#this is basically a mike wheeler appreciation post

[samwitcch]

mike's problem solving skills

as much as we shit on mike for his obliviousness towards romance, its really interesting how good mike is at deciphering the upside down mystery and puzzle solving in general. typically, mike has the best judgement calls when it comes to getting shit done and general intuition. at the top of my head, i can recall several times where he was able to encounter a problem that the entire group was having and fix it instantly. some examples:

understanding that el was the key to finding will in the upside down, thus employing her help for all of s1

first to recognize that will would have died were they to close the gate with the mf still inside him + understanding how the mf worked and knew how to problem solve to overcome it (putting will to sleep so he couldn't spy, knowing that they needed a place that will didn't recognize)

came up with the entire sauna test plan, plus led billy towards the trap

found out that the number was hidden inside a dried up pen from the agent + knowing that they would have needed a hacker to get it done and using suzie's help to do it

a small one, but them overturning the car using the leverage from the linerope holders was mike's idea when they couldn't use el's powers ("told you. physics")

and so on...

i'd also like to point out the fact that in s4, the only times we get mike's POV is when he is being a leader (suzie's house, discovering the pen, etc). when it comes to the romance aspect, specifically his relationship w/ el, we get no clues from himself about how he actually feels about her (only from will and el's povs).

i'm not the most avid follower of nancy's storyline, but i'm pretty sure a lot of her judgement calls are also basically always correct (s1 w/ barb's disappearance, s2 in revealing barb's death, s3 rats, s4 w/ victor creel).

personally, besides the fact these two are smart as hell, i think that its a small way to show that the wheeler siblings were mainly taught to think with their head, and not their heart, which is why their arcs are both tied into ridding themselves of societal expectations and to go with their hearts instead. while nancy's is more tied to her independence and wants as a woman during the 80s, mike's is intrinsically tied to queerness and understanding what he wants, rather than what would make him normal.

[duck-in-a-thrift-store]

Alright, ik it's been a little while but now it's time for room/character closeup #3

~Max & El's room~

Right off the bat I think it goes without saying their room is quite a bit more *fun* than some of the others; it was heavily inspired by the early s3 aesthetic (before everything went to shit that is), like when Max was helping El try out a new style, so I hope that shows in the colors and patterns I used for the wallpaper/rug/beds

(Also- this isn't character specific- it just makes me happy how the chair matches the wallpaper and the bedspread matches some of the colors in the posters)

Speaking of the posters

I remembered Max introducing El to comics at their sleepover (also s3) so I wanted to use posters that had that comic book/pop art feel to them, hence the pieces over the beds

Max is on the left. I felt like the sheer *attitude* it conveyed was something she would appreciate, that it suited her

El is on the right, and there's like a whole tangent to that one* but it's also another call-back to that s3 moment of Max showing El her comics and telling her who Wonder Woman is (listen I just really loved their dynamic and interactions in s3 ok)

*You might be wondering "duck why would you put a superheroine poster over El's bed are you really taking such a cliche/obvious approach with the decor here"

Listen babe. It's nuanced, okay?

First of all, yeah basically. I'm fine with being cliche. I do what I want and it fit the general vibe I was going for

But more importantly, remember how I mentioned in... one of the other notes posts for this au I honestly don't remember which one at this point- how a recurring theme here will be characters reclaiming things? At least I think I posted that, I know I wrote it down somewhere-

But anywho, yes, this is one of those instances

So I think, before now, El would have gotten to a point where she really resented "superheroes" -or more accurately, being compared to them

After everything. After being taken from her mother and having her childhood stolen from her in order to train her into a mini super soldier. After always having to be the strong one and fighting every battle. After always having to be the superhero for everyone else and still feeling like she can't ever seem to hit the bad guys hard enough to keep them down for good, to keep her friends safe. After having all those expectations and all that pressure on her for years when really she just wants to move on and be a normal kid and get to live her life

And yeah, maybe also after Mike's weak ass speech at the end of s4. I'd probably feel pretty icky if my boyfriend tried to encourage me by reminding me that my value comes from being a sword and shield rather than a person, if I kept getting put on this suffocating pedestal of always having to push myself to keep everyone else safe, and if I believed that was the very reason I was loved

[Don't take this the wrong way I love Michael Wheeler he's like a son to me but I do think that his and El's relationship was very unhealthy and that he didn't handle things very well]

So uh. Yeah. El hated superheroes for a little bit. I'm not sure when they put that poster up but it wasn't when they first moved in

However

After getting away from the place tied to so much of her trauma, so many of her burdens; after getting out of the situation that kept forcing her into the superhero role, I think her views on superheroes just as an objective, fictional concept would start to soften

And also I think the way Max handles it- treating her like she's awesome and strong and special but not dehumanizing her, trusting her but not pressuring her, encouraging her to be and embrace herself- that has something to do with it as well. It teaches her that she can be a superhero if she wants to be, but she doesn't have to. She does have superhuman abilities, but she herself gets to decide what, if anything, to do with them

When they all ditch Hawkins and move into the new house, El doesn't have to fight anymore. They've left the Upside Down and all its monsters, the empty lab and all its ghosts, behind them. For the first time in... well, pretty much her whole life, she doesn't have to fight, she doesn't have to use her powers, she doesn't have to play the hero. She gets to just... be a kid. A person

And everyone still loves her. Everyone still treats her like a part of the family, like she matters

So maybe she doesn't have to be a superhero. And maybe she doesn't have to hate them, either

But the concept is still something tied to her identity, something floating in the back of her mind; it's an identity in which she found value and strength, at a point in her life when she didn't really know who she was yet

So she still thinks about heroes. And she slowly comes to appreciate them in media, like the comic book heroes Max tells her about. Distinctly separate from herself and from her reality and past. From that safe distance away, they're admirable, captivating, impressive, compelling. And, yeah, maybe a little relatable

And... she finds that she's ok with that

She finds that she likes it, actually

Until eventually El has a strong appreciation for heroes, for their strength and what they stand for, because she understands them- but she doesn't have to be one of them anymore. Removed from the dangers and the expectations, she can see heroes- and herself- simply for what they are, instead of through that lens of pain and resentment and obligation

In the place she has found herself in life, she comes to terms with the fact that she is badass, she is important, she has value, and that those facts remain even when she isn't fighting anything

And in knowing it isn't required, that the people around her see her and love her for who she is rather than just what she can do, passively being likened to a hero doesn't feel so crushing anymore. Maybe she even starts to casually refer to herself as a hero from time to time, maybe jokingly, maybe ironically, maybe sarcastically, but deep down she does still feel that tie, that connection, in some ways- only now it doesn't hurt

And now she loves superheroes, enough to put one on her wall

[Btw, this whole analysis thing was heavily allegorical for my relationship with gender and I hope that shows. Superheroes=womanhood/femininity. If you get it you get it]

That ran away from me a little bit. Um. Moving right along, I guess

The third poster isn't that deep tbh I mostly picked it because it matched the wallpaper colors lol but I do think "good things are coming" would be a nice message to wake up to for two people who have been through so fucking much already at such a young age, remind them that they still have a wonderful life ahead of them despite the horrors in their past, y'know?

And then there's Max's skateboard, at the foot of her bed

It's symbolic it's important it matters that she brought it with her

She got hurt pretty damn badly at the end of s4, and nobody knew for sure if she was even going to survive, let alone whether she'd be able to skateboard again

But she did survive, and her body got pretty fucked up but she was in recovery, and maybe she'd never be quite the same again but she wasn't going to let that stop her, she wasn't going to give up

Her legs aren't as strong and her balance isn't as good as it used to be but she's determined to use that skateboard again no matter how many times she falls over relearning how to do it (and someone is always there to help her get back on her feet, if she wants them to. Yes it's Lucas how did you know)

Anyway I just think Max Mayfield is an incredibly strong brave person and she gets what she wants and what she wants in this case is to be the zoomer of the household

I don't suppose there's really much more to say about the room, so... guess that's a wrap for this one

[archiveoforpheus]

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Basic Information

Names: Mike (most preferred name), kin names (will be in description, or tagged in recent posts), Finn (irl, main name)

Pronouns: he/it/xe

Info: This is my alterhuman/fictionkin sideblog. This will be quite chaotic as I'm sure as hell not planning to create seperate sideblogs for all my kins.

Extra: I am a minor, so don't be weird. Also, I am AuDHD, so tonetags are very much appreciated.

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DNI

Basic DNI criteria (homophobe/transphobe, racist, ableist etc.) Anti-kin (no shit, it's an alterhuman sideblog.) Anti-recovery

Thin Ice

Pro/com-shippers S3xual accounts

Mediamates

Literally do not worry about whether you can interact or not. (Yes, even if you were an asshole in media.) As long as you're not on my DNI list, please interact!

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Tags (may update frequently)

#-☁︎ mike.txt - michael crew shift + posts #-☁︎ mike.mems - michael crew kinmems #-🧠 o5-3.txt - O5-3 "The Kid/All-Seeing Eye" shift + posts #-🧠 o5-3.mems - O5-3 "The Kid/All-Seeing Eye" kinmems #-♾️ m.w.txt - marion wheeler shift + posts #-♾️ m.w.mems - marion wheeler kinmems

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[oursonwithagirl]

finn wolfhard and why he himself is proof of byler (why his interview answers are like that)

i’m sure you’ve heard that finn can’t play a straight character, so it would essentially just make sense for mike being queer, endgame proved. obvi 🙄 (joke) (but rlly funny cuz the streak must go on)

anyway, finn wolfhard has been in the industry for years, and one of the things that separates him from other actors is his love for the entire filmmaking process. he’s so involved in all the projects that he works on, and it’s great to see a person so passionate about something, and also be able to deliver on it. this is one of the main reasons why i believe that finn 100% knows the ending of stranger things, at least pertaining to mike wheeler, and has been in the know now for a while (i’m talking end of s3 so since 2019). this ending reveal would be important for him to know for his character, because it explains why mike is acting this/that way. i mean, think about it, if we are all right about mike’s queer coding, finn has to have known the motivations behind his character while acting. if there’s one thing that finn can do, it’s keep a secret for the sake of the storyline and he’s doing a fantastic job.

during s3 press, he got asked tons of questions pertaining to melvin, which is a given, considering they just reunited in s2 and fans are excited to see what they’re like as a couple. viewers go onto watch the show and they take notice of a definitive shift in mike’s behavior. at his worst, mike is rude, hurtful, and obsessive. fans are starting to hate mike (lol just wait til s4). in summary, finn’s character gets reduced to being el’s boyfriend who is a bad friend. but we know the ending of s3, and what finn most likely had to have found out in order to portray mike in that way. there’s more to it!

s4 press and his interesting answers (the proof)

- at the premiere, he was asked what’s in store for milkvan. he goes onto say that they’re both discovering things about themselves.

