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fifthnailinstevesbat · 1 year ago

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after the events of season 4, steve just wanting SO BADLY to be friends with eddie. just LOVING the idea of them getting closer and having eddie as a friend because hell yeah! a close male friendship with someone that is actually my age, and who i don’t have a weird history with involving bruised eyes and love triangles? count me IN! and eddie is FUN, he is actually hilarious! the way they share the same glances of understanding when dustin is being an absolute shit head, rambling on and on about some obscure topic, expecting everyone to always be on the exact same page as him. of course. and, although steve suspects that eddie actually probably is keeping up with everything dustin says, much better than he ever could, he knows that above it all eddie can appreciate the antics for what they are, and roll his eyes with steve at dustin, i concur, you dustin henderson, are a total butthead.

steve just about junps RIGHT IN to being friends with eddie. hey man, what’cha up to tonight? wanna watch a movie? get drunk, smoke a bit? hey eddie, how have you been, man? he starts calling eddie up on the phone regularly just to check in, shoot the shit, he loves it! he loves having this new friendship with eddie munson and he loves how much the other boy has surprised him with how much he actually enjoys being around him. he’s not a freak, really, well ok maybe he is a little bit, but only in the best ways. he’s kind, thoughtful, and is always looking out for the people he cares about, which is something steve can really respect in a dude. but he’s also so funny? steve never could’ve anticipated just how much eddie has managed to make him genuinely LAUGH over their short amount of time spent together. and he’s really, out there? with the way he presents himself, the way he takes up space with these big THEATRICAL movements, leaving no room for regret or shame or god forbid embarrassment. steve isn’t even sure munson is capable of feeling it at all.

eddie munson is a good dude, and steve could use a bit more of that kind of person around him. he loves all of his friends, the weird little bonded family he’s found himself apart of, and they are all good people, but it never hurts to have afew more added in here and there. it never hurts to know there are more good people out there to find.

so steve is all over eddie, it seems.

at least, from where eddie is standing. nobody else seems as phased as eddie does at this sudden change in steve’s demeanour, in his interest in what eddie munson spends his time doing these days. it seems like, to everyone else, to steve, it’s just a natural progression in their relationship, after being sort of role model figures to the same group of kids, both being the two single dudes, who fought the same monsters together last spring, it seems nobody questions too much that they’d start casually hanging around eachother more. especially since eddie has found himself to fit into his own special spot as one of the group now after it all, after he unwillingly became tangled in this whole upsidedown-superpowers-supernatural-monsters and demons debacle, and tangled quite dramatically at that, the rest of the group that’s been with this since the beginning seemed to find no trouble in taking him in and seeing him as “one of them” now.

so, steve asking eddie to smoke, to watch movies, to go for a drive with no real end destination, it’s not really something that earns them too many double takes. dustin makes a comment or two in the beginning, because steve since when did you like hanging out with eddie? you guys are like so opposite, you don’t like any of the same stuff he does? and steve barely gives a shrug and a dismissive yeah yeah whatever man in response, with a signature eye roll, and dustin had said it seemingly also not too seriously, poking fun at steve wherever he can, not really meaning anything by it, as he fidgets around and rambles in the backseat of steve’s car, eddie riding up front. after that, though, he’s dropped it. it’s never brought up again. part of eddie thinks, too, that dustin would actually be enjoying that his two older friends are becoming friends themselves.

robin seems to be the only other person to look a bit harder at their situation, lingering stares at their interactions, all squinted eyes and eyebrows raised, though from her all this seems to be almost always and only ever directed at steve. eddie’s not sure what to make of that. isn’t he the weird one? i mean, he’s the one that stands out, right? he’s the odd denominator that makes their friendship strange. why would steve harrington want to hang out with Him? HIM? but robin doesn’t spend her time studying eddie to try and search for what about him could possibly have piqued the interest of cherished steven harrington, no, shes always looking at steve. like she’s seeing him differently, almost. eddie doesn’t even think that steve notices it, either, because he doesn’t seem to be questioning or doubting anything odd or strange or out of the ordinary with their newfound time spent together. and maybe, maybe robin is seeing him differently. eddie knows he definitely has been. seeing him more, intensely. deeply. human. seeing the person that steve is, as just steve, not this idealised version of a boy that eddies starting to question ever really even existed at all, or if everyone around him just needed to believe that he did, and who was steve if not happy to comply to the wants of the people around him for who he should be?

