#think max in s2 not wanting to turn out like billy

[plistommy]

How about a s2 AU where Billy catches Steve and Tommy hate fucking and is all 'oh?👀 Let me in on the fun' and it turns into everyone competing to hold out as long as possible that leaves everyone fucked out and making out while covered in come😌💕

Billy was about to lose his fucking shit.

He was going to be late soon.

Not because of Max this time, no. The brat had gone to the arcade straight from school because Billy had extra practice for their upcoming game and she didn’t want to wait around which, great, he didn’t give a shit.

A drive by himself sounded great without her scowling on the passenger seat.

But then, he had fucked it up and forgot his fucking car keys to his locker which, who the hell even does that, and now he had to walk back to the locker rooms without a smoke because his cigarettes where inside his car.

The hallways were already empty as his heavy boots echoed with every step and he was pretty sure all the guys from the team had left since it was friday.

Some didn’t even stay to take a shower, too eager to go home from this shitty place.

Billy couldn’t agree more even though another hell was waiting for him at home.

He pushed the heavy doors open and got to the locker rooms. And like he thought, no one was around.

His locker was the furthest away, but he got there with a few long steps and opened the locker with a bang.

The keys sparkled like they were mocking at him and Billy didn’t think he had never thought about wanting to destroy a piece of steel this badly.

”Fucker.” He murmured and snatched the keys.

He turned around and started to walk away, but that’s when he heard something from the showers.

A groan.

And that sparked his interest immediately.

He walked next to the door, feeling the hot steam coming from under it. It hadn’t been that long since everyone left, but he could hear the water still running and the sounds of something smacking over and over again.

It just irked Billy more to touch the handle and…

Crack the door open.

”Ah, fuck, fuck! Harder, Tommyyy!”

”Shut your fucking mouth, bitch!” Tommy groaned.

Billy peeked his head fully inside and that’s when he saw them. And especially him.

Steve Harrington.

Steve fucking Harrington moaning with his mouth open like a whore and head thrown back as Hagan was fucking him from behind, making him arch his back as he keened.

Fucking keened.

”Shit..” Billy groaned as he felt heat pooling in his gut.

Steve was clearly trying his best to keep hold of the metal poll, almost hugging it as his legs were shaking by how rougly he was fucked. Billy could see the floor was also slippery, the water and dropped soap - which would be funny to Billy right now if it weren’t for the situation - weren’t mixing together well.

Hagan had his hands on Steve’s waist and a mouth on his neck as he spat insults at the other.

”You’re such a pathetic, slut, aren’t you, Steve?” Tommy said, half groaning as he thrusted into Steve.

Steve wasn’t answering at first, only whining with his eyes closed and it seems Tommy wasn’t going to have that as he wrapped a hand around that pale neck.

Billy had no idea the short guy had that much power in him. Power to put down the ’King Steve’ like this.

It made something deep inside him purr and he couldn’t help but to grin.

”Aren’t you?!” Hagan yelled and Steve cried.

”Y-yes yes I’m a.. a slut!”

Even if Steve was sobbing, Billy could see he enjoyed this shit. Enjoyed to be called names and thrown around, used like a toy.

Billy wanted to destroy him.

He fully opened the door, having no shame as he walked inside the showers and let out a low whistle at the two.

Tommy’s head snapped at him first, that face red and full with freckles as he took in Billy, brown eyes going a little huge. He slowed down his thrusts which made Steve whine and look up to Tommy, but catching Billy’s eyes before his.

Steve froze and the breath he let out made Billy grin even wider.

”Don’t stop on my account. I was really enjoying the show.” He murmured and the two boys looked a little panicked.

”Hargrove…” Tommy was warning him while moving his arms a little protectively around Steve. Which, Cute.

Hagan clearly still had a soft spot for Harrington.

Billy took a step forward, floor wet and warm under his feet. He hadn’t even realized he had taken off his boots.

When Tommy was about to speak up again, Billy shushed him ”Can I join?”

A beat.

”Huh- What?” That was Steve now, still looking fucked up as he was catching his breath under Tommy.

Billy turned his gaze slowly on him and couldn’t help but to see how the brunette's dick kicked in interest between his legs as Billy slowly looked him up and down.

”I wanna fuck you.” He said, directly at Steve and it made both of the boys gasp.

”Billy—”

”You heard me, Tommy. Let me in on the fun.” He smirked and Tommy bit his bottom lip, giving Steve a glance.

”Or do you not wanna share your little slut?”

Billy could see the way Steve’s body twitched at that and how he tightened around the other’s cock because it made Tommy moan.

”Ah, fuck.” Tommy cursed ”You really want this?”

”Dead serious, Hagan.”

They stared at each other for a while before Steve whined and made them both turn their gazes on him.

”Please…” Steve looked up at them, hair wet and clinging to his forehead as the water ran down his body.

That’s all it took for Tommy and soon he was thrusting into the other again, setting up a rough pace.

Billy slowly opened his belt and slid his zipper down, taking his thick and hard cock from where it had been trapped inside his jeans.

He grinned when both of them moaned at the sight of it.

”Gonna fuck him first.” Tommy got out, not taking his eyes off of Billy’s dick and it made Billy chuckle.

He liked how possessive Tommy was of Steve even if the guy swore he ’hated’ him.

”Hmm.” Billy hummed and moved closer to them.

He wrapped his hand around Steve’s dick which had been left unnoticed and gave it a couple of rough squeezes that made the boy cry out.

”Doing good, pretty boy.”

Steve looked at him and turned more redder than he was.

He gave his cock a small jerk before removing his hand, leaving Steve whining at the loss.

”Not yet.” Was all Billy said before moving behind Tommy.

He wasn’t even giving a shit at this point that his clothes were getting wet. He still had his gym clothes after all.

”Look at him, what a slut.” Billy purred and it made Tommy moan ”Can’t get enough of your dick, huh?”

”Yeah… always fucking begging for it.” Tommy surprisingly got out even with Billy’s hard chest against his back.

Billy laughed and moved his hands to Tommy hips, helping him move and fuck Steve more faster.

He couldn’t keep his eyes away from where the other two were connected. How Steve’s fat ass was sucking Tommy’s dick inside.

Billy wondered how long they had been doing this. How long Steve had been taking Tommy’s cock like this. After they ended their friendship or… before?

They were childhood friends. That he knew. Tommy couldn’t stop talking about Steve. About how he thought he was a ’good guy’ but then left his best friend for some pussy just like that.

Seems like he hadn’t, after all.

”Fuck, fuck, fuck!” Tommy suddenly groaned and that’s when he stilled inside Steve, coming inside the other’s tight heat.

Steve let out a satisfied moan and clenched around Tommy.

”Fucking bitch.” Tommy cursed and pulled out, cock shiny with cum. He took a step back to give Billy some space.

”Go on, take your turn. The bitch loves when he’s full.”

Billy grinned at him and slowly moved behind Steve’s body ”Yeah? Fuck him a lot like this?”

He loved the way Tommy’s spent dick kicked and how the freckled boy had to calm his breathing.

”Wouldn’t you like to know.”

And, okay. Billy liked that. He hadn’t really seen this side of Tommy and he really liked it. He thought he was just a prick trying to hate on his old friend and get a new ’King’ to be by his side because he was too miserable, but no.

Billy spat on his dick, giving it a few squeezes. He moved his hands down to Steve’s ass and slowly pulled his ass cheeks apart to see that perfect hole.

”Fuck, Harrington… look at you.” Billy couldn’t help himself as he pushed two of his fingers in and felt how wet and warm his hole was.

Steve whined under him as he tried to push his ass closer.

He really was a fucking slut.

Billy removed his fingers and spread Tommy’s cum on his cock before lining up and pushing in. And holy fucking shit. Billy never thought he’d be able to know what heaven felt like. But this was it.

Steve let out a long moan under him as he was filled with cock, a thick one and couldn’t help how pre cum leaked from his untouched dick.

”Oh my god, so big, Billy, please— Please!” Steve cried out and Tommy put a hand on top of his mouth.

”Keep it down and take it like a good boy.”

Billy groaned at Tommy’s words as he was bottoming inside Steve’s tight heat, his hips flushed with the other’s round and red ass. He moved his hands to rest on Steve’s waist, giving him a little squeeze before pulling out and fucking right back in.

Tommy grinned next to them as he watched Billy start up a rough pace, similar to his which always made Steve’s ass jiggle just right.

”Keep fucking him like that.”

”Don’t tell me what to do, Hagan.” Billy growled, but they exchanged grins before Tommy was dropping to his knees and taking Steve inside his mouth.

Tommy had removed his hand from Steve’s mouth and as he sucked him in, Steve let out a loud moan which echoed inside the showers.

”Fuck, Harrington.” Billy laughed and moved his hand on the brunette’s neck. When he put pressure, Steve choked and it just made Billy smile wider.

Tommy moaned under them as he popped his head with the same pace as Billy fucked Steve and even though choked a couple of times, he didn’t take his mouth off of Steve and Billy couldn’t wait to get some head from Tommy, too.

The water was turning colder little by little, and it made Billy a little giddy to know they’ve almost used all the hot water because the school was a piece of shit, but nothing was stopping the guys as they kept going.

Skin slapping on skin was filling the foggy room. The desperate sounds coming out from Steve’s mouth, groans and moans from Billy’s as he threw his head back and the pleased humming from Tommy as he deep throated his known ’rival’.

This was a situation Billy never thought he’d be in.

But oh did it make him excited.

”I’m close! D-don’t wanna cum yet!” Steve got out and Billy couldn’t agree more as he felt himself getting on the edge.

Tommy popped his mouth off of Steve’s dick and jerked it faster ”Go on, slut. You can cum.”

”Noooo—” Steve whined like a brat as he was trying to keep himself from cumming, but the dick in his ass and the hand on his dick felt so good it was hard to ignore.

”Yes, Steve. Be a good boy and finish.” Billy joined in.

”No, no!”

Billy chuckled and picked up the pace, brutally hitting on the spot that got Steve’s pale skin full with goosebumps.

He really didn’t wanna cum either, trying to hold himself back as much as he could because he never wanted this to end. Billy could see Tommy was holding back too as he was wrapping his hand around his own dick, squeezing it tightly around it as if it helped.

Ah. A competition.

That Billy loved. And he loved winning.

”You look so good on your knees, Tommy. Wanna fuck your mouth, bet you’d look really pretty.”

He grinned when Tommy bit his bottom lip.

”Yeah? Maybe I’d make you suck mine, would reeaally love to hear you shut the fuck up.”

Billy chuckled and smacked Steve’s ass which made the older boy cry, clearly becoming overwhelmed.

”Fuck, is Harrington always this tight? I bet he takes you so well every time and that’s why you can’t get enough even if you pretend to hate him.”

Billy grinned as Tommy moaned weakly.

”B-Billy—” Steve glanced at him, eyes glossy.

”Shh, it’s alright, Steve.” He purred and squeezed his hips.

But he wasn’t stopping the teasing.

”I bet he could take both of us at the same time. Hole just sucking us in as we’d fuck him slow and deep. Make him scream our names as we’d ruin him from everyone else…”

”Fuck!” Tommy cursed, voice high-pitched as he tried not to jerk himself off while Steve whined between them.

But Billy knew he’d got them both.

Because soon Steve was cumming onto Tommy’s face, too overwhelmed with the words Billy was saying and Tommy was right behind him, cum hitting his own stomach and some even hit Steve’s legs.

Billy grinned when he saw others blissed out faces.

He picked up the pace, arms wrapping around Steve’s waist as he chased his own release.

”Gonna fuck you full.” Billy whispered right next to Steve’s ear

”Mhm, yes! Billy!”

Fuck.

He bottomed all the way inside Steve, making the other arch his back and Billy had never cummed so hard in his life.

They were all silent for a while, just a lot of loud breathing as they all tried to come down from their highs.

Someone turned off the shower, thank god and soon they were all sitting down or more like laying down against the cold wall covered with each other's spunk.

Tommy had gotten most of it, but some of it got on Steve and Billy as well when they’d made out for a little.

”Shit…” Billy groaned as his clothes were starting to stick on to him a little too uncomfortably.

But, he really didn’t give a shit. He was too fucked out.

Steve had his eyes closed as he pulled his hair back and Billy swore he had never seen anyone as beautiful as Steve Harrington.

”You good, Harrington?” He got out, trying not to stare too long at the other guy even though he literally just fucked him.

”Uh-huh… really good, man.” Steve answered with a thump up as he leaned his head against Tommy’s shoulder, giving it a small kiss which made Tommy and Billy look up at each other and Tommy looked nervous for the first time.

It was easy with the sex, but now that things were calming down and the reality was coming more present, Billy realized that there was something more between these two than just hate-sex.

But he didn’t think they guys really knew what it was.

”Yeah,” Tommy broke the silence first, glancing at Steve ”He’s totally out of it.”

It made Steve laugh with a hoarse voice and soon Billy and Tommy were cracking up as well.

[heyitspersephone]

Thinking about stranger things again now that the strikes are over and how, narratively, it would be way, WAY cooler to have Mike get Vecna’d instead of Will in s5

It’s just something about the way Mike’s trauma is never addressed or handled in any way?? Like, he hugs his mom twice and then when he was depressed in season 2 and 4 nobody did anything (his parents scolded him for his behavior in s2 ig but that’s not support). His best friend went missing leaving from his house, he watched his body get pulled from the quarry, watched El (in his eyes) kill herself stopping the demogorgon, watched Will be possessed, saw Bob die, was in Star Court when everything went down, saw Billy die, had his best friend move away, was SHOT AT (and really too few people talk about the shooting in Cali bc omg??), buried a body, and watched the apocalypse start. And that’s just off the top of my head.

