#(not that that was the case for eddie but for us the audience we saw him truly start to heal within the next two episodes)

[poughkeepsies]

I keep seeing people say buck has never gotten a breakdown moment and every time I have to reply well what's all this then

[cacoetheswriting]

celebrity skin. (part nine)

pairing: rockstar!eddie munson x popstar!fem!reader word count: 4.6k summary: an album release forces some feelings and conversations — one thing's for sure though, Eddie will always be thinking about you.

content warnings: 18+, minors dni: suggestive & mature themes, adult language, use of pet names, mentions of alcohol consumption, mentions of blackmail — if i missed anything in this chapter, pls let me know!

& psa: images used in the header don’t depict readers physical attributes! these are also described vaguely in the story, only that she’s a little shorter than eddie.

celebrity skin. masterlist

“We are here this morning with a true music icon in the making, who’s hits like Compromising Positions and most recently Honesty took the world by storm. Now, Eddie Munson is just a few short days away from releasing his sophomore album with his Corroded Coffin bandmates, Assistance is Futile. Welcome to Eddie Munson everybody, yes!”

“Happy to be here, Charles.”

Good Morning America was definitely not the type of talk show the rockstar pictured himself ever getting invited on. He didn’t think his personal style, or the music he was putting out there with the band, would be something the producers would welcome. Considering especially the whole thing was televised live. No cuts, no edits, no take backs. Whatever is said remains out there forever. Quoted and interpreted until the next schmuck makes a fool of himself.

Hosts, Charles Gibson and Joan Lunden, were also known to be quite blunt with their guests. Blunt, but not in the rude sense of the word. Given their history on the network, their experience, they're simply good at what they do, which sometimes means effortlessly picking at a topic until they get a satisfactory reaction or better yet, television worthy answer. Of course there’s always a list of pre-agreed questions, carefully discussed with management and PR teams, but things have known to… slip out.

But Marianne trained him. Extensively. She flew out to New York the second this interview was arranged and spent hours in Eddie’s penthouse hotel room going over details that to most people, people not from this world, may seem minor: how to sit, how to smile, what to laugh at, the amount of seconds it should take him to answer a question. The list goes on. And now she was here, at the studio, to make sure Eddie saw a friendly face in the crowd. Someone to look at in case he got flustered at any point during the fifteen minute round.

“Before we get into the nitty gritty,” Joan begins, crossing one knee over the other, “Eddie, why don’t you tell us a little about how you and the band first got started?”

So Eddie talks. He’s charming as he tells the story, sparing a few details ‘cause he knows he doesn’t have a lot of time. He does however, crack a few jokes, including one about the list of names Gareth and Jeff brought to him one night before they all agreed on Corroded Coffin. Charles laughs before asking the next question about the band's success so far, and what he makes of it.

“Oh man, it’s so insane,” Eddie answers truthfully, “I still have days where I don’t think any of this is real. All of us in the band feel incredibly lucky, for sure.” He nods along as he speaks.

Joan and Charles take turns asking a few more general questions about the band plus the other members who couldn’t make it out today, before settling on the whole reason Eddie agreed to do this interview in the first place: promotion for the new album.

Assistance is Futile was a collection of songs about you — but that was not going to be an answer he gives today, accidentally or otherwise. Instead, the rockstar focuses attention on how the record was built. Technical language that he dumbs down slightly to make sure he’s continuously captivating his audience (Marianne’s advice). He tells them what instruments the group played around with that may not have featured on their last album, which was more classic rock than this new project. And he’s excited as he talks. Passionate.

He continues to lay out the facts. List the number of tracks it features, eleven plus two bonus songs on the extended version. He talks about the writing process, still carefully avoiding mentioning the influence. He won’t say he wrote them all during the aftermath of your breakup. He hasn’t even admitted that to you, despite the fact that you spent every waking moment together since the afternoon at Cove City Sound Studios. He knows he won’t be able to hide that for much longer, but until the album comes out and you hear the songs for yourself, he’ll keep it to himself because things have been so… great.

Sure, things weren’t back to normal. It can’t be the way it was until Eddie finds the time to speak with your management and nip this whole evil grandmother blackmail thing in the bud. At least he’s got you in some capacity. He gets to talk to you again, laugh with you. He gets to hug you, kiss you, touch you. Friends with benefits, or whatever the term is. Eddie’s just glad to be around you.

“Now, here at the studio, we got an exclusive, sneak peak listen to Assistance is Futile, and there’s a little bit of speculation between the crew about the meaning behind some of the songs.”

Boom. There it is. The dreaded topic. And it was going so well.

“Care to share where the inspiration for these lyrics struck you? Who, in particular, they might be about?”

Eddie smiles. “Give into the charade”, Marianne’s words ring in his ears, “But by any means, don’t confirm their suspicions”. Not an easy task. A slippery slope by all accounts. He ever so slightly glances in the direction of his manager who nods her head to show encouragement.

“Who do you think they’re about, Joan?” Eddie bounces the question back.

The presenter smiles. She knows she shouldn’t say. Yes, it would be good for ratings, but bringing up your name is not something that can be done lightly. She knows that. Hence why Joan hoped Eddie Munson wouldn’t be smart enough to avoid the initial question. But the rockstar’s been trained and he’s not about to mess up with two minutes to spare.

“Well, I’d say my friend Charles here. He’s got, what was that one lyric, legs for days and a wicked smile.” Joan deflects. Ever the professional.

The whole studio starts laughing. Eddie joins in, satisfied with the way this worked out. 

“You’d be right on the money there, Joan.” The rockstar nods with a wide smile before continuing, “Charles Gibson has been a constant inspiration for Corroded Coffin songs. There’s not a lot to do in Hawkins, where we grew up. Gotta write what you know and my uncle has an affinity for this show.” 

He turns to the camera to say hi to Wayne, “I know you’re watching.”

Then shifts to look at the hosts once more, winking at the gentleman sitting across from him.

“Charles, you sexy devil, you.”

The laughter continues. People start to clap, whistle along to Eddie’s perfectly curated response. Marianne is beaming with pride because for a brief moment, she didn’t think he could do it. There've been so many mishaps in the past, wild things the band — the curly-haired frontman in particular — have done that she’s had to either smooth over with the media or keep hidden from the public altogether. This morning she finally exhaled. He did well.

You’re laughing too. Feeling proud too as you watch him through your television screen, just like you promised Eddie you would.

Blanket covering your body, all the way up to your chin, as you sit comfortably on the couch. The smile on your face is as genuine as they come. He’s so good at this. Considering how nervous he was, how much time he spent with Marianne going over every possible scenario until his head hurt. You took a mental note to tell him later that he really had nothing to worry about. He’s a natural.

The question about his inspiration for the album didn’t surprise you. It’s pretty standard for these types of press junkets. Even more given the fact your relationship has been the talk of the town for months, especially when the two of you weren’t even together. People love to speculate.

When Eddie told you about the upcoming album, one night after you came down from another intense orgasm, you assumed he wrote about your relationship — especially the failures. Honesty came to the rockstar after only one night. Makes sense that a complete record would be next. He didn’t confirm it though, because you didn’t ask. You would know once it came out, when you purchased your own copy to listen through. Artists supporting artists, and whatnot.

“Corroded Coffin’s Assistance is Futile. Coming to a record store near you, this Thursday, October 14.” Charles Gibson announces, holding up a shiny compact disc to one of the cameras, showing off the album’s cover art: a thundering night sky, with something sinister looming inside the blood red clouds. An ode to the band's Dungeons & Dragons days.

“Eddie Munson, thank you for your time today.” Joan Lunden flashes a pearly white smile.

The rockstar returns the expression. “Thank you for having me.”

Backstage, Eddie gives Marianne a big hug. Thanking her for being here. While returning the embrace, she reassures him that’s never going to change. “Or at least until the contract ends,” his manager teases and ruffles his already wild hair before sitting down on the velvet sofa.

“So, tell me, am I flying back to LA alone?”

Eddie picks up a bag of previously opened Funyuns before leaning against the vanity. He shuffles the remainder of the onion-flavoured corn chips inside the plastic, then starts eating them, one by one.

“Yeah,” he says, shrugging as if it was an obvious answer. “We’ve got the release party for the album. The guys would kill me if I missed it.”

“I’d kill you first.”

He smirks. “Then why ask me the question?”

Marianne gives him a pointed look. One that says, no, screams, he of all people should know why. Eddie got on a private plane to New York so he could “sort something out”, then ended up staying for weeks longer than intended with no explanation. Marianne called him at the hotel multiple times, asking for a return day, but he always gave a vague answer. Then Gareth called, as did Jeff (who sort of already suspected the reason for the delayed homecoming, kudos to Holly), but Eddie continued on the road of avoidance, all while Page Six posted about sightings of him with a certain pop sensation.

“Eddie, you haven’t been this happy since—”

“I know,” he interrupts, “I know and yes, to whatever you’re thinking, but I don’t wanna talk about it now because there’s something I need to do first.”

“What do you need to do?” She asks, puzzled because in the time they’ve worked together, the rockstar has never once left her out of action. She did everything for him. That was her job. One she did gladly because she’s grown to care for these boys.

Eddie sighs, wiping his crumb covered hands on the material of his trousers. The bag of chips lays empty on the table next to him. Of course he contemplated telling Marianne everything on multiple occasions, but each time he chickened out at the last minute. He knew she could fix everything in the blink of an eye. Simply, the rockstar just didn’t feel worthy of that. 

His entire life, Eddie ran away. From situations, from people, from feelings. Anything that was messy, or just became messy. He ran until the distance felt comfortable enough to continue with his life. Growing up in Hawkins, he didn’t have a Marianne. He didn’t have anyone that would stand up for him, so running became second nature. Running fixed his problems. 