eddie likes having steve as his friend, too. don’t get it twisted. he loves how unexpectedly expressive steve is about everything, even really small things. steve LOVES to raise his voice, rest a hand on his popped hip, scolding the kids for something stupid with no real heat or malice behind it. and steve is, like, kinda bitchy too. eddie knew he had the capacity to be a real asshole when he wanted to be, that’s all he knew steve for back in the day, when he was back in high school, hanging around tommy h and the basketball boys, the jocks. eddie would spend his days hearing only whispers and gossip in the hallways of the parties at king steve’s house and the fights king steve had started and won on the court or out in the fields, only ever getting as close as a shove into a locker with the guy at the time, but eddie knew how it could go. he knew all about what steve had done to jonathan, what he’d said to him, the words he’d used. eddie knew it all. he’d seen enough, and been through enough himself, to know how these guys acted in response to guys like him, like jonathan, people who were lower on the social food chain. so, eddie knew about steve’s “mean streak”, if you will, but this kind of snarky bitchiness was something new to him. harrington was almost, sassy, when he wanted to be. it was less so cruel and more just, just sass. if he’s being completely honest it kind of blew eddie away, at first. he thought steve was one of those dull headed jocks who thought with their fists more than their actual brains, but that couldn’t have been farther from the truth. steve’s insults were well thought out, they were FUNNY, he was smart with his words. and silly. oh my god steve harrington could be so fucking silly, real honest to god goofball when the moment called for it, when he felt comfortable enough. eddie had caught on multiple occasions steve mimicking lightsabers to play fight with dustin, or the stupid fucking shit he would do or say just to make robin laugh, singing along to a song playing on the radio with a funny voice.

it was all a little, intoxicating, to watch. eddie didn’t know what gave him the right to be in on this now, to get to see this side of steve and better yet to be at the other end of some of his best qualities. it was fun, all the time they spent together, but there was always something else tugging inside eddie everytime they spent close time together, too. something, he knew steve wasn’t aware of. something he knew steve wasn’t equipped to deal with. something he knew, was him. was him, making things something more than they should be, because, nobody seemed to be questioning that they could become friends, so why ruin that? why disrupt it?

- robin and steve

“Steve.”

“-but then like, it wasn’t that I didn’t want to watch it I just thought, hey, y’know, let’s try something different for a change, but then he- oh my god he honest to god TACKLED ME Robin — I mean, it was so fucking funny and it happened so quick — and all over a fucking Tom Cruise movie-“

“STEVE.” Robin lightly slammed a hand onto the counter. She had been standing behind it for no short of 20 minutes, watching Steve as he paced around, supposed to be stacking tapes onto shelves, but ended up spending the whole time going on and on, and ON, about how movie night went with Eddie last night. She thought she was bad…

Steve jumped, almost running into a shelf and knocking down his hard work, and seemed to snap out of whatever trance he had found himself in after starting to tell Robin a story about something funny Eddie had done last night.

“Shit, sorry. Sorry, what were you saying? Were you- were you saying something?”

To this, Robin just rolls her eyes and let’s out a laugh, “You, sir, are goddamn hopeless.”

“Sorry. How long was I talking for?” Steve wandered his way over to lean his arms onto the counter from the opposite side.

“Oh, I dunno Steve, just about half an HOUR?”

“That is an over exaggeration Robin, it’s only been like-“

“Honestly, man, i’m concerned for you. You are like next level OBSESSED with Eddie. Eddie Munson. You do realise this right??? You are obsessed with him, Steve.”

To this Steve sputters, lazily waving his hands back and forth.

“No, Robin, what the hell are you talking about? I am not OBSESSED. No need to be jealous, alright, Stevie-Boy here can have more than one friend. Your spot in my heart isn’t any less special now that it’s beginning to be shared by another.” He bats his eyelashes up at her, holding both hands over his chest as if to cradle his heart.

“Oh my GOD! You even SOUND LIKE HIM!”, she playfully slaps his shoulder. “Steve. You are obsessed.”