(And yes I’m aware that the other characters (especially Will) are traumatized too but I will get to my point in a second just hold on)

The plot is geared towards this idea that Will and Henry have to have some big face off (and they should, in my opinion, but I don’t think it should be in a possession, or at least not the the Vecna kind of possession, yk?) but that makes it all the better, writing wise, to have mike be the one in danger. Will was helpless and hiding in s1, I think Will should get his big strong moments in s5 where he gets to be the hero of the story.

It would just be a lot more fun to work with Mike being Vecna’d than Will, because what are we going to bring up with Will’s visions? His dad? His sexuality? The events of s1 from his perspective? It would be cool to see, for sure, but we already know most of that. Mike, on the other hand, has a number of untapped things, like jumping off the quarry, why he’s so hesitant to tell El he loves her, how someone who was smart and kind enough to take El in in s1 and come up with the spy and sauna plans in s2 and s3 could turn into the oblivious asshole that he was in s3 and s4 (he needs therapy, ik, I still love his character but I want to explore the reasons he went from his s2 characterization to his s3 one)

It would be a very interesting parallel, I think, to explore Mike’s thought processes in this way, especially with all of Mike’s repression business (bc whether you ship byler or milkvan he is repressing his feelings HARD. Like, beyond his inability to say I love you there’s the fact that he doesn’t bring up the apparent many times he called pre-s4 during the Rink O Mania fight?? That literally would’ve absolved him of guilt in that argument since he WAS reaching out to Will the whole time? Hellooooo????).

Anyways, this all brings me to my main point: Vecna targets isolation as much as he targets trauma and guilt. The whole party was traumatized by the events in s1, s2, and s3, but Max was the one targeted. Plus, Henry went for Fred, Chrissy, and Patrick (I think his name was Patrick) instead of going for the perceivably easy targets that the mcs would make (ik narratively that would’ve made it more boring but shhh), so why Max and those three specifically? They were isolated. Lucas and Erica have each other, Dustin goes to Steve and Robin, Will and El have each other and Jonathan and Joyce, Nancy probably goes to Jonathan, and who does Mike go to?

No one. And don’t say Nancy because if those two have heart to hearts then I’m the next coming of Christ. Max separated herself from the Party in the aftermath of her grief and guilt over Billy, and it feels quite obvious that Mike was doing the same (like I said, he has repression issues). So Mike is traumatized, alone, and guilty (be it Will getting taken from Mike’s house, losing El in front of him multiple times, the many deaths he has witnessed, or the internalized homophobia angle), which makes him more of a target than Will, in my opinion (or at least an easier one, especially given his tendency to put himself on the line during fights (quarry, most of s2, s3 mindflayer fight), which would set him up on the suicidal ideation path)

Furthermore, as I’ve seen a few other people point out (and I can’t find the posts but one of them had eight screenshots of the various moments), Mike is always the one getting in the way, so it would be a strategic move for Henry to target him to get him out of the picture. Mike was the one that found El and got her involved in saving Will s1, he was the one who came up with the spy plan and called out the ambush in s2, he was the one to monologue Will out of his possession s2, he was the one with the sauna plan for Billy in s3, he was the one trying to help El get the strength to fight s4 (even if the monologue sucked ass it’s the intention that counts). As much as people like to hate on Mike, he is in the leader position most of the time when the party is grouped up (barring his mental health struggles slowing that down beginning of s3 and throughout s4, but he’s still capable of it). He’s the idea man, and he’s the one whose character’s foundations were built on the desire to keep his friends safe, so it would be a very fun plot line to watch him be the one targeted in s5. Like Will said, as lovestruck and cheesy as he was, Mike is the heart of the party when he’s on his A-game, so Henry should 100% be trying to keep him in the issues he’s been struggling with.

Obviously, Will and El are the Targets with a capital T for Henry since they’re the ones that got away or whatever, but I think Mike is a weakness of Will’s (and El’s tbh but also I think they need to have separate character arcs and I don’t exactly ship milkvan) that should be exploited.

TL;DR: Mike should get Vecna’d instead of Will in s5 because it would make sense in lore and be a very cool way to resolve his character arc

[queenie-ofthe-void]

The Babysitter Chronicles: Mayfield pt 1

steve harrington & max mayfield || wc: 1.9k || cws: implied child neglect/abuse, implied domestic violence, head trauma, smoking, referenced violence, not billy hargrove friendly || 5+1 Steve asks for permission to babysit the kids, and one time he's asked in return

1 (Henderson); ao3; can be read separate -> context is this is directly post-S2

~~~

Steve can’t believe he’s willingly knocking on the Hargroves’ door. As if his own anxiety wasn’t problem enough, the shrill sounds of two people arguing over the thrashing volume of metal music sets his teeth on edge. After a few seconds of waiting, he knocks harder. The arguing stops abruptly, and he hears a woman’s voice call out to wait a moment. 

He hopes the woman opens the door, assuming it’s Max’s mom. He doesn’t know her stepdad, but if the man is anything like his son, Steve wants to avoid him at all costs. Since Billy’s Camaro is missing from the driveway, hopefully he can avoid both of them.

To his relief, a woman with bright, copper hair and freckled skin opens the door. Her yellow cleaning gloves are almost dry, but there are still wet spots scattered on her pink t-shirt and jeans, as well as a few bleach stains. Large, blue circles halo her green, bloodshot eyes. Steve pretends not to notice the dried tear tracks striping her splotchy red cheeks.

“What can I help you with?”

“Hi, Mrs. Hargrove, I’m here to talk to you about–”

“Oh no, hun,” she interrupts him, “I’m sorry but we aren’t interested.” 

Steve looks down at himself, wearing a normal blue windbreaker and jeans, and wonders what she thinks he’s selling. Before she can shut the door, Steve catches the edge to hold it open. He sees her flinch at the force of his grip, the flash of fear behind her eyes reminding him of Max’s two weeks ago. He lets go, taking a step back to give her some space.

“No, ma’am, my name’s Steve Harrington and–”

“Susan,” the man screams from inside the house, loud and angry and too similar to the sound of his own father’s voice after a few drinks. They both flinch, Mrs. Hargrove faster to recover. Even though she’s standing straight, seemingly filled with confidence, Steve can still spot anxiety in the thin line of her mouth. “Who the hell is it?”

“It’s no one, Neil, just some boy selling magazine subscriptions,” she shouts, moving back inside. 

Steve turns to leave, hopes dashed, when he feels a hand wrap around his wrist.

She leans close, lowering her voice. “You’re Steve?” He nods. Mrs. Hargrove chances a glance over her shoulder, then looks back to him again, absentmindedly chewing on her bottom lip. “Wait around the side of the house, I shouldn’t be too long, ok?”

The door shuts in his face, almost grazing his nose. Steve wonders if he shouldn’t just leave, if she’s the kind of person to set him up and send Billy or Neil out to greet him instead. Except she seemed genuine, and this might be his only chance to win her approval. 

He waits for almost twenty minutes before she finds him leaned up against the siding underneath what he assumes is Max’s window, since he’s pretty sure Billy isn’t reading last month’s issue of Tiger Beat. She pulls out a pack of smokes from the pocket of her sweater, and he frowns when she doesn’t offer him one.

“So,” she says after a long exhale, “you’re the boy Billy and Max won’t stop talking about?” She ashes her cigarette, giving him enough time to school his stunned expression. “Can’t seem to shut up about you, surprised you’ve never been around before. Smart that you haven’t, though. Don’t blame you at all.”

“What do you mean?” Steve prods.

“Well Billy’s been bitching about you all year, practically. Saying you’re the reason he ain’t captain of the basketball team. Neil didn’t care too much for the excuses, though. Hasn’t let the poor boy forget it.” She takes a step closer to him and he watches as she looks over his split lip, the stitches, and his black eye. “Figured there was more to it than that.”

“He’s got the spot now,” he lets out a self-deprecating scoff, “can’t exactly play with a concussion.”

Her l brow creases as she frowns at him, tilting her head to the side. “You know, Max never really told me what happened that night two weeks ago. She got home almost an hour before Billy did, dropped off by God knows who–”

“The Sinclair’s, ma’am,” Steve interrupts. He second guesses whether or not he should bring up Lucas at all, realizing too late the problems that could cause, when Mrs. Hargrove smiles.

“Is that the young boy she’s been hanging around lately– him and his friends?” She ashes again. There’s a light in her eyes that’s been missing since he first met her, and she shines with it. 

“Yes, ma’am. Lucas Sinclair.”

Genuine concern laces her question when she asks “is he sweet to her?”. But her small smile tells him maybe she already knows the answer, just looking for confirmation.

Images of the worst day of Steve’s life flash through his mind, and in them he can spot the soft moments. Max and Lucas comforting each other, always searching the other out across a crowded room. Lucas’ poorly concealed admiration and Max’s fondness masked under a layer of sarcasm as thin as tissue paper.

“Yeah, he’s sweet to her,” Steve replies, answering her smile with his own. “Lucas is a great kid, Mrs. Hargrove. One of the best.”

Her eyes water and she smiles again, but it’s strained this time, as she looks towards the house where screaming music filters through the walls. Steve sees the weight on her shoulders, the burden of living with someone like Neil Hargrove. He feels sympathy on the fringes of his conscience when he thinks of being married to a man like that, or being raised by one. How that kind of anger could turn a kid into someone like Billy, or scare someone enough to stay in a bad situation.

The sympathy fades into a bitter aftertaste when he thinks of Max. He knows all too well what it’s like to live in a home with a scared mother and an angry father. How it feels to have a mother who will rock you in her arms and say everything’s ok, only to stand behind her husband when the belt comes off. 

He looks at Mrs. Hargrove and notices small bruises lining the inside of her right arm. The noise permeating from the house forces its way into Steve’s pores. All he can smell are stale cigarettes and motor oil. There’s empty beer cans sticking out underneath the bushes along the house and he kicks at one, harder than he should. He can’t help picture matching bruises on Max’s small, frail arms, and suddenly it’s all too much.

“Mrs. Hargrove, I came here to tell you I want to be Max’s babysitter.”

She frowns, clearly taken aback by the abrupt change of subject. “Oh, well it’s usually Billy’s job to–”

“Billy is the one who did this, ma’am.” He gestures to his face and attempts to reel in his frustration. “To be frank with you, Billy almost killed me and one of the kids I was with that night. He’s dangerous, especially to her. And you know that. You have to know that. Right?” 

Mrs. Hargrove sighs, dropping her cigarette into the grass to wipe the tears at the corners of her eyes. She pulls down the sleeves of her sweater, crossing her arms over her chest as she folds in on herself. Makes herself smaller.

She hesitates before saying, “Neil will be upset if Billy isn’t the one bringing her places. Says it gives him responsibility. Accountability.”

“Good thing Billy won’t have time now that he’s captain of the basketball team. And isn’t that what his dad wants?” Steve will counter every argument she has if he has to. He refuses to let another kid grow up in an angry home, scared and alone, even though Max’s is so much louder than his own. Somehow he thinks that might be worse than his own, empty, quiet home.

“We can’t pay you.”

“I’m not asking for any money. I’ll do it for free.”

She shakes her head, frustrated and out of objections. “You think you can keep her safe from them when I can’t, is that it?” Her voice cracks, and it cuts through him.

Steve tries to relax, opening up his stance and softening his voice. Hoping that she just hears him out. “I know you don’t know me, and that you and your family are new around here, but the Harrington’s are a big name in this town. My parents are well connected to lawyers and local politicians. I’m close with Jim Hopper, the police chief–”

“Is that supposed to be a threat?” She snaps. He notices she’s shaking and he raises his open hands up higher.

“No, ma’am. It’s not a threat.” Steve looks her in the eyes, tries to convey everything he’s so bad at saying and everything he’s probably missed along the way. “It’s a promise that she’ll be safe with me, no matter what, and I’d do anything to keep that promise. Please, Mrs. Hargrove.”

He thinks it’s the please that gets her. Steve can see the moment she caves, heaves another great, heavy sigh as she wipes her sleeve across her eyes a final time before tucking it back under her arms. The quiet eventually settles between them. She pulls the pack of smokes out again, holding one out to him in offering. He takes it.

“She needs rides to and from school,” she starts, staring at him as she speaks. Steve doesn’t know what she’s hoping to see, but he feels himself light up inside, excitement beaming out through his wide smile and crinkled eyes. “Neil gets home first, usually around five. I work shifts, so sometimes the latest I get home is after nine.”

“Max can stay at my house as long as she wants,” Steve says, not bothering to keep the enthusiasm from his voice. “Even if it has to be overnight, I’ve got a spare bedroom that we never use. I’m also more than happy to bring her home after nine when you work late, so you don’t have to drive across town when you’re done.”

Steve knows his implications are obvious. He’s willing to do whatever it takes to keep Max out of the house when her mom isn’t home. He can’t help how desperate he feels at the idea of her being alone here anymore than she already has been, and how he’s so close to making sure that it never happens again. 

He can already picture Max’s muddy shoes in the entryway on a Friday afternoon, and hear her bitching about his cereal choices on a Sunday morning. She’ll wrestle with Dustin over the remote for Saturday morning cartoons. Steve’ll even learn how to cook for three, standing in the kitchen over a hot stove while the two kids do homework at the counter, posted up on the barstools that’ve never been used before.

He’s practically choking on the idea that he’s not just giving these kids a place to hang out, but that they’ll be hanging out with him. In his own house. For the first time in almost four years, Steve’s house will have people in it. People who like him and actually want him around. Kids for him to watch out for, and take care of when they need it.

“Alright,” Mrs. Hargrove sighs, “let me go grab a pen and paper, I’ll give you my schedule for the month.”