- in the well-know hair chair, finn gets posed the question ‘what’s going on with mike this season?’. he replies saying that mike’s trying to “keep on a normal path” and be as “normal as possible”

- upon getting asked a byler question, specifically about what would happen if mike were to know about will’s feelings, finn wolfhard stated that he thinks there would probably be a mutual understanding and acceptance

- in the post-volume 2 cast interview, the interviewer wanted to know finn’s perspective on where he thinks mike and el’s storyline is going. he responds with basically “i’m excited for the ending of the show and to see which characters leave hawkins (smalltown boy theory) and stay. as for mike and el, it’s hard to tell, but i just hope they both find happiness”

- in a lot of the press, he emphasizes on how good the ending is that the duffers wrote (keeping in mind that the duffers stated it would be controversial)

all answers hint towards what we suspect: milkvan bones, byler endgame - with no explicit statements, yet he’s really just laying it all out.

to tie this into his upcoming panel (yay!), he doesn’t do this often, and he could very well never come back to do it again, so please try remaining respectful in the questions you ask. he is not going to spoil, so don’t try getting him to do that. is he secretly a huge byler super fan? no, he doesn’t get like that with ships, especially of his own, but something he truly appreciates is good writing, so of course he’s going to be on board with it and care about it if it’s going to be given the proper story and wrap-up!

[apatheticlexicographer]

BYLER FIC REC WEEK DAY 1: POST-CANON recs

All We Need Is Time by SlytherinsAndSnitches

will-centric; some plot. one of my favourites, it’s “friends to enemies to strangers to ???” will has depression, and in the three years since S4 he’s drifted from the entire party. he and mike had a bad falling out, but when they become coworkers at the record store they’re forced to reconnect. as if that wasn’t enough, will is starting to show the signs of vecnafication. the angst is deliciously agonizing and the plot is just starting to kick in. multichapter, just came back from hiatus a few days ago

the gaps and the silence by delusionaltogether

will-centric; no plot. the supernatural events of S4 never happened, but mike’s awkward visit was basically the nail in the coffin for their friendship. will never left lenora, and he’s now busy majoring in art and avoiding people as much as physically possible. he’s taken off guard when mike, who shows up in town with the sole purpose of reconnecting with him, casually admits he used to have a crush on him. the mutual pining is stronggggg and neither of them are smooth T_T longshot, complete

Lost Without You by Julia_Skysong

alternates between mike-centric and will-centric; some plot. will and mike are 26 now and haven’t talked in years, since mike disconnected himself from the entire party. will has a career writing comics based on their experiences with the upside down. mike surprises him when he brings his 7-year-old daughter to one of will’s signings, causing them to reconnect. this fic deals with a lot of heavy topics about homophobia, trauma and addiction but it’s not a constant misery-fest. will and mike’s reblossoming friendship is very sweet and mike’s daughter is adorable. the burn is slow but it suits the story perfectly and feels a lot more healthy and organic than rushing into things. love isn’t framed as a cure-all for their issues, and i really appreciate that. multichapter, ongoing

I’m a Wreck (Without You Here) by TalkingToTheLights @talkingtothelights

mike-centric; some plot. 33 year old mike has been distancing himself from his friends and family for years, but a tragic death forces him to return home and confront everything he’s been hiding from. the angst is strong and MCD is part of the core premise, but i promise it’s not will who died. mike is a mess for real. multichapter, ongoing

the darkest hour by AmberEyedFox

mike-centric; no plot. mike finally gets his head out of his ass after he breaks up with el. some of the headcanons in this fic aren’t what i typically gravitate toward, but it’s written in such a captivating way that i don’t care. the byler is soft as hell, what more do you want from me. long AF twoshot, complete

The Crossover by nbfutureboy

will-centric; plot. the party are all grown adults now. will writes horror comics and mike is in a band. they haven't talked in years, after an explosive fight. they're both slated to attend the same convention, but will's plans to avoid mike are derailed when he mysteriously vanishes. the mystery is so cool! multichapter, ongoing

Path of the Paladin by olliecoddle

mike-centric; sorta plot. 23yo mike has a terrible fuckin time! the fic. featuring ted wheeler's funeral, mike's very messy relationship with will, his even MESSIER relationship with his sexuality, and copious amounts of D&D lore as a thematic framing device. multichapter, ongoing though it's been a minute since last update

I Didn't Run, I Was Not Done by ryoukootonashi

will (and richie)-centric; plot. when will goes to college his assigned roommate is richie, who keeps overhearing will talking about the weirdest shit to his friends. richie is still suffering from clown-induced amnesia and would really like to know what the fuck is going on. another "can't believe it's not not crack!!!" fic lmao. multichapter, ongoing

[will-byers-needs-a-hug]

I just remembered the van scene and just Will in general

LOOK AT HIM HE LOOKS SO SAD-

AND THE FUCKING LOVE CONFESSION DURING MIKES MONOLOGUE

Daily I'm not okay as a Will Byer's kinnie-

I'M GONNA SCREAM SOMEONE GIVE HIM A HUG GOD DAMN IT

HE LITERALLY I'M GONNA SHAKE SOMEONE AGGRESSIVELY LIKE LOOK AT HIM HOW CAN HE WAS LITERALLY SHAKING

I'm gonna punch a wall fr

Johnathan I appreciate you for this like GHASFKLSDF;SJDAFSDJKL;FDS

I swear to god yes this post is chaos BUT LIKE I SWEAR TO GOD WILL BYERS NEEDS A HUG LIKE YES I DID IN FACT CHANGE MY USER CAUSE I SWEAR TO GOD-

LIKE FIRST HE GETS KIDNAPPED BY THE FUCKING DEMOGORGON

LOOK AT HIM HE'S SO SMALL YOU COULD PUNT HIM ACROSS A LAWN

HE SURVIVES THERE FOR LIKE A FULL WEEK

ONLY TO GET POSSED AND SPIT UP A DEMODOG

WATCH THE PERSON HE WAS IN LOVE WITH FALL FOR SOMEONE ELSE (he thinks he's not a trustable narrator we all know this)

Regretting the fact that I had to look up Mileven to find that gif-

BUT I'M JUST RANTING SO ITS WORTH IT THANK GOD TUMBLR AIN'T LIKE TWITTER-

ANYWAYS

ALL THAT ONLY FOR HIM TO CONTINUIOUSLY GET BRUSHED OFF BY HIS FRIENDS FOR WANTING TO PLAY DND, WHEN HIS ENTIRE CHILDHOOD BASICALLY GOT SNATCHED OUT FROM BENEATH HIM-

THEM CONTINIOUSLY SAYING NO

ONLY TO JOIN A DND CLUB AS SOON AS HE LEAVES LIKE PLEASE?? (I love the entire series don't get me wrong but like jesus- don't really have a point to this rant but like yes)

THIS SCENE WE ALL KNOW IT

Mike Wheeler I'm going to shake you aggressively-

BUT LIKE AFTER THIS FIGHT WHAT DOES HE DO-

DESTROYS HIS SAFE PLACE, LIKE FULL ON DESTROYS IT AND I SWEAR TO ACTUAL GOD-

Mike Wheeler I just wanna talk-

That's all just talk

Worst part is after that he doesn't ask to play again and just pain all I know is pain.

ARARARARA AND AFTER THAT HE MOVES

AND WHAT DOES MICHEAL WHEELER DO HE IGNORES HIM AND ONLY FUCKING TALKS TO EL- GIVES HIM THIS AWKWARD ASS PAT AT THE AIRPORT

LIKE HE WAS FULL ON SHAKING HE WAS SO EXCITED TO SEE HIM I'M GONNA

BLAMES HIM FOR THE DAY GOING BADLY

ALL THAT HIM CONTINIOUSLY PINING PUTTING HIS LITERAL HEART AND SOUL INTO THAT PAINTING LIKE LOOK HOW SOFT HE LOOKS HERE

HE PUT HIS WHOLE HEART AND SOUL INTO THAT ONLY TO USE IT TO BUILD UP MILVEN TO MAKE MIKE AND EL BOTH HAPPY

Anyone who says this boy is selfish is wrong literally so wrong he has never done a bad thing in his life and I will die on this hill-

Yes he's still in love with Mike even though yk his sister and whatnot but like the heart wants what it wants he can't exactly just cut those feelings off man </3

Stg Will Byer's deserves the world and I will die on this hill, thank you for coming to my ted talk.

[tineteenieworld3]

Since today I’m in my loving Mike Wheeler era, I’m still irked by the idea that Jonathan would corner Mike and defend Will. I personally just don’t like it cause, again, if I was Mike I’d be so peeved off about it. Idk why.

Maybe it’s cause Jonathan has known Mike since he was 5 years old. Like, he’s obviously seen Mike not make the best choices, but he’s also seen Mike make many many many great choices. Like the van scene, Mike was so sweet while Will was talking and absolutely adored the painting. I don’t think Jonathan is sitting there thinking Mike is dumb or something. It’s possible they both saw Will crying and understood, since he turned away, that he didn’t want attention brought to it.

Also, we know he watched Will and Mike talk in his room. He saw how sweet they were being with each other. We focus on the mistakes Mike has made, but forget that he has a billion more good moments than bad. Also, Will and Mike are WillandMike they are extremely close. They don’t need anyone getting involved in their relationship. That’s what makes them so mature and different than El/Mike. We see other characters giving so much input into that relationship, like almost every character does. That’s what makes it feel so messy and immature (one of the things.

With Will and Mike it’s the complete opposite. the fight they have in season 3? Mike doesn’t need any prompting to go after Will, check on him, and apologize. We don’t see even a second of Lucas questioning it or wondering what happened or having him and Mike talking about it.

Season 4, almost the same exact thing. Mike goes to Will and apologizes and (very beautifully may I add) expresses his feelings perfectly as to why he’s sorry and why Will is important to him. I love their relationship for many reasons, but I’ve always appreciated how intimate and private it is. It’s no one else’s business that they fight or have miscommunication or other issues. Will doesn’t need someone to defend is honor from Mike, he can either do it himself or Mike will reach out and they’ll talk.

I’m probably talking about my ass lmao, but what I’m saying is basically what I said in an earlier post that Will isn’t a baby that needs protecting and he would be livid if anyone was going around saying, ‘you chose Mike? Really?’ or that he can do better. Mike is his best friend above anything else and that’s straight up mean. Again, no hate to people who do that or write that, it’s all for fun and everyone is allowed to do whatever they want absolutely this is not me bashing that I support you. I mean in actual canon I don’t think it would happen or I hope it won’t.

Jonathan has no right cornering Mike or getting up in his business or Will’s business. He also probably cares a lot about both of them and obviously knows Mike isn’t some dick that’s hurting anyone on purpose. What I’m saying is that I think it’s so special that Mike and Will have such privacy in their relationship because of how much they respect eachother and handle issues without outside input.

(Disclaimer, if you DO like the idea of Jonathan stepping in I completely support your opinion 100% and don’t think it’s wrong or stupid whatsoever, this is all for fun and I am all here for people disagreeing with me because my opinion is just an opinion and not fact or the right answer. I am not saying you’re misunderstanding the characters or anything like that, this is just something I think)

[valenhell]

From the studio that brought you “I can’t find good Byler fics in the ao3 tag”, comes:

"The Definitive Byler fic rec list"

Literally no one asked for this but because I spent the majority of last year (...and 2019, and 2018...) reading byler fics and coping with life, I thought I’d make a list of some of my absolute favorites. 

