#learning things from suzie and max i see

[scarlyrubies]

will “this is the 80s and the only girl i know personally is my mom” byers

[loveinhawkins]

When Eddie’s terrified, he feels cold—and it’s not a mild thing, not just goosebumps on his arms. It’s violent shivers: his breath catching as ice forms in his lungs, crystallising up his throat until he can barely talk.

It was bad at the middle school talent show: stuck in the wings with fellow students pressed up against him, all jostling for space. He should’ve been sweating.

And technically he was, but it was as if his brain hadn’t checked in with his body or maybe the other way round, and he kept biting down hard on his tongue as his teeth chattered.

A teacher noticed and even asked if he was feeling sick, if he wanted to be sent home.

He shook his head, felt his legs shaking; Jeff had to speak for him until it was finally the band’s turn on stage, and the ice thankfully thawed enough for him to sing.

But right now he thinks the ice is here to stay.

He’s sat back in the boat, the tarp tangled up by his feet; he can’t stop one knee from bouncing up and down erratically. He knows he isn’t really shaking because of the literal cold, but it doesn’t exactly help that it’s damp as hell in here.

He’s not alone—he’s still surrounded by quite possibly the most random group of people in history. Dustin’s leading the conversation, which has devolved into Max teasing him about some girl called Suzie.

Eddie suspects the change of tone is deliberate, that these kids who are somehow well-versed in a literal fucking war have an admirable intuition; have sensed that he needs a cool down after learning about an evil alternate dimension. Kinda like what he does if he watches a horror movie late at night—makes sure to read some light-hearted crap before he goes to sleep, so the scary shit isn’t the last thing on his mind.

Eddie appreciates the thought. If he wasn’t still repressing shivers, he might even find it sweet.

But the chatter isn’t helping.

He can’t grab a hold of it, the sounds slipping away before he can make sense of them; his mind keeps drifting away, and he’s suddenly stuck on the thought that he can’t remember what Chrissy’s last words to him were. He can hardly even recall what her laugh sounded like in the woods—like everything about her has been trapped underwater, stifled beyond all recognition.

He let her die, and he can’t even manage the decency of remembering her. What the fuck is wrong with him?

He exhales shakily. Neither Max or Dustin seem to notice, which both relieves him and sets his teeth on edge.

His lungs are tight, but he still feels a sudden urge to talk—for once wishes that he’d just bite his tongue instead.

Something’s cracking deep inside him.

He’d thought his breaking point had been reached long ago, but it keeps getting worse; as the kids talk, he can’t avoid the fact that they’ve already watched him profoundly lose it, and shame spreads from the pit of his stomach—merges with the ice, culminating in a bitter wave of self-loathing.

Leave me alone, he desperately wants to say, but he knows it’ll just come out in a scream, knows it’ll sound like he’s furious. That’s always been the way of things, at least for him: deep-seated fear hiding underneath anger.

He opens his mouth. His teeth are clacking together.

He manages to temper the feeling right at the brink so that all he says is, “D-don’t you assholes have a bed time?”

“Oh, that’s cute,” Dustin says, over the sound of Max scoffing.

Please go, just fucking go, I’m gonna fall apart and I don’t want you to see it, not again.

“Yeah, well I have a bedtime, so let’s get outta here, dickheads,” Steve says.

He sounds dry, borderline snippy. But his eyes fleetingly meet Eddie’s as he speaks, like he’s heard him somehow. Like he understands.

Dustin stands with some customary grumbling, pulling Max up with him.

“Night, Eddie. It’ll be okay,” he says, so optimistic—with an unshakeable courage that Eddie has never once possessed.

Eddie attempts a smile. Has no idea if he succeeds.

Robin’s already standing, walking off behind Dustin and Max—but then she spins, doubles back on herself; Eddie jumps at the sudden movement.

“Water!” she says, “I’ve got some in the car, you should—hang on, Eddie.”

“I’m—I’m fine, I don’t need…” Eddie’s voice is hoarse, fades out on him. He coughs, tries again, slightly louder, “I said I don’t need it!”

But Robin’s already too far away to hear him.

The quiet rustle of a jacket: Steve is still here.

Eddie lunges forward as quick as he can. His hand clasps around Steve’s wrist.

“Harrington, seriously, tell her not to bother, man. I’ll—” He swallows. “I’ll just throw it back up.”

It’s almost too dark to see, but Eddie swears Steve’s eyes are flickering over his face. He doesn’t know what he’s seeing. Doesn’t think he wants to know the answer.

“Dude, you need to drink, at least,” Steve says finally. He gently tugs himself free—stepping back with an apologetic air, slowly enough that Eddie doesn’t startle. “Gimme a sec.”

He’s back in under a minute, passing Eddie a bottle of water with the cap already off.

Eddie drinks. Despite his protesting, he knows it’s for the best; his head is pounding. He spills the water more than once; his hand is trembling.

Steve doesn’t mention it.

“I can get you some food,” he says.

Eddie shakes his head. “I ate before. Not hungry.”

He’s telling the truth, although he can’t remember what he ate. Can’t remember much of anything.

Steve doesn’t look very happy with that response. His frown is audible when he asks, “Don’t you have a blanket or something?”

Eddie laughs, horribly false. “Why, Harrington? Wanna tuck me in?”

Steve doesn’t answer.

Eddie wants him to retaliate with what he deserves: cutting words. Wants Steve to throw out something cruel, then leave him be.

No. That’s not…

He wants… he wants…

“Don’t move,” Steve says. “I’ll be right back.”

Eddie laughs again—a little more genuine. “Can’t exactly go anywhere.”

He doesn’t know how long Steve takes. He loses track of time after the sound of the car reversing fades away; the darkness stretches out before him, and his fingers flex, tremulous, and he almost starts to believe that no-one’s found him after all, that he’s alone, that he’ll always be—

The soft crunch of tires rolling over gravel. The twin clunks of a car door being opened then closed, not too loudly, followed by even footsteps. Slow. Safe. And Eddie hears Steve singing, quiet enough that he can’t really decipher the lyrics.

He doesn’t know why he recognises it, why it’s so familiar. But he understands why Steve is doing it, the realisation burning in his throat: that Steve is signalling his approach, so Eddie knows it’s him.

“Hey,” Steve says, and there’s a gentle kind of thud—something being dropped by Eddie’s feet. Then the soft press of fabric behind him: a pillow.

Eddie manages to shift his feet a bit. More fabric. It’s a blanket.

“I just thought, like, two layers, y’know?” Steve is saying. “Not ideal with the tarp, but it should trap more heat compared to…” Eddie’s throat tightens even more. It’s so… so fucking kind.

“Thanks,” he manages.

“Hey,” Steve says again, softer—a hand lands on Eddie’s knee; his palm is warm. “You’re okay.”

Eddie realises belatedly that he’s crying again. For a little while, it just feels automatic, as if he’s detached from the tears; Steve gives him space, working around him.

And Steve’s not tucking him in really, just sort of shaking out the blanket, but he lets it fall with intention—smoothes out the creases when it gathers around Eddie’s knees.

Eddie doesn’t know what changes, just knows that he’s abruptly aware of the silent tears building into something more. There’s a false jagged sensation of something getting caught in his chest as he swallows, and he gasps, inhales sharply—once, twice; feels that panicked stutter to his breath, like when he was a kid failing at treading water.

Steve crouches by the side of the boat.

“You’re okay,” he repeats. He’s rubbing his throat ever so slightly while he says it—doesn’t seem aware that he’s doing it.

“I’m s—” Eddie chokes on the words again, a distressed hum cutting through instead. “I’m s-sorry.”

“Eddie, it’s—”

Eddie points to Steve’s throat. “C-could’ve—mm, mm. Could’ve been bad.”

He remembers the feeling of Steve’s skin against the shard of glass, remembers his stupid shaking hands—so close, too close to blood being spilled.

Just a hair’s breadth away from…

It could’ve happened so easily. Two deaths on his conscience.

“Eddie,” Steve says calmly. “It’s fine. I wouldn’t have let you.”

It’s not a threat. It’s a reassurance.

His hand falls away from his neck, as if making a point.

Eddie stares and stares—and it’s definitely too dark to tell if there’s a bead of blood on Steve’s skin, but his mind does the work for him.

Vivid, wet. It wouldn’t stop. Chrissy. Her eyes…

The ice freezes over completely, stops up his throat.

Eddie can’t breathe.

“Yeah, you can,” someone’s saying, “hey, it’s gonna pass, it’s gonna pass, okay? I’m just gonna…”

A snap.

Eddie flinches, cries out with a wordless noise of anguish.

Through the roaring in his ears, he hears, “Shit,” before a contrite whisper of, “Sorry, sorry.”

Steve. Steve’s here, guiding his hands until they’re cupped around something.

Something warm.

It starts the thaw, draws air back into Eddie’s lungs. His head clears a little. He knows where he is. Wishes he wasn’t…

He wants someone to tell him that Chrissy didn’t suffer, that she didn’t feel anything.

No.

He wants someone to wake him up, to tell him it was just a nightmare, that he can go home; he wants the universe to rearrange itself so that Chrissy never even met him—that the only trouble she ever has to deal with is which shoes to wear with her graduation robes.

“I want,” he gets out, “I want—”

“I know,” Steve says.

His hands are still wrapped around Eddie’s.

And Eddie senses the source of the heat now, a packet of some kind.

A hand-warmer.

He manages to take a proper breath, deep enough that he can smell the pillow Steve has given him; it doesn’t smell of the detergent Wayne uses, but it smells like a home at least. The dip in the middle makes him suspect that Steve’s brought the pillow from his own bed.

Eddie breathes in again. Out.

“There you go,” Steve murmurs.

Gradually the warmth against Eddie’s palms brings about a repeatedly suppressed, bone-deep tiredness. His eyes are stinging with it, and he feels like the boat’s been pushed out onto the lake; he sways forward without meaning to.