By the time the band hit stardom, running turned to escapism in the form of drugs and alcohol. The bubble. Under the influence, the rockstar didn’t care who cleaned up after him and Marianne was so good at her job that most of the time, Eddie didn’t even know there was a problem to run from until it was resolved.

The situation with your grandmother however, was different. It involved you. 

He gave into his instincts and ran. Only this time, Eddie ran to protect you. Threats were made to potentially ruin your career — fucked up, considering the person that made them was also the person who helped kick-start your fame. And as selfish as he may seem to people that don’t know the real him, the rockstar wasn’t willing to gamble everything you built for yourself. He ran.

But Eddie was done running. He was going to fix this and he planned on doing it alone.

“What’s going on?” Marianne stands and takes a step closer, crossing her arms. Concern is starting to fill her veins, though she’s trying her best not to show it. Trying and failing.

Maybe solving this alone wasn’t the way to go.

“Someone’s been blackmailing me,” he admits eventually, reluctantly. 

“What?!” Marianne just about shouts. “Who? For how long?”

“It’s uh…. It’s a complicated story.”

“Well, fuck.” She’s slightly annoyed ‘cause how could he have hidden something like this from her? This is why the band has her. Managing them, planning shit to maintain their career is only a small part of her job. Protecting these boys is a priority and blackmail is a big fucking deal.

Exhaling, Marianne lets her arms drop and proceeds to take a much less confrontational stance. 

“Eddie, you know I’ve always got nothing but time for you, so spill.”

And he does. Starting right at the beginning with Chrissy Cunningham.

-

When Eddie stops by your place later that afternoon, he kisses you, the second you open up your apartment. He kisses you fully, deeply. He’s kicking the door closed with his boot, lips continually locked together, his hands holding you firmly by the waist. A man on a mission and the mission being to make you feel like you're floating all the damn time. 

You smile against his soft lips. Mission accomplished.

“That’s one way to say hello.”

“Hello,” he whispers back, also smiling. “How was your morning?”

“Not nearly as interesting as yours,” you answer his question and turn in your spot, wanting to lead him to the couch. Eddie’s hands remain on your waist as you do so, no inclination of letting go.

MTV is on. The wild-haired rockstar instantly feels at home — a stark contrast to that first night he showed up at your door. Adrenaline pumping. Unsure of the outcome. But it was better than he could’ve imagined, dreamed. Back in your arms with little to no arguments. Back where he for sure belonged.

Honesty comes on. The video makes him smile as he effortlessly pulls your legs over his thighs, hand settling on your soft flesh and giving it a gentle squeeze. The memory of that day with you on set. Eddie wouldn’t call it acting. Hugging you, kissing you on camera. Not a tough act. Natural, actually. That was a good day. You’re thinking it too.

“Magnetic.”

“Huh?”

Eddie can’t tear his eyes away from the screen. “You’re magnetic. Utterly. I almost forgot, but I didn’t really, you know? I-I think about that day often and how much fun it was,” he rambles. It’s sweet. 

“But what I replay in my mind the most is how fucking talented you are, sweetheart. A goddess in front of a camera, I swear.”

You smirk, your own mind flying to something much, much dirtier than what Eddie meant, and he flicks your leg at the institution, all while glancing at you from the corner of his brown eyes. Because there was a video camera left under the rockstars California King bed with a tape inside, a tape that could get you both — although the sexist industry you’re lucky to be a part of would blame only you, mainly — in a lot of trouble, if it ever saw the light of day. A tape for private eyes only. And Eddie wasn’t wrong, you were near damn a goddess.

“Wish we could work together again,” he says, then quickly adds, “Professionally, sweetheart, before you get any kinky ideas.”

That makes you laugh.

“Think you should focus on the album the band is about to release, hotshot. Once that’s a sure hit, then we can talk about doing something together.”

“Well, there is a box in my room, back in LA, with notebooks full of songs…”

He’s trying to be encouraging. Motivational. Really what Eddie’s doing is building up the courage to ask you to go back to Los Angeles with him. In a complete roundabout way, to be honest. The guys would call him a pussy. He was being a pussy. There was however, a lot he still needed to tell you. This whole thing with your grandma, for one. But Marianne was handling that now, and once she gave him the agreed upon sign, there was nothing stopping Eddie from screaming he loves you from all available rooftops — which he hoped to do for the first time at the place you two officially met. 

And with his manager on the case, he knew it would be sooner rather than later.

“Eddie, you’re a dumbass.” Marianne states. There’s a frown on her face, but it’s not serious. Accompanied by a smile that’s giving him a little bit of hope.

“I know—”

“No,” she interrupts, “You don’t.” 

He exhales. “I do, though.”

“Eddie. If you came to me when this first happened, you would’ve never lost all this time with Little Miss Perfect. The fact that you didn’t, the fact that you didn’t trust me with this information, makes you a dumbass.”

“So, you can fix this?”

“There’s a little thing called a Cease and Desist,” Marianne says as if it’s the most obvious answer in the world. And in a way, it is. “No one is going to threaten the career of my favourite client and get away with it.”

Eddie smiles. Genuinely. Something reminiscent of relief is flowing through his body, down to the tips of his toes, until he no longer feels heavy. The burden of this situation is slowly lifting.

“With your permission, I’d like to approach her team with this information. They’ll most likely also issue a cease and desist, so that her career is also protected.” Marianne says. “But I guess since all you’ve tried to do is keep her out of harm’s way, the only way you knew how, I’m assuming I have your permission without even asking for it?”

“Yes, yes, thank you.” He’s repeating over and over and over, wrapping his arms around Marianne. A hug they’d both cherish forever.

“Like I said, let’s get you to survive this record release first, okay?”

You’re looking at each other now.

“Take it day by day, Eds.”

“What if I want to skip ahead?”

There’s a lot hiding behind that question. The future is uncertain in many ways. He knows that he wants you, you know that you want him. That’s enough, but at the same time it isn’t. Day by day is easier than thinking about tomorrow, or the next day. He just loves you, which he’ll tell you soon. That’s what he wants to skip too.

On the other hand, you’re terrified. Giving into him again brought no shortage of anxiety about his past behaviour. Eddie Munson hurt you, twice. Second time worse than the first. You forgave him, yet the fear was still there. The question remained: what if he did it again? He wouldn’t, but what if he did? So taking it day by day, as it came, was easier. A shield, of sorts. Protection against hurt. 

Also, it was a lot more fun to act without consequence. To just be. 

Existing with him felt almost normal, even though there was nothing normal about the various interviews and photoshoots the rockstar has been doing promoting Assistance is Futile while in New York, or the long phone calls with his manager and bandmates in preparation for the release party. Nothing normal about your own career, which you’ve slowly been defrosting following the short heartbreak hiatus. Pivoting slightly towards acting as a new form of expression. So you’re reading scripts, rehearsing lines. All without expectations. Day by day.

“Skipping ahead means you, going back to LA for the release party,” you point out.

“You could come with me. The invitation is there, you know that.”

“There’s nothing I’d want more than to be there for you and the guys, Eddie, you know that.” You lean in closer, pressing your body weight into his. “But if I make an appearance, it will overshadow the album you worked really hard on and that’s not fair.”

He doesn’t say anything. Instead, pressing his lips to the side of your head, leaving a soft kiss while inhaling the sweet scent of your shampoo. He slowly nods against you, understanding your point of view.

“So we won’t see each other for a while then, huh?”

“Well, I got that recurring part in Law & Order which is filming here, so that’s a couple of months, at least, that I’ll be stuck here in New York.”

“I can visit,” he jumps in almost instantly, “And you, maybe… You can come out to see me whenever you have breaks in filming?”

“Sounds good, Eds.”

There’s a moment of silence. It shifts towards the heavy side. Eddie’s biting his tongue. He wants so badly to tell you everything he’s been keeping secret, but he knows it’s not a good idea until Marianne confirms she’s consulted your team and the cease and desist letters have been sent out. He’s just not ready to say goodbye yet. Not even for a little while. He just got you back. You’re also lost in thought. Reuniting with the Corroded Coffin frontman has been nothing short of a rollercoaster, in the best way possible. Having him here, next to you once more, kissing and touching you. And you know it was limited. That time would come knocking and he’d have to go back, while you’d need to stay. Bittersweet would be the word to describe how you feel. 

“How about we focus on right now, hm?” You offer, lifting your head so that your sweet gaze catches his chocolate one. Then a short inhale later, you kiss him. Gentle, at first, although not quite a peck. His eyes close on impact as his hand reaches for your face, attaching itself like a magnet. Cradling, squeezing your cheeks. 

And you smile. Fucking smile. Eddie loves it when you smile while kissing him. It drives him crazy knowing his touch makes you that happy. So he can’t help but smile too. Teeth knocking against each other in the process. 

“I’ll never get tired of kissing you,” the rockstar admits.

“I’ll never get tired of kissing you, Eddie Munson.” 

The hand that held his toned abdomen just a mere second ago is now not so innocently sliding in a downward trajectory. You fiddle with his leather belt, unbuckling it rather effortlessly with one hand after you press your lips against his once more. Deeper this time. Wanting.

“But distracting me from a conversation about what’s mph… next,” he mumbles as you tug at his zipper. You’re not giving him a chance to breathe. “Isn’t going to - Jesus - work.”

“Okay,” you’re teasing. It’s a whisper and Eddie’s brain short circuits ‘cause your perfectly manicured fingers are sliding into his boxers, reaching for his semi.

-

“So, you guys are like back together now, huh?” 

Steve’s question lingers in the air for a moment. He’s glancing at his small-town friend turned worldwide phenomenon from across the table, swirling black coffee in his takeaway cup.

Eddie looks out the window at the clouds passing by. 

After getting over his initial fear of flying, since he hadn’t been on a plane until his early twenties, the rockstar decided he enjoyed it a lot more than he thought he would. Things were peaceful up here — especially since he could now afford private jets. Just him and his guitar. Even when he travelled together with the guys, they all got lost in their own thing too, as did Marianne.