The other day I was basically starving for some byler fics and the angel @magicalfairy provided me with some of her faves so I thought I’d do the same, because I love reading, and I love all of these fics and I appreciate their writers💗 And fic writers in general, come on!

- This is a mix of long works and one-shots/short stories. - Everything is mostly fluff with a tad of angst and a lot of internalized homophobia conflict.  - Every fic is completed, except for the ones I mention that they are not. - I try my best to lay out the stories in a way that I won’t spoil you the plot but also warning you of some stuff you might don’t like. Either way, all of these fics are correctly tagged by their respective authors/owners, so read at your own risk. For better understanding, in between brackets I denote Rating, Words and quantity of Chapters. - I feel like I should clarify, none of these are narrated in the singular first person. None of that “And I told him...”, no. 

Long fics

a dream always the same (T, 99k, 35 chapters) What happened in those few weeks between the Battle of Starcourt and the Byers leaving Hawkins. Literally a satisfying and very needed fill in of season three, with a good dose of Mike’s thoughts and conflict. Mike’s characterization is specially amazing in this one. The writing style is amazing and I know the author put everything into making it historically accurate, and it was really sweet. You probably read it, it’s by the amazing sevensided here on Tumblr🧡

Spring Break (T, 120k, 14/15 chapters) The slowburn of my dreams. Lots of internalized conflict and conflict with each other. Conflict within the Party (uhh kind of), conflict with Mike and Will. Byers family has moved and the kids are visiting! Chaos. Characterization is on point. Yeah, I know it’s unfinished, but the fourteenth chapter actually serves as a pretty nice ending. 

This is where it starts (M, 148.8k, 24 chapters) Aged up characters. The Party is in college and Will disappears again, but now it’s different. Mike knows he didn’t vanish from thin air, and the discovery he and the Party end up making is pretty insane. Mystery solving/fantasy/third dimension, throw in a bit of D&D and Mike realizing some shit, and you get this marvelous fic. It’s a breath of fresh air. The world building is definitely one of the elements that stands out the most, because it’s very nicely described, it sounds like a dream and it’s completely immersive. Absolute gem of a fic. 

there’s a Starman waiting in the sky (M, 30.6k, 8 chapters) Do I need to say anything? Will is out there living his best life and Mike realizes that wow, umm, maybe his best friend looks a bit too nice with that costume... and wait, is he getting horny? It’s actually really fun and sexy.

The Evening Speaks (T, 23k, 7 chapters) In where Mike is a late-night college radio host and Will is the art student that stays up till late to catch up with Wheeler on the Mic. They flirt through songs y’all, this one is really sweet. 

heads or tails? (E, 24k, 3 chapters) Aged up characters. I know most people don’t enjoy sex in fics and with specific characters but this one is insanely well written. It’s a slowburn that commits to the tension and with every word you are grasping and anticipating their next move. I think you can find the author here on Tumblr as yousaidyes🧡

The Man of Average (M, 56.7k, 5/? chapters) Aged up characters. No but you don’t understand, the writing here is absolute gourmet. The story is exciting as well, it’s super interesting. Weirdly enough, for being very aged up characters, they are well characterized but they don’t feel like teenagers. They are naturally Mike and Will. The author really captured Mike and Will’s essence. I know, it’s unfinished and it’s updated very rarely, but this is the typical fic you can’t believe someone just posted on the internet for free. I will say though, I think it’s definitely not for everyone. Read at your own risk.

Heartstrings (E, 82.8k, 24/? chapters) Aged up characters. By the same author of The Man of Average. A collection of memories, the road to Mike and Will’s happy ever after. And fucking hell!!!!! You’ll cry and get angry, you’ll cheer for them, then you’ll want to crash their faces together because god dammit you love each other!!! But yeah, same thing here. The writing and the way the story is laid out as a nonlinear narrative is brilliant. And I also think this is one of the best Will versions I’ve read. The author might as well be the og creator of this two characters tbh. You can find the author here as mylesimeblr🧡

Sinners behind the walls (T, 1.5k, 1/1) And because I can’t stop recommending this author, a little thing of Mike tormenting himself but also being too deeply committed to Will. 

The Red Envelope series (T/E, 167K, two completed works) Something happens that Will thought was impossible and from there, pure drama and romance. Anything by this author has the potential to become your absolute favorite fic, but this series in particular is amazing. I doubt that any of you haven’t read this, but it doesn’t hurt to put it in this list. I’m pretty sure the author is serendipitous-magic on Tumblr🧡

A New Fight series (T, 91k, two completed works, one WIP) And finally the Star Wars AU that we all needed. But this isn’t your typical “Mike is Han”, “Will is Leia” and “El is Luke”, it’s way more interesting than that, and the author has appropriated the Star Wars world like no other. I’ll admit I’m not a 100% fluent in SW lore but this is amazing to me either way. This author is also on Tumblr, tea-for-one-please🧡

- Yes, most of these are (if not all), in a way, canon compliant/canonverse/canon continuation into fanon. (In a way)

One-shots and short stories

Sundae for Two, Please (G, 4.8k) Steve being the supportive friend and older brother these kids collectively need. (not Jonathan erasure, we love him). Steve is very sweet himself, and this little cute thing through his POV is gorgeous. Yes, it’s byler.

Backstage (T, 10k, 2/2) Jonathan, you forgot to mention to Will how hot your new band’s guitarist is, dude. Now he’s hyperventilating and weirdly flirting with him in the corner. Background Stonathan because why not.

102 Peach Street (G, 3.8k) Established relationship, but not only that, they are married :’’))) PURE fluff. Extreme fluffiness. Diabetes. 

sweatshirts and bottled up feelings (T, 3.2k) Or, Mike thinks that the sweatshirt Will wears looks insanely good on him. And kitchens are for lovers. 

kiss it better (T, 16.3k) Basically one of the best character studies of a few precise moments of Mike and Will’s relationship and feelings. 

will wonders ever cease (T, 11.3k) #i ship will and happiness. Omfg what a beautiful piece of fanfic. Will centric, this kid really deserves all the good in the world.

The Calm After the Storm (T, 1.6k) Tooth rotting fluff, boyfriends in love. Boyfriends being lazy, cuddling, love words, kisses. Boys loving each other’s company... Basically, Mike and Will in their element. What more can you ask for?

neither of us ready to let go (T, 4.8k) That scene from season three, but a bit of a fix it. 

Still in love (G, 1k) Domestic, married life au fluff. Y’all, I’m a sucker for established Byler, even if I can’t find many fics with it. But this is very sweet. It takes place in 2020, but I don’t think there are any mentions of the COVID-19 crisis that I remember.

I Nver Find Out ‘Til I’m Head Over Heels (G, 12.5K) Classic 5+1 fic. If you haven’t read it, where have you been? This is your moment. In where Mike keeps inviting Will to the school dances and Will thinks it’s just a joke until he realizes it’s not. 

Before You’re Gone (T, 5.9k) Will is leaving Hawkins and Mike thinks this is a great moment for a confession. This one I discovered last friday, thank you friend @magicalfairy 💗

You’re weird Wheeler (M, 4.5k) Mike unintentionally starts a tradition of going to each other to talk about their sexual encounters just after they finish. Will keeps getting more explicit with the details he shares, and he makes his best friend interested. This one is really fun y’all.

Out-Of-Town Friends (N/R, 4.6K) It’s not rated. I haven’t re- read it but I’d say it would probably fall in a T rating. So cute!! Will has new friends and sneaks off every friday and the Party doesn’t know where he is going, so Mike decides to follow him and is surprised. 

Snowed Under (G, 1.3k) By the same author of The New Fight series. Mike is spending christmas by himself in college because a snowstorm hits Chicago and Nancy can’t drive to see him, but then he has a surprise visitor. Ahhh just a lil sweet holiday fic. Super cute. 

you love me anyway series (T, 7.1k, three completed works) Literally just the cutest thing ever. Established Byler. Will loves to take pictures and he loves taking pictures of Mike. It’s adorable. 

you wanna be friends forever (i can think of something better) (T, 9k) This one is so amazing. So. Amazing. From Will’s POV, my kid deserves the world and he gets it. 

okay not to be okay (T, 4.9k) Mike is a bit sad but then everything is okay. 

can’t hold out forever (G, 18.4k) Y’all!!!!! 5+1 sweetness. Mike has been falling in love since kindergarten. And it’s long af, you’ll enjoy it. 

even if it takes forever (G, 1.3k) College short AU, they miss each other, they love each other, they promise all to each other. It is sappy y’all.

clear as day (N/R, 18.4K, 4 chapters) It’s not rated, but I’d say it falls in the T category. Strangers to friends to lovers. And also, everyone is pretty gay; we have our dynamic trio Mike, Max and El as disaster lesbians (and gay). Will works at the library and he is also gay. Lucas and Dustin and Will are the best friends we needed. It’s very sweet and the Party is kind of formed here!

I went overboard with the one-shots, so you must have realized how much I love long one-shots and I favor them over long works lmao but they are all amazing!!! If it’s on this list, I probably read it at 2 am, sobbing in my bed. So. Hope you enjoy it☺️🧡

[can-of-pringles]

001 and 011 AU Timeline (based on S1)

I've finally done it! This took me all day so I'd appreciate people reading it/liking the post/reblogging the post. I plan on figuring out the rest of the seasons, but for now, enjoy this.

Also keep in mind that all the previous chapters of Similarities, if we're going with the show, happen before S1 of Stranger Things.

Taglist: @nebulousfishgills , @my-horror-slasher-ocs , @noahspector , @cuethemulti , @dark-dimare , @runawaymagicworld

---

(EP 1) (Nov 5, 1983) At the lab, they end up discovering the Upside Down and try to study Demogorgons. At some point, the Demogorgons escape and start terrorizing Hawkins (animals at first, no humans yet)

(Nov 6, 1983) Like in the original, Mike Wheeler, Will Byers, Lucas Sinclair, and Dustin Henderson are playing DND together. El would've been there that night but was busy and couldn't make it (at this point in time, the gang and El are friends mostly from school).

Will bikes home and comes across one of the Demogorgons. It scratches his arm, leaving him wounded but in a miracle basically, the Demogorgon gets distracted long enough for Will to escape on his bike and he rushes home and is terrified. The Demogorgon is distracted with other prey and doesn't go after him.

Will is by himself and tries to at least clean his wound with soap and water before deciding to hide in his room for the night, unsure how he'll even explain what happened to him tomorrow.

(Nov 7, 1983) The next morning Will tries to explain to Joyce Byers what happened to him, saying that while biking home a monster attacked him. At first, Joyce doesn't believe him but then he shows her the bad scratches on his arm. Obviously, Joyce is very concerned. His brother, Jonathan thinks a wild animal could've done it.

Despite Will trying to convince them it was in fact a monster, they try to assure him it wasn't (saying it was very late at night and that Will is obviously still very scared and freaked out so his mind could be tricking him). Joyce helps him clean and bandage his arm before school. After looking at the wound again she's not 100% convinced it was a wild animal but isn't sure what to think. Either way knowing that Will got attacked and hurt worries her.

