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groovinrightalong · 1 year ago

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Do u have any trans masc Max Mayfield headcanons?

I haven’t thought much about it but now I have so MANY thoughts!

-Max hasn’t had a lot of positive relationships with the men in his life, so it takes a long while for the “hm I don’t feel quite right” to click. He doesn’t feel super comfortable as a girl, but he looks at his step-dad and Billy and is like “well I don’t want to be anything like that, so this has to be okay.”

-He definitely knows more about gender/sexuality stuff than the others because of growing up in California. So he’s thought a lot about it over the years, but just kept coming to the conclusion that he’s a tomboy (again, no positive relationships with men.)

-It’s actually because of Lucas (and the rest of the Party, by extension) that he really starts to get more comfortable with the idea. Because Lucas is sweet, and he’s gentle, and so unlike any of the other men he’s been around. Lucas is the first person that kind of cracks his view on gender roles and what exactly defines a man.

-He butts heads with Mike a lot at first just because of how insistent Mike is about him being a girl, how he’s different and unwelcome because of it, but (if this is also transmasc Mike) they realize they’re actually really similar and grow closer because of it, or (if this isn’t transmasc Mike) Max realizes that it isn’t the “girl” thing that bothers him, it’s the fear of replacing El.

-If it’s both transmasc Max and transmasc Mike, Mike comes out WAY earlier than he would’ve on his own.

-The boys are all really supportive when he comes out (which would probably be around the season 3 era). They don’t really get it at first, but he’s their friend, and they’ve always been very vocal about how they’d kill for a friend if needed. And really, seeing Max as a boy isn’t all that different from what they were doing already, so it’s an easy adjustment.

-In a similar fashion to Max teaching El about being a girl in the show, the guys take him out on a “boys only” night. It isn’t really any different than their usual hangouts- they go to the movies, play video games, eat way too much junk food, but the boys only title makes Max feel all fuzzy and warm inside.

-He comes out to Billy while he’s dying. He didn’t ever really plan on doing it at all, but his step-brother is dying in his arms and he needs to get it off his chest before it’s too late. Billy is a lot of the reason it took so long for him to feel comfortable as himself, and he thinks Billy knows that once it’s out in the air. Unfortunately, Billy’s dead before he can really give much of a reaction, just a weak little “I’m sorry.” And that’s nowhere near enough to make up for everything.

-He comes out to his family that night in a screaming match with his step-dad. Neil is an asshole about it, but it doesn’t really matter because the whole argument starts because he’s gonna leave them. Susan is incredibly supportive, and she turns around and kicks Neil out even though she’d been begging him to stay moments before. Gives Max one of those big, therapeutic hugs where Max just sobs into her shirt.

-Max cuts his hair off after Billy’s death. He’s never had a problem with his hair, he actually likes it long, but he’s messed up over everything that happened. He leans a lot more into the stereotypes he hated as a kid, acts rougher and more stand-offish. He breaks up with Lucas, stops hanging out with the rest of his friends. He feels awful, because this is the first time in his life that he’s only surrounded by people that support and love him, but he feels like he doesn’t deserve it.

-(Vecna has a field day with all that)

-Post canon, he does grow his hair back out again. Lucas dramatically informs him that men with long hair are hot (bi king), to which Max shoots back that that would mean Mike was hot. Lucas gives Mike a quick once over and is like I mean, yeah.

-Lucas likes to greet people and go hi, yes, this is my boyfriend Max. He’s so cool. He pretty much single-handedly saved Hawkins that one time. And Max stands there with his face bright red in his hands like oh my god shut up

-Lumax and Byler double dates with an obnoxious amount of homo, striking fear into the hearts of conservative smalltown Indiana

YES I love this sorry for making it angst near the end but yes yes transmasc Max I love him💞

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bearsinpotatosacks · 7 months ago

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I have a stranger things theory in the same vein as a few reset theories I’ve seen.

They've been using a weird form of time travel which isn't really time travel but also isn't not time travel if you get me? I'm just realising that I'm not exactly sure how Eleven goes back into her memories? Is it a hypnosis thing? They play the tapes and she's transported back there but can only relive, not change, a Christmas Carol style? Or was it her powers making her relive them but instead of someone else's memories, it's her own.

They used this, and combined with general ability to see into someone's mind and how she just straight up resurrected Max, I don't think it's too much of a stretch to say she could time travel.