“Sorry,” he says, tongue thick.

He lifts his head to find Steve looking at him intently, brow furrowed.

“You should lie down,” Steve says quietly. “You look exhausted.”

Eddie does, turns onto his side so he can still just about see over the side of the boat. But…

“I won’t sleep,” he tells Steve through a sigh. He’s not arguing the point; it just seems inevitable.

Steve shrugs. “Just shutting your eyes is better than nothing,” he says casually enough, but it sounds too knowing, like he’s speaking from experience.

Eddie wonders what Steve sees when he falls asleep.

Steve stands up slowly. Hesitant.

“I’m—um. I’m sorry,” he says. “I’d stay, believe me, but I just—I don’t want the car here too long in case someone…”

“Go, Harrington,” Eddie says, hopes it comes out as gentle as he means it to be. “You’re the taxi service.”

Steve smiles. “We’ll be back,” he says. “Tomorrow, okay? I promise. We’ll bring food.”

“Tomorrow,” Eddie echoes. Tries and fails to push down a yawn. “Food.”

It’s not so bad, listening to Steve walking away. Eddie’s eyes close, burn with relief; in his head he follows along with the sound of Steve’s footsteps as they get more and more distant.

Car door opening. Closing. Seems farther away than before. His head is heavy.

He doesn’t expect to fall asleep. But he does his best to keep his thoughts on something light anyway. Maybe the continual warmth between his hands helps, ensures he doesn’t spiral back down to… to…

It comes to him fuzzily: why he recognised Steve singing in the first place.

Last summer, going to the mall to catch a movie, walking past an ice-cream parlor and hearing…

It was an unselfconscious kind of singing—no tension in the high notes. The sort usually done alone.

And do you feel scared? I do. But I won't stop and falter.

Eddie glanced over. Steve had been mopping, head down, but he looked up suddenly—for a moment, Eddie worried that he had been spotted. But then he watched the surreal sight of a group of children walking all over the wet floor, Steve beckoning them onward with fond exasperation.

He tapped at his wrist. “You’re cutting it fine tonight. Through the back, round the—”

“We know,” came an already distant chorus.

Steve rolled his eyes.

“And if anyone hears about this—”

“We’re dead!”

A door shut—alone again, Steve shook his head to himself. Smiled.

And if we threw it all away. Things can only get better.

Eddie remembers thinking that his voice wasn’t all that bad. It was nice.

It was…

Eddie wakes up warm.

The sight of the tarp disorients him for a few seconds—but he’s too sleepy to be panicked. The blanket against his jeans feels perfectly heavy. Keeps him still. Keeps him…

He thinks he must unintentionally drift off again; when he comes to, he feels that the hand-warmer he’s holding has gone cold. His feet knock against something, and he opens his eyes enough to see that Steve’s left more pouches. He takes one, hums when he cracks it so he doesn’t hear the…

It’s another day. He’s still here, damp wood against his back. A pillow beneath his head.

He knows the nightmare hasn’t stopped; Chrissy is still dead.

But there’s things he can touch, hold onto—evidence that he’s not been left alone, not really. He knows that Steve will come back. They all will.

His hands are warm.

And that’s something.

[steddio]

Steve is used to pushing through pain. Sure, the adrenaline of a life or death moment is one thing but when that fades and all that’s left is stinging cuts and tender swelling and a full-body bone-deep ache there’s no excuse for letting weakness show. Or letting others see the lingering migraines, achey joints, and night terrors that continue to wound his body and psyche even once everything is “back to normal.” Ingrained in him since an unforgiving childhood, Steve’s grit-your-teeth-and-bear-it philosophy has served him perfectly well and he sees nothing wrong with it, thank you very much.

Until he meets Eddie. Eddie who curses, shouts, screams and cries his pain, broadcasting it to those around him with his typical dramatic flair. Eddie whose eyes betray every feeling and emotion, amplified tenfold by the flailing of too-long limbs and gesturing of ring-bedecked fingers. Eddie who sees right through Steve’s facade to the core of his pain.

It starts with Eddie giving Steve an obvious once-over each time he sees him, checking for visible injury, the lasting echo of shared trauma. Steve knows how to navigate this, having faked his way through countless minor sports injuries in order to stay off the bench and in the game. What Steve doesn’t know how to navigate is what comes after. Unlike Steve’s coaches, who accepted his apparent well-being without question, Eddie has an unnerving tendency to locate the exact source of Steve’s discomfort.

“Harrington, are you limping? Cut the shit and sit down over there, I told you not to overwork your bad knee.”

“Ok big boy, pull over. I’m driving and that’s final. Don’t argue with me, you can’t even see straight. Driving with a migraine is definitely worse than my driving, dude.”

“You look like shit, go home, I’ll help Robin close. Yes, yes, I got it, how hard can it be?”

Eventually, and even worse, Eddie moves beyond snarky well-meaning comments to saying nothing but doing everything. Like shooing the younger kids out of Steve’s house when he’s starting to squint against the bright lights and loud conversation. Or grabbing heavy bags from Steve’s hands before he’s even halfway from the car to the door. Or wordlessly turning up the stereo when Steve needs something, anything to drown out the ringing and echoing screaming in his ears.

At first, being seen hurts more than the actual pain. Stripped raw by the casual tenderness, the sheer humanity zinging at newly exposed nerves. Steve doesn’t know how to handle this breakdown of his primary defense mechanism. He tries to keep shrugging Eddie’s concern away, but Eddie is relentless. Eddie “willing to repeat senior year three times rather than drop out” Munson is entirely undeterred by Steve’s patented nonchalance. Despite it all, he keeps caring. And Steve has no choice but to accept the tidal wave that is Eddie’s concern.

It takes a while, for Steve to recalibrate his self-perception. So used to shoving it aside, he has to learn again how to really feel pain. How to acknowledge it, respond to it. How to attend to his own discomfort the way he attends to Robin’s, or Dustin’s, or Max’s.

The first time he cancels plans with the gang because of a migraine he’s overcome by guilt. He’s five seconds away from calling back to say just kidding he is totally fine and would love to drive everyone to the movies when he hears a knock at the door. Before he can even fully open the door, Eddie barges in.

“Harrington! Where are your towels, I brought you drugs, the legal ones don’t worry, go lay down, what are you doing standing there gawking, here swallow this and put this over your head.”

Before he can fully process what’s happening, Steve is manhandled onto his own couch, a cool damp towel over his eyes and forehead, and Eddie is back out the front door shouting that he’ll check in on Steve after the movie ends.

The second time he cancels plans, his bad knee too achey to make the trek out to Dustin’s radio to celebrate his and Suzie’s anniversary, Steve is still guilty, but almost unsurprised when Eddie turns up at his door, rented movie in hand, shouting at Steve to ice and elevate his damn knee already.

After a while, the guilt goes away, replaced by a bone deep security that’s brand new to Steve, a quiet reassurance that it’s okay to put himself first, it doesn’t make him selfish or bad or pathetic or weak or any of the things his dad used to shout at him before he learned to mask himself. Replaced by an overwhelming fondness for Eddie and his exuberant care, the way he wears his feelings like his tattoos, on his bare skin.

After a while, Steve realizes that not all of Eddie’s once overs are checking for pain, sometimes they’re simply for checking him out. And this, this he knows how to handle.

The tenth time Steve cancels plans, he’s waiting at the door for Eddie to arrive. Eddie is all blurred motion and Bambi-eyed concern, looking for Steve’s source of pain. Steve points to his cheek.

“One too many direct hits and my whole face gets achey when the weather changes.”

Eddie turns, no doubt intending to rummage through Steve’s kitchen until he can find ibuprofen, or ice, or anything. Before he can get far, Steve catches his arm and turns Eddie to face him.

“Maybe you can kiss it better?”

[rogueddie]

Eddie is wrongfully deemed guilty for a spree of murders throughout Hawkins- from Chrissy, to Fred, to Patrick, to Jason... blinding Max. And at first, Steve is just as angry as everyone else. All the evidence seems to point to him.

But the way Dustin, Lucas and Mike all talk about Eddie makes Steve look a little closer and... something is off. He can't tell what. He just knows that something about the whole thing isn't right. He tries to ask around, see if anyone else feels the same. No one does.

He wants to figure it out though. Robin encourages him to "seek the knowledge or whatever" so he starts doing everything he can to learn about law, about criminology. He ends up in school again, retaking his tests and finally going to college.

He becomes a pretty good investigator type. And he does everything he can to prove himself, moving up and up and up. He ends up working at the FBI, a special agent, one of the best.

By the time he's 30, he's finally established enough to choose a case. He chooses Eddie.

People think he's insane. Eddie is a problem prisoner, stuck in a cage all alone for safety reasons. He doesn't talk to anyone either, started refusing not too long ago. Even when cops turn up, he's always kept his mouth shut, no matter what angle they came at him with.

Steve just tells them to tell Eddie his full name. Eddie immediately agrees to see him and, before Steve can say hi, Eddie is asking about his old D&D kids. He wants to know if Suzie is real, if Dustin is still with her. He wants to know if Mike finally got his head out his ass or if Will the wise ever came home. He wants to know how Lucas' championship game went.

So Steve tells him. Spends the entire 'interview' getting Eddie updated. Because, as it turns out, he isn't allowed letters. Steve has to tell him everything and promises to try and get him his mail- it's his right, after all. Eddie thanks him, a lot, almost begs Steve to come back- to which, Steve laughs.

"I have to come back," Steve explained. "I'm the one who's going to get you exonerated."

When he comes back that next week, Eddie is pacing. He's excited to see Steve again. He tells Steve that he got his letters, all of them. He'd even been allowed to send his own letters out to the kids.

Steve doesn't beat around the bush though. He wants Eddies side of the story. And, unsurprisingly, Eddies side doesn't make sense with the evidence. He has alibis- watertight alibis. It's impossible that Eddie killed any of them.

