nancy and Robin strong-armed the boys into agreeing.

“And he still didn’t get you were flirting with him?” Max asked.

“Nope!” Eddie cackled. “But remember we are dealing with oblivious jockus. They aren’t known for picking up on subtle clues.”

Max laughed. “Fair Enough. What’s next?”

My permanent tag list (curated with those that have requested to be on said list and those that have interacted with each of my stories (reblogging and/or commenting on every part): @spectrum-spectre @estrellami-1 @zerokrox-blog @swimmingbirdrunningrock @gregre369 @goodolefashionedloverboi @chaoticlovingdreamer @maya-custodios-dionach @messrs-weasley @val-from-lawrence @plyerice27 @thedragonsaunt @chaoticlovingdreamer @sapphirecobalt-1 @a-little-unsteddie @i-must-potato @danili666 @artiststarme

Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6

If I missed anyone let me know and if you want to be put on the tag list for this specific story let me know that as well. Just remember FOR MY TAG LISTS THE HARD AND FAST LIMIT IS 50. I CAN’T DO MORE THAN THAT!

[turkeycalamitybff]

on my stranger things bullshit again anyway

Holly being a major character this time???? I’ve got SO many things to say about that. Because she’s been foreshadowed to understand more than she’s letting on this ENTIRE TIME. Like I’ve seen no one talk about this but Holly def knows more than she’s letting on. And we’ve been shown that for so long. Look at season three episode seven “The Bite” around 2:50. When the other Wheelers are on the Ferris wheel Holly sees the trees moving, (the mindflayer) and comments on it. Like!!!! She has been in so many background scenes commenting to Karen about things from the upside down. And in season one she is the first one to see the “messages” from Will and the pressing on the wall. Will and Holly are TOTALLY connected. I was genuinely confused when she didn’t get a bigger role in season four but now it makes sense.

Will is what started the series but Holly will end it. And the Duffers legit said that they were paralleling season one (going back to those groups) so wouldn’t it make sense for ANOTHER CHILD CONNECTED TO MIKE WHEELER (who has been intimately connected to the plot each season I feel like) to go missing??? This is the WHEELERS season and no one can convince me otherwise. It’s all about learning that it’s good to be different. It’s about the WHEELER family learning that.

and it helps Karen get involved! Because in all the scenes Holly shows Karen something she could’ve just seen it herself. Holly was, objectively, a character that didn’t have to exist before now. But she does BECAUSE SHE IS CONNECTED TO THE UPSIDE DOWN. My guess is that she is heavily paralleled to Will this season (the title of chapter two one of the biggest examples) and is going to be the main catalyst and I for one am HERE FOR IT.

Will is the main character this season but the Wheelers are the ones who create the plot.

in general the Wheelers have always seemed to be huge. When the Cali gang gets back it would make sense for El to be at the front, correct? Or will? But no, Mike the one “leading the charge” it looks like. He really is the heart. When his sister goes missing?? Oh it’s over for Vecna.

also manifesting a scene after Holly goes missing for Mike to have a mental breakdown about the similarities to when Will was missing and Wills like so confused??? Like Dustin and Lucas see it too and they tell Will about how insane he went and Wills just. Shocked.

also manifesting a scene for the party (or everyone) where they find out what happened at the quarry with Troy in season one bc that was so built up? (Scene where hopper says that for someone to jump off was a death sentence) and then NOTHING happened and I need it to be addressed. Like maybe something similar happens and Dustin comments on it, and everyone finds out?? Just in general I can see how losing his younger sister could lead to Mike nearly committing suicide (that boy is SO depressed, Jesus) also I know this probably actually means nothing but I’ve always thought Holly was getting a bigger role since I saw the episode title “Holly, Jolly” like idk? It always seemed so weird to me and I always thought “oh hollys going to get bigger” and she never did? Also idk the episode title is just plain weird. Like I understand it’s like a play on the Christmas lights and ironic cause no one is happy but what always gets me is the comma. Like I would’ve thought they would’ve named it “Holly Jolly” which in my opinion makes more sense and is more continuos. Plus it wouldn’t bring Holly to mind as much and wouldn’t foreshadow her being part of it. BUT MAYBE they are going to parallel that episode and I won’t be crazy but who knows even. This last paragraph is me ranting.

tl;dr Holly and the Wheelers have been foreshadowed since season one to play a bigger role and to be connected to the upside down and we’re gonna see it in st 5.

[kennahjune]

HI OMG HELLO

Just a little obsessed with the whole “projecting my interests onto Steve” train I have going so here ya go—

Steve who has an interest in mythology of just about any kind but specifically Greek Mythology because “holy shit everyone’s gay.”

Steve’s hosting the usual Saturday hangout at his house because it’s the one time everyone’s schedules line up. He’s sitting on the floor in front of the coffee table, Robin on the floor to his right and Dustin to his left. Everyone else is spread among the couches and armchair, squeezing together in a way that seems more uncomfortable and over heated than the Devil’s asscrack.

Dustin was going on a ramble about something science-y. Robin and Mike would cut in occasionally with their own arguments and begin a whole new debate. Steve wasn’t paying much attention though.

His focus was on Eddie, who was staring intently at the living room window. Specifically the one that held his mothers flower vases.

When there was a break in the argument where everyone caught their breaths and gathered their thoughts, Eddie struck.

“What kind of flowers are those?” He pointed at the light yellow vase with a complicated floral pattern.

Steve paused and debated answering. He knew it was a trap. The flowers in that vase held a long story— one that everyone in the room would be subjected to hearing if Steve couldn’t help himself.

But Eddie was looking at his expectantly, Dustin tilting his head in curiosity, and even Mike eyeing him with a genuine wonderment.

So, Steve naturally conceded. “They’re hyacinths.”

Argyle whistled lowly. “Pretty name.”

Steve grinned. “Yeah well— they get their name from one of the prettiest people in history. In my opinion anyway.”

That seemed to pique everyone’s interest. Bad move on Steve’s part. At this rate, he’s gonna crack and go on a rant. Nobody wants to listen to his rants.

“Who do they get their name from?” Will asked, pulling his feet up to sit crisscross on the armchair. Mike was sat right next to him on the seat, squished into the arm but making no complaints. Mike nodded at Will’s question, as if agreeing that he also wanted to know.

Steve shifted and pulled one leg to his chest, resting his arm on it and fiddling with his hands. He avoided eye contact with just about anyone, before cracking a little more and looking at Robin.

With the nod she gave him, Steve felt himself break.

“They get their name from the Roman Prince Hyacinthus.”

Nancy hummed and took a sip from her Coke. She waved her hand as if urging him on. Steve continued.

“Um— well Hyacinthus was a Roman Prince beloved by all, including the God Apollo—“

“But isn’t Apollo a guy?” Mike interrupted. Looking over, Steve saw the pure curiosity and something that looked like hesitation on his face. Next to Mike, Will looked equally if-not-more hesitant but also very happy (?).

Steve allowed himself a small grin and nodded. “He is indeed. Hyacinthus is actually the first openly gay Greek character that we know of.” Steve’s smile brightened at the grin that made itself present on Will’s face and look of pure endearment on Mike’s.

“Anyways— Apollo fell in love with Hyacinthus but so did Zephyros, the God of the West Winds. Hyacinthus chose Apollo over Zephyros, however. And one day while Apollo and Hyacinthus were being all couple-y or whatever in the fields and playing discus, Zephyros took advantage of the winds and sent a discus spiraling straight at Hyacinthus and it ended up killing him on impact.”

He paused to take a breath, the story taking hold of him. Steve could feel the rush of excitement at finally talking about it— this story was his favorite and the next part always got him.

Among his break, he looked up and started at Eddie’s eyes on him. Of course, everyone’s eyes were on him, but Eddie’s shone with such a fondness that Steve felt himself having to do a minor breathing exercise to calm his heart down.

He cleared his throat with a cough and picked up where he left off, tilting his eyes down and keeping them on his fidgeting hands.

“Well— um, it was typical ‘if I can’t have you no one can’ fashion but the death shook Apollo to his very core and after trying everything in his power to get Hyacinthus back he finally gave in and grew the hyacinth flowers from the grass wherever Hyacinthus’ blood touched ‘to keep him in the sun where he belonged’.”

And with that, Steve looked around at everyone in the room. El’s eyes were filled with wonderment. Sitting next to her, Max looked shocked— though, at the story or Steve, he was unsure.

Jonathan had a small smile playing at his lips as well as Nancy. Argyle gave him a thumbs up and a “cool”.