I have a scene in my mind of Eleven realising that there isn't a way they can destroy the upside down forever, Vecna is immune to their attempts and she maybe has been having moments of deja vu throughout (think loki s2 where he keeps time jumping to the past and future) and realises that the only way to stop it once and for all is to stop it happening at all. She makes the hard decision to go back and stop herself from sending Henry to the Upside Down but it's a hard decision because there's a high likelihood that if the other kids didn't die, if she'd just killed Henry instead of sending him to the Upside Down, she never would've got out and so she's sacrificing her friends and also the lives her friends have made.

Think about how good of an ending that would be, for them all to decide to sacrifice their lives now to make a new one that they won't even know is different.

Will never goes to the Upside Down so may be more confident and not as traumatised. Jonathan was never looking for Will in the woods, so never took those photos of Steve and Nancy before Barb died, because she never died, so Steve never destroys his camera, so Nancy never bonds with him because he has evidence of something killing Barb, so they may never get together in the first place. And because there’s no demogorgan, and no love triangle, Steve may still have been a popular jock because he probably didn’t fall out with Jonathan, so didn’t have to apologise and change.

Robin and Steve may not be friends because the mall wouldn’t have been built as a cover up for the russian experiments. And because Steve didn’t change, and Barb is alive, there may have been no ‘you’re bullshit’ argument at Halloween so Steve doesn’t have to apologise, and he doesn’t help and bond with Dustin because there was no Dart so Dustin wasn’t trying to get to the Party. This means that Dustin’s just closer to Eddie, because Eddie just graduated in 1986 instead of dying, he maybe doesn’t even really like Steve because Steve stayed a popular jock.

Max wouldn’t be in whatever state she was in because no Vecna. But also she wouldn’t have the trauma of Billy dying to get her to be a victim because Billy was never possessed so is still alive, so maybe Susan and Neil are still together, so Max’s life is shitty in a different way. Also if there’s no upside down then Will wouldn’t be possessed and there would be no demodogs, so Max wouldn’t have sneaked out so Billy wouldn’t have beaten up Steve so Max wouldn’t have stood up to him (at that point, I like to think something like that would still happen).

Would Joyce and Hopper still be together? Would Joyce be with Bob still?

And most importantly, what happens to Eleven? Is she still in the lab? Is she dead?

She goes back, kills Henry, Dr Brenner walks in and says ‘what have you done?’ and everything goes black.

She wakes up in her bed in the Byers’ old house. Joyce is in the kitchen, Will at the table. Hopper’s at work. It’s normal. She goes to school and things are normal, but she’s in the hellfire club, Max is fine, Lucas is in the basketball team.

Nancy’s at university, Steve’s got a job and they’re living together, she just knows. They don’t know who Robin is. Jonathan is also at university, he was never with Nancy, he and Will shared a room after El came to live with Joyce and Hopper.

Eddie’s band’s playing Hawkins, they’ve got a cult following and are on tour. Billy’s coming to see them, because Billy’s alive, duh, Max says like it’s common knowledge, because it is. He just left town one day, keeps occasional contact with Max now that Neil’s in prison, he started on Susan and her after he left and the party noticed and after a year of pain, he got convicted.

By the end of the day, El’s struggling to remember the original universe, the original story. It’s normal.

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hazzyking · 10 months ago

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Hi guys so an update!!! Here are some WIPS I'm working on

Idk when I'm gonna be done with all these things, and idk when I'm gonna post them, but please be patient while I work on these 😭

I will not be writing Neil Newbon content any longer due to the recent statement from Neil.

- Astarion x Lovissa 3 part fanfic of Lovissa's back story

Astarion meets Lovissa's family! That's the only summery your getting lol

((also maybe a part 4 featuring Dadstarion cause I'm obsessed with the art that was made for me))

- Simon Walker x Male reader (hollyoaks)

(Completed)

- part 2 Neil Newbon x Reader

- Neil Newbon x Reader Smutt

- Part 2 of Wet and Wild and Alittle Flashy ((Reno x Reader Smutt))

Tag list:((this isn't really a tag list. These are just people who expressed interest in the following WIP's. Let me know if you want to be tagged when I post any of these))

Also also if you want to be tagged in any smutt, you must have your age present in your bio!!!

@fanaticsnail

@quailbagutte

@0eye0

@crypt-keepers-den

@lightsage86-blog

#bg3 #bg3 astarion #bg3 tav #bg3 tav x astarion #lovissa x Astarion #neil newbon fanfic #neil newbon x reader #hollyoaks #simon walker #simon walker x reader #simon walker x reader hollyoaks #my wips #reno ff7 #reno sinclair #reno x reader smut #reno x reader

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jaylikesrainbowtigers · 1 year ago

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My entry for day 3 of @fallofneilhargrove. The prompt was Public Scorn and Don’t make enemies of the local knitting club.