~~~

Mayfield pt 2

[steviesbicrisis]

Stranger Things S2 rewatch thoughts

I finally finished rewatching S2 and this is everything I've written down as I was watching lmao

KEITH USED TO WORK AT THE ARCADE?? Also the arcade is right next to family video so Keith just moved next door in season 3 lmao

Steve omg you’re so cute stop

FINALLY MAX IS HERE

Okay Billie is bad, yes? We all agree Billie is bad, right? But Dacre IS SO HOT I CANNOT HE TOOK A “PORCA TROIA” OUT OF ME LIKE IT WAS NOTHING

Honestly they’re so dope for dressing up as ghostbusters and going to school with matching outfits

Ugh Nancy and Steve are so terrible for each other

Steve’s face during the bullshit scene really broke my heart 🥺

People being annoyed at Joyce for being super protective of Will like what?? That boy was proclaimed dead, they had a funeral and he turned out to be in another dimension??? I dare you to not be at least a little paranoid

I’m getting the gayest vibes ever from this basketball + shower scene I’m not even joking, Harrington 100% felt what it is like to be a girl objectified in a nightclub

Billy calling Steve pretty boy is so fucked up like are you Eddie Munson? No so imma need you to back off ✋

Jfc no wonder Vecna chose max she’s a walking gold mine for therapists

One drive with Billy would be enough for me to become a target for Vecna I swear

A part of me will always blame Dustin for the cat’s death 🥲

Stranger things is so good I cannot fucking believe my eyes sometimes

First Nancy, now Hopper… can they like, stop going inside creepy ass portals all by themselves? FFS

OH MY GOD ERICA WAS SO SMALL HOW CUTE SINDFKJDF

Lucas telling Max “if I tell you the truth, you could be arrested or killed. Do you accept the risk?” Hits different now

FINALLY THE DUSTIN/STEVE DUO IS BORN

I was today years old when I realized Nancy broke up with Steve in S1 for a month but then she got back with him because she got tired of waiting for Jonathan

Dustin’s proud smile when Steve told him “good call dude” I CANT IM WEEK IM CRYING ON THE FLOOR

I will never get over Dustin’s pure adoration for Steve in this season

JUSTICE FOR BOB

BOB NEWBY THE SUPERHERO 😭😭😭

Everyone: it’s like the mind flyer! Steve&Max: don’t speak nerd in my presence pls

I’m sorry but Mike holding that small trophy as a weapon LOL

I CANNOT BELIEVE THE KIDS WERE AT THE WINDOW WHEN BILLY CAME ARE STUPID

I cannot believe they wanted to leave a beaten-up and concussed Steve behind, are you crazy???

I totally forgot that Steve, in a span of a couple of hours, pushed his girlfriend to be with another guy, got beaten up defending kids he barely knows and then went down - all beaten up and concussed - the upside down tunnels just for said kids?? ARE U EVEN REAL MAN?

Will turning to Mike when that girl asked him to dance 🥺

Nancy is so fucking right, those girls are so stupid turning Dustin down like fuck you who do you think you are????

Jopper at the end, I love my parents so much

Here my thoughts on S1!

[findafight]

Controversial headcanons/opinions! That are mostly about Steve now that I read them back.

1. Stancy’s biggest roadblock is Nancy’s inability to admit she’s wrong/makes mistakes.

2. Jancy’s biggest roadblock is Jonathan’s parentification. Jon loves Will, but some of his devotion to him is tied up in that - something I think fandom tends to overlook. We’ve already seen that Nancy either forgets or underestimates how much the Byers rely on Jon and I would not put it past her to view him looking after Will on the same level as her having to look after Mike & Holly.

Even once it’s revealed and they talk about it, it’s going to open a rift between them.

3. Joyce doesn’t give a shit about Steve and never will. Hop gives a shit reluctantly, in a mostly professional capacity but will be haunted with guilt if Steve dies.

4. Karen Wheeler is a shitty person and if the Duffers wanted me to think different maybe shouldn’t have teased her considering sleeping with a kid her daughter’s age. Also doesn’t give a shit about Steve, but is better at hiding it.

5. Billy, while being in the closet and brimming with self hatred, did not have a crush on Steve - he wanted the weird codependent yet weirdly void of sexual tension friendship that Steve would go onto have with Robin.

The fact that Steve hated him and was constantly ignoring him or pushing back at him was part of the appeal. That and the fact Steve’s a bitch - Billy thought that was hilarious.

6. Steve intelligence wise is average and actually has a fairly broad general knowledge - he just has difficulty with the terminology and isn’t great at explaining things to other people.

7. Steve’s kids are Dustin, Max, Lucas and Erica. He will absolutely protect the other three, but any presence he continues to have in their lives is a by-product of the other four.

8. Mike has a on again/off again crush on Steve and it’s part of the reason he turns into an angry cat around him.

9. We will meet Vickie’s entire family before we see the Harringtons on-screen.

10. Jon would *not* react well to Stargyle happening - he refuses to believe Steve is queer, assuming he’s just messing with Argyle/trying to get revenge on Jon for cheating with Nancy (for added tragicomedy, this is how Steve finds out about that).

11. Eddie likes ABBA. I have no fucking idea why fandom seems to think that he’d hate it and has me genuinely questioning how many people in fandom have met an actual metalhead. I know he’s a pretentious douche, but *Jesus*.

12. Whatever else happens between them, Robin will always hold a grudge against Nancy for not knowing who she was when they were first introduced. Steve has the excuse of being a popular kid who was ignorant of his surroundings at all times. Robin is the person who could swipe Valedictorian out from under Nancy but chooses not too. See also, Barb and the handful of grudges she has with Nancy regarding Steve.

omg so many anon! let's do this. long post so I'm going to add a readmore!

Yeah I mostly agree? The inability to let Nancy apologize or be wrong I think really sets back her growth as a character no matter what, and it's really pronounced with stancy! It is something that could be resolved but I do not think the show will do that. Steve wasn't the person Nancy needed in s2, but maybe he is now. Idk there's better stancy meta out there haha There are issues they have I'd love to see addressed but. doubtful they will. Idk if nancy will end up single (like I think she should) but I also don't know if they're actually going to follow through on stancy revival in s5 or just leave jancy as is.

2. Jonathan's parentification!! Absolutely agree. He needs to work through his inability to move on and look to the future for himself. His focus is on Will, who needs more of an older brother from him than another parent, especially now Will is closer to the age Jon was when everything started. Jon is defined by his family, and them needing him. But we sort of see in s4 that Will is growing up, El is too, and they don't need him in the same way Will needed to depend on him in earlier seasons, and Jon is spending time smoking with Argyle, but not actually dealing with what he's feeling.

this is room for Jonathan to develop character-wise, but it's also so interesting how his parentification has been an issue with Nancy! Like she wants to be a priority, but Jon can't do that, because he hasn't figured out how to 1) focus on himself and his wants 2) let himself look at the future as something that isn't looming but something to look forward to!

God I would love to see him figure out what he actually wants and how to balance that with his loyaty to his family in the show! or read a jon focused fic where he gets to deal with these things.

3. Joyce doesn't like steve :'| why would she? he's just some guy to her that Jon didn't like and who used to date her son's girlfriend. Steve's not on her radar at all she doesn't give a shit about him lol (I should write more of the joyce doesn't like steve fic)

4. uhg yeah I think I've already posted about alternatives to the stupid Karen side-plot where it's like. random pool middle age affair man, flirting with mr. clarke, or just her making moves on her own husband to show she wants to make changes in their marriage and the fair being a little date for the wheelers or SOMETHING to make her not creepy and actual have it mean something to her character? or just. not! include! any karen plotline at all!

5. billy is interesting because i would say there might be some one-sided sexual thing happening between him and Steve, and Steve hating and ignoring him would totally egg him on with whatever was going on in his brain. idk if he wanted it actually actionable but was probably going for some weird and very intense pscho-sexual homoerotic relationship. maybe not what could be described as a crush but certainly not whatever stobin has going on (though if he had lived stobin would have also pissed him off lol)

6. Yes! steve can understand a lot if he's given time to understand it. like he's just not a genius or talking fast, and he asks clarifying questions so he (and everyone else) knows exactly what's happening. maybe that might look like he's getting left behind but he's making sure everyone is on the same page, which is actually an important part of plans and sharing info. I'd also say he'd probably have pretty good head for strategy!

7. Dustin, Max, Lucas and Erica are absolutely steve's kids! thank goodness we got Steve and Max content in s4, but I'd love to see more of Steve and Lucas and Erica! I do love Steve with El too, because I think they should and could have a great dynamic, but that's all fanon, unfortunately. Mike and Will having some kind of relationship with Steve are just byproducts of Steve being friends with the others.

8. Mike and his mortifying crush on steve is so precious to me. He'd be so mad about it. It'd be so funny. to me. not for him. but for me :)

9. Harrington parents will remain an unsolved mystery haunting the fandom forever and always. We will know the names of Robin's grandparents and their pets before we see or hear anything more than Mr. and Mrs. Harrington.

10. I am obsessed with this idea. I love stargyle sort of coming out of nowhere for other people. My favourite. They can bond over having great hair and being a chauffeur for children not related to them. Jon side-eyeing this so hard even tho maybe he's been focusing on Nancy and their relationship when steve and argyle are having their Bonding Moments. The confrontation of Jon accusing Steve of getting with Argyle to mess with him, Steve going "what the hell. why would I have an elaborate polt to mess with you that included pretending to be queer? and kissing a man? multiple times??"

and Jon blurting about how of course he would to get back at jon for cheating with Nancy and steve just stopping. and trying to clarify. and Jon digging himself deeper. ooooooh. something to think about and expand on?? 👀👀👀

11. it was the 80s and disco was way out of style but also. who doesn't like ABBA. don't trust anyone who doesn't like at least one ABBA song. suspicious. Eddie would be vocal about his hatred for Progressive Rock though.

12. Robin and her grudges!!!! omg yes if robin was holding herself back from being valedictorian she'd be Pissed that Nancy didn't know who she was. like at least know your rivals! that in combination with the barb thing and all the steve things. Robin's not letting it go. I love her pettiness she's so funny and great. Queen.

[thetargaryenbride]

Nail To The Coffin - S2 - Chapter 4

Warnings: brief mention of drugs

Pairing: Steve Harrington x f!Byers!Reader

Word Count: 6328

A.N: Ok! Sorry it took so long but we’re finally entering the actual interesting part of the plot of season 2! Hang on tight! Also, I’ve decided to humanize Billy a bit more because I really do believe he has the potential to become a good person if only there’s someone he can relate to and someone to show him kindness which is a foreign concept for him. As always, please do make me know if I’ve written certain characters OOC and if you think there is something that can be corrected within the story. Thank you for reading. Hope you like it! 🖤 🥀

Masterlist || Chapter 3 || Chapter 5

“Maybe we should check the backyard?” suggested Lucas and you nodded but suddenly Dustin halted.

“Dustin?” you heard your mother’s voice and you saw her after you rounded the corner after the boy.

“Mrs. Byers?”

“What’s going on? Where’s Will?” asked Joyce frantically before she saw you. “Y/N, honey, weren’t you supposed to pick him up?”

“That’s what I was doing, mom. I came here right after I finished my practice but I had no idea that AV was canceled because no one bothered to tell me,” you grit out the last part with a tight smile as you looked at Dustin and he shifted guiltily in his spot.

“Thank God I called the teacher’s office to check on things. Where-where is he?”

Before anyone could answer, Lucas – who none of you noticed had run off to check outside – rushed in, drawing your attention.

“The field!” he shouted urgently before running back out and you didn’t hesitate to follow.

You found your brother rooted in one place, frozen and unmoving despite Mike shaking him and trying to snap him out of the state he’d fallen in.

“I just found him like this!” exclaimed the boy worriedly as you rushed to your brother. “I think he’s having another episode!”

“Will? Will!” you shouted as you grabbed him by the shoulders and shook him lightly.

“Sweetie, wake up! It’s mom!” joined Joyce. “Will! Will, wake up!”

“C’mon, honey, listen to us. Wake up. Please!” you spoke frantically as you tapped his cheek.

It felt as if hours passed since you and your mom began shaking Will and tried waking him up while he stayed paralyzed with his pupils moving behind his eyelids but in fact it was barely а minute.

Then he snapped back into reality with a sharp gasp, eyes blowing wide open.

Everyone let out relieved sighs.

“Can you hear me, baby?” you asked as you squeezed his shoulders and he gulped, nodding slowly. “Are you alright? Does it hurt anywhere? Your head or?” he shook his head and you sighed as you brought him into a hug, your mother joining and placing a kiss on his head as the two of you sandwiched the poor boy between you.

“Let’s go home, hm?” she offered, sending you a shaky smile, and you nodded.

