#s4 missing scenes we are so back baby

[loveinhawkins]

ao3

About twenty minutes into the hike, Steve hears Eddie’s breathing change.

They’re bringing up the rear, but they’re still close enough for some of the group’s conversations to be within earshot—Robin and Nancy leading in a silently agreed upon formation, despite Dustin holding the compass. That way, no matter what, the kids are shielded.

Speaking of the kids, they’re currently having a passionate discussion about who among them will reach the Gate the fastest—and yeah, there’s not a chance in hell that’s happening, Steve thinks, but they don’t need to know that yet.

It’s when the debate specifically turns to who’s the best swimmer that he notices the switch in Eddie’s breathing, air sucked in through clenched teeth. A glance behind confirms Steve’s suspicions; Eddie’s breaking away from the party, his face white, eyes steadfastly on the forest floor.

Steve leaves him be, doesn’t draw any attention to it—but he keeps watch in his peripheral, so he spots exactly when Eddie staggers off, soon swallowed up by the trees. He can still hear his footsteps, though, which is reassuring.

Slowly, making sure it seems casual, Steve bends down and picks up the smallest rock he can find, rubs his thumb across it to make sure the edges are smooth enough.

He throws, hits his target: the back of Dustin’s head.

Predictably, Dustin whirls around, mouth already open to voice his indignation.

Steve quickly puts a finger to his lips.

While Dustin doesn’t look all that thrilled about it, he obligingly stays silent. He’s damn quick on the uptake, of course; Steve can see the spark of understanding in his eyes when he notices that Eddie is missing.

He steps forward with urgency, but Steve’s just as quick to shake his head.

No, it’s okay. I’m on it.

He knows it’s not a coincidence that Eddie left so quietly—that having the kids see him in another moment of vulnerability is probably too much to handle on top of the ongoing nightmare he’s found himself in. Steve gets it; God, if he were in Eddie’s shoes, he’d be taking any opportunity that he could to get some privacy.

Even without words, it’s obvious that Dustin wants to protest, frowning hard.

Steve raises an eyebrow meaningfully. Dude, trust me.

Dustin heaves a silent, dramatic sigh, but he nods all the same.

Steve gestures for the water bottle Dustin’s got in his backpack. Mimes for Dustin to throw it to him.

Dustin brings out the bottle, but doesn’t throw it immediately, like he’s doubtful Steve will make the catch.

Steve rolls his eyes. Seriously? Dickhead.

Dustin rolls his eyes right back.

When he throws the bottle, Steve catches it one-handed as a point of pride.

Dustin’s theatrics grow: he gasps, all slack-jawed, wide-eyed disbelief; Steve flips him off.

Then Dustin taps his watch deliberately.

Steve softens, gives him a brief thumbs up before following where Eddie went. He looks back a couple of times, reassured by the sight of Robin and Nancy stopping and rearranging themselves so the group formation is kept up in his absence.

It doesn’t take long to find Eddie. He hears him first, harsh, bitten off retching—and while that’s not exactly a surprise, the sound still makes Steve’s heart sink.

Eddie’s doubled over, leaning against a tree with one hand. Steve feels a sudden impulse to pull his hair back for him but resists it—remembers Eddie violently flinching away from any touch in the boathouse.

So he just makes sure his presence is nice and obvious without being overwhelming—takes leisurely, even footsteps. He sits down opposite, just close enough that Eddie could reach out if he needed to.

But he doesn’t. He’s barely stopped retching before he’s trying to straighten up, grip slipping against the bark. Steve winces at the thought of splinters digging into his palm.

“Woah, man, take it easy—”

“M’fine,” Eddie mutters. He scoffs harshly, wipes his mouth with the back of his hand. He’s shaking. “This is kinda normal for me now.”

His head’s still half bowed, hair falling across his face like he doesn’t want to be seen. It doesn’t stop Steve from noticing the evidence of tears on his face; he thinks they’re simply from the exertion of throwing up, but he can’t be sure.

“Just—just give yourself a minute,” Steve says. “We’ve got time.”

He stretches out right there on the ground, slow and deliberate. It takes a second or two before Eddie—after another wobbly attempt at standing—mirrors him: sinking down until he’s sat, back pressed up against the tree trunk.

Steve listens to his breathing. It’s lost that nauseated gritted teeth sound, but it hitches once, twice, and then—

“I can’t stop—” Eddie covers his face with his hands.

Steve shuffles closer. “You’re okay.”

But Eddie shakes his head. He drops his hands, leans his head back against the tree. His eyes are distant. Haunted. Steve doesn’t need to guess about what he’s seeing.

“Eddie—”

“You know the funniest thing?” Eddie gasps out, like it isn’t funny at all. “I keep thinking if—if only I hadn’t ditched swimming lessons, I might’ve l-learned something fucking useful.”

At a loss for what to say, Steve tries for something normal. Thinks back to high school, something far away from all of this…

“You showed up to swimming,” he says. “I remember.”

He does, though it’s faint.

Honestly, he spent as little time as he could changing in the showers, wanting to make the most out of time in the pool. He didn’t even goof off with Tommy H or any of the other guys, preferring to do solo laps in the deep end. It was repetitive, calming; he treated it like a vacation from the adrenaline of being on the swim team.

Then came that November, and the whole routine became an escape from much more.

Eddie gives him a look that might’ve passed for amusement at one point, if his breathing wasn’t still so shallow.

“Yeah, I—I showed up for, like, the first week, Harrington. Fucking Lewinsky stole my clothes, you only let that kinda thing happen once.”

“I’m sorry,” Steve says sincerely. “I didn’t know.”

A wan flicker of a smile passes across Eddie’s face. “Of course you didn’t,” he says. It’s not an accusation. “You were, like, way too busy being part fish.”

Steve huffs a laugh through his nose, but Eddie doesn’t join in. Instead his breathing quickens, like the distraction of high school hasn’t been nearly enough.

“It’s just—I should’ve been more—should’ve known h-how to—” He shakes his head again. Swallows. “After Chr—”

He chokes on her name.

Steve reaches out, only to hesitate and leave his hand hovering in the air between them. “Hey, man, there’s nothing you could’ve—”

“What if it’s not a coincidence?” Eddie whispers. “What if there’s—there’s a… there’s gotta be a reason that—that it’s me.”

Steve moves closer still. Draws back at the last second; Eddie’s still trembling.

“That’s bullshit,” Steve says firmly.

Eddie laughs bitterly. “Is it? D-don’t fucking kid yourself, Harrington, s’not exactly looking good. Two people died r-right in front of me, and I just…” He presses the heels of his hands to his eyes. “I’d arrest me.”

“Stop, would you just—”

“Come on, man. You’ve gotta know, even if Wheeler and Buckley are still too polite to say it.” Eddie’s voice is soft in resignation. “I’m just wasting your time.”

It’s Steve’s turn to scoff. “Do you seriously think we’d be doing all of this if we thought you were a lost cause?”

Eddie shrugs, the sleeves of his leather jacket scraping against the bark. “There’s only so many signs a guy can ignore, right? Hell, even my watch has stopped, like I’m literally outta fucking time.”

“Okay, no wonder you failed English,” Steve says, “that is overwrought as shit, dude.”

The jab doesn’t quite land—his barely concealed worry just makes him sound sharp. Fraught.

But Eddie’s eyes widen in surprise, and he finally seems speechless, and this is it, Steve realises, the one chance he has to get through to him.

“Nothing prepares you for this shit, Eddie,” he says—thinks of 1983, of seeing the impossible. Terrified out of his mind. “I mean it, there’s nothing you could’ve done. Nothing,” he adds pointedly, when it looks like Eddie might protest. “Chrissy, Patrick, it’s fucking awful what they—but it’s not—not a, um. Not a reflection on—it’s not your fault.”

It’s not enough, Steve knows it—feels acutely like a shitty school guidance counsellor, only able to parrot empty platitudes. He has to dig deeper.

He looks at Eddie directly, unflinching. Can read the fear lurking in his eyes, the one he keeps dancing around.

A fierce emotion floods Steve’s chest—like being flung into the deep end without warning, the water already over your head before you can take a breath.

He’s felt it before, mixed up in a wave of anger as he watched Powell raise that goddamn picture to the camera.

Don’t you go believing a word this town says about you, Eddie Munson. Don’t you dare.

Steve braves a touch, places a hand on Eddie’s knee. Eddie doesn’t move.

“You’re not the curse, Eddie. There’s nothing wrong with you.”

Eddie shudders. He looks away, but not quick enough to hide the definite tears this time.

Steve waits. He doesn’t move his hand for a long moment.

When Eddie’s finished roughly wiping at his face with his sleeve, Steve hands over the water bottle. He’s silently relieved that Eddie takes it without a fight, like accepting even this smallest amount of help means there’s still a part of him that hasn’t given up yet.

There’s still hope.

After a few sips, Eddie sets the water bottle aside. He’s breathing deeper now, and when he looks up, his eyes have that keen, almost analytical gaze.

“What’s…?” he murmurs, and then he’s the one that’s reaching out, as if without thinking, fingertips lightly brushing against Steve’s forehead.

He feels cold, Steve thinks. Like he’s still half frozen from falling into the lake.

“Did you… cut yourself on something?” Eddie says.

Steve’s about to say no automatically before he remembers.

“Right, yeah. Um, our flashlights kinda… exploded when…”

He trails off. Watches with sympathy as Eddie fills in the gaps.

“Oh,” Eddie says very quietly.

He keeps following the trail of the cut—Steve can still feel the chill of him: the light pressure travelling across his skin, like Eddie needs the motion to stay calm.

“Ow,” Eddie says, hushed, almost as if it happened to him, too. “You’re lucky you didn’t get glass in your eye, dude.”

Steve doesn’t say what he’s thinking—that he’d have dealt with it, that he would’ve been fine—because he thinks he understands: that maybe by focusing on something small, it helps keep Eddie here, temporarily blocks out the sight of Chrissy and Patrick’s deaths.

He checks his watch. They’re just creeping up on fifteen minutes; they’d better make tracks soon.

He stands but not abruptly, conscious of not rushing Eddie unnecessarily.

“If we cut across, uh, this way,” he demonstrates with one hand as Eddie gets to his feet, “we’ll catch up pretty quick. Don’t need Henderson’s compass to tell me the way. Honestly, he acts like he knows places better than me when I’ve known them, like, all my life. He does it all the damn time.”

Eddie lets out a laugh that still sounds slightly wet; he sniffs as if to cover up the sound. His smile is shaky at best, but it seems genuine.

“Man, he does that to me, too. What is up with that? Last week, he swore he found some shortcut to the Hellfire room that I’d be totally unaware of, like I’ve not spent forever in the damn building.”

He falls into step with Steve as they walk on, and Steve catches the very slight grimace he makes as he swallows.

Steve checks his jeans pocket. It turns out luck is on his side, at least for this: he’s got a couple of mints, still unwrapped.

When he offers some to Eddie, he gets a heartfelt thanks in reply. But at the same time, Eddie also looks suspiciously close to fighting a smirk.

“What?”

“Nothing!” But the smirk’s definitely won; Eddie tucks the mint into the corner of his mouth as he says, “Just didn’t realise I was getting the full Skull Rock experience.”

It takes a second for Steve to catch on. “The experience—?”

Eddie’s smirk grows. “Your reputation precedes you.”

Steve snorts. “Fuck off, are you twelve?”

“Maybe,” Eddie says, halfway to singsong.

Steve shakes his head, half in amusement, half in thought. Sharing juvenile kisses with girls at Skull Rock feels a world away, almost like it happened to someone else. That’s not even why the mints were in his pocket in the first place—not that he’s gonna put a dampener on Eddie’s teasing or anything. In truth, the habit began the night after Starcourt, using a mint—despite his stinging mouth—to help keep himself awake.

Of course he doesn’t say all of that. Chooses instead to nudge Eddie in the side, fighting a smirk of his own.

Eddie acts like he’s been dramatically winded in response, makes a crack about how that move wouldn’t fall under the Skull Rock experience.

Steve thinks he’s getting a handle on how to read him, charting the improvement of his mood through just how stupid he sounds—when smiling no longer seems like it’ll fracture his face from the strain.

By the time they catch up with the others, they’re both stifling laughter (Steve keeps having to remind himself that this is technically a stealth mission), Eddie reaching across to mess with Steve’s hair in retaliation for being repeatedly nudged in the ribs. His hands feel warmer now, Steve realises with a smile, as he pushes Eddie back with a forearm against his chest.

For the most part, it looks like their disappearances haven’t been noticed—Nancy quietly moving to rejoin Robin at the front as if by chance. Steve knows better, knows everything has been carefully coordinated to look that way; as Eddie relaxes at his side, he feels a rush of gratitude for the group’s tact.

Granted, Dustin kind of breaks the illusion when he turns around and starts walking backwards—but what he lacks in subtlety he makes up for in entertainment: using needlessly big, questioning gestures, brow furrowed in concentration.

When Dustin widens his eyes impatiently, Steve relents and nudges Eddie again. “He’s not gonna stop til you respond, trust me.”

“Hmm? Oh.”

Eddie lifts up Dustin’s water bottle with a grin and gives a thumbs up with his free hand.

Dustin brightens, replying with a thumbs up of his own—still stubbornly walking backwards like it’s simply his preferred way to travel.

“Gonna bet on how long it takes for him to fall flat on his face?” Steve says in an undertone.

Eddie snorts in a way that can’t be disguised as anything else, though he gives it a shot with the world’s least convincing cough. He gives up in the next breath, chuckling through a, “Steve,” in joking disapproval, like Steve’s such a terrible influence, which just sets them both off again.

Dustin’s probably too far away to hear them properly, but he’s clearly got the gist, eyes narrowing in suspicion. He does a series of emphatic gestures that Steve can’t make sense of; it just looks like he’s doing a complicated mime for charades.

Eddie must get the same impression because he soon calls out with a shit-eating grin, “Book or movie?”

Dustin flips them both off, but he can’t quite pull off the deadpan expression, his lips twitching, and Steve knows for sure that he’s hiding a laugh when he turns back around to walk with Max and Lucas.

Eddie smiles as if he’s noticed the same thing. He jostles their shoulders one last time, and it feels like there’s something more intentional behind it. A touch that lingers.

It’s easy when there’s still a long walk ahead of them—when there’s still daylight—to be convinced that they’ve got all the time in the world. Steve’s become kind of an expert at it: in his head, he could make swimming lessons last forever.

But even that old trick doesn’t last; he feels the clock restart as soon as that damn vine wraps around his ankle, cold and unyielding.

In the split second before being dragged under the lake, all he can think is thank God the kids aren’t here.

The thought follows him all the way into The Upside Down—later joined by the fervent wish that he could somehow summon up Dustin’s water bottle, as his head spins through the hopefully staunched bat bites.

“Christ, Harrington,” Eddie says when the dizziness persists, and Steve barely catches himself before falling against a vineless tree. “D’you ever take your own advice?”

“What?” Steve says faintly.

He screws up his eyes, forces himself to blink until his vision doesn’t waver—braces his weight against the tree with a sigh, ready to push himself up—

But Eddie’s hand is suddenly on top of his, halting him.

“Just… wait,” Eddie says. “Just a minute.”

Steve doesn’t know if it is a minute; he tries to keep track in his head, but the seconds slip away from him, and all he can focus on is each breath he takes, until they lose that gasping edge, grow deeper. Slower.

The world sharpens around him, like he’s been underwater without realising and has finally broken through to the surface. He feels the muted scratch of damp wood beneath his palm. The pressure of Eddie’s hand—not enough to hurt, but enough for Steve to tell that he’s still freaked out.

“I’m okay,” he says, looking Eddie in the eye. Does his best to silently project the sentiment of I’m not gonna collapse on you, I promise. “We’re not far from Nancy’s place.”

He can see a flicker of light just ahead, off to the side—thankfully not spots in his vision, just the flashlight he gave to Robin and Nancy; he’d tried to make it sound like he was doing them a favour when he actually thought it’d be best to leave both his hands free, just in case he did end up collapsing. At least he’d have a chance to brace for a fall.

There’s an uncertain air to how the girls are walking, and Steve suspects they feel a little like him: at a loss without the kids sandwiched between them. Now the usual priorities are thrown to the wind; what do you do when you want to shield everyone, all at once?

Eddie’s surveying him like he’s far from convinced by his definition of ‘okay.’

Still, he laughs weakly and says, “Good to know your navigating skills still work in this fucking hellhole.”

Steve’s hand shifts beneath Eddie’s as he stands up properly; it’s only then that Eddie moves away.

“Not far, not far,” he’s muttering under his breath, like he’s trying to reassure himself. His voice cracks in quiet desperation, “God, how long have we even been down here?”

Steve glances down to his wrist. He’s met with a watch face that’s smashed, jagged cracks running through it so he can’t even read the time it must’ve stopped at.

“Hey,” Steve says wryly, tilting his wrist so Eddie can see, “we match.”

Eddie doesn’t laugh, doesn’t even crack a smile. His eyes just go all big and dismayed, like he’s looking at something far worse than a broken watch.

Steve suddenly wants to tell him that it’s fine, to cover up his wrist like it’s somehow more gruesome than the wounds on his stomach—maybe it is, because Eddie keeps staring like he’s bleeding out right in front of him.

“Shit, Steve,” Eddie whispers with this horrible, helpless little laugh—almost like he’s on the verge of tears. He sounds like he did after throwing up, trying to say that something was funny when it was anything but. “You’ve had that forever.”

