#and then stranger things s4 came out

[noritaro]

2022 is almost ending so alas... I haven't made an art summary before actually lmfao, been slacking off with art this year imo and it's weird looking at this cause you can tell what shit I've been watching/have been hyped for throughout the year

[jonathanbyersphd]

Freaks (affectionate)

[pinkerthings]

[steveshairychest]

Eddie moves away from Hawkins and opens a tattoo/coffee shop with Robin and Steve. There's a small apartment above their cozy shop that the four of them live in; Nancy moved away with them too but she's in college and only stays a couple nights a week, to Robin's dismay.

Steve runs the coffee side of things at the front of the shop, sometimes with the help of Robin, but she's in the process of learning how to become a professional piercer so she spends a lot of her days at another shop a few blocks down. Eddie's promised her that once she's fully trained, she can turn the spare back room into her piercing studio and decorate it however she likes.

Eddie spends all day tattooing. He loves it. He loves that people are willing to wear his art forever and he makes sure to take pictures of everything he does to add to the wall of tattoos (instgram isn't a thing yet, he has to show off his clients' tattoos somehow). The whole front wall of the shop is covered in polaroids of his art on people's bodies. It's a collage of his life's work. There's a few photos of Steve and Robin in there showing off their matching bff tattoos and one of Steve shyly standing there with no shirt on, the bat tattoos on his ribs on full display.

Eddie isn't supposed to have favourites, he's supposed to love and appreciate all his works of art equally, but that one is secretly his favourite. He runs his fingers over the ink on Steve's ribs every night.

They got a surprise visitor in 1990; Will Byers. Normally, the kids ring in advance to let them know they're coming so that they can organise the spare room upstairs and save a booth in the cafe for them to sit and chat to Steve while he works. But Will came unannounced and he looks oddly nervous standing in front of Eddie's desk in the back of the shop with a folder clutched to his chest.

"What can I do for you, baby Byers?" Eddie's wearing his thick rimmed glasses and organising paperwork as it's the one day he doesn't take clients. But if Will's come in for a tattoo, then he'd drop everything and set up. He's been waiting for the day the kids come in and ask for a tattoo from him.

"Uhm, I'm sorry I didn't call first -"

"Psh, it's fine. You're always welcome here." Eddie says with a wave of his ring clad hand. Will eyes the fresh ink on the top of his hand, and Eddie grins. "Are you here for a tattoo?"

Will looks over his shoulder at Steve, who had spoken to Will quietly when he first came in, and he is met with an encouraging nod from the older man. Steve makes a shooing motion with his hand as if to say, 'Go on. You can do it.'

Eddie waits patiently and watches closely as Will sets the folder in his arms down on the desk. "I was actually wondering if you were looking for an apprentice. I-I want to be a tattoo artist like you."

Steve watches anxiously from behind the coffee counter as Eddie flicks through Will's portfolio without saying anything. He's the one that encouraged Will to bring his art in and if Eddie said no, which Steve doubts, Steve would feel so bad. He'd even paid for Will's bus tickets because the kid still doesn't know how to drive.

Eddie gently closes the folder and levels Will with a blank stare, "You're hired." And then he breaks out into the biggest smile ever and runs around his desk to crush a very stunned Will into a hug. "How long can you stay? I've always wanted an apprentice! Ah! I have so much to show you!"

All the nervousness and tension in Will's body disappears and he hugs Eddie back just as tight. He meets Steve's gaze over Eddie's shoulder and feels like crying when he sees the proud smile on his former babysitters face. He wouldn't be here if it wasn't for Steve's encouragement. He'd stayed on the phone to Will the night before for hours comforting him and reassuring him it'd all be fine.

And it is fine, it's more than fine.

They turn the spare room upstairs into a bedroom for Will; they no longer need the extra room for Nancy as her and Robin have finally sorted their shit out and spend nearly every night together. Steve sometimes has to bang on their shared wall to tell them to stop giggling so loud.

By the end of the year, nearly everyone in the party has made their way through the doors of the shop to get a tattoo from both Eddie and Will. Steve's also been training Mike in the coffee shop because, "If you're gonna be in here all day, you may as well help out."

The photo collage is now overflowing with new photos from both Eddie and Will, who has been dubbed Eddie's successor.

[tink27]

I am dying for an Au where the party left Eddie's body in the upside down and he (for whatever reason) is not dead, and comes back but with significant memory loss.

