#But the new lyrics make all the difference

[steddieunderdogfics]

This week’s writer spotlight feature is: @lady-lostmind! lady_lostmind has 84 works in the Stranger Things fandom and 55 of them are in the Steddie tag!

@oh-stars recommends the following works by @lady-lostmind:

This Is The Coin I Had In My Pocket The First Time We Kissed, And I Always Have It.

Transfixed (under your spell)

Fuck

You know what to do, when it gets hold of you.

The Wall

"Mack is one of the best writers in this ship and I am so very lucky to read their work early on. Her Eddie voice is unmatched to me!! Every time I read a new fic of hers, I'm always shocked at how she can outdo herself with creating my next favorite fic. She's fearless in trying new tropes and genres, exploring super serious topics and she has some of the hottest scenes I've read. Every opportunity I have to read or reread her work is an absolute pleasure and I am so honored to get to see her flourish!" -- @oh-stars

Below the cut, @lady-lostmind answered some questions about their writing process and some of their recommended work!

Why do you write Steddie?

I’ve been reading fanfic since I was a teenager but I never felt the urge to write my own until watching these two together. I think we can all agree there was some undeniable chemistry between the two on screen and they have such a fun dynamic to work with. I’ve always enjoyed creative writing in some shape or form whether it be for a class or writing lyrics for the band I was in, or the half abandoned novel I have in my docs. I decided to give fanfic a shot and then really loved getting to actually be a part of the community instead of lurking on the edges and leaving kudos anonymously like I had for years. But there is something so special about Steddie in particular and I’m especially drawn to writing Eddie in particular. His character has so many layers to explore and different directions to go and I love making him fall in love with his golden retriever of a man over and over again.

What’s your favorite trope to READ?

I am a sucker for a good slow burn, especially with some hurt/comfort thrown in. Please rip my heart out, stomp on it, pick it back up, and hand it back to me wrapped in a pretty little bow.

What’s your favorite trope to WRITE?

Honestly, the same as what I read. As much as I love a good fluffy one shot there’s nothing quite like the sweet torture of dragging your characters through hell before they get their happy ending. It’s so fun trying to navigate what they would do in difficult situations, and how that affects the story overall.

What’s your favorite Steddie fic?

This is such a hard question. There are so many good fics out there. We’re truly well fed in this community. I think some of my absolute favorites have to be You’re Divine by oonionchiver, and The most remarkable thing about you standing in the doorway is that it’s you by greatunironic. Both of them inspired me to do a lot of fanart including a bind and cover art for You’re Divine, and drawing all the album covers in TMRTAYSITDITIY.

Is there a trope you’re excited to explore in a future work but haven’t yet?

I never really know what I’m going to write next until it smacks me in the face. But I’m definitely open to whatever that might be. I will say I’ve never ventured into the omegaverse in my writing but it does seem like a fun one to play around with.

What is your writing process like?

Chaotic. I love writing but have a hard time actually sitting down and focusing on it. I either write a huge chunk all at once, or I write a sentence at a time while watching tv or something. I do really enjoy writing with other people though whether that’s in a sprint or word game.

Do you have any writing quirks?

If I have music on while writing it can’t have any lyrics in it or I get too distracted.

Do you prefer posting when you’ve finished writing or on a schedule?

Oh, a schedule is generous, I’d say. But I do prefer posting chapter by chapter. I feel like people engage a little more as they read each one and I love getting the feedback as I go.

Which fic are you most proud of?

And you may find yourself in a beautiful house, with a beautiful wife. I think my writing grew a lot during that fic and I’m really proud of the work I put into it. AYMFYIABHWABW was also the first thing I ever wrote for an event and was a big step for me to actually put myself out there and talk with other authors and artists. I made some amazing connections through that event and am so glad I pushed through any self consciousness to ask for a beta reader because I found an amazing one in oh-stars and gained a great friendship through that. They introduced me to karadanverss when the two of them were looking for some help modding the Stranger Things Reverse Big Bang and I not only gained another friend, but got to dip my toe into being a mod, something I never would have even considered doing before, but have had so much fun being a part of as we set up other events together. So I think because of all that, AYMFYIABHWABW will always hold a special place in my heart.