And Steve feels a rush of something still too big and complex to name, flickers of emotion too rapid to keep track of: the initial pang of sadness he’d pushed aside because the watch had been his grandfather’s, after all; wondering faintly what classes Eddie had shared with him, that would allow him enough time to notice something so small, you’ve had that forever—

So what? Steve thinks. So what, what does it fucking matter?

He’d rip the watch off if it’d help, Eddie’s too, stamp and grind them down until they’re indistinguishable from the ash in this place, and who gives a shit if it’s overwrought, it doesn’t have to mean anything—they still have time; they’re owed it.

He doesn’t do any of that, because the ground shakes again, and he’s ready—anticipates the stumble Eddie makes and reaches out to correct it.

They land safely away from any vines.

Eddie’s hand is clamped around his wrist, right at the part where the watch strap used to rub against his skin—back in sophomore year, when he’d always put it on too tight in fear of losing it; “Sorry, sorry,” Eddie’s mouthing, out of breath from the fall, but Steve’s holding on just as tightly, can feel Eddie’s pulse thundering beneath his fingertips.

And it’s so fast and frantic that Steve thinks he can hear it, too, a sound that he can’t get away from, in spite of it all: like a clock ticking. Counting down.

WRIST WATCH The explosive time shackle That never goes off Eternal zero Synchronize your deaths —Philip Murray

[urhoneycombwitch]

my baby puts his mouth on me

foreword: okay this is kind of written as a bonus scene for i know what they call you bc that version of reader deals with being quiet, too! (not necessary to read that one first but does provide a bit of context as far as interpersonal setting.) sort-of AU that ignores most s4 events. anon request can b found here 💖

wc: 2.2k

cw: discussions of college, shy!reader, oral + fingering (R receiving), R has breasts and a V, weed usage, softdom!Eddie, shifting POV a bit soz 

___

Somewhere between Eddie’s late nights at band rehearsal and your early morning diner shifts, you’ve both been too exhausted to properly fuck when you do see each other, barely time for a spare handjob in the past week. You’re crawling out of your skin by the weekend, missing and craving Eddie in equal measure.

So when your Saturday off happens to line up with his, Eddie makes an afternoon of it- picnic lunch on the shore of Lover’s Lake, lazing around in the August sun while your food settles, then stripping down to your underclothes (even though the spot Eddie scored was totally isolated, you’re still leery about skinny dipping) and cooling off with a quick dip in the lake.

You’re both sprawled out in the blanketed back of Eddie’s van, sun-warmed bodies pressed together, legs dangling out of the open rear door; smoke hangs hazy in the air from the joint being shared. 

“Almost end of summer,” Eddie says, nestling his nose into your neck, arms wrapping around your middle. He can’t look at you, dread unfurling in his stomach but needing to ask, to clear the air, to prepare in case this is one of the last times he gets to touch you like this- “Thinkin’ of going to any colleges?”

”Maybe.” One of your hands slides into Eddie’s hair, scratching gently at his scalp while the other lifts the joint to your lips for a long drag. “They love me at the diner and I make good tips, so I’ll prob’ly keep doing that. Can’t afford anything fancy, anyways- I’ll likely just go to Hawkins Community.”

You still haven’t told him the full story of the mall fire, yet- or about the underground world simmering beneath the surface. He never pushes you to share more than you’re comfortable, which you’re grateful for, but he knows something happened: something that paints your sleep with dark night terrors, something that causes you to slip in the middle of conversations, mind spiraling where he can’t follow. 

For reasons you can’t fully explain to Eddie, college is real low on your priority list- you’ve dedicated this summer to reconnecting with base instincts (weed and Pretty Boy being at the top of the list).

Meanwhile, Eddie tries to still the vibrant thrum of his heart at the news of you staying local, possibly for the next few years; he lifts his head to press his lips against your collarbone. “You should go to college. Jus’ try it out, at least. You’re certainly smart enough.”

“Mmm-” you hum around the joint, another inhale-exhale of smoke before murmuring, “So are you. For the record. We could apply to be nerds together, if you want-”

With a sharp gasp, your sentence drops out of midair when Eddie kisses over your nipple, already peaking through the thin material of your bra. In his hair, your grip tightens, and Eddie groans.

In one fluid movement, he props himself into his elbows on either side of your torso, bottom half of his weight pinning you in place, plucking the smoldering joint from your grasp to dampen it into a nearby ashtray.

“Gonna be my little student,” Eddie says, wet kisses trailing down your neck, flash of teeth making you squirm. “Get you some academic… skirts. The ones with the pleats. Maybe some stockings…”

“You’re so- oh, fuck- dirty…” It’s hard to keep the admonishment in your voice as Eddie noses between your thighs, bumping at your clit through the thin cover of high-cut cotton.

“Mm-hmm.” He seems pleased with the already-visible wet patch, your core leaking steadily as he burrows deeper, until all his senses are blacked-out with nothing but the sharp tang of your honeyed arousal- who needs weed. He could get high off your smell alone.

Eddie suckles at your throbbing clit, purring encouragement low in his throat when your hips jolt forward. “And you love it.”

He’s one deep inhale from being completely pussy-drunk, mouthing sloppily at the junction where thigh meets pelvis, nibble fingers toying at the band of your underwear. He slides them down and off your legs, and you let him, wiggling in anticipation against the pressure he’s keeping you pinned with.

“Could take an electrician course.” Well aware of how close to the wire this conversation is sliding, you let the crown of your head tip back, staring at the van’s ceiling, handfuls of the flannel floor blanket squeezed into fists as you try getting one last word in- “You’re good with your h- hands.”

Said hand is cupping your bare sex, warm and wide between the V of your legs, other hand pushing your thigh back to spread you wide, obscene and on display how Eddie likes; embarrassment blooms hot in your chest as he runs a finger through your folds, slick practically loud against the far-off backdrop of forest sounds.

“What was that about my hands?” He’s teasing now, can hear it in his voice even though you can’t see the lazy grin it’s paired with; a long middle finger breaches your entrance, wet warmth swallowing the length greedily.

Your eyes flutter shut, sighing. There will be a time for arguments again but right now, with a second finger addition and Eddie’s mouth working you up, there’s no room for speech.

On your end, at least- Eddie’s proven on multiple occasions to be a master at multitasking, talking you through it while managing your pleasure, and this afternoon is no exception. His fingers curl expertly into the gummy front wall of your cunt, mouth running every second it’s not latched on to your pulsing button, dirty talk smooth and easy in his low timbre.

“Yeah, honey, that’s it. Fuck, you’re so hot. Can feel you squeezin’ around my fingers, y’so tight, angel, shit… like that- there you go…”

Etcetera. Until he’s bullied his way completely into the cradle of your legs, lying flat on his stomach to get as close as possible; until your cunt is spasming around the push and pull of his fingers, wet dripping and pooling into his palm and down your ass to the blanket below.

There’s a familiar tightness coiling in your stomach, thighs bracing around Eddie’s ears in anticipation of the unraveling. A pleasure-soaked sob gets caught in your throat, dull whine escaping instead through clenched teeth, grip on the flannel doubling until your knuckles creak in protest.

“Hey.” 

There’s a confusing lack of authority or command in Eddie’s voice; you sift through the brain fog of arousal, propping your weight up into your elbows to look down at him.

Eddie looks crazy. Debauched. Lips pink and spit-soaked, chin shimmering, pupils blown out with lust as he presses a chaste kiss to the wiry curls at your mound. “Kinda quiet up there. Everything okay?”

His thumb sweeps a comforting path up the soft skin of your thigh, the abrupt switch from animal to gentleness making your head swim. He’s still looking at you with those puppy-brown eyes, fingers still buried to the hilt but unmoving; you stammer out an excuse.

“Um- yeah. M’sorry. It’s just been awhile, since you’ve had me… like this.”

It’s the truth; over the last busy week in your lives, time has eroded some of what Eddie’s been working on building with you, bravery at making noise faded with the lessened practice time.

“No one else out here, ‘cept you and me, sweetheart.” Eddie’s coaxing his fingers back into steady rhythm, watching your face carefully for any signs of withholding. “Can make as much noise as you want. Lemme hear. Please?”

Usually, Eddie’s not so soft- a sharp crack of palm to ass, flesh jiggling as he draws all the noises he wants from you- but here, in the back of the van, heady weed and warm sun an intoxicating mixture as he asks you to melt for him. 

You obey. Let the floor take your upper body’s weight again as you fuck yourself on his fingers, hips lifted and seeking release. His mouth seals over your clit again, tip of his tongue lashing quick and precise against it, frizz of his curls tickling the insides of your legs as he shakes his head.

The weed is certainly a help as trapped noises heave from your chest, mouth falling open, lax and pliant with moans. “Oh, my god, Eddie. Fuck. Holy shit. Hah- right there, please, don’t stop-”

As if he would. Eddie moans in tandem with you, his own hips chasing the maddening pressure of the floorboards against the hard jut of his cock, leaking through the front of his boxers as he adds a third finger, spurred on by the fountain of breathy words this pulls from you-

“Oh god, oh god- f-fuck- Eddie, Eddie Eddie Eddie-”

Your speech devolves into a mindless, babbling chant of his name. That coil pulls taut, has you crunching forward in a half sit-up, hands fisting at the roots of Eddie’s hair to hold him in place (perhaps harsher than you intend but based on the way his hips stutter and grind, you can safely hazard a guess that he’s into it). 

The pattern breaks when he grazes his teeth against the pulsing nub in his mouth; you have just enough time to gasp out, “I- I’m coming, Eddie, shit, m’gonna come-” before the orgasm hits you full-force.

There isn’t room in your brain to hide all the noise that threatens to suffocate, so you let them all out, muscles tightening and flexing around every bright point of pleasure that he fucks you through. High-pitched whines, panting that wracks your lungs, a moan to top it all off that feels like it comes from your toes. 

“Jesus christ.” Eddie swipes the back of his hand over his mouth, sounding wrecked himself as he climbs back over your body, silver chain necklace and dark curls swinging in front of your blissed-out face. “Fuck, princess. That was so hot.”

“Yeah?” Bashfulness hasn’t fully settled in yet, you’re still loopy from the force of your pleasure, arms slipping over the boy’s freckled shoulders as he leans down to kiss you.

His tongue has a bright tang of you, as you lick into his mouth, one hand leaving his shoulder to trail down his chest. Dark ink whorls beneath your fingertips as you reach the scratchy trail of hair just before his boxers-

“Shit.” Eddie hisses, forehead thunking into yours when you palm the hard length of him, precum soaking through the fabric, softness of your palm contrasting with the damp and rough drag of cotton. His long lashes tickle your cheek, eyes fluttering closed, soft exhale magnified by close proximity as he slowly pushes into your hand. 

You’re mildly surprised he hasn’t come, yet- usually Eddie gets off on getting you off, then uses the rest of his energy to make you both come again, together. 

What Eddie hasn’t told you yet is that he’s done some prep of his own, this week: every night you haven’t spent in his bed, his own spit-slicked fist has taken him right to the edge, stopping just short of coming with a choking grip at the base. The idea was to build up his stamina a bit, to take advantage of lonely evenings in service to a future you.

A very noble cause that is quickly being forgotten as your hand moves with more intent and pressure against his aching cock- the drug haze is almost enough to have him completely at your mercy, to tuck his nose into the curve of your neck and find sweet release by way of your pretty palm.

But he recovers. Get just enough distance from the warmth of you to clear his mind and snake his own hand down between your bodies to capture your twisting wrist. 

The protest dies on your lips when Eddie brings your hand to his mouth, sucking your middle and index finger against the pad of his tongue, saturating your digits in spit.

“Here’s what you’re gonna do.” His eyes stay locked on yours, even as he guides your newly-wet fingers back down your bodies to rest atop your cunt. “You’re gonna touch yourself until you come. Again. And if I feel like you’re holding out on me with your noises, I’m gonna make it real difficult for you to make any noise. At all.”

A thrilling shiver races up your spine, goosebumps prickling in response to the shift in Eddie’s tone. His eyes flick to your lower lip, which he bites, unable to help himself, before following the path of your hand south.

There will be time for unwinding the past, for dreaming about the future. For now, there’s a boy between your legs and the feverish glow of summer calling your name. 

[bugsbenefit]

i'm mmmmh still thinking thoughts (it's about the poster, of course it is, been fascinated by that since s4)

the last few minutes of every season always drop some major hints for the next season that are pretty explicit in hindsight. some examples

s1 shows the baby slugs Will coughs up that come back in s2, hints El might still be alive when Hopper leaves Eggo waffles out in the forest, and gives Nancy a sweet moment with Jonathan despite still dating Steve, s2 has El living with Hopper and J/ancy going canon

s2 shows the mindflayer looming over the school -> meatflayer is the main threat of s3 (as well as s2 having lumax and mleven dancing who will both be established couples by the start of s3)

s3 ends with the Byers moving away and Max sitting alone in Billy's room, s4 then has the Byers living in California be a major plotpoint as well as Max's trauma around Billy's death almost killing her

and so on you get it. in hindsight there will obviously be some pretty major hints in the last 10 minutes of s4

and some already seem pretty straight forward. obviously the gates opening is the big thing, the UD will be a focus in s5. the camera lingering on the church and Jason's bible quote outside also seems like it's a pretty solid nudge at the vibe in town next season. also things like the hill scene in general with the coupled grouping (doesn't even have to be about "endgames" necessarily, would also make sense as main groups of s5, since they're split into adults, teens (now young adults), and kids (teens) again)

but the whole blood thing going on in the last 10 minutes that comes out of nowhere? i want to know where that is going

we already had a ton of blood in s4, with the lab massacre and nose bleeds for the Vecna victims. so why does the donating blood theme come up after all that, what happens in s5 that makes it warrant the blood teaser (that sounds horrible) when s4 already had so much of it? and it's not just blood in general, there's a very specific focus on "giving" blood, however you want to interpret that

the poster in the hospital room already feels extremely foreshadowy in s4 given how bold it's written, how it's the only legible text on screen, and how it's in the negative space of the blocking the whole time so your eyes are drawn to it

but it's not even just that one poster either. in case you missed that one or didn't bother reading it in the hospital they also give you the blood donations promo table that the shot lingers on, that has so many posters begging for your blood it's not even funny anymore. and hey, even for those not reading background posters, there's 4 separate blood drop graphics so you definitely know they want blood, the show seems to really really want people to acknowledge it

and now they use the same exact poster from these last 10 minutes again? in another location? that's more focus on it than even i expected what are we going for here

be a hero give blood you say? on the show with the constant allusions to being a hero? "heroes" by david bowie, superheroes and powers, "don't try to be heroes" only for Eddie to die when he breaks his own advice? all of s4 was about how you shouldn't try to be a hero and that running away is okay. Max also almost dies when she stops running to distract Vecna. girl you know someone is fucked with that poster, that's a set up screaming for disaster (it's also not lost on me how even the stage show has a focus on blood and !TFS SPOILER! as far as i know Brenner senior even dies after not being able to receive blood donations due to his now abnormal blood type anymore. so there's some weird focus on blood going on even outside of the in show canon now, even specifically about giving blood, or well, not being able to give blood in this case. no one was a hero and gave blood in tfs i guess lmao. what are they cooking here)

the poster is also so vague there's so many ways this can be horrible for the characters. in the actual blood donation to save someone way? would be kind of tame but who knows what lore/plot s5 will deliver. in the sacrifice yourself/get injured to save someone way? or a secret third thing we don't have enough context to guess yet?

be a hero give blood my ass. who's giving blood for what tell me now. also how bad will "giving blood" be for them

[erikiara80]

Theory: the car crash in the winter of 1976 (Part II)

You can read Part I here

To sum up: my theory is that Joyce had a son with Lonnie, Jonathan, but then she left him because he's an a-hole. She always liked Hopper, so they finally got together and had two kids, Will and El. I think it's possible that the story of Agent Orange is true and maybe that's why Jopper's kids were targeted by Brenner ("Sarah" died in the lab, after all) But then, in 1976 something bad happened and Hopper and El were separated from their family (see Part I). Love this Father and daughter missing.

Not sure if Brenner was involved, but there are hints that Lonnie was. He's heavily paralleled to Billy's father, and in Billy's memory Neil believed that his wife was cheating on him. The first thing Lonnie asks Jon is if Hopper is still chief, and the moment he thinks that Will is dead, he "comes home", calls Joyce babe and tells her that she needs him. I think he didn't just want the money, he wanted his family back. And Will wasn't part of it.

A possible hint in The First Shadow that Lonnie did something to Joyce and her family is the mention of him stealing the baby from the nativity scene. Will has always been associated with Jesus...

It's also interesting, and could be evidence of different timelines, that Will is associated with fire but El is associated with cold water. Maybe Will died in the fire in one timeline, and in another one El drowned in a lake? Maybe they were both in danger but their parents could only save one of them. They both say many times that they can't breath, which is also a parallel with Sarah, so I think it's clear that something bad happened to both of them.

Did Will burn alive? I hope not but... In 3x08, when Joyce hugs him, he says that he can't breath, he's suffocating. In Fred's vision, he sees a coffin with the grandfather clock that has the name Williams engraved on it. And in 4x04 we see Billy/William's tombstone.

El sees Heather being dragged underwater, after Max opens "the floodgates" (Owens mentions them when he explains the anniversary of the event) If Billy is paralleled to Will, Heather is paralleled to El, so maybe this scene shows us what happened to El in the past.

The vanishing of Will Byers and The case of the missing lifeguard are connected.

And when she goes into Billy's memories, there's a transition from the car crash and El in the water. Car in a lake -> El separated from her family.