It begs the question, then, who really did it? But that's not Steves job. That's not what he cares about. He just needs to prove that it's not Eddie and he's going to do prove that there was never even any probable cause.

It doesn't help that when Steve tries to visit Eddie, he's always getting hit on, but he does eventually find a vital part of the puzzle. Just one, small little thing, and the paperwork for Eddies release is being filed.

Steve is only 33 and the reason he started down this career, the one goal he's had since the very beginning, is complete. Eddie is a free man! He's cleared of all charges!

He stays on Steves sofa for a while, struggling to get back up on his feet. And... if he moves up to Steves bed a month later... well. Let's just say Steve didn't keep visiting every week just for the pretty scenery.

[badcaseofcasey]

one single thread of gold (tied me to you) | Part 4 aka: my Steddie soulmates au, Eddie's POV Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 |Steve's POV

Eddie wasn’t sure how he thought Steve Harrington would end up coming back into his life - he wasn’t even sure Steve would come back into his life - but pinned against the wall of a boat shack at the end of a broken beer bottle was not it.

The past 24 hours of Eddie’s life had been something out of a horror movie. He wasn’t sure his heart rate had slowed down since he first saw Chrissy’s eyes glazed over in his trailer. And now, here comes his soulmate tagging along with the most unexpected combination of people he’s ever seen - including Dustin Henderson, one of newest recruits to Hellfire Club, and Max Mayfield, who moved into Forest Hills not that long ago.

He was reluctant to admit that his body instinctively knew to calm down once he realized his soulmate was there, instead choosing to believe it was down to the group of people who - against all odds - heard his story and believed him.

The next few days were… strange. Steve seemed intent not to mention their words at all, so Eddie followed his lead. There was a moment when Steve took off his sweater to dive into Lovers Lake where Eddie was able to see his words, clear as day. If he wasn’t convinced that Steve was his soulmate by then, that would have confirmed it.

Because much as Eddie hated to admit it, Steve had surprised him. Sure, Dustin and the others had spent the better part of the past six months trying to convince him that Steve was a good guy (no, really!), but he never expected it to actually be true. He said as much to Steve, and reveled briefly in Steve’s shy acceptance of the compliment. If it hadn’t been so dark in that godforsaken forest, he would’ve sworn Steve had blushed.

They had made it back topside and now he and Dustin were goofing around while the rest of the crew were setting up supplies and weapons. His eyes drifted briefly to where Robin and Steve were putting together molotov cocktails - a sentence he never would have even considered thinking before today. The distraction was long enough for Dustin to get a drop on him, knocking him to his knees. Eddie rolled sideways to avoid Dustin’s “spear,” laughing along with Dustin.

Dustin sat next to him. “All right, old man, catch your breath.”

Eddie gasped, pretending to be appalled. “Watch who you’re calling ‘old man,’ whippersnapper.”

Dustin looked out at the field and his hand drifted down to run his fingers up and down his forearm, where Eddie knew his soulmate’s words were. Eddie had learned all about Suzie within their first few sessions of Hellfire; it was a point of pride that Dustin got his words before any of the other members of the party did.

“Thinking about Suzie?” Eddie asked.

“Yeah,” Dustin answered, eyes still looking out into the distance. “I always worry when we’re about to do something like this. What if something… happens to me? We’ve kept Suzie out of this so far, so she has no idea that we’re facing off against literal monsters at least once a year at this point. If something happens to me, what will Suzie think?”

Eddie shook his head and sat up. “I hate that you’re having to worry about things like that. You’re only fourteen, man.”

“Yeah, but look at it this way,” Dustin said. “At least I know, for sure, that there’s someone out there for me. That no matter how bad things get, there’s something to look forward to. It gives me hope, and a reason to keep going when I think I can’t.”

Eddie smiled sadly. “That’s quite the bright side.”

“I try,” Dustin said. “What about you, do you have your words?”

Eddie weighed the options of lying to Dustin right now, but decided it wasn’t worth it. Besides, it felt like it would be a betrayal of the trust Dustin had clearly put in him. “Yeah, I do.”

“Really?” Dustin asked. “You never talk about them.”

“For good reason,” Eddie said, bumping his shoulders into Dustin’s. “Not all of us get our words from our adorable girlfriend from camp.”

“Well, whoever it is,” Dustin said, nudging Eddie back. “It can be a reason for you, too. You know, to keep going.”

“Hey, I already have enough of a reason,” Eddie stood and said, “‘86 is gonna be my year, right?”

Dustin smiled and accepted Eddie’s hand up.

“And Dustin,” Eddie said, seriously. “You know that one of us would take care of letting Suzie know. We know she’s important to you. She wouldn’t just be left in the dark.”

“Thanks, Eddie,” Dustin said. “You know, if you told me who your soulmate is, I could make the same promise.”

“Nice try,” Eddie said, ruffling the top of Dustin’s ghillie suit. “Come on, let’s go see if we’ve got our marching orders.” He slung an arm across Dustin’s shoulders as he steered them back towards the group.

Eddie couldn’t get Dustin’s words out of his head, even as they all made their way back into the Upside Down. Is that how Steve thought about him as he went through everything that Eddie gathered had happened over the past few years? Did Steve think about him at all?

The group was getting ready to split up, and Eddie was caught with a sudden need to talk to Steve. He called out his name as the group headed out towards the Creel House, then stopped when Steve turned to look at him.

There was so much to say, so much they had both left unsaid. Eddie didn’t know how he could possibly put all of what he was feeling in that moment into words, but here he was, about to watch Sir Steve walk away from him again, only this time, the dragons were so much more real. He just knew he couldn’t let Steve leave without saying… something.

“Make him pay.”

Shit. He probably could have done better than that.

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[truessences]

Was on Reddit in the Stranger Things subreddit and someone asked who the most intelligent member of the party is. Here was my answer.

I think Mike is the smartest of the kids, Dustin has an overall knowledge base of nerdy stuff but I feel like Mike, also has that but tends to think quick on his feet, is creative, brave, observant(sometimes) and strategic. A lot of big plans have happened because of him spearheading them.

S1- everything he did for El and being able to explain to everyone about the upside down after learning about parallel worlds from his teacher

S2- causing a diversion for El and Hopper to get in and close the gate. True sight and that Will was a spy.

S3- being the only one really who was trying to keep El from over doing it and also immediately coming to El’s aid in the sauna sequence. Plus that was also his plan.

S4- figuring out the pen and thinking to go see Suzie.

I also might be biased as he’s my fave and I think people are way too hard on him but I think my examples help lol.

I’ve always felt like they all had their specialties anyway or what I think they’d be good in and a lot of it overlaps obviously.

AND THEN, I talked about how he is also extremely self-sacrificing and some extra stuff because as always, I feel like people are way too hard on him.

Exactly! He’s also so self sacrificing! People say he hasn’t been the same since S1 and I agree in a sense but not about his character but that’s really on the writers.

S1- telling Brenner that he’d have to kill him (us) to get El. Willing to throw himself off the cliff for Dustin, trying to stand up to the bullies for Will.

S2- running to the soldiers to tell them it’s a trap when he could have easily died. The plan to go into the tunnels which led to him getting attacked lol.

S3- trying to fight Mind Flayed possessed Billy TWICE. Because Billy on his own is scary but a possessed one?? Come on now lol. People really say they hate S3 Mike and I will never understand why lol. My boy was so brave. The other stuff is because of Hopper and I’ll forever die on that hill.

S4- he didn’t get as much to do in terms of forward action but immediately running out to El in the desert when there’s no way he could have known that it was safe for him to do so.

He very much clearly is the leader and the heart of the group. I feel like people say otherwise just because they don’t like him and outside of “oh he’s just a boring character” I don’t personally think he’s done anything to be unlikable, I feel like there are reasons for a lot of his moody (outside of teenager) behavior. He doesn’t get any slack from the fandom and at times his own friends (Max and Will at times and even Lucas). He’s the only one who didn’t get the chance to really talk about his feelings UNTIL S4.

And then someone responded that he was being a jackass in S3, which is why a lot of fans seemed to dislike him and I'm like no, sorry that doesn't make sense to me. Hopper is literally an adult and threatened Mike at least 3 times in their conversation. Like you don't *have* to like anyone but I feel like the reasons that are given for Mike specifically don't make sense to me. As I said in the post, everyone has their moments of being assholes but Mike is the ONLY one who doesn't get a pass. I feel like Lucas was treated pretty badly in S1 but that's gone down thank goodness but Mike still gets shit and to me it's unfounded.

Like don't piss me off lol

[thegayhimbo]

Stranger Things "Deliver Me From Evil" Review

If you haven't yet, be sure to check out my other Stranger Things Reviews! Like, Reblog, and let me know what your thoughts are, as well as any theories you might have for Season 5!

Stranger Things Reviews/Theories

Stranger Things The First Shadow

Stranger Things Comics/Graphic Novels:

Stranger Things Six

Stranger Things Halloween Special

Stranger Things The Other Side

Stranger Things Zombie Boys

Stranger Things The Bully

Stranger Things Winter Special

Stranger Things Tomb of Ybwen

Stranger Things Into The Fire

Stranger Things Science Camp

Stranger Things “The Game Master” and “Erica’s Quest”

Stranger Things and Dungeons and Dragons

Stranger Things Kamchatka

Stranger Things Erica The Great

Stranger Things “Creature Feature” and “Summer Special”

Stranger Things Tales From Hawkins

Stranger Things x Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Crossover

Stranger Things The Voyage

Stranger Things Tie-In Books:

Stranger Things Suspicious Minds

Stranger Things Runaway Max (Part 1 of 3)

Stranger Things Runaway Max (Part 2 of 3)

Stranger Things Runaway Max (Part 3 of 3)

Stranger Things Darkness On The Edge Of Town (Part 1 of 3)

Stranger Things Darkness On The Edge Of Town (Part 2 of 3)

Stranger Things Darkness On The Edge Of Town (Part 3 of 3)

Stranger Things Rebel Robin Book and Podcast (Part 1 of 2)

Stranger Things Rebel Robin Book and Podcast (Part 2 of 2)

Stranger Things Hawkins Horrors Review

Stranger Things Flight Of Icarus

Stranger Things Lucas On The Line

Stranger Things Episode Reviews:

The Vanishing of Will Byers (Part 1 of 2)

The Vanishing of Will Byers (Part 2 of 2)

Synopsis: While delivering pizzas on a dark night in Lenora, California, Argyle and Jonathan exchange creepy stories...........