Tw: abuse, abuser point of view, arrest, jail and swears

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Neil Hargrove was having pretty fucking good day. He had been to work, had Susan cook him a proper meal and had sat down to watch football. Like a proper man does.

Sure, things had gotten a bit sticky when attempting to get Billy to be a proper man again but that’s just what Neil had needed to do. Really the bruises were the boys fault. His lack of respect to his elders was a serious problem and there was only one way Neil could sort that. Eventually the pussy had to learn respect.

The game was on full blast and his fresh beer was nice and cold when Susan edged into the room. Neil’s forehead creased. That damn woman was ruining the game.

She stuttered out a “Neil. There… There’s a package for you.” She held out a brown, lumpy package addressed to him.

“Fuck off, woman. Can’t you see the game is on!” He snatched the package out of her hand and ignored her gasp of pain.

He ripped open the paper expecting a awful jumper or something. A belated birthday gift from a aunt or something.

Instead, he got an equally cushy lump of knitting. He scoffed and thought what grandma made this shit? The lump of brown knit unfurled in his hands revealing a bunch of what resembled letters. Neil twisted it around in his hands trying to make out the letter. Ne lnow vhol gau’re dainy. What? He looked a little closer and his blood ran cold.

We know what you’re doing.

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Click, click, click.

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It was the next week and Neil had put the knitting out of his mind. It was probably a mistake or a prank. Neil had absolutely nothing to be ashamed of. He was certain of it.

In fact he was so sure, he had burnt the knitted monstrosity outside. He wasn’t scared of some stupid message.

Which was why when Susan slipped in holding an identical brown package to the one the week before he paid her no mind. No, he certainly didn’t pause the TV to scream at her and snatch the parcel away from her.

He tore open the now familiar brown wrapping to see a flash of blue. He pulled the knit outside of its wrapping to show off the blue hat. The half he was holding looked normal.

The red lettering he revealed by turning the hat spelt was again hard to read. Or perhaps the reader was a little bit drunk.

Asshole.

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The crunch of bourbons filled the air.

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Wednesday had arrived again. Neil didn’t have the football on this time. He wanted to see if what he had did stopped the knitting.

He had been so sure it was some type of prank. It had to be one of the people in his house. Of course, his pathetic excuse for a son was first. Perhaps he should have held off on the punishment before searching his room to find nothing.

The next day he had been down to the craft shop of Hawkins. According to Claud or whatever her name was from the shop, the boy had never set foot in that shop in his whole life. She would have remembered as she was the only worker there. Neil felt the urge to smack her rise again. Alas he couldn’t smack another man’s wife. He’d go to jail because there would be obvious proof.

Next step was to check his stepdaughters room. An unlikely culprit but one to try anyway. The girl wouldn’t get into anything suiting for girls no matter what he did. She wasn’t going to start just to knit him stuff. Clear.

He told Susan not to go anywhere near the mail box today. There was no way she could have knitted them without him knowing.

He pulled himself up from the couch. Time to see if his counterfeit measures had worked. He opened the post box.

Lo and behold a brown package was crumpled in there. His hands had a slight shake to them as he pulled out the package. It was slightly bigger than the rest.

He unwrapped it in the living room. A green jumper came out of the mess, on it knitted a sentence.

Arrest me. I deserve it.

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Giggles in the background as the net tightens.

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Neil refused to sit this Wednesday. He stood looking out the window. It was package time. On a Wednesday.

The postman stopped at a house. Then the next. And the next. Geez, this guy was slow.

Finally, he arrived. Neil watched like a hawk as he produced the brown package filling Neil’s mind with dread.

In fact, over the course of a week when thinking about the package Neil had a) spilt boiling water all over himself, b) accidentally shaved off half of his moustache, and worst of all c) accidentally screwed up the biggest work project of the season. He was lucky to not get fired. He had gone everywhere feeling like everyone was looking at him. The paranoia of not knowing who was sending the packages. What did they know. Whoever it was had to be ruining Neil’s life.

As he looked out the window he though about who it could be. The lady from the supermarket with the wart? That woman with the blonde hair walking down the road Or maybe next door who he was constantly in a argument with? The odd pair of friends with ten cats down the road? Or that guy he beat at poker the other week? Or the man with the moustache and glasses sat in his car outside? One of his stupid boy’s friends? Or maybe one of Maxine’s friends? An unknown stalker?