He ends up in Steve's back yard, covered in his own blood and the muck of the upside down. He's faced with the absolute relief and sadness on Steve's face, as he tried to rush towards Eddie only to see him flinch away, eyes wide and confused.

It takes a while but Eddie begins to trust Steve, he gets re-introduced to the party and slowly but surely his memories are coming back, sometimes in flashes of memory but sometimes without Eddie even realising himself. Like when he calls Dustin "Henderson" without anyone ever reminding him of Dustin's last name, or when he started humming Dio in the kitchen while he drank his coffee (Eddie had no idea what he was even humming and it took Steve about an hour of sifting through Eddie's old tapes to figure out it was Dio's Rainbow in the Dark).

But the memories are also confusing sometimes, particularly when it comes to Steve Harrington. Eddie knows Steve, he's the person Eddie came to rely on the most since he came back. Steve lets him stay in his house, he makes sure Eddie eats enough proper meals and he can tell when things are getting too much and keeps the others out of the house for a while.

But Eddie has memories.

Steve looking a bit younger, but so much harsher. Indifferent and cool as a freckled boy spits mean words at his side. Steve with his arm around some pretty girls waist, smiling at her and sneering at Eddie.

None of it seems right. Because when Eddie looks at Steve, the Steve in front of him, he cannot accept these memories. Steve has only ever looked at him with the utmost gentleness, but still Eddie can't shake them.

So one day, in Steve's kitchen he tests it out with a phrase that's been rattling around in his head "King Steve" he says it softly, and he isn't sure what to expect. Confusion maybe, something to confirm that it was all some insecure figment of Eddie's overactive imagination.

But what he got was a look of pure hurt. Eddie had never seen Steve look so hurt. He immediately had the urge to take it back, to pull the words back into his mouth and take away whatever pain he had given Steve but he knew he couldn't, so he tried again "Steve?"

"you remember, huh?" His voice sounded defeated, like some awful thing he was waiting for had finally happened, like the other shoe had finally dropped.

"some things..." Eddie felt wrong footed but he knew he needed to consolidate these memories in his head with the broken boy in front of him "but they don't really make sense"

He waited to see if Steve would talk, fill in some gaps but he doesn't, so Eddie continues "it seems like" He was hesitant to even say it "you used to be mean... to me?"

Steve scoffed, seemingly more at himself than at Eddie "I used to be mean to a lot of people Eds. I've been trying to get better, to be better, for the past couple of years but, that sorta stuff follows you around"

He wasn't sure how to respond, even though he knew the memories were real, it still didn't feel right, those memories weren't his Steve. "But, you're not like that anymore." He left it like that, staying it like fact.

"no. I'm not like that anymore, I hope so at least" he seems sheepish, and still so uncomfortable

"you're not." Eddie took a step closer, and placed his hand on Steve's arm "you're good, Steve."

Eddie's language hadn't been what it used to be, and Dustin and the others were doing a Lord of the Rings book club to help Eddie regain some of his past vocabulary, but he hoped for now that even simple words could get across how he felt about Steve.

"you helped me, I was alone and scared and you did everything you could do" he tilted his head, trying to get Steve to meet his eyes "You saved me, Steve Harrington."

And that seemed to be more than enough, because in a sudden rush of movement Steve pulled Eddie into a tight hug, and as they stayed their, tangled up in Steve's kitchen, neither of them mentioned when Steve's shoulders began to shake and Eddie's shoulder dampened.

Instead Eddie just placed his hand in Steve's hair, and held him for as long as he needed. No matter what memories he regained of that young indifferent version of Steve, he knew all that matters was this boy in his arms right now. The kind and selfless Steve Harrington.

The Steve Harrington who saved him, in all the ways that mattered.

[ectonurites]

catchin up on comics that came out while they were Busy

[twistedshipper]

And if I only could I'd make a deal with God And I'd get Him to swap our places Be runnin' up that road Be runnin' up that hill Be runnin' up that building

[infiniteentertainment]

nancy wheeler // under enemy arms

[reikunrei]

standing under a boiling hot shower last night talking to myself about how odd it is that people still think “the duffers wouldn’t do something that deep/complex/intricate and hide so much information because the general audience wouldn’t be able to pick up on it” is a valid argument as if the show wasn’t immediately massively popular to the point that they probably could’ve ignored the general audience this whole time and as long as they had a coherent story it would’ve continued to gain traction. it’s their show, they’re gonna do whatever they want with it and hide as many secrets as they can and they will get away with it. why should they "dumb down" their work when they want to live up to their own standards. i think i'd rather die than only do surface level shit to "appeal to the most people."