How did you get the idea for This Is The Coin I Had In My Pocket The First Time We Kissed, And I Always Have It.?

During a rewatch of New Girl. Nick Miller is honestly such a mash up of Eddie and Steve, and I could not get the idea out of my head to Steddiefy the scene in the hall where Nick says “Not like this.” It screams hopeless romantic Steve to me, and the title is a line Nick says to Jess way later and it never fails to make me cry. So, I started with that. Just wanting to do a similar situation with Steddie, and it morphed into something much bigger than I intended.

When writing You know what to do, when it gets hold of you., what was something you didn’t expect?

I thought I would have a harder time with Steve’s POV in this one than I did. I really wanted to show a side of him that I feel gets overlooked a lot since he’s always throwing himself in front of everyone else when there’s danger. But what happens when that danger isn’t there anymore? What does he do with that? It’s a side I hadn’t explored much before and I was really happy with where that took me. I really liked getting to see where Steve’s mind would go when the group is seemingly safe.

What inspired Transfixed (under your spell)?

Transfixed was written for the Steddie Summer Exchange! So I actually had this prompt: ‘Popstar Steve and rockstar Eddie having a secret relationship whilst the public and their own band mates think they hate each other.’ to go off of for it. This prompt screamed angsty, hurt/comfort so I was really excited I snagged it in claims.

What was your favorite part to write from You know what to do, when it gets hold of you.?

I think it has to be the scene where Steve finally breaks down. When Eddie figures out what has been going on and Steve just lets it all out. If there is one thing Steve Harrington deserves, it’s a good fucking cry.

How do/did you feel writing The Wall?

The Wall was written for Steddie Love Month with the prompt: Love is letting yourself be loved and if that didn’t scream insecure Steve I don’t know what does. I remember feeling very bittersweet while writing The Wall because I know what it’s like to be afraid to let someone in again when you’ve been hurt, and how good it feels when you finally let that wall down and accept that risk because it’s worth it. I tried to capture that feeling as best as I could.

What was the most difficult part of writing Fuck?

Fuck was another Steddie Love Month prompt. The hardest part of writing this one was just trying not to cackle to myself about how ridiculous Eddie was being. This one was a lot of fun to write.

Do you have a favorite scene and/or line from any of your fics?

Oh my. I think it either has to be the first scene I wrote for AYMFYIABHWABW that sparked the entire thing: Steve is staring at him, eyes wide and rocking a little on his heels like he’s so nervous he can’t stay still. Eddie’s stomach drops, his mind spiraling through a million worst case scenarios all at once. “What’s wrong? Is Wayne– Are the kids okay? Is it–” Steve holds his hands out in front of him and shakes his head. “Fuck, no. Sorry. No. It’s not–” Steve sucks in a deep breath, his hands shooting up into his hair before dropping to hovering in the space between the two of them. “Eds. I fucked up. I so massively fucked up. I can’t even begin to–[...] This feels like a fucking fever dream. Like something he’s imagined a million times over. Awake and asleep, In every possible scenario and position. All the times he fucked men in bathroom stalls and or pressed them against a wall in a dirty alley, this is what he wanted. And he was right. None of it even comes close to being this. This is…it’s everything. Fuck– it’s everything." Or this scene from You know what to do, when it gets hold of you where Steve finally gets to breakdown: Steve shakes against him, his tears wetting the shoulder of Eddie’s shirt. “I’m sorry.” Eddie shakes his head. “It’s okay.” He rubs his hand up and down Steve’s back. “Hey, you’re okay. We’re going to figure this out, okay?” Steve sobs, his hands fisting into Eddie’s shirt a broken “Sorry” slipping out of him again. Eddie’s arms tighten around Steve, and he struggles to swallow the lump forming in his throat, tears welling in his eyes. Can’t help the way his heart breaks a little at the sorrow in Steve’s voice. How vulnerable he sounds. Because Steve Harrington isn’t vulnerable. Steve Harrington dives into lakes with portals to another world at the bottom without a second thought. Steve Harrington rips other dimensional beasts apart with his teeth. Steve Harrington marched into battle calmly, and confidently. Steve Harrington carried Eddie out of a hellscape on his fucking back. Steve Harrington is the rock. He is the one everyone leans on. And Eddie knew. He knew something was wrong. He knew something was going on. But it’s one thing to know it, and another to see your hero crack and crumble in your arms.

