#JARgyle

[undreaming-fanfiction]

Still pushing everything Stranger Things into myths, fairytales and cursed settings and I'm not quitting!

Eddie Munson is the pied piper.

He travels the country and plays cheerful songs that will make you dance and call out in joy. But many villages dread his melodies - it is said that some children will fall under a spell and follow him away, never to be seen again. There is no use stopping them or locking them up before the piper is gone - once the song is heard, they are lost.

He is untouchable. The music shields him better than a full army of men. When you hear his melody, you can't feel anger, can't feel fear. And when the magic fades, he is long gone, along with the children.

No one knows why some children are left behind and why some leave with the piper. Not before his visit. After several days, a royal mage visits the town, along with the king's trusted messenger. It is said that someone from the village called them, asked for royal intervention of this brazen kidnapping of children, but no one wants to admit they were the ones to request help.

The mage and messenger examine the village, talk to the remaining children, and then call the whole village to hear the results of their search.

The messenger's name is Robin. She clears her throat and calls out to the villagers. "Hear the official stance of the king on the happenings in your village. We have investigated your claims about the presumed kidnapper, the pied piper. You claim magic was involved. That is why the royal archmage, Nancy Wheeler, has been summoned." She takes a step back and lets Nancy share her findings.

Nancy's eyes are cold as she watches the villagers. "The crown's stance is that the pied piper indeed uses magic. However," she adds as the villages start stirring, murmuring, "it does not children, as you have thought. No, the piper's magic calls out to the victims of cruelty. It calls into action those who are continuously beaten, disparaged and made feel small. It is the cruelty in your hearts that called the piper here. For this magic, there is no remedy other than removing its source."

She looks in the eye of a villager who is known to beat his wife. "Take a deep look inside yourself, inside your anger and the violence you bring. Because if you don't, the piper will return. And the next time, the magic will call out to you."

Some men and women in the village shudder. Others try their best not to look too hopeful.

Robin wraps things up by announcing that the crown will continue searching for the piper and the taken children, but that even if they were to return, unless they felt safe, the magic would take hold of them again. She doesn't seethe with cold fury like Nancy does, but her words bite more than usual.

They depart the village and the villagers have a lot of work to do. They make amends, either out of guilt or fear. And the legend of the piper spreads.

No one needs to know that the pied piper always leads the children towards the woods, where Nancy opens a portal for them. No one needs to know that the portal leads directly to the castle of the king himself, Steven the Brave.

Steven waits for the children on the other side, wearing commoner's clothes. He charms them with his smile, makes them feel safe, and explains to them that this is their new home, at least for some time. "Your parents were told why you were taken away," Steven says, "and know it might take some time before you come back. For those who don't want to go back home - you will always have a place here. Others can return in the spring. But now," he claps his hands, "this is your home. Who is hungry?"

The royal chef Argyle ushers them away. Later, they would be led to their beds by the keeper of the castle, Jonathan. For many of them, this is the first time they get to sleep feeling safe.

In next months, they would be given classes, nurtured, loved. Some would later opt to go home and would be let go - if their parents were deemed worthy, and if the children agreed to never admit where they were. Maybe a distorting spell would be placed on their memories, their experiences intact, but location a identities of their caretakers hidden. Others would stay and would later relocate to the villagers around the king's castle.

But now, the children are cautiously but happily (the smell is divine!) following Argyle, and Steve stands up, addressing his three friends. "Thank you. I couldn't do this without you."

Nancy just shrugs. "It's the right thing to do. I wish I could call a blizzard on some of them, for all that evil. But if you say there's hope for some of them, I will trust you."

Robin wraps her arm around Nancy's waist. "Which is why I always come with you. To keep those freezing tendencies in check." She pecks a small kiss on Nancy's cheek. Then she turns towards Steve. "The conditions in this village were pretty bad. There are some concerning households, Nancy placed surveillance enchantments there. If they don't get better, we'll know."

Nancy nods towards Eddie. "How is the enchantment on the pipe? Is it holding up?"