The upcoming release party however, prompted an invite to his little sister as well as Steve. So he knew that unfortunately this trip wasn’t going to be a quiet one.

“Something like that,” Eddie answers, turning his attention back to his friend.

Harrington nods. “That’s good, man. She’s great.”

“That she is.” Eddie fails to contain a smile.

“I’m happy for you.” Steve’s words are genuine.

“Thanks, dude.”

The short exchange is interrupted by Max’s snort. The two boys look at the redhead currently splayed out on one of the recliner seats. A book in her lap, one that she’s not really reading, but she’s keeping up appearances anyway.

“To think we wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for my genius,” she retorts, a smirk now present on her face.

Eddie laughs lightly, but doesn’t say anything. He’s looking out the window again. His mind turns to you. He misses you, even though he saw you not even a half hour ago when you said goodbye before he got on the plane. He misses you. Anxiety building since neither of you are really sure when you’d be able to see each other next. “And that’s okay,” is what you said to him in between soft kisses. He’s repeating it now.

“She’s not coming to the party, right?” Red asks her older brother, briefly breaking Eddie away from his thoughts. 

The rockstar shakes his head. “No.”

“You’ll see her soon,” his sister reassures, reaching for his forearm across the aisle, squeezing. 

“I know, I know.” 

“Then why the sad face?” Steve points out.

Eddie wishes he was alone. Then no one would be questioning him, even though he knows it’s coming from a good place. They just care, he tries to level his emotions, they’re asking because they care.

“Our last goodbye wasn’t so good,” he answers plainly.

Luckily both Max and Steve understand. They exchange a glance between themselves before returning to whatever activity they were engaging in prior to the start of this conversation: Red buries her head in the book she wasn’t really reading and Harrington resumes listening to music on his Walkman.

Eddie is once again glancing out the small jet window. He’s once again thinking about you. 

And he continues to think about you when the plane lands. In the car, on the way to his Hidden Hills home. He continues to think about you when the house fills with people that are there to style him for the release party. He’s making small talk, his mind still centred on you.

You remain the centre of his attention, even when Eddie and the band arrive at the venue, and he’s being ripped ten thousand different directions. Picture here, sign this, talk to this person. He enjoys a drink and he’s still thinking about you. He’s wishing you were here. 

The guys are introduced to come up on stage and even though Eddie is on cloud nine for this release, super proud of the record they put together, he’s wishing you were here to celebrate this with him.

He thinks about you as he sings one of the songs. Breaking News — a song about you, of course.

There comes a point during the night, a split second during which Eddie stops thinking about you. Not for any particular reason. Nothing spectacular happens for him to do so, he just… does. But it’s only a fleeting moment. He regrets it as soon as he realises. He especially regrets it when Marianne approaches him, a concerned look spread across her usually composed features — although the rockstar doesn’t pick up on her expression immediately.

“What did you think of the performance?” Eddie asks, smiling wide.

She doesn’t answer. Instead, she reaches for the half-empty glass in his hand and sets it aside before exhaling a sigh.

He furrows his brows, the smile fading as quickly as it appeared.

“Eddie, there’s been an accident.”

thank you for reading! really appreciate the endless & continuous support!

celebrity skin. masterlist

& tagging some cool ppl that expressed interest: @eviethetheatrefreak , @thirddeadlysin , @haylaansmi , @nope-thanks , @tlclick73 , @vintagehellfire , @ashlynnkennedy , @avalon-wolf , @sidthedollface2 , @astheni-a , @bebe07011 , @aysheashea , @papillonoirsworld , @vol2eddie, @spideyanakin-interacts , @rogers-sweatbands , @mimsie95 , @mmunson86 , @eddiesguitarskills , @ohmeg , @hereforshmut , @eg-dr3amer3 (if your user is crossed out, it means the tag isn’t working. pls check you’ve enabled tagging in your settings)

[chirpsythismorning]

Welcome to a series I'm calling:

Yes, that scene did foreshadow Mike's monologue was disingenuous

Because you'd be surprised how many times the show (even prior to s4) has poked fun at Mike's monologue in the most random ways.

The Bingham's Beautiful Performance

First we have Suzie's sister on the floor, bedazzled and sporting a veil all while her brother is filming. This is basically the kids attempting to present a tale of a romance ending in gruesome tragedy.

Our bride here is El. The edition of the veil could be a nod to the loud majority's series long assumption that Mike and El are going to end the show together, preferably getting married.

Unfortunately, this is the closest thing they'll ever get to it, with the acknowledgement of that possibility in and of itself being mocked.

This next shot makes the likelihood that these scenes are connected pretty much indisputable, that being the edition of the record player behind the bride's head.

The only reason they made a point of having Will push the radio out of El's way, was to subtly connect this moment in Surfer boy to the beautiful performance we saw at the Bingham's only a few episodes prior (scenes that are widely known to be filled with foreshadowing for the season's ending).

A few bylers have already talked about these parallels, so this isn't new knowledge per say. But I do know some have dropped it altogether as possible foreshadowing for whatever reason, while most fans outside of the byler fandom insist it only foreshadowed Eddie's death. However, I think there are too many details that equally, if not more connect it to Mike's monologue than to Eddie's death.

Some fans have also noticed how Will was missing in quite a few shots at the Bingham's, which is interesting, but not all that surprising. Especially in this case...

Will. Will is the director

Director Will: GET THAT RADIO OUT OF MY SHOT!

Will directed the monologue when he used his feelings to inspire Mike, with the reminder of it (literally in the moment) directing Mike to confess to El, just like Suzie's brother directed that beautiful performance. Both performances convincingly left its audience thinking that the performers feelings in that moment were believable and...

genuine...

[buddiebeginz]

I really don't get where people are seeing this great friendship between Eddie and T*mmy. The only time we saw what seemed to be a great friendship between them was in 704 and that was because it was from Buck's jealous pov.

I've seen people say that 805 showed how Eddie and T*mmy are besties now and that Eddie was joining T*mmy in ganging up on Buck but I didn't see any of that. The writing was clear in telling us that T*mmy still doesn't get who Buck is. They also literally told us that T*mmy was making fun of Buck with his coworkers at the 217. We also saw T*mmy again be dismissive and patronizing towards Buck.

Meanwhile Eddie was there to take care of Buck like he always is if Buck needs him. He was there to take Buck to the hospital and stayed right by his side even though Buck didn't really need him to, like he would have been okay on his own waiting for T*mmy. Plus we saw the kind of teasing banter we've come to expect between Buck and Eddie. It's clear that the stuff Eddie was saying to Buck about the curse was said in fondness and because he knows how Buck is not in judgement.

I kind of feel like some people would have been happier if Eddie and T*mmy came off like they hated one another in this ep and I get why (I'm not a fan of T*mmy either) but we have to remember this isn't the story Tim is telling. But it's also not one where T*mmy and Eddie are bff's either. If that was the case at the very least we'd be seeing Eddie and T*mmy hanging out but we're not. We only really saw that in 704 because it was needed for the story that was being told. Even in 801 I feel like T*mmy was more there for Buck than Eddie.

The main reason for the Buck, T*mmy, and Eddie scenes in 805 was I think to remind the audience of T*mmy and Eddie's similarities (remember that's part of what drew Buck to T*mmy initially anyway) but more importantly to highlight how different Buck's relationship is with each man. I get why some of you didn't like the episode but I've seen a lot of negativity towards Eddie since it aired and I just don't think it's warranted.

[thegoldheartlocketandkey-blog]

I have had some time to think about it and process and come up with explanations, but I really need one particular scene from Episode 5 explained to me.

Why was Tommy sleeping on the couch and Buck sleeping in the arm chair?!

I’m asking this as a Tommy hater. I do not understand the choice. I know Tommy’s actor does not like kissing and romance scenes, but this scene wouldn’t have been that, if it was a scenario that made sense.

Medically, Buck didn’t need to sleep sitting up in a chair. It would have made sense for Buck to be propped up on a ton of pillows in bed. Tommy could of still slept over and watched over Buck, by having situated Buck in bed and go downstairs to sleep on the couch.

If the reason for the scene to take place downstairs was to showcase that their relationship is still new and the bed would have felt too intimate, why would Tommy sleep over. Early in a relationship like that I would expect a boyfriend to come over help how he can and than leave when it felt appropriate to leave. Or come over the next day and check up on him.

I guess I’m put off with the situation because in my relationships, if I felt comfortable with my partner sleeping over, I’d want them near me. Not even sexual, I’ve cuddled with boyfriends and nothing sexual happens. Shoot Ive shared beds with friends and on a few occasions acquaintances and those moments weren’t sexually charged or even intimate.

Tommy is sadly Buck’s boyfriend right now. I expected more intimate interactions. Like when Buck and Taylor dated. Even Buck and Natalia had their intimate moments. But, Tommy doesn’t feel like that. The only vibe I get is a condescending one, like father and son, but not in endearing way like Buck and Bobby.

I know a big explanation for the limited romantic interactions is because Tommy’s actor not liking those type of scenes (with men, he apparently doesn’t have an issue with them if his costar is a woman). Normally I wouldn’t care about that boundary because boundaries are good and can have a work around. We’ve seen this show in particular, work around covid and not showing onscreen kisses or intimate moments, with Chim and Maddie, Bobby and Athena, Eddie and Ana. Eddie and Ana never shared an onscreen kiss, but we still saw the general idea with their relationship. So Tommy’s boundaries is a terrible excuse to justify the weirdness of that scene choice.

The only logical reason I can see them having this sleeping arrangement is to show case to us the audience that Buck and Tommy’s relationship hasn’t found it’s footing yet, but then all the other relationship choices become off putting.

Idk if I even make sense anymore or at all, I’m probably just rambling nonsense. But my point is that scene felt like a weird choice as I watched it live and still feels weird as I think about it now.