Whoever it was still eluded him.

In his thoughts he had managed to collect the parcel. He held the thing in his hand and looked hard at it.

His hands shook as he pulled back the paper. A pair of red gloves fell out of the package. They lay side by side on the floor as if someone was wearing them with their palms facing upwards.

The black text clear for all to see.

Abuser.

Neil jumped as he heard a shout at the door and a group of men entered.

“Freeze! Police!”

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The sloshing of wine as a toast to victory. But work wasn’t quite done.

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Neil Hargrove was sat down again. It was the next Wednesday after his entire life had changed.

His orange jumpsuit itched and his bunk mate snored loudly. His bunk mate wouldn’t cower under him. The large man had left a bruise on Neil’s cheek from the only time Neil had tried to enforce his way on the man. It was supposed to be his house, his rules.

But jail certainly wasn’t his house.

And the worst thing was that he didn’t know how. How had it gone so, so wrong? The police had presented him with the photos and the files. Weeks worth of photos, videos and even recordings all painstakingly took. A solid lot of evidence to sink him down. Each strike left on his son. Recordings of his screams slid over his soul. Videos of what he did in his own house.

It had to be connected to the knitting. The evidence hadn’t started collecting until a mere week before that. The calendar in the background of so many photos had proved that.

And here he sat another brown package in hand. This time delivered by a prison guard.

Neil felt like weeping. But of course he didn’t because real men don’t cry. And Neil’s a man.

A orange scarf trailed out of the package. A perfect match to his prison garb. More bold black letters stared out at him.

You got what you deserved.

The contact card of the Hawkins Knitting Club lay forgotten on the floor.

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Four beings of pure rage sat around a table six weeks ago.

Joyce a woman who had lived under a man like Neil. She had children living under a man like Neil. She wouldn’t let him get get away with it.

Claudia who had lost her husband but loved all the more fiercely because of it. No one would hurt a child under her watch.

Sue who was largely unspoken but Sinclair's fight for those who can’t. No matter what Sue didn’t let it slide and she would always fight.

Murray who ran on rage and spite. He was always ready to take people like Neil down. It was his shit, his life’s goal.

They raged in a circle when Joyce had met the brother-sister duo of Max and Billy. When she saw the signs. Neil had crossed the wrong club.

Don’t make enemies of the local knitting club.

So they did what they did best. They knitted.

Not only that but they were patient. Knitting was a craft of patience.

Murray and Joyce sat outside of the house. Everyone went out and they went in. They had plenty of experience planting cameras and listening devices. Murray continued watching and took photos when he could. Claudia made sure to put salt into that man’s coffee every time he asked for sugar. He never remembered her despite seeing her serve him at both the craft show and the coffee shop. Men like him never noticed women like her. Sue was the one who made the call as she compiled evidence meticulously. Erica obviously got it from her mom. She wouldn’t miss a single moment until this guy was finished. And all of them knitted. They knitted until their fingers felt like bleeding. They had a lot to knit as they needed to make this perfect. And perfection takes time.

In the end it was the rage of the knitting club that tore Neil Hargrove down. Because you should never underestimate a bunch of mothers and a journalist who are thriving off coffee, bourbons and wine.

#fallofneilhargrove #fall of neil hargrove #stranger things #strangers things ficlet #billy hargrove #max mayfield #neil hargrove #susan mayfield #joyce byers #murray bauman #Sue Sinclair #claudia henderson #tw abuse #tw jail #tw arrest #tw swearing

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paintbynumberseven · 1 year ago

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family portrait

#max mayfield #stranger things 4 #el hopper #stranger things #mike wheeler #dustin henderson #will byers #steve harrington #lucas sinclair #neil hargrove #susan hargrove #billy hargrove

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evviejo · 2 years ago

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thirteen’s era appreciation: 236/?