Jim Hopper goes to the police station to work and keeps hearing news of wildlife getting brutally killed and that no one knows what's causing it. Some rumors of it being bears. There are also rumors of people's lights in their houses going haywire and flickering occasionally. (whenever the Demogorgons get close to neighborhoods) For now, people are warned to keep their pets indoors and don't stay out too late. Joyce tells Hopper that Will possibly got attacked by whatever predator is out there, explaining that he got injured. Hopper makes a note of this but doesn't pay much attention to it, thinking that Will could've gotten accidentally hurt somehow.

Will meets up with his friends at school and he tells them what happened. They think he's lying at first about it being a monster, but think he's awesome for surviving whatever attacked him and that his wounds will turn into badass scars. El isn't as convinced about it being a wild animal. She doesn't exactly think Will is lying but doesn't know what it could be. She's the only one (except probably Mike) to tell Will that she's sorry that he got hurt. El makes a mental note to bring up the incident with Henry to see what he'll say.

Later on after school, El tells Henry about what happened with Will and tries to describe the creature to him. Henry was aware of the current situation but didn't know about Will getting attacked. He thinks it's weird but doesn't know what it is. He tells El to not go out by herself from now on. (El pretty much already followed that rule, to begin with, but it reinforced in her mind that Hawkins wasn't safe currently) Later Henry notices that a few of the lights in their house start flickering for a minute. At first, he assumes it's El using her powers for something, but after checking in with her and she says she didn't do anything, Henry is puzzled. It reminded him of time in the lab and leaves him on edge.

(EP2) (Nov 8, 1983) After what happened, Will doesn't leave his house in the evening. His friends are sad but understand why. Most of the time his friends come to his house to visit him.

Steve Harrington invites Nancy Wheeler to a small party at his house that night, his friends Tommy Hagan and Carol Perkins in attendance. She's a little reluctant due to the mysterious predator roaming around but agrees.

Meanwhile, people from the lab are slowly trying to locate the missing Demogorgons but have had no luck so far.

Nancy somehow convinces Karen Wheeler to let her go out to Steve's party. Her mother says she can only go if she brings a friend.

Barb Holland, who Nancy has brought along to the party, cuts her hand when trying to open a beer. As Nancy goes upstairs with Steve, Barb tries to stop her and tells her that this "isn't you." Nancy ignores her and tells her to go home. Barb tells her that being alone at night isn't safe, but Nancy brushes her off and says she'll be ok. Barb ends up sitting dejected over Steve's pool. Blood from her cut splashes into the water and the lights flicker, before a Demogorgon appears behind her and they both vanish. Barb ends up getting dragged away into the woods by the Demogorgon, far away from Steve's house. Nancy doesn't hear her screams. Barb gets dragged into a makeshift hidden den the pair of Demogorgons have made and is killed.

(EP3) (Nov 9, 1983) At Hawkins High, Nancy notices people staring at her in the hall, but Steve insists he did not tell anyone about the previous night. She also notices Barb is missing from class. At lunch, Nancy asks Steve if he saw Barb leave, which he did not.

Meanwhile, Will asks his friends if they'll help him at least try to do research to find out what could've attacked him. They reluctantly help him. He tries to describe the Demogorgon to them again, and they go along with it but can't find anything about it. For a brief second El wonders to herself if whatever's out there is from the lab. Realizing it was a ridiculous thought, she pays no mind to it.

Nancy calls Barb's mother and finds that Barb is not home. Naturally, Nancy is confused and concerned. She feels a hint of guilt for telling Barb previously that she'd be safe but now worried that it wasn't true. Nancy searches around Steve's backyard for any clues that may lead to Barb and is stalked by a shadowy figure that causes her to flee in terror. She confesses to Karen that she is worried about Barb and that she thinks she is in danger. Nancy reluctantly goes to the police to mention that Barb is missing and that she's worried. They tell her that Barb's parents have filed a report already.

Later that evening, Hopper gets a call on his radio that causes alarm, thinking it's a lead to Barb, and he and the other police drive to follow it.

Lucas and Mike argue about whether or not Will is telling the truth about the monster until Dustin and El hear several police cars speeding by.

Hearing a lead on her friend, Nancy also follows closely.

The police search the woods and eventually find Barb's body (and no Demogorgons in sight, already moving on from the den to another place) The police are stumped, trying to figure out what could've caused her death. They decide to blame it on bears until they can examine it more closely. They notify Barb's parents that her body was found.

In the distance, Nancy sees everything and starts quietly sobbing to herself, blaming herself for Barb's death. She rushes home and Karen sees how distressed she is. Nancy runs to her room and shuts the door to cry. Mike notices how upset his sister is and is confused. Karen goes to Nancy's room to see what's wrong. As Nancy cries, she tells her that they found Barb dead and in the woods. Karen is shocked and tries to comfort her.

After a while, Karen leaves and tells Ted what happened. After she's done talking to him, Mike sees a chance to ask her what's wrong with Nancy. Visibly upset, Karen tells Mike that Barb, Nancy's friend, is dead and was found in the woods. Mike is surprised and shocked by this, now wondering if Will was telling the truth about a monster. Before he goes to his room, Mike stands at Nancy's door and hears her silently crying. Mike mutters an "I'm sorry" and then leaves.

Eventually, Mike passes the information through the walkies to his friends, pointing out that whatever killed Barb could've attacked Will.

El, shaken up by a horrific death in the town, tells Henry what happened. He's alarmed, to say the least, and wonders if the lab is involved somehow.

(EP4) (Nov 10, 1983) Barb's body is examined closer and her injuries leave them puzzled. They don't line up with a bear attack.

Nancy, still distraught, decides not to go to school. At school, Steve wonders where she is and eventually finds out that Barb died; realizing that's why she wasn't there. Tommy and Carol make an offhanded joke about Barb's death and Steve glares at them.

El and the gang attend the memorial at the school for Barb. They discuss whether or not the same thing that attacked Will killed Barb, Will thinks it could've been, but the rest aren't sure.

Meanwhile, when Henry's on break at his job at the library, he tries researching to see if there was anything about creatures in Hawkins attacking previously. Knowing that there was a large gap of history he had missed from being stuck at the lab. He found one case of a sighting of some sort of creature years ago. The description lined up with what El told him. He thinks about asking Joyce more about what happened with Will but decides not to for now.

Hopper tries to figure out if Will's attack and Barb's death are connected and continues to look around for evidence. (Nov 11, 1983) The next day, Nancy decides to go to school. She's occasionally greeted with condolences from people, but also notices that someone wrote on Barb's old locker; insulting her. Upset, Nancy tries to clean it and Jonathan offers to help; saying he's sorry for what happened.

Seeing this, Steve can't help but get feelings of jealousy but ignores them.

(EP5) (Nov 12, 1983) Barb's family has a funeral for her, which Nancy attends. She's still freaked out about her strange death and wants to investigate.

Nancy asks Steve if he'll help her look for evidence. Steve refuses, saying that his parents disapprove and that he doesn't want to mess with the police. Nancy is frustrated and leaves. She hesitantly asks Jonathan if he'll help her. Jonathan points out that whatever hurt Will could've gotten Barb as well. He agrees to help her.

Later on, Henry goes to talk to Joyce about everything that's happened. They've talked in the past many times before, slightly bonding over both being single parents, and their children (Will and El) being friends. He asks her about Will, and if he's doing ok. Joyce says that his arm is slowly healing. She confesses that she's worried that he could get attacked again. Henry asks her what Will said about what attacked him, and Joyce admits she doesn't really know. He brings up the theory that whatever killed Barb, could've come in contact with Will. Henry eventually leaves, leaving Joyce to think over what he said.

Nancy and Jonathan explore the woods to see if they could find anything that the police missed. Nancy brings up that while she was still looking for Barb, something had been stalking her. Jonathan asks who and she says she's not sure if it was in fact a person at all. After a while of walking, getting deeper and further away from Hawkins' town, they start hearing strange noises. Nancy accidentally trips and falls, slicing her hand on a jagged stone; she starts bleeding. Demogorgons in the area smell her blood. Before they get too close, Jonathan is able to get a picture of one of the creatures. Once they get away and are safe, after Nancy dresses her wounds, they talk about what they just saw. Jonathan mentions that Will said what attacked him was a monster, like what they saw. Nancy says that they only got close when she bled and suggests that one could've killed Barb because she had cut her hand at the party. Overall, Nancy and Jonathan are freaked out. Not wanting to be alone, Nancy asks Jonathan to stay with her.

Concerned about Nancy's strange behavior from earlier, Steve Harrington takes Tommy and Carol with him to check on her, which they mock him for. He sees Jonathan holding Nancy in her bedroom.

Still scared, Nancy asks Jonathan to sleep in her bed with her, not wanting to be alone. Jonathan tries to comfort her by remarking the monster cannot get them in her house, but Nancy responds that "we don't know that." While trying to fall asleep, Jonathan makes a mental note to remember to develop the photo the next day. (Nov 13, 1983) Nancy and Jonathan realize that it's up to them to hunt down the monsters and make a plan to by drawing them close with blood. But hold off until they're ready. Jonathan works on the photo and when it's ready he shows it to Nancy. It confirms what they saw. Later, he shows it to Will and Will confirms that it was what attacked him. Jonathan lets Will show the photo to his friends. At first, they think it's an elaborate prank, but soon realize it's true.

El looks at the photo and gets a flashback of a time at the lab when she heard some of the older kids talking about some sort of creature in the mindscape when they would test in "the bath" or the sensory deprivation tank. Like she thought originally, it had to have come from the lab. She keeps this to herself.

Mike asks if he and his friends can help them track the monsters, to which Nancy says no and that it's too dangerous. The gang is upset except for El, telling them that it's probably for the best. At this point, El still keeps her powers a secret.

While buying hunting supplies, Nancy and Jonathan notice the local theater has been defaced with graffiti insulting her, and find Steve, Tommy, Carol, and Nicole spraying more nearby. Steve dismisses her when she confronts him and provokes Jonathan into a fight in which he beats Steve severely. Jonathan is arrested when he accidentally injures an arriving Phil Callahan.

(EP7) (Nov 14, 1983) Joyce and Jim find her son in custody and find his and Nancy's hunting equipment in his trunk. The teens explain to the adults what happened in the woods, leaving Joyce upset that Jonathan risked his and Nancy's lives. Jonathan shows Joyce the photo he got of the monster, saying that it must be what hurt Will and killed Barb and that it has to be the predator in Hawkins. Nancy shows the slice on her hand and explains that the monster is drawn to blood. She says that Barb was probably killed by one because she had been bleeding. Hopper admits he was looking into to see if Will and Barbs' incidents were connected, now finding out they are. Joyce remembers her talk with Henry and wonders how much he knows about it.

Steve tries to soothe his injured face and argues with Tommy and Carol. He almost fights Tommy before leaving abruptly and cleans the graffiti he left off the movie theater out of guilt.

Later, without telling anyone, El tries to enter the mindscape to bravely see how many Demogorgons there are. She sees that there are currently two and manages to leave before they're aware of her, not realizing there was a secret third one behind her in the distance.

El confesses to the gang that she knows how many there are and where they are. They ask how she knows and says she saw them from afar (not going into more specifics) They realize that with this information they can help the adults and older teens.

Everyone meets at Byers's house, including the younger gang showing up. They warn them that they shouldn't be there and that it was too dangerous. El reveals that she knows how many there are.