Hints that Lonnie might've been involved in the car crash

In Lonnie's very first scene, there's a little bike in his house, and Jon checks his trunk. Not a good sign.

After Joyce breaks the wall with the axe, the only thing she sees is her car. Possible hint that after the car crash one of the children was taken away from the family by powers. Time powers... Tears in the fabric of time and space...

That night, when Lonnie arrives, the first thing we see is his car headlights.

Then he closes "the door" that Will used to communicate with his mom, with a hammer. As he talks about the quarry and Joyce freezing to death.

In 2x06, after they bring Will to the lab, after he screams that he feels like he's burning (Hopper is screaming too, but they're using water! Always water and fire) there's a transition to Steve's car, and the song in this scene is Hammer to Fall. In 2x09 Jon mentions Lonnie and the hammer they used to build Castle Byers.

In S4 there's another connection between Lonnie, cars, time loops and the resentment between him and Joyce. When Jon says that the cycle never ends. We see part of the conversation through the broken window of a car.

Other hints

Billy and Max

They both have many parallels with Will, and most of their scenes together take place in the car. Billy's car is actually the first thing we see.

They always fight in that car.

Billy tries to run over the kids. This reminds me of the night Will vanishes

And the scene of Billy's possession IS a parallel to the 1x01 scene. He and Will both run off the road

In 3x07, Billy almost burns alive in his car

In S4, Max confesses that she had wished her brother to die in a car accident

In 2x05, Terry shows El a police car chase!

This scene is so important. I'm working on a new theory, but I'll just say that Terry (or whoever is communicating with El) isn't just randomly switching the channels. She's telling a story. Henry's story and how El got involved.

In fact, she shows El a blonde woman ("Virginia") then the Family Feud score: 91 and 64. Two tens. 10-> mirror of 01. A donut commercial with many identical donuts (ref to the lab kids), the commercial of a Computer Supercenter (the lab/Nina) and then a police chase and someone pouring coffe into a cup. I think this is a huge hint at a car crash that involved Hopper, and what happened after, the blood transfusion that made El a lab kid. I don't know why else Terry would show El a police car chase tbh. And then, in 2x07, Kali calls Hopper policeman, many times. A clear connection with the car chase, imo.

When El looks for the source in S3, the first thing she sees in the eye of the Mind Flayer storm is Billy's damaged car. Since Billy is paralleled to Will, this could mean that the source of everything that happened to their family started with a car crash and powers?

I'm also thinking about this shot in the Vecna game. It looks very similar to a shot in Benny's diner in S4. Jason in a white outfit, like Henry, Christmas lights, a police car, the W and E, and another car with something that looks a lot like the Mind Flayer, looming over it.

And don't forget Joyce and Hopper escaping from Grigori and the engine of the police car literally exploding. And where do they find another car? At a Seven Eleven convenience store, where they meet clerk Rich (like Richard Brenner?) Also, Alexei is with them. A guy in a white outfit, and with a name that is the russian variant of Alex, like Alex P. Keyton, one of the characters played by Michael J. Fox, mentioned by Steve when he and Robin talk about time travels in Back to the Future.

There are many other hints, but I think these ones are the most relevant.

[ssahotchnerr]

Ok idk if anyone else does this BUT I like to imagine an au where instead of Haley, Hotch is married to reader from the start and she’s Jack’s mother 🤭 cause its fun and I like imagining Hotch having a loving and supporting marriage throughout the entire time hes on the show (cause I mean its the least he deserves with all he’s been through 😭)

And in this au reader is like really close with the BAU team like she brings in baby Jack during paper work days, remembers the team members birthday’s and gets them small gifts, them going to her when they feel they need someone to talk to cause she’s like the mom/sister of the BAU 🥺. I like to make up so many scenarios with this AU in my head especially one where she and Jack go through the same thing with Foyet but reader survives 🫣

This isn’t a request or anything just like a idea or thought i’m throwing out there for you to enjoy or expand on in any way, shape, or form you’d prefer ❤️

PLEASE the way everything about this is perfect <3333 and honestly how the show should’ve gone from the start

having that contrast between aaron being all stoic and stern, BUT then he goes home, or reader visits with jack, and he turns into that complete softie we all know he has buried deep in him within seconds ☹️ or after a tough case, he always has a sense of stable comfort waiting for him 🥺 ughshsj i would’ve loved to see him switching between the two fronts more vividly- from hotch to aaron.

AND that with the foyet storyline?!?!?! pure genius. like obv we saw him under stress and pressure with haley, but just IMAGINE how it would be with a partner who he’s so so deeply in love with and can’t be apart from for more than a couple days at a time. like a part of him was truly missing and there's no telling when or if he would see the two of them again :( he would be distraught, so so much more tense, and just the whole process of getting foyet would’ve been more frantic, because he can't live without them and he needs his loves back or else he can't function :(

and their reunion afterwards 😣😣😣😣 the way he would just crumble and be so relieved the nightmare is finally over and refuse to let reader and jack out of his arms :(((((((( like just imagine once foyet said rip, he goes running to wherever reader and jack are and within seconds he's pulling the two into his embrace, just weeping softly and giving them both kisses and saying how he's sorry, how much he missed them, or a "it's okay, it's all over now" :( ugh what we should've received rather than him being all traumatized :(

also ALSO the ending of s4 with reader?!?!?! imagine they're in bed, they can hear aaron getting home and they're all smiley to finally see him after a few days (and aaron mentioned the pig farm disaster and how tough it was:(, so they're waiting to console him), and then a gunshot just rings through the air </3

and i love the idea of reader being close with the team :( <3333 haley wasn't at all to begin with -like the scene where she's at the bau with baby jack, she's not on a first name basis with any of them (while all other bau s/o's were referred to by their first name), it's kinda just awk completely, because they just know each other through a mutual being aaron. but reader being an outlet for them <3 like they're not in the bau, so whenever someone needs a break, reader is an easy person to turn to, for a sense of normalcy. or reader bringing them all dinner if they're working late, going out with the girls for girls nights and just being including in all family get togethers :( <3 they would just complete the bau fam overall :(

AND just reader having more babies with aaron <33333 that would've been the cutest thing ohmygodjdnd aaron wants a big family <3 it's canon in my book <3333

aaron just deserves a happy life 😣 that's all

[twelvegate-blog]

Twelve, Willel and newspapers (Part II)

The two articles about Richard Brenner are different from the others in the show

They’re the only ones that have sentences repeated and paragraphs duplicated

I think it's intentional, a hint at a timeline split, maybe, but also... twin imagery.

We only see Richard Brenner’s name twice in the show. In 1x03 and in 1x08.

1x03

(also, mention of six subjects... They keep mentioning that number, especially in S1)

1x08

Dr Richard Brenner, paragraphs duplicated, and we see 1971 twice, the year Will and El were born.

But this article is also interesting because of this scene.

Hopper is reading about Terry

but in the next shot, the words are different

No sentences repeated, HERE, but we SEE them again in The boy who came back to life article (written by the same journalist). And this time it’s Joyce’s story.

The same exact words.

The allegation comes amidst ...igation into the hidden... and its elaborate... in perusal of mind... detailed in the first...

I think this means that Terry’s story IS Joyce’s story. And the paragraphs duplicated and the two 71 are our “twins” reference. In the S2 version of the article there is a 11.

So, we know that Will and El were born in 1971. That can’t change, even if there are multiple timelines/a time loop. At least I hope. Different birthdays would make things a bit complicated.

In S1 they say that Jane is 12, but in S2 El finds this article and... Terry’s baby was born in the mid-70s? (so 1974-76)

But if El is Terry’s daughter, that would mean that in one timeline she is 12, and in another is 8-9. But like I said, I don’t think they would change the kids’ age. So maybe that means that El is not Terry’s daughter.

There are three dolls (babies) in Jane’s room. A boy and a girl. Twins. And a doll on the chair. Imo, another hint that El and Jane are two different people.

They kinda remind me of this doll

And the ones on Suzie’s bed. By the way, in this scene she mentions Dustin’s birthday.

And speaking of three. In S2 there’s another reference to a third mysterious person, like the third doll in Jane’s room. The third hunter who went missing after Will. But in S1 they say it was just Dale and... Henry. So that’s interesting.

And in S4 there are hints that El was also born on March 22. So, I don’t know, maybe it can work, but I think it would feel a bit weird if Will and El are not twins but were born on the same day, but in some timelines El was born in 1971, and in others a few years later.

Plus: March 22.86, 2:36 PM (2+3+6= 11) Eleven's birthday, on March 22?

[joe-mazzello-archive]

baby we're a dying breed - part one

eddie munson x fem!reader (no y/n)

w/c: 13.6k

warnings: slooooow burn, s4 spoilers, parental death, reader has a phobia of swimming/being in or on water, drugs, alcohol, violence/gore, supernatural elements (it’s stranger things y’all), panic attack symptoms

a/n: hi hello. so this hasn’t left my brain since i watched that dumb finale. we all know eddie’s death was completely avoidable and dumb and blah blah blah sooooo let’s fix that. and help him find love while we’re at it! this fic is basically the plot of s4 with the reader inserted in. reader is the same age as eddie, was in his class the year he was supposed to graduate originally. i tried to keep as many of the events the same, but there are some deviations, especially in part two. i also don’t go into too much detail about the lore/main show plot since y’all have seen the show and know that shit. i’m mostly just adding to it. i also tried to avoid just typing out entire dialogue pieces word for word from the show too because tbh i hate when fix it fics do that.

this was a blast to write and i hope you enjoy. there will be one more part and then i also have some ideas for bonus scenes if folks are interested. also heads up that part two will be 18+.

--

Your relationship with Hawkins is complicated.

It’s your hometown, the place you were raised. It’s where your old friends are, it’s familiar, and it brings a sense of comfort as the sights pass by your car windows. It’s full of memories, both happy and not so happy. But it’s also dull, pitiful, and fills you with a bit of dread as the realization that you’re spending an entire week here hits you.

Maybe because it’s the first time you’ve been back since your mom died.

You were told it was a fire. A fire in the Starcourt Mall that took the lives of thirty Hawkins residents. It has never made any sense to you. Your mom used to endlessly complain about the “neon eyesore” that was the newly opened shopping center, claiming it was “everything wrong with America.” She shouldn’t have been there. And you’ll never know why she was. Or why anyone else was there. It had been the Fourth of July, after all. All of Hawkins was supposed to be at the fair. It just didn’t add up.

You didn’t come home last summer, electing to stay in the city with your college friends. You’d been in the middle of rolling the third joint of the night when the call came. Sometimes you wonder if things would have been different if you had been there. And even if you couldn’t change the result, if you were there, at least you would have more answers.

Your dad was long gone – had been since you were a baby. It was always just you and your mom. But now it’s just you.

As you pull into the driveway of your childhood home, now officially under your ownership after lots of paperwork, you let out a sigh. Going through your mother’s things isn’t the most exciting spring break you could have, but the job needs to be done. You plan on selling the house eventually, so the sooner you can clear out the junk, the better.

You’ll just need a little something to get you through it. Besides, who said you had to spend the week sober?

–

“So you decided to grace us with your presence?” Carolyn teases as she brings you in for a hug. You let out a chuckle. Despite all of your weird feelings around being home, there isn’t a doubt that you missed your friends. The Hawkins High Marching Band runs deep, and you treasure the relationships you built with your fellow band geeks.

“Yeah, I figured it was time to show my face around these parts again,” you counter with a smirk, releasing your old friend in order to climb into her passenger’s seat. She joins you in the car before putting it in drive and peeling out.

The two of you drive through Hawkins, casually catching up as Carolyn and you head to your meetup. It’s almost trippy, passing your old stomping grounds – everything looks exactly the same, like you never left.

Eventually Carolyn pulls over, parking just off the road, and the two of you begin your trek through the woods to the designated meeting spot. Memories of previous pickups and nights out with your fellow bandies come flooding back, bringing a soft smile to your face. Once the large rock comes into view, you shake your head lovingly – it’s like you’re seventeen all over again.

“So, who are we even meeting?” you ask Carolyn as the two of you settle on the oddly shaped stone, the rough surface oddly comforting beneath your hands. “I heard Reefer Rick is back in jail.”

“Yeah he is,” she confirms, playing with a frayed piece of her jeans. She pauses for a moment before continuing. “And you’re not gonna like the answer to that question.” You narrow your eyes at her as she blatantly avoids your gaze.

“Why?”

“Do my eyes deceive me?”

You know that voice.

“As I live and breathe, is that…Major?”

Eddie Munson.

You shouldn’t be surprised. You’d bought from him a few times back in the day, and he was always close with Rick. But you are not excited to be reunited with the shaggy-haired dealer. He has always annoyed the hell out of you, with his intense energy and his innate ability to simultaneously insult you and flirt with you in the same sentence. He used to drive you nuts when you were in high school. Your mom once told you that boys who picked on you just had a little crush. But you’re pretty sure Eddie picked on you because he found pleasure in your torment.

You turn to find the metalhead casually strolling towards you, a shit-eating grin on his face, swinging a small tin box. He looks about the same as he used to, just a little more stubble. Maybe a new tattoo. Even longer hair. It’s funny - your oldest memory of Eddie is from middle school, playing guitar in the talent show. He hadn’t yet gained the confidence he flaunted in high school. You wonder if people even realize he’s the same kid - he’s come a long way from his gangly frame and buzzcut days.

And of course he still calls you by that dumb nickname. When you got drum major your senior year, Eddie adopted the moniker for you, always mock saluting you like you were a military officer. It earned an eye roll from you every time, and Eddie always beamed, satisfied with your reaction.

“Munson,” you greet, failing to hide your chagrin in your tone. “Graduate yet?” His grin never falters as he stares you down, his big brown eyes almost sparkling with mirth.

“You wound me, Major,” he replies, his hand dramatically landing on his heart. “We haven’t seen each other in years and you’re already ribbing me. And here I thought what we had was special.” He drops the metal box onto the rock with a smirk, and you can’t fight the eyeroll. It seems to be your default response to him.

“Alright you two, let’s play nice,” Carolyn cuts in. “What do you got for us?”

Eddie rubs his hands together before opening his metal box.

“I can dooooo…a half ounce for twenty,” he responds, fiddling with the plastic bag inside the tin before looking back up at you. “Now that’s a good deal, I normally charge thirty. But we all go way back,” he adds with a wink. You roll your eyes for the second time since you arrived.

“I bet you say that to all of your customers,” you counter, fishing a twenty dollar bill out of your wallet. His shit-eating grin returns as he holds the bag out for you.

“Only the pretty ones.” You glare at him, unamused as you reach for the bag. He quickly snatches it out of your reach and you scowl, bored with his antics. He chuckles and hands it back to you, the metal of his rings briefly grazing your palm. You don’t remember him wearing nearly that much jewelry back in high school.

You hand him the bill and he grabs it gleefully.

“Pleasure doing business, ladies,” Eddie announces, shoving the twenty into his back pocket. “Now I’d love to stay and catch up, but I’ve got another client waiting on me and a D&D session to run.”

“You better watch yourself, Munson,” Carolyn interjects, a playfulness in her tone. “I heard that game is the devil’s game. Worshiping Satan and all that.” Eddie grins as he begins to saunter back into the woods.

“Don’t believe everything you hear,” he says, before stopping himself and leaning against a tree. “And Major, if you need another pick-me-up while you’re in town, you know where to find me.” He tucks his bottom lip under his teeth and turns back towards the forest, disappearing into the trees.

You immediately glare at Carolyn, waiting for an explanation.

“Our options for dealers were limited!” she explains. “Everyone’s out of town for break. Besides, he’s not that bad…if you look past his dramatics.” You let out a chuckle, getting to your feet and dropping the bag of weed into your purse.

“If you look past the dramatics, there’s nothing else.”

–

Carolyn ends up inviting you to join some folks for drinks at her place.

You debate turning her down. Part of you is already overwhelmed from the Munson reunion and wants to retreat to your house to get high alone. You would get to avoid the awkward “so what have you been up to?” conversations and just have some peace for the night before starting your week-long project. But Carolyn talks you into it, listing off names of friends you’re actually interested in seeing, and promising a relaxing night.

So that’s how you find yourself sharing a joint with Scott and Dawn on Carolyn’s front porch, her parents off enjoying a Caribbean cruise, leaving the house free for former bandies to take over. You take a long hit, holding it in while you pass the stick to Dawn. You let it out slowly, relishing in the slight burn in your lungs. You try to tune out Scott rambling about his shitty car salesman job and just take in the sounds of the evening. The cool spring breeze is nice on your skin, and your body feels like it’s humming as your high sets in.

“This is good shit,” Dawn says, coughing a little and passing the joint to Scott. “Where’d you get it?”

You let out a snort, annoyed that Munson is suddenly back on your mind. Dawn is right, it is a good strain. You hate that you’re getting such a good high from something you bought from Eddie of all people. That fucker isn’t gonna get any compliments if you have anything to say about it.

“My hook-up at school,” you lie, a satisfied grin on your face. Take that Munson.

“Maybe I need to visit Chicago more often,” Dawn teases. Before you can respond, the screech of rubber on cement rings through the otherwise quiet neighborhood. The three of you turn towards the source of the sound to see a van speeding down the street. It flies by the house, careening down the road, before it’s out of sight as fast as it appeared.

“The fuck was that?” Scott asks, breaking the silence that had fallen over the three of you and handing you what was left of the joint.

“Clearly someone has someplace to be,” Dawn comments, crossing her arms. “I’m getting chilly, I’m heading in.”