[lesbianrobin]

em what would YOU vote for on ur buck horrors poll - chefbuck

HI ANGEL @chefbuck THANK YOU FOR ASKING!!

ok so personally i voted anthrax i just think it would be fun to stick him in a plastic decontamination tent and hose him down until he's sopping wet and pathetic while eddie gazes at him with big sad eyes. and i voted it bc i feared nobody else would vote anthrax and i Needed anthrax to have Some votes. but i Actually want captured by a serial killer à la criminal minds So bad.

take my hand come along with me share my vision.

"but em," you cry, "they already did that with hen and chimney!" first of all they have already done almost everything okay we can have a few repeats. bobby's home burnt down literally twice. second of all i don't want something connected to the 118 alright i don't even want athena on the case. this is not an angel of death this is some classic good old-fashioned california rando serial killing.

episode one: buzzkill. i want everything to be normal like no hints to a serial killer at all besides MAYBE a tv news report in the background. there's some other shit happening like they're dealing with the beemergencies and we the audience think ok That is the big plot happening rn. and then toward the end of the episode buck goes for a jog. and like the beautiful young woman in any given criminal minds episode he happens to jog past a man with an injured dog or a flat tire and buck stops to help because he's buck. of Course he stops to help. and the guy blitzes him and the screen goes black and BAM end of the episode.

and then in the next episode we open on some other character doing totally unrelated shit maybe the henren/mara/madney plot? and we get like five-ten minutes in to the episode before anybody references buck. maybe he's late to work or maybe he's not answering his phone. that's weird but OOPS the alarm is going off no time to check in on him right now! gerrard is unfortunately captain so they can't even like convince him to let them swing by buck's loft even when they drive right down his street on their way back from a call. so the 118 is running all over los angeles dealing with nonstop calls while they Also try to call buck and don't get any response. so eventually they ask somebody (bobby, maddie, whoever's not Busy) to go by the loft and see if he's alright.

and i want the 118 to respond to a fire in an abandoned building as their buck correspondent is on their way to the apartment. when they put out the fire athena is there and reveals that they think this fire was set by a killer to try and destroy evidence because they found a body inside and this fits a pattern that's been developing lately. BAM they get the call that buck's apartment is empty.

i will stop giving the play-by-play now but i just think it would be so fucking sick if they Refused to show us buck for almost the entire episode... perhaps athena tells us that this killer has a Type that sounds familiar... and i want the 118 + maddie absolutely spiraling telling themselves ok there's gotta be Some other explanation this would be insane it would be Insane. maybe this causes some tension in the group (eddie is Going Fucking Insane). and then they can get a lead near the end of the episode and we see buck very briefly like tied up or in a saw trap or whatever the hell i'm not picky we just need to see him suffering perhaps with a brief villain monologue from his captor. and THEN in episode three: no place like home they can rescue him and then he's dealing with that trauma throughout 8a. i think that could be fun and also serve as both motivation for canon buddie And like some sort of obstacle for them to deal with together that doesn't involve eddie in the same old torment nexus.

so yeah <3 thank u for asking <3

[apomaro-mellow]

King&Prince 3

Steve didn't know how long he'd been in here between being knocked out and the fact that there was no window to help him tell the time. But it must've been a few hours at least, because someone came down to feed him. The person was nondescript besides the scowl on their face as they pretty much tossed the tray at him. It skid across the floor and Steve saw that it was some bread and some soup.

Steve reached for the soup first, wanting something to warm him only to find that it was just barely above his own body temperature. And something slimy was in it. He winced, making his deliveryman laugh.

"Eat up, your highness", he sneered before leaving him to it.

Steve tried the bread next. It was only slightly stale and he wondered if he should be rationing it. This could be his only meal for the next twenty four hours. They intended to return him home but that didn't mean he had to be in perfect condition. They could keep him on the brink if it suited them.

In the end, he decided to finish it all now. He looked at what he was left with. A spoon, a bowl, and a tray. He could probably use any of the three as a weapon, but that did nothing for his locked cell. Steve spent the next few hours, formulating a plan.

He would've thought about it longer, but that was when someone came to serve what must be dinner. That is unless they served bread and soup for breakfast here. It was someone different, but they handed him the tray in much the same way, sliding it in small space under the bars.

"I need to relieve myself", Steve announced.

"And? You've got four corners."

"So I'm just supposed to shit in the corner?"

"Enjoy your slop", he said, turning to leave when Steve grabbed an arm through the bars and twisted it behind his back and raised the spoon to his throat. It was probably the least threatening thing ever but his current warden was frozen.

"What the hell!?"

"You're going to let me out. Or else."

"Or else what? You'll spoon me to death?", he let out a choke of laughter as Steve pressed down.

"I think that's exactly what I'll do", Steve said as he slid the spoon up his neck, up his face and towards his eye.

"Waitwaitwait! I don't even have the keys! Only the king can let you out!"

"Are you lying to me?", Steve asked, his voice low.

"No! I promise. He's the only one with a key to this place. We don't keep a lot of prisoners!"

Steve waited a moment to see if there were any tells that might show dishonesty before dropping the spoon and backing away from the bars.

"In that case, I request an audience with your king. A prisoner I may be, but these current accommodations are not to my standards."

His guard gave him an incredulous look as he caught his breath and regained his wits. "Are you serious? You're making demands?"

Steve crossed his arms. "I am not going to shit where I sleep."

"No one here gives a fuck about what you want. Get used to that prince."

He spat out the word 'prince' like it was a slur. Steve didn't have a huge flock of fans back home, but the blatant disrespect was so foreign. He was left alone to figure out how he was going to keep his cell from smelling like a latrine.

Eddie sent out a letter the very day he had Steve in his keep, flying on the wing of one of his demobats so that there was no mistaking who the letter came from. Steve didn't know how things were going outside his limited scope though, and tried to make the best of his situation. He considered positioning his stream outside the cell and also leaving his solid waste as close to the bars as possible just to piss off whoever came down here, but considering that meant it might touch his food, he refrained.

There wasn't the smell of rot or waste here, so that could only mean prisoners weren't meant to be here long. That either meant they had different cells for long time stays. Or...

Steve brought a hand to his throat. He wouldn't think of 'or' right now. He paced around, considering trying to dig a hole in the softest part of the stone (what an oxymoron), when his foot stumbled against something. There was a small panel, it seemed. And when he opened it, it was a bottomless, black hole. Well what better place for waste to go?

------------------------

Steve was pretty sure a couple of days had passed, just from the amount of meals he'd been given. But he knew he looked more destitute than that. A side effect of having to choose between tearing up his blanket to wipe himself with or tearing his own clothes. And only one of those was comfortable on his ass.

It was probably about three days in when he got a new visitor. This one still brought food but he was also significantly younger than the others. A literal child.

"Whoa. So you're the guy who tried to kill someone with a spoon?" The boy tilted his head, inspecting Steve. "You don't look that dangerous."

"Give me a spoon and let's test your theory", Steve said, sitting against the far wall, waiting for the tray to be passed over. It seemed fitting that a demonic king would be using child labor.

"Spoons are too easy", the boy said. "Now if you could threaten someone wiiiiith your pinky! Yeah if it was your pinky that would be intimidating."

"My pinky?"

"Yeah", the boy nodded, flopping his brown curls around.

Steve held up his pinky. "You could poke someone's eyes out, hold them up by the nose, break their other fingers with enough force, just to name a couple of things."

"That's almost every orifice. I guess the ears aren't too vulnerable. But what about the ass?"

Steve's face scrunched up, confused as to what the boy was talking about and why he was having this conversation. "What about the ass?"

"You could stick a finger up there. Really disorient a person."

"...Yeah it'd do that. But you wouldn't really do that to an enemy."

"Why?"

"How old are you?", Steve asked.

"Thirteen."

"Ask someone when you're older."

"Oh come on! I'm not a baby."

Steve cracked his first smile in days. He thought of himself back at thirteen. It wasn't that long ago but he was both embarrassed and nostalgic for that age. "Just hand the food over, kid."

"You and Eddie. One day the youth will rise you know", the boy said as he pushed the food over.

Hearing that definitely made Steve feel older than he was but he tried to ignore it. What was harder to ignore was that the kid kept coming back. Steve had gotten used to a new face every time a new meal was delivered. But this kid, who he learned was named Dustin, came every time now. He asked Steve questions about how to kill people.

Steve told him flat out he'd never killed anyone, was just trained to. So Dustin rephrased to ask how he would kill someone. It still seemed like a morbid topic to have with someone locked up, but it wasn't like Steve had anything else to do. So he told Dustin what he knew. About people's typical weak spots, about the best weapon to use for what sort of damage he was looking for.

He never considered that Dustin might be performing espionage. He was just a kid after all. And when Steve wasn't talking about headlocks versus full body grappling, Dustin was talking about his friends. It was mostly Will, Mike, and Lucas. Sometimes and El was thrown in there. And then there was this Eddie character. Someone who drove Dustin up the wall but also clearly had the boy's admiration.

Apparently Eddie told stories to Dustin and his friends and let them insert their own characters, and gave them a chance to interact with the story. It was fun and Eddie challenged them with obstacles. But it was frustrating when they couldn't decide on the best course of action and Eddie bested them.

Steve had never heard of interactive storytelling like that. And he had to admit it was a good way to engage with kids, not that he had much experience with that.

Around the fourth day since Dustin's arrival, probably about a week or so in to Steve's stay, he really took in Steve's appearance and it surroundings.

"I should ask Eddie about getting you some new clothes. And maybe, I don't know freshen things here? We've never kept somebody down here this long."

Steve figured that. "How is Eddie going to get me anything?"

Dustin looked at him like he was a child. "He's got some pretty big pull around here."

Steve doubted that. Eddie sounded like perhaps a servant with a soft spot for the children of the castle, regardless of their station. Maybe he was a knight and Dustin had been downplaying his nobility? Either way, Steve wasn't going to hold his breath. It didn't matter who Eddie was. King Edward was like stone, he was sure. Listening to no one.