The adults ask how she knows and against better judgment, El reveals she has powers. Admittedly, everyone is shocked but with everything going on currently, simply accept it, realizing that they can ask more about it later. El says that with her powers she can help fight or at least protect.

A bit later, El's friends ask her all about her powers and think it's awesome. El is relieved, originally scared it wouldn't go well like her father had warned her about. The only one that's a little frustrated is Mike, who confronts her about how she knew what had attacked Will but didn't say anything before. El says that she didn't know for sure what it was and wanted to confirm first. After calming down some, Mike says sorry. El reveals that the creatures come from Hawkins's lab and that she was originally from there. They decide to call them Demogorgens.

Everyone decides that they'll split up, one Demogorgon for the adults to kill and the other one for the older teens and kids. Joyce and Hopper decide to go after the one in the woods, and the gang will lead the other one to Hawkins high school gym.

(EP8) (Nov 14, 1983) Jonathan and Nancy set up several traps for the Demogorgon in the gym, and Jonathan creates a weapon by hammering several nails through a baseball bat. They tell the kids that if anything happens, they need to go. The kids start to protest but Nancy says she doesn't want to hear it.

Meanwhile, Joyce and Hopper go to the woods and also set traps.

Henry finds El at the gym and learns of their plan. He gets upset that El is getting involved, but El tells him that she can handle it and that she told them about her powers. Henry is even more upset at that, but El says that her friends are cool with it. El says that she wants to stay and help. Henry says that they'll discuss this later and that he'll stay with her. Henry decides that he'll focus on protecting El.

Meanwhile, Joyce and Hopper end up finding one of the Demogorgons. They manage to injure it slightly with their weapons before leading it to the cliff and are able to push it over the edge. It lands on some jagged spikes, killing it.

After that, they start to track down the second one to lead it to the school. They have a slight argument, with Joyce saying they should just lead the other one to the cliff. Hopper says that it's way far away almost on the opposite side and that it's closer to the school. Joyce reluctantly agrees to continue with the original plan. Using a borrowed walkie, Hopper talks to the gang to tell them that they killed one of them and that they're going to find the other one to lead it to the gym.

Meanwhile, Steve is looking for Jonathan and Nancy, wanting to apologize for how he acted before. He realizes they're at the gym. He's confused and goes to see.

While Nancy and Jonathan wait for the Demogorgon to show up, Steve opens the doors to the gym, wanting to apologize. Noticing the weapons and traps, Steve becomes confused and Nancy points her gun at him to get him to leave just as the lights flicker.

Joyce and Hopper lead the last Demogorgon to the gym. Nancy and the adults tell the kids to hide away. Henry leads El away to a place to hide and El gets her friends to follow.

Steve leaves the gym but notices the lights flickering from outside and decides to go back in to help.

The Demogorgon leaps on Jonathan first but is attacked by Steve with the nail bat. Joyce and Hopper attempt to shoot the Demogorgon. Steve beats it into a bear trap and Nancy lights it on fire, badly wounding it.

The Demogorgon attempts to call for the secret third one, leading it to the gym. Realizing they're outnumbered by how strong the creatures are, Nancy, Jonathan, Steve, Hopper, and Joyce begin to panic.

Seeing everything happening, El bravely runs out and uses her powers to throw one of the monsters against the wall. Henry shouts after her and joins in on the fight. El takes one Demogorgen while Henry takes the other. Everyone else watches in pure shock. Henry and El work together and manage to open a hole in the wall to the Upside Down, sending them both in there. Henry makes sure to properly close the crack.

After everything is finished, everyone takes the time to heal and rest.

Henry confronts El about what she did, saying that he's upset at her for revealing her powers. El argues and says that she didn't tell them much and that they were still her friends despite everything that's happened. Henry is glad that it seemed to go well but still argues about it; saying that they were still trying to lay low. El says that she can handle herself. Henry says that she doesn't have to and that he's of course here for her. Henry confesses that it scared him to see her try to fight the Demogorgon. El understands and says that she's ok. The two hug and Henry asks that there'll be no more secrets between them (with her not telling him about the plan, and him not telling her that he was looking for evidence) El agrees. El says to Henry that the gang is to be trusted and that he needs to learn to be more comfortable with opening up to people. Henry doesn't feel like talking about it anymore, telling her that they need to rest from fighting. (Nov 15, 1983) Henry eventually confesses/explains to Joyce almost everything that happened to him and El at the lab and their powers (leaving out some unimportant details) Joyce obviously believes him. Henry asks her not to tell anyone about El and him and where they came from. Joyce agrees and promises she won't, thanking him for asking about Will in the first place previously.

While the main gang knows the truth about the Demogorgons, everyone else still blames it on bear attacks.

Nancy is still grieving over Barb's death but is glad that they killed what killed her.

(Dec 8, 1983) Everyone is getting ready for Christmas. There are no more reports of creatures roaming around. The lab finds out that all of their creatures were gone. It is revealed that Beatrice Maddison (placed in charge after Brenner's death) is looking for what sent them away. She goes to the gym herself and examines the crack in the wall. Beatrice finds out that subjects 001 and 011 are alive and in Hawkins, and that they sent the Demogorgons through into the upside down.

Back at an abandoned den of the Demogorgons, it's possibly shown baby Demogorgons. (Still haven't fully decided on that)

-End of Season 1-

[roanofarcc]

Ah yes I totally want to see everyone get vecna’d and survive. Not just cuz i want everyone to live but as a writing point their survival plays a major role in all of their developments and the story in general. For this I saw some posts that showed how some people (which was like the majority of the major cast) had a scene with a clock near them/in the shot with them. Idk who posted it but I remember seeing that! Also yes you are so right!! Steve viewing his role as just a protector and nothing more is something I want to see addressed. Especially considering that it doesn’t seem like he expects the other characters to have the same concerns/worries/ feelings of friendship towards him. Like maybe just Robin and Dustin but he also doesn’t fully expect that. Like how steve was surprised that Dustin worshipped him and thought of him so highly and surprised that he got a letter from max. And when he jumped into the lake to see the gate (which I love him but why did he touch the gate? That was so stupid of him said of course with affection lol) he legit said the line ‘it has to be me’. Like i just want him to have love and realize that people around him care besides just him just being the protector. Kind of like how I want El to realize that people see her more than just her powers but that’s another rant lol. When they’re in the school and he says ‘stay here’ legit everyone followed out of concern and everyone keeps following him in dangerous situations. And they trust him so much! And he just doesn’t see it like please ughh!! As you can tell I have many emotions about this.

Also I seriously want all of the characters to explore their trauma based on what had happened before. Also considering the fact that they can’t even talk about it either because they’re that traumatized or government issues. Which something that I appreciated was Eddie’s line of ‘you Nancy wheeler have guns in your bedroom plural?’ And the delivery of this line and his expressions. Joseph was so good in this role and delivered. Like even though he knows somewhat about this stuff he also never saw them in action until they were up against the bats. So like it was this most eye opening thing to him. Also I love how Eddie called Dustin brave in the first ep. Like how many people have actually called them that? Especially considering Eddie at that point had no idea about the ud and how brave Dustin/ these people actually are. I made a post about this but so many people and I have speculated that lucas gets vecna’d and if he does I really want them to go back to him seeing Will’s body being pulled out of the lake or in the middle school with el and being legit held back by government people. In season 2 they mainly focus on Mike’s trauma surrounding it and don’t really address the fact that Lucas and Dustin also saw that. And god I want it to be addressed so fucking badly! Like we all know that el and Will survived this but the fact that (I forgot their age in season 1) 11-13 year olds had to see that must have been so devastating and traumatizing!!

I think at this point it's like a reflex for the others to trust steve (and each other). but looking at it like steve and the older teens play this like protector role (like them going into the upside while most of the kids stay in their world and head to the creel house.) and how in the trailer we see eddie and dustin together, and I am almost positive that eddie will do whatever to protect dustin while there in there. the kids are like the brain, the teens the muscle.

I really want lucas and dustin to kind of take a step back and reel from all the shit they've been through. mike too but I feel like his trauma has been explored a little already and may be explored again (especially concerning el and will and the role they'll play in vol.2). but lucas and dustin have been there since the very start and they've seen some shit lol. basically, I want everyone to address 1983 and how it all changed them so drastically (something something UD stuck on the day will went missing and all that good stuff). I just want them to go back! and see how far they've come, but in a way that's kind of devastating and makes you really think for a second, you know?

[strangertheory]

Hey, here's a curiosity door to open! I know next to nothing about this since I've never played D&D but I have done some leisurely research, so: I read some stuff about the 'Great Wheel' cosmology, aka the way the different dimensional planes are organised in the Dungeons and Dragons game. Basically there's Inner Planes and Outer Planes in a 'wheel'. If we think Will has inner worlds and Mike's last name is literally 'Wheeler', well...methinks there are dots to connect somewhere...?

There are most definitely dots to connect and ways in which we can compare the different dimensions of Stranger Things to the different planes in the D&D multiverse.

Edit: I want to briefly mention that the term “internal worlds” that I use in other blogposts is an actual term that is used in referring to the mental spaces that are constructed in a DID System and within which alters can live and interact and I think comparing the concept of “inner” and “outer” planes in D&D to the internal vs external (physical) worlds that I refer to in other posts when discussing dissociative identity disorder would surely create some confusion and might risk muddling two separate complex topics, however I am excited to discuss the D&D multiverse itself because it is clearly something that Will and the Party are familiar with and that we have seen them refer to in Stranger Things already (ex. “the Vale of Shadows”) as a way to understand the mysterious happenings and creatures they encounter in Hawkins. The characters canonically understand their adventures through the lens of D&D throughout the show, and discussing the relevance of the D&D multiverse to Stranger Things seems like a very logical approach to seeking to better understand the Stranger Things universe.

Because I enjoy this curiosity door so much I’m going to first discuss the way in which the locations in Stranger Things can be compared to planes (and demiplanes!) in D&D and then I will dive into discussing the visual representation of these planes (The Great Wheel, the World Axis Cosmology, the World Tree, etc.) that have been created over the years. Since there are many different charts visualizing the planes of D&D and these charts have evolved over time, I think it might be beneficial to also take into account which ones existed in the 1980s versus what which charts were created in the 1990s and the 2000s. For fun! Thank you for this wonderful question. I enjoyed doing this research over the last few weeks and I appreciate your patience as I considered how many curiosity doors I wanted to open and as I did some research, took some notes, and put this blogpost together.

Although new D&D materials that were created in the 1990s and 2000s continued to revise, refine, and expand upon the concept of the D&D multiverse, there has been an understanding of other planes existing and that can be traced back to the 1st edition Player’s Handbook.

"There exist an infinite number of parallel universes of existence in the fantastic "multiverse" of Advanced Dungeons & Dragons. All of these "worlds" exist, but how "real" each is depends entirely on the development of each campaign referee."

- page 120, Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Players Handbook, 1978

If I were to compare the different worlds in Stranger Things to different planes (and demiplanes!) in D&D, I would compare “The Upside Down” to Shadowfell or the Plane of Shadows and I would compare The Void to the Astral Plane. Hawkins, the world that the Party considers home, would of course be the Material Plane.

