#why don't they let max interact with nancy??

[shezoomer]

netflix let max have female friends challenge 🔪

[familyvideostevie]

Could you do a Steve harrington request where the Henderson!reader is avoiding him because of Nancy so when they break into the Creel house, she offers to get Eddie food so Steve is antsy when they go to find them at Skull Rock worried she might have fallen for Eddie?

i've never done henderson!reader before, but here is my attempt for you, doll! let me know what you think < 3 | 1.4k, fem!reader, jealous!steve, a litttttle angst but fluff in the end, mention of patrick getting vecna'd, eddie being a good pal, language, some gentle fudging of the s4 timeline

Steve knows the last thing he should be worrying about is why you're avoiding him, but he can't help it. Every time he and Nancy enter the room you slip out of it. You're quieter than normal, hardly joking with him and sticking to Dustin and the kids more than normal. But his head is buzzing with keeping everything straight and worrying about how he's going to keep you and Nancy and Robin and everyone safe. Maybe you're just feeling a little out of the loop -- after all, you'd only moved to Hawkins last fall to live with your mom and brother. Dustin had done his best to fold you into the group, and while Steve thinks he and Robin have done a good job at making you feel welcome, all that got you was a ticket to some bullshit happening in an alternate dimension.

So, he's staring at you as you all walk up to the Creel House and wondering how he'll get you to talk to him. Robin notices and leans over.

"Did you ask her out and she turned you down, or something?" Steve shakes his head. He'd planned to do exactly that before Chrissy Cunningham got Vecna'd, he'd even asked Dustin about it -- who said, "Weird dude, don't ask me about that" -- but, well. Shit got in the way. Such is Steve's life.

"Go talk to her," Robin hisses.

"I've been trying," Steve whispers back. He makes eye contact with Nancy she lifts her chin in a silent question. Steve's eyes bounce to you and you're watching the interaction but quickly turn away to jog up to the house. "Shit," he says. "Hey, wait --" He's about to come after you when the radio crackles in Dustin's hand.

"Henderson? Henderson, I need backup here, dude! They're onto me!" You surge over to grab it from your brother.

"I'll be there soon, Eddie," you say into it. "Stay hidden."

"Hurry up, other Henderson!" You hand your flashlight to Dustin and cuff him gently on the head.

"I'll take a bike over there," you say to everyone, already heading back down to the street.

"Woah, woah, woah," Steve says, something in the back of his mind not liking the idea of you going to defend Munson alone. "I'll come."

"No, Steve," you say, not looking at him as you mount the bike. "I'll be faster alone and we'll hide better this way. Plus, you guys need the time together." You shoot a glance at him and Nancy and before he can begin to ask you what you mean you're speeding off down the street.

"What the fuck," he says. "Why did we let her do that?"

"She'll be fine," Dustin calls. "It's just Eddie."

"That's what I'm worried about," Steve mutters.

"Can we get into this creepy house, already?" Max calls.

__

You know as you're pedaling that there's no way you'll get to Eddie in time, but you could not bring yourself to ask Steve to drive you. He's your friend, they all are, but the last few days have been making your head spin. Dustin had spelled everything out for you when you moved to Hawkins but you'd never thought you'd see it yourself. You thought that it would be smooth sailing, a chance to get to know your little brother better, and maybe go out with his cute friend, Steve.

But there's Vecna to worry about and the looks that Nancy and Steve keep exchanging and you think maybe it's better to not get involved with that and focus on the very real, very scary shit happening in front of you. You skid to a stop above the boat house and see that Jason and his cronies are already down there looking for Eddie.

"Shit," you whisper. You ditch the bike in the bushes and try to creep down the slope but then Eddie comes bursting out, the jocks on his heels. You crouch down and watch, trying not to blow your cover but looking for an entrance to help Eddie.

But then everything happens so fast. Eddie gets in the boat and the boys swim after him and then Patrick rises into the air and it's dark but the moon is shining bright and you can't look away as you see the worst thing you've ever seen in your life and promptly throw up in a bush.

Eddie makes his way back to shore and spots you, rushing over with abject horror on his face.

"What the fuck just happened?" he says hoarsely. "Did you see that?" You can only nod and he reaches out to run his hands along your arms. You realize belatedly you're trembling.

"I'm sorry I wasn't here sooner, I saw them and I waited but then Patrick --" your voice breaks. "Oh my god, Eddie, you've seen it twice."

"Would you believe me if I said I didn't want to dwell on it?" He rubs his hands down his face. "Let's go, Harrington and Dustin will kill me if those letterman asshats find you." He grabs you and you start running. As soon as you get your hands on the radio, Eddie finds the frequency and you hear Dustin shouting.

"Do you copy? Do you copy? Are you okay? Where is my sister?"

"I'm here," you say, grabbing it from Eddie. "We're fine."

"Is she there? Give that to me, Henderson," Steve calls, and the line crackles. "Munson, do you know where Skull Rock is?"

Eddie laughs, an exhausted but pleasant sound. You can't wait for this to be over so you can be friends.

"Spicy, Harrington," he says.

"Just get there, dude. Be careful." Steve sounds pissed, and you're sure you're missing something. But Eddie just sighs, the laughter gone.

"Are we actually heading to a rock shaped like a skull?" you ask, but he just starts walking.

__

If he's honest, Steve is freaked the fuck out. He has no idea what happened to you and Munson and how you got away from Jason. He's walking, almost running, ignoring Dustin as he tries to tell him they're headed in the wrong direction, everyone else trailing behind them.

"Steve, can I level with you?" Dustin says, a little out of breath. "Man to man."

"What do you want, dude?" What if you got hurt? What if you got into a fight?

"I get that you're obsessed with my sister--"

"I am not obsessed with her--"

"But you're moving way too slow. Y'know, maybe she's into Eddie, he's pretty cool --"

"Do you think she's into Eddie?" Steve says. Dustin is laughing at him but he doesn't care.

"I don't know. I don't talk to my sister about this shit, dude." Dustin pats him on the chest and continues on. "Make a move!"

"Shithead," Steve calls.

"Hey!" He hears your voice and the tension melts off of his shoulders. You sound fine. Maybe Munson took care of you, he thinks sourly. The trees clear and he sees you hugging Dustin. You look alright, tired, but no black eye or bloody lip that he'd been afraid of. Munson, for what it's worth, looks fine too.

"You okay, buddy?" you ask your brother, giving him a squeeze. He gets embarrassed and lets you go in favor of hugging Eddie. Steve hovers and you can see the rest of the group making their way up to the rock. Patrick's crumpled figure flashes before your eyes again and you surge forward into Steve's arms.

"Are you okay?" he says softly, holding you tight to his chest. "What happened?"

You breathe him in for just a moment. "I got there too late and hid, but then Vecna got to one of Jason's friends and he..."

"You saw it?" Steve gasps. "God, I'm sorry, baby, that must have been some scary shit." His hands are running up and down your back. A smile creeps onto your face and your cheeks heat.

"Baby?" you say, pulling back from his chest a little to look at him.

"Oh," Steve says, "well. Yeah. That okay?" His eyes flicker back to where Eddie and Dustin are talking and it clicks. He thought you and Eddie were a thing? But then...you look back and see Nancy eyeing the two of you with a smile. Well, shit.

"Yeah, Steve," you say. You reach up and run a hand through his hair before you give him a swift kiss on the cheek. "That's okay. Baby."

"Oh my god, someone call Vecna to put my eyes out!" Dustin yells.

"Not funny!" you and Steve yell at the same time.

want to be added to my tag list for full-length (non-ask) fics? send me a message and specify for steve, eddie, or both! reblog, send feedback, requests open, masterlist here!

[findafight]

hi i'm the anon that sent the ask about someone telling joyce and oh my god it being hopper that says it is so good. i can totally see him doing that. i also love that you added steve finding out from murray bc that's always been my preferred hc for how steve would find out. murray saying something about it that's weird and out of pocket is him to a tee imo. poor steve i feel so bad for him in this au, at least hopper is on his side completely. ty for acknowledging how fucked up it is that nancy and jonathan but esp nancy never actually told steve. i wonder what she would've done/told him if steve hadn't bit the bullet and broken up w her.

Thank youuuu (love getting ask mwah) (also idk what to call the au) Listen I loooove Steve and Hopper accidentally adopting each other. In my brain Dustin talked up Steve's hair skills to El at the snowball and she gets all starry-eyed like he knows! Hair? :0 Dustin you have to convince Steve to come over to my house and help me with my hair and I will convince hop to let him come! I also need hair advice!! Hop barely has hair!! Which is how Steve gets a little sister pre S3 (like he always wanted) (he also gets max a bit later too godbless) (sibling collector lmao) Steve 100% calls Hop dad once without realizing and Hopper gets choked up and Steve's like you okay there?? And Hop has to go yeah yeah I'm finE so he doesn't embarrass Steve. That's the shit. (Also makes more Steve and El angst post S3 with hop gone and them being separated ;-;)

Hopper gets to be a jackass to on his kid's behalf and I think that's actually beautiful.

Oh, yeah. The more I've thought about it the more I feel like Steve has no clue Nancy cheated on him. We saw how he acted in S1 when he thought so and while S2 Steve wouldn't be so extreme, he'd definitely be crushed. And with S4...idk I don't think Steve knew about the cheating then. It just seems like he wouldn't. Want to go back after being cheated on? Or that he'd have some serious hang ups with Nancy. Even if he still loved her if he knew she slept with Jonathan, would he want to act on it? Also did he know they were still together? Does she mention Jonathan at all to anyone but Fred?

Also Murray. You bizarre jackass. Of COURSE it was him. He'd feel guilty about it because he totally thought Steve knew and he was just trying to be a dickhead but not like. Cruel. so it's awwwkwaaaard and not the fun kind he can manipulate just the sad kind that has Hopper glaring at him.

Yeah... I understand that the writers do not feel like Nancy cheated but I have eyes and media comprehension and know how relationships work and Nancy herself said she had Steve back home to Murray so. What else am I supposed to think. I get why Nancy and Jon don't interact with Steve after the Upside Down but like. Not even to apologize to him? Did Nancy's relationship with Steve mean so little to her? I do think she, at one point, did love Steve, or convinced herself of it and did care for him, but for her to drop him like a hot potato the second Jonathan gets the nerve to make a move (she said she waited a month for him before going back to a probably grovelling Steve [based on how desperate he was at the Byers' to apologize to Jon] and it's like Woah! Okay writers! What do you want us to believe about this relationship?!) So just. Why didn't she actually tell Steve what happened? Idk. Jon I kinda get he and Steve were love rivals and Jonathan is already awkward it probably would have been weird and also it wasn't his place to say! It should have been Nancy!

Honestly if Steve hadn't broken things off....idk. I don't think she necessarily would have continued with both of them, but I think Nancy tends to look for easy ways out of relationship hurdles. So. Maybe it would have festered for a few months, before Steve finally couldn't stand the tension and cut things off there. I don't actually think, based on what we've seen in the show, the scene between Nancy and Steve could have gone any different. Like. It should have. Nancy definitely could have acknowledged her role in the crumbling relationship, but I think Steve letting her go is a significant character beat for him. He chooses he's not going to hold onto someone who doesn't want to be with him. For me that's him trying to move past his issues from his parents and to continue to be better.

Yeah this au is not nice to poor Steve. He does have support! Robin and Eddie are both there and know everything, Hopper and El also know most stuff and are very worried about why he's so keen to leave the house all the time (he doesn't live there but he doesn't...not live there...) Buddy's got issues that will be heightened by all these things happening with Joyce!

[doriandrifting]

815 Gate: 008 is 001’s “5 star general”.

Season Two shows us Kali’s crew in the very first episode, but it isn’t until Chapter Seven: The Lost Sister, that we meet 008 and her friends. This is episode fifteen of the series.

Dustin: You're going to crack the case, Steve.

Steve-the-hair-Harrington: *cracks a literal case*

Before this interaction, Nancy says, "The answers are here. Somewhere." A few beats later, Steve drops Dustin's bag and we get a zoom in on it. We see a ghostbuster's pin that references their costumes in Season Two.

So let's go back there, shall we? We'll start on Seventh Street.

"They turn to you, remove their [masks]."