He reaches into his pocket and hands her the pipe. "It seems to be, but I'd appreciate another check up. After all, villager mobs lack intelligence, but boy, are they fast."

After Robin and Nancy retire to their room, Steve pulls Eddie close and kisses him. "I'm so grateful, Eddie. But you don't have to do this, you know. I hate that this all makes you look like a villain. Even if we all know better."

But Eddie just waves his hand and returns the kiss. "It's all good, Stevie. I've always wanted to use my music for good. And while I love being your court bard, those noble parties get so boring."

"Don't I know it." Steve is laughing now, pulling Eddie towards their room. "Will you at least accept the bottle of your favorite wine as a token of appreciation?"

Eddie clutches his hand over his heart. "Now those words, king Steven, are magic to my ears. I might just follow you anywhere."

[stmarchmm]

We’re less than two weeks away from the start of March Mating Madness!!!! Which prompts have you already mentally put a star next to for safekeeping?⭐️

[donttellunclesam]

subway ride home from pride <3

(close ups under the cut)

[lavenderstobins]

stranger tweets part 5

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all previous parts: [part 1] [part 2] [part 3]

[haluton]

No you don't understand how important the gay people in my phone are to me

[placeholddog]

staring out into the wide expanse in quiet contemplation with the homie

[your-stranger-halfblood-things]

"Weed? You smoke weed?" Steve asked, eyebrow raised.

Jonathan rolled his eyes. "Like you don't." He thought for a minute, contemplating wether to say this or not, but he decided to. "While I was in California, I also had gay sex for the first time."

Steve's eyes widened. "What?" he laughed.

"Yeah, my best friend, Argyle. He and I do it sometimes to, you know, blow off steam."

Steve continued laughing.

"What's so funny?" Jonathan asked. "Gonna make fun of me for being a queer?"

"Nah," Steve shook his head, "I find it funny because Eddie, that trash goblin, he and I..."

Jonathan gasped. "You didn't."

"Well not if you poke fun at me for it."

[gmaybe666]

hey guys I’m in a sad mood m, what do you think about this wip

[hairmetal666]

Steve has a problem. Not a big problem--not an Upside Down-sized problem--but still. A problem. In the form of Eddie Munson. And not the person Eddie Munson, who is second only to Robin in the hierarchy of Steve's heart, but his feelings in regard to one Eddie Munson. Namely, his enormous, devastating, gay crush on the guy.

And he knows, okay, he knows Eddie is gay, but that doesn't mean he wants Steve. Eddie is probably into other metalheads or dnd nerds. What could Steve, with his sports and his polo shirts, possibly have to offer?

He's coping, though. Or, at least, he thought he was until the Family Video phone rings and Jonathan invites them to the New Year's Eve party he and Argyle are throwing at their new apartment.

"We have to make a no-date pact." He tells Robin as soon as the phone is back in the cradle.

"Or you could just ask Eddie."

"You could just ask Nancy." He raises an eyebrow.

She lets out a slow breath. "Yeah, okay. No-date pact. I'm down."

It's just as easy to get Nancy and Eddie on board. Nancy just laughs and says "yeah, like I'd bring a date to the party my ex-boyfriend is hosting with his new boyfriend. How you do you even start to explain that dynamic?"

And Eddie snorts right in Steve's face (it's not cute, it's not), says, "Right, cause my dating pool in Hawkins, Indiana is just ripe with guys who want to ring in the New Year with me."

Steve wants to say that he would be that guy, happily, giddily, but he can't risk blowing up his second most important friendship like that, not when Eddie's never given a fraction of a hint that he wants Steve too.

But that's his problem solved, right? The four of them aren't bringing dates. Easy-peasy.

Unfortunately, Steve's life hasn't ever worked out like that, and the party turns out to not be only their little end of the world crew and a handful of people Jon knows from his grocery store job, but an actual motherfucking party.

It takes almost ten minutes for him and Robin to navigate through the sea of strangers to find Jon and Argyle handing out solo cups in the kitchen.

"Who are all these people?" He shouts over the pounding music, nothing like Steve's ever heard.

"Argyle got a job at the record store down the street," Jon yells.