Your friend disappears back into the house with Scott on her tail, leaving you alone on the porch. You can’t help but stare off into the night where you last saw the mysterious van. The van looked familiar – you’re pretty sure you have seen it before. But you can’t place where. You chalk it up to your high and decide to let it go. It doesn’t matter anyway.

You take one last hit before dropping the roach into the grass and stubbing it out, opting to join the rest of the group inside.

–

The spare bedroom is your starting place.

You know the most amount of junk will be kept in there, so you decide to get it out of the way first. Your mom hadn’t been a hoarder per se…but you know there’s gonna be a lot of useless documents or old keepsakes shoved into those closets that can be easily thrown away without much thought.

You throw Rumours on your mom’s old record player, light up a bowl, and get to work.

By the time the sun begins to set, you estimate you’re only halfway through the room. You decide to call it for the day, realizing you should probably eat something.

You’re in the middle of scarfing down a tv dinner, when you hear the doorbell. You pause, confused, almost unsure if you really heard the ring. The only people who know you’re in town are the folks you were with yesterday, and you don’t remember inviting anyone over to hangout today. Curious, you get to your feet and head to the door, opening it without even checking through the peephole at who your visitor could be.

It is revealed to be visitors, plural.

Before you stands Robin Buckley, your former marching bandmate, Steve fucking Harrington of all people, and two children you’ve never seen before: a boy with a goofy grin and a girl with strikingly red hair and an intense stare.

You realize you’ve been just looking at them in silence for far too long and shift your stance.

“Um…hi?”

“Hey,” Robin greets with an uncomfortable smile. “Sorry, um…do you mind if we come in?”

Still completely flabbergasted at the collection of people before you, you give an awkward shrug and step to the side while the mismatched group of teens piles into your living room. You shut the door behind them and bring a hand to your forehead as you turn to face your visitors.

“Okay, Buckley,” you begin. “You’re gonna have to walk me through why you’re at my house with Steve Harrington and two random children.”

They all share looks with each other, almost as if they are silently debating who should explain.

“We need your help,” the boy chimes in. “We need to find Eddie Munson.”

You blink several times, unsure if you heard the kid correctly.

You’ve been in Hawkins a little over twenty four hours, yet somehow Eddie Munson has come up not once, not twice, but three times.

“Why?” you ask incredulously, not knowing what else you could possibly say to that.

The group exchanges glances once again. You’re clearly missing something, but they seem almost…afraid to explain.

“Did you…hear about what happened?” Robin questions nervously. You let out an annoyed sigh, wishing these kids would just get to the point.

“You’re gonna have to be more specific than that,” you argue, crossing your arms. Robin looks to Steve, who seems equally annoyed at how long this is taking. He rolls his eyes and sets his hands on his hips.

“They found a body in Eddie’s trailer this morning. A cheerleader. Now Eddie is missing.”

A body?!

Your brain starts firing off thoughts while you process the information. Someone in Hawkins has mysteriously died. Again. And somehow Eddie is involved. Eddie. The same Eddie you were with just yesterday. The same Eddie who spends his free time fantasizing about fighting dragons. He may be a pain in the ass, but never in a million years would you think he would hurt anyone.

You shake your head, trying to form a response.

“There’s no way…Munson could never–”

“We know,” the boy says, interrupting your stammering. “We know he’s innocent. That’s why we have to find him. We think we know what happened.”

You’re still a little lost, trying to piece together everything you’ve been told. You realize you still don’t know what these people are doing in your living room of all places.

“Wait, so what does this have to do with me?” you ask, directing your question mostly at Robin, hoping she has the answer since she’s the only one of the quartet you’ve actually interacted with before.

“I know you used to hang with Eddie back when you were in school,” Robin explains. “A lot of the bandies used to. We heard you were back in town and figured it was worth a shot.”

“Okay, first of all, we did not hang out,” you quickly clarify, crossing your arms defensively. “I used to buy weed from him and then he…wouldn’t know when to leave. Second of all, why are you coming to me instead of Munson’s actual friends?”

“Look we’ve tried everyone we could think of,” the redhead girl suddenly speaks up, an edge to her voice. “No one knows where he is. We’re desperate here. Is there any place you think he would go?”

You let out a frustrated sigh, confused on how you could possibly know where Eddie would be hiding.

And then you remember the van.

The van you saw the night before, zooming down Carolyn’s street like it was being chased by something. You had thought it looked familiar - you now realize it was Eddie’s van.

“Wait, I think I saw him last night,” you reveal, earning the immediate attention of the teens gathered next to your couch. “He was speeding, heading out of town.”

You wrack your brain for where he could be headed. He would look for some place he knew, but some place out of the way. And wherever he was heading would have to be in the direction he was speeding last night. 

And that’s when it hits you.

“Reefer Rick,” you announce. “His place is out by Lover’s Lake. Eddie might hide out there.”

“Do you know where it is?” the young boy excitedly asks.

“Yeah, I think,” you reply, but you’re still confused. You need more answers. “But wait, what do you mean by ‘you think you know what happened’?”

The group once again exchanges silent glances.

“Things in Hawkins…” the redhead starts, “...aren’t always what they seem.” Your brow furrows at the ominous nature of her tone.

“What she means is…” Steve cuts in. “Everything that’s gone on the past few years…the disappearances, the mysterious deaths…it’s connected.”

“And we have a lot of…experience with this stuff,” the boy adds.

You let their words sink in for a second. A small part of you always figured something weird was going on in Hawkins. But you really didn’t have any reason to say so. Not until last summer.

So you finally decide to say something.

“Starcourt Mall,” you suddenly spit out, your curiosity piqued. “Do you guys know what really happened?”

You watch their faces with intent as they all slowly nod.

“Was it a fire?”

They all solemnly shake their heads.

And for some reason…you believe them.

You let out a small chuckle, almost relieved that your suspicions were correct. And it’s bizarre how after all of these months, after all of your wondering, the people that seem to have all of the answers are a random selection of teenagers who happen to be standing in your house.

“Okay, here’s what's going to happen,” you announce, crossing your arms. “I will lead you guys to Reefer Rick’s. And on the way, you are going to tell me everything – and I mean everything – you know.”

For the final time, the group all exchange looks, clearly pleased with your statement.

“Deal.”

–

You don’t have any idea how to handle this.

Despite the trip to Rick’s only being about twenty minutes, they manage to tell you everything. How Will Byers suddenly seemed to come back to life. Why crops were randomly rotting two years ago. What really happened at Starcourt Mall on the Fourth of July.

You don’t know exactly what you wanted to hear, but learning your mom’s body had helped form a giant mutant flesh monster, and that it was defeated by a young girl with psionic powers was not what you expected.

At least you have your answers.

The group explains their working theory: that something from this mysterious other realm – the Upside Down, as they referred to it – has something to do with the girl who was found in Eddie’s trailer. And they’re on a mission to defeat whatever it is and clear Eddie’s name.

It’s a lot to take in. You don’t know what you’re more confused by: how all of this has been happening in Hawkins without everyone else knowing or how casual the group seems to be when explaining it. 

By the time you all arrive at Rick’s, you’re mentally exhausted. 

You trail behind everyone else, still trying to process how much your world has turned upside down – for lack of a better term – in less than an hour. As you follow the teens in front of you, you think about your mom, and how even though you’ve processed your grief, your heart hurts at how she met her end. You then realize that you being in Chicago instead of coming home last summer also likely saved your life. You might have been another victim of the flayer…thing…the kids described.

You’re brought back to reality at the sharp movement of Eddie launching himself from his hiding place and backing Steve against the wall, holding a broken bottle to his throat.

The teens all shout at him, pleading for him to back off. Your eyes fall to Eddie’s face, where you can see the terror and desperation written in his features. He’s scared. Really fucking scared.

You find yourself making your way closer to him, the tension in the room thick as all hell.

“Munson,” you utter, trying to keep your voice calm. You lay a gentle hand on the wrist that holds the bottle to Steve’s throat. The touch seems to break Eddie’s trance, as his eyes find yours. His eyebrows furrow and you can practically hear his brain working through all of his conflicting emotions. His big brown eyes stare deep into your soul, searching for answers you don’t have.

“We’re here to help,” you slowly explain. After a few moments, your words seem to get through to him, as he spares Steve one more glance before nodding and releasing him. You let go as well, and you watch as the tension seems to release from Eddie’s shoulders.

He slumps against the wall before sliding to the floor. You can see he’s visibly shivering, and his grip on the bottle doesn’t loosen. Whatever he witnessed last night, he is truly shaken up. And if it’s anything like the things the others described to you in the car, you don’t blame him.

You watch him closely as Dustin begins to try and coax him into revealing what happened. You’ve never seen him like this and it’s jarring. Gone is his usual snarky, goofy demeanor. You find yourself itching to move closer to him, to do something to comfort him. But you keep your distance, not wanting to spook him any more than he already is.

“You won’t believe me,” he croaks, his voice shaking. He frustratedly wipes at his face.

“Try us,” Max replies.

Eddie sniffles, before his sad eyes find yours. Almost as if he’s checking with you to see if he really should confess to whatever he’s holding on to. You give him a soft smile and a reassuring nod.

He takes a deep breath before he begins his story.

Somehow it’s even more horrifying than the flesh monster story.

You wrap your arms around your middle as Eddie recounts what he saw last night. You feel the hairs on the back of your neck stand up as he divulges the details. And as the others reassure him that the group believes him and begins to reveal the existence of the Upside Down, you find yourself staying silent, completely overwhelmed by everything that’s happening.

It isn’t fair. That girl Barb. Your mom and all those other people. Now Chrissy. Innocent people dying at the hands of…mysterious creatures…who are out for blood. For whatever reason, these monsters have chosen Hawkins as their hunting ground, and it’s bullshit.

You don’t even realize how long you were zoned out until the others start moving.

“We’ll be back in the morning,” Dustin announces, and you turn to look at Eddie, who’s still slumped against the wall, looking utterly defeated. It seems almost cruel to leave him here like this.

“I’m gonna stay with Munson.” The words leave your lips before you can stop them. You feel all eyes on you, with Steve giving you the weirdest look of the bunch.

“I don’t – I don’t have the experience with this stuff that you guys have,” you explain, trying to keep your voice from shaking. “I only found out about all of this today. I can’t really…I don’t have anything to offer to help figure this out. So I’ll just stay here. Make sure he doesn’t…fall into the lake or something.”

There’s a moment of silence as the group does that weird telepathic check-in thing they do with each other. At this point, you wouldn’t be surprised if they revealed they all have powers too.

“Okay,” Dustin replies with a shrug. “See you two in the morning.” The group files out and closes the door behind them, leaving you and Eddie alone in the boathouse.

The silence is deafening.

You spin on your heels to face Eddie, and you find him watching you, an unreadable look on his face. You awkwardly saunter over to him, and take a seat on the floor to his left, pulling your knees to your chest. You don’t know what to say to him, or even why you’re sticking around. But you just feel compelled to stay with him.

“Hey,” you finally mutter, the silence becoming unbearable. You meet Eddie’s gaze, and you swear you see the smallest flash of a smile.

“Hey,” he says back, leaning his head against the wall. “So how’d you get wrapped up in this?”

It’s honestly a great question, one you find yourself wondering the answer to.

“I helped them find this place,” you respond. “Although, I’m still not sure how I managed to be the only one so far to figure out you’d be out here.”

Eddie lets out a breath, you think it might be a soft chuckle.

“Yeah, well let’s hope it stays that way for my sake,” he counters, sounding more like himself for the first time since you arrived at the boathouse.

Silence settles between the two of you once again as you play with the hem of your jeans.

“It’s hard to wrap my head around all of this,” Eddie suddenly speaks up. “Do you believe them? Do you believe me?”

You take a bit of comfort in the fact that he’s just as overwhelmed as you are. At least you aren’t alone.

“Yeah, I do,” you confirm, as you finally start to take in your surroundings. Your eyes roam the walls of the boathouse, studying the random assortment of stored items as you continue. “I mean, you’ve only heard the half of it. On the way here they told me everything. And as batshit crazy as it all is…it makes sense. Every weird thing that’s happened in Hawkins the past few years is because of this…other place. All the tragedy and death. It’s insane to think all those stories about monsters are real.” You let out a deep breath you didn’t realize you were holding.

“The mall fire,” Eddie utters after a moment. You nod, understanding his unasked question.

“Your mom.” You turn sharply, your eyes meeting his. “I had heard she was…I’m sorry about your mom.”

You feel your eyes well up, and you will the tears away. No matter how touched you are by his words, you refuse to let yourself cry in front of Eddie Munson.

“Thank you,” you finally say after a few seconds, trying to hide the shakiness in your voice. “I’m sorry about Chrissy.”

He gives you a soft nod, before tipping his head back against the wall once again. The two of you sit in the silence, but this time you don’t feel the awkwardness from before.

After a few minutes, you find your eyes drooping.

“We should probably try to get some sleep,” you suggest, rising to your feet. You stretch out your muscles, realizing you were sitting in that awkward position for longer than you should have.

“Inspired idea, Major,” Eddie says, also finally standing up. He gestures to his hiding spot from before. “You can take the boat, it’s surprisingly comfy in there.”

“No, you take that; I’ll figure something else out–”

“No, it’s fine. Just sleep in the boat–”

“Munson!” you snap, annoyed with how he’s arguing with you. “You being hidden is way more important than me being comfortable. Boat. Tarp. Now.” You angrily point at the boat in question and glare at him.

He cracks the first full smirk you’ve seen all night. The sight is almost comforting – that’s the Eddie that you know – until you remember you’re supposed to be irritated by him.

“Fine,” he concedes, his tone playful. “I almost forgot how bossy you can be, Major.” You roll your eyes and begin to glance around your immediate vicinity to see where you can set up shop for the night. “At least let me…”

You watch as Eddie maneuvers around you and produces several bright orange life vests from behind a crate. He then gently lays them out on the floor beside the suspended boat, creating a makeshift bed from the flotation devices.

“There,” he says, pleased with himself, before shooting you a signature Eddie grin. You sigh, annoyed that you aren’t annoyed at him anymore.

“Thanks,” you concede, moving to settle atop your make-do mattress for the evening. Eddie makes himself comfortable in the boat next to you.

“Night, Major,” Eddie says, still grinning. You shake your head, almost amazed at how quickly Eddie reverted back to his normal self.

“Night, Munson,” you reply, laying back on your lumpy bed. Pleased with your response, his grin brightens before he lays back himself, pulling the tarp over him.

You stare at the ceiling, still trying to wrap your head around the events of the evening. You somehow went from organizing old tax documents to being recruited by teenagers to help an accused murderer evade police after a girl was killed in his trailer by a supernatural monster from another realm. Part of you wants to just go back home, back to the quiet and safe task of cleaning out your house. But for some reason, you just know you need to see this through. Eddie may be…Eddie…but he’s also innocent. You know Hawkins, the second they turn on him, it could be dangerous. And the worst part is, the people of Hawkins don’t have any idea what the real danger is.

The creaks of the boathouse don’t do anything to help calm your nerves. You have no idea how you’re supposed to get any sleep tonight.

And then you hear a soft snore to your right.

You’re suddenly reminded that while the situation is not ideal, you’re not alone. You find Eddie’s snores oddly comforting, bringing a soft smile to your face. You’ll be sure to hold the fact that he snores against him tomorrow.

Eventually, your eyes droop closed once again, and you drift off to sleep.

–

You wake to the sound of a car door slamming. Eddie and you both jolt upright, meeting each others’ eyes before jumping to your feet and heading towards the window.

“Shit, shit, shit,” Eddie mutters under his breath as he peers through the glass, gripping the sharp bottle from before.

“Do you see anyone?” you ask, hoping he can spot the potential threat. The angle you have of the path leading up to the house is completely free from anyone.

“No, but–”

The front door to the boathouse bursts open, causing you and Eddie to practically jump out of your skins, with Eddie’s arm shooting across you in an attempt to block your body with his. 

Robin, Steve, Dustin, and Max appear in the doorway, all holding bags. You press a hand to your chest in an attempt to calm your pounding heart.

“Delivery service!” Dustin proudly announces, and you and Eddie exchange an annoyed look.

Eddie and you take turns passing the box of Honey Comb back and forth while the group recounts what little they have figured out. The news that Eddie’s name hasn’t been released publicly is somewhat reassuring, but it’s only a matter of time before folks figure out what happened on their own. Hawkins residents aren’t the brightest folks around – they haven’t caught on to all of the supernatural events happening under their noses – but they aren’t completely stupid.

Before you can ask what the next steps are, the sound of sirens blaring pierces through the boat house.

Your eyes widen in fear as you turn to Eddie.

“Hide!”

He leaps to his feet and practically dives back into the boat, and you adjust the tarp to cover him. Dustin, Robin, and Eddie dart over to the window, and you quickly look around for another exit, trying to game plan how you’re gonna help Eddie escape.

“They’re not coming here,” Dustin announces after a moment, the group backing away from the window as the sound of the sirens begins to fade. “But we should probably go check it out.” The others nod in agreement, as Eddie sits up from his hiding spot.

“You still good here?” Steve asks, clapping a hand on your shoulder. You glance at Eddie, who has another unreadable expression on his face. You give Steve a nod.

“Yeah, I’m staying,” you reply, crossing your arms. It seems pointless to leave Eddie now, especially since the group doesn’t have any leads on how they’re going to defeat this thing – “Vecna” as they called it.