Mike and Will were both seemingly buzzing with excitement and joy, Steve could see it in their eyes and on the matching grins they wore.

Dustin and Lucas— the latter sitting behind Steve on the couch— we’re both grinning at Steve and talking over each other, trying to tell him several different things at once.

But over the chaos surrounding him, Steve’s eyes were drawn to Eddie’s. Doe eyes filled with fondness and endearment. Steve’s grin turned to a bashful smile and he was quick to turn away.

He instead focused on Dustin and Lucas, pretending to not notice when Will followed Mike to the kitchen. From the knowing glint in Jonathan’s eyes, he also knew what was happening. They shared a snort and cheersed their Coke cans.

When the night was over and Steve was fresh out of mythology tales to tell the Party, everyone began leaving.

Mike, Will, and El left with Jonathan and Argyle. Nancy drove Robin, Dustin, Lucas and Erica as well as Max— who was spending the night at the Sinclair’s.

It was when Steve went to clean the living room that he noticed he never saw Eddie leave.

Instead, the metal head was standing by the window in the living room. The same window with the hyacinths. Steve furrowed his brow in confusion and walked over.

The moment Steve was within reaching distance, Eddie pulled him into his side. Steve let out an ‘oof’ sound, and caught himself on Eddie’s chest. Rather than pulling away from the other, Steve made himself comfortable and settled into Eddie’s side with his head on his shoulder.

“I love hearing you ramble,” was the last thing Steve heard before Eddie kissed him soundly.

[doriandrifting]

This shit with Kit Connor is bringing me back to the Love, Simon days, and I just gotta rant. Like first off, yeah the movie has some problems that didn’t really exist in the books, but so many people downplay the significance of that movie hitting the theaters. I’ll say, for myself, I was 18 and had just come out to my closest friends as bi a year before. It was genuinely the first romcom happy queer movie I had ever seen. I went home and cried my eyes out. And then I got online, and all I saw was people shitting all over it—calling the author of the book series, Becky Albertalli, a fetishist and saying the movie was “for the straights” because “all the actors were straight”.

Becky Albertalli was forced to come out as bisexual to defend herself. And then, what do you know? Like half the cast came out as queer in some compacity in the next few years following its release. It’s almost like they were literally barely out of their teenage years and were still figuring themselves out, or not ready to open up yet. Hell—Nick Robinson’s brother, who’s not that much younger than him, only came out to Nick as the movie was filming. Also one of the actors even stated that most of the production crew openly identified as queer, and the director was an openly gay man. But apparently that means fuck all, and these young actors should have their personal lives ripped into and either be called queerbaiters or be forced to out themselves.

For all the shit talking people did of Love, Simon to prop themselves up as some saviors to the purity of queer media, all they did was recreate the plot. A bunch of fucking Martins outing Simon. And of course it’s all happening again with the Heartstopper cast. They’re even younger too, which really breaks my heart. Coming out is never easy, but the fact that people are demanding it on a global stage from a bunch of teenagers? A bunch of teenagers on a show that stars Charlie, a kid who was forcibly outed? Talk about consuming media with zero critical thoughts.

And I know that these people never learn their lesson. I can only imagine the reaction from the general audience of Stranger Things next season with Mike and Will. The hate for Will’s character started immediately following the season, and Noah had to navigate all these questions about queerbaiting when the show isn’t even over. And I can only imagine what it’s going to be like for the actors following season five. Which, again, is ridiculous, because they don’t owe anyone an explanation.

Anyway, Simon said it best, “I'm supposed to be the one that decides when and how and who knows, and how I get to say it. That's supposed to be my thing, but you took it away from me.”

[natureismynature]

As I said, I've written the the duo/trio/group names down idgwjsy this is not all of it since idk some and I refuse to acknowledge MANY. (Will be updating constantly methinks)

I'm sorry for everyone who finds duo/trio/group names cringe and want them to end, but this is literally a way for me to organize stuff and make it easier for me. Yeah they're annoying sometimes, but duo names help me find art/analysis/general information about a friendship in the server without having to search up individual names. Because everyone has stuff other than that one specific friendship.

Like, if I search up 'Foolish Gamers' hoping to find some good Castleduo content, I will NOT find it easily. If I search up 'Foolish Gamers and Cellbit' I will only see stuff about them individually and not together. What I'm saying is, duo names are there (at least for me) for accessibility. And I don't WANT to combine their names because that's what fandoms usually do for romantic ships, which duo names are decidedly NOT.

But I do agree that the fandom should stop naming duos by the players' first random interaction. Stressduo? Really? Stop it, I BEG. At least think of something creative ToT

Anyway, enough ranting and rambles, duo/trio/group names below the cut!

Cucurucho Buddies - Jaiden and Foolish (They named themselves, it's because they both like Cucurucho despite it being evil)

Castleduo - Cellbit and Foolish (They built a castle together and bonded during it)

Landduo - BBH and Foolish (They fought over land during dsmp)

The Jaidens - BBH, Foolish, Cellbit, and Jaiden (They went on an adventure together to complete Jaiden's quest)

Guapoduo - Roier and Cellbit (They call each other Guapito and Gatinho respectively and they're both handsome… ig)

Builderduo - Vegetta and Foolish (They are both amazing builders)

Granduo - Foolish and Richarlyson (They are grandma and grandson <3)

Silly Squad - Foolish, Pac, Mike, and Felps (They are all cartoon characters, very silly people together)

Sweetduo - Etoiles and BBH (They are two of the sweetest people in the server)

Drama Trio - BBH, Forever, and Baghera (They are three dramatic bitches, especially with each other)

Hideduo - Pac and Fit (They formed a truly meaningful bond during hide and seek)

Smoothduo - Pac and Felps (I honestly don't know, they're both smooth af??)

Mustard Duo/Silly Duo - Felps and Foolish (They are very silly, both are attached to Mr. Mustard)

Securityduo - Foolish and Etoiles (They are security guard + client. Always and forever)

Insaneduo - Forever and Cellbit (They have both called each other insane at some point or another)

Crazyduo - Forever and Quackity (They're both crazy when together)

Chaosduo - Cellbit and Quackity (They cause chaos when together) 

Loansharkduo/Buffduo - Foolish and Quackity (They were both part of Las Nevadas during dsmp and the other one is because Foosh is buff and there's a clip somewhere of a buff guy everyone thought was Quackity)

Theory Bros - BBH, Foolish, and Maximus (They were the three who originally theorized about the Island)

Furryduo - Aypierre and Max (They started the Furry club together)

Birdduo - Baghera and Jaiden (They are both birbs)

Goldfishduo - Baghera and Foolish (Foolish canonized Baghera's 1% part fish)

Roseduo/Federationduo - Jaiden and Cellbit (Jaiden let Cellbit visit Bobby Fields and both have strong ties with the Federation)

Sunsetduo/Atardecerduo/Parrotduo - Jaiden and Roier (They often watch the sunset together to remember Bobby & they often parrot each other)

Domingoduo - Leo and Chayanne (They are the two eggs who almost always gets to sunday before they finish tasks)

Musicduo - Wilbur and Tallulah (They are both musically talented)

Deathduo - Philza and Missa (They are both death associated)

Late Night Trio - Dapper, Richas, and Pomme (They are often online during the graveyard stream shift)

Theoryduo - BBH and Max (They were the two first people who started theorizing)

Sounboardduo/Propellerduo - Baghera and Max (They kept using soundboards at each other for SO long & both Baghera and Maximus' late son Trump has/had propeller hats)

Gossipduo - Cellbit and BBH (They like to gossip with each other)

Dappleduo - Dapper and Pomme (They are dapper and apple)

Starduo - Foolish and Tina (They had a Stardew Valley world together and hung out a lot <3)

Favela Five - Felps, Cellbit, Forever, Pac e Mike (They created the Favela together and are the five Brazilian players in the server)

The Mikus - Jaiden and Richarlyson (They named themselves, they both love Hatsune Miku)

Traitor Trio/Federation Trio- Jaiden, Cellbit, and Foolish (They were all perceived as traitors at some point in their lives, no they are not traitors as far as we know & they were the first three people to get jobs from the Feds)

Dapduo - Slimecicle and Quackity (There was a time they kept saying "Dap me up" at each other, not sure lmfao)

Demonduo - BBH and Ironmouse (They are both demons)

Immortal Pen Pals - Foolish and Philza (They interacted mostly through game chat and barely saw each other during dsmp)

Bubbleduo (I think??)- Jaiden and Cucurucho (They like their bubbles)

Tntduo - Wilbur and Quackity (Their characters during dsmp were very very fond and notorious for tnt)

Lampduo - BBH and Baghera (BBH got lamps from the Federation and gave one to Baghera as a sign of trust)

Siblingduo - Baghera and Forever (They are siblings your honor)

Misclickduo - Mariana and Slimecicle (They are both notorious egg death misclickers)

Fonduo - Slimecicle and Baghera (They bonded over fondue)

Codebreakerduo - Etoiles and Philza (They have the biggest beef with the codes)

Djduo - Antoine and Etoiles (They became djs for a day for a charity event :D)

The Squirrels - Tubbo and Foolish (They named themselves, because they cause problems for the Federation)

Suntrio - Jaiden, Cellbit, and Roier (They are all very attached to the sun because of Bobby)

Eclipseduo - BBH and Forever (They are the opposites of each other, the sun to one's moon)

Mazerunner trio/XYZ trio/ Pen De y Jo - Tubbo, Slimecicle, and Roier (They were the ones who were contacted and directed to finding the maze under the wall)

[nitro502]

I can’t believe this is still a heated topic but I’m gonna weigh in on it anyways.