"Co-workers." Argyle nods. "And a few of their friends."

"A few, right."

"The more the merrier. Right, my dude?"

"Sure." Steve takes a cup. "You seen Eddie around?"

"Living room, last time I looked." Jonathan answers.

"See you around?" Robin asks.

"At least meet up for the ball drop," Argyle answers.

They push their way into the cramped living room, and Steve searches for that familiar cloud of hair, the ripped black jeans. It takes a minute just for the sheer amount of bodies pressed into the small space, and when he sees him Eddie's--

He's standing against a wall, next to the stereo (of course), but there's someone with him. Someone who is tall and leanly muscled in a way that Steve isn't. Someone with long hair pushed back from his forehead. Someone with facial piercings in places Steve didn't even know you could pierce and tattoos and a chain hanging from his worn blue jeans and a bandana in his back pocket, just like Eddie.

And Eddie he's--he's gazing up at this dude with clear stars in his brown doe eyes, body angling towards the other man like he can't help but push more into his orbit.

Steve turns hard, Robin colliding with his side. "Steve, what the--oh."

"I hate New Year's Eve," Steve sighs, trying to ignore the sick feeling in his stomach. It's always been the kind of holiday that is high on expectation and low on follow-through.

"C'mon, I think I spotted Nance over by the bedroom."

He lets Robin guide him across the room, steadfastly not looking back at where Eddie is very obviously finding himself a date. It's okay, Steve reasons. It's okay because that was obviously the kind of guy Eddie would be into it. He knew he had, like, no chance. He shouldn't be disappointed. He shouldn't.

The evening slips away in the shove of people, in the solo cup that manages to always be full in his hand, and he tries as hard as he can to ignore the way Robin and Nancy start sharing the same space.

So much for the no-date pact. He would laugh if a sort of deep loneliness wasn't seeping into his bones.

There's a girl, though, across the room. She's in a short dress and glances at Steve from under hooded eyelids. He could make a move; could have someone to kiss at midnight; have someone just for the night. But then--his heart makes a pathetic patter--Eddie.

Eddie who is practically in that stranger's lap.

He goes out for a cigarette.

When he comes back inside, it's five minutes til midnight and Nancy and Robin are dancing slow and sweet to a song that is neither.

He's happy for them, almost incandescent with it, but the loneliness sinks deeper, reaches marrow, especially after he fails to find Eddie in the crowd.

Steve thinks it might be time to give the whole failed endeavor up for good, but Jonathan and Argyle, both in tiny 1987 novelty top hats, appear at his side.

"Stevie-boy!" Argyle bellows. He lifts Steve at the waist, twirling him, and Steve laughs despite himself.

"Keeping busy?" He asks.

Jonathan pounds him on the back, just a little too hard.

A guest yells from deep in the apartment, "one minute to midnight!" and the music turns off, the TV tuned to Dick Clark and turned up.

Nancy and Robin find their way over, Robin mouthing "sorry," on her way. He pulls her into a side-hug; he'll never begrudge her any happiness, even on his worst day.

From across the room, there's a crash, a short yelp, and then a familiar head of fuzzy brown curls makes its way to them.

"Sorry, sorry." Eddie apologizes as he shoves through the other guests.

"Hi, guys!" He beams at them, cheeks flushed. Steve looks away so he doesn't have to think about how beautiful Eddie is; about how he's not the one who made him blush so pretty.

The countdown on the screen reaches 30 seconds, and the party goers start chanting.

"What happened to--?" Steve can't help but asking.

"Psh, that dude? He's a punk. Plus, I couldn't imagine ringing in 1987 without you guys by my side."

Steve blushes and rolls his eyes. "Sap." He knocks his hip into Eddie's.

"You love it," Eddie wraps him in a loose hold.

The count is down to 10, the ball almost dropped, Jonathan and Argyle and Nancy and Robin making soft eyes at each other.

"What's going on in that head of yours, sweetheart?" Eddie knocks his head gently against Steve's.

"It's nothing."

"You're pouting." Eddie mimics him with a poked out lip.

The count is down to 5.