Observations:

I wasn't aware this comic came out last May. If I had known, I would have reviewed it then before I saw The First Shadow. Ah, well. Better late than never!

For a short released on Free Comic Book Day, this was a nice quick read, and a fun story centered on Jonathan and Argyle. It has a similar premise to Halloween Special and Hawkins Horrors in that it focuses on scary urban legends, but the main differences here are 1.) They're told from Argyle's perspective, 2.) There's a strong comedic tone to these stories as opposed to just playing them for straight horror, and 3.) The stories Argyle tells are tied to his Mexican heritage, and ones he likely grew up listening to from his family.

Take his first tale for example: As an 8 year old boy, he attended his cousin's birthday party, and at one point encountered a monster called a Chupacabra:

In Latin American folklore, the Chupacabra is a creature known for sucking the blood out of animals, and having a reptilian, alien-like form (though some people claim it also has some similarities to a kangaroo). Its name means "goat sucker" in Spanish, and it's often considered to be of the same species as vampires.

Naturally, Argyle freaks out at seeing the creature, and attacks it with a baseball bat (similar to what Steve Harrington did to the Demogorgon in S1)................only for it to be revealed that it was never there to begin with, and that he ended up smashing his cousin's pinata with the bat:

Then we get another story from Argyle about his first crush (Suzie Q) whom he skips class with so they can make out in the janitor's closet........only to conveniently encounter La Llorona:

Just like with the Chupacabra, La Llorona also comes from Latin American folklore, and is a vengeful ghost who drowned her children in a fit of rage after her husband cheated on her, and now haunts watery areas (lakes, rivers, etc), unable to move on to the next life, forever wailing over her dead children. In some versions of the tale, she also goes after those who are unfaithful, still clearly sore over what happened to her.

Funny enough, the first time I ever learned about the legend was from watching the pilot episode of Supernatural:

But just like with Chupacabra, La Llorona was never really there, and instead a teacher named Miss Downers shows up, catching Argyle and Suzie Q ditching class, and punishing Argyle as a result:

The final story occurs around the time Argyle gets hired at Surfer Boy Pizza, where he encounters yet another monster, this time known as the Quetzalcoatl:

Quetzalcoatl (also known as "The Feathered Serpent") is a deity in Aztec culture, whose role varied, from being the God of vegetation and wind, to even being a symbol of death and resurrection, and also contributing to the creation of humanity. Like with most Gods, the mythology surrounding him was constantly evolving, with different stories analyzing his exploits and role in the universe.

It is weird and hilarious that an all-powerful God would randomly show up to scare the daylights out of Argyle after he just finished his job interview.........and you can already put together what actually happened during this scene:

With all 3 of these stories, it's pretty clear the monsters Argyle claims to encounter aren't really there, and are more symbolic of Argyle's feelings in the moment: His disinterest (and possible jealousy) with his cousin's birthday party leads to his "encounter" with the Chubacabra and destroying his cousin's pinata. His romantic interest in Suzie Q and her later "unfaithfulness" after she rats him out to Miss Downers having parallels to La Llorona's legend, and even his new job as a pizza delivery boy reflecting the mythology of Quetzalcoatl who brought maize (corn) to humans. It's ambiguous if Argyle just has an overactive imagination, or if he's tripping balls and hallucinating in these stories, but the main theme seems to be that he's constantly getting into trouble while taking it in stride. It's probably a big factor in why he was so willing to accept Jonathan, Will, and Mike's explanation in S4 about the Upside Down.

Jonathan is with Argyle in his van as he tells these stories, and while he doesn't go into specific details about the horrors he faced in Hawkins, he does allude to them in a somber tone (something Argyle takes note of):

It works as a nice contrast to Argyle's lighthearted tales, and a way of showing that, despite having moved to Lenora, Jonathan is still haunted by the monsters of the Upside Down and the fear that they will return one day (which sadly happens in S4).

It's nice to finally get a comic that focuses on Jonathan and Argyle and the friendship they shared during their time together. Argyle was a standout in both the Lenora storyline (which was one of my least favorite arcs on the show) and S4 as a whole. While he did serve as comic relief, there was a surprising amount of depth and insight to Argyle (such as pinpointing the problems with Jonathan keeping secrets from Nancy, being savvy enough to follow Colonel Sullivan's trail to El, and even providing El with the salt-bath she would use for remote-traveling in order to save Max from Vecna) that made him a lot smarter than he appeared on the surface.

Those moments alone allowed me to appreciate him.........which is why I wasn't happy when Eduardo Franco announced back in January that he hadn't gotten a call from the Duffer Brothers for S5, which likely means his character won't be returning:

I am hoping I'm wrong about this, and that they're deliberately misleading fans about Argyle not coming back to prevent spoilers about the last season. I even speculated on the idea that Eduardo has an NDA (Non-Disclosure Agreement), which is why he might be cagey about production details. There's nothing, for instance, to suggest that the Duffer Brothers couldn't have called him several weeks or months after this interview, and he's simply keeping quiet about that for the sake of the show. There's also the possibility of the Duffer Brothers reading the room over fans reacting to Argyle's absence (which was pretty negative) and making the changes necessary to give him an important role in the story.

It's also possible to argue that since Argyle lives in Lenora and S5 will take place exclusively in Hawkins between 1987 and 1988 (a whole year or two after S4), there isn't any logical way to keep Argyle in the show, and I can understand that perspective to some degree. However, it still doesn't change how it comes off as the Duffer Brothers wasting the potential of yet another character (*cough* Kali/Eight from S2 *cough*), and nuking a friendship between Argyle and Jonathan in the process that fans reacted positively towards and wanted to see more of. Argyle was good for Jonathan in that he allowed Jonathan to be more open and relaxed than he ever was in Hawkins (even while introducing Jonathan to Purple Palm Tree Delight to achieve that), and was genuinely supportive of Jonathan through his issues.

Not many friends would be willing to drive halfway across the United States and put themselves in constant danger the way Argyle did. He was a loyal companion, and he absolutely deserves to be part of the Party, and have a role in taking down Vecna and the Mind Flayer.

As for Jonathan.............I've seen a growing chorus of fans who've complained about his character and story being shoved into the background with each passing season, and I have a hard time refuting that claim. Season 1 was where he arguably has the most relevance to the show, from his motivation to find Will when he disappeared, to his growing feelings for Nancy and how that brought him into conflict with Steve. However, ever since Season 2 when he finally got together with Nancy and helped her get Hawkins Lab shut down, it feels like the writers have lost interest in Jonathan, and either reduced him to a side-character in other people's storylines (i.e. Nancy dealing with sexism in the workplace in S3, or Will dealing with his feelings for Mike in S4) or have given him arcs that come off as inconsequential in the grand scheme of things.

I make no secret I wasn't a fan of Jonathan's arc in S4. While he did get a few chuckles from me when he was stoned, I wasn't impressed with other aspects, from him ditching Nancy during Spring Break, to keeping her in the dark about not applying for Emerson College (which was the school they were both supposed to attend). I know fans have analyzed Jonathan's behavior to the moon and back, and I get what the Duffer Brothers were trying to go for with Jonathan's indecisiveness and his fear of creating a relationship with Nancy that would echo the horror show that was Lonnie and Joyce's marriage, but it was still frustrating to sit through, and in comparison to many of the other arcs that season (Vecna, Hopper escaping Russia, Dr. Brenner's return, etc), this felt like small potatoes, and a conflict that could be easily resolved if Jonathan sat down with Nancy and talked it over with her.

I am somewhat curious where they're going with this. Since the last season takes place a year or two after the events of S4, it makes me wonder if Jonathan will have already come clean to Nancy about Emerson by the time S5 starts, or if he'll still be keeping that secret from her. I really hope it's the former because I have zero interest in sitting through multiple episodes where Jonathan continues to lie to Nancy until she eventually finds out about it.

Adding on to this, I'm not thrilled that they brought back the Nancy/Jonathan/Steve love triangle in S4, and that the marketing for S5 is focusing exclusively on that:

In a season where we're likely going to see multiple characters die and have a final gruesome battle between Hawkins and the Upside Down, this comes off as superfluous. The "love triangle" should have been over and done with by S2, and I'm not going to be thrilled if Jonathan and Steve's interactions in Season 5 consist of them duking it out over Nancy. All 3 characters deserve better than that. 😒

I want to be clear that I still like Jonathan as a character, and I'm still rooting for Jancy despite everything. All that I want for Jonathan at this point is to have a decent storyline, and be given more focus in the final season. I remember having similar criticisms of Lucas's role in S3 at the time, and expressing how I wanted Lucas to have an arc of his own for Season 4. The Duffer Brothers must've heard that (or at the very least gotten feedback from fans about it) because Lucas got one in S4 that not only was engaging and helped further his character development, but was also one of the highlights of that season.

By the same token, I hope Jonathan gets that treatment, with an arc where he's at the front and center that helps further his character development. One thing that gives me hope that they might do this is a behind-the-scenes Tweet from S5's production, revealing that there will be a flashback episode in "Sorcerer" (Episode 4 of Season 5) focusing on Jonathan when he was 13, as well as Will and Mike when they were 8 years old:

My hope is that the flashback gives more insight into Jonathan's past and mindset. I'm sure there will be a focus on Mike and Will and their relationship, but I would like to see more revealed about Jonathan as well. I hope that he become more open and trusting with people (aside from his immediate family, Argyle, and Nancy) and eventually realizes he doesn't have to worry about turning into Lonnie or continuing to act as a co-parent to Will, and can start living his own life without feeling like he has to limit himself.