Part 5

Tag Team

@thesuninyaface @only-evanescent @snakeorsquid @ignoremyworld

[begebege28]

My thoughts. Please don’t come for me.

Ever since that man is has been introduced back on our screens, and is now kissing Buck, it’s like we aren’t allowed to view Eddie anything other than, straight? It’s so interesting because we all over the years whether or not people shipped buddie, people viewed them as queer coded. Therefore, queer individuals identified and connect to their story. Now, we can’t because…… NOW it matters what’s canon in show? NOW, it matters what the actors say? REALLY NOW? Did we forget throughout the seasons, the SR and Oliver when discussing buck, classified him as straight… because at that time, he was. To buck and BuckTommy fans, you NEVER viewed buck as bi or queer coded DURING his previous relationships when he was CANONICALLY straight or when Oliver and co said he was straight in interviews? how he talked about his relationship with Natalia pre s7. Bi buck wasn’t even supposed to happen this season. So now they are tying to use Ryan’s comments as a “gotcha”…. They love to throw out the term “actual representation”.. but it’s like, you talk about “actual representation” but bi buck was simply a LAST MINUTE decision. They were gonna continue with buck and Natalia. But due to scheduling it fell though. Then it was gonna be buck and Lucy (same thing). Then Eddie and Tommy. AND THEN WE GET to buck and Tommy. They think Tim is master and this “great love story” but if that was the case, they would have planned them from the start. Not a last minute decision as Oliver admitted. Why have these scenes if you want the audience root for them. For example, their first date. Why include Eddie? Why make it awkward for buck. Why did Tommy leave buck stranded on the sidewalk looking like an idiot. It’s NOT Tommy didn’t have a right to leave. What we are saying is the “joke” wasn’t funny. Why even say it? Especially since Tommy is “so confident” Second, if Tommy knew he wasn’t ready, why continue with the date after buck made the “hot chicks” comment. He clearly saw and realized, and buck TELLING HIM. “THIS IS MY FIRST DATE WITH A DUDE, and IM AN ALLY”. Like…. It’s not rocket science. He led him on. Why not show the continuation of the date? They could have easily done that. But they mirror bucks and Natalias where they only showed like 5 minutes. Buck thought they were continuing with the date to go to the movie. Tommy couldn’t give him the benefit of the doubt. Especially he KNOWS what buck is going through… Tommy immediately, seconds after coming outside of the restaurant ordered the Uber and WAITED until he opened the door of the car to tell him. That’s fucked up and fuck him for that. Then they had buck apologize because he wasn’t ready to come out? LIKE HUH? Or Tommy’s continuation comments of being jealous of buck, the 118, and the way he belittles buck. “Enjoys while it lasts” after earning his medal? Like do you have to be a POS. WHY WHY for the life of me, have his LI say that if you have the audience to like him. The “daddy joke”. Really? In ANY other context, awesome! But there? I simply can’t. The way I have been watching since s1 and have never seen this much pushback to like a character or couple. None of bucks previous LI had this many “defenders”… AND HE ONLY HAS LIKE 15 minutes of SCREEN TIME. It’s weird.

Now, the plot hole that is 7x04 What stopped buck from reaching out to Tommy after the air hanger. NOTHING? He never called or texted… also, idk if anyone realized buck Tommy knew he was goi he to hang out with Eddie, and YET CONTINUED to invite buck… why show us the last maybe minute before they begin to talk about Eddie and where Eddie is NOW in the frame. Why didn’t they show the beginning where buck comes and meets Tommy? Buck getting upset at Eddie circling the basketball game? Buck grilling Christopher on his thoughts about Tommy? When did he care about Christophers thoughts before about his dads girlfriends or friends? Accusing Tommy of lying to get bonus points with Chris. You think he truly cared which movie is better? Why does he try to make him a bad guy to Maddie? He really didn’t have the time to talk to Eddie to go to the basketball game? Really? You mean to tell he HAD to wait until the gym scene? Or hell… even ask Tommy. When he does talk to Maddie after hurting Eddie, he says “i felt left out”. So that tells me something, he felt left out over not being able to do things with Eddie. the fact that buck didn’t know they were hanging out for 2 weeks? Not that he was trying to get Tommy’s attention

[spotlightlowlife]

The Kanker sister were unapologetic menaces

Related to my previous post on how kids show Ed Edd and Eddy did adult material (and a number of other things) better than both Hazbin and Helluva.

The other characters didn't find these girls amusing, they were terrified of them because of their inappropriate behaviour, even those who weren't their targets, their actions were addressed numberours times, yet they weren't about to learn anything and there was no reason for them to change their ways, their ways though not justifiable may have been understandable and unfortunately for all they had enough power locally to do as they pleased, they were a nightmare individually or united and weren't going anywhere.

It's been a while since I watched this show but here's a good old creepy example of Lee, Marie and May.

In Stolas we have someone of power, he's royalty and a big scary monsters, pretty much a god, he cornered and coerced someone he saw as a long lost friend into sex. In Valentino we have a pimp who makes porn and sort of has ownership over others. It doesn't matter however, because no matter how reluctant and visibly distant their playthings are, the playthings consented and the actual ruler of lust is big on consent.

There a pattern of stripping the powerful of the power we have seen them to have by supposedly leveling the playing field, in these cases it makes light of SA and it's all in order to make the abuser more likable and extended their staying power, dispite them also serving as a means to an end which should in itself extend their time, Blitzø needed certian resources to start his business and Angeldust is there to be sexualized by the audience more so than any of the characters. Stolas and Valentino facilitate an excuse to show us sexual content, no complexities.

[incorrectsibunaquotes]

I have a theory that the reason we as an audience feel like Sibuna in Season 3b are making monumentally stupid choices is because the show doesn’t actually spell out for us that the kids don’t have all the information we have. In fact, they are operating with less than half of our knowledge. (This is gonna be a longgggg post, so read under the cut if you dare)

On my latest rewatch of S3 for fanfic purposes, i found myself really struggling to justify why the hell Eddie couldn’t put two and two together with his vision of Patricia and the “traitor” in Sibuna. I was frustrated with him because to me it was incredibly obvious! Like who else could it possibly be?? But then, I rewatched it again with a closer eye and everything suddenly clicked:

We, the audience, are watching the action from a completely zoomed out angle. We’re not just following Sibuna, but we’re also following Team Evil. We know Robert is capturing Sinners and what a Sinner actually is, before Sibuna is even fully aware that they failed to stop the eclipse ceremony. The kids metaphorically tripped at the starting line.

Furthermore, this is the first time in the show that the Sibunas have not had either the upper hand or were even on equal playing field with the adults. In Season 1, the Society was wholly unprepared for a bunch of adolescents to start foiling in their plans (bc why would they be prepared for that??), and Sibuna basically destroyed them due to adults underestimating their willingness to fuck around and find out. In Season 2, Victor/Vera and Sibuna were on equal ground; no one knew how to solve the tasks and it was a matter of a bunch of separate parties trying to figure it out before each other. They were all just throwing shit at the wall and hoping it stuck.

At the top of Season 3, we play a lot with both the S1 and S2 dynamics. At first, Sibuna is leagues and bounds ahead of the adults, and then they pretty quickly end up on the same footing. Then, in the second half of the season, that entire dynamic is flipped on its head, and it’s Sibuna who are wholly unprepared for the adults. I’ve talked about how the kids, especially our Sibuna veterans, got a little too comfortable with Victor and co’s ineptitude and cocky with their own intelligence… but that’s not even why they were so slow on the uptake.

None of the Sibunas even hear the word “Sinner” until they find that book in the secret room and read it while sitting on the stage. And the book does not explain at all what a Sinner actually is. It tells them that Ammut needs “the souls of five human sinners who embody the greatest flaws of mankind” and once she has five of them she can enter the human realm and cause lots of problems. Absolutely nowhere in the book does it ever say “Also, much like Robert, the soulless body of the Sinner is reawakened in service to the underworld.” The only other hint that could have possibly clued anyone in is “when your friends are not your friends”. But like, that clue was ages ago! Why would they even be thinking about that, when it had absolutely no bearing on their hunt for the secret room/answers up to that point? I cannot stress this enough, THEY HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO CLUE WHAT A SINNER IS! (I’m gonna repeat this sentence about 400 times in case you don’t get it now lol) Mind you, that atp in the timeline, this is approximately fifteen or so minutes before Denby captures Patricia.

But let’s rewind all the way back to when Team Evil devises a plan to kidnap Eddie. He’s in the crypt, right? It’s pretty evident to him that it was probably Denby, Victor, and/or Robert who trapped him here, but he’s got no real clue as to why. Of course, we all know that they’re planning on turning him into a Sinner, because we saw Victor get turned. But as far as Sibuna knows, Victor has never really been on their side, so all they think is that he’s being meaner than usual but of course he’s opposing them. That’s not strange.

Okay, so Eddie is stuck and distressed, but he’s not as panicked as he needs to be because nowhere in his mind does he think this could potentially end in what is essentially his death. Now, throw in the horrifying vision he has of Patricia getting dragged into a glowing sarcophagus. He still doesn’t know what a Sinner is, but he knows that whatever he just saw was really bad; it’s an incentive from the Osirian spirit (or the house, or the gods, or literally whatever) to actually try to get the hell out of there.

So we’re all sitting here watching going “Oh my god they’re gonna nab Patricia and make her evil! 😰” because we have context; Eddie has absolutely none. It’s also really important for later on that his vision ends when the sarcophagus door shuts. It’s framed as incredibly final, and for all Eddie knows, they’ve just stuffed Patricia in what he knows is a tiny cramped space and locked the door behind her. He thinks that at best they are going to kidnap her or, at worst, straight up kill her. Nothing in that vision indicates she’s walking out of there at all.