“Hey,” you paused on the top of the stairs and turned to look at Max. “I’m sorry you had to witness that. It was probably scary,” you gave her an apologetic look and her eyes widened as she shook her head and was quick to turn down your worries.

“No, it’s ok. You don’t need to apologize.”

“That’s good. Don’t let that scare you out of being friends with these guys,” you smiled and she nodded. “You are…Billy’s sister, right?” you asked and she fidgeted in her spot for a bit.

“Step-sister, yes.”

“Um, look,” you began as you placed a hand on her shoulder and guided her a few steps away from the boys, throwing a look over your shoulder to make sure they weren’t going to eavesdrop, “I don’t want to butt into your life or anything but…Billy seems like…kind of an asshole brother,” you pointed out and she snorted as if you haven’t told her anything new.

“Yeah, he can be like that. But don’t worry about him, ok? I can handle him,” she scrunched up her forehead and nodded confidently.

“I don’t doubt that. You seem like a pretty badass girl. But I felt compelled to tell you, just in case, that if you ever have an extra bad clash with your brother you can come to me.”

“Really?” she looked at you incredulously, having no idea why a stranger would be as kind as to go out of their way and offer her that.

But you didn’t have to know her to offer her your help and kindness. It was enough that you witnessed Billy’s behavior towards her and you took pity on the girl so you wanted to let her know she could rely on you and have an escape route if she needed to. 

“Yes, really. You have a place in my home if you want to get away from his prick ass sometimes,” you smiled encouragingly and she let out a lighthearted snort through her nose, returning the smile.

“Thank you.”  

“See you guys later,” you bid the kids goodbye after that and rushed down the stairs.

“Update us on his condition, ok?” called Mike after you and you turned to give him thumbs-up before following your mother to the parking lot.

“I can’t remember,” muttered Will and you looked at him over your shoulder while busying your hands with taking a mug and warming up some milk so you could make hot cocoa, otherwise they wouldn’t stop shaking.

“I need you to try,” pleaded your mother. You grabbed the cup and neared the table, placing it in front of Will. Comfort drinks or food always managed to make him feel better so you hoped it would be helpful now.

“I…I was on the field and…and then it…all just went blank, and… and then you were there,” he explained but you could tell he was lying and so did your mother.

“Will, I need you to tell me the truth.”

“I am,” he muttered as he grabbed the mug, his fingers drawing patterns on its surface before he took a sip. Joyce sighed before she stood up and disappeared into Will’s room.

“Hey,” you whispered as you took her place next to him and dragged the chair closer. “I know there’s more to it. Mom can feel it too. I’m sure she’s gonna believe you this time. You know that I believe you. We talked about it, didn’t we?” you gave him an understanding smile and he nodded.

Before any of you could say anything more, Joyce came back, holding two pieces of paper that she placed on the table in front of you. One was Will’s drawing and the other was something resembling it.

“This shape,” she said as she pointed at the second drawing. “I saw it on the video tape from Halloween night. It’s the same shape as…as your drawing,” she explained as she compared the two. “These episodes that you’re having, I think Dr. Owens is wrong. I think they’re real. But… I can’t help you if I don’t know what’s going on.”

“Mom is right. We can speculate all we want whether they are real or not and whether you have formed a connection to the Upside Down or not. Personally, I believe that’s the case,” you spoke and Joyce looked at you surprised and worried. “But we need you to talk so we can get a better understanding about this whole situation and try to, I don’t know, find a way to put a stop to this…ok? Don’t be afraid to speak your truth. Talk to us, please,” you squeezed his shoulder encouragingly as he looked at the table then back at you and Joyce, eyes glistening with unshed tears.

“That’s right. No more secrets, ok?” asked Joyce and he nodded slowly. “Did…did you see this again on the field?”

“Yes.”

“What was it?”

“I don’t know…It’s almost…more like a feeling,” he tried putting it into words, voice shaky.

“Like the one you had that night at the arcade?”

“Yes,” he whispered.

“What does it want?” you asked after a moment of silence.

“I don’t know…It came for me and…And I tried. I tried to make it go away,” he hiccupped as the tears finally slid down his cheeks and Joyce looked at you with worry in her eyes which you shared. “But it got me, mom.”

“What does that mean?”

“I felt it…everywhere,” he whimpered. “Everywhere…I…I still feel it. I just want this to be over,” he cried out and you and your mom leaned forwards and took him into your arms, hugging him tightly as he sobbed.

“It’s ok, honey. It’s ok,” whispered Joyce as she caressed his head and you felt hot rage bubble inside of you. You didn’t know what that thing was but it had marked your brother and he became its prey once again. How you wanted to get your hands on it and make it pay for everything he was putting Will through.

“Hey, look at me, sweetheart,” you pulled away to look at him and grasped each side of his face. “I will never, ever, let anything bad happen to you ever again. You hear me? We’re getting through this together and this shithead is going to pay,” you told him firmly and Joyce nodded.

“Whatever is going on in you, we’re gonna fix it. We will fix it! I promise!”

The rest of the day you spent working at the diner. It was the middle of the week so there weren’t that many people. It was only around the late afternoon hours when students began piling in which helped keep you distracted.

“On the house,” you smiled as you placed a milkshake and a plate of waffles with some chocolate syrup, banana pieces, cream, and rainbow sprinkles in front of Lorelei and she let out a surprised gasp.

“No, Y/N, I can’t not pay-“

“Nonsense. I promise it’s ok,” you waved off her worries and her guilty expression melted into one of gratitude as she took the straw between her fingers and sipped, letting out a content sigh.

“Thank you. That’s really sweet of you.”

“You’re welcome. But what about you, Chrissy? You sure you don’t want to spoil yourself a bit with something sweet?” you asked as you shifted to look at the other girl who had refused to order any food and was currently holding a glass of water.

“No, Y/N, thank you very much for the offer but I’m fine. There are just too many calories in the waffles and the milkshake and I really have to mind my figure,” she said with a smile but you managed to pick on the nervousness of her tone and the way she fidgeted in her seat.

“Oh, ok,” you let out a small uncertain smile, finding her behavior a bit odd but decided to drop it for now.

“Fancy seeing you here, Byers,” sounded a very familiar voice and you grumbled under your breath as you turned to see Billy strolling towards the counter with Tommy and a couple of other boys from the basketball team following behind. “Interesting how we keep running into each other.”

“Well, it’s a small town,” you lifted your brows as you grabbed a menu and placed it in front of him. “But if you ask me, I doubt you just ran into me by coincidence.”

“Is that so?” the corner of his lip twitched as he battled a smirk from forming and you gave him a downward smile. 

“I think…that you decided to hang out with your new buddies and you wondered where you should go to grab a bite and then Tommy the dick Hagan told you I worked here so...there you are,” you blurted out and he couldn’t contain a playful grin from spreading on his face as he let out a chuckle.

“Alright…I’m starting to get why you’re one of the smartest. Frankly, I’m impressed,” he gave a nod of approval and you smiled, shaking your head. “But what, are you going to kick me out ‘cause you’re tired of seeing my face?” he asked, tilting his head, and you sighed.

“Actually, no I won’t. You’re paying my salary,” you said offhandedly and he let out a laugh, almost sending you into a state of shock because you didn’t know he was capable of laughing genuinely instead of mockingly, and you shared a look with Chrissy and Lorelei who seemed to be thinking the same thing as you.

“You know what, Byers? I’m starting to really like you,” he drawled and you snorted.

“Please, don’t. I’d like to keep my sanity.”

“Hey, wait up,” called Billy after you and you turned to face him, waiting impatiently for him to catch up, his confident but leisurely stroll driving you on edge because you wanted to rush back home as fast as possible.

“What is it?”

“I wanted to give it back,” he said as he took your ribbon out of the pocket of his leather jacket and handed it to you, making you arch an eyebrow.

“I thought you were going to keep this as some kind of twisted token or something.”

“Only if you want me to,” he grinned mischievously, retracting his hand, and you quickly grabbed the fabric before he had the chance to put it back in his pocket. 

“Thanks…I guess.”

“I was curious about something,” he said as he fell into step with you when you resumed your walking.

“Really? What about?”

“What Hagan said that Halloween night. About your father,” he revealed and you halted in your steps, looking up at him with wide eyes. He detected the slight fear and unease swirling in their depths and let out a sigh, shaking his head. “Nah, forget it.”

“No,” you blurted out. “Uh…it’s ok. Just…it just took me off guard, is all,” you muttered and he looked at you for a while as if trying to decipher you.

“I just wanted to know if what he said was true. About him being an asshole.”

“Yeah…yeah he’s an asshole…so it’s a good thing he’s out of our lives,” you revealed, the grip you had on your bag tightening.

“I see…then what he said that night was a very fucking shitty dick move,” huffed the boy and you gulped, looking at him in surprise.

“It was but…I just don’t understand why you’d care.”

“Maybe I’m just feeling like doing some charity. So I’ll tell Hagan to get off your hair,” he shrugged and you frowned.

“I’m not a charity case. I can take care of myself just fine. Besides, as you kindly pointed out earlier today, I have more than enough knights in shining armor to look after me if I ever need it,” you quipped before turning your back on him and marching to your car, not giving him a chance to respond or follow you as you sped away.

Even through the sideway mirror, you could see his bizarre expression and it made you wonder why he decided to approach you and ask about your father and why he seemed a bit protective about this topic.

Meanwhile, Billy just stared at the rear of your car, his mind focused on the things he learned.

He hadn’t actually meant to talk to you about your father. He didn’t know what prompted him to talk about it and why his curiosity had won.

Today after basketball practice he had asked Tommy about it. It’s not like it was a secret. From what he learned, the whole town knew of Lonnie so it’s not like he was prying into your personal life. He had just wanted Tommy to explain why he said what he said and learn what everyone else seemed to already know. The boy told him about your father being a total jerk, a cheat, a drunkard, and a suspected junkie. He had also told him about you ending up at the hospital with a concussion and a beat-up face one day and that shortly after your parents had divorced. Billy wasn’t stupid. He managed to put two and two together.

And something inside of him had just cracked. He didn’t know what it was but it gnawed at him and made him want to confront you about it and hear it from your mouth.

Maybe it was the fact that he had just found someone who shared the same experience and fought the same battle as he did.

And that made him want to be less of an asshole to you.

You got home extra late once again and all you could think of was getting a shower, checking on Will, and grabbing a snack.  

You first went to see your brother, only to find him asleep in your mother’s arms. You smiled sadly. He must have been very afraid. Then you checked on Jonathan. He was also fast asleep.

You took a hot shower, hoping it would help you relax but it didn’t.

You made yourself warm and comfortable in your bed, hoping the tiring day you had would help you fall asleep but it didn’t.

You kept tossing and turning.

You got out of bed and began pacing, picking up something to read only to discard it because you kept getting distracted. You smoked as you mindlessly watched TV, leg bouncing, mind racing.

Before you knew it, you were reaching for the one thing that never failed at bringing you peaceful bliss – Ketamine.

Nearly a year ago

“Chief, you think you can spare me a minute?” asked one of the doctors the following day after your surgery, and Hopper, who had come to visit you and see if things have improved, nodded and followed the man. He had been just about to enter your room when he was called.

“What is it, doc?”

“Amongst the other examinations, we needed to do some blood tests and I felt compelled to inform you that we found traces of drugs in her bloodstream,” revealed the man, and Hopper furrowed his brows, his gut clenching nervously as his mind jumped to a few days ago when he had found you stumbling out of the forest and collapsing by his house.

“What kind of drugs?”

“Uh, it’s nothing too serious, it’s just Ketamine. It’s actually quite commonly used because it either gives you a euphoric state of mind or calms you down. It is a sedative drug, after all,” explained the man, and Hopper shut his eyes, hand going to pinch the bridge of his nose. “I wanted to speak to her mother but seeing the horrible state she was in I decided it would be best if you learned first.”

“No, you did well by telling me first. Don’t say a word to Joyce. I’ll handle that,” he said and the doctor nodded before walking away. 

.

A week later

“Hop?” you called out as you saw the man getting out of his vehicle and he turned around.

“Hey,” he greeted but you immediately picked on his not-so-happy mood. “Where have you been?”

“I took a walk in the forest. Wanted to enjoy some fresh air,” you smiled as you finally neared him and he looked at the arm resting in a sling before back at you. “But why are you here? Is there something wrong?”

“Not really, uh…I just wanted to talk to you about somethin’,” he said and unsettlement crept upon you all of the sudden.

“What about?”

“I’m gonna be straightforward, kid. The doctor told me about traces of Special K in your blood,” he blurted out and your eyes widened, your heartbeat increasing. “Just tell me the truth, ok? Did you take drugs?” he asked and you gulped, taking a deep breath before nodding.

“I did-“

“Jesus, kid,” he rubbed his face with one hand while the other rested on his hip and you hurries to explain yourself.

“I just panicked! I-I didn’t know what to do. I was stressed. Mom and Jonathan needed support so I had to be calm and stable.”

“And you decided that the best way to do that is by sedating your mind with drugs?” he snapped. “That’s bullshit, kid.”

“I didn’t know what else to do!”

There was a tense silence for a moment before Hopper turned around and walked towards the porch, plopping down on the sofa that you had always wanted to replace with a porch swing, and you hesitantly followed and joined him.