The whole Lucas/Eddie/basketball/Hellfire thing:

(This is NOT a Lucas hate post. I’m not trying to bash him or anything. I’m just trying to explain why I think he was in the wrong here.)

Now to be fair, it has been a while since I actually watched the episode. But as far as I recall, it makes no sense why people think Eddie was mean and unreasonable in this situation. First of all, don’t they schedule basketball games in advance? It’s possible the team just wasn’t expecting to be in the championship game (although that’s hard to believe with Jason as their captain) but even still, they should know when the game is at least a week in advance. I don’t remember them mentioning it getting rescheduled or anything. So why does it seem like Lucas doesn’t talk to Mike and Dustin until the day of? And why couldn’t he talk to Eddie himself? (Did they explain that in the show? I don’t remember honestly.) Imagine this from Eddie’s perspective. This kid asks his friends (couldn’t even be bothered to do it himself) to ask him to reschedule the FINALE of a campaign that has taken months of planning. Eddie obviously put a lot of time and effort into it. And they’re asking for this the day of. And it’s the last day of school before spring break. By the time school starts up again and everyone has free time on the same day, that’s at LEAST a week. By then the momentum of the story will be gone and it will feel awkward to get back into the game. Eddie wouldn’t have said yes if anyone asked under these circumstances. He would not have rescheduled for Gareth or Jeff or anyone else. Because it’s honestly kinda ridiculous to expect him to. From his perspective it seems like Lucas just cares more about basketball than Hellfire, so why would he give him special treatment?

I think it’s also important to talk about the fact that the worst bullies in this school are jocks. And it’s implied that the basketball team specifically love to target the nerds. Before Eddie’s tabletop rant, there’s a brief moment of one of the team harassing him while he was just sitting there eating his lunch. So on top of Lucas seeming to just not care about Hellfire, he’s also abandoning them to join the bullies. Obviously that wasn’t actually Lucas’ intention. But it certainly looked that way to the rest of Hellfire. Even Mike and Dustin felt a little of it and told Lucas as much. Lucas’ heart was in the right place, but he was naive to think he could single handedly bring the jocks and the nerds together and end bullying.

[spicybylerpolls]

The idea of spicybyler has both intrigued me and made me feel uncomfortable as my mike/will obsession has resurfaced. As an adult, of course I never want to make anyone younger uncomfortable.

But also, it's hard to ignore the fact that Finn and Noah now look like men. And it's hard to ignore the fact that their queer storyline is intertwined with feeling shame about their sexual attraction. And it's hard to ignore the fact that multiple straight couples have had implied sexual activity on the show. And it's hard to ignore the fact that it would be doing a disservice to the main themes of the show not to include the primary gay couple overcoming their shame by uniting via the thing that has brought them shame.

I can see people's points about "over-indulging" when it comes to fantasizing but the part I really don't get is things like hosegate. Because once it was pointed out to me, it became hard to deny the sexual undertones regarding Mike and Will. And if they're doing this in the actual show, why would it be weird for the audience to pick up on it, when the only reason they're doing so is for the audience's interpretation?

For example - and maybe I'm wrong or just seeing it too much now - but in Will's bedroom scene, the dialogue they start off with is "You packed already? "I mean, I never really unpacked". The dialogue they end with is "That was fast." "30 minutes or less." Am I crazy for thinking this is a blatant sexual undertone? Especially considering right before that last bit of dialogue they are interrupted... Lol.

Anyway, after seeing how Mike and Will are going to physically look in S5, I actually think an implied sex scene is highly, highly probable and I really don't know what the side of the fandom that literally cancel people for suggesting Mike and Will are attracted to each other are gonna do when it does happen.

I know I just ranted about nothing so since this is a poll blog, I'll ask a question: Do you think the dialogue before and after Mike's apology in Will's bedroom is another instance of the duffers signaling sexual attraction between Mike and Will?

Please note that the purpose of this blog is not to be creepy or to make anyone uncomfortable. That's why I created the #spicy byler tag (I will tag all polls with this). If you don't want to see this blog or anything related to it on your feed, please block that tag. Not everyone is comfortable with this sorta stuff, and that's okay.

[lasagnaboxlesbian]

CHAPTER ONE OUT NOW!! [link]

It’s sapphic silly hours so I wanted to post a little sneak peek of Chapter 1 (unfinished but alas… the ronance brain worms hath spoken) for my next multichapter fic!!

a Nancy POV rewrite of season 1 featuring ronance

Robin moves in next door to the Wheelers prior to the events of s1

Comphet Lesbian Nancy

fic title is based on the mbav theme song “Girl Next Door” by Copperpot

i think i’ll call her on the phone (or am i better off alone?)

Chapter 1 - fruit

August 15th, 1983

HAWKINS, INDIANA

Three knocks to Nancy’s open door had her turning her head to the voice she knew was waiting.

Holly and Mike usually just barge in, Mike would’ve yelled some excuse 50 miles a minute while Holly would’ve just toddled past the squeaky door. Her father, Ted, would’ve waited for her to skip down the steps for dinner and asked her to stay for a minute as he had something to say.

That left one person.

“Nancy, I told you we were leaving in five minutes,” her mother, Karen, stood firm by the door, back straight, hands on her hips as she looked over at her daughter disapprovingly. “Hang up on Barb, you can always call her back once we go see them.”

Nancy pursed her lips and nodded her head, the receiver of the phone shielded by a newly polished hand. “Yeah… yeah… just give me a second.”

Karen’s heels clacked as she walked downstairs, “Make sure to pick up the fruit basket on the table! I’ll be waiting by the door.”

She waited until the footsteps were farther enough away that huffed a breath, hoping Barb would hear on the other end. “God… she’s been-” she sighed again. “Anyways… um” Nancy looked out of her window, “you know the Taylors, right? Lived next door?”

“Yeah, yeah… my mom mentioned something about them… apparently the mom was like… uh never- nevermind.” Barb whispers, “Anyways… you were saying?”

Nancy’s brows furrow but elect to ignore that in favor of ranting to her best friend before having to put up false appearances. “New people moved in, my mom is obsessed with bringing all the neighbours a housewarming gift since it’s rare for anyone to move in around here, so-”

“Young lady, I am waiting!” Karen shouted from below.

“Look, I’ll call when I’m back, alright?”

“‘Course, Nance. Bye.”

“Bye.”

Click

Nancy bit back a smile, standing up from where she had been lounged across her bed. Facing herself in the mirror, she adjusted one of the clips holding back her long, wavy brown locks.

“Nancy!” Karen shouted.

She whipped her head to the door, rushing out as she slammed it behind her.

“No slamming doors,” she heard her father rumble from the lazy boy sat across the TV, casually flipping through a newspaper.

It was Saturday, about a week before school started, and Nancy would be faced with dealing with the new people across the yard.

Passing her mother she muttered, “And of course Mike doesn’t have to come.”

“I heard that.” Her mother spoke to Nancy’s retreating form, continuing once she saw her daughter with the gaudily packaged fruit basket. “Michael is at Will’s today. And as far as I’m concerned, you are at home.”

Nancy shuffled in her old white heels, the sides nipping at her ankles. “It’s not my fault-”

“Enough. I am not having this conversation before we go see the Buckley’s.”