On top of that, I also want Jonathan to have some kind of confrontation with Vecna where he dishes out some much-needed payback after the hell Vecna has put Will and his family through.

Overall, this was a delightful short comic that I wish had been longer. It's currently free on Kindle if you wish to check it out! :)

[wakeupthemembersofbylernation]

Just say you hate Eleven don’t beat around the bush with listing all the reasons Will deserves a prize. “deserves the boy he loves” right and where does Mikes feelings coming into that exactly? So far I’ve learned there two sets of fans the ones who fancy finn and want to see him kiss boys as some weird fantasy and the others who adore Will and feel he deserves what he wants without thinking of the other party.

Only in the ST fandom can someone take a reasonable sentence like, “After four seasons of trauma, Will deserves a happy ending” and utterly twist it to mean, “I hate El and want her to be alone and miserable grrr.” It’s also wild how you can glean “Will deserves a prize” from my words when that’s not at all what I said. I don’t see Mike as a “prize” for Will. That’d be ridiculous. I see them as equals- because that’s what they are: lifelong best friends who’ve been through so much, consistently put each other first, and have made multiple beautiful promises to each other.

“But you said, ‘Will has suffered so much and deserves a happy ending with the boy he loves.’ How is that not proving my point?” Yes, I did say that, and I would say it again in a heartbeat. Will has suffered so much. Here’s a refresher on just some of his trauma. Given the context of everything, given the significance of Will’s sexuality to both his coming-of-age journey and the 80s, it would be genuinely cruel to not give him a happy ending. And it’s not Byler shippers on the Internet, but the show itself, that has consistently tied this happy ending to Mike. It���s been reinforced in every season, and the writers and filmmakers doubled-down on it in Season 4 through the van scene and through aggressively inserting Will into every Milkvan scene so that he’s always on your mind. S3 brought up their hypothetical question of the future through the rain fight, and it also had Will very specifically saying, “I’m not gonna fall in love.” This was not placed in the show so he could be proven right in S5 when Mike iNeViTaBlY rejects him. Be serious.

As I said in my post, this has nothing to do with thinking unreciprocated storylines don’t serve a purpose in media. Obviously they do! Stranger Things has given us a few: Dustin and Max, Steve and Robin, and Steve and Nancy (after they broke up). It is also given us another which I will talk about in a second, although this one comes with a twist. Dustin was crushing on the attractive new girl in school, as was Lucas. Max chose Lucas and fell for him. Dustin was sad about it, sure. The Snowball dance emphasized his general sadness as well as his unluckiness with girls at the time. Narratively, dancing with Nancy was the healing moment he needed to move on. It propelled his character to his Season 3 glow up, where he surprises his friends with news that he is dating Suzie. Dustin liked Max, but he wasn’t in love with Max, built upon a lifelong friendship. The situation is just structurally different.

Steve and Robin? Well, you know the story. Steve developed feelings for Robin (after Dustin pushed him in that direction, I might add) over the course of S3. But Robin was like, “Psyche! I’m a lesbian. Let’s be best friends,” and platonic Stobin was born. Notice there was no grief on Steve’s part. Steve was shocked, sure, but he wasn’t heartbroken. He bounced back in a heartbeat and fully accepted her sexuality. And then the season ends with their friendship shenanigans at the video store. Again, this was a crush. And it had a very interesting plot twist at the end of it. And it served a very specific purpose in Steve’s journey.

In terms of Steve and Nancy, there was more heartbreak involved, since they were actually dating. And in S4, it’s clear that Steve has never fully gotten over Nancy, or at least he thinks he hasn’t gotten over her. But narratively, this just serves a fundamentally different purpose than the situation between Mike and Will. Steve believes he needs romantic love to be happy, so his arc is accepting that he doesn’t. Also, as a presumed straight character (even though I love the bi Steve HCs), he doesn’t have the same kind of existential crisis that Will, a sad gay boy in the 80s, does.

The fourth unreciprocated storyline is an interesting one cause it’s not actually unreciprocated at all. It just seems that way. And of course, I’m talking about Robin and Vickie. Robin has feelings for Vickie, but when she sees Vickie with her boyfriend Dan, she assumes all hope is lost. But alas, all hope is not lost! Vickie is queer too and has feelings for Robin as well. You just have to take off your heteronormative glasses to recognize it. Sound similar to something else?

I bring this up because while Byler shares surface-level similarities to these other unrequited storylines, it visually parallels the situation with Robin and Vickie. So don’t be surprised when Mike, like Vickie, turns out not to be straight. And character wise, it’s deeper than all the other examples by miles. Dustin got over Max, Steve got over Robin, Steve is just looking for any girlfriend tbh, and S4 showed Robin getting over Vickie before the plot twist. Will and Mike are lifelong best friends, and a slow-burn rejection arc would not only make no sense, in-universe it would structurally derail Byler’s powerful connection and interrupt key plots already in motion during the apocalypse.

You forget that these aren’t real people. They are characters. In real life, sure, sometimes you don’t get what you want. Sometimes gay kids fall in love with their lifelong straight best friends, get gently rejected, and then life goes on eventually. In real life, saying, “But I have suffered, so you must love me back,” would be insane. And Will agrees. The homewrecker allegations need to stop. In the context of the show, Will doesn’t think that Mike loves him back. He doesn’t think love can be for boys like him. It rips him apart and tears him inside for sure, but all throughout S4 he’s the one trying to repair his bestie’s relationship while being madly in love with him. Will thinks he will be forever alone, and your argument is that he should be proven right?

Of course, I adore Will. He’s my favorite character, and I’m a proud member of the Willuminati. The shoe fits, and I will wear it. But I saw this Tweet today that I had to screenshot, and it applies directly to the subtext of your ask:

No one should find it strange or delusional or creepy that people ship Will with the boy he’s into. Calling it a “weird fantasy” in any context is inherently homophobic and weird behavior. You simply would not say that about any other ship in the show. Admit that you find queerness icky. Don’t hide behind faux concern for El.

Lastly, I must directly respond to your question,“Where do Mike’s feelings come into that exactly? Why do Bylers feel Will deserves what he wants without thinking of the other party?”

What are you even saying? Accusing Bylers of not thinking about Mike is the strangest accusation considering there are 50 essays per day posted on this app diving into the psychology of Mike. Mike’s feelings are powerful. Mike’s feelings are important. I could just as easily have written a post that said, “After everything Mike has been through, he deserves a happy ending with the boy he loves” because Mike clearly loves Will. It is overflowing out of him. If you analyze and “think of the other party” as you put it, it becomes crystal-clear where Mike’s feelings come into play and what his happy ending is. Hint: it’s not with the girl he can’t even write ILY to.

I could have written about Mike, but my post was about Will, who is canonically gay, deeply traumatized, and whose sexuality is not in doubt. Will deserves a happy ending. “But El is also traumatized, and she deserves a happy ending as well.” Agreed, but her happy ending and the overall trajectory of her character arc simply do not center Mike. El’s arc is rooted in her independence, and I could do a deep-dive analysis comparing and contrasting Will and El and explaining why romantic love is central to Will’s endgame but not to El’s. But I’m sure there are fifty of those already on this platform. I want Mike, Will, and El to all have happy endings.

Anyway, Byler endgame.

[marya-blackbone]

sleepover redux

A/N: max and el do espionage and learn something about steve

One of the first things Eleven does after moving back to Hawkins is to invite Max to a sleepover. Max is really glad – after that first sleepover last summer, she hoped it would become a recurring thing for her and El (minus the uncovering of a horrifying body-snatching conspiracy, of course) but they never got the chance. Now that El’s back, Max is secretly pleased neither of them made any new friends this past year and finds it surprisingly easy for them both to slot back into each other’s lives once the UD dust settles, and accepts the invite with zero hesitation.

Eleven asks if it would be alright if she invited some other people too, to which Max nods, of course, feeling warm and fuzzy about the fact that El asked her first and checked if she would mind – Max hasn’t had a best friend since kindergarten and El’s earnestness has turned her into such a sap. She doesn’t mind, but she is curious as to who else El wants to invite given there are only a handful of people who even know El exists.

The guest list currently includes Nancy, Robin, and Erica. It will be a girls' night, El says. Max hasn’t spent too much time with any of them but it doesn’t sound like a bad idea – El should get to have more friends who are girls, but she can’t exactly meet new people at the moment, so it makes sense that she would want to get closer with the ones already part of their monster-hunting club.

Max comes over early to help El set things up. Hopper and Mrs Byers have been especially indulgent of El this evening, leaving the table laden with plenty of drinks and a mountain of snacks before heading off to Enzo’s. Will helps them gather all the pillows and cushions and blankets they need from around the house, and when he admits Eddie has cancelled D&D for tonight, both Max and El agree that he should stay. And so it becomes girls’ night plus Will – none of the girls even bat an eyelid at his inclusion when they arrive, it’s just smiles and laughter.

It goes really well, despite the spread of ages. Erica is really mature for eleven, and Robin and Nancy seem to enjoy getting to act silly and giggly again. They paint each other’s nails, braid each other’s hair, and make it through one and a half John Hughes movies before they have to press pause because suddenly everyone needs to pee, and then forget to resume because they’re too caught up in gossiping.

It’s Eleven who tentatively proposes the finding game. Max didn’t think she would want to play again given how badly things ended last time, but all that stuff is gone now – and gone for good this time. Eleven says that she can feel so in the Void and going there actually helps her to remember it’s over. She promises she doesn’t mind – she already has a sheet of poster paper and marker pens ready for writing names and everything.