This is not to mention the visual parallels between the Mind Flayer's possession and 008's powers:

Regardless of whether Kali had anything to do with this specific instance, as it was shown to be the Mind Flayer, the parallel is sinister. Character symbolism is also already happening from the moment we see her on screen. She's wearing gloves and covering her mouth—a classic sign that a character is hiding something.

The very next shot after that is this:

One grave reads: “Ashes to Ashes / Dust to Dust / Here lies someone I wouldn't trust.”

Meanwhile in Season Four:

A graveyard with a hand.

Ashes to Ashes. Dust to Dust.

Here lies a sister I wouldn't trust...

The police standing around and not seeing anything directly parallels the abilities we see Kali display in Season 2. Not to mention, the dogs in the neighborhood are clearly seeing something that we're not! Dogs in media are commonly shown to perceive the supernatural, hence why the dogs are barking when Fred and Chrissy get cursed, and yet they're noticeably silent when Steve, Nancy, Robin, Max, and Dustin return as a group. The dogs could see past Kali's illusions.

This is more theorizing than solid evidence but, I think Season Four was Stranger Things' Freddy vs. Jason moment. We quite literally have Eddie vs. Jason, and also a character named Fred who tells us he's rooting against Jason's team winning. They've also cast the actor who played Freddy, Robert Englund, as Victor Creel, and there's a cardboard cut out of Freddy at Family Video. Vecna's hand was inspired by Freddy and a whole bunch of other things, so this isn't a major reach (maybe lol).

Anyway, in Freddy vs. Jason, the townspeople of Springwood have forgotten Freddy Krueger. The ones who do remember him are sent to a mental institution as a government coverup. (I'm not suggesting that is what has happened in Hawkins, but the inspiration is clearly there as Nancy and Robin take a trip to Pennhurst to gather information from the only person who seems to know anything about the case. Henry being taken is also covered up by the government.)

Because no one remembers Freddy Krueger, he's been trapped in Hell and unable to invade children's dreams using their fear. ("Dream a little dream of me" + "Welcome to Hawkins Hell") Freddy sets Jason Voorhees on a killing spree in order to manipulate the children of Springwood into remembering him. Essentially the murders spread a wave of panic and Freddy's name gets tossed around until Freddy's power grows strong enough that he doesn't need Jason and can lure them himself. It leads to a showdown between them, yadayada.

So what does this have to do with Stranger Things? Well, we're told that Vecna is stalking his victims. Dustin says he's trying to build a strong psychic connection with them. We see as much while Vecna's in the Upside Down. But until this season, he never shows any of these vision abilities. He obviously always had them, but it seems like maybe he’s been unable to use them because of being stuck in an alternate dimension. Before this, he’s always relied on the Mind Flayer to physically possess characters like Will and Billy, but we don't see any of that this season. Max says, "All we know is this is something different. Something new."

I think, like Jason Voorhees, Kali was helping build Vecna's psychic connection to his victims. Once it was strong enough, Vecna was able to finish the job himself, opening the gates. This would account for the fact that our victims are seeing visions for awhile before they're actually killed. "Your time is almost at an end." Why not just kill them at that point? It doesn't make a lot of sense. There are also some inconsistencies at the name that Max is called. We also see lurking shots of the characters clearly being spied on, especially Mike. A big one that a lot of people noticed is the one in the junkyard where someone is watching through a car window. Who is watching our characters? Could it be Kali and the "cult of Vecna"? Kali is able to travel through the void, just like El, afterall. And maybe it's a coincidence, but Kali takes El to a junkyard in Season Two to help her train. Again, it seems to me like the writers are leaving a clue.

[edit: Someone pointed out that Kali is surprised by El explaining how she used the void, but I think that there’s reason to believe that she’s lying about that. The purpose of the Hawkins experiment was remote listening using the void. Kali is 20 years old in Season Two, meaning she’s 7 years older than El, but she is somehow completely unaware of the existence of the void? That doesn’t make sense, but El had basically no memory of her time at Hawkins, so it was an easy lie for Kali to tell.]

Besides this, there are so many visual parallels between the opening of Freddy vs. Jason and Season Four—the Molotov cocktail being thrown and setting Freddy on fire, a human puppet on flesh strings (“Master of Puppets” + Vecna’s tentacles making him look like a puppet on strings), etc.

Okay back to connections that I swear can't just be a coincidence (To preface this, I'm not saying the characters are aware of all of these things. IMO, most are just subtle clues being left by the writers/set designs, etc.):

When El goes to visit Kali, she walks into the warehouse and passes a giant Upside Down sign that says "To Paris". Next to it is a spray painted smiley face. This season, Jonathan's wall has a Paris sign and a smiley face balloon, and his tapestry is upside down. (The balloon and smiley face motif also floats around different scenes this season—Like a smiley face balloon by the Christmas lights at Benny's when Lucas wakes up. Another link to the Upside Down.)

El also passes a giant sprayed Magic 8 Ball at the entrance hallway, just like the one 010 was playing with in the lab at the opening of Season Four.

El asks Kali, "Are you real?" just as Max does to El this season.

The sign between Kali and El is a red hand and eye with broken lights that make it read "Spiritual ISOR [eyesore]" instead of Spiritual Advisor:

Downstairs, Axel throws knives at a painted target. It's a person with a heart drawn on it. Next to him is a giant spray painted crown. This is similar imagery to Mike in Will's painting this season.

Axel says something something, "You mean the loony bin," which (offensively) connects to the Pennhurst storyline in Season Four. Kali responds with, "Mick, our eyes, our protector."

Dottie asks to play a game. "Awh, come on. Just one hand." Mick's response is, "One hand leads to two hands, two hands leads to three, and before you know it, I'm as broke as Axel." (This connects to Vecna using his hand to curse people and the motif of four. Also mimics his signature phrase: "You will break.")

Axel has the exact mask from the one they slow zoom in on at Joyce's job:

Something similar happens where we get a long zoom in on a news paper stack. Later we see a piece has been torn out and placed in Will's locker with the phrase "Zombie Boy." The eyes have been crossed out in red marker, just like Vecna's victims losing their eyes. We're never given an explanation for how it got there. We're meant to assume a random bully did it. Some have theorized it was Will's crush who asked him to dance, but that makes little sense. But we are shown that Kali and her crew have a closet where they have a collage of newspaper clippings of all the people they're targeting taped to the wall. They've drawn on clippings in red and black marker. There's Xs through the faces of the ones they've killed.

How did Kali escape before the Rainbow Room Massacre? And why does she nearly verbatim repeat Henry's lines to El while asking her to pull a train? (Also note that while El was in the Rainbow Room, Brenner tells her a story about how she needs to "leave the train station." While Kali isn't aware of the story of Nina, it's another hint from the writers about how this episode is connected.)

"He found his strength in a memory that made him sad, but also angry," Henry tells El in the Rainbow Room. Is it possible that Henry had already gotten to Kali? Where did she learn this? (Both of their speeches are longer, but line by line they parallel.)

To reiterate, we see Kali in a junkyard—the same place we're shown that the California crew is being watched from. These are the only two scenes that the writers chose to take place in a junkyard. Not shown in the screenshot, but there's actually giant "NO."s spray painted on the walls inside the warehouse, always next to Kali. They follow her into the scene at the junkyard, and in the initial shot they obscure El with a bin, so it's just Kali in the background with a big 'ole "NO." in the foreground.

There's a door with a red window spray painted behind Kali like the Creel's door. (Although it's much more prominent when El first comes to the warehouse, we can also see the magic eight ball I mentioned earlier on the right side.)

Kali questions El about what she remembers of her. On the surface this might seem sentimental, but if Kali is working with Vecna, the reason behind this is because she's trying to figure out what El knows about what happened.

One character asks, "Yeah, what about a lullaby? Did you sing her one?" Another allusion to Vecna, but also the idea of singing someone a song, when we know music is a weakness of Vecna.

One character says, "You don't kill their men and expect them to look the other way." Kali responds with, "If they find us, they will release Hell." Another allusion to Hell that we see as a continuous theme in Season Four.

Vecna's army is supposed to be undead, and we get an interesting line from Funshine, "We were dead, all of us. Kali saved us here. And here." He gestures to his heart. Whether this is actually literal is up for debate. Maybe Kali used powers similar to El's and essentially brought these people back to life, which is why they feel they owe her (and by extension, Vecna) their service in hunting down her enemies.

Kali torments El by making her hallucinate Brenner:

Does this not sound exactly like Vecna? Is this not incredibly similar to what happens to Vecna's victims? For instance, Max, when she sees her mother? Not to mention Kali's face is completely devoid of empathy, and the half of her face that we can see is lit in a purplish red glow that is eerily reminiscent of Vecna.

This line is the line. In this scene, Kali is talking about her powers, but it actually takes on a double meaning. Throughout this conversation, she earns a lot of empathy from the viewer, but look at how half of her face is obscured in darkness again. Like El, Kali is only showing us what she wants us to see.

Pt. 2

[emblazons]

you've been writing a lot about parentified Mike lately, and while I appreciate it, from a story perspective I just don't understand why.

Maybe its just because I'm an elmike truther, but it really doesn't make sense to me why they would put such an unpleasant aspect into their friendship or romance when they could have just had her upset at him over Max's death or not sharing interests? With steve and nancy they broke up over barb and nancy wanting something else which made of sense without making steve "parent" her. idk. Maybe you're the wrong person to ask lol I'm just thinking out loud

I mean. Maybe I'm not the best person to give insight into why the duffers do what they do, but I can give why I think they did it?

Forewarning: this got really long, apologies lmao

Honestly (and take this from an out-of-universe perspective): I think they're fully aware of the strangeness of El as a character, and how she has a lot of narrative/personal "growth needs" that other characters don't just by nature of her background. She even from the pitch is referred to as "the outsider," and all of her arc, not just the romantic one, has been centered around finding a 'home' in the world, on top of finding the family she lacked before.

This, I'm almost certain, is why she always ends up on different paths than every other person she interacts with—she started with almost no sense of self as an individual, which means a sense of "self" has to be built and discovered (and remembered) for El in a way it already has been for our other characters. Max, Mike, Will, Dustin, Lucas—all of them have interests and desires, a sense of family (good or bad), know what they enjoy, and are evolving as they go along...but El didn't at the start of ST beyond lab trauma, which is why The Duffers have centered almost all of her character growth since then around discovering where she came from & who she wants to be.

With Mike though...there is an entirely different set of relational and character needs that have to be addressed. With Mike, the main struggles he has (from the pitch, again) are with insecurity, his belief that a girl will resolve that insecurity, his feeling valueless unless he can do something for the people he loves (almost like 'earning his place' in their lives) and his (almost certain) queerness...combined with how he is, at the end of the day, just another "everyman" guy.

Unlike El, Mike has some sense of personhood, his own established friends and interests and a home—but he doesn't feel like he has a place he's intrinsically appreciated, because (for whatever reason) he feels who he is inherently inadequate. Its why every season (and every time we hear Finn dig a little into Mike's character) we hear about Mike trying to serve others and "feel needed again," despite being hesitant to let them in—he desires unconditional acceptance, and to be valued for who he is inherently...while also being terrified to let people in enough to see him (lest his core identity be rejected).

When Mike and El were just friends, it was easier to sort them out as some version of "equals;" we all have friends who are in different life phases than us, or who have different needs we're trying to walk alongside as they try to meet them, which is why their friendship is cute in S1. With actual romantic partners though, we introduce an element of "trying to get your needs met" with the person you're most closely involved with...and for Mike and El, that means blending "a nebulous sense of self and desire to find an identity + family" with "a desire to have a girl fill a sense of inherent unworthiness," which, as most of us can see, leads to disaster.

Basically: From the snowball onward, writing romantic mlvn meant exploring what happens when you mix what El is looking for with what Mike tries to do to feel valued...and The Duffers have decided (rightfully, I think) that this means Mike is going to (consciously or not) move towards becoming the things El lacks to "become valuable," aka: protection from the "bad men," someone who is able to keep her safe from them, and...someone who can help her fill her needs for home + family, even though he is dramatically under-equipped at all of 12-15 to meet that task.

Because (especially s4) one of El's core needs has become a healthy father figure and found family, Mike is going to move toward behaving that way to be valuable...which means he's going to inadvertently conflate himself with the men who have also placed themselves in that role: Hopper and Brenner. It also means that Mike is going to feel that same "my child is leaving the nest" energy when El "grows up" and into herself as a wholly independent entity—which is why we see him say as much to Will in the van before the painting—

—and why it sometimes seems like El is almost "rebelling" against Mike as much as she has Hopper and Brenner over the seasons.