Nancy bit her tongue, she was already under practical house arrest after she snuck out last week to go hang out with Barb past curfew.

In her defense, it was because Barb had sworn that she overheard Steve was going to be at Tiffany’s Birthday and had an open invite. They weren’t even planning on going in! Just scoping out the scene to see if the possibility of what Steve had told her at the end of last year was real. That he had started to notice her over freshman year, and that he wasn’t planning on seeing anyone anytime soon.

All they had to do was snoop around to see if he had a date, and Barb would shove it in Nancy’s face that he was just like the other dumb jocks that treated the high school hierarchy like it mattered.

But all it took was her mother opening her door and seeing the window open for her to jump down the Holland’s lines, both mothers desperately searching for the missing pair.

She’d been grounded until the school year and wasn’t keen on that getting a punishment far enough that they’d disconnect her personal line.

God, she couldn’t imagine not being able to talk to Barb about all the bullshit going on in her life. She always felt like all the family responsibility had been placed on her, meanwhile Mike got to coast along her coat tails. He was perpetually too young to be at fault for anything, so obviously the brunt of her parent’s wrath had to be placed on her.

She was the nice girl.

She would fall in line when needed.

And unlike her siblings, she was apparently old enough to understand the consequences of a bad reputation.

But she knew that it wasn’t just reputation that kept her in an elevated position of responsibility. She was the oldest daughter, of course everyone would be breathing down her neck to be the perfect little girl.

“-ncy?” Karen whispered, tapping the girl’s shoulder.

Nancy must’ve zoned out for the short walk across the driveway because she only now did she become aware of the splintered wooden door in front of her, the basket gone heavy in her hands.

She glanced back at Karen from the corner of her eyes, looking down as a taunt smile pulled against her cheeks. “Sorry- sorry… I was just… thinking. I’m fine”

Karen didn’t say anything, and Nancy didn’t want to look at her in fear of the same expression she’d worn since that night.

Disappointment.

Her mother knocked on the door, and Nancy waited with baited breath, as the lock clicked and the door opened.

Stood in a lose-fitting white t-shirt and pair of cut off jean shorts, was a girl. Her hand tightly gripped a can of Coke and her brows furrowed at the two stood on her doorstep.

This is going to be so awkward.

“Hi!” Karen chirped, the girl giving Nancy a once over before looking at her mom.

Nancy only felt slightly miffed at the fact that the look she’d given her mother was a lot less venomous than the one thrown her way.

Asshole.

[END OF PREVIEW]

Thank you so much for reading!! ❤️✨

Not sure for an exact date of posting considering current works are taking priority right now, but I was really excited to share this one!!

[thestrangestthing89]

Season 1. Part 1 Part 2 Part 3

Season 2. Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5

Season 3. Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5

Season 4. Part 1 Part 2

Mike Character Analysis - Season 4 Part 3

I wrote about Mike talking to Will and El in Lenora here. Mike is deep in thought about something at the breakfast table and decides to go talk to her. He's clearly thought through everything that's happened and is in a much more level-headed place about it. Mike starts off this conversation in an emotionally mature way. He tries to connect with her and brings in something personal to the conversation - his bullying. Finally! They talk about something personal! Or Mike tries to anyway, El shuts him down and he gets defensive and the conversation rapidly devolves into fighting. Mike is trying to emotionally connect with El in a way we never saw him do before (except that one scene in season 1). I don't believe he has romantic intentions with this at all. Judging by his insecurities later this season I think he was trying to be her friend, just like he was in that scene in season 1. He worries he won't have a place in her life if they break up because they never formed a friendship. Only she rejects him because she is not only upset about the bullying but she's upset with Mike.

Mike hasn't been telling her he loves her and she practically begs him to. While El has been receiving letters from Mike (6 of them. Once a month. Not the book of letters Will jealously indicated he sent her) she is feeling emotionally neglected by him. Because he clearly wasn't showing her he loved her and he certainly wasn't telling her. I think this is because Mike realized he wanted to break-up and kept their letters pretty basic and void of anything too deep. Not that these two ever have conversations like that but the fact that he isn't writing love or indicating that he does in any way is intentional. He doesn't want to lead her on. I think when Mike started this conversation he was trying to lay the groundwork for a break-up. He is trying to connect with her as a friend here and be nice to her. He's trying to comfort her and make her feel better. Only El puts him on the spot and is forcing him to say something he isn't able to say. And he's not ready to tell her he's gay. Especially when she's mad. He cares about her but he isn't in love with her and he doesn't want to lie. Only this conversation is not going the way he wanted it to go when he came in.

It's clear Mike feels guilty when she gets arrested. He always feels responsible for saving her even though she doesn't need saving. He can't figure out what role he has in her life otherwise. Because it's not as a friend and he doesn't want to be the boyfriend. The letter she sends him is her dumping his ass (from El) and he knows it. He's not upset so much as he is shocked because this whole thing did not go the way he wanted it to.

Will and Mike have what is the first of many heart-to-hearts this season in Jonathan's room. Will's ranting about the situation and Mike, just like in the beginning of the season, is staring intently at this letter El sent him. Will tries to reassure him and Mike THROWS HER LETTER IN THE TRASH. This is the second time he does this (he did this with the first letter). I think this indicates that Mike isn't keeping any of her letters. He isn't attached to them.

Mike and Will start talking and they sit very closely together and start getting flirty. The thing that is most notable about this scene is Jonathan. Because this is Jonathans room and the door is open and he is awkwardly hovering in the doorway smirking at them. Like he realized he was interrupting A MOMENT a little too late and couldn't back away fast enough without someone noticing. The funny thing about Jonathan constantly interrupting these moments is that he would be their number 1 supporter since he's a Will Byer's Fangirl. If he had only stayed in the kitchen a bit longer they would have probably been making out on his bed by now. They were heading in that direction. The three of them come up with a plan. They are going to sneak out and drive back to Hawkins to help everyone. They aren't worried about El. She went with Owens voluntarily and they believe she's safe. So now Mike and El are broken up and Mike and Will are about to spend the next few days having a road trip back to Hawkins. Mike's pretty happy about this. The two of them have yet another heart-to-heart and it is once again flirty. Very flirty. Because while his break up with El didn't go the way he wanted it to, it is very clear he may not see her again at the very least not for a while, and he has his best friend back. Mike initiates this conversation with Will. He is the one who set the tone and started telling Will how much he missed him. He apologizes for his behavior (a thing he never does with El) and the two of them are in a good place. And did I mention the flirting? Mike definitely checks Will out at one point. But Jonathan interrupts them again and we are left wondering what would have happened with these two if he hadn't. Because they are on the verge of something all season and dancing around it.

Once they get attacked their mission changes and now they have to find El because she's in danger. Suddenly Mike's mood is different. He's seeing El sooner than he was expecting. But him and Will have another heart-to-heart and this one is about how it's scary to open up to people and show them your true self because they may not like it. It's Will talking and giving advice to Mike but he's clearly talking about himself. And MIKE AGREES WITH HIM. Mike understands what Will is saying because he is worried about the same thing. That El (and everyone else) won't accept him if he's his true self. He nods and is about to respond when they get interrupted again. Seriously, the second these two are able to have an uninterrupted conversation they are going to get together. Because it's about to happen several times this season and they wouldn't need to go with the interruption trope if there was nothing to interrupt. They are delaying this storyline for the final season.

(Edit: I forgot to add here that before Will gives him advice Mike is saying how he should have said that thing and explained maybe she would have taken him with her. He's feeling guilty that he didn't explain himself before even though he wasn't ready to in that moment. He's been trying to connect with her like a friend and he still believes he has to protect her because he doesn't fit into her life otherwise. He keeps trying to establish a connection with her and she keeps shutting him down. I don't think she understands (at least at the beginning of season 4) that they can be friends. They never had this kind of dynamic before. Mike feels guilty anytime something happens to El. That's been true since season 1 and most of the time it isn't his fault. Yes he could have explained himself better, but she isn't listening to him or allowing him the space to talk and say what he needs to. She chose to go off and leave him that emotionally void letter and it's not his responsibility to protect her but he feels like it is.)

I want to talk about Susie's house here briefly. Mike and Will communicate with each other wordlessly when they are trying to come up with a lie to tell her. Which is kind of funny because they were in the car for hours and they didn't come up with a plan? So what did they discuss in the van? But Mike's body language in this house is interesting to me because he seems a little uncomfortable. He is standing with his arms crossed which isn't how he normally stands. And when Susie's dad is stomping up the stairs, he practically throws himself over the railing trying to get away from him. Now her dad's yelling and pissed and Mike has problems with male authority figures so it could have just been this. Will glances at him outside the house and he seems worried about him for a second. It almost like something is going on here.