Do you have any upcoming projects or fics you’d like to share/promote?

The Eddie Munson Big Bang! Definitely keep an eye on our tumblr (@eddiemunsonbigbang) to see all the amazing fics and art that will be coming out. I’m one of the mods over there, and I’m working on a fic for it that I’m really excited about. If this is posed before the end of September…we’re still looking for artists!

Outside of these questions, Is there anything YOU would like to add?

I’d just really like to thank anyone who has ever taken the time to read my fics, or like any of the fanart I’ve made. I never expected anyone to really see any of it when I first started all this and have really loved finding a community to be a part of. I never had any friends who were really into fandoms or fanfiction, and up until I started engaging in Steddie content no one in my life even knew I read it. Getting to talk to, and make friends in this community gave me the confidence to talk more about what I’m interested in and connect more with the people in my life. So, thank you all for showing me how to be loud about the things I love and that I don’t have to hide parts of myself away!

Thank you to our author, @lady-lostmind, and our nominator, @oh-stars! See more of lady_lostmind's works featured on our page throughout the day!

Writer’s Spotlight is every Wednesday! Want to nominate an author? You can nominate them here!

[cityofmeliora]

What’s your take on the ghouls ? Like do you think they’re rlly non human (if so what like) or do you go with the more human appearance?

though it's not my personal headcanon, i love non-human Ghoul art! shout out to @bonesy-doodles my favorite Ghoul artist :3

anyway tho, i personally think the Ghouls are humans– specifically undead / resurrected humans.

all signs point to them being human.

Nihil's Ghouls from Era 0 are obviously human.

PHOTO: The Future Is A Foreign Land // PHOTO: Metal Myths

Primo says the Ghoul Writer is human.

That’s right. Ghost have their music written for them. In one online interview, a so-called “ghoul writer” is mentioned who supposedly composes melodies and lyrics with the help of ungraspable powers from beyond – devilish whispers instruct him which words should accompany which chords, and so forth. “There is indeed a human individual who composes patterns of tones and words which operate ever so beautifully in unison. However, I am of the belief that there is a higher being who speaks through this individual,” asserts the Pope. Sweden Rock Magazine (November 2010)

the Meliora Era video The Summoning (part 1) from 2015 shows the Ghouls are humans who wear costumes. Sister Imperator is talking to the Ghouls here, and she presents their new masks to them.

PHOTOS: The Summoning

anyway, i like the idea that the Ghouls are undead because of this quote from Metal Myths:

DUSTY COMSTOCK: If the breaking of the sacred bloodline wasn't enough, what Sister Imperator did next was shocking. She had orchestrated, and had carried out, the assassinations of Papas 1, 2, and 3. They'd been housed in The Ministry since their retirements, as is customary, but Sister, with the collaboration and support of Papa Nihil, had a different plan for what should become of them: reanimate them, and use them as 'faceless ghouls' on the impending tour. Once on tour, these former Papas would be entombed in a traveling crypt, as in the catacombs of old. Metal Myths: Ghost Pt. 2 (April 2022)

this quote describes the Papas' dead bodies being reanimated as "faceless ghouls", implying that Ghouls are dead people.

and also this quote from The Summoning.

SISTER IMPERATOR: It started with a vision: you were all standing before me, hoodwinked and bound with both caddy and shack! I led you each toward a coffin, where you were made to lie down. The lids were closed. And one by one, I placed a level on the top to make sure you were still and cold in the darkness. Iron nails fell from my hands and scattered like leaves around my feet. The Summoning V: The Square And Hammer (September 2016)

it's not clear if this is just a vision or if it was a real thing that happened at some point, but it shows a flashback of young Sister Imperator while she's saying this, so maybe it did, IDK. anyway. Sister Imperator is describing kidnapping the Ghouls, tying them up, and then burying them alive.

i think the Ghouls are made rather than literally summoned from hell. i think Ghouls are members of the cult who are sacrificed and turned into undead servants.

i also like this idea because it means you can come up with backstories for the Ghouls easily!