To your point though: all of this is inherently different from Steve and Nancy...because both Steve and Nancy had that sense of individual identity that El lacked at the start of the show. There was no space for a "parental" aspect to enter their romance in that sense—it was just two people who were incompatible, which is why they failed. Similarly, if Mike and El would have started the romantic part of their relationship at end of S4 points of the narrative—or even end of S3, after El had a second to come into her own with Max—things would have been a lot different for them, I think.

Only...that's not what happened, and...not how they're resolving Mike's insecurity about being inherently valuable. They broke Mike and El down romantically vis a vis this "she's looking for herself and he's trying to fill his own void with her" track, and then gave Will the entirety of the hand to soothe Mike's deepest fears instead, which is why Mike and El will break up and Mike will end up with and around Will more, because Will knows Mike’s heart and sees Mike as an equal even with his flaws...and loves him for it. 🤷🏽‍♀️

(There are also (in my opinion) fundamental thematic reasons they were working toward as reason why they wrote even the breakdown of mlvn that way (the themes of rejecting forced conformity, found family, and even embracing your love for things other people might think are childish are served by this "version" of the Mlvn to Byler transition) but. I can see why someone wouldn't like it if they were attached to Mike and El being close anyway lmao).

Anyway! I hope...that helps? Honestly that's just how I've come to understand it, and hope that offers some sort of solace or explanation. Its what makes the most sense to me anyway (lol).

Regardless, thanks for the ask! :)

[agirlwholovesrockstars]

as long as you love me so, let it snow

☆ EDDIE MUNSON'S MASTERLIST ☆

❣ AGATHA'S MAIN PAGE ❣

Summary : you never engage easily into any social gatherings, you're very quiet until Eddie came

Word Count : I apologize for not eyeballing the count 😭

Warnings : 18+ Rockstar!Eddie Munson x FEM!reader, language, reader and Eddie are both (20), jealous!reader, unrequited feelings, idiots in love, no use of y/n, reader is insecure at some points, modern setting, Eddie is very friendly and sweet and that alone can be shocker to reader! not in a bad way she's just not used to it, reader is not easy to form a bond at first since she's too serious and Eddie is very patient with her! 😭💖 (omg- I seriously need him- no joke)

What to Expect : strangers to lovers, friends to lovers, fluff, a bit of angst, come on, you guys it's Christmas I'm treating you very dearly with loads of content 😚

Note To Reader : I just came up with this idea that reader is usually reserved until Eddie like a switch that finally someone light up her world! 🥹🫶🏻

Author Note : I really hope that y'all gonna love the Christmas specials that I'm putting up before 2023 ends (I'm so active- like?!? WHO AM I?!?)

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!! 🎄☃️❄️💓✨

You don't usually get so excited when it's the holidays

But, you do enjoy, seeing everyone and having your stomach full from all of the feast

You're just not in the mood to interact since your social battery? can drain easily, you can't keep up that long, sometimes

Sure, you do have friends around that is genuinely do care for you and always be there for you

You're really just not an energetic person

That is until..... He came

You became friends with Nancy at the University and still- you're being in denial that you found yourself a friend

Nancy invited you over to Hawkins to spend your Christmas with them- you're very hesitant at first but you give it a try

The fact you thought you'll messed it all up because you're so nervous to meet her friends and family for the first time

It's your second time here and you just really don't understand why you feel looking forward about this, again

It's a new feeling and it's so foreign

You're leaning standing on the side of the room while watching the snowflakes fall outside

The kids are bickering each other over something and a year later you're still amused observing them

"What do you suggest that we should do?" Dustin sighs in exasperation as he holds his list of Christmas activities on his hand

He taps his pen below his chin as he couldn't taken a hold of his impatience towards his friend

He groans in frustration "Make up your mind!-"

"We should do a movie marathon- we haven't done that yet!" Max spoke up before she could hear Dustin's banter

"That's- impossible- our schedule is clearly tight! No one can attend since all of us are not available!"

"All of us?!? You haven't asked anyone yet!"

"You don't believe me?!? I'm not wrong about this, Max" Dustin throw his hands up in surrender

Max nods as she raises her eyebrows and crossing both of her arms at the same time as she jerks her head towards everyone else in the room gesturing to ask about the plan

Dustin shakes his head at her as he goes out to ask anyone

To his surprise, she's right

Max smirks at him when you're the only one left

"My god- your plan still sucks, Max" he mumbles to himself, he winces when realized he said it in his outside voice

"Could you think for a better activity?" Max replies in a sassiest way as she watches him walking towards you

"Your films choices are awful" Dustin said without looking back at her but she can see the disgust look from his face

"Hey, Top Gun is not awful!" Max shouted as she rolls his eyes at him

"Hi"

You look back at the kid in front of you, nervously clasps his hands together

"What up?" You manage to form a small smile as you bring your body forward to face him properly

He raises his eyebrows, of course- he knows that you're not into small talk but to all of young kids in the group?

You're still cool to them

Why? You seriously have no idea why someone like you and even use you as a role model

Maybe, they love you because you're very authentic and real

Yes, you being the silent one but also you're the most protective and strongest person of them all

They admire everything about you and you never ever understood it why

All you can say is that you're just so very grateful to have them in your life

So grateful

"Uh, are you game for a movie marathon with us? everyone is invited"

You nod and think about it for a moment until you can finally muster to say something back

"When?"

"This coming Saturday"

You nod again and there's your same old dialog

"Is he coming tho?"

"Who?"

"Eddie"

"Y-Yeah- I haven't asked him about it yet since he's not here and I'm sure, he'll be there"

"I'll go, why not- I'm not doing anything on that day, so...." you shrug smile at him

"Great!" The boy shows his pearls and the grin grows even more wide when he looked at over your shoulder

And the man in question is coming in to put his arms around you before you can even follow the kid's gaze- you melt within his touch

"What's happening?" He asks as he turns his head at you and Dustin

"Movie Marathon, this Saturday" you fill him in

"Ooh" he beams in interest "I am so in!"

Dustin hops lightly on the floor as he gives both of you a thumbs up as he goes back to Max who smiles so smugly at him now

"What are you doing by the window?"

You scratch your head "Watching the snow? I'm just bored- I guess" you slumped your shoulders

"Aww- just say it that you missed me" he pulls you by his side and you roll your eyes playfully

You know what he's doing, he wants you to laugh and he never fails by attempting to do so

But in fact- you really do miss him

Just too afraid to admit your feelings too vulnerable

Eddie continues to tease as you finally tug up a smile at him

"Ah yes finally there's my girl!"

You giggle as you poke his side by using your elbow as he laughs as well

"Look what I found at the store"

He surprises you by a gift, it's a small cute white teddy bear with red bow on the neck and your eyes flashes in astonishment

"Eddie- you did not-" you hold the teddy bear as he can see the joy glint on your eyes

Your gaze softens at him "Thank you"

"Don't mention it, sweets" he says as leans down to kiss on top of your head

"I am happy to see you happy" he adds and that makes your heart swell even more

You're absolutely not falling for him, are you?

"I'll be back for dinner, Nance" you announced as you check yourself in the mirror

"Going out with Eddie, again?"

"Yeah, why?" You asked her in the reflection

A mischief on her eyes, you can't miss it

She leans on her side on the wall as she watches you adding a lip and cheek tint

"Nothing, it's just that you look cute together"

You slowly turn to look at her with a look that says "Seriously?"

"I'm serious! I mean- ever since I bought you here- you two- just I don't even know how it happened- you both clicked!" She exclaims as she scoffed at you while shaking your head as you dismissive a hand at her

"And ever since then- it's obvious to everyone that if someone else sees you both- you both looked like in a relationship" she added as she waits for your reaction

"I'm sure that his only true intentions are being with friends with me, nothing more than that" you say as you put your makeup back in your shoulder bag

"Keep telling that to yourself and just watch it become real right before your very eyes" she argues with you as she takes a deep breath before continuing

"For example- you said in the first place that I ain't gonna be your bestfriend and look what happened"

She has a damn point

Seeing her smiling to herself at the back of your head knowing fucking damn well that she is indeed right to her guts

You roll your eyes at her as you open the door

"Bye, Nance" you bid goodbye with a snarky tone

She only chuckles at your ignorance as she waves at you

Eddie is always have been so caring for you

He did all of this for you

When he can do something else or choose someone else to hang out with

Instead, he always chose to be with you

Why is that?

In your friendship, Eddie is the loudest and talkative and he really doesn't mind if you don't talk a lot like him and he just admires you for being a good listener

You don't even know of how a good friend you are like you just need to know that you are

You made him realized a lot of things that he did last year when he could cut off some people

When he should've done it ages ago

You're the one that pushed him to do it and to not be scared to do it for his own well-being

You're there when he's having a hard time to move on- you even comforted him that is okay to feel this way and it's completely normal

You're an amazing person in his eyes

You made him feel that he's worthy and lovable and his mission is to make you feel that way too

You listen to him with a smile on your face, you can't fight it off everytime you spend time with him

His always animated when it comes to storytelling and it's really entertaining to watch him gush over the things that you could relate to

You're taking a big step because you're obviously not being honest with your feelings so....

"Eddie- wait a second" you interrupt him at his mid-sentence

He stops as he clears his throat, he immediately rests his hand on top of yours as you look down smiling at it

"I'm sorry, I just wanted to ask"

"Sure, go ahead"

You look through his eyes and by that you knew, you knew you could say anything to him without judgement behind it

"Why are you doing this?"

"Doing what?"

"Being so nice to me, I mean- sometimes I get confused like I don't know if it's just your personality for being this sweet or you do this with anyone"

"I like you" he says plainly with a cheeky smile that shows his dimples

You flustered at his reply "W-What?"

"I just like you- don't get me wrong- I love all of my buddies out there but whenever I'm with you- I feel complete"

"But I'm not that outgoing person"

"What do you mean?"

"What I'm saying is that don't you get tired of me? Or like get bored hanging out with me?"

"Why would I think something like that? Do you think I thought about something like that?"

You blink and your duck your head down shyly as you shook your head

You curse your negative thoughts inside your head literally ruining the beautiful moment that you're having right now

You tried your best not to think of them too long, wishing for all of it to just go away

"Listen" he leans forward to hold both of your hands

You raise your head slowly, too nervous to see the anger in his eyes but you saw nothing

Just pure understanding and compassion

Your heart skips a beat at the sight of it

"I like you for being who you are and I even more love it when we both have the same qualities like you don't give a fuck about anyone else" he exaggerates his words that you always liked and that earns a small chuckle from you and he smiles at it

"You helped me and I'll be doing the same thing with you like you have no idea- how much you mean to me and I just wanna say thank you for everything" he says with so much love on his words like you can't trace anything that is half-hearted

Every part and every word he said comes straight from his heart

He just cannot do that to you and say something like that

The feeling is really feeling, you're knocking off every tendency not to kiss him on the spot

"But I feel so bad for you like I think I'm extra hella mean to you at the first meeting"

Yeah, you're right, he knows that- hell- he even remembers everything on your first encounter together

You always have your guard up and despite your feisty and always looked so intimidating

That didn't made Eddie stop for being friends with you, like he's even the one who approached you, he is willing to do anything and so eager to be in your life

You don't stopped him

You didn't even try to push him away

You don't threaten him to go away

It's because you liked his company

You liked how he is so patient with you

You thought giving him the lousy replies and statements will make him leave but he didn't

He stayed

He is so glad that he did because he gotten the first belly genuine laughs, the first excitement from your eyes, the first cute and adorable reactions at you

As if he can read your mind "Does that stop me from being your friend?"

"No"

"Exactly"

You chuckled slightly "I just don't understand why out of all the people you chose to be friends with me"

"You don't believe that you can have a cool metalhead bestfriend like me?" He says cockily with a lazy smile on his face that made you throw fries at him

He blocked it as he blows raspberry at you "Aha! You missed!"

You chuckled as you pinch his cheeks "Gotta go at the restroom but I'm not done with you yet" you point at him

As he pretends to be petrified at you "Ooh- look at me! I'm getting killed!"