“Listen, kid…I…made the same mistakes,” he began uncertainly. “After my…after my daughter died, I fell in a black hole. Just like you, my mind wouldn’t leave me alone. Stress, insomnia, depression, overthinking, pain, regret, you name it, it swallowed me,” he spoke lowly and you gulped. “So I reached for that shit. Alcohol…drugs,” he huffed. “I thought they were helping…but they fucked things up even more. I realized that a bit late, though. I don’t want you to repeat my mistakes,” he finally looked at you and you filled with regret and guilt. It must have shown on your face because Hopper wrapped an arm around your shoulders.

“C’m here,” he muttered and brought you in for a side hug which you gladly returned. “Promise me…for your sake and for your family’s sake…that you won’t get involved with that crap. Put an end to it before it’s too late because it’s gonna become a weakness that might lead to a very bad downfall,” he said softly, concern lacing his voice, and you nodded against him.

“I promise.”

Alas, you weren’t exactly able to keep true to that promise.

While you hadn’t spiraled out of control and gotten into using heavy drugs, which was a good thing, you still smoked weed with Eddie and occasionally took the Special K. You didn’t consider yourself addicted because you were able to survive long periods of time without taking the drug, but you also couldn’t consider yourself as immune to it as you used to be before Will’s incident.

The next morning came faster than you thought. You had not slept a wink for the majority of the night until you had decided to take the drugs which had finally done the trick and you had managed to sleep for around three hours.

When you woke up, your mom was already in the kitchen, making breakfast. Jonathan was nowhere to be seen which was weird. Usually, it was him making breakfast. 

“Morning,” you greeted groggily as you squinted your eyes at the sunrays, currently still a bit sensitive to the light.

“Morning, sweetie,” greeted Joyce with a smile.

“How’s Will?”

“Still asleep but I reckon he should be waking soon. Hey, can you please finish this? I gotta call the police station,” she asked and you took her place by the stove.

“The police station?”

“I couldn’t get in touch with Hopper yesterday so I’ve been trying to do it today,” she explained and you nodded.

Yeah, you’d like for Hopper to help you out because you had no idea how to deal with all of this.

“Just tell him to call me the second he gets in. Please,” you could hear her talk to Flo and you shook your head, wondering what the reason was as to why your mother couldn’t reach Hopper. Worry began gnawing at you. What if the government had found out about Hopper hiding Eleven? What if they had gotten her and Hopper? You bit your lip as you thought about whether it’d be a good idea to drive to the cabin and check on them.

“Hey, how are you feeling, sleepyhead?” asked Joyce then and you realized that Will must have gotten up. “Any better? Same as last night? Still weird?”

“Yeah,” he sighed as he gave you a strained smile when he strolled into the kitchen and plopped down on a chair. You put the pan away and quickly washed and dried your hands before joining Joyce to stand in front of him.

You put a hand on his forehead and frowned. He wasn’t warm at all. You thought he might have a higher temperature but he seemed cold to the touch.

“Hey, mom,” you spoke lowly. “Can you, uh…get the thermometer?”

She left your side to go fetch the object and the moment she returned you put it in Will’s mouth and the three of you just waited for the results.

“Ok, let me see,” said Joyce after she finished counting the minutes and took the thermometer to check. You peeked over her shoulder and your brows furrowed.

“Is it a fever?” 

“No. Uh…it’s actually cold.”

“It’s thirty-five going thirty-four degrees,” you informed him and he blinked in confusion. “Do you feel cold, though?”

“No. Just a little out of it. Like I haven’t really woken up yet,” he answered and your mother gave him a look that he immediately picked up on. “You promised no doctor!”

“And I meant it. No doctor… You know what? I’m gonna run you a nice bath and it’ll warm you up and hopefully get you feeling better. How’s that sound? Okay,” she grinned at him before patting his hand and standing up, heading for the bathroom, and you uncrossed your arms, going to crouch in front of him.

“Hey, buddy. I know we promised no doctor but I had a lot of time to think last night and…” you licked your dry lips as you tried to word it the best way possible. “Maybe it would be for the better to speak to Dr. Owens after all. If we manage to convince him it’s not just flashes but something happening for real, maybe he can help us. Because if that thing is back and trying to hurt you, we’ll definitely need some backup. At the very least when it comes to manpower.”

“He’s not going to believe. And you promised,” he whined tiredly and you let out a sigh.

“Alright…alright…I won’t contact him. Let’s see what happens and if we can deal with this on our own. But if things start going bad, we’re reaching out for help. Does that sound like a plan?” you arched your brows and he hesitated for a moment before nodding. You smiled and ruffled his hair before standing up and going to the kitchen counter in order to transfer the food onto three plates so you could have breakfast.

“C’mon, dig in. You need all the proper nutrients to strengthen your body.”

You were happy to see him eating but at the same time, this gnawing worry couldn’t let you be at peace so you only ended up playing with your food before your mom interrupted you to call Will for his bath and he left the table to go get a towel.

You had put the empty plate in the sink and proceeded to call the kids over the walkie-talkie to inform them that Will was doing well so far but you wouldn’t be going to school because you feared things would get worse so you preferred staying at home and watching over Will just in case.

Meanwhile, your mother tried calling Hopper and then the police station once again, only to close the phone in frustration.

You were about to go grab your keys and go to Hopper’s cabin because the worry was getting unbearable at this point when Will came out of the bathroom, looking disturbed and sweaty as if he had a fever.

“Mom?”

“Yeah, sweetie, what is it?”

“It’s too hot.”

You furrowed your brows at this. You doubted your mother would’ve run a scalding hot bath and you followed the two into the bathroom only to see that Will had drained the tub.

“I…I can cool it down a little bit, baby, but we gotta get your body temp back up-“

“No,” he interrupted her, voice more deep and serious.

“What?”

“He likes it cold.”

“Don’t sweat it, Harrington. Today’s just not your day, man,” said Billy as he gladly let the shower wash off all filth and sweat, hands rubbing his face.

“Yeah, not your week,” added Tommy and Steve rolled his eyes. “You and the princess break up for one day and she’s already running off with that bitch’s brother. But judging by that dumb expression, you don’t know, do you? Jonathan and the princess skipped yesterday. Still haven’t shown. But that just must be a coincidence, right?” he laughed shrilly.

“Don’t talk like that about Y/N,” grumbled Steve after a moment of silence as he focused his gaze downwards, spurting some shampoo on his palm. He couldn’t really say anything about Nancy or try defending her because much to his chagrin, Tommy was right. And that really left him with a bitter feeling. But he could at least defend you.

“Why? You got another punch cooking for me? I still have to pay you back for the last one,” spat out the boy as he turned off the shower and aggressively grabbed a towel before leaving, making Billy chuckle.

“Don’t take it too hard, man,” he said as he grabbed his own towel. “A pretty boy like you has got nothing to worry about. Plenty of bitches in the sea and you already have one in your net, just waiting to be eaten,” he drawled as he leaned in closer and Steve snapped his neck to look at him, making the boy smirk mischievously.

“I don’t know what you’re talking ab-“

“Oh, c’mon, man, not you too,” shook his head Billy as he turned off Steve’s shower. “You know, Y/N said the same yesterday. You don’t know what I’m talking about? You can’t be that oblivious, can you?” he huffed.

Steve looked at him for a while, trying to gulp down his nervousness and not show any signs of the sudden timidness that had crept upon him, before turning on his shower and washing away the foam in his hair.

“Y/N and I are friends.”

“Then I have nothing to worry about, right?” Billy grinned naughtily, turning off the shower again, and Steve furrowed his eyebrows as he looked at the boy once more. “Trust me on one thing…a friendship between a man and a woman? Pretty much impossible. One always ends up falling for the other,” he ran his tongue over his lip as he kept grinning mischievously while wrapping the towel around his hips. “If I were you…I’d hurry up and claim the little fish…otherwise…someone else might steal it,” he leaned closer to Steve and whispered the last words challengingly in his ear before leaving the bathroom with a smug look, making Steve glare at his retreating form and aggressively turn on the shower, fighting the temptation to go land a punch on the boy’s face.

You were nursing a mug of hot chocolate, hoping it would warm you up and calm your nerves a bit, when you heard the comforting, familiar voice of Hopper, making you almost spill your drink as you bolted for the front door.

“Hello?” he called out.

You left the mug on the kitchen counter and pretty much crashed against the man, making him stumble a bit as he tried to catch and steady you.

“Hey, what’s wrong, kiddo? You good?” he asked as he tried to take a look at you but your head was buried in his chest, his heartbeat soothing you.

“We couldn’t reach you since yesterday afternoon. I thought…I thought something bad happened to you and El,” you whispered brokenly and he sighed in understanding as he rubbed your back and placed a hand on your head.

“It’s all good, kid. There’s nothing to worry about. I promise.”

You pulled away and moved so he could enter, grabbing your mug of chocolate.

“No, leave it open,” you told him when you saw he was about to close the door and he looked at you in confusion as you took a sip.

“Hopper?” Joyce came into the living area, cigarette in her mouth, and he nodded in greeting. “Where the hell have you been!?”

“I overslept…What the hell’s going on? It’s freezing,” he asked and she just waved him over, motioning for him to follow her and the three of you headed towards Will’s room.

“Hey! Knock, knock,” she rammed her knuckles against the wooden surface before pushing it open, revealing a shirtless Will sitting on the bed in front of a wide-open window. “We have a visitor.” 

.

“So this thing, this shadow thing… You told your mother and sister it likes it like this? It likes it cold?” asked Hopper as he held the drawing and Will nodded.

“Yeah.”

“How do you know that?”

“I just…know.”

“Does he talk to you?”

“No. It’s like…I don’t have to think. I just know things now. Things I never did before,” he muttered and you bit your lip. It’s like he was connected to this thing and received information from it without even wanting or thinking about it.

“And, uh…what else do you know?” inquired the man as he moved to sit in front of your brother and looked him in the eyes.

“It’s hard to explain…It’s like old memories in the back of my head, only…they’re not my memories… I mean…I don’t think they’re old memories at all. They’re…now-memories, happening all at once, now.”

“Can you describe these now memories?”

“I don’t know…It’s…It’s hard to explain.”

“I know it’s hard but can you just…Can you try describing it?” pressed Joyce gently. “For us?”

“It’s like…They’re growing and spreading…Killing,” he whimpered, tearing up.

“The memories?”

“I don’t know…I’m sorry,” he let out a sob and Joyce hugged him tightly.

“No, no, no. It’s okay, sweetie.” 

“Hold on, I think I got it,” you uncrossed one arm while the other placed the now empty mug on Will’s desk. “Whatever that thing is, it got into Will, right? It’s inside him. Like he said, everywhere. So they have formed some kind of like…connection. What if this connection allows Will to see what this thing is experiencing and seeing? That’s why he gets all those weird memories but in fact, they aren’t really memories but just glimpses from the point of view of that-that thing,” you shrugged your shoulder as you waved a hand and the three looked at you with wide eyes.

“I think…I think that’s the best way to put it,” sniffed Will. 

“That’s good, that’s…very good. We have some progress. But where is this thing...? How is it seeing? What is it doing? Growing, spreading…where?” asked Hopper and Will shook his head.

“Baby, look at me,” you sat next to Will and grasped his face. “You’re good at drawing…You don’t have to explain it with words… Do it with art.”

“This is…more of the same,” sighed Joyce as she sat on the couch next to Hopper, holding a couple of drawings in her hands, and you went to stand behind her, looking down to see what she was holding while you popped a spoonful of chocolate pudding in your mouth.

“No…there has to be something else to all that,” you commented and the two adults looked at you in confusion. You licked the spoon and put it in the cup before moving around the couch, leaving the cup on the coffee table and sitting on the armrest, grabbing a hold of drawings. “None of these are identical to each other. They are all… different. Sure, it’s the same concept but its structure is different. It’s like a puzzle,” you tried to explain how you saw things as you tried finding fitting images. You smiled when you noticed the lines of two drawings intertwining perfectly.

“There!”

Hopper and Joyce looked at you and then at the two pieces you had put together, finally noticing the way they fit, and smiled.

“Holy shit…you’re right,” drawled the man, and Joyce squeezed your arm as she gave you a proud look and not long after, the three of you were grabbing drawing after drawing, piecing them together all over the house while Will kept producing more and more.

You reached a point when your whole house was littered with taped paper that began resembling something.

“I mean…is it some sort of maze or a road?” asked Joyce as the three of you walked around, inspecting the puzzle you had just finished putting together. “I mean, it’s sort of forking and branching like…like lightning.”

“You think it’s that storm?”

“No, the storm he drew was completely different. He used red. And this is all blue and it has some weird dirt color,” brainstormed Joyce, and Hopper’s face fell in deep thought before realization hit him. “I mean…maybe its roots. ‘Cause remember, he was saying it was spreading and-”

“Killing,” he interrupted her and the two of you looked up to meet his eyes that were filled with urgency. “He said they were killing…Vines…” he finally revealed, rushing to take his hat and coat, “He’s drawing vines.”

“Hey, where are you going?” you ran after him, grabbing your jacket.

“I think I might have an idea where I can find this thing,” he drawled.

“Well, then I’m coming with you,” you informed him offhandedly and he sharply turned to look at you.

“No! You’re staying here.”

“Really? You want to have that argument again?” you glared and he returned it.

“We don’t know what’s actually out there, ok? This is not like last year’s undercover mission! We confronted a man. A man! This thing-“

“Yeah, exactly! We don’t know what this thing is and you want to go out there all alone!? No way,” you grit out. “I’m coming whether you like it or not.”