The Summoning videos use the phrase "THE CLERGY HAS ADJOURNED AND THE NAMELESS GHOULS ARE SUMMONED...", but they didn't mean "summoned" as in like, called up from hell, they just mean "summoned" as in like, called to attend these meetings asdkjfadskjfadsf.

[random-meme-bot]

Rushes in*

I saw the OC single-! What do your ocs where on a daily basis ( ie formal or casual or sweater) what is your oc favorite color/color you a sign them with And what music do you associate them with.

That’s all.

What do they wear:

Elly: she usually wears any of her many Black t-shirts, these often have different designs related to things she enjoy, from different media, to more general aesthetic. Along side any of her conveniently identical to draw trousers. The jacket she only wears when she's going to explore ghost stuff, it was from her mother when she was her age and she thinks it brings her luck. On winter she does like to wear hoodies.

Trucy (ghost): She only wears the one dress.

Trucy (human): She was from poor family, most the clothes she used to wear where from her mother when she had her age and usually had some stitches here and there.

Dan (Ghost): Technically he only wears the hat...

Dan (Human): Without revealing much, he did like to wear formal.

OC's favorite color(s)

Elly: Black, Dark Blue, Purple & Dark Green.

Trucy: Used to be blue, but spending years of your death surrounded by the same color makes you start to dislike it a bit, so now it's orage.

Dan: Green‚ Brown, light blue.

What music do you associate them with.

Elly: Honestly If we're talking songs then Elly definitely would be "All my friends sre ghost" since that song is basically ligated to her creation. (leaving the remix version here since it's also really good and I already liked the OG in another ask)

But if we're talking more in the sense of music she would listen to normally, Id actually say some jazzy tunes, definitely anything with trumpets, but she knows she doesn't look like the kind of person that would be into that and if she ever got asked for a song from her playlist she would respond with one from Trucy's.

Trucy: I honestly don't associate her with any song in particular, but she does love Rock from many different genres, songs I can think of she would actually sing along are "terror time again", "La frontera", "I need a Hero".

Dan: I associate Dan so much with the song "El Hombre al Piano", that the chapter about his backstory is named after a line from it.

This in my mind also made me associate Dan with Piano music, Dan knows how to play piano, but he hasn't played one for a long time...

[lacecap]

happy birthday to this song :") here's the beepbox link!

[birdricks]

spiral of ants…. citadel/cfc song. btw

[mobbothetrue]

Spotify prompt! Knuckles and tails, an 19 :)

Oh hoho! You managed to land FightSong by EVE (<- YouTube link), a song that by all rights shoulda been #2 (<- I refuse to pay Spotify money).

Hmm…. It’s been a while since I’ve done anything with Super Sonic Speed, but I always did intend to write follow-ups…

.•.•.•.

The city is unbelievably loud. They’re in what Sonic had called a shopping district, and it’s apparently very popular. Knuckles would kind of like to go home, a lot, actually, but Tails is flirting from one shop to another and he doesn’t have it in him to shut the kid down. Sonic is somewhere on the periphery of their little group— he and Tails had bonded, thick as thieves, and Knuckles— well, he tolerated the guy.

Tails gasps like he’s seeing the sun rise for the first time, excited enough that he’s lifting off the ground. Knuckles ambles over, grabs him by the ankle, and pulls him back down. He’s looking at some sort of… thing. Knuckles can’t make heads or tails of it, but it’s definitely saying something to Tails.

Hmm. He is, at least, familiar with the idea of shops. Chao liked to set them up, sometimes, selling fruit or handmade crafts for rings, but Knuckles has no idea if their idea of currency and everyone else’s aligns. Would the shopkeep accept a fruit? Most chao did. It isn’t like rings are a problem, so…

Knuckles turns, seeking out Sonic in the crowd. There he is— stiff as anything, glancing frantically back and forth between Knuckles and some other hedgehog, a pink one. One of his friends, maybe? They look irritated, maybe not. Knuckles steps away from Tails, invites himself into their conversation.

“and you just RAN OFF—“ the hedgehog is shouting. Sonic cracks his mouth open, a faint wheeze escaping.

“Hey,” Knuckles says.