The “Upside Down”

versus Shadowfell and the Plane of Shadow

As we know, the Party compares The Upside Down to the “Vale of Shadows” which is most probably intended to be “Shadowfell” or “The Plane of Shadow” in D&D lore. Shadowfell is a dark echo of the Material Plane (just as Dustin describes the “Vale of Shadows” to be) and is a place of “decay and death.”

In season 1 the Party wonders if El might be able to “shadow walk” and cross into the Upside Down to help them find Will, and El is described as “like a wizard” by Dustin when he’s speaking with Will in his hospital bed at the end of season 1 (“more like a Yoda” Mike insisted at the time) and then she is later is referred to as their Party’s “mage” by Mike in season 2. Additionally Stranger Things fans should also know, of course, that Will Byers is often the Party’s cleric during their D&D campaigns and that Will the Wise is a wizard.

According to the Forgotten Realms fandom wiki, the 2nd edition Players Handbook (published in 1989) informs players that “Wizards could shadow walk directly to the edge of the Shadowfell and travelers could use this plane as a transitive plane to traverse many Prime Material miles/kilometers very quickly. Clerics could use the plane shift spell to travel to this plane. If any were brave enough to cross the Demiplane of Shadow, it was possible to find the borders of other planes of reality.”

Thematically, The Upside Down in Stranger Things is implied to be associated with not only death but also with fear and despair. This is also consistent with the characterization of The Shadow Plane in D&D.

Interestingly, Shadowfell / the Plane of Shadow was considered a demiplane until D&D 3e. What is a “demiplane” and how does it differ from other “planes” in D&D lore?

“"Demiplanes are minor planes, most of which are artificial. They are commonly created by demigods and extremely powerful wizards and psions. Naturally-occurring demiplanes are rare; most such demiplanes are actually fragments of other planes that have somehow split off from their parent plane. Demiplanes are often constructed to resemble the Material Plane, though a few—mostly those created by non-humans—are quite alien. Genesis, a 9th level arcane spell or psionic power, and the 9th-level arcane spell Demiplane Seed are among the few printed methods for a player character to create a demiplane."

Demiplanes often resemble the Material Plane, can be created by powerful wizards, and Shadowfell was at certain points in D&D lore considered a demiplane that became a larger? Interesting. Very interesting! (@kaypeace21​ I suspect you already knew this and have quite possibly already mentioned it in your own blogposts, but I’m tagging you anyways since it’s highly relevant to your current theories.)

In the Stranger Things universe it is implied that not only is the Mindflayer reaching into Hawkins more and more but so is the Upside Down. Hopper’s investigation of the ruined pumpkin patch suggests this, among other moments in the series.

According to insight provided by D&D players discussing the history of the development of the D&D multiverse in this thread on Rpg Stack Exchange:

“The biggest change within the Great Wheel cosmology is the Plane of Shadow. Originally, in 2e, this was a demiplane, but in 3e it had become a plane of its own, and a massive one, similar in scope to the Astral and Ethereal. This was described as an actual change that occurred historically within Planescape, not as a retcon; something about the confluence of the inner planes triggering the demiplane’s growth”

The era in which these changes in D&D lore were made does not correspond with the 1980s timeline of Stranger Things since D&D 3rd edition was not released until the year 2000. Nevertheless, the knowledge that a D&D demiplane can become a larger plane of its own through its interaction with other planes still seems like a relevant concept if we are comparing the Stranger Things universe to the D&D multiverse.

Could the Upside Down expand or even merge with Hawkins? How very ominous.

“The Void”

versus the Astral Plane

We might consider comparing “The Void” that El explores in Stranger Things to the Astral Plane in Dungeons & Dragons.

“It is the space between everything.

It is the road that goes everywhere.

It is where you are when you aren't anywhere else.”

— description of the Astral Plane from Manual of the Planes 3rd edition, 2001

Although the specific natures of the Upper Planes in D&D weren’t especially developed in the 1980s, the concept of the Astral Plane seems to have been one of the earlier planes discussed and developed in official D&D lore based on my research.

Dragon, one of two official D&D print publications that historically provided new content and materials to players, was a monthly magazine that replaced The Strategic Review in 1976 and continues today as a digital publication. In Dragon #67, which was published in November of 1982, Roger E. Moore wrote about The Astral Plane.

James Malizewski discusses on his blog Grognardia his experience as a 13 year old D&D player that read and used Roger E. Moore’s “The Astral Plane” in the 80s. According to Malizewski The Astral Plane "included discussions of astral encounters, astral travel, the Psychic Wind, movement, combat, and alterations to spells and magic items." Malizewski seems to have been both inspired by the materials that “The Astral Plane” offered while also recognizing their limitations. The Astral Plane appears to have been a bit of a wasteland with not a lot for adventurers to do (yet) compared to the Material Plane. Despite describing the Astral Plane itself as “deadly dull” and as a less appealing location than one might expect, Malizewski expresses that he appreciates the concept that other planes have different laws than the Prime Material (Plane) and that this idea was established and reinforced by the many specific rules for players traveling to the Astral Plane that Roger Moore provided.

Visually Representing the Multiverse:

Dungeons & Dragons vs. Stranger Things

It seems that the Great Wheel is the oldest comprehensive visual representation of the many different planes in D&D. When the World Tree model was introduced in D&D 3rd edition (released in 2000) it created a little bit of complexity since it referenced planes that already existed on the Great Wheel but also new outer plane locations without explanation. This confused some players, but according to the Forgotten Realms Wiki: “many of the planes and godly realms [in the World Tree] closely resembled those of Great Wheel cosmology, leading some fans to consider the World Tree an alternative representation of the planar arrangement."

Then in 4th edition (2008) the multiverse was organized in a new way yet again in the World Axis cosmology.

I believe that it would be best to reference the Great Wheel cosmology when discussing what the characters in Stranger Things would be the most familiar with since it is the older model. The writers behind Stranger Things might have been inspired by materials that were developed for D&D much later as well, but for the sake of clarity and to keep the length of this blogpost relatively short (ha) I’m going to discuss the Wheel illustrations that existed earlier in D&D lore during the 1980s and provide a few reference images for your enjoyment based on those, and then provide you with an updated modern example of the Great Wheel cosmology for comparison.

In this early D&D planes model we can consider the Prime Material plane to be Hawkins, the Negative Material Plane to be the “Upside Down”, and the Astral Plane to be Stranger Things’s “Void.” You can see that the elemental planes existed early on in D&D lore too, and this may or may not also be relevant to the elements as they are used in Stranger Things. I’m sure that I could do an entire separate blogpost about the four elements and how they are each associated with certain characters and scenarios in Stranger Things, but I’m going to force myself to remain focused on the broader picture so I don’t go off into a million different tangents.

Today, in Advanced Dungeons & Dragons (5th edition) the planes are organized in the Great Wheel as shown in the diagram below:

The most important difference between the D&D multiverse as it was known in the 1980s and the multiverse that players are familiar with today is the breadth of material that was available then versus now.

According to the product listing for Manual of the Planes 1st edition that is provided at drivethrurpg.com:

"Roger E. Moore wrote about "The Astral Plane" for Dragon #67 (November 1982), then Ed Greenwood covered "The Nine Hells" in Dragon #75 (July 1983) and #76 (August 1983). Despite their in-depth coverage, these major pieces on the Planes were very piecemeal; there was no overarching plan for the planes of D&D [at this point in time] other than a few increasingly old drawings.”

“Manual of the Planes [1st edition, which was first available in 1986] was mainly a location book, describing the various planes, delineating how spells work, and - in the style of the Survival Guides of 1986 - talking about how to survive there."

Later, Planescape Campaign Setting (for AD&D 2nd edition) was published in 1994 and encouraged players to actively explore the multiverse in a much more engaged way. 

“Discover the multiverse! Enter infinite universes of infinite variety, worlds beyond the prime-material settings of the AD&D game. Explore Sigil, the City of Doors, filled with portals to every layer of every plane. All you need is the right key [...] Until now, only the most powerful wizards could peek into the magnificent multiverse, but no longer!”

But to return to what the Party in Stranger Things would have had access to in the 1980s rather than going too far into their future: they might have had an early illustration of the Great Wheel cosmology (like the one I shared earlier in this post) and they may have enjoyed reading issues of Dragon magazine which could have given them officially published materials that provided insight into planes such as “The Astral Plane” (Dragon issue #67, 1982) and “the Nine Hells” (Dragon issues #75 and #76 published in 1983) but I believe based on my research that very few other formal guides to the planes would have existed beyond players’ own innovations until the Manual of the Planes was published in 1986. 

Speaking of The Nine Hells! To indulge in a slight tangent, I found an online .pdf of Dragon #75 and it has a nice illustration and quote introducing “The Nine Hells” that reminded me just a tiny bit of our heroes’ encounters with the Demogorgon and The Mindflayer since the most effective way they’ve found to deal with both of those monsters has been with fire. In this illustration (below) from Dragon #75 you can see two mustachioed heroes standing over a burning devil. If Will subscribed to Dragon magazine I imagine that he would have enjoyed not only the new game materials and lore but also the detailed illustrations like this one:

The quote overlaying the illustration reads:

“A devil . . . thought the adventurer. Now there is a fitting foe! Moreover, his lands would not be safe until it was no more, and so he set about tracking it. And a little later . . . There are more where that one came from, he thought to himself, standing over its smoldering remains. "They could well come again," he said

aloud. “Yes," agreed the paladin who had fought at his side. "You have joined an endless battle, my lord. But if you weary of fighting it here, amid that which you hold dear, then come with me—I ride on the hells tomorrow."

In conclusion

Most players  three friends that I’ve spoken to about the many different D&D multiverse models seem to agree that since D&D is inherently a creative game that depends on the innovation of its players, anyone planning a D&D campaign can ultimately choose to refer to whichever charts and materials suit their campaign best and disregard any information that would be irrelevant to the game that they have planned. Not all players are sticklers for using exclusively “official” materials, and I myself have only played D&D with friends that love creative writing and storytelling and so I have never played a pre-made D&D campaign setting before even though there are many out there for players to enjoy. Particularly adventurous players might even create their own cosmologies if they decide they don’t like any of the pre-existing ones. Is it possible that the Party has created their own multiverse inspired by the D&D materials that they have available to them? Perhaps. I look forward to seeing what happens next in seasons 4 and 5 and whether we might explore other parallel worlds in the Stranger Things universe that we haven’t visited yet.

Thank you for this Ask! I had a lot of fun learning more about the history of the D&D multiverse and although I’m sure I have only touched on a very small part of what lies behind this “curiosity door,” I hope that you’ve enjoyed reading my response. 

Although I have played D&D, I am not an experienced expert on the history of the development of the D&D multiverse or its use in gameplay (since I’ve played many custom campaigns that ignored established D&D lore) and there are surely much better and more comprehensive resources elsewhere that address the nature of the D&D multiverse with more depth and accuracy than this blogpost. The information I’ve mentioned in this blogpost is simply what I was able to learn in my spare time by poking around the internet during the last few weeks. Nonetheless, I hope you found this blogpost enjoyable and that anyone that reads this might be inspired to learn more about D&D and open a few new curiosity doors of their own.