You laugh as you shake your head at him

You check yourself once more at the mirror

You swore to yourself that you're gonna tell him this time around

You gotta admit it

You inhale and exhale as you walk out of the restroom

The smile on your face falls as it lands on the girl that he's talking to

He looks.... glad?

Oh- so this is what it feels to be jealous

You feel nauseous on the scene that happening right now

The girl who is talking to him is so

You saw Eddie dismissing his hand at her as if telling her to keep the conversation short but the girl just won't let it drop as she continues to babble

You know Eddie, he is just too polite to just say "fucking shut up and leave me alone"

You feel so annoyed and also angry at the same time

You reached over at the hem of your purple dress as you crunch it down not caring if it makes a crinkle out of the fabric

You missed the fact that Eddie is now brand new upcoming artist and this is the only beginning of his career

You huffed when she finally leaves

Eddie lights up that you came back on your seat across from him but only to find the hot raging fire that is on your eyes

He doesn't even know where it is coming from

He has never seen you this angry

If you try to look at him, he swear that your looks could kill any person in the room right now

You look intimidating in your usual resting face but with a mad emotion forming up?

This is the only time that he really felt intimidated

"Is everything okay?" Trying to look at your fiery eyes, he is confused, of course- he keeps rethinking everything that made you mad

"Yeah, I'm good" you say unenthusiastically as you finish your milkshake

By the tone of your voice, suddenly the room felt too hard to breathe because you still haven't looked at him just yet because he knows you're avoiding it

He swallows as he chews quietly on his burger

The ride home was like a screeching metal sound that is begging to be stopped

It's so ridiculously quiet

You're giving him the silent treatment?

He is appalled, appalled in a way that this is how you really get upset

He's gonna remember this, so he it won't happen again

Hopefully, never again

And that was it- that was the night

You didn't say goodbye or didn't say anything after that

When Nancy saw you with the look- she knows that you needed to be alone

"What's with her?"

"Huh?"

Lucas nudges his chin towards you as he waits for Mike reply

Your usual resting face looks even more colder than before

You sitting alone in a couch, arms crossed, as you pretend to watch on whatever the TV is playing

Mike glances at you and he felt a dagger stabs through his heart when he saw your face

"Maybe, it has something to do with-"

"Eddie"

Lucas and Mike looked back at each other with raised eyebrows as they run out and look for their dungeon master

The boys knew, of course- how much he feels for you, so, they're gonna help cause' that's what real friends do

"You have to fix it" Lucas blurted it out

"What?"

Eddie is talking to Jeff and Gareth, when the two young boys interrupt their conversation

"You have to make amends with her!" Mike points at you

Eddie follows the kid's direction as he blinks rapidly and gulped

"Nah- Uh- I can't"

"Why?"

"Because- fuck- you know how she's like when she's like that?!?"

"But you have to-"

"Don't worry about it, fellas- he's already concocting a solution" Gareth speaks as he throws a wink

"He's actually talking about her with us" Jeff snickers as he watches Eddie stresses

Eddie only grumbles in response when his bandmates exposed the conversation earlier

"The look on your face is not appealing for this time of the year"

The familiar voice behind you spoke as you throw your head back at the soft surface

"Hey" you say with literally 0% energy

Robin sits beside you as she takes a good look at you

"My, My, My, I can see it- jealousy, clear as day" she gestures at your face as you scoff

She only smirks "What's going on inside your mind, huh?"

"I just saw him talking to another girl yesterday" you sneered as you clenched your jaw

She clicks her tongue as she brings herself closer to you

You furrow your brows as you watch her lean forward

The scariest thing with Robin is that she can read your fucking mind

"If you're thinking about Eddie hanging out with other girls" she clears her throat and straighten herself up

As if she prepares for an ultimate speech

"Well, for your information, sweet pea- is that he never does that to anyone, he only does that to you!" She punctuates every word she said with a finger pointing at you

Still, you won't let her see your surprised expression, you try to mask it

You tilt your head at her as you laugh in disbelief

"Please be fucking for real, Robin?"

She chuckles at your stubbornness "Girl- If you're weren't present right now, he won't attend and he won't be here if it wasn't for you"

You went silent on that because Robin is making sense

A lot of sense

"Eddie is never the one to show up in these events but when you came around- he's always here"

Robin added a lot more sizzle on the stove that made the fire inside of you grows larger

You remember that

It was so late that night but Eddie came last minute because Nancy mentioned about you staying and spending the holidays with them

You're aware that she always talks about you

That's why he's so excited to meet you in the first place

Robin smiles like a freaking Cheshire cat when she successfully made your brain go right where it belongs

Your eyes might hurt for eyerolling too much as you get up and headed towards to-

Obviously, Eddie

Robin giggles as she says "Glad to be a part of your service!"

You saw Eddie yelling over to his friends and bandmates as they stopped talking when they saw you

He knits his brows as they watch all of them go running away one by one

When he turns around, he sighs nervously

"I just wanna apolog-"

"I'm sorry"

Both of you talked over to each other as you both stare and he wants to laugh at how ridiculous this is

"I appreciate everything, you've done for me- Eddie- and I apologize for my behavior last night"

"No- it's okay-" he stopped at what he's supposed to do when

His idiotic mind finally catches up at the thing that annoyed you last night

"Oh- is that girl!"

You frown at him "Look- you don't have to bring it up-'" you sigh in defeat

"You know what- this is bullshit- I'm outta here" you walk away but he tails at you

"You can't"

"Why?!?"

"it's blizzard out there!"

You glance the window outside, it's a damn snowstorm- alright

"I'm gonna find my way out of here"

"What?! why do you want to do that?!"

"To stay the hell away at you"

He laughs darkly as he jogs over your path to block you- you crossed both of your arms

"That girl yesterday was one of the bullies that made my life, the hardest, I didn't gave her the satisfaction that just because I'm getting better at my career, I won't forget the things she do to me before"

The crease in your forehead flattens as you look at him directly

"So, you don't have to be jealous over something that isn't necessary" he finishes with that

Oh, he is speaking the truth and that makes even feel more worst than ever

Not a single fucking thing that says "dishonest" on his eyes

HE IS THE IDEAL MAN

"Guess what? Eddie- that won't convince me!" You sarcastically replied with a fake smile as you move over aside to walk out of him

He knows this wouldn't be easy, he smiles down and he's amused at this

He shook his head as he spoke again

"You missed my hint"

You halt your tracks as you look back at him

"Missed what?!?" annoyance setting in your tone

He walks towards at you with a smirk laying on his face

"I gave you a hint yesterday and you missed it"

You squint your eyes at him as you try to remember the things that he said to you

Oh

The simmering anger inside of you that almost bubbled into the boiling point has died down when it finally hit you

"I like you" his voice echoes to your mind

When you look back at him, he smiles wildly as he moves closer to you

He puts your wispy bangs on the side as he can see it hurting your eyes

Your gaze softens as he whispers "You're so pretty"

And out of the blue, there goes his antics, he goes down on his knees

"I would seriously die for you!" He shouts out loud earning an attention to some of your friends

You laugh as you try to help him get up but he won't budge

"I will worship you every single day until I die!"

Steve appears in the corner as he announces

"The Grinch is about to start y'all gonna miss it!"

You and Eddie giggle as he finally back up to his feet

Both of you get what you want to chomp down while watching the film

He gave you, your favorite, the buttered popcorn

You blushed as you about to take it he pulled you as he kisses your cheek that alone made you let out a small gasp and he smirks

Causing you to flip him off as he laughs

While heading at the living room both of you started teasing at each other

"if you left you won't be getting that popcorn"

"Yeah, yeah, you won- stop gloating already"

"You love me, don't you?"

"Shut up"

"You love meeee"

"I do"

He's like a goddamn kid, hopping like a toddler as he pulls you to his side, you look at him with a glowing smile

Unbeknownst to the both of you, Jeff, Gareth, Mike, Lucas, Dustin, Robin and even Steve both shared high-fives together when both of you finally get together at last

❄️❄️💗💗

[ediewentmissing]

Your stress levels had been launching through the roof and up into space the last few days. With all the work tasks, family fights, and general chaos in Hawkins, you were beginning to think you might quite literally explode. After the Mind Flayer made its dramatic appearance and destroyed Starcourt Mall, everything has been a mess. The nightmares you got most nights were terrifying, and apparently, you weren’t the only one getting them. Nancy, your sister, had slept in your room occasionally because she was too scared to sleep alone. The memories of the Spider-Monster gutting your ex-boyfriend, Billy Hargrove, and Max’s blood-curdling screams over the loud fireworks will forever be imprinted in the back of your brain. 

And you didn’t get a peaceful moment at home, either. Ted, your father, was getting more obnoxious by the second, and you could tell that your mum was an inch closer to divorcing him as each day passed. Mike was always in his room, refusing to interact with anybody. You couldn’t blame him. You drove home from work at the record store and threw yourself onto your bed and listened to music every night, doing the same as him. It worked like a charm, drawing out all of the shitty things that had happened out of your mind and replacing them with sexy tunes. 

You’d turned to music straight away after the mall battle, and you hadn’t let go of it since. In fact, you even brought a guitar. And it was a bloody good one, too. Cost a fortune, and most of the money you earned by working extra shifts, but it was so worth it. It was a replica of Paul Stanley’s shattered mirror guitar, hung up on your bedroom wall above your bed, practically glowing in all its glory. You started playing it a couple months ago and you were a natural. Shredding your solos daily, but only ever when nobody was home would you turn your Marshall amp on.

When Eddie visited your bedroom for the first time, you thought he was going to quite literally cry.

“Holy mother of God." He leaped onto your bed, messing it all up, and bowed down at the guitar. "When did you get this gem? And more importantly," He turns around, giving you a stern look, "Why didn't you tell me you bought it?" You shrug.

'Dunno," You moved onto the bed with him, bringing the guitar down from its mantle on the wall and placing it in Eddie's hands, his jaw-dropping even more as he carefully runs his fingers along the ridges, "And- Oh, make sure you don't cut yourself, Eds."

To be truthful, you had slit your fingers on the cracks of the instrument too many times to count. Turns out that shattered glass wasn't the best material to put on a guitar, or anything really.

He nods and traces his fingers against the neck instead.

"And it cost me an arm and a leg. So hard to find."

"I can only imagine, Y/N," He smiles, looking up at you, "So, you gonna play for me or what?"

part 2?

[constantementeimaginando]

Mike's crush on Will people, I need to visualise some pining, and importantly some jealousy

OKAY OKAY, but in season 5, Will is back in Hawkins, right, so now in Hawkins High

It's already established that he is more in the girls' radar than the rest of the boys

He might be the guy a lot of girls in highschool have a crush on, allow me to explain:

Will Byers is artistic, he is a bit shy, he is gentle and kind, and has a bit of snark so he's fun too, he is now taller and a bit bigger, the girls are not ready! swooning left and right

But he is not intimidating, not at all, so girls would come up to him and chat with him, some would outright flirt with him

And bless his soul he is so oblivious at any girls' attempts at flirting with him, he just thinks they are being friendly! So he goes along with it, chatting and laughing with them after a couple of them go by the 'make him my friend first' move (the one that 87% of the time fails, that one) he eventually is friends with a couple of them.

Lucas would talk about it with the boys on their way to class, (Will has class with Max and El, so he is not there) how Will is so popular with girls now that he is back in Hawkins, Dustin would be laughing with him too, agreeing, and Mike is just there in silence, too aware of it and he is SO annoyed by it

Everytime Mike sees Will with girls, especially that one girl with black wavy hair that always talks to him before first period, his mood is ruined, Every. Time.

Mike just wants to talk to him before first period and go to class together, is that too much to ask?!

It goes like this for more than a few weeks, too many weeks in Mike's opinion.

One day at lunch Lucas and Dustin were talking about how a lot of girls are having a crush on Will, AGAIN and Mike is not having it, and he can't hide it, he is brooding, rolling his eyes, annoyed, he just can't help it

"Dude, what's the matter?" Lucas asks him

"What?" Mike says and it comes out harsher than he expected

Lucas just lifts his eyebrows as to prove Mike why was he asking if he's okay in the first place

"Nothing, it's nothing" calmer this time

"You're being weird, you sure it's nothing?"

"Yeah, just, can we talk about something else? It's all we've talked about these days"

He then proceeds to list all of Will's interactions with his new friends (that just happen to be girls) "We all know how Will talks with Rachel before first period, and she is always there with him after class, and how Hillary just can't stop talking about him with her friends in biology, I mean, we get it, can we move on?"