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victoryrifle · 2 years ago

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DOOMSDAY (2008) dir. Neil Marshall

#doomsdayedit #filmedit #filmgifs #moviegifs #scifiedit #scifigifs #doomsday #doomsday 2008 #doomsday movie #rhonamitraedit #rhona mitra #eden sinclair #neil marshall #eye horror #mine #gif:mine #gif:doomsday2008

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thegayhimbo · 1 year ago

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Stranger Things Runaway Max Review (1/3)

If you haven't yet, be sure to check out my other Stranger Things Reviews. Like, Reblog, and let me know what your thoughts are regarding the show or the upcoming season! :)

Stranger Things Comics/Graphic Novels:

Stranger Things Six

Stranger Things Halloween Special

Stranger Things The Other Side

Stranger Things Zombie Boys

Stranger Things The Bully

Stranger Things Winter Special

Stranger Things Tomb of Ybwen

Stranger Things Into The Fire

Stranger Things Science Camp

Stranger Things “The Game Master” and “Erica’s Quest”

Stranger Things and Dungeons and Dragons

Stranger Things Kamchatka

Stranger Things Erica The Great

Stranger Things “Creature Feature” and “Summer Special”

Stranger Things Tie-In Books:

Stranger Things Suspicious Minds

Synopsis: Witness the events of season 2 from Max's perspective as she recounts her past in San Diego, her relationships with Neil, Billy, and Susan, her subsequent move to Hawkins, and her meeting with the Party as Lucas invites her on an adventure that will change her life forever.

Observations:

For a book that's short and easy to read (only 231 pages), this was rough to get through. Not because it's badly written (if anything, it's arguably one of the BEST Tie-In novels for Stranger Things), but because this book delves into hard topics like abuse, depression, and isolation, and does not sugarcoat any of it. While Max never had a perfect life in California, the moment Neil and Billy came into the picture is the moment things went sideways for her. There were parts of this book that were distressing, and the way Max's story plays out in season 4 makes a lot of what happens here look harsher in hindsight.

I've said before in previous reviews that the supplementary material works better when it helps enhance the story and mythology of the show. To the book's credit, it manages to do that effectively. While it does retell parts of season 2 from Max's perspective, it gives the audience more context about her past, the circumstances behind Billy and Neil coming into her life, how she views each of the characters she encounters, and it allows the audience the opportunity to get to know Max better.

Part 1: Max And Her Monsters:

In my Creature Feature review, I mentioned Max had a love for horror movies similar to Will, and that Halloween was her favorite holiday:

She even goes on record stating Michael Myers is the horror movie monster that scares her the most, and therefore fascinates her:

There's a dark irony in how Max's fear of Michael parallels her later fear of Vecna: Both of them are serial killers, both of them are mentally disturbed, both of them are strong and will do everything to hunt their targets down, both of them cause collateral damage in their rampages, both of them take heavy injuries and still manage to keep pushing forward, and both of them act as an unstoppable force of terror. The big difference is while Michael is portrayed as a physical threat, Vecna acts more as a supernatural AND psychological threat who can bring your worst insecurities and memories to the surface in order to drive you to despair before he consumes you.

Max had an interest in horror/slasher movies, and then her life became one. Poor girl can't catch a break. 😞

Her love of horror movies predates Vecna and Billy, but there is something to be said about her fixation on monsters, and how she talks about them in context of her situation: In order for her to deal with monsters, she either needs to understand them and their mindset, or she needs to find some way to keep the monsters close to her so that she'll never be caught off-guard by them. There are several instances where she refers to Billy and Neil in this manner because of the abuse they inflict on her, and she desperately tries to understand their behavior as a means of coping with them:

Anyone who's ever been in an abusive situation can relate to what Max is going through. She's forced to live with Billy and Neil despite not wanting to, she feels like no one (including her mom) is stepping in to make things better, and she initially thinks the only option is to weather the storm. She wants to "understand" how her monsters operate and keep them focused on her as a means of protecting others from getting caught in the crosshairs.

In a way, it's similar to her situation with Vecna in season 4. Despite Lucas's suggestion that they go back to Ms. Kelly's office to see if Vecna's targeted other kids, Max refuses because she believes she understands how Vecna works, and would have a better chance of dealing with him compared to a unprepared stranger going up against Vecna:

Max (to Lucas): We don't have time for any of that, okay? And even if we did, even if your plan did work, we'd be putting a total stranger at risk. A stranger who has no idea what they're up against. I do. He uses my memories against me. But… only my darkest memories. Same with Chrissy and Fred, right? It's like he only sees the darkness in us. So, I'll just run in the opposite direction. Run to the light. And maybe he won't be able to find me there.

Lucas: Now, how exactly do you plan on doing this?

Max: I'm not sure. But it's my mind. Not his, right? So I should be able to control where I am. I just need to… push him away. Find a happy memory and hide there. Hide in the light.