Part 4

[noys-boise]

Can you infodump to me about whatever youre currently obsessed with

can i? dude you're going to have to stop me with force i REALLY want to infodump I just never have the excuse to do it. I'll be nice enough to put it under a read more though because this is very long.

let me tell you about this little streaming service called dropout.tv because it has taken over my life. it was started by the people at collegehumor (idk if you know it, they made sketch comedy and that sort of videos for over a decade) when they got tired of having to conform to advertisers on sites like youtube or facebook. and also not long after dropout launched collegehumor's parent company tried to sell the brand since it wasn't profitable enough for them leading to Sam Reich, who's worked at collegehumor pretty much since the beginning, acquiring the rights. however he did have to lay off pretty much everyone except a skeleton crew plus Brennan Lee Mulligan who created the most popular series on the platform. but everyone else keeps working at dropout on a freelance basis so it's all good.

anyway with the launch of dropout they moved away from scripted comedy to really a wide variety of unscripted content. the series that got me into dropout is game changer, a game show where the contestants don't know what game it is they're going to play since the game changes (almost) every time. it is SO fun?? there's been so many insane concepts including lie detector that's secretly controlled by the contestants' significant others, selling useless shit like a keyboard that only has the letter p or a rubik's cube that's all green, murder mystery that's somehow both fictional and real at the same time (it's. really hard to explain this one it was really just to troll one specific contestant, a lot of episodes are made with specific people in mind since these people have worked together for a very long time), escape room but it's just locking these three people in a room and also there's some insane lore around it that people still make conspiracy theories about, an actual time loop and of course the multiple survivor parodies and the one batchelor parody (it's very bisexual). i could honestly rant about game changer forever. it really has that appeal of being able to get to know the contestants (a majority of whom are former collegehumor employees who appear in many episodes across all dropout shows) and that they're all professional comedians who know each other and the host very well. it has fun cozy vibes except when it actively breaks my mind (looking at you deja vu).

there are three shows that were spun off from game changer: make some noise, which is prompt based improv (sidenote, my icon and url are both referencing this show, specifically the original trio this series started with back when it was in game changer. the noise boys refer to Josh, Zac and Brennan who after doing four episodes of this game within game changer are also the contestants in every make some noise season premiere and finale), dirty laundry which is kind of based never have i ever as a game show and also Grant O'Brien is there as a bartender (Grant O'Brien is the tall bisexual theatre nerd i post quite a lot about), and play it by ear in which they improvise entire musicals, which i still haven't watched and I'm fully aware of how out of character that is for me. however i do really love the original game changer episode play it by ear is based on.

so.... here's the thing. i kind of lied. i said game changer is the first dropout show i got into but um, actually, i was into a dropout show before i really knew what dropout is. Um, actually is a game show where the host (originally Mike Trapp, now Ify Nwadiwe) says incorrect statements mostly about nerdy media which the contestants have to correct, but they have to start their corrections with the phrase "um, actually" or they don't get the point. they made two musical theatre themed episodes that i found back in 2022? i think? that were on youtube and then i got into Howard the duck which got me kind of into marvel comics which are referenced in a lot of episodes leading me to watching quite a lot of the episodes that were up on youtube (i think out of all dropout shows this one might have the most free on youtube content) and then i kind of forgot about it until this year's april when i started properly getting into dropout.

however the most popular and longest dropout show is dimension 20, which is a dungeons & dragons actual play. almost every season is a new setting and there's been a lot of different players though there is a main cast known as the intrepid heroes (Zac Oyama, Lou Wilson, Ally Beardsley, Siobhan Thompson, Emily Axford and Brian Murphy + Brennan Lee Mulligan as the dm). the first season that then got two continuations is fantasy high which is set in a more modern dnd setting but with the same fantasy races as the original game but there's been a lot of seasons that completely break away from all traditional dnd elements (some of them aren't actually dnd at all but different game systems) like the one I'm watching right now is a murder mystery with anthropomorphic animals.

there's sooo many more dropout shows i could talk about but this rant is already getting way too long. i love so many things about dropout. they make so much original, fresh content that no one else is making. there's so much diversity in such a natural way (to me especially seeing Ally Beardsley's transition is very special) and it's generally extremely progressive and ethical. idk what else to say, watching dropout makes me very happy, I'm very hyeprfixated on it, it's my main comfort thing right now and i can't recommend it enough (there's a bunch of stuff on youtube for free already but also imo it's absolutely worth 6 dollars a month)

I'm sorry for how long that rant turned out unfortunately i am very unnormal

[scattered-dreamers]

Just finished The Twisted Ones and I CANT WAIT FOR THE NEXT MOVIE!

So: I already see how some things can play out. There are four characters focused on in the book but three characters to fill the roles in the movie. We have:

Clay - Cop

Jessica - Friend

John - Friend/love interest

Charlie - Henry Emily’s daughter and main character of the books.

Vanessa obviously plays the cop character in the movie, but she also plays the role of friend as well. So she takes on the role of Clay and Jessica.

Mike takes on the role of both Charlie and John. He has the dreams/nightmares that Charlie does but but he takes on the role of John for Abby, not as a romantic love interest but as an older brother. The Charlie/John relationship can totally be adapted as a sibling relationship for the movie. And he totally goes feral on Afton in the movie like Charlie does in the book.

Abby takes on the role of Charlie and Jessica. She gives herself to the animatronics in order to keep them from killing others and Mike is FRANTIC to get her back because he already lost one sibling to these things. He’s not going to lose another.

Anyway, before I start ranting and tearing the book apart to examine every fine detail, I just wanted to put out there character break down. So yeah:

Vanessa - Takes on the role of Clay and part of Jessica’s role.

Abby - Takes on the rest of Jessica’s role and part of Charlie’s role.

Mike - Takes on the rest of Charlie’s role and take on the role of John.

I’m curious how they’re going to split all of Charlie’s role between the siblings though.

Mike obviously coax’s out the animatronics to help Abby because she martyrs herself to them so they stop killing.

Mike goes feral on Afton for no other reason than protecting his siblings and demanding to know about Garrett.

Abby is the artist, but Mike is the dreamer.

That said, which one dies?

Is it Mike because he spots the door from his dreams and tries to reach Garrett? Because he feels Garrett reaching out to him?

Or is it Abby because she recognizes it from her drawings? Because the kids tell her about it?

[shebeafancyflapjack]

Run, Little Witch (Part 4)

Mary is determined to save Silver but time is running out.

"You're kidding me!"

"Nope."

"Right up inside his-?!"

"All the way in."

Alison laughed, flicking the indicator as she turned right into the driveway; "No way can that be legal."

"Is in Amsterdam. Maybe we can go there next year?" Mike smirked, still a bit tipsy after treating himself to some beers on the flight.

"Think we might have to settle for Brighton again." Their couple's holiday savings was not getting much bigger than when they'd started if two years ago. "Hang on, what...?"

She parked the car several feet from the front door and pulled up the parking break, keeping the headlights on to illuminate the peculiar sight that welcomed her home.

Mike frowned at her; "What is it?"

"Ghost thing...You know Silver, right?"

"Emo girl who sleeps in the woods? The one Julian is always playing Evansescence songs on the ipod speaker for?"

"I know you downloaded those songs before we moved here."

"They remind me of simpler times, okay! Anyway, what about this girl?"

Alison unclipped her seat belt and got out the car; "They're...dragging her, kicking and screaming, across the field...Guys! Guys, what are you doing?!"

But the group didn't so much as look her way. Silver was shrieking like a banshee, fighting with all her strength as Humphrey's body, Robin and Julian frogmarched her away from the house. Captain strode behind them with Pat, Kitty, Thomas and Fanny in his wake. None of them seemed concerned for why the young Neo-Pagan was in great distress. More like they were all heading off for a pleasant evening stroll.

Alison abandoned Mike and the car and tried to run after them.

"Guys! Guys, can you hear me?!"

"Al'son!"

She turned to see Mary racing towards her, clutching at her skirt.

"Mary, what are they-?"

"I told you! I saids this would happen and you didn't believe me!" She sounded far more frantic than normal, which was saying a lot.

"What are you talking about?"

"The mirror! You broke the mirror and the spirit of that blaggard hath been let loose and he's taken control of the others and made them torture the poor heathen child!"