Dustin looks at Lucas, questioningly, who just shrugs and mouths "I don't know"

"We haven't even talked about our next campaign" He continues "With how solicited he's been recently let's see if we are lucky enough to find Will available" Mike adds, crossing his arms

Lucas chuckles "Dude, relax, what's so wrong about Will talking to girls?"

Mike sighs, he doesn't know, he really doesn't know why he's so upset, he falters and he can't answer them

"Are you jealous or something?" Dustin asks nonchalantly as he chews on his sandwich

"What?" Mike says, startled

"Yeah man, you've been weird lately, ever since you and El broke up"

Mike has heard this before, him being weird, more quiet, and distracted after his relationship with El was over

"Since El broke up with him, you mean" Dustin adds

Lucas looks at Dustin pointedly "As I was saying, you've been kind of ... I don't know, off... and break ups can be hard, so-"

"I'm okay" Mike answers absentmindedly

"Not saying you're not, not exactly, I'm just saying that... if you wanna talk, we can talk, man"

"Yeah dude, whatever it is, we got you, like that time you ruined Nancy's project when she was at a sleepover and we had to rebuild it from scratch that night"

"Right, you were crying 'Nancy's gonna kill me!' over and over again" Lucas adds

Mike chuckles "Shut up, I wasn't crying"

"You were about to" Dustin says

Mike looks at them, fond and grateful, with a small smile on his face, the only way he knows how to thank them for getting him out of his head

Mike feels some sense of relief, for some reason unbeknownst to him, one that he can't quite point out, he feels lighter somehow; he needed to hear these words from his friends to remind him that they got him, they do.

They continue eating lunch, Mike was about to let them in on some things he was thinking for their campaign when Will finally arrives with his lunch tray to join them

"Hi, guys!" Will greets them as he sits next to Lucas

Mike looks up, a rushed "Hi!" Comes out of his mouth in a higher pitch, cracking a bit in the middle. He feels something akin to mortification, heat creeping up his cheeks.

Dustin chuckles, it's now a somewhat common occurrence among them, to have these little cracks on their voices here and there when they speak.

Will grins at Mike, his gaze shifting at Lucas now to resume their previous conversation "What were you guys talking about?" He asks them.

"Mike was about to tell us some of the things he was planning for the campaign" Dustin answers

"Cool! What were you planning on doing?" Will asks Mike.

"Right, yeah... I was saying something about -- Uh, this thing about... " Mike can't seem to find the words

"About..." Will says trying without success to make Mike remember

"Uhh..." Mike falters "I forgot what I was going to say... It'll come back later"

"For sure, it's okay, tell us later" Will tries to reassure him, offers a small smile

His cheeks feel warm and, unsure of what to do he lowers his gaze, unable to contain his smile.

Mike is so confused, why did he feel like that? How can he even describe it? Feeling dizzy? He feels kind of lightheaded

"Mike, come on, we can't be late for Mr. Jones class" Dustin says while he puts his hand on Mike's shoulder in an attempt to make him stand up, the ring bell must have gone off and he didn't realise, too much in his head

On the way to the corridor Max joins Dustin and Mike for their next class, she greets them all

"Hi!" Lucas says, enthusiastic "Have you seen El? I need to ask her something about our project"

"She was at the library, finishing an assignment" Max says and Lucas nods, "Oh, okay, I'll get going then... See you later?" Lucas asks Max to which she nods "See ya!"

Mike sees El about to go to the classroom she waves at them, smiling, all her friends wave back.

El mouths "come here" waving her arm directed at Lucas to join her, and so he is on his way to class.

"See you guys next period" Says Will, as he finds his way to see Rachel whom he shares his next class with, he greets her and she beams and greets him back getting into what looks like casual talk

Mike looks at them as they keep getting farther away, getting lost in the sea of students who are going to their next class

A pang in the chest area, a hollow sensation in his stomach, he just wants this day to be over.

Mike doesn't know what is happening, why is he feeling this way, is like he is constricted, suffocated.

And so he walks to class with Dustin and Max.

Mike, Dustin and Max get to Mr. Jones' class on time, they find their sits and Mike can't wait for this class to be over.

He just hopes he can catch up to Will after classes.

Miscommunication, pining, jealousy and obliviousness? gimme all of that, I live for that.

I know that it's gonna be the apocalypse and that it's very likely that they are not gonna be in school for the season but let me dream, I wanna see Mike pining hard,jealous, unaware and oblivious of how big of crush he has on Will

[bugsbenefit]

mike apparently has more trauma then el will and max to some of you let’s be real you guys keep creating problems for that kid to have. Hell some of you give their problems to HIM like what’s up with all the father abuse shit, we don’t know anything about Ted only that he’s an absent father. He’s not abusive like Lonnie is mike is not getting abused. Mike also didn’t go through upside down shit he’s just the side character helping el and Will since s2 let’s be fr. “Has connections to all the characters” so does hopper. Sure his character arc needs to be done but he’s not gonna be as important as el and will or heck max because she’s literally in a coma and we don’t know her fate.

I can still watch the show and not care about this guy it’s very easy to do the duffers made him unlikable anyway. If byler does happen im okay with it because it’s what Will deserves but if I were to write the show mike would not be with him. He would be with a less annoying person. But going back to him just not being as important it’s literally true I remember the fandom hating on mike when season 4 just finished but ppl have deluded themselves so hard they made him 100000 issues to uwufy him so they could excuse all the weird shit he’s done. “Hes seen wills body come out of the water” so did all his friends why are we always focusing on this kid when Will has other friends.

If I were to write the show Will would also be interacting with all the rest of the characters instead of being glued to mikes side. But that’s just me haaha

i swear is this all the same person??? what's in the water today?

and holy shit can someone finally tell me where the people are hiding that "steal" other characters plots? Mike has more trauma than anyone else... who ever said that. where are the Ted is physcially abusive people i've never seen them... have you considered just unfollowing accounts that say things that annoy you? because i've never seen any of these takes, only people complaining about them, and i'm doing great vibing on my dash

and please do tell me how Hopper has connections to all the characters, i'd love to hear your reasoning for this. Hopper has never interacted with Lucas, Dustin or Max. also none of the teens like Nancy or Jonathan. if i wanted to make the argument that Anyone else could somehow have as many on screen relationships as Mike (there isn't anyone) Hopper would be one of the last people i'd go for because he only exists in direct relation to the Byers and El plots. he doesn't get involved with anyone outside of those

nothing of what you're saying is even worth arguing with at this point, you're just really mad about a character existing and trying to rationalize how that character won't be important for the finale despite that being where the story is headed. Mike isn't going to "steal" anyone's plots or traumas i don't know why you even think that. he's a separate character with individual experiences and unique trauma. he's not going to take anything away from other characters

"why are we focusing on Mike" have you heard of cinematography before? ask the show why we're constantly getting close ups of Mike crying in these situations instead of Will's other friends. i'm not sitting here zooming in on Mike's face anytime something happens to Will or El. the show is nice and already blast the close up right over our screens because shockingly Mike's reactions seem to matter here somehow

but anyway explaining all of this to someone who just wants to complain is probably a waste of time. but as you already pointed out yourself, you're not the one writing the show so what you would do is thankfully irrelevant

[padawansubscription]

Chapter One: The Beginning

Pairing: eddie x f!reader

Summary: You're Chrissy's best friend and Vecna's latest target. You join the gang on their quest to stop Vecna. And while you're familiar with Robin Buckley, this is your first encounter with the rest, including Eddie Munson, who seems to have the wrong impression of you.

Word Count: 1.2k

Warning: language, no beta read (this is my new standard, in grammarly, i trust), mention of blood

A/N: i think this is the fastest i've ever written anything... don't think about the timeline, just let it squeeze in. i can't get enough of eddie, enzo and victor creel, like damn. take away billy and serve three new men, huh? i also don't know if this is fluff? not really, it's more platonic with a slightest hint of romance b/c i really want to be eddie's friend :) and chrissy’s friend :,)

You were in a "trance" when the group found you, stranded in the woods, your car halfway into a tree. It's a miracle that the crash didn't kill you. Granted, you suspected a concussion was on its way. You weren't floating just yet, just frozen in your car, and your eyes rolled back. This was your first vision, but you recognized the chimes from days prior.

It was Robin who discovered and brought you back, skipping through radio stations before landing on a song. You ran like hell in your vision—or what they called the "Upside Down"—until you returned to reality.

Who knew you'd meet Robin Buckley, Nancy Wheeler, Steve Harrington, and three freshmen all in one day while nursing a literal bloody headache? Oh, and there was Eddie Munson.

"Vecna?" You repeated, squinting your eyes at Dustin, who had been catching you up for the past half-hour. You were trekking through the woods, guided by the kid's erratic compass.

"He's a character from—" Eddie started.

"Dungeons and Dragons," you interrupted, turning with a frown. "Yeah, I know. I just...didn't realize we were using D&D as our reference. Sorry, carry on." You gestured to Dustin, who nodded and opened his mouth when—

"You play D&D?" Eddie quirked a brow.

"Why? Because I'm a girl?" You retorted, your question coming off sharper than you intended, though your irritation was genuine. Eddie held up both hands in defense.

"No, I just—"

"Oh, for crying out loud!" Dustin shouted, "yes, we're calling him Vecna! Can we please move on now?"

"Hey," you stopped Dustin by the shoulder, causing the entire group to pause and stare. Steve cast a wary glance at Robin. "Watch your tone," you warned, voice low and grave. "This creature, Vecna. He's the one who killed Chrissy?"

Dustin glanced at your bloody hand on his shoulder before swallowing. "Yeah. And Fred Benson."

"And there's a gate nearby?" You pointed at his compass. He nodded again. "And we're going in to kill him?"

"I don't know if we can kill him but—"

"Thanks. I'm in." You patted his shoulder, leaving behind crimson fingerprints on his jacket. "Sorry," you winced, "I'll get you a new one."

Dustin grimaced at the mark, muttering a small "gross" before shrugging off your grip and joining his younger friends. Everyone resumed their walk, the tension now relieved.

"I've been trying to set that kid straight for months," Steve sighed in exasperation, running a hand through his luscious hair.

"He's got an attitude problem."

"Right? Thank you! It's his tone, it's so condescending!"

You blushed at his casual interaction. Holy fucking hell. You couldn't believe you were talking to THE King Steve. You didn't even know Robin knew the guy. Something to pry about later.

"You don't have to do this," Nancy approached you. "It's dangerous and really, you should get that checked out." You watched as her eyes flickered to your temple, which, by the feel of it, must look nasty.

"I'm fine." You gave her a reassuring smile, brushing your hair forward in a pathetic attempt to hide the injury. "Besides, I don't have a Walkman," you jerked your head to Max, patting the cassette tape in your jacket pocket. "And I kind of want to kill the guy? Let's just say things got a little personal. I'll rest when I'm dead."

"Remind me not to get on your bad side," Robin whistled.

"You, Robin? Never." You chuckled in response.

------

It was inevitable that you slowed down. You smiled and shrugged off whatever worries the gang expressed, constantly telling them that you're fine, really—you'll get it checked out once everything's over. You were the last in your group. Just a few feet away, still in everyone's line of sight. You were zoning out, thinking back to the car accident, to your vision, when a voice pulled you back.

"Hey."

You startled, whipping your head, only to regret it in an instant. "Fuck," you groaned, carefully massaging the back of your head, at the growing migraine.

"Easy there," Eddie purred. There was something about the way he spoke. Every line of dialogue was like a melody, a lyric. But then again, this was Eddie Munson. The man lived for theatrics. You've seen him in the cafeteria, always jumping on tables and shit, antagonizing anyone and everyone around him, especially the jocks. And it didn't help that you often sat with Jason and his crew.

"Just so we're clear, chicks can totally play D&D."

"Thanks for the permission. I'll let my fellow females know."

"What? No, I—" he groaned, "What I'm trying to say is: I wasn't surprised that you played D&D because you're a chick. I was surprised because, I mean, you're one of the popular kids."

You stared at him, mouth agape before a snort escaped you. "Dude, I'm in Chess Club."

"Yeah, and you're friends with Jason Carver! Don't even deny it, I know you sit with them during lunch."