Max's arc has not only been about dealing with her "monsters," but also allowing others to help her and realizing she doesn't have to fight them alone. It's a new concept for her because most of her life has been her believing things would only get worse, and that no one would step in on her behalf. Given how her mom was complicit in letting Neil and Billy railroad their lives, it's understandable why she's hardened herself and adopted a cynical outlook. After Billy drives away Max's friends in San Diego and breaks the arm of her best friend Nate to create a wedge between them, Max loses hope that her living situation will improve, and decides she'd rather have Billy's rage directed at her instead of seeing others close to her continue to get hurt. The result is she becomes isolated, just like Billy wanted.

However, in spite of appearing closed off on the surface, people continue to reach out to her once she moves to Hawkins. Dustin and Lucas invite her to go Trick-or-Treating with them, and despite Billy later trying to run them off the road with his car, they still want her to be a part of their group. There's even a brief scene in the book (which should have been on the show) where Max gets injured while skateboarding outside of the store Joyce works at, and Joyce comes to see if she's okay. Max is surprised by this because it's one of the few times she's seen someone express any genuine concern for her:

Later on, Lucas is ultimately the one who opens up to her about everything related to El and the Upside Down, takes her to the junkyard to show her proof of their story, listens to what she's been going through while reassuring her that she's still a good person, and takes the time to get to know her. And as Max sees from everyone else in the Party, despite their arguments and differences, they do care about each other and will fight for one another when the going gets tough. Lucas himself shows he's willing to fight for Max despite how scary and awful Billy is, and despite how standoffish Max initially presented herself. She's never truly had someone do that for her before, and witnessing that is what finally allows her to stand up to Billy at the end of the book and save Steve's life in the process:

And come season 4, they show up for her: The moment everyone realized Max was next on Vecna's kill list is the moment they sprang into action to protect her to the best of their ability while attempting to take Vecna down.

There was an interview where the Duffer Brothers admitted they originally planned to kill off Max at the end of season 4 before changing their minds. I know there are people in this fandom who complain about certain characters having plot-armor (and I could do an entire separate post about how that term gets thrown around willy-nilly these days), but in Max's case, I'm glad they didn't go through with it. For a character who's an abuse survivor and has endured repeated trauma in the hopes that thing would eventually get better, killing Max off like that would have been a mean-spirited way to end her story. It also would have made her entire arc pointless and nihilistic. At least here, there's the possibility of Max returning from the brink.

In both my reviews of The Other Side and Erica The Great, I've talked about how it's likely Max's consciousness has been assimilated into Vecna following the battle at the Creel House, which is why her mind is blank when El tries to communicate with her at the end of season 4. Based on that, Max's arc may be about maintaining her individuality from within Vecna as a means of continuing to resist him, and eventually finding a way to break free from his control and regain her sense of self. Thematically, it would also serve as a satisfying conclusion where she's no longer defined by her trauma or the monsters in her life who have repeatedly dragged her down (Billy, Neil, Vecna). She can finally have an identity and life outside of that.

Of course, there's also the fact that even if her consciousness escapes Vecna's control, she'll still be returning to a broken body, with the very real possibility of being blind and crippled for the rest of her life. I'd actually be interested in seeing that as opposed to the Duffer Brothers coming up with some Deus Ex Machina to magically fix Max's body and make her whole again. Scars and injuries of that extent don't fully heal in real life, and even though Stranger Things isn't a show grounded in reality, it would be nice if they could show a character that's become disabled who's still able to find a way to adjust to her situation, live fully, and gain some semblance of peace within herself.

Part 2: Max And Her Friends

Part of the brilliance of the book is we get a lot more insight into Max's thought regarding certain characters and what she thinks of them, which helps shed more light on how she relates to them on the show.

Take her relationship with Mike for instance: She is (rightfully) not impressed by how he keeps trying to exclude her from the group and shows her nothing but hostility. I know Mike's gotten flak for this from fans, and while his behavior isn't entirely excusable, there is at least context for how he acts here: To him, Max is a stranger who has no idea about El or the Upside Down, and he's not entirely sure he can trust her with that information. On top of that, he worries about Max becoming a replacement for El after her disappearance. It's not a rational way to think, but there is an emotional component to this that Max understands:

Couple of things to note here:

1.) Max is consciously making a choice to be better than Billy. She sees Mike in a rare moment of vulnerability, and even though it would be easy for her to be snide and mean towards him, she instead chooses to be empathetic. That may not seem like a big deal, but I can say from personal experience that I've encountered people (both online and off it) who act like sharks the moment they smell blood in the water. Show any kind of vulnerability or weakness, and they become the most condescending, belittling, self-righteous person you can imagine. For whatever reason, they get some kind of smug superiority in tearing others down to elevate themselves. I've been on the receiving end of that one too many times, and I have nothing but contempt for people who act like that. They are devoid of empathy, and are unkind to others when it is convenient for them. I will always have more respect for those who show compassion towards the vulnerable over those who tear them down.