[demadogs]

Honestly I find it really telling that every person I see that is a professional writer or studied/studies film like you is convinced of Byler endgame but none of them support milkvan...

i am so dead serious when i say this, byler WILL be taught in professional film lectures and classes for years after its canon. they do so many things with film alone, other than just dialogue and actions.

a lot of film/video/editing classes bring up things that you wouldnt even think were something that was studied or analyzed that seriously. in one of my classes we watched the twilight baseball scene. in an editing class im taking right now we watched the happily never after disney videos by jon cozart. so if you think this wouldnt be something talked about in film classes youre so wrong.

in pretty much all of my film classes stranger things has been brought up for multiple different lessons. after byler is canon everything like the closet framed kiss, the aesthetics of the mlvn breakup compared to the rain fight, blue and yellow symbolizing mike and will, framing will in the middle of el and mikes reunion, the fact that will is in the shot when mike says he loves her. all of these will be in slideshows and used as examples of how you can film your subjects in ways that foreshadow whats to come. i wouldnt be surprised if it already is being used in lectures.

if i asked any of my professors if they think byler is happening i think all of them would say yes.

[apocalyptic-byler]

BYLER NATION YALL ARE SO SMART I LOVE YOU GUYS FR

[artthoufruity]

I agree with you but you are gonna get hate imho. There is a sub byler fandom over here that is very adamant on mike being explicitly gay, and whenever someone says something against it or suggests that mike will most likely stay as unlabelled, they tend to attack people or accuse others of not understanding mike's narrative or not liking mike's character. It is perfectly fine to speculate but attacking others or calling someone dumb just because they do not agree with a take or see the narrative differently is ridiculous.

Oh I know but believe me I can take it, a similar(ish) thing happened before Will was confirmed gay and I said he was 100% and got absolutely brutalized for it in like 2021 back when the byler tag had like 8k

[pinkerthings]

just saw moot say that what if mike and will are trapped in a closet together in s5 and one of them has to cover the other one’s mouth bc they’re scared and making noises, & now i CANT STOP PICTURING this scene like omg I can SOOOO picture mike freaking out bc he arguably has less experience with the upside down creatures/demogorgons and such so he would probably be more scared than will, so will would have to be the one to whisper like “shut up!” and cover Mike’s mouth with his hand, and then they’d both wait for the monster to pass before breathing a sigh of relief. and then the TENSIONNNNNN afterwards would be so crazy and Mike would be like, “um, sorry” and will would be like “it’s okay” and then imagine mike starts bringing up the painting or something and then someone opens the door and is like 🤨 what r u two doing in here, and then they both blush & fanfics will come true and lives will be changed

[steveshairychest]

Eddie's called 'the freak' for many reasons; he dresses different, is apparently a devil worshipper and because he's slept with nearly everyone in town.

He's not the type of guy to say no and turn down other payments for weed. He doesn't do it all of the time and he never actually does anything freaky. A blow job here and there, a quick fuck in someone's car. He's done it all.

Except, instead of just taking the weed and never speaking of it again, they all start spreading different stories about how crazy their night with Eddie the freak Munson was. None of what they say is ever true but that doesn't stop people from whispering and asking him if he really did tie someone to a tree during a blowie. He didn't.

But no one believes him because he's the resident freak.

He tells people he only accepts cash for weed now. The rumours die down and he no longer has to live in fear that the rumours will reach Wayne's ears.

But then Steve Harrington is standing on his doorstep, hands stuffed in his pockets as he stares at a spot over Eddie's shoulder. "Can I get some, uh, weed." He says awkwardly and rather loudly.

Eddie sighs loudly and pulls him inside. "Jesus, Harrington, be quiet." He slams the door behind him and nods at the couch. "Sit. I'm not in the mood for chit-chat. Let me get my stuff."

Steve clears his throat and rocks onto the balls of his feet. "I-I don't have any cash on me." His voice is barely heard over the tape that is playing loudly from Eddie's room, but Eddie hears him.