"No," you corrected him, "I'm friends with Chrissy." You felt Eddie's gaze as you frowned, eyes averting to the ground, confused. You haven't accepted your loss just yet—you were in denial.

Eddie let out a soft "oh" next to you, clearing his own throat as he scratched the back of his neck.

"You know there are other campaigns, right?" You quickly changed the subject, "you're not the only Dungeon Master at Hawkins High."

"You're a DM?" His eyes widened. He's seen you before; you both shared a few classes in the past, but never shared a word. He figured you were another popular asshole with a bland personality. You were always quiet, reserved, and not particularly expressive in class. So it shocked him when he saw you with the others, laughing casually without any effort. And while he did see you by Chrissy's side more than anybody else's, he assumed it was because you were both girls, not due to any deep friendship.

You shook your head. "D.K.'s our DM, but he's graduating soon, so I'm learning the ropes. You're looking at a level twenty warrior."

"Impressive."

"Maybe you can check out my campaign next year. I'm planning something big."

"Perhaps," he gave you a wry smile, to which you frowned.

"Just so you know, this is a one-time offer expiring in exactly..." you glanced at your naked wrist, tapping at an invisible watch, "one minute."

Eddie barked out a laugh. "I'm graduating this year. Who knows where I'll be next."

"Holy shit. Eddie Munson is graduating graduating?"

"Graduating graduating. This is my year, baby."

"Congratulations," you gave a heartfelt clap, "may you leave this wretched town forever."

"After this?" He let out a huff. "Yeah, I'm getting the fuck out of here. Although... I guess I can stay for a month or two, see how the kids carry on my legacy. We also have a semester left if you want to check out Hellfire."

"Perhaps," you turned to Eddie, meeting his gaze for the first time. He barked out a laugh and you couldn't help but chuckle along. And for a moment, just for a moment, you forgot about the tragedy that surrounded you both, focusing only on his laugh and the warmth reaching your ear. And unbeknownst to you, he also forgot about everything as his eyes flickered to your lips, catching the way it curved with each chuckle.

[bonesgadh]

My opinion on what I think is going to happen to Max (more like a compilation of every rant and thought I've had for the last 4 days).

The "Max is brain dead" statement (a.k.a no, she is not)

In a recent interview with Josh Horowitz for his "Happy Sad Confused" show, the Duffers referred to Max as being brain dead and blind (here's the link to the part of the interview in which they said it). Now, the reason why I have an issue with this is that there's no way Max is brain dead. Why do I say this? Let me explain:

Over the years, there has been some controversy over the definition of brain death and its criteria. I won't get too much into it because I'm not a doctor, but I did my research and this is what the NHS says (the first screenshot is from this website and the second is from this one):

According to the National Library of Medicine, apnea (slowed or stopped breathing) is an essential finding in brain death. An apnea test is a mandatory examination for determining brain death, it provides an essential sign of definitive loss of brainstem function. In short, a brain dead person cannot breathe without a ventilator.

Let me ask you something: do you see a ventilator? (The machine on the right is a patient monitor btw).

There's none, which means Max is not, in any way, on life support. Therefore, she is not brain dead. Easy as that. While it's true that people who are unconscious for a longer time might transition to brain death, it's not Max's case (not yet, at least). So either the Duffers don't know the criteria for brain death, or they randomly threw the term in an attempt to explain Max's state, or they confused it with being in a coma due to cardiac arrest (which seems to be her case), or all of the above.

Why couldn't Eleven find her in the void?

There are 3 reasonable explanations (within the show's logic) as to why this happened:

A coma is a state of unconsciousness and minimal brain activity with no signs of awareness. So it could be that due to the nature of her condition, her mind appears to be empty even if it's not; it's simply... absent. This is the option I like the most because it's backed by science.

Vecna somehow kidnapped/absorbed her mind. This is the most plausible one because of the context that has been given within the show.

Her mind is stuck somewhere else, possibly hiding from Vecna.

Gonna elaborate on the first two in a bit.

The original pairings/groups issue

In the same interview with Josh Horowitz, the Duffers said they are looking forward to returning to the original pairings/groups from S1. I recovered the information from this EW article.

The original groupings and pairings are:

The core 4 kids: Lucas, Dustin, Mike & Eleven (and Will to some degree because he is an original character, but he was in the Upside Down for almost the entire season and had very little interaction with the rest of the group).

The teenagers: Jonathan, Nancy & Steve.

The adults: Joyce & Hopper.

This leaves a few characters in an unknown position, particularly Erica, Robin, and Max (the Duffers said S5 will be set entirely in Hawkins, so I'm not considering the characters from other locations: Murray, Suzie, Argyle, Yuri, and Dmitri "Enzo"). Putting Max into a coma was probably the easiest scenario they could come up with to set her aside, reduce the number of characters as much as possible, and focus more on the original ones.

If the Duffers wanted to kill Max, they would have done it already

This is probably the strongest argument against the "Max won't survive" theory: it simply makes no sense from a narrative POV.

I come from the Game of Thrones fandom. GoT was a show built on the premise that any character could die, no matter how important they were (and even D&D didn't have the guts to kill many of them). Stranger Things has never been like that, the characters who have died have almost always been recently introduced ones: Barb, Bob, Alexei, Chrissy, Eddie, and Jason (except for Papa but fuck him). So far the Duffers haven't messed up with any main character, and I doubt they'll start doing it now.

They had a great opportunity (for lack of a better word) to kill Eleven and Will in S1, Hopper in S3, and pretty much everyone in S4. If they wanted to kill Max, they had at least two "perfect" moments to do so: the first one when she actually died in Lucas' arms, and the second one in a scene that didn't happen but for a hot moment I swore it would:

When I saw Eleven had restarted Max's heart but she was unconscious, my first thought (and fear) was they were setting the ground for a scene in which everyone said their goodbyes. Given Max's arc during the season and what she said about feeling depressed and alone, it made sense in my head to have her die surrounded by her friends telling her how much they loved her. And to have a final montage of everyone reading the letters she wrote for them.

But then, when it didn't happen, I realized it would have been pretty stupid of the Duffers to kill Max, revive her and get everyone's hopes up, only to kill her again. So yeah, if they made such a big deal of Eleven saving her, it will make absolutely zero sense to kill her for real. Just sayin'.

Sadie doesn't know Max's fate

Yesterday, Sadie gave an interview to Deadline and said she has no idea what will happen to Max. She could be lying, of course, but I find it unlikely.

The Star Wars inspiration

In this interview with Collider, the Duffers mention getting inspiration from Empire Strikes Back to write the ending for ST4. The article even points out the parallel between Han Solo ending the movie frozen in carbonite and Max's coma.

As the massive Star Wars fan that I am, I was surprised at the parallel. Almost all of the Stranger Things fandom is convinced that, if Max wakes up, she will be blind, which could also be a reference to Han Solo's blindness after awakening from his carbonite hybernation (although Han's condition was established to be temporary from the start, while Max's seems pretty definite to me). Of course, the fact that the Duffers drew inspiration from ESB does not necessarily mean S5 will be like Return of the Jedi. But if Han being frozen in carbonite is what inspired them to write Max's coma, it would make sense they have her wake up early in the season (just like Han).

What I think all of the above means for Max

The most popular theory so far says that Max's mind was taken by Vecna and is trapped somewhere else, and that's why Eleven couldn't find her. If this is true, the most logical answer is that when Vecna dies and Max's mind is recovered, she will wake up.

Yesterday I stumbled upon this user's (renaissancemeetsworld) post about The Void, a card from D&D, and it pretty much convinced me that the theory might be correct:

Now, I think it's interesting to point out that Max didn't die like the rest of Vecna's victims. Technically speaking, Vecna didn't get to finish her off because he was interrupted by Eleven, so the process wasn't completed. Even if Max did die, she was brought back, which weirdly makes her both a victim and a survivor of Vecna's curse.

Vecna is said to take everything from his victims. Not only does he kill their minds, he also destroys their physical bodies. This is why if the theory of Max's mind being held hostage by Vecna is true, Eleven resuscitating her (a.k.a saving her physical body) is the key to her survival. The other victims are basically fucked because even if Vecna is defeated and releases their minds, they won't have a physical body to return to. But Max would, and that's why the Duffers made Eleven restart her heart.

However, I have a major issue with this theory, even if it seems like the most plausible:

Vecna is the main villain of Stranger Things, which means he should be defeated right at the end or near the end of the show, based on the traditional storytelling structure in which the big bad is defeated in the end. If this happens and Max's mind is finally free once he dies, then it would be safe to assume Max will stay in a coma for the entirety of ST5. This scenario holds a significant inconvenience: Max being kept in the penalty box for the entire season would be very lackluster and anticlimatic after everything that happened in S4. Max is a well-beloved character and Sadie is, in my opinion, the best actor in the show; therefore, setting her aside would be a terrible waste (even if Max continues to appear but we only see her inside her mind or something).

What would I like to happen?

We know there will be a time jump in S5, although we don't know how far into the future the Duffers will take the story. However, given the sense of urgency of the S4 finale (the Upside Down/Hawkins barrier is gone and they are one-and-the-same now), it can't be that big of a time jump. Like, there's no way the characters are going to carry on with their lives when everything is literally collapsing around them.

People can be in a coma for days or weeks, even longer in more uncommon cases. So I would like for Max to begin S5 still in a coma but wake up early in the season, either because the group finds a way to retrieve her mind without having to kill Vecna first, or because her body recovers enough for her to regain consciousness, or something along those lines.

Oh and I wouldn't be too mad if they give us some scenes of her adjusting to being blind and waking up with some awesome ability that will be crucial to killing Vecna ✌🏼

[andiwriteordie]

WHY DOES THE STORY BELONG TO JONATHAN BYERS (god you're so right but tell me why)

ABBY MY BELOVED THANK GOD I AM SO GLAD YOU ASKED.

okay, okay, for starters, this song is just so good, like it's the perfect amount of realistic but also tentatively hopeful as well? and how the narrator of this song is just someone who watches and observes other people's lives, but then also relates this back to their own life? yeah. jonathan.

okay, let's do this:

Let me tell you a story About a boy and a girl It's kinda short, kinda boring But the end is a whirl They were just sixteen When the people were mean So they didn't love themselves And now they're gone Headstones on a lawn

this section, of course, reminds most people in the fandom of lucas and max, and honestly i agree! "they didn't love themselves" really just screams max to me, and then of course, the line "headstones on a lawn" is reminiscent of how lumax's arc has ended (thus far) in s4. now, we don't see jonathan interact very much with lucas or max; however, we do know that jonathan canonically is very involved with will's life and has always been. so, with lucas growing up as one of will's best friends, we can assume then jonathan knows lucas (as well as mike and dustin), and then with the upside down entering everyone's life, jonathan knows max too. jonathan doesn't have that much of a relationship with these two, but as we've seen from his personality and other subtext, jonathan is an incredibly observant person who is in the background watching others and how they interact. so, the less intimate, more detached introduction to this story, fits jonathan's dynamic with this couple.

And when I was younger I knew a boy and a boy Best friends with each other But always wished they were more 'Cause they loved one another But never discovered 'Cause they were too afraid of what they'd say Moved to different states

i mean... come on. we all saw this one coming. it's jonathan with byler, clearly. like we've already established, jonathan is someone who watches and who sees thing. jonathan, in my opinion, is the person who actually best understands byler's relationship. he was there for mike's shed monologue. he was there for will's van monologue. he was there for mike's pizza monologue. he's known mike since he was five, and he's witnessed how will and mike interact with each other for a decade now! so, if anyone is clued into what is going on, it's jonathan, and i think the show is telling this to us too (evidenced by the mirror shot in the van scene). also this is me advocating for a mike and jonathan conversation in s5 because pls my boy needs someone who can gently call him out on the lies and get him to be more genuine (in the same way jonathan challenged nancy's facade in s1).