2.) For as much as Mike and Max are at odds with one another on the show, they have many similarities: They're both headstrong, with a take-charge attitude. They both have issues conveying their emotions in a way that doesn't make them appear moody or hostile to others. And they both care deeply for those they love.

For as much as Max acts emotionally distant on the surface, she wants to have friends and belong somewhere. She wants to be Mike's friend despite how he initially treats her. It's why she continues reaching out to Mike, and even suggests becoming the Zoomer of their Party while roller-skating around him to make him laugh.

It's also why she jumps at the opportunity to get to know El better in season 3 when she takes her shopping and introduces her to other aspects she hasn't experienced yet, like the mall and Wonder Woman comics and sleepovers and so on.

Side Note: In recent years, I've gained a new appreciation for the El/Max scenes in season 3, especially with how important they were in briefly helping Max break free of Vecna in season 4. It's also the first time Max has ever had a friend who's a girl, and she intended to make the most of that during her time with El.

We don't really get much interactions between Will and Max in the book, but I love how she called out the stupidity of Will's nickname "Zombie Boy," and notes that someone who allegedly came back from the dead is not the kind of person you'd want to bully:

She also notes the difference between Lucas and Dustin in how they talk to her, which gives more context for why she ultimately ends up with Lucas by the end of the book:

I like Dustin, but I'm in the crowd that believes Lucas and Max make a better couple, and that Dustin and Max work better as friends. Lucas is the one who listens to her and allows her to be vulnerable in a way where she feels safe and not judged.

He's also the person who (aside from Steve) Max felt protected by. She can be around Lucas without worrying about whether or not he'll abandon her:

Speaking of Steve, I know it's a common perception in the fandom that he's the "big brother figure" Max wishes Billy had been, and this book leans heavily on that interpretation. Unlike other adults, Steve isn't condescending to Max, goes out of his way to treat her as one of the group despite only knowing her for a few hours, and later protects her from the demodogs when she's in danger:

That's probably the first time someone's really stepped up for her like that, and she repays him later by saving Steve from Billy.

Finally, there's this little bit regarding Max's thoughts about Nancy:

It's refreshing to see the breaking down of stereotypes here, and the idea that women have to channel male qualities in order to be "badass" or taken seriously. Nancy is able to be her own person, in her fear, bravery, and determination, without having to emulate Hopper or Steve or any of the other male characters in the room, and Max realizes she can be as well. I would even argue Max channels Nancy when she's later holding Steve's spiked bat over Billy:

She managed to emulate both Steve in his protectiveness towards others, and Nancy in her fierceness, and it's an empowering moment for her.

To be continued in Part 2.........

#stranger things #max mayfield #stranger things runaway max #lucas sinclair #lumax #anti billy hargrove #neil hargrove #mike wheeler #will byers #el hopper #dustin henderson #joyce byers #steve harrington #nancy wheeler #tgh opinions #tgh reviews #the duffer brothers

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sahana-draws · 2 years ago

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Andrew and Neil, as Wednesday and Enid from the Netflix show Wednesday!

Andrew's side of the room has a sort of gothic aesthetic, whereas Neil's side of the room has a full blown out Exy aesthetic! 🧡

I made this Andreil art for Moon (@m00nflowers) for the winter @aftgexchange ! Moon, I very much hope you like it!

(Feel free to repost, but do tag me! I'm @/books_and_draws_eclectic on Instagram and @sahana-draws on Tumblr!)

#andreil fanart #aftg exchange #aftg fanart #all for the game #andrew minyard #neil josten #wednesday addams #enid sinclair #wednesday netflix #wenclair #exy #nora sakavic

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writerwhowritesao3 · 1 year ago

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First Lines of 10 Fics Game

rules: share the first lines of 10 of your most recent fanfics and then tag 10 people. If you have written less than 10 fics, don’t be shy and share anyways :)

Thank you for the tag, @sunwarmed-ash !!!!! Tagging: @dastardlydandelion, @mourntheantagonist, @lucdarling, @keziahrainalso, @weird-an, @ihni, @lilies-in-a-vase, @harringroveheart, @memes-saved-me, @bentnotbroken1fanfiction

Jump In The Fire

Chapter 1: “Hey look, there’s another cow.”