When Patricia ran off after the fake messages, Eddie is concerned for a lot of different reasons, but the two primary ones are the obvious “oh my god my girlfriend thinks I cheated on her what do I do???” and the other is “if she’s run off on her own, the adults could fulfill my vision!” But then she turns back up, which should be clear to us by now means that he thinks she’s safe. He’s waiting for her (for any of them) to disappear. But when none of them do, they think it’s fine. It’s not that Eddie doesn’t think Patricia is in danger of becoming a Sinner, he just doesn’t realize what that would actually look like.

Even when they’re all in the hallway morbidly joking about having to give up sinning, the language KT uses is telling of what they think being a Sinner means: “We don’t want to accidentally help out Team Evil [by sinning].” Of course, this statement works with the knowledge the audience has of everything, but if Sibuna actually knew what they were dealing with, KT would have said something more like “We don’t want to get captured/turned by Team Evil.” The jokes they’re making are still morbid, but because they think you just get put in the sarcophagus and that’s the end of it.

Let’s flash forward again to the phonograph getting smashed and Eddie’s second vision that prompts the witch hunt panic in the first place. The vision can be separated into three parts: 1) Eddie sees a hooded figure smash the phonograph (okay Sibuna already knows someone did it on purpose, not too crazy); 2) Robert approaches him creepily and has the mic-drop moment of “it was one of your little friends; you have a viper in your nest” (seriously what a raw line of dialogue… but also now Eddie is being told that there is a traitor. Pretty cut and dry); 3) he turns around and sees every other member of Sibuna mockingly throw up the Sibuna sign (uh oh!)

So here is where people (including me!) always got a little annoyed with Eddie for not doing the math. But upon several rewatches and actually listening to what everyone was saying, never once do any of the kids ever bring up the word “Sinner” during the entirety of this whodunnit arc. And that’s simply because it’s not even a thought that crosses their minds. The language they use is very telling: “traitor” and “betrayal” being the heavy hitters. If any of them actually had context for what was actually going on, the language they would be using would be more like “victim” or literally just “Sinner” as a noun. But they don’t, which is why they’re so hostile toward one another… and why KT was screwed from the moment Eddie had that vision.

Because the fact that they don’t know that a Sinner is an evil version of themselves (not just someone whose soul is being used as a power generator), means that on a subconscious level Fabian, Alfie, and even Eddie already assumed KT was guilty. And Sinner!Patricia knew that, and that’s why she was so easily able to pivot and pin it on her. KT was directly linked to Frobisher, and Fabian and Alfie had already been suspicious of her at the start of the season for other reasons. It’s why Fabian let Patricia help him with the finger printing in the first place: because he doesn’t believe it’s her. And Eddie would have no real reason to suspect Patricia for three reasons: 1) Because he’s in love with her; 2) Because he knows just how long Patricia (and Fabian, and Alfie) have been loyal to Sibuna and to each other; 3) Because he, like everyone else, was looking at this betrayal as a willing capitulation to the Team Evil.

The first time Sibuna becomes aware that a Sinner is an entity that they have to actually watch out for walking about (as opposed to just having to watch out becoming), is after KT and Harriet manage to escape Patricia in the Gatehouse. Harriet clearly knows what a Sinner is bc she has the presence of mind to actually explain (vaguely, of course, because she’s drugged to kingdom come) to KT what she’d just narrowly escaped.

And then when she confronts Sibuna and Patricia in the hallway after Miss Crocodile Tears is telling tales about KT trying to kidnap her, KT drops the bomb on the boys: “She was trying to make me a Sinner just like her!” Pause. Record scratch. Okay. Now everything they thought they knew about the situation is completely recontextualized as something much more sinister than what they initially thought. Because I’d always struggled with how cruel they were being to KT, especially if they thought it wasn’t her fault. But everything up until this point deeply suggests or rather expects us to understand that Sibuna only had two pieces of an 100 piece puzzle, and that them being mean to KT was because they thought she actually betrayed them.

With all of this in mind, Eddie is not stupid for not figuring it out right away. In fact, without knowing what a Sinner actually is, it would be an insane leap to assume Patricia had anything to do with the phonograph.

I’ve basically talked myself and all of you in several circles, but the bottom line is the show didn’t do a fabulous job of telling us that Sibuna had no clue what they were up against. It’s easy for us to sit back and go “what the hell is wrong with them are they stupid?” because we have all the knowledge of what’s going on eons before they do. This is a far more charitable read of the characters’ choices and thought process, and the only way any of their actions make any sense. In fact, this is less of a theory and more of what is… literally canon, I guess

[bidisasterevankinard]

So you’re pretty sure of him being next season still around… glad to know, because I totally agree, cause a lot of people is sure that they’re going to break up soon…and honestly, if that was the case, story wise, it wouldn’t make any sense to me…

Maybe you’re right and the ILY will arrive next season, but this season I would love for them to take the next step and label themselves as a serious relationship…

Yeah, I'm pretty sure Tommy will stays at least for season 8. because of story they are making and because of how bucktommy was taken by fandom and the thing that Lou was followed by 911 ig account. For me it all speaks "we want more of him"

You're absolutely right that story wise for now there's no reason for Buck and Tommy to break up. They for now was only on two dates(and we will not see the time skip to wedding I guess but still I believe it's several week after coffee date so we also can add some more dates+ wedding) and they are absolutely smitten with each other and want to try to know each other. Tim, Lou and if I'm not mistaken Oliver all said they want romcom and I can't see them break even at the end of the season,but I can see them taken more serious step as calling each other boyfriends. Oliver also said there's gonna be more kisses and Buck initiate some of them, so Buck definitely feels more confident in his relationship and I can see him only trying to make them deeper and more meaningful, but not "clinging" because he's scared to be alone, but because he really likes Tommy

When they didn't want someone for long, Ali for example, they barely gave us anything about the character. We literally just knew that where she works, that she was dying her hair blonde for a lot of time and that's all. About Ana, who stayed for pretty longer, we jts knew her work, that she has sister(right before break up) and that's all. Even Taylor had backstory only in 5s when I guess they tried to make Bucktaylor work.

About Tommy we already know some things from begins episodes and that's btw makes everything easier. Tim said that they chose Tommy because he was already existed in the universe, they don't need to create new person, but they made Tommy deeper. We literally had Tommy in 6 episodes (in one barely) and we already know more about him we know about Tailor who was around for 1,5 seasons. They showed us where he works, said that he was in the army(in begins it never mentioned), made his story we saw in begins deeper with saying "yeah, he was in closet.", told us about his interests like Muay Thai, cars, basketball, we know he's a movie fan like Chim (begins). We know he loves Love,actually and craft beer. They made him Eddie's new friend. Also they let Lou to share his ideas how he sees Tommy (hard unstable childhood) which I'm sure wasn't for nothing. I see them making Tommy the character on the Karen's level at least .The LI of the main character, who is regular with enough backstory to make them interesting and lovable to the audience, but no need to make them main. Also Tommy's job allows him to make appearance any time they want. And his friendship with Eddie, Chim and Hen too. So he doesn't need to be just "Buck's boyfriend". Tommy has way better treatment any gf of Buck or Eddie had and we have him as a LI for only 3 episodes. Imagine what they can do till the end of the season and during next one? Make him loveable LI who is not plot device, but also no need to make him main. And as Tommy not in 118, 911 don't even have to go through standard plot of "oh, we are working together and it's gonna be a lot of drama about it". Too old

[kassycreations]

Sally Starlet and the Moon (A Welcome Home Theory)

Welcome Home has invaded my every waking thought and as a result, I've been thinking about a lot of things. One of these things being Home's thespian; Sally Starlet.

Sally is apparently one of the characters the fandom has headcannoned and theorized to be self aware along with Wally and now Eddie. I didn't know this but now it's one of the many, many things I think about. I understand it completely, the character whose character revolves around being an actress and needing to follow a script and things like that. Personally, I like to imagine all the Neighbors are self-aware and it works like a scale or something. But, that's not what I'm talking about right now. Let's talk about Sally and her big head!

In Ms. Starlet's character bio, it mentions how she needs two or more puppeteers to operate her head. This is because her head was much larger than the other puppets. This is not elaborated on why this was necessary, so that could only mean one thing; the reason is plot relevant!

I've never really seen anyone question why Sally needed multiple people to puppet her and, I can see why. There's really not that much incentive to question why that'd be the case. Aside from the Halloween story book record, Sally doesn't do much to stand out storywise which makes sense, we are still in the prologue after all. That is until you pay close attention to her and realize... she's always facing the audience.

Take a look at these screenshots of Sally from the commercial compliation

Notice anything?

Anything at all?

She's always facing us. This is a theater thing I learned in my theater arts class; when on stage, you must always be facing your audience. They can't view you from the side, they always have to see your face. For Sally, this makes sense. She's into theater, she's an actress so why wouldn't she do this? Why wouldn't she face her audience? I'll tell you why! She shouldn't know she has an audience.

Not only does this add onto the self aware Sally theory, but, this is also where my theory came from.

We all know what Sally's house looks like, right?

It was a Sun and Moon on it which looks slightly similar to Sally's face; red nose, rosy cheeks and blue eyeshadow. It's just that the blue eye shadow is on the moon side. Obviously, this is supposed to be Sally's face. However we don't get to see the moon side of it. That doesn't mean it doesn't exist, though.

My theory with Sally as to why her head is so big, why she needed multiple people to puppeteer, and why she always faces the audience is because she has a moon on the back of her head. Her head was so big because it needed to fit essentially another prop. She always faces the audience not only because of that one theater rule I mentioned but because we as the audience aren't allowed to see the moon side yet. Spoilers, basically. It's like how she's gatekeeping the guestbook submissions because we're not supposed to use them yet.

Side Note; I like how all the characters that are aware currently are all on the guestbook page. Barnaby is somewhere in the middle of not being aware and being aware though so I don't know if he counts.