Oh, and I'm afraid that's just the way the world works It ain't funny, it ain't pretty, it ain't sweet Oh, and I'm afraid that's just the way the world works But I think that it could work for you and me Just wait and see It's not the end of the story

okay, okay, god i love the chorus of this song. remember i said this song is the perfect amount of realism mixed with a tentative hope? yeah, that's jonathan in my opinion. jonathan is a character who has struggled so much in his life. the byers family has suffered a lot, even before the upside down entered their lives, and so, by the time we meet jonathan, he's a character who is more hardened. he's 16, but he's had to grow up really quickly. he knows how the world works. he knows how awful people can be because he's experienced it. he's lived through his father's abuse and abandonment of their family, through significant bullying from his peers, through having to raise his little brother, through stepping up in ways a kid shouldn't have to. and yet, we also see that jonathan (much like his mom and his brother) is inherently good. he has a good heart. he does his best to be there for will and for his mom, and he protects them with everything he possibly can. that extends to other characters too. most obviously with nancy in their relationship, because duh. and then we also see that in how jonathan is quick to take care of el (s3) and how he protects mike too (s3 and s4). so, for me, when i see that, i see that hope buried underneath all the things he's been through. (although s4 is probably one of the lowest points of jonathan, where he himself doesn't hold much hope in his own life, but still is able to extend that love and instill some hope in his little brother.)

Now it's on to the sequel About me and my friend Both our parents were evil So we both made a bet If we worked and we saved We could both run away And we'd have a better life And I was right I wonder if she's alright

alright, here we go. now, we shift in this moment towards the narrator talking about themselves, which fits incredibly well for jonathan's own story with nancy. the two of them come from different worlds, but they still connect and find ways to relate to each other. "both our parents were evil," most obviously points to lonnie, but also to nancy's own strained relationship with her family. and then the next lines, i see so much of jonathan and nancy's story here—how they're both dreaming and striving for something more than what hawkins has to offer. how neither one of them really want to get stuck in this small town kind of mentality (though for different reasons i'd say, but that's a separate though lol), and how they're navigating through those dreams separate but also together. and those last couple lines of this verse just reminds me then of how s4, we see jancy separated from each other... not really speaking, but still thinking of each other. they're in a rough patch of their relationship right now, and maybe they'll stay together (which i would hope tbh), or maybe they don't. but i still think however it ends up for jonathan and nancy, he holds that mentality of loving/caring deeply for nancy and hoping the best for her, even if it doesn't necessarily involve him. (again, jonathan's in such a rough place in s4 right now, so hopefully, we'll see more of that hope of "i think it could work for you and me" come as they work through their issues. or... ya know. jonathan and steve could just date. that'd be cool too.)

Okay And the movie's always running in my head All the people, all the lovers, all my friends And I hope that they all get their happy end In the end

skipping to the bridge now, since this is the last section of unique lyrics in the song! the line "the movie's always running in my head" sums up jonathan byers so well. i think about that scene in s1, where jonathan and nancy talk about how he takes pictures when he believes someone is "saying" something. jonathan has always been an outsider and is established as someone who chooses to stay back and to observe, rather than particularly join in with the conversations and the relationships with others (the exceptions being his family, nancy, and argyle of course). so, as i think about the bridge, i just think about jonathan just watching. seeing all these people in his life—some that he knows well, others that he doesn't know as well—and just observing what they're trying to say. what their body language and their interactions with each other show him. what, if he were taking a picture and considering what to capture as a photographer, is being communicated by the actions of the people around them.

and for the people that are in jonathan's life—people like lucas and max, and will and mike, and even nancy and himself—i imagine jonathan does want a happy ending for all of them. because authenticity is important to jonathan byers. he's seen how the world can be and how easy it is for people to hide pieces of themselves. he's done it himself, too many times. and you know, maybe it's hard for him right now to fathom that he'll get a happy ending (as we see he's in a low place in his own mental health right now), but i do think jonathan is over there hoping and just wanting what is best for the people around him—what will make them their most authentic selves.

(someone should probably turn the camera back on him and tell him that it's okay to be himself too and to care for his own needs, because god knows jonathan byers needs to be told this)

[findafight]

Why do you (personally) think so many Steve fans loathe the idea of him becoming a dad? becoming a parent is the only dream we know he has, but it's thrown in the trash in most fics. I keep reading about steve being childless by choice, because the party is enough for him, which I really don't get, they're only 4 years younger than him, their relationship is brotherly, not parental, and they have their own parents who raised them. I love found family, but it's not the same as raising children

Oooh. Anon you are so bold giving this to me, a person who has an elaborate studio era lavender marriage au where Steve and Robin just. Get adopted by children who break into their house AND one where Steve becomes brotherdad to his half sister. A person who clearly also doesn't know why people have future!Steve childless. Man attracts kids like the pied piper.

But let me try. I have some ideas.

First off there's less space between Steve and Dustin than me and my little sister, but more than me and my big brother, so I can for sure say, you definitely become more friends less caretakery with your siblings once you/they are not fourteen. Still protective though. Maybe many people writing those don't have close sibling relationships with moderate age gaps? Like, there's a point where you feel comfortable letting your little sibling do mostly whatever, because they're big, but you're not gonna let them get hurt if you can stop it. There's also never a point where you stop looking at your older sibling to help you. That doesn't mean my big brother is like my dad?? It's very different, and that's important!! The Party for sure has a sibling-like relationship with Steve, especially Dustin, and Max, and I'd say Lucas (he has a little sister, but no older sibling, and Steve and Erica are scoops troop bonded so. Bonus brother for Lucas!)(will and Mike have their own older siblings. El and Steve interaction WHEN!!!!) and they all have actual parents. So yeah. Steve has a gaggle of little siblings he'd fucking die for, and his kids are going to have so many uncles/aunts/non-binary sibling of parent (there is no good word for that)

So. I think it's possible that because a lot of people headcanon Steve as queer, that immediately makes "having kids" a bit more complicated given the state of things for queer folk in the 80's. That's fair.

With that, possibly people sort of...transfer Steve wanting kids and a big family to working with kids. Which isn't that big of a leap for Steve! He obviously does well with the Party and Erica, and he canonically worked as a lifeguard, which almost definitely means he taught swimming too! (Small pool def wanted duel certs. Trust me). He likes kids, works well with them, and wants them. These are three things that are separate, but blend well with each other.

However I don't really agree. Obviously being parents was harder for gay/queer people in the eighties, especially men. But it wasn't unheard-of! I think saying that because he's queer and in a relationship with a man in the eighties that he'd have to give up on his dream of being a dad is rude. There would be obstacles but, really, I think Steve would see it as totally worth it.

Another reason I think people don't want to give future Steve kids is. Listen it's been a while since I saw it but. His little speech was pretty embarrassing. Mostly because it was to Nancy. And that he followed up on the way to vecna and said he thought it would be her there too... Literally any other character would have made it not awkward, but because he and Nancy haven't talked about anything other than the upside down since season 2, it was awkward and bad. If it was ANYONE ELSE it would have been so cute (it still kinda is just. Ignore that they tried to give stancy development without actually giving them development) like if Robin was there? If Dustin or Max? Erica? Lucas? Were sitting in that seat, it'd be Steve sharing a dream of a big family he had, trying to lighten the mood, of opening up to people he cared about. They'd tease him, but the implication of him wanting them there as well would be clear and very cute. Adorable.

Because those are characters that don't have the same baggage in their relationship with Steve, but the six nuggets speech was made to Nancy so immediately it's already a bit off for people who want the characters to actually, y'know, talk about the past and move forward from it. Nancy and Steve's relationship is so messy and interesting and if they wanted me to get into actually rooting for it then maybe they should have an actual conversation about it!! And have Nancy break up with Jon before!! Not just half dreams of the future while her bf isn't there!

People also try to use it as saying Steve assumed Nancy would? Just be a Sahm? Or something? When that was never the implication? Maybe Nancy would have interpreted it that way, but I didn't. Steve wanted a big family who spent lots of quality time together having adventures. Six kids is a lot, but I betcha if Steve thought that much about having that many kids and road tripping to the ocean, he was probably imagining being the primary caretaker of those lil nuggs. He was daydreaming about first day of kindergarten and tearing up for real I know it.

Also I think people are cowards if they don't think Robin and Steve would get convenience married and adopt a couple kids even tho Robin is slightly terrified of toddlers (they are fast and they BITE) and Steve would be Robin's trophy husband who's a stay at home dad that wages physiological suburban warfare by being a Wife Guy and the envy of all early nineties housewives.

[cluelessbees]

El and Mike — An Analysis (Part 2) 

**Quick warning. Yes, I am a Byler shipper. This post won't focus on Byler but will have references to it. This is merely my analysis on both characters and their relationship. If you don't agree you can scroll. This is all just my interpretation~~**

(Also these are all things people probably have said before but I'm just going off what I've noticed from my last rewatch).

(Part 1)

El's Relationships:

Alright, so here I'm going to analyse the relationship dynamic between El and Max, the Byers, and Hopper. I wanna explore and explain why I think each of them are significant and how they create a super healthy support system for El. (Mike comes later on).

Okay, to start.

El and Max:

Them. Elmax. I love them. Platonic? Romantic? Either way I love them.

In season 2, we see that El sort of has a bit of disdain towards Max- mainly because she sorta of felt like Max was her replacement for Mike.

I really think that idea comes from her knowledge from romantic movies again. In romantic movies- especially in the 80s, guys and girls can't be friends. There's always something more underneath.

Going back to El and Max. So, we don't really see them get close until season 3. And, like I said, it's important that El has friends that are girls. There are things that girls experience that boys don't. Talking in the terms of the 80s– sexism being a big one (I mean it still is- but know the 80s... shits worse). There are gender roles that are always in play whenever girls and guys interact. Even if it's not intentional, they're still there. They're present.

And we see them present, although (most likely) not intentional, in how Hopper and Mike treat El. In season 3 mainly. (Which I think if a season where the writers chose to focus a lot on sexism– both with el and max, and with Nancy and her mom).

Hopper is super protective over El. He doesn't like that she's dating boys. Yes, it's out of love- but if El was a guy...could you honestly believe that Hopper would act the same? He tells Mike that he will 'continue to allow you to date my daughter.' That sexist language. You would never hear a dad say that he's allowing a girl to date his son.

And Mike...

Need I say more- (Yes I will say more. I have so much to say about Mike...later)

Until now, El has only been close with men. But now she has Max. And Max is completely different to them.

In season 3, she mainly acts like a foil to Mike when it comes to El. She goes against a lot of what he believes. Mike thinks El should follow the rules and stay inside the cabin. Max doesn't– she think El is capable enough to go out alone, to not care. Mike thinks El should stay with him in a relationship. Max doesn't– she says screw that break up with him.

In season 3, Mike essentially is El's personality (you can see it all over her room, everything is Mike– pictures of him, drawings of his name, his old posters etc.). Max comes and kinda shakes it all up. Where Mike is conformity and playing it safe, Max is rebellion and a risk taker. She lets her try new clothes that are loud, bright, new. They are polar opposites– two extremes. I don't think either are completely right but both are important.

Max is a new perspective. She gives El a new view of the world. She shows her female superheroes exist. She goes shopping with her. She buys her dresses. She shows her femininity. She shows her how she has power and control– how she can ignore Mike or break up with him. That El doesn't need him.

Max helps El get the courage to do more– to be risky. To try new things. To see what she likes– without thinking about Mike or Hopper.

Before Max, El didn't really have that.

El and Hopper:

I've touched on them a lot in the first part.

It's a beautiful relationship really. Yes, neither of them are perfect. But they learn how to love again with one another. They build a family together.

Goddamn just look at how they hug in the gif.

I'll briefly summarise what I said before and then sorta add more.

So, Hopper is El's actual father figure– as in, he's a healthy father figure (Unlike Dr Brenner aka Papa). He gives her a form of unconditional love. She doesn't have to worry that he's going to hurt her. Even in the beginning, even with how messy they both were, his intentions were never to take advantage of her powers. He just wants her to be safe. I think that's why she can rebel in season 2. She can go against him and fight back because she doesn't feel like she'll be punished for voicing her disagreements.

Both Hopper and the Byers create a family for El- a healthy one.

Speaking of which-

El and The Byers:

These bitches. I love them. I love this family. I love the Hopper-Byers dynamics. I crave it. I want- no I need more of them in season 5.

I'm going to go into depth on El's relationship with Will and Jonathan, Joyce, and then after I'll mention the importance of El having a found family.

Alright

El and Joyce:

So, we all know that El has a super complicated relationship with her mother. Her mom, Terry, gets El (or Jane) taken away from her. She then tries to get her back, but ends up getting shocked into catatonia.

Because of this, she's never had a maternal or mother figure. That was taken away from her.

But now, she has Joyce.