"Fuck, I just--I wanted to have someone to kiss at midnight, you know?"

The ball drops, the year changes over, the room cheers. His coupled up friends cling to each other in soft, joyous kisses.

Eddie's eyes flick to their friends, to the guests, all kissing and embracing and celebrating, then back to Steve.

With two careful fingers, Eddie lifts Steve's chin, makes it so he can't look away.

"Fuck it," Eddie says. He leans forward, kisses Steve with soft authority.

And Steve just--he just fucking--crumbles into it. He makes a soft noise, curls his fists into Eddie's t-shirt.

Eddie's hands work their way into his hair, pulling him closer. Steve goes eagerly, crushes their bodies together.

They kiss and they kiss, and it's already so far from a friendly New Year's kiss, but then Eddie's tongue swipes into Steve's mouth, and the kiss breaks.

"Um," Eddie says.

Steve can't respond because all his focus is on not giving into the weakness in his knees and collapsing to the floor.

"I've wanted you to do that all night," Steve says.

"Oh." Eddie's face blossoms into a slow smile. "Me too. A lot longer than that, actually."

It's Steve's turn to smile, and he does, so hard it hurts his cheeks. "Me too."

Eddie presses their foreheads together. "Happy New Year, Stevie."

Someone starts singing Auld Lang Syne loudly and off-key, but they're quickly drowned out by a chorus of accompanying voices.

"Happy New Year, Ed."

Steve pulls him in for another kiss. 1987 is already shaping up to be the best year of his life.

[pythoness94]

My favorite Jonathan ship is Jargyle and i'm honestly quite proud of that. like C'MON! You can't tell me that shit wasn't funny. They were stoned, all the time. "Can you pass the olive oil, that's wine." Had me cackling. Oh and "You need purple palm tree delight, go! Go! Go! GO!" Snaps fingers. "Got me stressed out and it's not even my girlfriend." He was SO real. They were such a good match, like Jonathan was so relaxed around him and not just because he was stoned as hell, it was like he was able to let everything else fall away with Argyle and confide in him without it blowing back up at him. I love them.

[dinkeydina]

worked on the designs of spicy six for my Night School steddie AU! 👀

here’s them separately!

[samgelina-jolie]

[little-annie]

How do you think the spicy 6 (and some) spend their time waiting out the blizzard?

I’m working on a fic for Spicy 6ber fanworks, but have this in the meantime.

[lavenderstobins]

stranger tweets part 9

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all previous parts: [part 1] [part 2] [part 3] [part 4] [part 5] [part 5.5] [part 6] [part 7]

[strangertales2025]

Hello one and all! Welcome to our year-long event called:

Stranger Tales

This event is to celebrate Stranger Things, and our beloved fairy tales from all over the world. Our aim is to take our wonderful Stranger Things characters and smoosh them into our favorite fairy tales. We want to work together to come up with fics, art, edits, cosplay, crafts, whatever our brains can come up with. As long as it lives under the umbrella for Stranger Things and fairytales, it shall be accepted. 

This event is year long! No worries about quick dates, this is mainly to come together to have fun, and celebrate our love for each other and the fandom that brought us all together.

Join us! We will have movie nights, sprints, giveaways, and D&D sessions! 

And at the end of our event, after everything is posted, those who have participated will have their own physical bound copy of our entire volume(s) of our work. Just pay shipping and that’s it! We will be happy to have you! Blessed Be!

Stranger Tales Sign Up Form

[strawberrybyers]

the airport scene really is a cinematic masterpiece

we have argyle and jonathan high as hell

willel excited to see their boo

then this doofus shows up only to have his girlfriend immediately be disappointed by “from: mike”, have a totally “heterosexual” interaction with his best friend, then gets clocked by a guy he doesn’t know for wearing a knock-off

i love every moment of it because in just these 2 minutes you find out everything you need to know about the dynamic between mike, el, and will. this is the first half of the catalyst that takes down mikeven, shows mike’s struggle with his sexuality, and the love will has for mike. it’s chef’s kiss fr i couldn’t have asked for a better scene 🤌