Another thing I like to think that sort of adds to the theory is color theory. Orange is Sally's favorite color and the one she as well as the sun sometimes is associated with. Blue is the opposite of orange as well is often associated with the moon.

The idea of Sally having another face on the back of her head is really interesting to think about. Mostly because of the ideas of how would the other Neighbors react to it. Like, were they all scared slightly when they first saw it? How long would it have taken them to adapt?

But, anyway, tell me what you think about this theory and if you have any theories about Ms. Sally Starlet.

[danicalithegirl]

Faithfully (The Late Show) (One Shot #13)

Eddie’s Perspective:

The studio lights felt like a furnace as I sat down on the stool for The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. The audience buzzed with excitement, and I was trying to channel that energy, but all I could think about was how much I missed home—my dogs, my wife, and the cozy mess of our living room. After weeks of interviews for Midnight Vengeance, our album that finally took Corroded Coffin to the top, I felt like I was caught in a whirlwind of fame.

I lit a cigarette, smirking at the producers as they shot me disapproving looks. I was feeling edgy, more rockstar than ever, and the weight of expectations made me crave a sense of normalcy. As Stephen approached, his characteristic grin warmed the studio.

“Eddie! Great to have you back!” he said, leaning in. “I’ve got to say, it’s been a wild ride for you and the band. How’s it feeling to finally hit the big time?”

I took a drag and exhaled slowly. “It’s insane, man. We’re finally where we always wanted to be, but it comes with its own set of challenges, you know? The road life can be exhausting.”

Stephen nodded, genuinely interested. “I can only imagine! What’s the craziest thing you’ve experienced on tour?”

I chuckled, the memory fresh in my mind. “Oh, man, there was this one show where a fan threw their bra onstage. I thought it was hilarious—until it landed right in my guitar case! My girl wasn't too happy about finding that afterwards. Kinda gave me hell for it actually, but she saw how ugly the bra was and forgave me.”

The audience laughed, and for a moment, the pressure eased. Stephen leaned back, a twinkle in his eye. “And I hear you tied the knot on that tour! Congratulations! Tell us about your wife. What’s she like?”

The moment hung in the air, and my smile faltered. I could feel the tension creeping in. “She’s amazing. Runs our local record store. Keeps everything organized while I’m out here living this rockstar dream.”

Her Perspective:

Sitting on the couch with our dogs, I felt a mix of excitement and nervousness as I watched Eddie on The Late Show. The familiar backdrop of our living room was comforting, but the anxiety bubbled beneath the surface.

When Stephen brought up our marriage, I could feel the tension radiating from the screen. I held my breath, bracing myself for the inevitable loaded questions. The moment he asked about me, my heart raced. I was proud of what I’d built, but I also knew the world often looked down on “ordinary” lives.

I gasped, feeling my heart drop. I watched as Eddie’s expression shifted, the familiar fire igniting in his eyes. “She runs our local record store,” he snapped, defensive and fierce. I smiled despite myself; that protectiveness never failed to send warmth through me.

“Do you ever worry about marrying someone who isn’t famous?” Stephen prodded.

“Worry?” Eddie shot back, his voice low and intense. “You think that matters? She’s got talent, and she’s real. She keeps me grounded.”

A wave of affection washed over me, my heart swelling with pride. I knew how much he valued our life together, how deeply he loved me despite the glitz and glamour surrounding us.

Eddie’s Perspective:

When Stephen pressed, I felt my jaw tighten. “What do you mean by that?” I shot back, irritation creeping in. The last thing I wanted was for someone to question her worth. “She’s got her own thing going on. She’s not some trophy for me to show off.”

Stephen raised his eyebrows, sensing the shift in my tone. “I didn’t mean it like that, Eddie. It’s just… being married to someone famous can’t be easy. Does she ever feel overshadowed?”

“She’s not overshadowed!” I replied, a bit louder than intended. “She’s the manager of the best damn record store in town! Probably in the state! She’s out there hustling and doing her thing while I’m out here living this life. Someone's gotta hold down our fort."

Stephen pressed on, though, trying to navigate the conversation. “But what about the fans? Do you think they respect her? I mean, with all the attention on you, it must be hard for her.”

I could feel the pressure building in my chest, the heat rising in my cheeks. “You don’t get it,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady. “Every time I’m asked about her, it feels like they’re not seeing her for who she really is. Like she’s just another part of the show. As if she's just some extension of me, like another arm or something. Not her own unique person despite who I am or whatever."

Her Perspective:

My heart raced as I watched Eddie’s frustration boil over. I could feel the tension in the room, as if I were right there with him, sharing the moment.

“C’mon, Eddie,” I murmured to myself, wishing I could reach through the screen and calm him. I knew how he hated to feel backed into a corner, especially when it came to me.

Stephen leaned back, clearly sensing my husband’s anger. “I get it, but it must be hard for her to watch you from the sidelines while you’re out here living it up. How does she cope with that?”

“Coping?” Eddie repeated, his voice strained. “She’s the strongest person I know. But it doesn’t mean it doesn’t hurt when I’m out here and she’s back home with the dogs,managing everything. It’s not all glitz and glamour, Stephen. There’s a real life behind all this.”

Eddie’s Perspective:

The tension thickened, and I could feel my emotions boiling beneath the surface. I took another drag of my cigarette, struggling to keep my cool. As the conversation wore on, Stephen clearly not getting my points, unintentionally asking all the wrong things, I spoke up. "Hey, man. That’s MY WIFE you’re talking about,” I snapped, my heart racing. “You think I’m gonna sit here and let you disrespect her? Nope. Fuck you.” I had my finger raised up now, not holding back at Colbert.

The audience murmured in surprise, and I felt a mix of anger and protectiveness surge through me. The urge to defend her was stronger than the urge to play nice.

“I was under the impression I was here to play something for you guys,” I said, rising from the stool, determination pushing me forward. I grabbed my guitar from the stand, and instead of launching into one of our new tracks, I began strumming the opening chords of “Faithfully” by Journey. The song felt like a declaration, a testament to my love for her, my way of sharing our story with the world.

Her Perspective:

Tears prickled at my eyes as I listened to him pour his heart into the song. It resonated with the love and longing I felt every day, reminding me of everything we shared, of the quiet moments between the chaos of fame.

When he finished, I could see him storming off the stage, but I knew he’d be reaching for his phone to call me. As soon as he did, I picked up, eager to hear his voice.

- "Hey, babe,” he barked, a mix of frustration and relief in his tone. “You wouldn’t believe what just went down.”

- “Eddie, I saw! You were incredible out there! I’m so proud of you.”

- “Yeah, well, it got a little heated, you know? I just... I couldn’t let him talk about you like that. Like you’re just some side note in my story.”

- “I get it, I really do. It’s just hard sometimes. I want to support you, but the way they twist things… it can make me feel small.”

- “You’re not small! You’re everything, and I won’t let anyone diminish what you’ve built. You run that store like a boss, and I don’t care what anyone says. You’re the heart of everything we do.”

- “You make me feel seen, Eddie. It means so much that you stood up for me like that. I wish I could’ve been there to support you, too.”

- “I wish you were here, babe. It’s so damn lonely sometimes, even with all this chaos around me. I just keep thinking about our living room and those lazy afternoons with the dogs. I miss that.”

- “I miss it too. The dogs keep looking at the door like they’re waiting for you to come home. They love the couch as much as I do, but it’s not the same without you.”

- “I’ll be home soon, and I promise we’ll have a ‘normal’ night—just us and the dogs. We’ll order takeout, watch terrible movies, and I’ll play for you in our living room like I used to.”

- “That sounds perfect. Just hearing you play makes everything feel okay again.”

- “I’ll even throw in some Journey covers just for you. But don’t tell the guys; they’d never let me live it down.”

- I was laughing softly now. "Your secret is safe with me. Just promise me you’ll take care of yourself out there. I know it’s tough.”

- “Always. And if things get too crazy, I’ll call you. Just hearing your voice calms me down.”

- “I’ll always be here, Eddie. Just like you’re always with me, even when we’re apart.”

- “Exactly. I love you, babe.”

- “I love you too. Now go get some rest before your next interview. You’ve earned it.”

- “Okay, but only because I’m looking forward to that couch date when I get home. Save a spot for me?”

- “Always.”

[tea-time-with-london]

I hate the shift from s2 to s3 because you can tell that some of the characters got reduced to stereotypes in order to make the show more popular for a general audience. I always call it the marvelisation of Stranger Things. The characters are Hopper, Dustin, Erica, and Steve.

Especially the last one. I hate how the show made him into this brainless himbo loser. Like Steve wasn't the smartest in s1 or s2, but he wasn't extremely stupid like the show made him out to be in s3 and s4.

It rubs me off the wrong way when they make him say he's too stupid for college when, in reality, in s2, he didn't want to go because he wanted to stay back for Nancy and make sure she is safe. Now they broke up, but he has Dustin, and you can't tell me he didn't want to stay back for him. Also, going with the "I'm just not sure where life is going direction" is far more interesting than making him too stupid for college. I constantly mourn the Steve we could have gotten if the show didn't make him into such a loser.

Sidenote: Why does the fandom shit on Steve's intelligence when he graduated high school, but Eddie was doing his senior year for the 3rd time in 86?

Anyway, the way the characters treat him in the show is sad. He can't even ask valid questions for a better understanding because the show framed it as oh look Steve is so dumb let Dustin make fun of him constantly. Like s4 takes the cake, all of Steve's "dumb" moments were not stupid. Him asking about the clock was valid bc why tf is Vecna obsessed with clocks? Or questioning Dustins theories. By asking questions, it shows me Steve is present and wants to understand but somehow gets punished for it.