They shuffle into a circle while Max explains how the game works, and they each add a name to the sheet of paper. Max puts Lucas, El puts Hopper, Will puts Mike, Robin puts Steve, Erica puts Suzie (because apparently, she needs to verify the hotter-than-Phoebe-Cates claim), and Nancy goes for Debbie Harry, after which everyone complains that they didn’t know celebrities were an option, so they fill the gaps with an eclectic mix of actors and pop stars, and then they’re ready to spin.

It stops on Steve first. Max reminds her to get out of there if he’s with a girl or doing something gross, and Eleven nods her understanding before putting on the blindfold and filling the air with TV static. It doesn’t take long for her to find Steve.

“I can see him. He is smiling and I think he is talking to someone but I can not see who it is,” says Eleven. “He is holding a black guitar,” she observes.

When Steve starts to play, she pushes the sound through the radio so everyone can hear the soft strumming. It isn’t until he starts singing that Max recognises the song – it’s on the mix-tape Lucas made for her the last time he was trying to win her back; it’s a love song. Steve plays it surprisingly well. If Max didn’t know any better, she might think Steve has fallen in love – real love, reciprocated love; the kind that Steve deserves. But if Steve were in love, they’d all know by now. He’s all grand gestures and public affection and boom-boxing outside bedroom windows, not secret late-night serenading.

The lyrics taper off, and Steve asks, “Why are you looking at me like that? Not metal enough for you? I know it’s no Master of Puppets, but I thought it wasn’t hal-mphh!”

Max hears something over the radio that could be mouth noises and moans at the same time Eleven says, “I think they are kissing.”

That’s their cue to dip, Max realises, and is about to say as much to Eleven just as the radio crackles for a damning and breathy, “Because I loved it, big boy.”

A/N: i have ideas for a part 2 soonish

[lillie98]

STRANGER THINGS X WIZARD OF OZ

I grew up obsessed with “The Wizard of Oz,” so much so that I read some of the original L. Frank Baum books (which I highly recommend). The more I watch and analyze Stranger Things, the more similarities I see between the two stories. Gay people in the 80s referred to themselves as being “Friends with Dorothy,” so as not to be outed. I also believe each OG Party Member represents a different Oz character—which has huge implications for the overall story.

WILL: He’s our Dorothy (for the reason stated above). He’s on a journey to discover his power and strength, dreaming of a life far away from Kansas (Hawkins). He believes he needs his Ruby Slippers (El’s Powers) to save himself, but he’s always had THE POWER inside him. He can save himself. He meets a cast of characters along the way that teach him about the world and ultimately himself, giving him the strength he needs to defeat his grief and move on from his trauma.

ELEVEN: Eleven is Glinda. She meets Dorothy (WILL) on the journey and guides the Party through their tasks. She is wise and kind, helping Dorothy overcome his trauma and discover the power within him. El’s Powers are the Ruby Slippers, which Dorothy thinks he needs to defeat The Wicked Witch of the West (Vecna). By the end of the story, Glinda tells Dorothy he never needed the slippers and had the power within him all along. Glinda disappears and Dorothy returns to Kansas, stronger, surer, and finally processing his trauma.

MIKE: Mike is The Cowardly Lion. Stay with me here. I am absolutely not saying Mike is a wuss, because he’s not. He just thinks of himself this way because of everything people tell him. Lucas says he’s Hopeless, Dustin says he’s Oblivious, his parents say he’s a punk. Why wouldn’t he feel cowardly and afraid? It’s only when Dorothy (WILL) comes into his life and calls him “His Heart” that Mike finally understands his worth and takes up his mantle to fight. He also believes Dorothy needs his Ruby Slippers to win, but will soon discover Dorothy’s incredible powers.

LUCAS: He’s our Tin Man. Lucas loves loudly, but it doesn’t always come across that way. He’s brash and brutally honest, often refusing to sugar coat his words in favor of candor. He fears he is difficult to love because of this and closes himself off to potential love interests, thus becoming “rusty.” It’s only when the Oil Can (MAX) softens him up and accepts him for who he is, that he opens up and discovers the true meaning of love.

(I also think Max could share the Lion with Mike sine they’re basically same person different font)

DUSTIN: Dustin is the scarecrow. We all know Dustin is genius-level intelligent, but he sometimes gets carried away with his discoveries, going to great lengths to indulge his mind (including stealing books from the library). It’s not until someone falls in love with his incredible mind (STEVE) that the Scarecrow learns to harness his intelligence and use it to fight his enemies. His mind will be key in destroying Vecna. Remember the Forever Clock (perfect for the Apocalypse!!)

JOYCE AND HOPPER: Aunt Em and Uncle Henry. They’re Dorothy’s caretakers since his original parents (LONNIE) couldn’t care for him. They know Dorothy dreams of a life far beyond Kansas, but do their best to support him while he’s here. They’ll do anything to keep Dorothy safe.

SUZIE: Suzie is our Wizard. I love this one. The boys go on a journey to find her, she’s wearing green (like, come on), and her house is full of munchkins (literally). Lots of people have created analyses of SUZIE’s house, so I won’t go into detail here, but she is crucial to cracking this code. She’s a master hacker, able to change grades and possibly storylines. She’s not all that threatening, what with being a fourteen-year-old girl, but she holds insane amounts of power.

VECNA: The Wicked Witch of the West. The ultimate Big Bad, hell-bent on destroying Dorothy. Willing to do whatever it takes to bring him down, lest he destroy his plan. The witch seems unbeatable, always one step ahead, but Dorothy discovers his power and defeats the witch easily with just a bucket of water. Also the Demo creatures are Flying Monkeys. I will not elaborate.

I’m not sure about the rest of the cast, but let me know in the comments what you think! As far as the story itself is concerned, Dorothy needs to find out about his powers, and we’re so close!! The moment someone removes Soteria, Dorothy’s powers will be released, and Vecna will be toast. This does mean, however, some of our beloved characters will disappear, too—particularly Eleven. She’s Glinda the Good, spirit guide for Dorothy and his Party. Once Dorothy discovers his power, Glinda isn’t needed anymore. Does that mean she will die? Not necessarily, but I do think she will “ascend” to the newly-freed Upside Down (now Heaven instead of Hell) and rule it. She will always be there protecting and guiding them, but unable to cross back over. This is probably where characters like Dustin, Steve, Robin, Lucas? etc. will end up because we all know they’re going to die. It sucks but at least they have somewhere beautiful to go. Anyone not on the hill in the final shot is Fair Game for me, unfortunately.

Throughout this journey, Dorothy (WILL) has learned countless lessons from his friends and family that will ultimately fuel him to defeat his grief and trauma once and for all. The only character that will remain is Mike. Mike is more than the Lion, he is Dorothy’s lifeline. Mike makes Will brave. Without him, Will cannot survive. He may have all the power in the world, but that power means nothing if he can’t have Mike. I don’t know about you, but I think that’s beautiful.

Also, since The Wizard of Oz is a story within a story, this entire story of Stranger Things is either a DnD campaign Mike wrote for Will, or a Comic Book series the two boys wrote together. Mike does say he’s been working on a campaign for Will, so this might be what he’s referencing. Either way, it’s going to be incredibly emotional and beautiful, and I can’t wait!!!

[audblogforfanfics]

MY STRANGER THINGS HEADCANONS!!!!1! LGBTQ+ version :>

Please note that these are MY OWN PERSONAL views, and it’s completely okay if you disagree with them! This turned out WAY longer than I expected, sorry!!

Steve Harrington is bisexual and you can fight me on this (please don’t). He doesn’t know until Robin, though

Eddie is gay as hell. Also I searched up the handkerchief back pocket code and uh.. hdksjd Eddie likes to get a bit spicy lmao

Nancy is bi, too! Also doesn’t know until both Robin and Eddie joined the trauma party (no she does not have a crush on Eddie, but he helped explain things to her)

Jonathan doesn’t label himself, but he doesn’t really care about what gender he’s attracted to! He’s really open to anyone-

Jonathan is also on the ace spectrum and you’ll probably fight me on this TwT

Argyle is pan and poly! He’s so cool, and is very supportive (also his gaydar is on POINT)

Robin is canonically a lesbian and I absolutely adore her, she’s amazing

WILL! We all know he’s gay, it’s canon and that’s beautiful, but I also think he’s on the aromantic spectrum, too! (yes it’s a spectrum, I’m aro/ace and in a relationship ^w^)

Mike is bisexual and has internal biphobia (he doesn’t know you can like both). I like to think he and Steve bond over this and Steve sees his younger self in Mike.

Also, speaking of Steve and Mike, I think Eddie would see his younger self in Will, to parallel. I love parallels

Lucas is a supportive ally and I will gladly fight on this! He’s a sweetheart, let him have nice things!! Like a super cool bi girlfriend!!!

Max is the super cool bi girlfriend!! I love her, and relate to her far too much. So I’m gonna say she doesn’t figure out she’s bi until she moves to Hawkins and has a mini crisis about it, doesn’t tell anyone, and then accepts herself within a month but still doesn’t tell anyone

El has no idea what the LGBTQ+ is until she goes to Chicago and meets Kali. She now knows about gay people! She doesn’t know anything else, tho- (doesn’t understand why ppl treat it like a bad thing) until she goes to California!! So much more information!!! She doesn’t know where she fits in all of it, but she’s super supportive and you know she’ll fight any haters

Dustin is straight, and an ally! A confused ally, but he’s got the spirit!! He has no gaydar, it’s truly unfortunate (but kinda funny, too)

Suzie!! Suzie is straight, but extremely supportive and helps Dustin (everyone) out when they need it- I like to think she learns it all from Eden!

Eden goes by she/they and is also panromantic! She’s also polyamorous and asexual. No I’m not projecting shut up

Murray doesn’t use labels, but he and Alexei are married. Soulmates. Lovers. They love each other so let them love each other.

Murray’s gaydar isn’t as good as Argyle’s, but it’s still pretty on point

Joyce is the most supportive mom ever and she will fight anyone who hurts one of her kids and she will win.