Well, it wouldn't be fair to say now. Joyce becomes a mother figure to El in season 1. If you think about to the scene in the deprivation pool they made- Joyce was there. Her voice was what helped El calm down after finding Barb. She holds El after everything. She makes sure El feels safe no matter what.

Then, in season 4, we see that El gets integrated into the Byers family. Whilst, yes, we didn't get enough time with them, there is a lot of details we can see that show us a glimpse of their life together.

El has the famous Byers haircut design, Joyce cuts her hair– just like she cuts her other children's hair. She refers to El as one of her kids. She has three kids.

El and Will (& Jonathan):

(I love these wonder twins so much)

Okay so, with El and Will, we see such a strong sibling bond between them already. I mean that hug in the desert said so much. They care and love each other so much.

Both Jonathan and Will say their El's brothers- no hesitation. Even in Rink O Mania, Will says "For mom's work." He's referring to Joyce as both of their mom's. I just think thats such an important part because he's not saying it to anyone but El. They are siblings.

They don't bully her like her siblings in the lab. On the contrary, they want her safe. They literally travel thousands of miles just to save her.

It's not just that even. I'd argue that the way Will treats El even in school is incredibly brotherly. He's not one to just yell in class for everyone to shut up. Will is a shy kid. It's not in his nature, but he does try his best to support her in his own ways.

He gives her nods of encouragement when she's about to present. She looks at him in class when she needs to feel comfort (the literal definition of a support system, which I'll talk more about at the end of this post). He helps her pick up her diorama, he tells her they'll fix it together. He cares for his sister. He loves her so much.

And- in my opinion, I think the way he supports her is what she needs. He doesn't interfere. He doesn't assume he knows best but he lets her try and stand up for herself. It's not perfect yes, but I think it's what El needs.

He doesn't tell Mike that El's lying because he gives her the choice to do it. He lets her decide because it's her secret to tell. It's her choice- and she has to live with the consequences. He only tells Mike when he thinks she's going to get hurt.

Again, it sorta pushes her to be more independent, but he still tries to be there for her as a support system. Again, not perfect, but he tries. He's not suppose to be this bigger brother who can call out bullies. He's the same age as her, they're going through this together. He's trying his best, and he doesn't act like he knows better. He gives her advice and support but he lets her decide.

El and the Hopper-Byers Family:

Going back to the idea of a support system I mentioned in the first part.

The Hopper-Byers family dynamic would (and lowkey is) exactly what El needs. She needs a family- she needs a healthy support system that she can lean onto. And I genuinely think that's what the hopper-byers family dynamic gives her. She gets a healthy paternal and maternal figure, and she gets brothers who support and care for her (rather than see her as competition).

They only want the best for her.

I genuinely believe that El's arc in the finale season will revolve around her becoming her own person– and her having a family will allow her to do that. She'll feel comfortable enough to try new things, and she'll learn who she is. And if things turn to shit, she'll have her family to lean on.

I'll touch on this more in later parts, but I truly believe her arc is about needing a family and not a boyfriend. She needs to discover herself. She needs to know who she is before she can share that with anyone.

I love El so much- it's no joke she means so much to me. I know there's a possibility the season will end with her dying but I truly don't think that's going to happen. I just think she'll be able to actually live her life.

---

I'll be honest- I thought I could write all parts in one sitting but I'm super drained. I'll write about Mike's part tomorrow and if I have the energy to- I'll talk about their relationship. But yeah I hope I'm making sense. Thank you of reading my rambles!

And- sorry for any grammar and spelling issues-

[ronance4everbrainrot]

Since I love Robin being the dad so much. I searched up Dad Jokes and I'll write small interactions/reactions from the person she told the jokes to.

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"What do a tick and the Eiffel Tower have in common?" Robin, who is trying to distracted herself and already chuckling at the joke, asked Nancy, who's removing a tick on the back part of Robin's knee. Nancy just sighs and flatly ask "what" Robin calms down her laughing and says "They're both Paris sites." Nancy didn't want to admit it, but that actually was a good joke, so she just rolls her eyes with a tiny smile.

__

Nancy, Robin and Max are on a Europe road trip "What's the best thing about Switzerland?" Max's asks Robin's. Robin thinks fkr a second and tries to keep a serious face "I don't know, but the flag is a big plus." Max and Nancy look confused at first "Why would that be importan- Oh..." Nancy starts and realizes what Robin meant. Robin starts cackling and snorts at her end "I'm going to throw you out of this moving car" Nancy threatens, trying to act annoyed and hide a smile. Max looks at them confused from the back seat but then also realizes what Robin meant and groans in annoyance "please do"

__

Erica was too lazy to put on her shoes, being too full from all of the food she ate at the Wheelers. She turns to Robin and asks "Dad, can you put my shoes on?" Robin knew Erica just called her dad so Robin would be more likely to do it, but what she doesn't know is that she has a joke up her sleeve. "No, I don't think they'll fit me." she says with a serious face and brows furrowed in confusion of the weird question. Erica groans and rolls her eyes in annoyance "You really are a dad with all your dad jokes" "Thank you" Robin smiles "that wasn't a compliment" Erica reminds her "Well I see it as one, because it means you actually see me as a dad" Erica just let's out a scoff and finally stands up herself to put on her shoes.

__

While watching a movie, Robin leans over to Nancy and asks "What did Baby Corn say to Mama Corn?" Nancy's eyes left the screen for a moment and stares at Robin's grinning face with a 'don't you dare' look "Where's Pop Corn?" Nancy just looks back at the screen and monotonly says "Getting Milk" Robin pouts and scoff at that. Nancy internally smiles in satisfaction. Robin also smiles internally, since Nancy made a joke.

__

"I asked your dog what's two minus two." Robin says as she comes back into Max's house. Max looks at her confused "He said nothing." Max just lifts an eyebrow until she understands what Robin meant and just throws a pillow at Robin. "I'm never going to ask you to help me with my homework again"

__

They are in the upside down at the Creel house. Robin and Nancy followed Steve and jumped around the vines. Robin being the nervous-rack she is, tries to lighten the situation with jokes. "You know, I never trusts stairs" she chuckles nervously "They're always up to something" Steve groans "Oh goody, she's in the 'Dad Jokes' nervous stage" Nancy trying to hide her amused smiles, just shakes her head with fondness.

After all the chaos of almost choking to death. Robin takes some deep breaths and is laughing "See- I told you- the stairs were- up to something-" Steve just rolls his eyes with a smile, relieved that they're all ok. Nancy also rolls her eyes with fondness, because of course Robin would still make jokes after almost dying.

__

While watching a movie at the Wheelers, they all had their own little dip for their Nachos. Robin had cheese like most of them, but some of them had Sour Cream or Salsa or anything reay. Dustin had Sour Cream?/Salsa? (just not cheese) as dip, and Robin is the only one near him with the cheese dip, and he wanted to try, so he turns to the side and reaches for her dip, thinking she wouldn't notice. But Robin notices and said "What do you call cheese that isn't yours?" she warns Dustin, who stops his movement "Nacho cheese." Dustin groans at both the joke and that he didn't get the cheese dip, and turns to look at the TV again, shoulders sagged in defeat. Lucas next to Robin, high fives her "That was one of your best jokes!" he compliments quietly, as to not disturb the movie watching. "Robin just smiles at this "Thanks bud, but you don't have to be cheesy about it" she winks and Lucas snorts at her jokes again. "Well-" Lucas gets cut off by Erica, who's on Robin's other side and told them to shut up. The others mostly ignored/didn't hear the tiny conversation, but Max, who was on the floor between Dustin and El, stares up at Robin and then Lucas and just shakes her head.

__

Murray knocks on Robin's door and then opens it when she said 'come in' (at his place) "Hey Robin [please give me nicknames or smth like kid, that Murray would call Robin] food is almost done, can you set the table?" he asks "Sorry but I can't, I'm reading a book right now" she says, still engrossed in the book. "Can't you just put in down and continue later?" Murray asks annoyed and Robin knew that he'd say it, so her already mischievous grin she had when he entered the room grew larger. "I'm reading a book about anti-gravity. It's impossible to put down." she answers. Murray stands there for a minute and then leaves, not saying anything, while Robin is quietly snickering.

__

[For context here (you gotta scroll down a bit) it was when Hopper drove Robin to McDonald's]

After Robin stopped rambling couldn't think of anything else to say there was an awkward silence. Robin had to fill it so she randomly asks "Did you hear about the guy who invented the knock-knock joke?" Hopper just sides eyes here weirdly "Yeah? He won the 'no-bell' prize" "He won the-" Robin stops and looks at him shooked "what? I'm have Humor as well" Robin just grins widely. "You, sir, are my hero" she says with so much admiration

(I just want Hopper to also make dad jokes)

__

Robin trying to cheer up the situation of being stuck in the upside down tries to joke "Where do fruits go on vacation?" "Robin, seriously?" Steve complains "No no, I'm curious, where do we-um- fruits go on vacation" Robin grinned at Eddie's slip up while the others didn't notice it. "Pear-is" Robin snorts. Eddie starts laughing as well after a moment of trying to understand the joke "Didn't you want to go to Paris? Or just France in general once?" Nancy asks, trying to hide the fact that she actually found that joke adorable (probably because it came from Robin) but still wanting to join the conversation. Eddie snickers at Nancy's innocent question and Robin gets flustered "Oh-uh ye-yeah..still do actually..." Steve shakes his head in annoyance at the joke and looks at confused at Robin's reaction, also understanding why Eddie is laughing at Nancy's question.

---

If you want more Dad Jokes from Robin, you can leave dad joke in the comments. Also maybe people she's telling them too. (Can also be more then one joke to and you don't need to add any people or you can even give a fill on prompt but just the joke is perfect too).

Hope you enjoyed!

Lots of love ✨❤️🤗✨

[thestobingirlie]

I saw someone say Max letter to Steve was pure fan service and shouldn't be used as evidence for their relationship. Something along those lines and I'm like why how and what lol??? But every other interaction she has with Nancy then should be considered more truthful than Max giving a letter to Steve. The math isn't mathing. I mean she did admire Nancy in s3 when she led the group, she looked up to her when Nancy sawed off the gun and Nancy asked her once in s4 after Vecna if she was okay, but that's it. Like the other anon said those situations are high stress trauma time. Where in s3 she and the rest of the group bothered Steve (no traumatic situation occurred yet) and she even went with El to get her free ice cream, even Steve knew El wasn't supposed to be there so he's present with them. Plus Robin called him out for having the party basically walk over him, meaning this is a frequent occurrence. I mean Nancy and Jonathan don't seem like the type of people to hang out with them. Yeah Nancy used to but her and Mike seem to not really speak to each other. Like I have a brother myself, we have a similar relationship like those two. We both do our thing, we don't talk about feelings or have interests in the other's friend group, which is okay lol. And Jonathan doesn't seem to want to hang out with them, he would be easily annoyed plus unfortunately I think he's super busy with holding a job to support his family, I doubt he has the time to do stuff with them. He's only close to Will and El (s4).

Also I saw a post discussing the sibling relationships in ST and they put Eddie and Dustin on there instead of Steve and Dustin and honest to god I wanted to throw up. Stop erasing Steve and Dustin's bond, which is the strongest Steve has out of any of the kids and put that dynamic on Eddie.

how could they say that? omfg. you could say that every single letter is fan service, like wtf. i just don’t understand this obsession that some people have with completely smothering canon relationships just because they like some fanon ones more. steve and max are canonically closer than max and nancy. there’s no need to even compare them! just like max and nancy in your little corner, you don’t need to try and shit on steve and max.

and yeah, steve canonically sees all the kids outside of life threatening situations. they made steve let them into the cinema enough that robin started calling them his ‘children’. and yeah, mike and nancy are siblings, but they don’t hang out. and jonathan and will are super close! but i don’t really get what everyone else sees when they say he’s close with the rest of the party. i mean… this is the same fandom that makes jokes about jonathan hating mike and wanting to kill him. but they’re still super close!! mike is totally his kid!! however, mike does hate steve and that’ll never change! like… what? people just pick and chose canon to disregard steve as much as possible.

omg, i saw that post, and i literally just had to tell myself to scroll away. it honestly hurt my soul to see steve and dustin just tossed away, no regard at all. they are brothers!! they are Thee found family, come on!! (i also think i saw stobin on that same post and… barf. they are not siblings. two friends of the opposite sex don’t have to be siblings guys)