“Here,” Dustin speaks up, handing you a large walkie-talkie. “It’s already set to the right channel. We’ll communicate through these.” You give Dustin a nod, tucking the radio under your arm.

The teens all awkwardly wave goodbye, and disappear through the front door, leaving you and Eddie alone once again.

You wander back over to your pile of life jackets and plop down on top of them. You find yourself even more lost than yesterday. How in the hell are you supposed to kill some monster from another realm? Especially when the people most likely to come up with the answer have nothing so far?

“I just thought of something,” Eddie says, interrupting your thoughts.

“Well, there’s a first time for everything,” you counter, shooting him a satisfied smirk. He beams, clearly unbothered by your insult.

“Something you said last night,” he explains, ignoring your comment. “About keeping me from falling into the lake.” Your brow furrows; you barely even remember making that comment.

“Well to be fair, you’re not the most coordinated guy around, Munson,” you explain, reaching for the box of Honey Comb.

“But if I were to fall into the lake, what would you even be able to do about it? You can’t swim.”

You freeze. How the fuck does he know that? you wonder to yourself.

“What?” is your reply, words escaping you.

“Yeah,” Eddie continues, “unless you grew out of it, I remember you being terrified of the water.”

You’re flabbergasted. You have no clue how Eddie Munson could know such a personal detail that you definitely don’t advertise to people.

“How…?” is all you manage to get out before Eddie speaks up again.

“The first summer after my dad got carted off to prison again, my uncle didn’t know what to do with me,” he explains, a soft smile on his face as he describes the memory. “He would drop me off at the pool during the day so he could get some sleep. I remember you would never get all the way into the water, just sit with your feet in. Every time your mom would try to get you into the pool, you would scream and cry.”

You remember those days well. Your mom could never crack why you were so scared to get into the water. You used to grip the side of the pool, your small fingers digging as far into the concrete as you could. Your mom would practically beg you to join her in the cool water, promising you that nothing would hurt you, but you never budged. Eddie isn’t wrong, most of the time the day would end in a meltdown, followed by an apologetic trip to get ice cream. To this day, you don’t understand where your fear comes from. There’s just something about swimming and being in or on water that terrifies you.

Once again, you find yourself surprised by Eddie Munson. While the memory is somewhat embarrassing, it’s almost touching that he remembers that little nugget about you.

“I can’t believe you remember that,” you finally say, shaking your head. Eddie simply smirks, shrugging his shoulders.

“I mean who could forget? You were a total freak.”

You scoff in mock offense and playfully bat him on the shoulder at his comment, earning what sounds like a giggle from the metalhead next to you. You can’t help but let out a small chuckle yourself. You appreciate him trying to lighten the mood, even if it is at your expense.

Silence settles over the two of you once again, and you can feel Eddie’s stare this time. You turn to find that unreadable look from before. It’s a bit unnerving.

“What?” you ask, hoping he’ll either break the stare or at least speak up.

“What are you doing here?” he responds, almost incredulously. “I mean, you can cut and run…you don’t have to be here.” He pauses for a moment, but continues before you have a chance to answer. “If what Henderson and all of them are saying is true, you could be implicated if you’re seen with me.”

He’s right. There really isn’t a solid reason for staying. You don’t know enough about the Upside Down or Vecna to contribute to clearing Eddie’s name. You don’t have any skills that could help Eddie evade authorities. You honestly might just get in the way.

But something about leaving doesn’t feel right. It didn’t feel right last night and it didn’t feel right when the group left today. Something is pulling you to stay with Eddie. But you don’t know what. And you don’t know how to explain that to him. At least not without sounding nuts.

So you deflect.

“Do you want me to go?”

He eyes you for a moment while he considers your question. His brow furrows briefly and slightly purses his lips. You’re uncomfortable under his stare once again – there’s just something in his eyes that almost scares you. He looks at you with such intensity. You can’t remember anyone looking at you like this before.

And then suddenly the spell is broken – Eddie takes in a breath as he lays back in the boat, crossing his arms behind his head and resting on them.

“Nah, I could use the company,” he replies nonchalantly. “Besides, it’ll be just like old times.”

Still recovering from the slight whiplash of his mood swing, you almost miss the comment.

“Old times?” you repeat, wondering what the hell he could be referring to.

“Yeah,” he confirms, as if it’s obvious. “Remember when we used to hang out? We’d smoke a little…talk about life.”

You throw your head back and let out a full laugh at his skewed recollection of events.

“See, I seem to remember you selling us drugs and then just never leaving – even if we ignored you entirely,” you correct him, your tone teasing. Eddie waves his hand in the air.

“Same difference,” he says. “Though I would kill for something to take the edge off right now. Being a wanted man is fucking stressful.”

You let out a chuckle as you reach for your purse, mentally thanking your past self for throwing your smoking stuff into the bag during your hasty exit. You toss the bag of weed, pack of rolling papers, and lighter onto Eddie’s chest, causing him to suddenly sit up. His eyes light up as he grabs at the collection of items before him.

“Major, I could kiss you,” Eddie announces as he hurriedly pushes the tarp off of the boat, spreading out the items onto the boat's flat surface and beginning the task of rolling a joint. You scoff at his words – as if you’d let him anywhere near your lips.

You and Eddie pretty much spend the rest of the day like that – keeping up a pleasant high by sharing a joint every few hours and just casually chatting. He rants about his band, regaling you with stories about how unlively the Corroded Coffin shows are. You tell him about school in Chicago and how different it is living in a big city compared to a small town like Hawkins. The two of you argue over who would win in a fight: Freddy Krueger or Jason Vorhees. The conversation topics vary wildly, but with nothing but time to kill while you wait for something to happen – whether that’s word from Robin and crew or the police swarming the property – you don’t know how else to keep yourselves entertained. You even take turns tossing pebbles into a can Eddie found, going so far as creating a point system and keeping track of each other’s scores.

You’re surprised. For the first time ever, you’re actually enjoying spending time with Eddie Munson. While the circumstances are very strange, you almost don’t mind. You hate to admit it, but the guy is somewhat funny and almost…charming…in a uniquely Eddie way. Even back in high school, you never understood why people were so afraid of him – you've always known that he’s just an awkward goofball – just with interests that are a little extreme for a small town in Indiana.

He seems to enjoy your company as well, laughing at your attempts at jokes and listening to your stories. You occasionally shoot him some playful insults, trying to give him a taste of his own medicine, but he appears to take delight in your razzing, earning you a genuine smile with every jab. And you soon find yourself going out of your way to earn that reaction as much as you can. 

If senior year you could see you now, she’d be shellshocked.

The sun eventually sets, and with no word from the other teens, you attempt to get some sleep once again. Eddie throws himself onto your pile of life jackets, refusing to move.

“Guess you’re gonna have to take the boat,” he claims, as if his hands are tied. You roll your eyes, before throwing the tarp at him and begrudgingly climbing into the boat and making yourself comfortable.

Your mind immediately begins to wander, the reality of the situation suddenly hitting you full force once again. All you want is for everyone to be safe. Your friends, the band of teens leading the charge, Eddie…you just want everyone to be okay. And you have no idea how you can make that happen.

You realize a tense silence has settled over the boathouse. You know Eddie's still awake, you can by the lack of snoring. Something pushes you to speak up, so you do.

“Hey,” you start, hoping you were right about him still being awake.

“Yeah?” 

You pause for a moment, feeling awkward.

“We’re gonna figure this out,” you declare. You don’t know if you even believe your own words. But something about saying it out loud makes it seem like it can happen. “I promise.”

Eddie doesn’t answer right away. In fact he takes so long to reply that you almost sit up to check to see if he did fall asleep.

“Yeah,” he says, his voice shaky. “I hope so.”

Your heart pangs, the fear in his voice evident. You wish there’s something more you can do. 

So you try your best to get comfortable in your makeshift bed, and for the second night in a row, you drift to sleep to the creaks and scrapes of the boathouse.

–

Luckily, you’re not rudely awoken by a potential threat on your second morning. Your eyes flutter open and you’re appreciative of the fact that any imminent danger was nice enough to be quiet this time.

You slowly sit up, stretching out your muscles and cracking your stiff joints. A gentle snore sounds next to you, and you immediately grin at the fact that Eddie is still asleep. You realize you forgot to tease him about his snoring yesterday, but you’ll be sure to mention it to him today.

Your eyes wander to his sleeping form. His mussed curls are haphazardly strewn about and the tarp is carelessly tossed across his torso. He looks so peaceful that it’s almost bizarre – you’re so used to his wild high-energy antics that it’s weird to see him so…quiet.

You’re so lost in your thoughts that you miss that at some point Eddie stopped snoring.

“Watching me sleep?” he suddenly says before his eyes pop open and that signature Eddie smirk appears. You feel the heat in your ears, embarrassed at being caught. “Didn’t take you for such a creeper, Major.”

You roll your eyes and attempt to deflect the situation.

“You snore,” is all you can manage as a retort, staring down at your lap to avoid his pleased expression. When he doesn’t say anything after a few moments, you look back at him to find him sporting a huge grin, clearly unbothered once again by your comment. His smile gets you to break, and you let out an embarrassed chuckle at the ridiculousness of the situation.

“Shut up,” you say, knowing full well he didn’t say anything more. It earns a chuckle from Eddie, who decides to stand, taking his turn to stretch. You can’t help but notice the small patch of pale skin that’s exposed below the hem of his dirtied white shirt while he stretches his arms above his head.

“So since we’ve pretty much killed the wonderful spread that Henderson and crew brought us yesterday, and since there’s no sign of them this morning, what do you say to popping up to Rick’s house to see what food we can scrounge up?” Eddie inquires, running a hand through his hair to get some stray strands out of his face.

“Sounds like a plan to me.”

You do feel a little bit bad rifling through Rick’s kitchen, but since you can’t get a hold of anyone, it’s your best option.

The fridge is pretty much empty other than a bottle of mustard and a take-out container that neither of you dare to touch. You split up and start searching cabinets and drawers, hoping to find something edible before the two of you start withering away to nothing.

“I don’t mean to brag,” Eddie suddenly announces, and you turn to find him holding a can. “But I’ve been told I make a mean bowl of Spaghettios.”

You can’t help but let out a chuckle.

“I guess I’ll have the Spaghettios then,” you reply, opting to play along. Eddie, pleased with your response, lights up, tossing the can into the air and catching it.

“One order of Spaghettios, coming right up, ma’am.”

While Eddie heats up your meal, you make an attempt to get a hold of the Vecna-hunting crew.

“Anyone there?” you plead into the radio. “Dustin? Robin? Steve? Anyone?”

The radio crackles for a moment before a voice sounds on the other side.

“Hey, it’s Nancy.” Your eyes immediately meet Eddie’s as you both share a look of relief at the sound of someone answering your call.

“Hey, um, we’re running low on food,” you reveal. “Could we get a delivery sometime soon?”

“Uh yeah, we can do that…just give us some time and we’ll be out there soon.”

“Thanks, Nancy–”

“Ask for a six pack!” Eddie suddenly shouts, and you turn to glare at him.

“I am not asking them to get you beer!” you argue.

“Come on!” Eddie counters. “We’re almost out of bud and I really could use a drink.”

You groan before hitting the button on the radio.

“Eddie is requesting a six pack of beer as well,” you begrudgingly say.

“Hold on, I’m gonna have to call you back–”

“Wait, Nancy? Nancy?” you call out, but no one replies. You let out a sigh – you can only hope that the group will be on their way soon.

“Order up!” Eddie announces, getting your attention. You watch as he awkwardly clears away a bunch of playing cards, empty beer cans, and a bong from the table before placing the pot of canned noodles and two seemingly clean bowls down. You take a seat at the table as Eddie spoons out a helping for each of you.

“Now I’ve spent years trying to get the recipe just right, so please be honest with your feedback,” Eddie teases, handing you a spoon. You giggle at his theatrics.

“I’m sure it’ll be delicious,” you reply, amazed at how he can still keep the mood light, despite the current situation. The thought makes you stop and watch him as he starts to practically inhale his Spaghettios.

He must realize you’re watching him, because he stops to look up at you.

“What?”

“I’m just…I don’t know…surprised,” you explain, struggling to find the words. “Despite…everything…you still manage to crack jokes. It’s just impressive, I guess.”

You see his smile slowly fade and you immediately regret saying anything.

“I’ll be honest with you, Major,” Eddie responds, his hand absentmindedly running through his hair. “I am…barely holding it together.” He gets a far-off look in his eye, and you essentially freeze in your seat, completely speechless at his confession. He stares off for a few moments before his gaze meets yours once again. “But you…being here. It’s really helping. So…thank you…for sticking around.”

You offer a small smile and nod, his words warming your heart. After feeling so helpless, unsure of how you could do anything to fix the situation, hearing that simply staying with him has helped at all is comforting.

“I’d like to think…that if the roles were reversed…you’d do the same for me,” you say, awkwardly mixing your meal with your spoon to give you something to focus on other than Eddie’s deep brown eyes staring at you.

“I don’t know,” he suddenly says after a few moments. “I wouldn’t put it past you to have committed a murder.”

Your jaw drops and your eyes shoot up to glare at him, only to find that knowing smirk is back. You let out a chuckle as you realize he’s teasing you and you shake your head. He giggles himself, pleased with your reaction as always, before his smile fades.

“I’d be there in a heartbeat,” he claims, his tone earnest. His sobering stare makes you uncomfortable again, and you busy yourself with the bowl in front of you, finally taking a bite of your meal.

The two of you eat your Spaghettios in comfortable silence, and you can’t help but repeat his words back in your head.

You being here, it’s really helping.

I’d be there in a heartbeat.

There’s nothing like a life and death situation to bring two people together. You couldn’t have imagined forming such a friendship with Eddie before. But before, you never looked past his “freak” reputation and his hijinks to see what was there. And you have to admit it, what’s there is…a really cool and great person.

At this point you’re not sure what’s more insane: the fact that there’s a demon from another realm attacking people in Hawkins or the fact that you think Eddie Munson is cool.

–

After finishing your meal, which after an entire day of nothing but junk food tasted like the most amazing thing you’ve ever eaten, the two of you make your way back to the boathouse, hoping to be receiving a visit from the Upside Down team soon.

You’re halfway through your fifth game of “pebble basketball” when you hear a car door slam. You both jump to your feet, rushing to the window, expecting to see a familiar group of teens with bags of supplies.

Instead you’re met with the sight of three teenagers in black suits, armed with large objects, exiting their vehicle.

“Shit, shit, shit!” Eddie groans, his body tensing. “It’s the fucking basketball team.”

You both duck below the window, your own panic beginning to set in.

“The blonde one,” he continues. “That’s Chrissy’s boyfriend.”

“Shit,” you repeat back, your mind racing. In all of the hours spent hiding out here, the two of you never came up with an escape plan. “What do we do?”

“I don’t know,” Eddie reveals, his voice strained. “I think we both assumed Henderson and his band of heroes would have come up with a plan by now.”

“I’ll keep watch,” you offer, before handing him the radio. “You try to get a hold of Dustin or Nancy or whoever.” Eddie nods, grabbing the device and moving away from the window.

You watch as the three teens make their way into the main house, clearly looking for a fight. You begin to wrack your brain, trying to come up with anything you can do to either get the boys to leave or to escape yourselves. You can hear Eddie angrily grumbling into the receiver, trying to get someone to respond. You both know that the longer you stay in the boathouse, the more likely you’ll be caught.

You don’t know if you can convince the guys to leave Eddie alone. You doubt explaining that Chrissy was actually killed by a monster from another dimension will go over well. You don’t know these kids well enough to be able to reason with them. And there is no universe where you and Eddie can take on all three of them. Your only option is to escape.

But how? And where can you even go?

“Fuck!” Eddie shouts, breaking you out of your thoughts. “No one is answering.” He plants his hands on his hips, and you can practically hear the gears churning in his head. His eyes widen and shoot up to meet yours. “I have an idea, grab your stuff.”

You don’t hesitate, instantly reaching for your bag and throwing everything you’d pulled out back inside. You turn and stand, waiting for more instructions, before realizing Eddie is untying the boat.

“Help me get this in the water,” he instructs. You freeze in place as you realize what his plan is.

Panic immediately sets in. You can’t. You just can’t. Eddie is just going to have to leave you behind. There is no way you’re getting in that boat with him and going out onto the lake.

You can stay behind, distract the guys to give Eddie more time to escape. You don’t like the idea of separating, but you find it much more appealing than getting into that fucking boat.

Eddie finally realizes you haven’t moved from your spot and looks up, clocking the panic that must be plastered all over your face.

“Oh shit, right,” he says, quickly assessing and understanding the situation. “Okay, um…”

You watch him with big eyes as he moves over to you. He hesitates for a moment before placing his hands on your upper arms.

“Sweetheart, I’m gonna need you to trust me on this one,” he pleads with you, his voice tight. “Those guys are going to kill me if we don’t get on this boat right now. I promise you, you won’t need to get in the water at all. And I will be there the whole time. Just please, please, get in the boat.”

Your heart is pounding, your hands are sweaty, and you can feel your breathing getting shaky. 

And then he says your name.

Not “Major,” but your first name. You can’t remember the last time he called you by your actual name. It sounds almost foreign coming from his lips.

“Please.”

Part of you wants to fight, explain to him your plan to stay behind to help him get away. But the way he’s looking at you is so intense, that you can’t help but listen to him.

You do trust him. 

You slowly nod, and Eddie lets out a breath in obvious relief at your answer.