Like in s2 at the Byers' house towards the end, he constantly asked questions, but it was so that the party could elaborate better and everyone was on the same page. Steve knows how to follow a conversation and discussion. He isn't stupid. And if he gets things mixed up, maybe look at his history with head injuries. He absolutely goes through it every season. By making fun of him for recovering from concussions and brain injuries, it's just vile shit.

But the fandom is even worse, like some fics straight up maje characters verbally abuse Steve for his intelligence. Like people saw the show, and instead of making things better, they decided to double down and make him the joke of every conversation to hype up other characters.

If I were Steve, I would leave them asap like those people are not my friends. Nobody ever stands up for him, not even Robin, his supposed best friend. It's honestly sad

Sorry this is so long, but as a Steve girl, every time I get to s3 and s4, I get upset with the way his character is handled.

Confession #78

He unfortunately has been the butt of the joke in some cases, which flat out sucks to witness. He's not a stupid character by any means. Sure, he's probably not the smartest, but he's not dumb whatsoever. I personally had beef with the way Dustin and Steve's friendship was portrayed in season 4. I hated it. And I mentioned before how I dislike Robin's "dingus" nickname for Steve. She overuses it so much in season 3 it was unbearable. Steve asks questions because he's curious, and wants to understand more. That's never a sign of stupidly.

And yeah, I tend to only read Steve x Reader Insert fanfics, because I refuse to read shit by people who use Steve as their punching bag in fics.

[filmnoirfoundation]

ASK EDDIE returns Thursday, July 20, 7:00 PM PT to our Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/filmnoirfoundation/live

FNF prez Eddie Muller responds to film noir fan questions fielded by the Foundation's Director of Communications Anne Hockens In this episode, we discuss “Pier 23” and its connection to the radio program “Pat Novack for Hire”, staircases in noir, “Quiet Please, Murder”, “Desire Me”, “Stolen Face”, familial noir, the noir credentials of “Sin City”,and more. Eddie weighs in on what the last film noir of the classic era was and the first neo-noir. Plus, we discuss the newly coined phrase homme stupide. We wind up the show with a discussion of teen noir. On the cat front, Charlotte does not appreciate the question about the cutest cat in film noir. Want your question answered in a future episode? We solicit questions from our email subscribers in our monthly newsletters. Sign up for free at https://www.filmnoirfoundation.org/signup.html

Everyone who signs up on our email list and contributes $20 or more to the Film Noir Foundation receives the digital version of NOIR CITY Magazine for a year. Donate here: https://www.filmnoirfoundation.org/contribute.html

Can’t join us on Thursday? No problem! A recording will be up on our YouTube channel, @NoirCity, on Friday, July 21: https://www.youtube.com/user/NoirCitySF

Note: Eddie will not be able to answer questions posted during the livestream nor ones left on our social media accounts

This week’s questions:

Was the Stanford Theater ever considered to host a NOIR CITY Film Festival? What film ranks in your mind as the most important yet to be restored?

Richard

My wife Linda enjoys watching film noir. She particularly gets a kick out of the sap who makes poor judgments after succumbing to the “charms” of a femme fatale. She calls such a dope an homme stupide. She was wondering if you have encountered this anywhere else or if she has coined a new noir phrase.

Michael, Post Falls, Idaho

I recently watched a 58-minute, B noir programmer titled PIER 23, featuring Hugh Beaumont as Dennis O’Brien. I also saw ROARING CITY another under-an-hour picture with two more cases. Spartan Productions also released a third Beaumont/O’Brien flick, DANGER ZONE - with the same format, all based on stories apparently recycled from old scripts for the radio program PAT NOVACK FOR HIRE. Have either of you seen any of the films or listened to the old Pat Novack program?

Michael, Post Falls, Idaho

Do you have any comments or opinions on QUIET PLEASE, MURDER? 

Liz

Any thoughts on DESIRE ME?

Dennis James from Champlain, NY

I don't remember either of you mentioning STOLEN FACE which I think of as a precursor to VERTIGO. Thoughts?

Joe from Suffolk County

Don't you think the kitten in THIS GUN FOR HIRE is the cutest cat in film noir? I thought I read that Hitler invited about Veronica Lake and two other beautiful Hollywood starlets to visit his castle in the 1930s and that they went. Have you ever heard of anything like this?

Arlene

Is it accurate to claim that the multi-story staircase shot we see so often in Noir is an example of German Expressionism? Bob, Woodland, CA

Have you heard of the Netflix series BABYLON BERLIN? If so, what are your thoughts on it?

Adam from Indiana

 I consider Frank Miller's SIN CITY and SIN CITY A DAME TO DIE FOR Noir's on steroids.  Your opinion, please.

Chris

My question concerns one of my favorite films, 1978's FINGERS. Can you think of any other examples of "familial noir," where characters' lives are dictated by their parents or siblings or ancestors?

Kevin, Salt Lake City, UT

Do you consider, as some people do, that Welles’ brilliant TOUCH OF EVIL is the last noir film of the classic era? And what do you consider the first “neo noir”?

Bill Stewart of Winnipeg, Manitoba

 With the 2021 NIGHTMARE ALLEY and now MARLOWE, I wonder if the current picture business is starting to find interest in reviving old noirs. To me, it seems that to cater to a modern, jaded audience, directors have been making these noirs quite violent. There's considerably less censoring -- and more technology -- in filmmaking, but do you envision any noirs being brought back today in a non-R-rated fashion, or would noir have been a more violent genre in the 40's if the production code and technology allowed for that?

Neil

I have a question about a small but important detail re: two of my absolute favorite remarks in Film Noir. They are both spoken in the crackling dialogue in OUT OF THE PAST.  I have always attributed these great lines to the fine screenwriter, Daniel Mainwaring, who wrote the book and screenplay for this movie. But some time ago, Eddie, I thought I heard you mention that another screenwriter came up with these ‘gems’.   If you have the answer, please let me know.

Craig from Carlsbad

As I understand, OUT OF THE PAST was released in the UK under its original title: BUILD MY GALLOWS HIGH. I was curious if either of you have ever seen a UK print with that title and if there were any other differences in the UK prints?

Dennis, Champlain, NY.

In a recent episode, Eddie said that he hates teenagers and hated being one. That said, are there any film noir movies with teen protagonists that you enjoy? 

Craig from Nashville

[apomaro-mellow]

Save the World with Rock and Roll and Love 6

Part 5

Hawkins was great. It was the best place in the world. Filled with nice people who understood them, just the sweetest. Why would they ever want to leave? It was all sunshine and rainbows in this town. And that was what they sung about. Sunshine, rainbows, and how much they loved the town they grew up in. How they never wanted to leave.

“I didn’t think it was possible, but your sound’s gotten worse!”, the stage manager shouted over the booing.

The boys of Corroded Coffin were in their own little world, playing their ditty. Not even the jeers of a dive bar audience could bring them down from this high. They were up in the clouds. But then the audience started to throw things. Eddie got beaned with a beer bottle. Gareth and Crash both got splashed by the same spray of someone else’s beer.

Jeff got a face full of half-eaten sandwich. They started coming to just as they were being dragged off stage and pushed them off.

“What the hell!?”

“Where are we?!”

“Where’s Steve?!!”

Disoriented to hell and back, they stumbled their way back to their shared apartment to try and recuperate and regroup. Jeff started cooking while they retraced their steps and realized what had happened to them.

“Son of a bitch drugged us again!”, Eddie shouted, holding his head in his hands.

Crash was rocking on the couch while Gareth paced back and forth. 

“Well what do we do? What are we gonna do? This is serious, he kidnapped Steve, you saw it”, Gareth said.

Eddie’s leg bounced and he looked down at the floor. “Why do we have to do anything?”

“Dude, what?”, Crash squeaked.

“You heard what I said”, Eddie blew a breath out. “Maybe this is the best for Steve. He’ll get to share his voice with the world.” He stood and went over to the window, staring out. “It’s what he’s always wanted.”

“You’re a goddamn idiot, Munson!”, Crash shouted, coming to his feet.

“Why’re we yelling at Eddie?”, Jeff asked, coming from the kitchen.

“He thinks we should give up on Steve”, Gareth said.

“What the hell!?”

“Steve doesn’t need this band, he never did!”, Eddie shouted back, turning to face his friends. “Creel might be a first class creep, but he’s Steve’s ticket to the big time. And that’s what he deserves.”

“I can’t believe you!”, Crash pushed Eddie hard, making him fall backwards against the stereo, hitting play by accident. Steve's voice came through the speakers and Eddie felt the fog lift. At first, all he could process was his boyfriend's singing, the smooth way it sounded. But then he started to understand the vocals…

Oh, what will the signal be for your eyes to see me?

Watching offside as I wait just in case you need me

So I still will set the stage, send my thoughts to you

That was his love. His Stevie and he was singing about…it almost sounded like he was singing about him.

“Is he..singing about me?”, Eddie’s voice was soft and unsure.

“Always has been”, Jeff said.

Crash sighed. “You’re the only one who didn’t realize it.”

“Dumbass”, Gareth added.

On top of the stereo was a notebook, one that Steve wrote in but rarely let anyone look at. It had been left here, in the wake of everything. Eddie took the liberty of looking through it. It was filled with lyrics dripping with love and adoration. Some even accompanied by little doodles of the two of them.

Eddie felt like the biggest asshole in the world right now. All along, all this time... Steve's song, all of his songs were... He wiped the tears from his eyes and closed the notebook.

"We gotta go save him."

They left the apartment, determined, but Gareth was the one to pipe up and stop them in their tracks.

"So what's the plan?"

"Plan?", Eddie echoed. "We get to the venue and free Steve, that's the plan."

"He's literally being held captive by an evil warlock that's bested us twice", Gareth held up two fingers to prove his point.

“Okay, well, any bright ideas?”, Eddie urged, hands thrown in the air.

A cop car blipped past, coming to a stop down the street at the corner. All four of them watched as the officer got out to enter a convenience store.

“I got one”, Crash said.