Torture? Alison couldn't help but scoff.

"That's ridiculous! Those guys? Other than driving me round the bend every other day, they're harmless!"

"It ain't them doing it, Al'son, it's him! It's Sir Pius!" Mary got up close in her face; "He wants to punish her, as he did me, don't thou see?!"

Punish her? What, for her poor taste in music? For her overly bloated rants about the patriarchy?

Silver's screams cut through the night air again. Alison turned in time to see her aim a kick at Robin's shin. The caveman gave her a thrash across the face with his paw.

That...could not be a joke.

She made another attempt to get through to them; "Guys! Listen to me! Let her go and stop all this or else...Or else no more T.V for a month! You hear me?!"

No response. Not even a look her way.

"Shit...Maybe this is serious." She turned back to what seemed to be the ghost who was the closest to being sane.

"If anything terrible happens to that girl, I will holds you responsibles, Al'son Coopers!"

No threat had ever struck so deep. Alison shrank back, Mary's expression that of a mother lioness. The smoke wafting off her along with the smell of toast made her blood run cold.

She got the message, loud and clear.

"All right. Okay...Let's go fix that mirror then." She nodded, remembering her promise; "Mike! Where did you put the super glue?!"

They toss Silver to the ground like a discarded bag of rubbish. She doesn't try to run again, her head pounding from the blow of Robin's fist.

"Ah, yes. This will do. I believe it was this spot where we used to set up the gallows." Captain mused. "Are you ready to face your sentencing, girl?"

Taking in a breath, she pushed herself onto her knees. Then, in spite of all the physical and mental pain thrumming through her, she laughs.

"Sentenced to what?" She dared to ask, sneering up at him; "What is it you plan to do? Flog me some more? Knock me about until you get bored? There's not much else you can do now, is there. You can't set up a noose. You can't drown me in the lake. You're fucking impotent, mate! You can't burn this witch. I'm already dead!" The last part she with a smidgen of pride before laughing some more.

His stick struck her across the cheek.

"Silence, whore. If I need to remove your tongue with our bare fingernails, I will attempt to do so. Never mind if it regrows. It will be a game we can enjoy many times over."

The thought alone made her shudder, as much as she tried to hide her fear. She would rather they didn't get too creative with their limited means of torture.

"Had you studied your history, you would know that witches were rarely burned at the stake. I discovered and executed over a hundred she-demons in my life. Out of all of them, only one was wicked enough to be put to the torch. The rest were sent to Hell through many various methods...The question is, which one will be suitable for you?"

Why bother sending her to Hell? Silver thought to herself. It seemed like she was already there.

The Captain's stick lifted up her chin.

"I have come to appreciate the art of isolation as punishment. The more permanent the better. If we can't send you back to Satan directly, then you can be trapped for centuries, in the dark. Just as I was."

There was no remnant of the old soldier's warmth in those eyes. Nothing but two jet black onyxes.

"And how the fuck would you do that? I'm a ghost, you prick. Walls can't hold me." Once the words were out of her mouth, she felt like an idiot for testing him.

He smirked; "That is true, isn't it. The ground, on the other hand, seems to be very, very firm to us."

Thoughts of iron coffins were shoved back to the front of her mind. No. There was no way they could think of...They wouldn't be able to dig.

And then that deep, primal chuckle caught their attention.

"Me know just the place." Robin grinned, wickedly; "There old well next to lake. Saw ghost fall down there once, many Moonah ago. Hear him scream for year after year. Never saw him go up. Maybe he wander through mud even now. Trapped forever in darkness."

No, no, no, no.

"Yes, thank you, Robin. That sounds like a perfect home for our little witch, doesn't it, everyone?"

The others all nodded in agreement. Silver clutched at her own arms, feeling her chest tighten, oxygen escaping her grasp as her anxiety rose beyond all manageable levels.

She tried once more to search their eyes, to appeal to whatever glimpse of her friends that were trapped within.

"Guys...Please." She whimpered, "Don't do this. I...We're family."

"That's true. We are family." Said Kitty, raising her chin, "But you were never a real part of it."

"Kitty...." She began to weep.

"Oh stop your pathetic snivelling, you satanic wretch." Fanny glowered, "I'll be looking forward to no longer having to tolerate your sinful presence each month."

"Or your ghastly songs." Thomas added.

"Or the feminist whining." Scoffed Julian.

"Or having to carry skinny bum into wood each time." The caveman rolled his eyes.

When did she ever ask that of him? When had she ever kept him to that one favour she asked of him on the night she died? 'Stay'.

"Is that why you pray to all those false gods of yours, hmm?" Humphrey asked from where he dangled from Pat's grip; "Because you couldn't get any real friends?"

"I wouldn't be surprised. Who'd want to be around a pathetic waste of space like that?" She never thought she'd ever hear Pat Butcher speak so callously; "Even her own family didn't like her. No guesses why."

"Stop it!" She begged, fingers digging into her arms; "Please, stop..."

"Oh, my dear." Tutted the Captain; "It will all stop, very soon. We'll be rid of your filth and you'll get to be alone in the dark with your gods. Forever."

"Make haste, Al'son!" Mary pressed.

From the window, she could just about see the group of them standing around a bereft Silver, trembling on her knees, the tears on her cheeks glistening in the moonlight. She wanted to race back and gather the child up in her arms immediately.

"I'm going as quick as I can! I was never good at jigsaws." Alison muttered, placing another shard where it seemed to fit best, the underside lined with a dab of Locktite. "Will it matter if they're not all fused together?"

"I dunno..." She admitted, not tearing her eyes from the window; "But we has to try. I dunnos what they planning on doing with the little'en but it can't be good."

Pius was a sadist. There was no other way to put it. He had revelled in finding the most creative and horrific ways to abstract so-called confessions out of innocent women. That hungry smirk on his handsome face had haunted her nightmares for four hundred years. She dreaded to think what sick and twisted things he planned on doing to Silver.

The man one, Mike, sat on the bed, watching his wife finish her project with his usual confusion.

"So, lemme get this straight. You broke some cursed mirror and now it's made the ghosts go crazy and start hurting the emo one?"

"Wiccan. And yeah, pretty much. Except Mary, for some reason." Alison explained, blandly, swapping out two small, near identical pieces. "Why is that, Mary?"

"Dunnos...Maybe he can't take hold of those he already harmed..."

Alison paused to glance over her shoulder at the woman, just for a moment. She said nothing. There was nothing that needed to be said, and if there were it needed to wait for a better time. But the realisation made her gut twist. It was never nice to be reminded that her ghost family were once, and still were, people. People who loved...and suffered.

Remembering Silver's cries and Mary's motherly threat, she quickened her pace with restoring the mirror as best she could.

"One last piece...There." She sighed with a sense of accomplishment.

"Good! Now let's take the mirror outside, at once." Said Mary.

"Give it a sec, we need to wait for the glue to dry or they'll all just slip out again."

"How longs will thats take?!"

"As long as it takes, I dunno! We don't need to rush."

"Don't need to..." Mary stared at her like she had two heads, "Al'son, they're dragging her off into the night! We needs to stop them now!"

"Well....maybe it's for the best."

Mary blinked at the younger woman.

"I mean, it's not like we'd be missing much, the girl is barely here except a few nights a month and it's not like I know her as well as you..."

Alison's expression contorted as she seemed to hear herself.

"Shit. What the fuck did I just say?" She asked, looking from Mary to Mike, genuinely terrified.

Mary stepped back. It was spreading to the livings now. She couldn't count on Alison to carry the mirror back outside.

She was alone. Silver's fate rested entirely in her hands.

[willowistic22]

Hi hello can I request a rant about ikeshot 👀 Anything you want like headcanons and stuff I'm begging pls I'm so starved for ikeshot content you're literally the only person here talking about them

Ikeshot. Let’s talk abt them.

Since you didn’t really specify what topic you want me to go over abt them i’ll just give you my general thoughts in regards to them and just specific general details i like to consistently characterize them when thinking of au’s and such.

Firstly abt Hotshot. He’s Korean-American in my opinion. There wasn’t really any specific actor that inspired this hc (not even the korean newsies cast, i don’t really know that cast that well) but i feel it fits him perfectly. He was born in Korea to Korean parents and then moved to the states for both canon and modern era (i hv no clue if there were any Korean immigrants in New York in the time where newsies take place and no i hv no interest in finding out whether that’s historically accurate<3). I like to think he’s the youngest. He has 12 older sisters. Idk it just feels fitting to me. His actual name is Park Ryung-Gu and i’m following the usual Korean naming rule so Park is his family name and his given name is Ryung-Gu (idk how to explain how to properly pronounce it other than like saying ‘young’ but with an R at the front followed by ‘goo’. Also i’m not very adversed with Korean naming and culture in general so there might be a few errors i make despite alr doing some light research. Srsly i ended up watching a kdrama compilation just to find out how to pronounce that name If anyone reading this can correct me then feel free to drop an ask).