“Okay,” he says before letting you go to finish preparing your escape vessel. You grab the radio, stuffing it into your bag. You hear a soft splash, and turn to see Eddie climbing into the boat. He holds a hand out for you. You tentatively take it, his rings against your skin feeling oddly comforting. You gently take your first step, trying to ignore the shakiness of the boat under your foot. “Easy. That’s it.” You take the next step, gripping Eddie’s hand like a vice, and he slowly helps you sit on the metal bench.

“Okay, you’re okay,” he says, his own voice shaky from the tension. He then turns to grab the oar, but your hand refuses to let go of his.

“Sweetheart, I’m gonna need both hands to row,” he pleads with you as he takes his own seat. You stare at him, eyes wide, silently begging him not to let go. You’re afraid of what will happen if he does.

“Shit, okay,” he says, glancing around for a solution. “Let’s do this, just grab on to me.” He grabs your other hand and moves both to rest on either side of his waist. He gently lets your hands go and you grip his sides. “Okay, here we go.”

As he begins to paddle out of the boathouse, you focus on your breathing and the solid feeling of Eddie’s body under your fingertips. You keep reminding yourself: he’s here, he won’t let anything happen to you. You try to tune out the sloshing of the water, and instead focus on the small grunts that escape Eddie’s lips as he rows. You center your stare on his back, eyes tracing the Dio graphic on his vest. 

Just when your panic begins to somewhat subside, you hear a voice.

“Hey freak! Where do you think you’re going?”

“Goddamn it,” Eddie groans. You turn to look behind you, and you see two of the guys from before stripping on the shore, preparing to swim after you.

“Munson,” you finally squeak out, your voice tiny. Eddie starts to paddle faster.

“I know, sweetheart,” he replies, his desperation evident. You find yourself looking back to the shore just in time to see the two guys diving into the water. You grip Eddie even tighter, nails digging into the denim of his vest. You’re trying to keep it together, but you have no idea what the guys are capable of, and the two of you are way too far from a shoreline for your liking.

Eddie paddles and paddles, but the guys get closer and closer. Suddenly the blonde one calls your name.

“We’re gonna get you away from that freak, don’t worry!” Your brow furrows. They must think Eddie is holding you against your will.

“Fuck off!” you attempt to shout back, but your voice barely escapes you. You immediately realize the blonde is no longer focused on you. His friend suddenly stops swimming and begins to look around.

“Patrick! Come on, we almost have them!” the blonde shouts, but it’s like the boy doesn’t even hear him. “Patrick!”

You then watch as suddenly Patrick is pulled beneath the water. Everything is silent for a moment – even Eddie stops rowing and turns to watch the scene unfold. And then as if he was shot from a cannon, Patrick flies out of the water and then stops several feet above the surface.

You don’t even realize you’re screaming until you feel yourself being yanked backward, Eddie’s arms wrapping around you and pulling you to his chest. You watch in horror as the boy’s limbs begin to crack one by one. Eddie’s hand slides up behind your head and turns you towards him, hiding your face in his neck. You can hear more snapping noises, and you realize you’re crying when the fabric of Eddie’s t-shirt begins to dampen under you. Finally, you hear a large splash.

And then everything is quiet.

Eddie’s arms fall away and you immediately miss the heat. You burrow yourself into his body, gripping his t-shirt and refusing to move. You can feel him start to paddle once again, but you don’t hear anything from the guys who were chasing you. You’re afraid to ask any questions – you simply focus on the sound of Eddie’s quick heartbeat and the rapid rise and fall of his chest beneath your cheek.

You have no idea how long the two of you travel across the water. But after a while the motion of the boat slows down, eventually coming to a stop as you hit land. Eddie’s arm curves around you again before he finally speaks up.

“Come on, sweetheart.”

You peel yourself off of him, eyes immediately catching the wet spot your tears left along the collar of his shirt. His hands find yours as he pulls you to stand before helping you out of the boat and back onto land. The solid ground beneath your feet calms your nerves slightly, but your heart is still pounding in your chest.

You turn back to look at the water, and suddenly the memory of Patrick comes flooding back. The sight of his body floating in the air, the violent snapping of his bones – you don’t think you’ll ever be able to get the sound out of your head.

You spin back to Eddie, your panic returning. His hands are still in yours, and you grip them even tighter. But you quickly realize, he’s doing no better than you. His chest is heaving, and you recognize the same fear in his eyes as when you first discovered him in the boathouse.

“He...he–” you whimper.

“I know–”

“His…his bones–”

“I know, sweetheart–”

“Is that what…?”

“Yeah.”

He immediately understands your unspoken question. What happened to Patrick is what he saw happen to Chrissy. 

“What…what do we do?” you desperately ask. Eddie doesn’t respond right away – you guess it’s because he doesn’t have any ideas.

“What we’re going to do first is breathe, okay?” he instructs. “Just in and out, slowly. In…and out.”

You close your eyes and try to breathe with him, timing your inhales and exhales with his. You continue to grip his hands as you take your breaths, in and out, in and out.

After a few minutes, you start to feel like yourself again. Your heart slows to a normal pace and the tension in your shoulders releases. Your grip on Eddie’s hands loosens and you finally open your eyes. You’re met with the sight of Eddie’s big brown eyes staring at you once again.

Eddie’s safe. You’re safe. You made it across the lake. He talked you through it and let you hang onto him the entire time. And then even after everything, despite all of his own fear, he helped you calm down.

You launch yourself at him, wrapping your arms around his body in a tight hug. You know he’s not expecting it, because he freezes, stiffening under your embrace. But after a few moments, his arms find their way around you and pull you in tight. You have no idea how long the two of you stay like that, just holding each other close.

Eventually you make the first move to pull away, wiping at a stray tear that managed to escape. An awkward silence settles over the two of you while you each recover from the long embrace. You decide to speak up first.

“I think we should…um…try to find somewhere to lay low,” you say, voice a little hoarse from your screaming earlier. Eddie nods in agreement.

“Yeah, yeah…let’s do that,” he replies, glancing around at your surroundings. “Okay, I think I know someplace, follow me.”

–

You never used to think the forests around Hawkins were that scary. But after witnessing what you had earlier and with the knowledge that a demon was killing people at random around Hawkins, you find yourself on edge as you wander through the trees. You trail Eddie closely, eyes locked to his back so you don’t lose him in the darkness. You’re almost on autopilot, your legs moving instinctively. You can feel the waves of fatigue coming on, but you’re afraid that if you stop moving for a second, you’ll either get separated from Eddie or collapse from exhaustion. Between the late night hour, the lack of food in your system, the long distance you’ve walked, and the emotional weariness from your panic attack earlier, you’re surprised you’re still functioning.

“It should be right up here,” Eddie calls back to you, and you sigh in relief, wanting nothing more than to just crumple to the ground and fall asleep. The trees break and you find yourself coming to a clearing, with a large boulder towering above you. “Welcome to our home for the time being, Skull Rock.”

Once the words leave his lips, you’re shocked you didn’t recognize it immediately. You used to come out here to play when you were a kid, and you had several smoking sessions out here with friends as a teen.

You plop onto the ground below the large rock, the muscles in your legs practically screaming at you.

“It’s perfect,” you state, sliding yourself to lean your back against the rockface. Eddie drops next to you with a sigh.

“We’ll hang out here for the night, and in the morning we’ll try to get a hold of someone,” Eddie suggests. “And then…I guess we’ll figure something out from there.” You nod in agreement, your eyes already drooping closed.

“Okay,” you mumble, losing the fight against your body’s need for sleep. You don’t know if Eddie says anything else, as sleep overtakes you.

The sudden shake of your body wakes you up.

Your eyes pop open and you realize at some point your head had fallen onto Eddie’s shoulder. You then realize the sudden movement was from Eddie, who’s stirring in his sleep.

You sit up abruptly and you watch as Eddie thrashes, mumbling unintelligible words. A fear takes over you instantly – what if this is the work of Vecna? Are you about to watch Eddie’s body float and snap like a twig above you?

You grab his shoulders, gently shaking him.

“Munson,” you call, your voice low at first. “Hey, wake up.” His body continues to thrash and flail, and you try to hold him still.

“No, not her,” Eddie mumbles. You take the fact that he can speak as a sign that he’s simply having a nightmare, instead of being controlled by an invisible monster.

“Munson!” you shout, shaking him harder. “Wake up!”

His eyes snap open and he gasps for breath, as if he was drowning. He grips your hands where they are planted on his shoulders and he heaves as he comes to.

“You’re okay, it was just a nightmare,” you say, attempting to comfort him. You let him focus on his breathing as you gently caress his shoulders with your thumbs. He nods, and after a few moments you release him.

“Where’s the radio?” he asks after a few seconds. You’re a little stunned by the rapid change in subject, but you grab it from your bag and wordlessly hand it to him.

“Dustin, can you hear me?” he grunts into the receiver. “Wheeler? Someone?” There’s a moment of static, and then a voice comes through.

“Eddie, holy shit, are you guys okay?”

You and Eddie’s eyes meet and share a sigh of relief at the teen’s voice.

“Uh, actually no, we’re not fucking okay,” he replies, a bite to his tone. “Shit’s really bad.”

“Where are you?”

“We’re hiding at Skull Rock. Do you know it?”

“Yeah that’s near…yeah, yeah, we know it. Hold tight, we’re coming!”

Eddie doesn’t respond, he simply rests his forehead on the radio and pinches his eyes closed. You can see his chest rising and falling rapidly – the facade he was able to keep with you yesterday is all but gone, and his panic is front and center.

You reach over and gently take the radio from his hand, placing it back into your bag for now. You then take his hand, almost tenderly, and hold it in yours. You meet his eyes and silently communicate to him what he was able to promise you yesterday. You’re here and you won’t let anything happen to him.

He seems to understand, as he offers a small smile and squeezes your hand in his.

The two of you sit in comfortable silence, the only sounds being the rustle of leaves and the chirping of birds. The feeling of his hand in yours is comforting, and you can only hope he feels the same.

At least twenty minutes goes by before Eddie speaks again.

“I just left her,” he says, his voice tight. “I left her there and I ran.”

You know immediately he’s talking about Chrissy. You can tell that the guilt is eating him alive.

“Munson,” you start. “What else could you have done? We don’t know how to kill this thing. I mean it’s fucking invisible. I know you feel guilty for what happened, but none of it was your fault. And who knows, you might have been his next victim if you hadn’t gotten the fuck out of there.”

He doesn’t respond, staring dejectedly at the ground.

“You’re just a person, Munson,” you continue. “No one is expecting you to be more than that. You’re not some…sorcerer or cleric who can just cast a spell to fix this. It’s okay to do what you need to in order to protect yourself. And if that means running away, then so be it.”

After a few moments of silence, you assume he’s not going to respond and decide to drop the subject. You glance over to find him eyeing you warily.

“How do you know what a cleric is?” he asks guardedly. You bite your lip to stop yourself from smiling. You were hoping that line would get his attention.

“I might have dabbled in some D&D in college,” you reveal with a shrug, playing it off as if it’s no big deal.

He lets go of your hand and you immediately miss the feeling, but he does so in order to move into a squat right in front of you.

“So you’re saying…that you have played D&D…and I’m only finding out right now?” he asks as if you’ve personally slighted him. You chuckle at his dramatics.

“To be fair, I’ve only played like two sessions,” you explain. “Our DM kept canceling.”

He scoffs before standing and kicking at a rock on the ground.

“Sounds like a shitty DM,” he mumbles.

“You’re saying you’re a better DM?”

“Sweetheart, I’m the best DM.”

Your stomach flutters at the nickname, now that you’re in less of a panicked state to appreciate it.

But before you can respond, you hear voices coming through the trees. You and Eddie exchange a look before grabbing your stuff and moving to climb on top of one of the boulders, giving you the high ground.

You quickly recognize the voices of Steve and Dustin arguing. You and Eddie sit on the rock and watch as the pair wander into the clearing, passing you by.

“...You can’t admit you’re wrong, you little butthead.”

“I concur,” Eddie states, announcing your presence to your new visitors. They sharply turn towards you, clearly startled by Eddie. “You, Dustin Henderson, are a total butthead.”

Eddie hops down first, before holding out a hand to help you jump off.

“We thought you guys were goners,” Dustin declares before pulling Eddie in for a hug.

“Yeah, so did we,” Eddie confirms, hugging the teenager back. You’re surprised as Dustin then pulls you in for a hug as well. Robin, Nancy, Max, and another boy then appear through the bushes. Your eyes light up at the sight of grocery bags, and as if on cue, your stomach immediately growls.

The group settles in while you and Eddie practically inhale the snacks they brought. They tell you about Eddie’s name being released to the public and you tell them what you witnessed on the lake. They update you on their findings about Victor Creel and how Vecna has some sort of connection to the Creel house. You all put together that Vecna’s attack on Patrick happened while they were in the Creel attic.

The teens begin to rant about how they wish their friend had their superpowers again when Eddie speaks up.

“What’s going on with Henderson over there? He’s not…cursed…is he?”

You glance over and see Dustin frantically pacing back and forth, mumbling to himself and holding his compass.

“Cursed? Nah,” Steve assures the two of you. “Mental? Definitely.”

“The compass!” Dustin suddenly exclaims, causing everyone’s attention to focus on him. He goes on to explain that his compass isn’t working properly due to some sort of magnetic field. You can barely keep up as the teens all fill in the blanks. You think Dustin is suggesting that you all follow his compass to find a way into the Upside Down, but you’re not sure.

“Wait, we can’t just go for a hike in the woods,” Steve argues. “Eddie’s still a wanted man.”

“What say you, Eddie the Banished?” Dustin asks, and the group turns to Eddie for his response. But Eddie looks to you.

Hiking through the woods doesn’t seem like the best plan, especially now that you know Eddie’s name has been released to the public. You’re also not exactly excited about the concept of walking for hours once again. But you know it has to be Eddie’s call – and you’ll stay with him no matter what he wants to do.

“Whatever you decide, I’m in,” you tell him. He nods before turning to Dustin.

“You’re asking me to follow you into Mordor,” Eddie begins. “Which, honestly, sounds like a terrible plan.” He looks at you once more, and then his eyes scan his surroundings. “But The Shire is burning…so Mordor it is.”

He stands before holding his hand out to you and pulling you to your feet. You clock Steve’s bewildered expression as the group begins to follow Dustin back through the clearing and down the path. You walk alongside Eddie, and for a brief moment, you itch to grab his hand again, your own hand flexing at your side.

“You are such a nerd,” you say to Eddie, voice low so only he can hear you.

“Did you get my reference?” he counters.

“Yeah.”

“Then so are you,” he says, a smug grin on his face. You playfully bump his shoulder with yours in response, and he bumps you right back, leaving you both in giggles as you walk.

You lose track of how long you and the group wander through the woods. The sun eventually begins to set, and you can’t help but feel a little bit of deja vu as the trees pass you by.

Dustin suddenly picks up the pace, power-walking through the trees while Eddie tries to catch up, calling after him.

And then the pair comes to a sudden stop.

You realize you’re back at Lover’s Lake.

You hold back the groan that threatens to escape your lips. You aren’t exactly thrilled to be back at the place where you witnessed a violent death and had a borderline panic attack.

“There’s a gate in Lover’s Lake?” Max asks.

“When the Demogorgon attacked, it always left an opening…”

“And Patrick was killed over the lake,” you finish, finally catching on to what was happening.

“Only one way to test the theory,” Steve says, and you cringe, quickly realizing what he means.

Eddie and you lead the group over to where you left the boat the night before. Steve helps Eddie move it back into the water, and Robin climbs in first. You stand and watch, arms wrapped tight around your middle. Eddie steps off and moves to you, leaning in so the others don’t hear him.

“You don’t have to, okay?” he says, already knowing that you were beginning to panic. “I’ll go out with them, find the gate and come right back.”

You’re conflicted. The idea of going out on the water again definitely freaks you out – but you also don’t like the idea of being separated from Eddie. Something tells you that it’s better to stick with him than to stay behind…and you know there’s no convincing him to stay with you.

“No,” you say, voice shaky. “I’m with you.”

“I appreciate that, Maj, I really do,” Eddie counters. “But I don’t want you working yourself up just because of me.”

“No, no, I’m fine,” you argue. “I’ll be fine. Just…can I…?” you don’t finish the question, almost embarrassed to ask. Instead you show him what you’re asking for by grabbing his hand. He understands immediately, nodding and squeezing your hand in his.

You both step into the boat, and you realize your panic isn’t as strong as the night before. You come to expect the uneasiness of the boat under your feet, and the warmth from Eddie’s hand grounds you.

Steve and Nancy take the last two spots, grabbing the compass from Dustin before Steve pushes off from the shore. You focus on the feeling of Eddie’s hand in yours as the distance between you and the teens left on the bank grows. You realize after a few moments that his thumb is gently caressing the skin of your hand, and you let out a shaky breath you didn’t even notice you were holding.

The five of you are silent as Robin and Steve row the boat farther and farther out to the middle of the lake, Nancy’s eyes glued to the compass.

“Wait, wait, slow down!” Nancy suddenly shouts, and you all turn to see the compass spinning wildly. You look across the lake and see the boathouse – you’re about right where you saw Patrick die.

“Guys, what’s going on?” Dustin’s voice crackles through the walkie in your bag. You pull it out and click the button.

“The compass is going nuts,” you answer, before you notice Steve moving in front of you. You realize he’s taking off his shoes.

“Steve, what are you doing?” Nancy asks, speaking for all of you.

“Someone’s gotta go down there to check this out,” he explains, as he pulls off his socks. “And as the former Hawkins High swim captain, makes sense that it’s me.”