“—do you have ANY IDEA how WORRIED I was—“

This looks like a battle Sonic is better off fighting on his own. Still, Knuckles needs his question answered. “Hey,” he repeats, slightly louder.

“—I mean, I knew you were alright because my cards said so, but—“

“Hey Knuckles,” Sonic manages to crack out, “this is Amy.”

Amy tilts her head at him, and then gives him a sharp, discerning once-over. “Are you one of his other friends?” She asks.

“Yeah, sure,” Knuckles says, and then “do rings work as currency down here?”

She blinks at him, as if this is a weird thing to ask. “Yes?” She says.

“Okay,” Knuckles says, nodding, “try not to scare him too bad.”

Any lingering confusion evaporates, and she whirls around to find Sonic trying to sneak away. “AGAIN!” she shouts, full of conviction, and Knuckles makes his way back to where he left Tails. He isn’t pressed up against the glass anymore, so Knuckles steps into the store. Yeah, there he is. Hovering— literally— over the same display.

Knuckles takes a moment to properly observe, rooting around for the terms Tails would use, in an attempt to ensure he gets the right thing. There’s a looping track, and a few other gadgets on the sides. A switch, one of them looks like, and some barricade, and a few blinking lights. On the track itself is a… sideways cylinder, set on wheels, connected to a few boxes, puffing out smoke— or steam, maybe. Tails is absorbed enough in watching it chug along that he doesn’t even realize Knuckles is standing right next to him. Knuckles’ll just have to make sure he comes up for air, occasionally.

He casts about the rest of the store, vaguely lost. There are a lot of displays, and a lot of colourful boxes. Knuckles picks up one, flips it over, and realizes swiftly he is out of his depth. He brings the box over to Tails, handing it to him. Tails holds onto it for a full few seconds, watching with bated breath as the cylinder switches tracks, before he looks down. His fur all along his spine puffs up, and he turns to look at Knuckles so fast he has to wonder if Sonic hasn’t started to rub off on him in more ways than one. That’s the right box, for sure.

“Really?” Tails asks, voice breathy with excitement, and Knuckles ruffles his fur instinctually.

“‘Course.”

Maybe the shopping district isn’t that bad.

[biblicalhorror]

My dash has been extremely divided today re: taylor swift/swiftie criticism and honestly my take on it is that as long as you don't believe she is an untouchable oracle who would never lie or exaggerate any story about her life and is always the victim in every situation OR that she is an evil nuisance to society for continuing to make and put out her art at a time when her boyfriend is also massively successful then we should all pretty much be on the same side here

[creatediana]

"Just One of Those Things" - lyrics to a jazz standard by American songwriter Cole Porter (1891–1964), famously performed by artists such as Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Blossom Dearie, et cetera.

[alternativeulster]

swiftie mutuals please know that i still love you i just cant help but be a hater

[starbuck]

sometimes i forget that there are people who listen to the mountain goats for the “quality” “music” and don’t consider anything anything older than ahwt to even be listenable…

[graciousdragon]

"And should I be shocked now, by the last thing you said?

Before I pull this trigger, your eyes vacant and stained

And in saying you loved me made things harder, at best..."

in other words: fuck it we ball, i drew my AU version of Showtime Dawko with a palette colorpicked from the album cover of My Chemical Romance's "I Brought You My Bullets, You Brought Me Your Love" because the brainrot is real 👍

am i super proud of this? eh. but i also haven't drawn digitally in literal months (thanks college) and if i'm gonna get back to it then i gotta start somewhere and i never post art anywhere so uh. i might as well now!

i still love Glitching Fates so much don't worry it is still on my mind 24/7 but unfortunately i almost never have time to dedicate to talking about it and also i am. Very Bad at putting my thoughts into words lmao

this is actually kinda lore tho. btw. lol. :]

[marsbotz]

i loveeee making playlists this is a little known fact about me. my playlists r like my babies

[horizonmlm]

Tired of the grungecore and coquette and thinspo people taking hold of the things I love most. Bmth is literally for the trannies the homosexuals the gender weirdos the scenesterz the recovering scemo kids the kids who were spiritually awakened listening to suicide season out of their brothers car because they had to hide the cover of the album from their mom, kids who have braved through the entirety of lads on tour, kids who draw bmth album logos all over their arms as they listen to them on full blast, the ones that reblog those this band saved me 2014 cringe posts unironically. No more of this “UwU tiktok cyfmh gigachad” bullshit. You either put ur middle fingers up if u don’t give a fuck or I’m calling you a poser and spitting in your eyes. Goodbye.