“I am not obsessed! He’s just a really great guy, alright-“

“Blah blah, yep whatever you say, lover boy.” Robin quips, plopping down onto the chair chair infront of their staff computer, turning herself to face it.

“Wha- what? Lover boy? What the hell Robin, that is not- that doesn’t even make any sense!”

She is just smiling at him now, enjoying seeing him spiral like this. Steve let’s out a sigh as he puts his hands on his hips, and shakes his head, looking at her right back.

He opens and closes his mouth afew times, like he’s really thinking about what he wants to say next. Or like he has no idea what to say next, and his brain is not moving fast enough to formulate the next sentence his mouth knows he wants to say. He wasn’t obsessed. That’s not- that’s like- no. No he was not, Robin was just playing around with him, she knew how to get on his nerves. Get him all wound up over little things just to see him react like this.

After a minute or two, Robin realises Steve was not going to reply anytime soon, so she turns fully back toward him. Saving him from his spiral.

“So, what are you’re plans for tonight Steve-O?”

He lets out a chuckle and walks around the counter till he’s behind it with Robin, leaning his back against it so he can stand across from her and face her.

“Well, not really sure. Parents aren’t home, no early shift tomorrow, might drink afew beers, listen to some music, —“

“See what Eddie’s doin?” Robin finishes for him, quirking her eyebrows up and down as she does it.

“Oh shut up!” Steve just laughs and softly throws a tape from the counter at her chest. “As a matter of fact, yeah I will see what he’s up to. Because we are friends now, Robin. Is that a problem? Actually I was also gonna ask you what you were up to after work, too, but you know what after this I’m having second thoughts, I mean, the way you’ve been treating me lately-“

“Oh my god, you are the worst. Yes, I’m free, of course I’ll hang out with you dingus. You and your tweedle dee.”

Steve laughs at this, then tilts his head.

“Wait, does that make me dumb? Tweedle dumb?! That’s how you see me?”

“Yeah it is actually, got a problem?”

“Oh wow, she’s feisty today. Can’t believe you think I’m dumb, Rob’s. When you come knockin’ tonight, do not expect a warm greeting at my front door.”

“Yeah, yeah, I’ll take my chances.”

- later. steve’s house. to be continued?

#just been having steddie post season 4 thoughts #been missing the era of the fandom just sort of starting during that time between vol 1 and 2 #how every fic had their own little way of resolving the upside down/vecna problem just written into afew small paragraphs #really just getting to know these characters as a pairing #most importantly before seeing them as a couple #seeing them as friends #how they would genuinely interact and get along #what their dynamics would look like #steddie early days truly have my whole entire heart #coming onto tumblr the weeks following vol1 of s4 was magical #anywho yeah non vol2 compliant steddie for you #more so just #eddie didn’t die steddie for you #they become friends bc truly i actually believe that had he lived they would have #it just makes sense #stranger things #eddie munson #steddie #steve harrington #stranger things 4 #stranger things season 4 #robin buckley #dustin henderson #also lmk if i should keep adding to this…might abyways bc i’m enjoying this #steddie fic #steddie fic idea #steddie ficlet #steddie fanfiction

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serpentface · 1 month ago

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Etadinii priest (cult of Inyamache) standing near the serpent stone, a megalithic structure predating any historical record. Contrary to first impressions and occasional jesting, this is almost definitely not a giant penis (though Some level of symbolic phallic intent is possible), and was probably shaped to cast a long shadow resembling the head and neck of a snake.

Its location is within the present-day province of Wardin adjacent to the city Jaesai, close to the border of Ephennos. A temple to Inyamache was built around it three centuries ago and greatly expanded within the past century, though the stone and the majority of the associated site remains intact.

It is most likely at least couple thousand years old, long predating the written record and having only hazy and conflicting accounts in different oral histories. Most of its original features have been worn away by erosion, but petrogylphs of a snake and rows of scimitar deer (locally extinct or possibly never extant in this area), gazelle, and aurochs remain visible (and may have been re-carved at various points in history), and there are traces of concentric rings at the 'head'. 21st century level analysis would also find traces of ochre within the lines of the petroglyphs, which were painted and repainted red for at least a couple centuries after its creation.