“What if you get in my way, huh? How am I supposed to investigate and protect you all at once?” his voice raised and you shut your mouth, fists clenching at your side. Hopper cringed inwardly. He didn’t mean it like that. He didn’t mean to say that you were a hindrance. He was just afraid that he wouldn’t be able to protect you if something came up.

“But what if I end up helping you? You never know what’s gonna happen and we can’t keep throwing what-ifs at each other!” you countered and now it was his turn to shut his mouth and look away in frustration before back at you, breathing angrily through his nose.

“Alright, fine…Fine!” he threw his hands in the air and began walking towards his car. You let out a triumphant huff and a smirk before following after him and climbing on the passenger seat.

[starry-eyed-steve]

Stumbled across you and really enjoyed your takes on the show and the characters. There were multiple things that bugged me about S4 but by far my biggest peeve is that no one felt the need to apologize to Lucas or acknowledge the fact that he was putting his life in danger trying to keep tabs on his teammates. The show + Hellfire treats his decision to play basketball like some big betrayal when really, it's a kid expressing interest in two things equally. Just wish we got a scene for that.

I absolutely agree, Lucas never did anything wrong in this show, and I stand by that. He deserves better!!!

When Lucas looked around and saw those empty seats, knowing his friends didn't have his back. Or worse when they replaced him with his own sister, who was at every game and missed the one where he scored. My heart broke for him in that moment. To think that people who watched the show were pissed at Lucas for hanging out with his teammates when his friends let him down. I would have avoided them as well. And when he realized that something went wrong, he used his position to help his friends. Like, what do people want from him?

In general, it's weird how the show vilianises people who are popular, jocks and athletes. It's not like Lucas ditched his friends. He was still part of hellfire, but the show treats him like a villain for doing sports now. How are those people worse than Eddie, who shamed everyone in that cafeteria with his speech? He's also a judgmental asshole but because the show frames him as the underdog, his actions are not seen as bad. It seems like the Duffers have some unresolved high school trauma where a popular guy wronged them, and now everyone who isn't a loser nerd is essentially the devil.

Back to Lucas, like my boy deserves better plot than what he is given. Don't get me wrong I loved his storyline with Max, Lumax is my favorite ship in the show. But like I mentioned in another post, his struggles as a black kid often gets overshadowed for the romance plotline.

A huge factor as to why he played basketball was the fact that on top of the bullying his friends face, he also had to deal with racism. We deserved to see a Patrick and Lucas friendship where they discuss it or bond about it. If you think about it, the party never really gave a shit about this reason, and the show underplayed it as well. Instead, Lucas sports plot was framed as him turning his back to his friends, automatically painting him in a negative light, even though it wasn't true. He just wanted support from his friends, and they never delivered. If Will was there, I think he would have supported Lucas, knowing how it feels when your friends ridicule your hobbies. An apology from Dustin would have been the minimum. (Mike wasn't there for the plot) At least Erica apologized to him later, but still. Eddie should have spent a bit more time with Lucas and apologized as well. But that's never going to happen because the Duffers refuse to acknowledge they have this agenda towards jocks.

Another point that I wanted to see was Lucas struggling with Billy's death. I know this season was mostly about Max, and I loved how it was dealt with, but I wish we could have gotten Lucas POV as well. Of course, he wanted to be there for Max. He loves her, but it would have been difficult to emphasize after s2 when Billy attacked him for racial reasons. Billy never made it up to Lucas. He could have gotten the chance in s3, but the show killed him first episode and turned him into a monster. That's why I don't believe in a Billy redemption in s3 because the people he hurt (Lucas and Steve) never got an apology. So I really wanted to see Lucas's complicated feelings towards it. (I think it's the main reason Max kept her distance she knows Billy hurt her friends, so they might not understand her.)

In general, the show has a huge problem with how they portray their black characters. Lucas's experiences with racism are not taken seriously. Most of his arc is about a white girl (nothing against Max, seriously, I love them together). Erica is a stereotypical sassy black girl with a big mouth, and when she got tackled by this grown ass man in vol2, nobody really bat an eye. Patrick was the least developed Vecna victim, Fred and Chrissy got so much more screen time. So you can clearly see the pattern through the show.

Lastly, because of the limited amount of time, the show can't address anything. Especially in s4, the plot was super tight. They had to cut out so much. I blame the useless Russian plot because that was so unnecessarily. Anyway, with more time and with more episodes, the plot could have spread out more. The characters would get time to breathe and interact with others more. Traumas could be dealt with in a better, more genuine way as well. But we are stuck with 9 episodes per season. Something has to be cut, and we can't forget the show is created by two white men. Of course, they are not sensible when tackling racist matters. (Btw Caleb also deserves so much better. The fact that he wasn't invited to talk shows and is always kinda left out is absolutely horrible. Plus, the hate he got in s1 just because his character wasn't a big fan of El is unacceptable)

[scheodingers-muppet]

welcome back to stranger things characters/ships as songs. this episode; GUTS !

all-american bitch - nancy. the battle between trying to be something society likes while still being a strong woman. she’s very much girl-next-door, americana-dream coded

bad idea right? - steddie. specifically used to be dating in secret steddie. this song just really reminds me of steve talking to robin getting ready to go hang out with eddie again after not talking for months

vampire - s2 stancy, from nancy’s pov. i adore steve, but he wasn’t a great boyfriend to nancy. in this season, she is so clearly struggling with barbs death and he just wanted to move on. “how’s the castle built of people you pretend to care about?” “i’ve made some real big mistakes, but you make the worst one look fine” nancy blames them for barbs death, the worst mistake, and steve is “making it look fine” by trying to just go back to normal. “every girl i ever talked to told me you were bad, bad news” “how do you lie without flinching?” and the dinner scene with barbs parents

lacy - ronance. nancy about seeing robin with steve, thinking she’s jealous that she gets to have steve, when in reality she’s falling for robin and jealous that steve gets to have her. i can also see this being from robins pov without the jealousy undertone.

ballad of a homeschool girl - el. just feeling awkward and like you don’t know what to do in social situations fits so well with growing up as an actual science experiment. plus, “everything i do is tragic, every guy i like is gay”

making the bed - will and el about mike. first half is will. “another thing i ruined i used to do for fun” and the dnd fight. “another conversation with nothing good to say” and the season 4 fight. “another day pretending i’m older than i am” “another perfect moment that doesn’t feel like mine” airport scene. “another thing i forced to be a sign” “push away all the people who know me the best” second verse is el. “my life feels so out of control” “i tell someone i love them just as a distraction. they tell me that they love me like i’m some tourist attraction” “i got the things i wanted, it’s just not as i imagined.” “i’m so tired of being the girl that i am. every good thing i have turns into something i dread”

logical - joyce and lonnie. i can also see max and billy if you ignore the romance love and make it a little sister loving her older brother, but i think joyce fits a bit better. i could also see maybe karen and ted

get him back! - steddie again. steve is just so teenage girl pop coded. but in my little used to be secretly dating au, this is very much right when he’s realizing he still has feelings for eddie

love is embarrassing - going right back to my steddie au. i might right a whole fic honestly. this would be from eddie’s perspective

the grudge - max about billy AND will about his dad. i desperately need people to dive into that dynamic more.

pretty isn’t pretty - honestly, robin is the closest i can find. or maybe a trans!stevie

teenage dream - nancy. it’s so nancy coded. the whole first verse is written in nancy’s diary.

[wewebaggit]

What exactly is piggyback?(/gen /strange)

So like this is a question and well whatever the hell I'm thinking about piggyback and just in general the logistics of S4 battles.

Rambly. Not even trying not to be.

So. So far when El has "fought" monsters it's been physically. She was in their presence. RU/UD.

For piggyback she is fighting vecna in a middle plane. Okay how?

She resuscitated Max also while not being physically present there.

She only made herself visible to Will before in S1 in the void. And afaik he is the only one who could actually interact with her in the void apart from the demogorgon. So maybe we can say anyone connected to the hivemind can break into the void and set up 2 way comms. Also Terry. But she could herself also void walk I'm supposing.

An outlier is Heather. Who says help me and is then taken under into a bottomless bathtub. (Probably showing her getting sucked by the mind flayer journey) But how did she see El? Or did she see her precisely cuz she was mid turning? Then why did El not see Billy around? Maybe he wasn't. Also El never sees the flesh monster in the void. Always face to not face.

In other cases it's El being a spectator. There was the one line about Mike "sensing" her in the void. But it is neither here nor there. He was holding a walkie. He did say Eleven before she said Mike but I'm still unsure of how much relevance that has. GENUINELY. Clueless.

Her and veccy have a mind fight which affects her physically while vecna himself is not affected physically until the Hawkins crew molotovs his ass and shoots him. He does FEEL pain in his mind lair through the hive mind but physically he's still doing aerial yoga until the crew double fries him.

Also seen in s2 that what happens to the hive mind can affect you in that in can make you feel pain but it does not PHYSICALLY harm you. Everyone burns you feel the burn but you don't actually burn. As they were trynna get the shadow particles out oh his body. They first try to boil him or whatever. But b4 that he felt pain when the military/police burned the vines n he fell on the field. Now towards the end. The vine burning started way before the shadow monster was out of Will and it seemed like it got out once the tunnels started burning. Which begs the question why was Will boiled at all? Or why did his paladin not give a fuck after making a whole show and dance about how if the hivemind dies will dies. Which again. Makes no sense. Cuz Will's still in there? So either you wait for the monster to detach itself fully before you start burning the tunnels or it does not matter and the monster would've left anyway. Did not save Will from any pain AT ALL.

Mike went in to save his bbygal El. Sorry but Will was not even on his mind. He wanted to be a hero. As he usually does and if he doesn't get to do that he gets pissy. But bro your soulmate or whatever could've died. Hoes before other hoes I guess.

Anyway. Back to the piggyback. Veccy started losing his hold on the hivemind after a multipronged multinational attack on the hivemind. And El too blasted him with the power of turu lob. But it was only when he was flambed and tandoored and flung like a rumali roti was he physically damaged. (Not destroyed tho cuz of his trace mineral rich diet in the UD)

So now another question. I've lost track. How tf did El restart Max's heart in the void? Max was not even present mentally. Deadest of dead. N then through the void here comes El giving her life because.... because.... erm .... hea.....

Also unrelated. Did max not lose her eyes cuz El blasted Veccy off before he could perform the world's worst lobotomy? Or? What's the difference? Since that's the last/2nd last in the sequence. Even her jaw is spared. So I guess yeah he was interrupted. He could take her life but not her jawline.

Sooooo. Any help is appreciated.

[weirdo09]

red head girl

a max mayfield x gn!reader fic based on s2

if you asked [name] if they liked anyone, they’d probably laugh your question off. in all truth, [name] wasn’t even sure who they liked, sure there are some good looking people in their school but nobody interested them. that was until one autumn day, [name] had just arrived to their classroom and taken a seat when mr. clarke announced that they have a new student joining the class.

“settle down, everybody i’d like you to meet maxine.” “she’s joined us all the way from california!” mr. clarke exclaimed in his usual cheerful attitude. “call me max.” max said in a harsh tone. [name] looked max up and down. ‘she seems interesting’ [name] thought as they listened to the rest of max’s introduction.

at the end of class, [name] gathered with their friends who were discussing about the new girl. “isn’t she radical?!” dustin piped out “i mean why would she want to leave california?” he continued to babble on about her, [name] chuckled at dustin’s interest with max. “hey guys, i’ll see y’all later, i’m gonna go get something from my locker!” [name] exclaimed as the party exchanged ‘see you laters’ to them.

when they got to their locker, they would soon find out that their locker was right next to max’s. max turned her head to them as she heard them come by. “uhm, hi, you’re max, right?” [name] asked. “yea, who wants to know?” max said, lifting one eyebrow. “well i do, my name’s [name] and i was wondering if you’d maybe want to hang out after school?” [name] suggested nervously, rubbing the back of their neck. max stared at them for a while before answering. “maybe.” she said then she walked away, leaving you confused but also intrigued.

as the school day came to a close, [name] and the rest of party were near the bike station.(?) [name] was looking around to see if max was approaching. will noticed their behavior and went over to talk with them. “hey, [name] are you waiting for someone?” will asked softly, causing [name] to turn around to face him. “uh, sort of, i answered max if she wanted to hang out but i don’t think she wants to, seeing she’s not here.” [name] replied with a sad expression on their face. will slowly smiled and said “even if she doesn’t, you and i can hang out instead!” [name] smiled in response and nodded. while the two were talking, max was walking towards billy’s car.(🤢) she looks at [name] and sighed as she got in the car.