“Knock yourself out, Harrington,” Eddie says, pulling one of the plastic shopping bags from earlier out of his vest pocket. He looks at you for a moment, and you quickly understand that he needs both hands to do whatever he’s planning. You nod, hesitant at first, but let go of his hand, moving to gently grip his vest instead, just to have something to anchor you. You watch as he wraps the flashlight Robin had been using in the bag before tying it and handing it to Steve. Steve ditches his sweatshirt and you almost miss Eddie’s eyeroll next to you.

“Steve, be careful,” Nancy says, and with a nod in response, Steve dives into the water.

Eddie grabs your hand again, and you shoot himl a grateful look. The four of you sit and wait, eyes tracing along the water’s surface for signs of Steve. Nancy’s eyes are locked on her watch, timing his descent.

After a minute, you all begin to get antsy. You can feel your panic start to kick in once more. Flashes of the events of last night pop into your head, and you shake your head to try and get rid of them. Your hand squeezes Eddie’s harder, the anxiety of Steve’s absence beginning to overwhelm you.

Then suddenly Steve splashes to the surface, making all four of you jump.

“I found it,” he says as he swims closer to the boat, grabbing onto the sides.

“You found a gate?” Nancy clarifies.

“Yeah, it’s definitely a smaller, snack-sized gate,” he confirms. “But a gate nonetheless.”

Robin grabs the radio from you.

“Dustin, you were right, we found a gate!”

No one responds.

“Dustin?”

Your eyes find the shoreline where you had last left the teens, and you see several flashlights – too many to just be the kids – shine through the trees. But before you can say anything, Steve is suddenly pulled underwater.

All four of you shout Steve’s name as you helplessly watch him sink beneath the surface. Nancy quickly jumps to her feet, rocking the boat and causing your stomach to clench.

“What are you doing?” Robin practically shouts.

“Just…wait here!” Nancy responds, before diving in after him.

“No, Nancy!”

“Shit, shit, shit!” Eddie curses next to you, his own panic rivaling yours. Your hands start to shake, the fear from last night returning in full force. Your heart is practically slamming out of your rib cage. This can’t be happening, this can’t be happening. 

Robin turns to the two of you, an unreadable look on her face, and without a word, she dives in next.

“Robin, no!” you call out. You turn to look at Eddie and you’re met with a sorry look.

“Don’t you fucking dare,” you bark at him, sensing what he’s thinking about doing.

“Listen, I know it’s really fucking stupid –”

“Yes, it is!”

“But –”

“Munson, I swear to god if you leave me in this boat –”

“I’m sorry, I just have to –”

The next few seconds feel like they happen in slow motion. Eddie lets go of your hand, stands, and shoots you one last look of apology before diving into the dark water.

And just like that, you’re alone.

Your eyes find the shoreline once again. The three teens have vanished, and you see more and more flashlights appearing, as well as the faint red and blue lights of a police car.

You have no idea what to do.

So you lay down in the boat, and you wait.

[steveharrington]

21 & 22 also hi i'm a big fan

hi so nice to meet my supporters

21. part of canon you think is overhyped

hmmm there’s so much to choose from… this is weird but i’m gonna say like. character deaths. i feel like people vastly overestimate and exaggerated how sad these deaths supposedly are and i’m NOT saying this to be edgy and i DO think some of them are really sad okay like. the first couple hit!!! benny and barb and bob all make me emotional even if barb’s actual death scene does make me laugh bc they literally interspersed clips of her dying with stancy fucking which is hard to take serious. but like i cannot for the life of me relate to people who are sad alexei died. who are sad chrissy died. even eddie’s actual death scene is so hollow and forced to me that the scene itself doesn’t make me sad in the slightest and i Only get emotional thinking about the hypothetical feelings of the other characters, which we didn’t even get to see!!! ppl will inevitably be sad when the designated Born To Die character in s5 dies. i feel like st saw how much barb and bob affected people and they were like oh let’s do that every season then! but barb was sad because she was nancy’s childhood best friend and we spent a lot of time examining nancy’s grief over it, bob was sad because he offered hope for joyce that she could have a safe and stable life and his death was like ripping away her last shred of hope. alexei and chrissy to me aren’t developed or integral to the story nearly enough for me to be sad that they’re dead i’m SORRY

22. your favorite part of canon that everyone else ignores

ugh lucas’ storylines……s1 baby lucas so intent on getting his missing friend back that he goes to stake out a government lab BY HIMSELF and struggles to trust an outsider who he instinctively blames for the horrors until he empathizes with her and ultimately becomes her bestie…..s2 lucas developing feelings for max but literally being threatened and eventually attacked by her 18 year old racist brother and STILL making sure max knows that she’s a separate person who he cares about…..s3 lucas slaying bc that’s kinda all they let him do that season…….s4 lucas hoping he can thrive in high school and start a new chapter where he can feel socially accepted and kinda make a path for himself with a new interest but now max won’t talk to him and he’s worried about her and terrified for her wellbeing and no matter how much he tries to communicate this to her she continues to self isolate until finally his love for her is LITERALLY what saves her fucking life and also one of his friends dies horribly and it’s only given like 2 seconds of attention even though he’s clearly affected by it. god. all of lucas’ story arcs are so rich and compelling and no one ever wants to talk about him!!!!!!!!!

[tylerdashart]

(spoilers for TDP season 4)

OKAY. so i dont really do these kinda posts but id like to say a few things about season 4 cus ive seen some things and the fandom making theories, i just like to write about my own thoughts. ive watched s4 only one time due to not having netflix so i dont really remember many scenes.

"season 5 when?" are you good?? the season 4 just dropped 3 days ago! Im serious when i say ive seen multiple people already posting this question mostly on YT comments or Insta. also the fact that they're not artists OR a fic author makes sense honestly. they have no idea how animation works.

"rayla's acting weird" this is what frustrats me the most. NO she's not... ok maybe a little. but like. come the fuck on, she was gone for 2 years. ofc she's not the same person we saw in season 3. people change. plus, personally, i dont see any difference on her except this one time when callum asked her to...kill him. yes rayla acted a lot calm in that scene- not just that scene really. she was so calm most of the time, but i can see why? she's trying to get callum warm up to her, she's giving him space, she's being gentle as much as she can cus she knows how much she hurt him. she's grown up, she's not the same hot-headed, irritated elf anymore. and we all know how she hides her feelings. Im pretty sure she's gotten used to it, or managed to cope her feelings well so that she can stay calm. lastly about rayla, all i have to say is people change, so does rayla. and no she's not fake at all.

firstly, if rayla's acting weird, what about Viren being supportive with Terry? isnt that weirder? he didnt even treat his own son better, but he's supporting a trans fella? sus.... secondly, what about opeli being so chill about Ez going with Zubia. in that case most of the characters in s4 were out of character. and that's okay cus it's been 2 fucking years!

personally i think the "Zubia in Katolis" scene was a bit rushed. they couldve done it better but Im not saying it was bad at all tho! i loved the scene with the whole callum doing magic thing and the dragon sized jelly tart? xD

"why is rayla back?" why not really. she realized it was useless to find viren and came back home? she realized she wanted to see her mage? "we had something so special. but I became so obsessed with revenge, i.. risked losing the best thing ive ever had... you" she CLEARLY missed him yall. ofc she came back.

"where's the rayllum kiss" Im glad we didnt get a rayllum kiss. I know this is a cartoon show but at least the animators made it similar to how an in-real-life relationship works. people dont just go "you were gone for two years but its okay, i forgive you, lets kiss". Callum needs time to get used to being around rayla again. he's happy but also angry, he needs to see how hard rayla's trying to win callum's trust back. it was so clear that callum got a bit comfortable with rayla again in the last few episodes, especially the last one. That hug was enough sign for us to know they're gonna be okay and that they're still deeply in love.

Stella isNT EVIL YALL. leave my poor baby girl alone >:c

the fart joke was......nuhuh. idk if it's just me but it was gross. i dont wanna remember how much i cringed.

claudia was a bit- no fuck it- she was too much this season. especially in that scene where she tricked rayla with pebbles. god that hurt so much.

Lastly, Season 4 was amazing!! i loved season 4, and all the new things we saw. the arc is building up, it's so interesting, im so excited for season 5.

[findafight]

I am deeply intrigued by all the listed AUs, but especially 'Lavender’s blue, lavender’s green, lavender’s everything we’ll be' and 'Never again we two'. If you already have asks that mention these, it's dealer's choice on what you want to elaborate on.

Ooooo nice. Never Again We Two (title from my love my life by ABBA) is a oneshot from steve's mom's pov post s4 in which she finaly comes back to hawkinsto see her son when he's hospitalized, again, and sees the room filled with people she doesn't know or only knows vaguely.

When the nurse comes in, saying Steve's momis here, steve, groggy and on pain meds, tries to sit up, saying "ma?" only to see Mrs. Harrington and immediately correct himself to "mom", because, as I headcanon it, Mrs. Henderson took one look at steve after Dustin talking her ear off about is new cool older friend and immediately adopted him. He calls her ma because she asked him to, and Dustin (her literal child) does so it's not weird what are you talking about Robin.

But anyways his mother hears the "ma? -- Mom" switch and realizes that she's missed out on so much of her son's life that he literaly calls another woman Ma and thinks of her instead when told his mother is there. It's a lot of introspection and outsider pov of the party and her mourning the loss of the relationship she could have had with Steve, and coming to terms with wanting/needing to build a new one.

I answered about LBLGLEWB (god why do I love long ass titles so much...) in a different ask but I actually love that mess of a fic so much that I will give you another taste ;)

Steve's first role is just a background part, they literally just needed bodies to fill the space and he was a contract worker already so why not shove him on the soundstage for an afternoon? but his second is as a goon for a mobster flick that, of course, weilds a baseball bat as intimidation. It is 1937 and the world is introduced to the first Buckley Twirl on film. It wasn't even his choice of prop, they just handed it to him and his brain went "I know how to use THIS!" His performance of unaffected and cool is well liked by the director, so he asked to join another picture as another gangster, this time with lines.

His fourth time on screen, he's actually helping the props department, (he still is contracted as whatever the studio needs him to do.) but the director is having what seems like and angry melt down, yelling "Do ANY of you know how to fucking dance? Show of hands!" to which Steve, son of a coal barronand and raised to know all the proper ettiquite, raises his hand. The dirctor points at him. "We need a nice transition shot and i want a wipe following dancers in front of the camera and APPARENTLY none of my extras can do that." Steve isn't sure what that means but he is capable of spinning someone directly infront of a camera, so thats fine. "Shit Now you just need a partner. GodDAMN IT."

And Steve says "My wife works here?" because that's true and Robin knows how to waltz.

Which is how they both end up in innacurate period costumes, Robin giggling because she's set to help edit this film, and being told to dance together and their cue to spin infront of the camera to block it.

The only slight hiccup, which somehow only Steve and Robin are aware of, is that Steve taught robin how to Waltz and he only taught her how to lead because she didn't want to follow. No one actually notices Robin lead steve until years later, when it's released on television and later on video, to be wondered at how they got away with it, they weren't subtle, Robin definitley chose the take where she dipped Steve in the background.

It is the first, but certainly not the last, of the little queer moments they slip into their films.

Of course, twenty years later, when Robin directs Baseball, Baby! (literaly the only film i have named in this fic lmao) There's homage to the scene, someone leading Steve's character in a dance, and of course the return of the Buckley Twirl in a less menacing fashion.

[ambeauty]

Titans Final Thots & Feelings

Hi Family! We’ve come to that time where I have final processed my journey with Titans. I started Titans in 2020! Thanks to you folks on here giffing the gorgeous Brenton & Anna smiling next to the Jeep at the end of s1! I was trying to figure out what the hell that show was for probably a year and it was finally available on a streamer I had access to! And s1 sucked me in immediately! I watched TTG a bit but other than that I was completely unaware of the depth and beauty of the stories the Titans had. And of course I was deeply smitten with the romantic story blossoming between Dick & Kory. But I also loved the group dynamics of everyone and that continued in s2! I honestly was okay with Kory having her own journey to go on separate from Dick, because that was what they decided to do before “trying it again sometime.” And I loved Slade as the villain! I truly believed he was going to fuck the Titans up and tear them apart. Now the ending with Donna was a mess but otherwise the villain arc was so well done! And then we come to 3! And I had been watching Titans virtually alone up until that point and then I discovered there was a whole community of Titans fans on Tumblr/Twitter and we all got to commiserate together about how bad Jason/Crane were, DickBabs unnecessary romance, and Dick being a total loser! A fun time was had by all. And then after much anticipation we get to s4!

Season 4 opening was damn near perfect! I literally had no notes! Opening scene Kory! Next scene the fam goofing off and Dick and Kory on their own private mini date. Dick was TALKING! FLIRTING! DOING ALL THE THINGS WE EVER WANTED HIM TO DO! He and Kory displayed the perfect balance between co-leaders and tiptoeing around their budding romance. And then Jinx entered the picture and I just wanted to ask why. Not as a character but as Dick’s ex? I reiterate again that it was just another opportunity for DK antis to find another person to ship Dick with. Now it was very obvious how annoyed he was by her but still a completely unnecessary plot and I feel like the tone and momentum shifted in 3&4 that I just did not like in terms of DK’s development.

My main issue with Dick is that he did not allow for Kory to be vulnerable with him in regards to her fears about the prophecy. He stopped being a partner and regressed back into old Dicholas out of fear! I wanted him to listen to her, even if he didn’t believe it or didn’t want to. That would’ve shown growth in his character. That he didn’t have to always be right and that he was emotionally strong enough to be Kory’s strength. It was a complete missed opportunity to have their vulnerability end with the end of 406. That being said 405 was the best episode of the season! THAT WAS A MOMENT I WILL NEVER FORGET! Even though it was a vision, seeing Dick, Kory and Mar’i and the entire family celebrating their baby’s birthday was perfect and what we deserved after everything.

They set part 2 up to be something that was going to be important and the fact of the matter was it just wasn’t. Brother Blood was still crying and throwing up over Mayhem. And he didn’t get his suit or real powers until the literal end. Gar’s episode was really special and I enjoyed it a lot! But it seems like all of his progress in the red went unused after the episode ended. Like they just did not care that he gained so much power after he and Kory got out of the red. And that just fell by the wayside. There was no reason why he didn’t shift to pull those cords or turn into multiple animals in that hallway fight in the finale. Make it make sense.

And then we get to my main gripe! Who was doing the actual writing in the room? Because Dick had the same lines every episode. “Kory” “It won’t happen.” “I thought I lost you.” As much as I love him calling out her name, he had so much more to say to her. Talk about how he wanted the future in the vision. How he was scared to lose her. How he couldn’t say goodbye to her because he didn’t want to do life without her. HOW HE LOVED HER! Y’all they never got to say that but he did get to insinuate he was ready to have that baby (which I loved) but also like where’s my love confession! They deserved that moment at the very least.

At first I was underwhelmed by the kiss but further investigation with gifs and stills it was really sweet. Their entire arc was sweet. Wholesome, but it wasn’t as intense as I personally expected it and need it to be. Chemistry was wasted on frankly elementary writing. Thank God for Brenton & Anna’s acting skills which allowed us to be able to read between the literally lines, but at this point, I have been so tired of having to interpret every damn glance and brush of the fingers against the face. LIKE GIVE THEM THINGS TO SAY! You could tell that imo the show runner did not want to do a romance between them and literally just did the bare minimum in order to shut the fans up. He says as much in the featurette. And in doing so, he destroyed his favorite characters ability to grow beyond just the muscle and man with the plan of the team. Kory deserved a partner who she could lean on. And Dick wasn’t always that, even when it was literally his only plot point of substance.

Also nobody expects this show to be a romcom or a DK porn. And it abhors me every time I see someone using that as an insult to DK Stans. What we did want to see them do is grow together authentically at a pace that matched what had been shown to us to the prior 3 seasons. We knew that Dick had feelings for Kory in s2. He was so upset that she left him in a vulnerable spot, he sent himself to jail! And in s3 he could barely keep his eyes off of her. Stalking her from high vantage points, completely sabotaging his date with Babs, and visualizing their daughter as a reason to come back to life. So WHY was there a need for them to literally snail drag to the finish line? My only reason is because the show runner wasn’t into it.

And I can say objectively that I enjoyed the fact that Kory was the center of the season. It literally started and ended (Conner scene aside) with her. She was the key to it all and the Titans got to help her, albeit frustratingly so along the way. I wish that Rachel, Gar and Kory all had equal time with a formidable villain like Brother Blood. It really would’ve ratcheted up the stakes for a Dick who remained completely delusional (although he was the manifestation warrior) the entire season. This season had no stakes whatsoever. Our family did the best the could with what they had but they could’ve been given so much more.

I don’t think we’ll see Titans at least in this form, in a very long time. Unfortunately DC is sitting on a goldmine with these characters and if they are done well could probably turn the profits for the company. I think if they touch them again.. they’ll be younger and probably not as diverse, but that’s me being pessimistic. My hope is that the impact our actors made on these characters is a lasting effect and if they choose to reboot the team that it is done by someone who has passion for the actual Titans. Let Batfam be batfam but let the Titans have their own thing. Our show put in the work to build a special fanbase and I want it to continue, but those people in charge, I don’t trust them.