[porterporker]

headcanon: dating steve harrington

emptying out my posts + drafts from my old acct!! so this is pre-season3

tom h smut coming soon, i promise 

warnings: fluffy as hell, mentions of s-e-x

-you didn’t know steve harrington personally, but you were in classes together, and you knew him as “king steve” of hawkins high 

 -you ended up meeting him through tutoring 

 -the kids, namely dustin, had insisted he get help with his college essays and since nancy couldn’t really do it anymore he got involved with the school’s student

-tutors system after school 

 -you were assigned to him for english 

 -at first, you were terrified. the steve harrington?? 

 -but as soon as he sat down across from you, you realized he was actually really nice and funny, and even a little dorky (to your delight!) 

 -as you spent more and more time together, you began to open up to one another 

 -you started looking forward to your studying sessions more and more 

 -one cold winter’s day, he took you out for hot chocolate after an hour of revisions 

 -you ended up making out in the back of his car (oops) 

 -he took you out a couple more times before asking you to officially be his

-you were a little overwhelmed at first with all of the weird looks you’d get in the hallways with him

-but whenever you got nervous he’d whisper dumb things in your ear to make you laugh, like “that guy’s got spinach in his teeth” or “that girl can eat 52 hotdogs in under a minute -- I've seen it happen!”

-you quickly got used to life with steve harrington by your side 

 -he drove you to school every morning 

 -dustin was not too keen on this because it meant he had to sit in the backseat when you guys dropped him off to school 

 -you weren’t too keen on it either because more dustin time meant less makeout-with-your-hot-boyfriend-time 

 -however, you and dustin often sat in the backseat together to talk about “dork things” as steve called it; dustin even prides himself in getting you two together by forcing steve to get a student tutor 

 -steve would pretend to be mad about you two hanging out in the backseat, saying things like “hey, get your own girlfriend, curls” but you saw the look of joy on his face that his basically-son and his girlfriend took such a liking to each other 

 -you and steve ended up babysitting for the wheeler’s whenever jonathan and nancy were off on a date night 

 -mike would insist that they didn’t need a babysitter, thank you very much, but steve would just shrug and say, “we’re keeping you little shits safe whether you like it or not” and you would chime in with, “if you don’t think you need a babysitter, take it up with boss nancy; we’re just following orders” 

 -dating steve harrington involved a lot more babysitting than you would have originally hypothesized 

 -but it also involved a hell of a lot of love 

 -he was so supportive of your accomplishments, no matter how miniscule they might have been (he bought you flowers when you got an A on a test you had studied really hard for once) 

 -you returned the favor in everything from basketball to a nice transition sentence he would write during your tutoring sessions -- you never hesitated to appreciate him 

 -also you made out. like a lot. 

 -the first time you guys had sex, it was when his parents were out of town and he went slow and gentle with you 

 -needless to say you ended up doing that again just a few more times 

 -he was a very loud, very responsive lover and you absolutely adored that about him 

 -also car sex. don’t tell dustin 

 -you ended up telling steve you loved him first 

 -he admitted later that he waited to tell you because he was scared after what happened with nancy 

 -sometimes you just cup his cheek and remind him, “for better or for worse, I’m not her. and I’m not going anywhere.” 

 -he nods, saying, “i know, baby. you’re my whole world.” 

 -in short, you and steve, happy parents of six, adore each other and would do anything for one another

[will-byers-appreciation]

Season Three First Thoughts

Overall: Regardless of everything I say, overall I really liked the season.  I feel like they did a good job of advancing individual character arcs and introducing/putting new character pairings together. Now for my brain dump of thoughts:

•Opening with Mike and Eleven making out made me uncomfy cause regardless of how long they’ve been dating they’re still just kids (young teens?)

•Discounting this, I hated the direction they took with Hopper on this. I think he was a total prick. Before when he was overprotective it was because he cared about El and that’s was clear but this time around they made him seem more like a typical washed up 80′s dad (à la Ted Wheeler) 

•I’m not entirely mad about Hopper’s attempt to throw Mike off El because it brought the El and Max (elmax) friendship sequence

•I absolutely LOVED everything about El and Max in this season. What Max taught El about being her own person was so so important. One of the main reasons some people have a problem with Mileven is because they’re so co-dependent it’s unhealthy for kids and for El’s personal development (I agree!!). This storyline continued through the season of El realizing her worth on her own and how she should be her own person was probably one of my favorites

•Ima say it, Mike was a dick in a lot of moments this season, especially in the beginning with Hopper, sue me. However he is a teen boy and he still has a lot of growing up to do so it’s excusable

•I really hate how little Will was used this season (I may be biased, this blog is called “will-byers-appreciation” for a reason!). I feel like he was only there to feel left behind by his friends but come on the boy has been through enough 

•I really don’t like how in season two Mike was the number 1 Will supporter and he always was there for him even when Dustin and Lucas had no idea was was going on and this season he basically blatantly didn’t care about Will. I know months have gone by but still, Mike shouldn’t have let himself have gotten so distracted by his girlfriend that he forgot his friends, regardless or not of if he loves her. 

•Mike saying something along the lines of “you do don’t like girls Will” (more gaycoding?? who knows if we’ll ever get what we want)

•I feel like the Duffer brothers tried so hard to kill Byler this season and I’m :/

•Everything including Karen and Billy was disgusting, which goes without saying, but was filmed and edited in a really compelling way in that we really didn’t know what was gonna go down so the duffers did a good job working out how to portray that storyline 

•Speaking of Karen, I loved her pep talk to Nancy. Karen stepping up like that was one of the highlights of the show for sure 

•Nancy: every single scene in the Hawkins Post made me want to punch all those middle aged white men god they were such Assholes. The show did a good job of showing Nancy’s frustration and building the misunderstanding conflict between Jonathan and Nancy

•Jancy shippers don’t come for me cause maybe I didn’t notice anything but I feel like there were no real chemistry filled Jancy scenes? They just kept saving the other from getting beat up tbh

•I feel like a lot of the season was taken up but really long fight scenes which made some parts drag a lil

•Time for my absolute favorite part of the season: Steve, Dustin, Robin and Erica- the Scoops Troop

•I absolutely loved this whole dynamic and I found myself waiting for these scenes. Dustin really shone this season and I loved every minute of it. Erica was an amazing addition!! Dustin and Erica is the winning nerd friendship pairing to be honest

•Steve and Dustin!!! Incredible, beautiful, I love them. I feel like they reverted Steve back to a dumbass at the beginning of the season compared to him being kind of emotionally deep after the Nancy breakup in season two. It makes sense given he had his heart shattered and he built a wall back up in hopes to protect himself and find someone new. Dustin pushing this whole Steve and Robin thing is deliciously ironic now which is great. 

•Steve and Robin: Best new dynamic. The entire bathroom scene as they’re coming down from being drugged was absolutely beautiful. I started tearing up. Steve being emotionally vulnerable and explaining his heartbreak and bearing his feelings for Robin just wrecked me. Then when he slid under the stall and looked at Robin and she explained how she never liked him and how she likes girls was so perfect. Dumbass Steve said “But Tammy Thompson’s a girl” and then realizing and being fine with it. You can see how scared Robin is and then how relieved she is when Steve is accepting. This is what’s coming out is like. The moment of panic is portrayed really well. 

•Steve! Having! A! Badass! Smart! Lesbian! Best friend! Who! Is! Cooler! Than! Him! Instead! Of! Getting! Another! Half-Assed Love Interest Story Line!

•I am worried though that’s the duffer brother’s are giving us an openly gay character hoping to “satisfy” us so they can keep queerbaiting Will rather than making him gay

•The whole Murray x Alexie storyline wasn’t amazing and I loved every second of it. I was genuinely heartbroken when they killed Alexie he was shaping up to be one of much favorites

•Billy’s “redemption” at the end where El breaks through to him while retelling the childhood scenes he showed her and then he goes against the Mindflayer was expected but the way they did it was so heartwrenching I’ll give the obvious turn of events a pass. Hi, seeing Max cry over Billy Killed Me, that poor girl

•Finally, Hoppers death. Fuck you stranger things team. No matter how annoying Hopper was this season, how could you guys do that’s to El?? To us?? That letter just about killed me, I started loudly sobbing halfway through and I didn’t finish till twenty minutes later. I’m also not 100% sure he’s actually dead just saying...

•There’s more but this is already So Much so I’ma leave it at this as I literally just started typing and I haven’t even proof read it. I’m so sorry I didn’t mean for this to be so long but

•PLEASE! If anyone wants to discuss anything I said here or just the season in general please message me 

TL:DR- I loved the Scoops Troop storyline, especially how they handled Steve/Robin. I loved the Elmax friendship and El’s character development independent from Mike. Alexie was basically my favorite. They should’ve used Will more and I’m mad they basically killed Byler 

[wellamarke]

i finally saw stranger things 3 and i have thoughts that i will break down by character ((they are not very deep thoughts, they are mostly love)) 

first, the kids

1. my beautiful son, will byers, for once did not have a hell ride of a season and got to smile a couple times. he took a bit of a back seat really, and i feel sorry for noah schnapp for all the ‘neck scratching’ memes he’ll be buried in now that it was basically his signature move for 8 episodes (and not even a particularly useful one) but anyway... the destruction of castle byers was one of the most heartbreaking scenes and i would have liked to see more fallout from it, but we can’t have everything. mike’s ‘it’s not my fault you don’t like girls’ line? eiiiish can we get some follow up in s4 please. (it might not be your fault mike but you’re involved lmao) so anyway. glad will got a breather season, but man when he was crying so much in the goodbye scene, i felt that. could not cope. 

2. lucas!!!!!!!! my treasured son!!!! i love him so much. he was such a hero this season! he is always down to fight with his catapult and i adore him. i love what a terrible casanova he makes. i wish there had been some kind of glimpse of him looking after max after she watched her brother die, because that’s a complicated thing for those two. but s4 awaits. i would love to see lucas take a more central role in s4, incidentally. in terms of the boys, s1 was mike’s time to shine, s2 was will’s, s3 was arguably dustin since he got the most time away from the group? s4 lucas please and thank you 

3. my angel daughter max, i love her, she’s so brave and brilliant, and she is such a good friend to el, and although billy-as-he-was didn’t deserve her, she was a good sister, too. i worry about her a lot. lucas and max better be the front and centre couple of s4, i swear. it’s their time. let them. i guess i was a little confused at first at how much max’s style changed between seasons, but i support her always, and her clothes now are so happy and cute. she’s adorable. now somebody please make sure she’s alright. where is her mom 

4. dustin, light of my life, he is a good child and i am proud of him! i have always related to dustin’s position in the friend group lmao so to see him off with his own little crew was very adorable. i love him as both steve and robin’s child and steve and robin’s parent. he is so resourceful and i love that they finally utilised gaten’s angel voice! i was so glad suzie turned out to be real and plot-relevant (kinda), please can she come for a visit in s4? thank you. 