Seeing that he had lived his majority of his childhood in the states, he’s considered the most fluent english speaker in his family. He likes helping his mother cook especially when she’s making kimchi. Man loves kimchi and can live off of eating that one single dish for his entire lifetime. He likes tiny hamsters but also big dogs. He actually likes a lot of k pop but can’t dance to save his life. Also one of his fav k pop boy band back when he was younger made him question his sexuality. His main sport is basketball but he come from swimming parents so it’s important that he knows how to swim well, thus he was able to reach the six foot mark by the time he reaches sophomore high school and ended up growing to 6’6. He’s good friends with Spot and Albert (i hc albert moving to Brooklyn at around age 10 before moving back to Manhattan for middle school so). He’s usually the more reserved calm and collected friend and dare I say the tired friend. Not to be confused as the mom friend bcs that’s Spot. Anyways. In some au’s Hotshot to me is a pharmacist or a beauty chemist. Whatever it is, he majored in a chemistry field for college bcs he’s best at chem class back in high school. It just clicks to him for some reason compared to other subjects like biology or economics.

Ok now for Ike. He’s younger than Mike by like 13 minites and Mike holds that over him bcs older brother duty™️. However Ike is taller than Mikd by like 1.5 inches which he holds over him bcs younger brother duty™️. Pretty sure it’s alr widely known that their names are Michael and Issac so yeah i stand by that fanon but i personally think their last name is Alvarez. In some au’s i hc them hving a little sister a year younger than them while other times i don’t. They are Cuban-American. Their parents along with their siblings are Cuban immigrants and gave birth to the twins in America. Ike is autistic while Mike is neurotypical. Throughout his childhood, Ike struggles a lot with sound and touch and regulating his emotions in general but he was mostly non verbal in his earlier years. The only other person he talked to back then was Mike up until like when he’s 8 or so was when he started getting better at his speech. Their mother in short isn’t the best person to be a mother. Safe to say it was for the best that their parents divorced when they were ten.

Ike was considerably the more reserved one between him and Mike but that doesn’t mean he’s not considered a troublemaker bcs in reality he still is. Despite still being able to joke around, he’s quite uptight. When he’s trying to regulate his anger he usually turns to boxing which is smth his father taught him back when he found out the twins were being bullied in elementary school. It serves as a great sport but also a great outlet to let out his anger. He’d punch a punching bag or ask Mike to spar with him. He’d dare to say that without boxing he might still not know how to regulate his anger in his adult years. However he’d say his main sport was soccer since that’s what he played in school teams. That does turn Ike to be a bit feisty, especially when he’s being disrespected. He doesn’t always go for the first punch, only as an act of self defense. Anyways, i hc him majoring in some sort of engineering field. Like he’d get a phd to research environmental engineering (renewable energy and all that stuff). He loves to learn actually and has an interest in technology + environment. He also loves cats. He has a brown cat named bear.

Now how did they ended up together you may ask? They met as a friend of a friend of a friend. Sorta. So while obtaining their bachelors degree, Ike has had bad luck with relationships. All the guys he’s ever liked are… terrible to say the least. He swears off dating until he gets his bachelors. Around his senior year, his good friend racetrack higgins just so happen to have a boyfriend from brooklyn named Spot who was also good friends with Race’s best friends and also Ike’s good friend named Albert. Spot and Albert also had a friend named Hotshot. One night when they were all going out to celebrate them nearly graduating, Ike and Hotshot met for the first time. Ike wld be lying if he said he didn’t find Hotshot to be attractive and Hotshot can’t deny he thought Ike was cute. However nothing happened and they only ever met every now and them in a big friend group setting. And ike was true to himself when he says he’ll put a hold on dating until he gets his bachelors (talk abt academic validation lolz definitely not self projecting here) in the middle of them obtaining their master’s degree, things start to escalate between them. They actually started seeing each other on their own and hv a fun time. When they finally gotten around to a confession (after being pushed by their friends to do it ofc) they started going out and took things slow to see where this was heading. As it turns out, they were a perfect match and ended up becoming more confident and srs with each other.

Hotshot and Ike are both reserved in their nature. Mostly calm and collected but can last in a fight if provoked. They’re not the most sociable person and it takes awhile for them to come out of their shell. So meeting and being comfortable with each other was great. Ike likes that despite the strength Hotshot displays, he is still kind and gentle to others. He’s very caring and sensitive. He gives Ike a sense of peace and security. He also gives the best hugs. Hotshot adores Ike for how careful he is at everything and how supportive he is. Ike is loyal and kinder than he lets himself believe. Ike always tries to better bcs he never really thought he was very great at displaying his affection when really Hotshot feels plenty loved by him. He loves how smart he is and how fun he can be when he’s comfortable but will also defend him till the end when he’s being wronged. He gives Hotshot a sense of comfort and warmth. He’s also feisty which is smth Hotshot finds to be quite cute in an affectionate way.

Ya so uhh… this was kinda messy but i appreciate the ask dude. Hope you like it:)

[who-knows73]

I have this like vision in my head of mike accidentally walking up on Steve and Eddie like fooling around in an alley or something and it's dark and as he's watching them in shock his eyes unfocus just slightly and black blurs with brown and suddenly he isn't looking at Steve and Eddie but Him and Will and he has to BOLT cause that thought hasn't crossed to the front of his brain just yet so he's like will????

Oh my god I love this idea, I saw it when I woke up but didn't have time to write and I've been mildly spiralling all day. Anyways, I hope this does your prompt justice :)

It was Mike's turn to rent a movie for the party and they were all coming over tomorrow. He was supposed to get it earlier but Will came over and he got distracted by his passionate rants, the way he looked so careless and content while drawing. Fuck, even the moles peppered on his skin looked so kissable, he really was too far gone for that beautiful boy. He trips over his shoelaces and it's enough to pull him out of his trance, looking around to catch his bearings he realises that he'd almost missed Family Video.

There's noise coming from the alley between stores it's getting dark and Mike can't decipher what it is from sound alone, call it morbid curiosity but he has to go see what it is. He peeks around the corner of Family Video, careful to keep his steps unheard but standing in the darkness is.. Oh god, he's not supposed to see that. Eddie is pushing Steve against the cold brick wall tearing a mostly silenced moan from Steve. He's rutting his hips into Eddie's thigh pushed roughly between his legs while Eddie kisses along his neck. He should really stop watching, it's probably far past creepy at this point but he can't. He's no longer seeing polo's and leather jackets, he's seeing plaid shirts and blue button ups. He sees bowl cuts and those hands that looked so delicate wrapped around pencil crayons ten minutes ago look far more inciting now, wrapped around body parts and pulling at Mike for more.

More, more, more. Fuck. This is perverted, he shouldn't be thinking about Will that way, he definitely shouldn't be doing it in the entrance to a dirty alley way, and he absolutely needs to leave right now because Eddie just his hands down Steve's pants. Forgetting about the tape he runs home, well, he runs about a block before he gets tired and starts walking again. He can't stop thinking about Will in scenarios, positions, and doing things he'd only even seen done in a dirty magazine Lucas showed him that he kept stashed under his bed.

By the time he gets home he's put the idea of Will kissing him in dirty places out of his mind so he can get to his room without a boner because having his mom notice that would be mortifying. He's done the pleasantries as quickly as he could and ran to his room.

The door was barely shut before the image of Will touching himself and having to cover his mouth to keep quiet came to mind. His knees quiver and his boner is back again. Locking his door he shucks his pants off and sits on his bed. He'd done this before but never to the thought of will, he'd always seemed too pure and childlike to think of in such a dirty way but he was too far gone now to care. He knew he wouldn't last long considering the frenzy he'd worked himself into on the way home, taking his dick out of his underwear he started slowly stroking himself. God, now he was the one who had to cover his mouth to keep quiet.