[linagram]

[linagram characters' vocals ranked from best to worst]

huge thanks to my friend for reminding me to do this, i was meaning to, but then. uni.

so yeah, you know how milgram didn't actually just get ten (eleven, if you count es) people who are not only murderers, but are also good at singing and their real vocals may not actually be that good (for example, mahiru)?

yeah, so here's a ranking of how good everyone's real vocals are to how. bad they are.

1. naomi (has a surprisingly pretty and calming voice, though she rarely sings. her younger sister is pretty good at singing as well, so maybe it's a genetics-related thing in some way. she stopped singing at all after her father had said that her voice is perfect for singing lullabies and since she's not interested in becoming a mother at all.. yeah.)

2. kei (his vocals are definitely not for everyone, but THE RANGE HE HAS?? he can easily go from a very high-pitched and feminine-sounding voice (he's also really good at sounding like a child) to a very low-pitched and scary voice in a minute. when his friends heard him sing for the first time, they couldn't believe just how good he was and joked about him "stealing their girlfriends" because of how talented he is. he doesn't know why he's so good at it and just thinks it's because all sanadas are creative in some way.)

3. aimi (just like naomi, has a very soft voice, though hers sounds more "cute". some of her family members have joked about her having the talent and the looks to become an idol, but aimi isn't really interested in that. she's not interested in having fans, she just wants to have friends.)

4. riku ("he's in a band, why is he not the best one" honestly.. i don't imagine his voice being THE best one? i certainly think riku's voice would be very powerful and he would have a wide range, but it's not always that pleasant to listen to. i imagine his vocals being good, but not.. unique, you know? he's very insecure about it too and it doesn't help that he has some problems with his throat, so he has to be very careful. i also imagine him to be a better songwriter and a guitarist rather than a vocalist.)

5. yurika (just like kei, she can easily change her voice and it's surprisingly strong, so yeah, she can still definitely handle a song like meme. however, she's lower than riku because her voice is a little.. like, again, i don't think people would enjoy listening to her real voice that much. her real singing literally sounds like screaming sometimes.)

6. eiko (not particularly good, but not particularly bad. her vocals are not that special, but she's also not as bad as the prisoners below. she doesn't really care about that though, since she's not interested in singing anyway. however, she's confident enough to assume eiji will like her voice in her first vd, so yeah, queen behavior.)

7. reina (her voice is way too high-pitched so when she starts singing, it sounds like a crying child.)

8. asahi (WHAT ARE YOU EXPECTING FROM A 12 YEAR OLD.)

9. akio (can't sing to save his life. arata loves to make fun of him for that)

10. shun (shun.)

it's a bit hard to talk about the guards' vocals, but surprisingly, hiyuu is actually the most musically gifted out of all of them. just like kei's voice, his voice is not for everyone and it's very quiet and whispery, but he has the most experience with singing and music in general out of all three. he would most likely be between riku and yurika.

miki comes second, i think she would have the potential, but because of how much of an anxious wreck this girl is, her voice wouldn't be that strong and it would be hard for her to sing fast-paced songs or songs that require more powerful vocals. it would be hard for her to sing certain notes too and she doesn't have much experience, so i think she'd be somewhere between yurika and eiko.

eiji. oh, eiji. i actually think his "milgram" vocals would be SO GOOD, like i just know his cover of animal with the amane cover instrumental would sound amazing, but in real life.. he's not that good at singing. yeah, he's terrible actually. most of the time he can't sing even one line because he just goes "UGH THIS IS STUPID" and leaves. which is a shame because sanadas love going to karaoke, so kei kinda forces him to sing at least something. he'd be somewhere between akio and shun. asahi point and laugh at him.

[pyriteplates]

Tbd?

[radio-4-is-static]

WONDER BOY'S AKUMU CLUB - Yojiro Noda