5. eleven, my daughter, my small small child, she broke my heart so much this season and i am so proud of her for finding herself. her s4 arc of regaining her powers will be very interesting and i’m excited for her and joyce’s relationship to be developed more, because i love them both. i really appreciated them going for the angle of ‘eleven needs to exist outside of mike’, partly because the way they were behaving at the beginning of the season did seem to make sense for kids their age with a connection like theirs, and it is healthier for them to.... not. at least sometimes. el is so hardcore, i love how her dialogue is still written a little stilted while still letting her express herself. she had so many iconic lines. i can’t believe they took hop away from her. also i’m a little disappointed (but not surprised) that there was no kali.

6. mike, my child, my gangly and adorable son, he was a joy this season (even when he was whinging). you know what killed me? how TALL he was when he hugged his mother at the end, especially compared to the s1 scene after will’s “body” is found. logically i know that these are actors who are growing up but it feels like an assault every time they flashback to their tiny s1 selves, and mike is just a giant now. bless him. he is a good boy who is trying his best. i don’t really understand why he didn’t tell el what hopper had said much earlier, but he’s a silly teenage boy, so, you know. it’s like that. 

7. erica my precious daughter, oh my goodness, i enjoyed her immensely. i’m so glad she’s properly part of the crew and is beginning to embrace the nerdy part of herself. icon. priah ferguson is an entire gemstone. when nancy etc graduate to the adult storylines and mike and co are the resident teens, erica will be the lynchpin of the new generation and i couldn’t be happier about that. 

now, the teens

1. nancy was so iconic this year, DAMN. this girl never rests and i love her. i’m glad the romantic drama was minimised, just enough to keep them interesting but not so you really worried she was going to pingpong back to steve or anything silly like that. nancy is such a role model truly. she’s so brave. my life, when billy’s car was hurtling towards her and she just stayed shooting. that’s my girl. (also, she’s so gorgeous. i feel like 80s fashion happened mainly so that natalia dyer could recreate it)

2. STEVE my sweet sweet son. again, an icon. i can’t believe they actually kept him in that sailor suit the whole season. what a national treasure. when he slammed billy’s car! i cheered. i’m very proud of the person he has become and his friendship with robin is just adorable. so glad that they will be able to discuss pretty girls together now that they work at the arcade. also, maybe he could make it to the end of s4 without cutting up his face, but that’s probably too much to ask, isn’t it? 

3. robin is my entire heart, i can’t even express how much i love this girl. she’s so clever and brave and wonderful and i can’t wait for her and will to share a scene (because cOME ON the solidarity!!!). i love her sarcasm and wit, and how she just jumps into the madness and gets stuff done. a queen. welcome to the family, robin. 

4. jonathan my boyyyyy, he was lovely this season, i was so proud of him when he took the situation in hand with el’s injury (even if she ended up doing the surgery herself!) i am excited for him to be el��s big brother as well as will’s (side note: el and will are sure to be the cutest siblings) and hopefully he and nancy can continue to navigate the stormy sea of being the teen flagship without too much on-again-off-again. we get it, they’re meant for each other. loved their moment with the scar at the end. 

5. oh, billy. i will admit, i felt bad for him a couple of times, and he certainly suffered enough, not that his treatment of lucas in s2 will ever be excused. dacre montgomery really gives the most, which makes billy weirdly watchable. i will never understand why they chose to bring back the karen wheeler stuff, brrrrrrr, but, yeah. i’m glad they didn’t exactly “redeem” him, but managed to kill him off while still adding depth. (he tried to save el and good on him for that, but in the end it was joyce who stopped the mindflayer, so). 

aaand the adults!

1. murray was a complete delight, and i was thrilled to have him along for the ride. i’m heartbroken that murray/alexei will not rise, because that had potential.

2. joyce was wonderful and hilarious and brave and heartbreaking and perfect, of course. i can’t believe they’ve now killed off BOTH her love interests (as far as she knows, anyway). that poor woman. i hope she can continue in her role of best mother ever, now that she has an extra traumatised child on her hands. joyce is the true mvp. the moral strength that woman has. the brains. the curiosity. she’s a way of life. 

3. hopper, where do i start. i actually didn’t like him much at the start of the season. i get that he hasn’t had a teenager before, but he seemed to take a little too much delight in petrifying mike, especially since he knew how much it would genuinely hurt el. that seemed a bit extreme for the sake of not wanting to give a corny speech. but anyway. this man is a true trooper. so many fight scenes. and we’re supposed to assume he’s not actually dead, right? the post-credits scene in russia was almost entirely pointless (big deal, they got a demogorgon) apart from the line, ‘no, not the american’... i mean, surely that’s hopper? surely? murray is unaccounted for in the time jump, i suppose, but no way he was captured and not joyce. both or neither. man, imagine the reunion with el and joyce, if hopper really isn’t dead. i’m going with he’s not dead. we never saw any remains. kudos for still making his apparent demise pack a whole punch, though. that letter destroyed me. 

other things:

1. the turning-people-into-goo stuff was so horrifying, how do you even go about creating those visuals 

2. some of the fight scenes i kind of let happen without really watching, and just came back to see who was still upright by the end, how do people watch this stuff

3. joyce didn’t decorate her house :( in fact the magnets undecorated themselves, as a forerunner to the entire house being stripped.... wow....

4. mr clarke is an absolute beaut and i love the way he was used (although it was strange not to have dustin included!)

5. i love love love how this show operates, with different teams finding different parts of the mystery and piecing it together under fire. i love how none of them ever go, “hey, we should tell the other people who are usually involved in this stuff, chances are they’ve got themselves into it this time around.” 

6. the byers’ dog is still unaccounted for 

[toongrrl-blog]

Karen Wheeler Playlist Part Two

“La Chona” Los Tucanes De Tijuana

This is a song played at family parties a lot and it took me a long time to find out about the lyrics. Basically like Karen Wheeler, La Chona is a woman who likes to party a lot and have fun while her slug of a husband stays home. Karen strikes me as the girl who was the hot, popular girl who went to parties and turned heads and it looks like she is slowly regaining that image from Pretty Trophy Missus in the Suburbs to Hot Mom. But La Chona is clearly independent, something Karen is trying to reclaim.

“I Only Want to Be With You” Dusty Springfield

I was told by another fan on here that Karen could be a Dusty Springfield fan, and this song seems to fit as it makes me think of a young Karen who was dating and partying and having fun before she settled down with a older guy making six figures and “came from a good family”. I can also imagine Karen lip synching to it.

“Little Trouble Girl” Sonic Youth

Okay I saw this before in another post. This is clearly one that mirrors the relationship Karen has with Nancy (and maybe Holly); on Karen’s end, one can see that she is trying to steer her kids in a direction that benefits them but is unintentionally getting them to conform to societal norms. Nancy probably sees her Mom as having a path that she wants to avoid like hell (Karen probably feels the same way, as she is very suspicious when Nancy gets back from Steve but seems cool with Jonathan, probably making sure her little girl doesn’t take the path of settling down with a privileged guy) and is ironically taking actions that her mother once did and one can see that Karen probably had a hand in prepping Nancy for conformity: people have picked apart how Karen commented favorably on Nancy’s appearance before Will’s (phony) funeral and offered Nancy to borrow her pumps, a mirror image of Mike getting his tie tightened by Ted, which is likely a mirror of Rose getting her corset tightened in Titanic. Also according to the official guide, it was said that Karen clearly picked blue for Mike’s room and pink for Nancy’s room which is something considering how the two grew up in a Free To Be You And Me world that was questioning gender roles and more obviously, Karen quiets down her youngest daughter whenever Holly mentions seeing something strange. Just smile, don’t mention anything unpleasant, be pretty, have your hair perfect, be a virgin. Poor Karen is unintentionally setting her girls up for crushing conformity or to scream “Oh Bondage! Up Yours!”

“What Have I Done To Deserve This?” The Pet Shop Boys with Dusty Springfield

I heard this on Season One of GLOW on Netflix (another 80s set period piece worth seeing that expands on Feminist themes just lightly touched in ST), it was set at a lawn furniture store with all these people in bright colors and whites, it just screams suburban life and the kind that Karen had settled into. One where she updates her furniture and decor to look of the moment.

Now if only the two shows had a crossover.

“A Girls Work is Never Done” The Chordettes

The less glamorous side of housewife life, it’s never done, and you have to clean it all over again. One can imagine that Karen probably felt tired at the end of the day but keeps working to appease a husband on his Laz E Boy and kids who cannot appreciate what her life is like. I also figure that Karen might have heard this as a young girl, probably failing to capture what the lyrics are telling her.

[grapesodatozier]

i love your elstan hcs! i’ve just started watching stranger things, and i have been spoiled definitely, but that’s stop me from enjoying the show! it’s well done and entertaining and interesting, i don’t know much about eleven yet but i love her. what if the losers club were the ones to find her in the woods, instead of the party?

thank you so much!! i’m so glad you liked them!!

ahh you are in for such a treat!! stranger things is by far my favorite show, i can’t wait for the third season!! and el is such a gem!! the light of my life!! i love her sm!!

okay so i think bev would be the first one to approach her

like they’re all fucking around in the quarry when they hear something in the bushes, feel someone watching them

obviously they all tense up and think it’s henry, and bill and richie start shouting like dumbasses saying they’ll kick henry’s ass (i’m imagining this post-rock fight bc mike is here but also pre-IT fight) 

but then a small, scared girl about their age comes out of the trees

i think bev would be the first one to approach her, really slowly and talking to her gently

they take her to bill’s house and bev helps her clean up and mike makes her food

bev and mike sit on either side of her on the couch, but not too close, not wanting to scare her. bill sits on the coffee table in front of her while the other four stand off to the sides

el would be a little wary of bill at first, bc he exudes a sense of authority, but then he’s really nice to her and his stutter comforts her bc shes not the best with words either, so she kind of relates to him in that way if that makes sense? like it humanizes him to her, tells her “this is just a kid, just like you” bc he seems kind of grown up to her at first

stans lowkey freaking out, and eddie is super skeptical

so is richie honestly, and he’s cracking jokes and everything but he’s also lowkey trying to assess if this girl’s a threat (she honestly could be It okay? he doesn’t know she’s not, and he wants to be ready to protect his friends from a sneak attack)

stan and eddie whisper to each other something basically like “i don’t like this” but they both feel kind of bad for her, even if they’re scared

ben is on team “let’s help this girl” with bev and mike, but he’s shyer about it and doesn’t want to overwhelm her, so he mainly sticks to just giving her shy smiles from over bill’s shoulder when she looks his way

she stays at bill’s house bc his parents are least likely to notice. bev is upset that she can’t stay the night, but she visits el all the time to check in on her bc she knows that she must be overwhelmed and that richies probably asking way too many questions and stans and eddie are giving her weird looks

it’s not that she doesn’t trust her boys, but they can be a lot

el definitely prefers to be around bev

she also warms up easily to bill, mike, and ben, but she likes talking to mike the best (second to bev) bc bill asks her things she doesn’t want to answer and ben doesn’t really know what to say to her; she likes that mike just makes conversation with her, she doesn’t always get it but it feels comfortable and she appreciates that

wow that wasn’t even supposed to be a nod to mike wheeler but thats funny now that i realize it lol

obviously they all become friends eventually

oh and also el and bev fall in love!!

thanks for the ask!! this was super fun!!