He'd barely been touching himself for a full minute when in his mind, Will was on his knees looking up at him through his lashes and giving mike that soft, pouty look he gets when he wants something. The reaction was instantaneous, he came harder than he probably ever had before and had to bite down on his hand to keep from moaning loudly. He laid there in his filth long enough to catch his breath and waited for the spots in his vision to go away. While he lied there, hand and shirt covered in cum, Will now back to the soft and pure boy he was before, Mike realised that he hadn't even gotten the tape.

"Fuck."

[unsurebazookacore]

I wrote the idea for this around the same time s4 came out, but never got around to writing it; found it in my dumpsterfire of notes and wrote about two-thirds of it? Anyway, here’s the first third, I might post what rest I have of it… just because

————————————————————————

Will gasped as the cold vines slithered around his neck, suctioning onto his damp skin. His hand shot up to pull them away, only for thick wet ropes to fasten them to his sides. The creepers grip only tightened as he struggled beneath them, his chest deflating like a weak, withering balloon. His eyes bulged as his breath whistled in his throat, a thin sheen of tears blurring his vision. 

A tall figure prowled into his line of sight. Even as the vines arrested his motion, Will felt a sharp needle-like sensation  assaulting the back of his neck, like pincers of fire ants on his skin. His consciousness began to sway as the oxygen, or lack thereof, slowly started building up in his temple. 

“Will Byers…” a low voice growled. 

The noise was harsh and gravelly, like a chainsmoker. Lonnie Byers sounded a bit like this, rocks scraping against his vocal chords when he screamed and ranted curses at his 8 year old son until the late hours of the night. The correlation made him wince. But this voice was smarter, softer. Dangerous. Angry, in the way that made Will want to hide under his bed and curl up into a ball.

Will blinked away the tears stinging in his eyes, to reveal a mottled, disfigured face hovering not far from him. Approaching him. Sauntering forward like a predator stalking its prey. 

“I’ve been waiting for you, Will”

Vecna stood before him, outlined sharply against the stormy red upside-down sky charged with electricity.

“Won’t you give an old friend a hello?” 

Will watched Vecna lift one of his hands, his gnarled, lengthy fingers opening. At once, the pressure around his neck loosened.

“Let… me… go!” Will choked, the poisoned air doing little to relax his flared lungs.

Vecna tutted.

“But you can never leave, Will” He stepped closer, his eerie face looming over Will’s. 

“Freaks like you belong in hell”

A rush of hatred flooded through Will.

He leaned forward and, without a second thought, spat in Vecna’s eye.

Vecna stood still for a moment. 

Though Will did not see him move, he could feel his heated anger piercing the back of his neck. 

Vecna reached up and slowly wiped his face. The pit of fear in Will’s stomach deepened. 

“Well,” Vecna said calmly, his expression just barely composed.

“That wasn’t very nice of you”

In a split second the restraints around Will pulled taut, crushing far stronger than they had before. Will nearly passed out on the spot as blood rushed into his head. He felt something hot and watery dripped onto his upper lip. A coppery taste filled his mouth, which hung slack as he fought for breath, his hands and legs struggling to rip through the strangling vines.

“Ahh, there you go again” Vecna said distastefully, as Will’s eyes began to flutter shut. 

“So weak, so fragile, looks like we’re going have to do this quickly now.”

Vecna raised his hand again, his long index finger pressing against Will’s forehead. Will winced at the contact, horrid disgust making him shiver. 

“No more hiding, Will,” Vecna said lowly, triumph edging into his voice. 

“Your time has come, to an end”

—

“Will stay with me okay, STAY WITH ME!” 

Mike had been sure he had been dreaming when he saw Will’s eyes fade into pale, dead white. Now, as he stood before his best friend’s limp body, the panic ringing sharp in his ears as he shook Will by the shoulders, he wished desperately for this nightmare to end

“HURRY UP!” He screamed at Dustin and Lucas, who were kneeling in the floor. The two boys were frantically trying to find a music channel on Dustin’s radio. But reception was weak, judging the steady flow of static pouring out of the speaker, and the Creel House was a long ways off from any radio tower Mike could think of. 

“We’re trying!” Lucas exclaimed. He held his Supercomm in his shaking hand, fruitlessly attempting to connect to Nancy’s walkie with the older kids. 

“Johnathan, do you copy!” Lucas shouted into the speaker. “It’s Will, Vecna’s got him! We’re in the Creel House, this is a code red, I repeat A CODE FREAKING RED!”

No response. 

“It’s okay Will, you’re gonna be okay, okay? Can you hear me?” 

Mike brushed Will’s bangs out of his face. 

His skin was ice cold. 

“We’re gonna save you Will, just h- just hold on!”

Mike felt tears prickling in his eyes. He wiped them away quickly and sniffed. 

“Guys hurry!” He said, his voice trembling as he felt his lower lip quiver.

“Fuck!” Dustin shouted and banged his fist on the radio. “God damned piece of shit!”

“Keep trying!” Lucas shoved Dustin’s shoulder. “Let me try!”

“You’re gonna be okay Will” Mike repeated. “You’re gonna be okay. We’re coming, just a little longer…”

—

Vecna’s eyes slid shut. Through tears, Will saw the stillness of victory set over his captor’s face. 

The ground underneath him suddenly dropped out from below as every one of his cells felt as if they had been plugged into a bed of ice. The sickening sensation of falling in place bled over the constriction in his arms and legs. Will could feel his soul being pulled out of his body, exhaling from his lungs like a breath of air steadily crushing his aching chest.

—

At first Mike thought he was sinking into the ground. Like his legs were giving away, as Will’s face slowly rose to be parallel to his. Then taller than him.

Cold, watery dread trickled down his spine.

“Oh no”

Will’s shoulders were wrenched out of his grasp. Mike lunged forward, scrabbling to regain his grip.

“NO!” He screamed, causing Dustin and Lucas to jump. 

“No no no NO NO WILL PLEASE!” 

He tackled Will in a frightened hug, desperately grasping the material of his shirt as it slipped out from underneath him. 

“Will!” Lucas shouted, dropping the Supercomm. 

He and Dustin caught hold of Will’s shirttails, and, with one arm clenched tightly around Mike, the three boys just barely rooted Will’s hovering figure to the ground.

Mike screamed in pain as his knuckles threatened to be pried open, hot tears stinging his inflamed cheeks as he buried his face in Will’s stomach, sobbing. 

—

Will felt the life soaking out of his veins, rushing blood gradually flowing numb and paralyzing. He weakly attempted to break through his restraints, but his extremities seemed detached from his core, dead and rotting. 

Yet through the impending cessation separating from his soon to be barren, frigid frame, he could feel something fighting back. Something holding him together. In his stomach, an anchor keeping him in place. Something… warm. 

Vecna could sense it too. His irritation prickled the nape of Will’s neck.

“Meddling children,” Vecna muttered. His forehead twitched into a frown, and a ripple of power collided with Will’s body, knocking the air out of him. 

The tether holding him steady, snapped.

—

An invisible force suddenly knocked the boys backward. Lucas and Dustin lost their grip, flying backwards as a soaring blow to the gut took Mike crumbling down with them. 

“NO!”

Mike scrambled weakly to his feet, the skin under his shirt already blooming black and blue.  

“No, please!” he sobbed, every muscle in his body screaming for him to stay down. 

“Let him go, please! Please! He’s-he’s innocent please, god, please! Will- WILL!”

“Will!” Lucas cried, tears streaming down his face. Horrible flashbacks ran behind his eyes as he witnessed not one but two of the people he cared about the most be trapped by Vecna’s curse.

“Let him go!” Dustin wept. 

Mike stumbled backwards into his friend’s, barely able to hold his own weight. 

The three boys could do nothing but hold onto each other as they stared helplessly at their best friend, suspended lifelessly in the air. 

Mike reeled forward, the crushing reality that the nightmare playing before him was not a figment of his deepest darkest fears snatched the air from his bruised lungs like he’d been set on fire. The pain ringing between his ears made his eyes squeeze shut, knowing that he could not bear to witness what was about to come. Knowing not even death could compare to the pure, unadulterated grief permeating every molecule of his existence. Realizing now that letting the boy suspended not far above to become the best, most important thing in his life, was the biggest mistake he’d ever made.

Through the echoing cries of Will’s name resounding, around him, a flutter of noise slipped into Mike’s ears. The creak of a loose floorboard. A change in intonation. The choppy strum of a guitar.

An unfamiliar voice whooped.

Mike opened his eyes.

————————————————————————

The scene changes are kinda confusing ig, but I meant for it to seem like how a scene like this would be filmed, cutting between Vecna’s lair and Hawkins.

I tried ‘:)