And he's pissed. His night has been ruined by Steve of all people, a pompous asshole that doesn't even have any fucking money. Eddie immediately shoves his stash back into the metal lunch box and slams the lid. "Get out. No money, no deal." He crosses his arms over his bare chest and nods at the door. He can't believe the audacity of this guy. It's 10:30 at night, and he comes banging on Eddie's door while he's enjoying his shitty reality TV in his underwear, and he has the nerve to ask for weed but not even bother to bring any money. He's the richest guy in Hawkins! Like, come on!

Steve doesn't move. He worries his bottom lip between his teeth and takes a step closer to Eddie, who's growing more and more impatient. "I heard that you accept... other forms of payment."

"Oh. Oh." Eddie should have said no, because he's honestly not doing that anymore but it's Steve Harrington and he's practically asking Eddie for it. The richest guy in Hawkins who's paid for weed with cash plenty of times has come to his house in the middle of the night and is offering to pay for weed with his body.

Eddie would be insane to say no.

[im-justatrashcan]

What if all of volume 2 is Steve’s Vecna vision.

Nancy getting a vision of all of Hawkins (Steve’s home) getting destroyed. They make a plan to go back into the Upside Down (which Steve was totally against but no one listened to him). Nancy and Robin both getting choked out by vines while he’s helpless and not able to help them.

Robin getting her heart broken by Vickie when Steve is 100% sure she’s into Boobies, but Robin not believing him, which is fair as a lesbian in the 80s. But then her really seeing it and running off heartbroken at War Zone after seeing Vickie kiss a dude. Steve doesn’t want Robin to be hurt ever and he just watched her heart break.

Max, his little pseudo sister, sure she’s cursed by Vecna in Vol. 1, but I don’t really believe that Steve would go along with letting three children go up against Vecna alone when there are other threats out there (I.e. Jason fucking Carver coming in and beating the shit out of Lucas). Seeing her get hurt to the point of dying for over a minute and then being brought back is something that could break Steve.

Dustin. Literally thinking Dustin is in any danger makes Steve go crazy. He trusted Eddie enough to leave Dustin with him and to keep Dustin safe. But then when he gets back from the Creel house fight, and sees Dustin screaming and crying over a dead Eddie surrounded by bats… yeah that’s not a good sight for Steve. And then he finds out that Dustin broke his ankle from jumping back into the Upside Down.

Eddie, who yeah he just met but got to know really well second hand from Dustin and Mike when they sang his praises to Steve. The “older male friend”. The first male his age that Steve actually likes and wants to be friends (or more) with, just ups and sacrifices his life for Dustin. But Eddie runs, he’s not afraid of running, like he said to the party during their campaign: “there’s no shame in running.” Had Eddie kept running or after he fell, grabbed the bike again or even fucking hot wired a car that was in the upside down, he would be alive and would’ve still distracted the bats and gave Steve and them more time.

And even the California crew. Sure Steve didn’t know anything that was going on with them. But he has heard the stories about Eleven and Dr. Brenner. Brenner being back and alive, forcing El to see the things he forced her to in that tank, under the guise of getting her powers back. Traumatizing her even more. Steve may not have known El for long or interacted with her as much as he had with the rest of the Party, but he’s heard stories and knows the stuff that she’s gone through. He would be LIVID knowing what happened in that bunker.

Will, the nicest and most polite out of the Party. Will has gone through so much shit and as much as I liked the Russia storyline because it gave us Hopper, I don’t believe Joyce would just leave her sons and El in California alone with no adult. So for Steve to find out that the mother figure in his life left Will in California alone (with Jonathan but still) just reminds him of his parents leaving him alone all the time. And Steve does not want any of his kids to feel like how he felt when he was growing up.

Also. Back to Nancy. For the last two years or so Nancy has been all Gaga over Jonathan, cheating on Steve with Jonathan and making plans for the future with him and not with Steve. Why would Nancy not respond almost immediately to Steve saying his Winnebago dream was with her with “I love Jonathan” or “I’m with Jonathan”? Sure they’re having trouble with long distance but Nancy seems like the kind of person to only cheat once, since she saw how that basically destroyed Steve.

So yeah. Volume 2 and maybe some of Volume 1 could be Steve’s Vecna vision.

[justablah56]

i saw the stranger things post you reblogged on my dash and was just like “oh cool one of my old mutuals from my past stranger things hyperfixation” and looked at who reblogged it and was like 🤯🤯🤯 (i let out a little chuckle. amusing)

see the funny thing is that I haven't actually watched the full show dhnsmsksmsm but glad me randomly rbing a post was silly to you <3