Hopper’s straight, and an eventual ally. He doesn’t support at first cause of how he was raised, but he doesn’t want to hurt the kids and Joyce. Joyce and Murray help him, along with El, Will, Jonathan, and even Suzie somehow!

Erica doesn’t really care for romance right now, nor does she want to claim anything yet. She’s still figuring herself out, even as headstrong as she is. She’s my favorite character, and so everyone is gonna support her of this

This is so long, so I’m gonna make a part two when I have more inspiration/ideas!

[hermionefae]

The Devil's Right Hand Woman

MJF x Original Fem character

Suzie is a undervalued wrestler in AEW but she knows she can be more, in steps MJF who says he can help her, but is he only in it for himself?

Part 1

I walked down the hallway of the Prudential Center on my way back to the women's locker room, pausing to spit put the left over blood pack from my mouth into the bin.

If my mother could see me now she would have been horrified at her only daughter covered in fake blood wearing a bright pink cheerleader wrestling outfit. But as my mother didn't approve of my choice of career I didn't have to worry about her opinion of my appearance.

I entered the locker room where the rest of the other ladies were just packing up, ready to go home. There was still one more match of the night but as that was between the men, us women weren't needed so we could warm down and pack up. I groaned as I sat down, I was feeling pretty beaten up after my match with Britt Baker, a wrestler that I admired and modeled my career on, so when I heard that Tony Kahn had arranged for us to have a match, I was estatic. But, as usual it was pre-planned for me to loose as I had just graduated from a jobber, I still couldn't be seen to beat the great Britt Baker, who had just walked through the door.

"Thanks for a great match Kiddo, you really put me through my paces." Said Britt loosening her boots and stepping out of them. All the other wrestlers called me Kiddo , they couldn't be bothered to learn my name and they thought this was a term of endearment, it wasn't.

"Oh thank you for letting me try out those new spots, I think the crowd loved them" I replied.

"They certainly thought it was something" came Toni Storm's voice from the shower.

Britt rolled her eyes "ignore her, I think you're really coming along."

I sighed "I just wish Tony would let me win for once"

"Well, perhaps you should tell him toots" a male voice answered. My head snapped to the door, some whst painfully after my fight to see MJF, the AEW World Champion in all his glory with belt and wrestling gear on.

"Get out of here Max, this is the woman's locker room and last time I checked you weren't a woman" bit back Britt.

Max held up his hands and smirked at the Doctor. "Sheesh, I'm going anyway, I've got better things to do then hang out with you loosers." And with that he was gone as quickly as he appeared.

"I still can't believe they made him champion" said Toni as she came out of the shower, wrapping a towel around her.

"Don't worry, Adam will take the title from him in London. Then we'll have a real champ" smiled Britt as she got up to go into the shower room, she turned back to me "I meant what I said Kiddo, you'll get your shot soon. Are you coming to the after party? Kenny is hosting at his hotel."

I hadn't planned on going, in fact, I wasn't even aware that I was invited but after the night I had, I needed to have a few drinks to let off some steam. "Yeah sure, why not" I replied.

I showered and changed back into the clothes I arrived in which was just a pair of jeans and a black tight t-shirt. I hoped that this wasn't a dressed up party as I hadn't brought anything like that with me.

Kenny Omega and the other men stayed in a different hotel to most of the women, only the couple like Britt and Adam Cole stayed in the same hotel for obvious reasons. Tonight it seemed that Kenny had booked out the downstairs bar that lead to the outside pool area. It was a warm New York night and I was grateful for the glass of sparkling wine that was given to me once I showed the security guard my AEW pass with my ID.

Everyone was here, even the House of Black and Julia Hart who despite their appearances when they were in character were actually the nicest people in AEW. Juila was the only one who actually called me by name. She spotted me and waved me over.

"Hey Suzie, I didn't know you were coming tonight"

"Yes, well I needed to blow off some steam and im not booked for a while so I can have lots of drinks before I get back to training"

"That's my girl" cheered Julia as she passed me a tequila shot. I quickly downed my wine, licked the salt from the back of my hand, shot the tequila and finally bit into the lemon, shivering from the alcohol and bitterness of the lemon.

My night went by in a flash after that in a whirlwind of alcohol and laughter. I even got to speak with Kenny and the Young Bucks who were a great laugh but the night was winding down now as the sun was threatening to come up and I was trying to work out in my drunk mind how to get back to the hotel whilst I was laying on the sun lounger.

"Getting a head start on your tan toots?" I looked up to see MJF once again.

"Maxwell Jacob Friedman, what do I owe the pleasure" I slurred

"I think I understood that, I just thought I saw a damsel in distress thst might need saving"

"Like you care"

Max sat down next to me "despite what you may think of me, I'm not a bad person Kiddo"

"Suzie" I corrected him.

"What?"

"My name is Suzie, Susan actually but I prefer Susie"

Max held out his hand "you can call me Max"

I took his outstretched hand and instead of him shaking it he brought it to his lips and kissed the back of it. " Now I heard on the grapevine that you were a little pissed off with the matches Khan had been booking you in"

"He treats me like a jobber but I know I can be more. I am more"

"Hmmm seems to me that you need an image change. Plus a new training reigme. I can help with both"

I was shocked "really? Why?"

"I won't tell you my reasons now, you won't remember them. I just want you to trust me. Can you Suzie? Trust me?"

"Fine " I said, without thinking.

Part 2 here

[dinitride-art]

Lighting and Stranger Things Season Four - Full Analysis (Pt.37)

Now where where we? Ah, yes. In the pit of despair. So, after the monologue, Vecna gets his shit rocked by everyone. My favourite thing in season four (besides the lighting and Will) is in this part of episode nine. And I have wanted to talk about it for like. Three months. 

S4:E9 - FIRE!!!! (#1)

So, Murrays got a flame thrower. In the latter half of the Vecna battle, it’s all fire. The fire has a few distinct characteristics that are emphasized when we see it. First, it’s intentional and directed. Like Murray with his flame thrower, he aims it and intentionally fires at a target. Second, the people fighting with fire are our characters that we’re rooting for. That’s their weapon of choice, not Vecna’s. And thirdly, and most importantly, the fire we are shown has two distinct colours. And yes, while this is just science because blue fire is hotter than yellow and orange- our attention is drawn to this aspect of fire in these shots. These two colours.

Blue and yellow.

Nancy, Steve and Robin are freed from the vines. A few notes about their costuming; Robin has a red hat and a vest, Nancy has a gun and pink nail polish, and Steve has visible patches and his watch is in shot. Will Byers in season one episode one, was wearing a red vest and notably had a shotgun. Eddie, when he dies, tries to get away on a bike. The bikes this season have had different tones of light, Eddie and Robin’s being the brightest when compared to Steve and Nancy. In the second half of the Vecna fight Robin, Nancy and Eddie have objects around them and on them, that point to Will in season one, episode one. 

“God, we need Will,” is a line that persists all throughout season four. Max draws the Creel house, they communicate with the lights in the Upside Down, Max confronts Vecna, they track Vecna with the lights. They’re doing exactly what Will has already done. They’re piggybacking off of Will’s experiences. 

Hopper picks up this sword after Murray sets everyone on fire. The way that this is shot, makes me think that this sword is more than just a symbol of protection and bravery. And all that sword stuff. We’re meant to look at it and make connections. Important objects have emphasis- like Will’s painting, and the fire, and the stained glass window behind El. We are meant to look at them. 

Within Stranger Things, there is one specific sword that comes to my mind. The sword outside of Castle Byers. Another connection to Will. 

The lights here are yellow and blue. Like the fire was. Yellow and Blue are Mike and Will’s colours, and Mike and Will were absent from the main supernatural arc this season. Even in a different country- Joyce, Hopper and Murray managed to get themselves involved in the Upside Down. El was learning about her past, everyone in Hawkins was dealing with Vecna- but Mike, Will, Jonathan and Argyle were visiting Suzie. And having heart to hearts. And finding El. They had nearly no connection to anything happening in Hawkins. But everything in this last half of the battle seems to be saying they should’ve been there. 

Steve throws the first molotov cocktail. But Robin is more interesting. She’s got her vest and red hat which I mentioned before, but now we can see that even the cloth in her molotov cocktail is red. Red like Coca Cola, and blood, and the accents on Will’s cloths in season one and three. Like the heart on Will’s painting. 

We get a close up slow-mo shot of this thing flying through the air. We’ve got red and blue accents, which if we’re in line with the Snow Ball- mean forced conformity. The fire, like Murray’s flame thrower, is blue and yellow. There’s a lot going on here. Especially the fact that the name of the alcohol is ‘Balfour’. 

The setting that they’re in is blue- this contrasts the fire really well. I also just wanted to mention the stuff they put into each frame? Like there’s different colours and overlays and circles of light, and it’s a whole lot of editing. I think it’s really cool. There’s just so much that’s been put into this scene.

Hopper cuts off the demogorgon's right arm. The left arm is the Vecna related one. So this could be furthering the idea that they’re losing this fight because they went about it the wrong way. Another thing is that Hopper (and Joyce’s) Jacket is red and blue. And the setting is somewhat red and blue tinted. That also points to themes of forced conformity, as was established by the Snow Ball in both season two, and in this season when we went back there with Max. 

They set Vecna on fire. And we’ve got more red and blue.

I’m counting twenty vines connected to Vecna, which is a bad number for him to be associated with. Twenty is A. the highest roll on a twenty sided die, and B. a critical hit. If you roll a twenty on an attack role then you double the numbers you roll on the damage dice (usually- some classes have other things when you roll a twenty). And if you roll a twenty elsewhere, like say a death save (when you are at zero hit points and dying. You have three death saves. You fail three, you die, you succeed on three, you live.) you stabilize and gain a hit point. So if Vecna’s rolling 20′s- it’s bad. Erica rolled a 20 and beat Vecna in Hellfire. Maybe Vecna’s doing the same shit- but reversed.