[name] pondered on whether or not max actually wanted to hang out while they were biking with the party. them(the party) chatting didn’t hear that a car was behind them, speeding towards them. who wants in that car, you ask? well it was none other than max and billy. max was shouting at billy to slow down while as you know he wasn’t going to any time soon. [name] turned their head and noticing the car, started to shout “CAR!!!” the rest of the party was confused but got off the road as soon as they saw them do the same. as the car passed, max and [name] shared a look before they(her and billy) passed by. “what the hell was that?!?” dustin exclaimed, breaking the silence between the party. “i don’t know.” lucas replied, everyone else was silent after that.

after the incident, [name] decided to go with will to his house because their parents were out of town for a bit. joyce was happy to have [name] over and they explained the whole situation. them and will went to will’s room, jonathan peeking in ever so often. the two of them chatting about d&d and a few other things. “hey, [name]?” will asked. they turned their head to the sound of will’s voice. “yea?” [name] replied. “do you like max?” will asked in an innocent voice but the look on his face was a different story. [name]’s face started to scrunch “what no?!” they said stubbornly “do you like mike?” [name] retorted softly, will’s face started to flush “w-what are you talking about?!?” will stammered. [name] started to guffaw, nearly falling over. will rolled his eyes but began laughing too.

the next day at school, [name] went straight to their locker to talk with max. lo and behold, there she was looking slightly uncomfortable. “hey, max!” [name] exclaimed when they got closer to her. she looked at them and smiled softly, after realizing she did, she dropped it just as quick. “oh, uh hey, [name]..” max said solemnly. “i wanted to talk to you about yesterday and-.” [name] began to say but was interrupted by the bell. them and max looked up then looking into each other’s eyes. “we’ll talking after class, ok?” max said and walked of to her home room. [name] watched as she did.

during class, [name] could barely concentrate, their mind wandering of to thoughts of max. they smiled at the thoughts.

after class, [name] ran straight to their locker. surely, there was max, waiting for them. “hey, uhm about what i was saying earlier, did you want to hang out with me or was that like a no?” [name] said pretty straightforwardly. max took a minute to register what [name] had said. “oh no, i did want to hang out with you, it was just that i-.” max began to say but stopped abruptly. “i had some family problems so i couldn’t come but we can hang out today, if you want of course.” max finished, looking down at the floor, for on her face she was blushing as bright as a ripe strawberry. “oh ok, i’ll see you later then?” [name] said, fidgeting with their fingers.(it’s what they do when they’re nervous^^) “yea, sure later.” max said, looking them in the face now that her blushing has gone done a bit. [name] smiled and headed off with the party.

max thought to herself ‘do i like them???” and then proceeded to blush harder, cursing at herself in her mind. she went off to her next class.

after school, [name] met up with will to tell him the good news. “will! will! guess what?” [name] said excitedly. will chuckled at his friend’s cheerful attitude and asked “what is it, [name]?” [name] began to smile real wide “i got the hang out with max!” they exclaimed. will smiled “great!!” “so where are you guys going?” will asked and that caused [name]’s cheerful attitude to falter a bit. “well, i don’t know really, i forgot to ask…” [name] said, grinning nervously. will playfully rolled his eyes “well, here she comes, i’ll ride home with the party, see ya!” will said, walking away. [name] turned and saw max coming over “bye, will! don’t get get run over, ya hear?!” [name] shouted in reply. they turned around to see max kinda close to them. “oh, hey again.” [name] said. “hey, uhm wanna go to the arcade?” max said, her skateboard in hand. [name] looked at it, they’d never seen anyone skate around here after all, hawkins is just a boring little town full of boring little people. “sure.” [name] replied. ‘maybe hawkins isn’t so boring after all’ [name] though as they followed max to the arcade.

i might make a part 2 but these was super fun to write :)))

@crownedstars @geolikesstrangerthings @forever-augustine @foodiewithdahoodie @verashalurks

[80svhstapes]

how are u a Billy stan and a person of color? he literally tried to kill a black kid, he would NOT like you. good thing he's dead tho lol!!!!! also calling him an abuser is NOT victim blaming. growing up with abusive parents doesn't mean you're allowed to be abusive back to the people around you. Johnathan had a shit dad as well, and he's a great brother. maybe Billy is just... racist and written to be disliked? also Mike is a child who makes bad choices sometimes and it's kind of stupid to call HIM an abuser and not Billy, like are u ok? do u need therapy? clearly.

he wouldnt like me? you dont fucking know that honey, he's not real

if you think its surprise that im a poc billy fan then I wonder how you are with black billy fans, yes they exist, surprising I know.

you antis seem to love to bring up jonathan to compare victims which is fucking gross by the way because for starters lonnie fucked off ages ago, Jonathan has will and joyce which gives a solid support, billy on the other hand never got escaped from his abuser and never had a support system for his active trauma.

im not stupid for calling mike abusive because that's exactly what he is, he tried to gaslight el when she broke down in front of him, called her ridiculous when she called him out on his bullshit and called her a superhero despite the fact that's not what she wants to be known for because mike makes it out that that's her only purpose when its not

not to mention that mike is sexist and he bullied max for no reason in s2 which he still hasn't apologised for but gets away with it because he's cheesecake. which is what i called rich white entitled assholes. I've dealt with a lot of them in my life. i literally have a tally in a journal.

also need i remind you that mike made a racist remark towards licas in s2? literally no one else in the group had a problem with lucas being Venkman except for mike because if something doesn't go his way he throws a tantrum like a 5 year old.

and in the lucas on the line novel, lucas sees that mike is death glaring him but he doesn't know why, the was no reason for mike to do this, the dnd campaign could and should've been rescheduled.

it says a lot about what tyoe of friends mike and dustin are since they'd rather play a board game with a 19 year old than go and support their childhood friend

the duffers tried to make an exact rip off of it's henry bowers but dacre said fuck no and gave a realistic representation of non-romanticised victims because unlike you, he knows that not every victim will not turn out the exact same specific way.

if you dont like my account and what I post stay the fuck away because your bullshit is not gonna make change my opinions that I've had for the past 5 years

[ladylannisterxo]

💖 top 5 billy relationships :) if he was allowed to exist outside of his two plotlines of asshole older brother and possessed killer :)

lol okay so this is purely what i would have liked to have seen had the duffers not been cowards and actually allowed our boy to live and grow as a person...

01. max mayfield

their relationship was far from perfect but it's clear that between S2 and S3, some improvement was made. they definitely weren't as hostile toward each other and max was the only one actively trying to help billy when he became the host for the MF. max would definitely have to be the first domino to fall here, the first person to say "hey, this is my brother and he's trying" for the others to consider engaging with him. besides, i also think these two would have had a kickass big brother / little sister vibe and i know within my soul that billy knows max can handle herself but he would absolutely step in and fuck someone's day up if pressed lol

02. el hopper

while max may have been the only one actively trying to save billy in S3, el was the one who was able to bring him back to himself by, and let me say this as loud as possible, THE SIMPLE ACT OF BEING KIND!! it's truly amazing what kind words and a gentle touch can do, ya know? but i digress (for now). i think they would have had an interesting relationship, granted they would not understand each other, not at all but it's one of those things where if max liked him and allowed him to be around then el would be fine with it. not to mention, billy would never forget the girl who helped save him. he would also think her powers are fucking W I L D annnnnd he would definitely be intimidated by her - i mean, girl can do shit with her mind, it would take him some time to get fully used to that.

03. joyce byers

i fully believe that had joyce not been in illinois for the majority of the events of S3, billy would probably still be alive. and i say this because she is a mother and she would see a boy who has been beaten down and abused his entire life and who is now fully at the mercy of an entity that he does not understand. i'm not saying that joyce wouldn't reprimand him in that motherly way for the bullshit he's done but i think, outside of everyone else, she would be able to understand why he acts the way he does. i think it could have ended up being one of those "my door is always open, i'm just a phone call away" type situations and billy would, for sure, be weirded out by it in the beginning but i think, over time, he would come to appreciate this woman, this mother, actively taking an interest in his life and his future.

04. jim hopper

billy does need a kick in the ass, and not in the abusive way that neil handles everything; i'm talking about someone who is gonna look him in the eye and say "you continue down this path of aggression and bad behavior and you're gonna end up more alone than you are now" and i think jim would be the perfect person for that. like with joyce, jim would see the signs and understand that billy isn't an asshole just to be an asshole, that there's more to it. also, with jim being a FUCKING COP (and totally ignoring the whole russia arc), he would probably be able to legally handle neil the way that neil should have been handled years prior. granted, billy is an adult at this point, but abuse like that, nah, jim wouldn't turn a blind eye to it. i don't believe that.

05. honestly... the overall party in general

i'm not saying he needs to be besties with any of them, mainly because him being besties with anyone seems so far fetched but i cannot begin to tell you how badly i wanted billy back for S4. like when steve, nancy, robin, and eddie were in the UD?? OH MY GOOOOOOOD, i kept thinking how cool it would have been for billy to have been a part of that. it would be a domino effect, as i stated in the beginning. it would take one person and then two and then three for everyone to kind of come around to the fact that he's a part of this now. and yeah, he'd probably still be a dick every once in awhile (you don't just drop those habits overnight) but i truly believe billy is incredibly intelligent and who else would fight a UD monster with his bare hands?? no one, that's who. billy would 100% use his fists against those monsters and everyone else would be like, "my guy, do you need a weapon? please, take a weapon!"

[thewrongmoon]

Mike's conflict in season 5

So I've seen a handful of people who think that we will be let down by the lack of angst or turmoil Mike will go through next season. Like a lot say that it's Will that will be struggling rather than Mike. But I wanna go through why I don't think that makes sense.

Other characters struggles going into s5:

Lucas- had to watch Max die. Feels guilty that he let Max fester in her depression and didn't reach out sooner. Probably feels like he should have stopped her from using herself as bait for Vecna.

Dustin- saw Eddie die. Also probably feels like he could have stopped this from happening. Hates that everyone thinks he's a murderer when he really was trying to save his friends.

El- oh boy, there's a lot. Was bullied in California. Assualted a girl with a skate, which made her feel like a monster. Had her boyfriend not comfort her, which made her feel even worse. Had to relive traumatic memories of someone committing mass murder. Had her abuser forced back in her life again through this. Lost her best friend and feels responsible. Had her boyfriend blatantly lie about loving her. Wasn't able to stop Hawkins from being split in two.

Will- In love with his best friend. His best friend is dating his sister and (from his perspective) loves and cares about her more than him. Still feels connected to the mindflayer. Probably feels responsible for the destruction of Hawkins because his disappearance caused all of this.

Max- Literally in a coma, but we did see her trauma and struggles in the previous season (trauma from Billy's death, dealing with being poor, suicidal ideation.)

And Mike... has... nothing?

Or, at least, some people think Mike will just have no struggles I guess. But how does EVERY other character have some sort of struggle except him? I feel like it would be weird if we see everyone else having a mental breakdown and Mike is just chilling.

Mike's struggles:

Really the only struggle Mike has actually vocalized is his relationship status with El. In season 3 with Lucas, but especially in season 4 to Will.

It's questionable why exactly he decides to vocalize this. Maybe to get advice? Like that definitely seems to be the case with Lucas. He specifically asks Lucas what he should do.

With Will, he seems to be fishing for reassurance or validation. He's not asking Will "how do I tell her I love her?", he's asking "what if she doesn't need me?" Whether he wants Will to say El needs him or that Will needs him remains to be seen, but he's doesn't seem to be searching for a solution like he does with Lucas.

This is actually a big step for Mike. We never see Mike ask anyone for emotional support. His mom is the only exception to this, he does go to her for hugs, but Will is the only person he's opened up to using his words.

Mike has a hard time opening up. Because of this, we literally do not know his struggles, because we can't see into his brain.

Mike's potential unspoken troubles:

Let's go down the list:

-He was bullied prior to the start of the show and probably throughout seasons 1-4

-His best friend was kidnapped in s1

-He jumped off a cliff because of bullies in s1

-He watched El "die" in s1

-Mike seeing Bob die in s2

-He saw Will get possessed in s2, which led to:

-Him watching Will cry

-Him watching Will slowly turn into someone else

-Him watching Will in extreme pain

-Him watching Will kill several bystanders

-Him having to knock Will out via injection

then season 3 (we're not done yet)

-Mike fighting with Will for the first time and very clearing hurting him emotionally

-Mike watching El be injured by the mindflayer

-Mike watching Billy die (he was there too don't forget)

-Mike watching his best friend of 9 years and his girlfriend leave and move to the other side of the country

-Mike isolating himself and showing signs of depression (not cleaning, moodiness) in between seasons 3 and 4

-Mike never getting calls back from Will

-Mike getting lied to by El

-Mike watching El get horrifically bullied

-Mike getting in another fight with Will

-Mike seeing El hit someone with a roller skate

-Fighting with El (in which he gets compared to her bullies and has his own experience with bullying disregarded by El)

-Mike seeing El get taken to prison and not being able to do anything

-Mike getting caught in a shoot-out

-Mike watching another man die

-Mike burying a dead body in a desert

-Mike watching El almost die again and being powerless to do anything

-A man Mike looked up to being killed while he was away

-Mike getting back home and immediately seeing Will be vulnerable to Vecna (where like. a whole slew of his trauma comes from.)

AND that's not even mentioning the internalized homophobia, issues with his parents, conflict with the rest of the party or Nancy, etc.

Mike has a CRAZY AMOUNT of trauma to sort through. Arguably more than some other characters on the show. I think that Mike's leader-complex makes him feel like he can't even open up about more than half this shit I've just listed.

While Will did tell Mike what he needed to hear, I almost think what he said could lead to Mike trying to continue to bury this stuff cause he thinks he has to be the leader.

He's gonna snap eventually. If he doesn't, then Vecna will do something to make him have to. Vecna has a whole arsenal of memories to use against him.

Long story short, if everyone else has shit they're going through, Mike has gotta have something too. And there's plenty of things they can choose from here.