It’s been hella fun with you all for the most part. I definitely got to see the ugly side of fandom, but what I love and take with me in this experience is the beauty. I have met so many wonderful and genuine people and I never thought at my big age that I would be making new friends who I genuinely love and respect. It takes a special type of person to be a titans fan and it’s clear that we all have way more in common than we think and that is the most beautiful thing of all. Never in my life did I think creative writing would come back to me in this way. That I would have supporters and partnership in this way. Just from a little DC show! I am still blown away and thank you all for making this hobby something so worthwhile and fulfilling in my busy life!

I have stories to finish and ideas flowing out of my pores so you guys got me for a long time to come!!!💜💙💜💙💜💙🖤💚🖤💚🖤💚

[pluckysidekick]

The cast just did the final table read of the series, and I don’t think I’ll ever get over it. I’m so excited for Season 4, but crying at the idea of Nancy Drew ending so soon (When exactly? Who knows?).

I agree with Noga that the love the cast has for each other shines on the screen - it’s one of the (many) things that makes this show stand apart from the rest. The sheer amount of heart and humanity (and humor) among the ghosts and witches and curses is unparalleled. I’m not expecting to find another show that hits me like this one any time soon.

In filming news this week, the Drew Crew (fictitious and the actual show crew) were filming a spring scene set in May on the beach…in the snow. Riley gave us a nice preview (thank you, sir, but where is that promised photo?), sending everyone in a tizzy about the show finally making it to Spring. Riley walked back a time jump confirmation, but a few crew posts confirmed a spring scene. DM me or comment if you want to see said crew posts and a bunch more from the beach set - including pics that confirm what other classic ND scene was shot on the same beach, and that it might be for a Spring Festival. At minimum I’m manifesting short sleeves for Ace.

Kennedy, who must be in every scene and probably has little downtime, posted a rare S4 hint and then quickly retracted it. “This is Me Trying” happens to be on my The Space Between playlist, as I suspected it would fit Nancy’s mood to ‘T’. Kennedy did confirm a few things - that the painful lyrics about being around the person you love but not being able to have them are accurate for Nancy (see below), and that Season 4 Nace is going to kill us. I look forward to the pain (expecting an eventual HEA for our Nace babies of course).

If you made it this far, I’ll give you two little bonuses - a fun crew pic in the police station (how I love and already miss Sangalicious and applebananapear’s BTS shenanigans - let me count the ways), and a plot spoiler that no one else has posted as far as I’ve found (you’ve been warned).

.

Henry Zaga, who we think is a series regular in S4 from a blurry mystery cast member photo seen earlier in the season (not confirmed) posted a pic of a HIGH SCHOOL GYM DANCE on IG. OMG. I confirmed the location from his pics and it was taken in an actual high school gym in Van. Flashback to Nancy & George or Ace’s prom? The Drew Crew crash the 2020/Jesse’s prom? Future prom of Nancy & Ace’s kid (shiver)? I am dying to know.

That’s it for now. Hoping against hope we get some juicy BTS this week with multiple episodes filming, including the Amanda Row-directed finale (she directed S4 Ep. 1 and many classic ND eps.).

[nosolaceofastraightanswer]

THE UMBRELLA ACADEMY MASS REWATCH EXTRAVAGANZA S3E10 ALGAMATION POST

the final one!!!! ogufhhghrgfhfhfhf. let’s get to it besties i have to write some psychology paragraphs after this still and let me tell you the night is not young 🤠

im totally gonna have an emotional note at the end omg i can’t believe it’s overrerrrr 🥺

i think overall there were so many good character interaction scenes and i wish that the development from those happened ages ago. the characters felt very cartoony and stagnant for a while tbh.

this episode did however remind me of how much i love viktor + allison’s relationship istg they need interaction s4 plssss they’re so fucked up but they lvoe each other so much bro

my wishlist for s4 only grows 😔

glad they brought back five Being Insane this ep. i feel like he didn’t bring this manic energy to the rest of the season but now that it’s here i’m just like yes get it king 👑

i have individual posts to make but i’ll say it here anyway: MURDER HOTEL IS SO FUCJING COOL!!!!

that yellow light was so creepy but OML the bugs?!!??!!?!?!?!? agahhgkgkgkgkgkg it gave me the heebies AND the jeebies.

sloane also deserves to go feral but like. srsly wish she was more developed. when i tell you villain arc sloane is in my heart okay.

dielila enjoyers stay winning ig???? im sorry they’re adorable.

miss stabnley tho :(((( baby

that sigil stuff was cool!!! wish we got more worldbuilding OUHGGHH

in all caps is my literal reaction when allison goes into her apartment (ft return of The Notes bc im just quirky like that)

AAAAAAA okay so analysis and individual posts r done

tysm to anyone who interacted this wild ride!!!! it’s been amazing and i lvoe you guys sm. im so glad the fandom community can come together to appreciate this thing we all lvoe like????? 🥺🥺 i gotta make a psot @ing my fave tuamre posters!!! <3333

to anyone who is an algamation post enjoyer: ily 💪💪 we stay winning

ALSO for the future now that the rewatch is over, i will be staying active in the tua fandom and posting still!! i have some art i made recently and MANY brain animatics that i hope will one day make it to paper/flipaclip. i’ve also got some analysis i’ve been holding off on cus it would be a LARGE undertaking, and i’ve been thinking of writing fanfic on my ao3 sometime!!! i love the tua fandom and i’m having a blast. ^_^

we can only pray for the s4 outcome whenever tf that’s coming out.

i have had so much fun reading everyone’s posts and hanging out. i met so many people through this as well!!!! hiiiiiiii

OUGUGHHFHFGHG u guys r the best :D

also thanks a million years forever to the bug enjoyers HERES THE GUY

look at him Wiggle. anyways have a good night everyone! i have to Go Do Work now. love u guys <33333

[erikiara80]

Some thoughts about the leaks

I'm going to use different colors, so it's not confusing: Brenner and Henry, Joyce and Hopper, Henry and Patty

Brenner's father was captain of a ship, subject of government Project Rainbow that "disappeared at sea" in 1943 (they were trying to make it invisible) It actually wound up in Dimension X and all crew members except Brenner's father perished

Ship, rainbow, other dimension -> Will and his rainbowship that might be a parallel with Olivia drawing a Zeppelin when she travels to the other universe in Fringe.

I read two different names for the ship tho. Eldritch (that would be cool, lol) and Aldgate. And there's also the ship of the Philadelphia Experiment, the Eldridge. Hope someone can clarify what the actual name is.

If it's Eldritch, it could be a reference to Eldtrich horrors or the dnd campaign in '79, when Nancy joined the party. 1979, (Will's) sister, El.

If the name is Aldgate, it could be a reference to the Aldgate Pump in London, where Kali was abducted.

The pump has a gruesome past that gained it the nickname 'Pump of Death' after it caused a cholera outbreak in 1876. It was discovered that the pump's water supply contained sediment including calcium that was leached from human bones in nearby cemeteries.

Bacteria, infection, death. Yeah, makes sense.

Patty and Henry's secret journal

This is cool. So Henry has a secret journal written in code and the key to decoding it is the clock chimes or the clock face. Thinking again about Will's connection to time. His Marty McFly outfit, Dustin giving him the Forever Clock, and his name on the grandfather clock. I'm glad that Patty survived. If she's the only one who knows about the journal, she must come back in S5, right? Maybe they've already introduced her character in S4. Just speculation! I love clocks and secret codes, I'm happy they'll be important in the last season.

Henry disappeared in Nevada for twelve hours, close to where Brenner was conducting experiments to try to find Dimension X. When he returned he was completely changed. Alice mentions it is not the same person

This is a huge parallel with Will. Will vanishes and in S2 Jon says that he's not the same. Also, 12! I don't know if they show Henry in Dimension X or they just say that he wound up there. But anyway. They mention 12 hours when Owens takes El to Nina, so that's about Henry, but it's also about Will. Before that scene, we get a close up of the light bulb in El's closet (like the one in the shed) and Owens even mentions working out of a shed.

EDIT: Someone on Reddit says that when Henry disappears Brenner finds Henry's spyglass. He begins searching for him and that's what leads him to Hawkins.

But the whole thing is sus. I need more info about the Mind Flayer and Henry's powers. Also, what a coincidence that Henry disappeared in Nevada where Brenner was conducting experiments, and then moved to the town where Brenner's lab is. Tell me there's a scene that shows that Brenner helped the Creels relocate. It would be a cool parallel with Owens helping the Byers to relocate in California.

Brenner's father returned seriously ill from Dimension X and unable to take blood transfusion. Henry's blood, like Brenner's father, is unlike any other humans. He developed a connection to the UD (and presumably with his powers) when he went missing. It's also explained that the lab kids were created through blood transfusion from Henry to pregnant women

Interesting that they mention that Brenner's father was unable to take blood transfusion and then Brenner uses Henry's blood. But I'm sure this is not the whole story.

Henry, El and the other lab kids

I read that they show a photo of the other nine lab kids, including Kali. That would explain why they kidnapped a girl in England. They knew who Kali was and that she had Henry's blood and powers. But now I have a new question lol: why was Kali in London? Did her mother run away, or the women could leave the lab with their babies? But if the mothers knew about the experiments, how is that possible that nobody knew about the abduction of nine babies?

Henry holding El in the last scene: 'I'm excited to see you, Eleven. I have something new for us'

This reminds me of Brenner saying Let's try something more challenging, after Ten mentions red blocks and Six, twice (12). And Henry says the same thing to El in the RR, before he tells her about Brenner's plan to kill her. So, something new for Eleven and 12?

The problem is, Henry says that he has something new for El when she was born, but then nothing happens for eight years. Strange. But. IF Kali wasn't raised in the lab, maybe it means that El wasn't either. This could support my car crash theory. We'll see!

Joyce and Hopper's romantic tension, and their goodbye before Hopper ships off to war

Love that Joyce asks him to meet her at midnight for drinks. Another 12 mention in Jopper's last scene. Sweet. But did they say why Joyce doesn't leave Hawkins? Why does Hopper feel cursed? Why is she still with Lonnie if he's an asshole?

EDIT: It appears that Joyce is stuck in Hawkins because she wanted to win a scholarship with the play, but she didn't because Henry hurt Patty and everybody thought she was dead.

Oh, I'm also very curious to know who the member of Brenner's staff who runs away with some equipment is...

I have so many questions about Henry's story, and certain inconsistencies, but I'll wait for more spoilers

One last thing.

This intrigues me. Two experiments, two doctors, two keys, two kids, Will and Eleven (and Henry/Edward 10->01). A ship disappears and then, maybe, an entire town? Hmm

[twdmusicboxmystery]

I'm hopeful that Beth is coming, but one question I have after reading all your theories is why did it take this long to bring her back? Wouldn't it have been better for the story had they not shot her in the first place? That way she could've been reunited with Maggie and Glenn too.

I'm also curious to hear your thoughts on whether or not you think this was the original intention for Beth’s story (ie having her go missing for several years). I know she was originally supposed to be killed off in the prison arc by some serial killer dude but I mean after that. Personally, I've always felt like she was supposed to be with Daryl romantically, but then for some reason, they changed it.

Oh man. That's a lot of questions. I have lots to say about all of this. Let's dive in.

In terms of her arc in general, I do think Gimple more or less always planned it this way. They may not have had it specifically in mind when they brought her in for S2, but Gimple had an inkling, in my opinion. Maybe he didn't know exactly how things would play out, but her suicide arc was his baby, and he knew he wanted to take this character from a place of extreme weakness to one of extreme strength.

In S3, he was not the showrunner. If they'd decided to kill off Beth as they'd planned, he probably wouldn't have had any control over that. Thankfully, they changed direction. And the next season, Gimple was officially showrunner and could do whatever he wanted with the arc. And, NOT coincidentally, that's when Beth came from and center and we got the Bethyl hug in 4x01. So, I think the instant Gimple was officially in charge, Bethyl was officially a thing.

Side Note: You could argue--and many have--that they might have had plans for Beth and Daryl as early as S3. Because in 3x01, they officially shut down the idea of Caryl being a romantic thing, and clearly showed Daryl staring at Beth as she sang.

There's no way to know how extensive their plans were then, but I think, even if they were planning to kill her off via Axel then, they were still going to make it a huge loss for Daryl. Even if it hadn't been what it developed into in S4, it would still have been a matter of him being heart broken to lose her. They would have talked about the loss of her music and such.

To this day, one of my favorite scenes in the whole series is when Beth starts singing Hold On at the prison and they clearly show both Daryl and Merle staring at her. Something about Beth's music captivated both the Dixon boys. And I don't mention Merle in a gross, he-was-in-love-with-her kind of way. I think it's more that they didn't grow up with anything like wholesome music, so when she started singing, it mesmerized them.

Back to your questions.

So, in short, it feels to me like Gimple always planned it that way--as a romance between the two of them--but he probably didn't know at the beginning if he'd actually be able to do the story that way, because he wasn't in charge. He had to let things happen organically, sort of ride wave of all the problems they had with showrunners in S3, and know that he couldn't be overly possessive about anything.

But when the chips fell after S3, with him as showrunner and Andrea killed off, BOOM! Bethyl was born. Or at least, it was greenlighted.

So, in a very general sort of way, the reason for her arc is the resurrection theme. They have used this as a theme since the very beginning. It's built into a zombie tale. In the Christian religion, resurrection is a very wholesome, sacred part of the dogma. And in general, even for other religions or non-religious people, it's seen as a good and miraculous thing. Death = loss and tragedy, so being reunited with that lost loved one is a good thing.

Of course, things like vampires and zombies are the horror-genre's take on it.

So, because the whole story of TWD is about a twisted resurrection of the dead, the thing that compliments that is seeing resurrections of the living from time to time. That's why the TWDU so often tries to make us think a character has died, but then it brings them back. It's all thematic. They almost build all their story arcs around that.

So, in terms of Beth, I think Gimple just wanted to make her the ultimate resurrection arc. And they wanted to build it around Daryl and his love life because he's the fan favorite and they wanted to give him an epic romance.

That's why they pretended to kill her off and not have her reunite with people to begin with. It was the long play on a massive resurrection arc. And also, they needed to get through all the comic book material before they ventured into stories and characters that weren't in the comic books, and that were 100% their creations (which goes for both Beth and Daryl).

As to why it took so long, that's more complex. I think they probably originally planned for it to be several seasons--like 4 or 5--but things got in the way and pushed it back. Technology changed, the logistics of telling the main stories from the comic books got complicated, and of course then there was Covid. So, I do think it's taken several years longer to get around to her return than they originally planned.

So yeah. Hope that answers your questions! Xoxo! 💌😋

[stranger-chichka]

Other hammer references

Yesterday I wrote about Dustin's Slammer he demonstrates Will, El and Mike in particular (here's the post) and I wanted to include other scenes with a hammer in them.

But before - an interesting fact about the word "hammer" and its origin. Old English hamor, hamer, of Germanic origin: related to Dutch hamer, German Hammer, and Old Norse hamarr ‘rock’. The original sense was probably ‘stone tool’.

Skull Rock (it leads back to Dustin's Cerebro I also wrote about). Rock music that both Eddie and Will (also Jonathan) are fans of. Something, something, I think @aemiron-main you'll find it interesting too!!!

7x01: Jonathan uses a hammer to put a trap fot the demogorgon & made a bat with the nails

6x02: "Hammer to Fall" by Queen is playing while Dustin & Steve are on their way to Henderson's, discussing Dart.

I wrote about this scene here, but in this post I want to include the lyrics of the song that didn't happen to be in the show but fit perfectly.

Oh ev'ry night and every day a little piece of you is falling away

But lift your face the western way (when blue meets yellow in the west), build your muscles as your body decays ("The Ultimate Athlete" near Mike in 1x04 + contact sports)

Toe your line and play their game, let the anaesthetic cover it all

Till one day they call your name, you know it's time for the Hammer To Fall (all the time references connected mostly to Mike - he's always late = he needs more time but he's running out of it; but also it's connected to Vecna because "it's time for you to join me")

Rich or poor or famous for your truth it's all the same (the same with the truth, Mike's the one to say "but the truth is..." the most + he nods while Will says: "Sometimes, I think it's just scary to open up like that. To say how you really feel. Especially, to people you care about the most. Because what if they don't like the truth?"

Lock your door, the rain is pouring through your window pane (rain & closing doors CLOSETS are also associated with Mike)

Baby now your struggle's all in vain (= Promises we made in the vain, vain, vain "Separate Ways") For we who grew up (You’ve grown” Hopper to Mike) tall and proud (“proud princess” in s1 DnD game) In the shadow of the mushroom cloud

Convinced our voices can't be heard (Mike’s “El, I don’t know if you can hear this”) We just wanna scream it louder and louder louder What the hell (=Hellfire) we fighting for? (Mike’s “You need to fight. You have to fight” but also Will’s “…and that gives her the courage to fight on”) Just surrender and it won't hurt at all (“Losing you hurts so much” and “I though if I told you how I felt it would make it day hurt more” AND “I was worried so much about El and I feel like I’ve lost you or something”)

“None can take away your right to fight and to never surrender” from that very song

You just got time to say your prayers (= I've got down on my knees and I pretend to pray "California Dreamin")

While your waiting for the hammer to Hammer To Fall

8x02: Jonathan tells how he & Will were building Castle Byers to possessed Will in the shed and how bad Will's at hammering

9x04: Johathan & Nancy are hammering the window in Hopper's cabin

If there're some more scenes with a hammer I missed - let me know. Ohh, almost forgot. There's a hammer on the flag of the Soviet Union (with a sickle and a gold-bordered red star), we see it in s3 (the first scene in 1x03) and in s4 (on the stamps on the parcel Joyce received from Hopper).