This is the largest single prehistoric megalithic structure located within present day Imperial Wardin (unless burial cairns constructed over slab tombs are counted) and its existence is very technically impressive, especially given the nearest possible quarry is about 50 miles away. The builders of the site were almost certainly a fairly small society of nomadic pastoralists, so the diversion of time and manpower to the quarrying and movement of this stone (and others on the site) would have been absolutely exceptional. Most similar structures from the era are significantly smaller (about human height) and found closer to quarry sources.

The stone is part of a larger site that was mostly or entirely constructed in the same period. It stands adjacent to a shallow, rounded manmade pit buffered from erosion with brick walls, encircled by smaller horizontal slabs. A single circular slab is placed in the center, which is currently referred to as the sun stone. A nearby arroyo also shows signs of modification from the same period (beyond typical redirections for irrigation), diverting any potential floodwaters away from the site to prevent inundation of the pit.

The primary purpose of this stone and the site itself is recording the winter solstice. During the solstice sunset, the snake's cast shadow approaches and perfectly engulfs the circular slab at the center, appearing to devour it. The notion that the sun is eaten by a snake (either on the winter solstice, during total eclipses, or both) appears to have been a common thread in religious belief in the region. This notion is no longer held in the Wardi sphere (the night of the solstice is the sun's yearly death and total eclipses are a concerning premature and unnatural death) but still has linguistic traces, particularly in the word for total solar eclipses being a compound form of the phrase 'swallowed sun'.

Ownership of the site has changed hands numerous times over its history, but it has been in near-continuous use by all its owners as a place to observe the winter solstice and perform related rites. Virtually all proto-Wardi monotheist animist worldviews cast the sun (or sun + sky) as God and/or the source from which all beings emanate, and most considered the winter solstice to be an exceptionally significant (and potentially dangerous) moment in the year, as the time of the sun's dying and subsequent rebirth.

Within the faith of the 7-faced god, veneration of God has shifted to focus more upon the earth (with the sun as an Extension of the earth, all parts of God's body) but the winter solstice still retains extreme religious significance- it's used in part to determine the date of the new year (which occurs on the first new Nyaram moon on or after the solstice), and is still recognized as the moment of the sun's death.

The state cult of Inyamache currently maintains this site as part of the temple grounds and uses it to measure the winter solstice in the same capacity it has for millennia, using the total engulfment of the sun stone as the signal to begin their most important rites of the year. It is understood that it's at least Possible that the sun could fail to rise the next morning if proper action is not taken to ensure its rebirth.

The serpent stone stands in contrast to the brightly plastered and painted temple (and the other prehistoric slabs on-site that have received this treatment) in remaining unaltered in the modern era. The state cult holds that the serpent stone and its associated site was created by the first men, and considers the location and the serpent stone itself to be sacred and regulated by taboo. The only people permitted to enter the site and touch the stone are Etadinii priests (who cleanse it with water once per solar month). Solar eclipses (and subsequent misfortunes attributed to them) are occasionally blamed on trespassers.

#It looks a Little less phallic in context because half of the structure (the face visible here) is flat.#The reason you can tell that it's Not specifically intended to be a phallus (unless there were wildly different attitudes #towards depictions of genitalia here 2000+ years ago) is the fact that they would have absolutely zero hesitation in making it unambiguous #It would be much less pointy #Going into the highly visible traces of prehistory here. The big ones are pathway slabs + astronomical megaliths + lots of burial #cairn mounds. There's also some cave art and TONS of petroglyphs but modern day Wardi peoples also carve petrogylphs #for ritual or magical purposes and/or for fun so it can be difficult to distinguish very old ones from contemporary ones #Some Chenahyeigi speaking peoples have contemporary cave-art producing cultural practices (besides just For Fun) in veneration of #the goddess Od (who is usually considered to live underground) and as sympathetic magic to encourage the earth #to produce crops and sustain their livestock/wild game #The Cholemdinae people is the only one that still produces standing stones as a Practice (though usually MUCH smaller and #acquired close to the placement site) as trail markers and they maintain some of their own astrological sites #Also just note I retcon stuff A Lot as a matter of better fleshing out concepts and figuring out things don't work/would work better in #different ways so if you see me contradict myself just assume the newer information I give is the current canon #There's a couple retcons in here dropping for the first time I Think irt new years

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