[two-sides-samecoin]

(you don’t have to answer this if you’re tired to the billy asks, but i just needed to get this out lol)

i think the most fucked up part about billy stans isn’t even that they like his character (i’ve enjoyed a lot of morally grey characters, and there’s nothing inherently wrong with that) but the reason it’s fucked up is because they just pretend (and will fight to the death arguing) that he’s a good person? like billy in canon is racist, and abuses max, and beats steve near to death. but they just ignore that? like it’s insane how they try to explain away how billy treats others by blaming everyone else. at that point they don’t even like billy, they just like the made-up version they have in their head that looks like dacre. how can you like a character, but refuse to accept any of their canon characterisation?

and like you said, it’s insane that people say that max abused billy at the end of s2, or that she was like billy’s dad. that whole scene is max turning that abuse around. billy’s dad abuses him, and billy abuses max, and that scene is max choosing not the continue the cycle, and to take that, and try to vilify max is disgusting.

I’m not tired of it. I really haven’t gotten that many asks about it. I just remember my hatred for him and his stans and make posts about it lol. And you’re honestly soo right. Like there’s nothing wrong with liking a morally grey character. But when the person they like is an abusive racist asshole, it just gives a whole new meaning to it. Especially because we aren’t even supposed to like billy at all! They give us memories in season 3 of his life, but that was also only for the narrative purpose. The writers needed billy to die because then El would have died and they can’t have that. It’s plain and simple as that. They needed him to break out in some way from the mind control so that he could die. There was no other reason for the memories. Was it supposed to gain some sympathy? Sure. But it was never even about him being a good person and was only a way for the audience to understand why billy was able to break out of the mind control. I honestly don’t even think the writers intended a lot of his fans to excuse his actions and stuff with the memories. Cuz I genuinely believe that it was just there so that there was a reason that billy would come out of the mind control and be able to fight for one second. They couldn’t kill El especially since they did that whole thing with hopper. So they had to have a character that would have an emotional reaction on one of the characters and of course with Max’s complicated feelings about billy and being his step sister it was the perfect character to kill off.

I got off track but anyway yeah. You’re right cuz it’s like they want him to be a good person when he’s just not at all a good person in cannon. And I think it’s even worse cuz the writers were very clear that billy is a bad person. Billy is the antagonist and he is supposed to be getting hate. The audience should hate him for everything that he’s done. And then billy stans jump through high ass fences to make him seem like-able and he just isn’t. They ignore everything about him that is canon. And when people point that out to why they don’t like him and hate him: billy Stans just say that we are crazy and that we aren’t even watching the show. And Yes! That moment is about max quitting the cycle of abuse and for them to just turn that around is fucking disgusting and disrespectful.

[thelostsisters]

i think el is gonna feel so guilty when she sees vecna, not because the show wants the audience to sympathize with him, but because of something we’ve seen with el throughout the season: she hates inflicting pain upon others, even if she’s only indirectly/not even at all responsible. it’s part of her compassionate nature, it’s a part of who she is.

when 002 is getting electrocuted, we see el watching in absolute terror, as if she’s feeling guilty for the situation. of course we know it isn’t her fault; 002 was the one who antagonized her in the first place, and was the one who spoke up during the interrogation which made brenner suspicious. and brenner was the one who decided to use a literal torture method as a means of punishment on a child. yet el sees him being hurt, and knows that the situation that caused this does involve her in a way, and she feels guilty about it.

and then angela. oh, fuck, did el feel bad about that. bc this time she did directly inflict pain upon another person, even if angela was the one mocking her dead father and absolutely deserved getting smacked with a rollerskate. but el spends the rest of the evening upset about what happens, even crying at the sight of angela in pain and having flashbacks to the massecre at the lab (which was, once again, not her fault, but now that she knows the truth she probably still feels guilty for being the one who removed 001’s soteria). angela was an absolute piece of shit who got what was coming for her, but that didn’t matter to el, even before mike began feeding into her guilt. she saw a girl in pain because of an action she chose to take, and it didn’t matter whether el was in the wrong or not, because inflicting pain upon other people who have hurt her is something el hates to see

with vecna, a huge part of his appearance is the burn scars all over his body from being struck by lighting multiple times when he’s exiled to the upside down by el. of course we don’t know whether el herself created the dimension he was sent to, or if her creating it was even a conscious choice of hers, but the fact of the matter is she chose to exile him, and he was hurt in the process. and because this is el we’re talking about, the girl who is so caring about others that she views their well-being over her own self defense, i think she’s going feel as if she’s responsible for this happening. and not just 001/vecna’s physics state—she’s responsible for the creation of vecna, and because he’s seeking revenge on her specifically, she’s responsible for all the tragedies that have occurred on his behalf (to quote season 1 el “i’m the monster”; she feels as if any problem she have have in some way been involved with is her fault)

i think a big part of el’s story is going to be about her learning to overcome her guilt and realize that it’s okay to stand up for herself. how she’s going to get there, i don’t know. maybe nancy and her will have a conversation about the massacre, since nancy is going to find out about it from vecna himself. and, of course, that conversation alone probably isn’t going to make her guilt go away; it’s a process that el is really going to have to work through. but at the end of the day, el deserves to be free of these guilts that she has for things that she was in no way in the wrong for, and i really hope that’s a struggle she’ll be able to overcome

[wibble-wobbegong]

Mike Hostage Theory

i just wanted to make an official post with my view on this theory bc i have a very specific vision

edit: i’ve made a post with some more evidence here! :)

For anyone who doesn’t know, the Mike hostage theory is essentially the idea that Mike will be taken hostage by Vecna in season 5.

Here’s my reasoning for why I think this is a possibility for season 5:

- Mike has managed to ruin all of Vecna’s plans since season 1 and each season he develops a better understanding of the UD and is able to formulate plans that take direct action in preventing Vecna from achieving his goal. a short list that shows this would be:

s1: Mike discovers what the upside down is and relays all the information he’s gathered from El, giving the rest of the cast an understanding of what’s actually happening. Plans to rescue will spring from Mike’s information

s2: Mike is the only one who actually understands what’s happening with Will AND he takes the lead in creating the plan to save Will. Second only to Will, he has the most in depth understanding of how the mind flayer works which he demonstrates in episode 8 where he explains everything he knows to Dustin who then makes the analogy to the mind flayer in DND. He suggests putting Will to sleep, isolating him to try and break him out of the possession, getting the mind flayer out of Will before the gate completely closes, and distracting the demodogs by lighting the graveyard on fire.

s3: After learning about the mind flayer’s return, he comes to the conclusion that the mind flayer won’t die when it’s expelled from someone and that they have to figure out how to actually kill the mind flayer (though they never ended up doing this). After learning about Billy being a potential host, he mentally made a complete plan of how to know whether he was a host or not. He barely had to think about it after they confirmed Billy was acting suspicious, he knew how to test him with the sauna and executed that plan in the same day after coordinating with the rest of the party. Mike is still pretty in touch with how the mind flayer works when interacting with its hosts

s4: Vecna very specifically timed his attacks so they would begin the day Mike left. He was counting on Mike not being able to get involved and it making him more successful, which is what happened. He thought he had Mike completely out of the picture and yet he still managed to get involved with Vecna’s plans when he was finally going to kill El. Mike’s monologue was mostly a failure, but it did boost El’s memories with Max in a way. Either way, Mike still managed to get in the way even with Vecna counting on him being on the opposite side of the country.

This would give Vecna 1 major motive to keep Mike in the UD with him. It allows him to keep an eye on Mike and eliminate the possibility of his interference.

- Mike is incredibly close with vecna’s true target; Will. Vecna needs to bring Will back into the UD again to follow through with whatever plan he’s been trying to follow through with since season 1. Does he want Will to join him? Does he want to turn Will into an asset to the hivemind? Does he want to possess Will himself and obtain his abilities? There’s no way to know for sure, but no matter what he needs to lure Will into a situation where they can talk alone. Vecna and Will are still connected so Vecna is definitely aware that Will’s feelings for Mike are way too strong for Will to not come to rescue him. He’s likely going to use Will’s emotions to his advantage.

- Mike’s perspective needs to be told and having him live through a long-term psychic curse from Vecna would allow us to understand what Mike’s fears really are. I think they could use a situation like this to tell Mike’s perspective of the story in a way that’s reminiscent of how El had an isolated story in season 2.

- Mike has a very strong tendency to isolate himself when he can’t cope with things and there is going to be a lot weighing on him, emotionally, in season 5; Eddie’s death, breaking up with El, Will is in danger again, still believing that his feelings are unreciprocated, and he’s probably gonna be expected to take a leadership role again. Everyone is going to be focused on dealing with the apocalypse during the two year time gap so I could see Mike spending a lot of time alone when he’s not working with the party which gives Vecna an opportunity to kidnap him silently before starting the next phase of his attack.

note: maybe will discovers his powers before the time skip and has to spend a lot of the two year time gap practicing with el, though he hangs out with mike when he can

How I think this could advance multiple plot lines!

Mike’s Personal Arc

I covered this a little bit, but if mike were to go under a long-term psychic connection with vecna, we could watch his point of view for a lot of the major moments in different seasons that we were denied his perspective. It would be an opportunity to finally reveal mike’s genuine feelings, fears, and regrets to the audience in a way that wouldn’t involve other characters discovering this about him. Personally, Mike would finally be able to emotionally advance past a lot of his repression as he’s finally forced to face it head on over and over. He might break down at first, and he should, but the longer he stays there the more he’ll learn to deal with those fears. I’m going to tie this into another plot line, but him being able to walk through his emotions would demonstrate a new emotional maturity he has been lacking due to his relationship with El and his incessant need to be normal. He might learn to hide from these things that are torturing him by going into happy memories, which will force him to accept that he wasn’t happy in his relationship with El and that he is a happier person when he’s with Will and his friends doing the things he loves (I’m sure he’s aware of this to some extent during s4). Vecna won’t be present in his mind (explained later), so Mike will be able to walk through these happy memories safely and reminisce on those moments which will continue to expand his perspective, this time from a positive light.

Will’s Personal Arc

Will is going to have a Hero Arc in season 5, it’s been foreshadowed since season 2. He’s finally escaping his repeated victimization and fighting back, protecting who he loves, and avenging everything that Vecna stole from him. He doesn’t need to be Mike’s heroine to go through this arc, but it would be more impactful for Will to rescue the boy who saved him time and time again, the boy who always protected him, the boy he’s in love with. It’ll add more emotional depth to Will’s story in season 5, not that protecting the others isn’t emotionally strong, but it’ll give him a certain level of empowerment that he couldn’t achieve by saving anyone else. Knowing that he has the strength to do what he’s admired Mike for for so long would be fantastic for his view of himself. If he’s going to fight off Vecna with love, he’ll need to develop some self love too, which can come from finding strength in himself and knowing Mike reciprocates his feelings (Mike makes him feel like he isn’t a mistake, but he feels like a mistake for being gay. When Mike confesses it’ll make Will feel even less like a mistake).

The Mike/Will Role Reversal

There have been tons of hint throughout season 4 that hint at Mike and Will having reversed roles in season 5. For one, Mike has a ton of death tags (ex. being compared directly to romeo, dying in the opening DND game, etc.) that won’t lead to an actual death. When Mike disappears randomly, there might be people who assume he’s dead the same way they did with Will in season 1, but if we know anything about Will it’s that he’d never give up on Mike just like how Mike never gave up on him. This is also going to give them an even deeper understanding of each other as they’ve now both been the searcher and the rescued.

Finding Max

So, I’m going to be assuming two things for this part of the theory.

1. Mike is traveling throughout memories in his own head but those memories are manifesting in Vecna’s mind.

2. Vecna absorbed Max’s consciousness, as he describes being able to absorb his victims, and Max is now able to traverse Vecna’s mind and go back to her own memories as she pleases.

If both of those are true, then Mike may very well run into Max once he starts hiding away in happier memories. To be clear, I don’t want nor think Mike will be the one to free her consciousness: that has to be left up to Lucas and El somehow. Mike could be the one to discover that she is alive and start considering the possibility of bringing her back. When he’s freed, this is information he can give to the party. That ties into his role as an information gatherer and it’ll likely lead to him planning a way to get her back, though it’ll be Lucas and El carrying the beef of that plan.

As for which memory they’d run into each other in, I think it has to be that scene in the gym from season 2. It’s pretty much the only memory between them where they’re both happy and together that’s been shown on screen. It would be a good way to reaffirm their friendship, too, if they’re both visiting that memory. We see Mike shooting her concerned glances when her nose bleeds and she wrote him a letter despite their dynamic being shown as rivals more than friends, so this is a way to expand the depth of their relationship and show that they are friends and they do care about each other in a way that’s yet to be displayed.

Romantic Byler

Can’t talk about Mike in season 5 without factoring byler into it!

As far as how this theory plays into byler edging towards becoming canon, I think this is where the audience would finally be being told that Mike is in love with Will in every aspect except the actual words. This is where “show don’t tell” is gonna take it’s extreme. We’re going to be going on a journey with Mike through memory lane of all the good and the bad, which Will is inevitably a major part of both of those types of memories. We’ll see Mike’s reactions to things, which we aren’t shown throughout the show very often after season 1. There is going to be an undeniable love for Will shown from Mike’s perspective.

Then, with Will being the one to rescue Mike, we’re also going to get Mike realizing Will needs him even when he isn’t providing something for Will. He’s going to understand that Will wants him around. A more emotionally aware Mike + a single Mike + a Mike who feels loved for who he is by Will = a potential confession.

All around, I just think that Mike getting held hostage through a long-standing curse could add a lot to the story. I also wrote this while having not slept in about 2 days, so please feel free to add onto the things I missed :)