The Creel house dissapates when Vecna is set on fire. The outside intervention is what made him leave. El fighting him didn’t seem to have an effect on that. 

There’s something weird going on with all this. Because El looks confused as it all fades to black. When El finds people, she’s usually isolated to that person- not their surroundings. When she found Billy in season three, he was already taken by the Mind Flayer. Henry’s powers appear to be focused more on this plane than the outside world. Where as El is some what the opposite of that.

Vecna doesn’t throw Robin, Steve and Nancy across the room. Or break their arms. Most of what El does is absent in Vecna’s fighting, when he’s not in some ones head. 

Sure, he’s on fire and standing- something that may indicate fire is not exactly his weakness. At least in this state- or the fire is being thrown by the wrong people. But they’re not dead, and if El were in a position like this, the people in front of would not be like that for very long.

Robin picks up the red molotov cocktail. Her (pink/red) nail polish covers the ‘four’ and we’re left with ‘Bal’.

She’s literally throwing a fucking fireball at him.

And we’re meant to notice it.

Like, we’re REALLY meant to notice it. This one shot goes on for a hot second.

We’re also meant to notice that Robin is the one throwing it. Steve’s throw wasn’t anything this. It’s the angles and timing and we’re just meant to see Robin in a way we weren't meant to see Steve. She’s got the vest, the rolled up sleeves, the red, she’s gay- all of these things are saying Will in season one- because that’s what they’re all trying to do. 

But they’re not Will. 

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 25.1 25.2 25.3 26 27 28 29 29.1 30 30.1 31 31.1 32 32.1 33 34 35 36 37 (To be edited)

[c0usingreg]

💖 Ace/Aro Dustin Headcannon 💖

In response to this ask on @nancysglock page. Just wanted to share some thoughts (decided to make my own post for etiquette once I realized how long it had gotten) on this because I love Dustin/Gaten. Also check out this very sincere response by @untitled-byler-blog (hoping I can help put to words why it exactly "feels right" at least in my pov)

I dont think Dustin being headcanoned as ace/aro has any thing to do with his disability or lack of "conventional attractiveness". He is just as charming, cute, and lovable as all the other characters!! But his relationships with others seem to be portrayed a lot differently than the rest of the characters. He actually seems to be the only main character who's story arch isn't dependent (or at least highly influenced by) their love interest/story.

And I find that especially interesting since he was quite vocal about wanting a girlfriend in S2. He went after Max, and when he couldn't get her, he tried to talk to multiple girls at the snowball dance. He wanted a girlfriend, but it didn't seem to matter who it was. He was more occupied with the idea of it than the reality and the actual feelings involved. Even Steve had to explain to him that it feels different. He takes that information and they make a note to show you he can see the spark between Lucas and Max, so he knows what it is and what it looks like. But it never feels like he, himself, gets that feeling for anyone in the show. This seems to be intentional writing.

Honestly, the most 'spark' I remember getting from him around any girl was Nancy when she danced with him. But she's more like someone he respects and looks up to. She's more of a big sister figure to him than she is to Mike. I think it falls under the assumption that he is just very respectful towards her in a way because he sees her as just another human being (albeit of the opposite gender) and is able to connect with her for who she really is and acknowledge all her good qualities. There's that same kind of respect when he interacts with Suzie (and Steve and Eddie tbh). He is constantly talking her up and saying she's smart and pretty but we don't see any build up or spark for his relationship with her. Like, everything is in the right place for a relationship to work, but it's not really shown. And even when they do talk "lovey dovey" in s3 it's very innocent and naive. As if they are going off of what they learned in a cheesy romantic movie (like The Muppet Movie or Gone with the Wind or something) rather than genuine romantic tension. Once again, more preoccupied with the idea of the relationship being romantic when it feels more like a close friendship with cutesy nicknames.

All of which is completely fine! Dustin gives the vibes of "I found an awesome girl who is pretty, smart, and funny. I enjoy talking to her and thats enough for me. That's all I want." And he goes on about the rest of the s3 and s4 plotlines without much worry about over it. He has his girlfriend, he's happy, and now he can focus on other things! His story and character arch are more revolvant around his friendships and interactions with the other characters around him.

It's interesting then, to see him paired with Steve, who is doing the same thing Dustin was doing in S2. However, the stark contrast here is that Steve in S1 is set up to be a bad boy/player type character, but he refuses to settle for just anyone so instead he evolves into more of a "clearly attracted to women but also desperately looking for the emmotional connection to go along with it". He's willing to go on multiple dates/sleep with multiple girls but can't seem to find one that he clicks with. He wants something deeper and he's running around like mad trying to find it.

A side note as well, Dustin pushing Steve towards Robin is very telling. He sees the connection between them but can't distinguish the difference between it being romantic and platonic. He almost just assumes if you get along really well with someone of the opposite gender, you should date them. Which clearly is not the case with Robin and Steve.

So I can definitely see why people identify with Dustin being aro/ace just because he interacts with people in a very unique way. (And that's good! That's why we love him so much! He literally cares so much for everyone and has so much respect for people just as they are!) But I think to discredit his character and reduce aro/ace to being just because 'you don't think he's attractive' or 'because he has a disability' is very tone deaf and offensive to people who really identify with him.

That being said, if there is actually anyone who headcanons him aro/ace because of that, you can gtfo!! Honestly, disability or not, Gaten is very attractive and his personality makes him even more so! Being ableist or just plain shallow is not welcome around here! But in my opinion most people who would hc him as such only do so because they can really see themselves in the way he views and interacts with the people around him.

Hopefully all that made sense 💖 Dustin is a big cinnamon roll and him being aro/ace is very plausible to me. I, for one, am not big on labels so I don't feel the need to fit him or anyone else into a specific box but still 100% see it. Especially when all the other characters have subplots involving tension between them and their s/o for any number of reasons where as Dustin does not. And that has nothing to do with the two things the anon mentioned.

(Also I dont want to shy away from the fact that Dustin can be disabled and/or "conventionally unattractive" and aro/ace that's very valid! 💖)

[cirque-dhomosexual]

Stranger things season 5 things I think would be really cool to see/ hope to see (in no particular order) :

Nancy being sapphic. Idc how it gets done but she needs to give in to her gay tendencies

Along that line of thinking, Ronance moments (bonus if they become a canon couple)

Karen going ape shit. I want her to fucking snap. I Need her to Mcgyver a weapon like Nancy and just go fucking crazy with it

Mr. Hauser or Mr. Clark making an appearance

Ted just disappears. We dont know where he went but he vanishes (ugh fine maybe he can get a character saving moment and shift into war™ mode. I can see him with dirt under his eyes, sleeves ripped, and tie wraped around his forehead like Rambo)

Karen protects Will and then calls him family

Joyce and Karen team up

Hopper causes a big explosion and hes proud of it

Max doesnt die

Elmax/lumax/Elumax moments

Dustin gets a hug. He needs it.

Suzy instructing them on how to synthesize napalm. It works???

Nancy kisses Robin on the lips

Johnathan is seen being a good big brother to El (pls. Im starving for byers sibling moments that isnt just Johnathan and Will)

Similar to that, El and Will being the siblings ever (Yes! I believe in byers twin supremacy)

Will gets a haircut (pls its been 7 years, let it go babes)

Will learns how to puppet master the shits from the upside down. Idk how he does it but he needs to fist fight/shoot vecna

They have a shooting competition and Nancy and Will get seriously competative. (mike is some how the worst shot of the group)

LOVE FOR LUCAS!!! PLEASE!!!! MY BOY!!! LET HIM BE HAPPY FOR ONCE!!! I CANNOT STAND THIS LUCAS NEGLECT

Lucas <3

Erica needs to full on deck a bitch. I dont know who or care but she deserves to break a bitch's nose.

Robin listens to the Cranberries

Big sister Nancy and big brother Mike moments with Holly (i feel like we deserve to see it, as a treat)

Nancy and Mike being siblings <3

Holly has to do something badass that no one expected. Like homegirl stared down a demogorgon, come on.

[trashratsaws]

Hispanic Steddie please and thanks.

Wayne Munson seeing Eddie bring Steve home for the first time and asking Eddie "Mijo, qué hace este mamon en mi casa?" only for Steve to cough awkwardly and walk up to him going "Mucho gusto, señor."

Eddie and Steve hanging together in the trailer living room listening to the radio and a truly delicious salsa comes on and Steve stands and pulls Eddie up with him to start dancing. A lot of Corroded Coffin's songs having a subtle latin beat to them.

Pet names extending from "hey, sweetheart" and "babe" and "big boy" to "mi amor/ mi vida" and "guapo" and "corazon" and "princesa" (Eddie already calls Steve princess in English but why not make him feel all flustered in both languages right?)

The pair talking dirty to each other in Spanish in public or when they're around their friends to fluster each other without anybody knowing what they're saying (not that Nancy and Robin need to know exactly what's being said for them to gag at how red Eddie gets when Steve whispers something in Eddie's ear they can't understand). Dustin constantly killing the mood by going "What does 'belleza' mean?" while butchering the pronunciation. Max knowing Spanish because Billy taught her and having to shout at them to please shut up with the gross nicknames, it's enough to hear them being annoying in english.

After a while, Dustin asking Steve to teach him so that he can romance Suzie, who knows like, seven different languages. The Byers being second generation, and Mike (embarrassed as all get out) asking Eddie to show him how to say "I like you" so that he can confess to Will.

Wayne calling Steve "hijo" for the first time while he's over at the trailer waiting for Eddie to get ready to go out, and Steve nearly breaking down crying.

Eddie learning how to play some truly sickly sweet love songs on guitar (learning the fingering for some of that latin guitar is truly stuff of nightmares, but he pushes through it for Steve)

Steve forgetting words in english more and more often (that head trauma is no joke) and constantly amusing everyone with "you know the... the thing... the- como es queue see llama esa mierda?" and being relieved when Eddie turns out to understand him and offers to translate.

Hispanic Steddie.