"Okay, what are we listening to?" Billy held up two cassettes. "Scorpions or Metallica?"

"Blondie."

"No."

"Come on," Max pleaded. "You always choose the music."

"Yeah, 'cause it's my car," Billy laughed. "When you start driving, you can choose the music. But until then..."

He took the Scorpions tape out of its case, jammed it into the player, and put the Camaro into reverse to back out of the driveway. Through the windshield, he watched Susan step out of the front door to wave goodbye.

"Have a good day, guys!" she called out, her voice muffled through the glass. He and Max waved back and then they were on their way.

Night Shift

One-shot

That past November, after setting the tunnels on fire and exorcising a monster out of Will, Nancy had poured them a shot of vodka and toasted to saving the world and to the hope that they would never have to do it again.

Really, they should have known that things would never resolve that neatly. Maybe they did on some level.

Talk To A Green Tree

Chapter 1: November, 1980

Susan got a call from Billy's school at around one in the afternoon.

She had been married to Neil for about seven months at that point and at the start of the school year, they had updated Max and Billy's school forms to reflect their newly formed family. Updated Billy's "in case of emergency" contact to list her first, since she was more easily able to leave her job at the bank in the middle of the day than Neil was at his job at the security desk of an office building a few blocks away.

The call was from the school nurse, Thelma Stevens, who politely and professionally informed her that Billy had thrown up and was running a slight fever, and asked that Susan take him home for the rest of the day.

Is There Something I Should Know?

One-shot

Max took another swig of her Coke as Dustin illustrated his points about time travel by drawing a scattered series of lines and circles and spirals on a page in his notebook. They had gone to her house after school that day to study for a test they had in their shared history class, with the agreement that Dustin would be gone by the time her mom and stepdad got home from work. Well, really by the time Neil got home. It wasn't like Max wasn't allowed to have friends over; she was. It was just that none of her friends here had met Neil before and Max kind of wanted to delay that inevitability for as long as she could. Neil, and Neil's moods, were unpredictable. When the time came that he met any of her friends, whether they were boys or girls (and Max had been becoming more friendly with some of the girls in her class), Neil might be friendly, welcoming, and normal.

Or he might come home in a rage and start yelling at Billy for something stupid, like parking his car two inches away from where he should have. He had never hit Billy in front of non-family members. But there was no guarantee that he never would. Max really didn't want to be known as the Girl With The Crazy Stepdad.

Take It As It Comes

One-shot

Steve wasn't freaking out, okay? He wasn't freaking out. He was just very upset. Because when he pressed Billy up against the wall of Steve's bedroom as their kisses became more heated, Billy let out this short pained hiss when his back made contact with the surface behind him.

"You okay?" Steve asked.

"Yeah," Billy said. He connected their lips again, teasing Steve with the tip of his tongue. Billy kept himself upright, about an inch away from the wall.

Steve ran his palms over Billy's shoulders, lightly squeezing. Billy didn't make another sound, but his shoulder twitched, just a little, almost imperceptibly. Steve pulled away from him.

"What's wrong with your back?" Steve asked directly.

"Nothing," Billy said. "I'm fine."

Burning From The Inside

One-shot

It's not like Billy couldn't have sex.

Sure, after That Party, after That Asshole and those frantic hookups afterwards with Nate and those two randos at the park, Billy might have felt a little gun-shy. A bit skittish. So disinterested in sex that he didn't even jack off for months. He had honestly thought that there was a chance that he would never want to have sex ever again. Never want to take his clothes off and let someone touch his bare skin again, especially below the waist.

Even when he had that crush on Chris Phelps, his thoughts never ventured beyond kissing. And after Billy had kissed him that one time, it's not like he fantasized about doing anything further.

Billy had sort of resigned himself to the idea that sex would never be a part of his life ever again. And if it ever did re-enter his life, he wouldn't enjoy it. He would enjoy getting attention from other men, but sex itself would be one of those "close your eyes and think of England" type of deals.

Until he moved to Hawkins and met Steve. And then it was like the hormonal flood gates had burst.

Fire Burns Below

One-shot

"Remember, we're staying at the Rosebud Hotel," his mom said as she double checked the contents of her briefcase. "I'm leaving the phone number and address for you on the fridge."

"Got it," Steve said around a mouthful of Cheerios.

"And we're leaving right from the office tomorrow," she said. She pulled a file out of her briefcase, opened it, scanned the first three pages inside, and neatly tucked it back in. "But we'll be back by Sunday evening, so you'll only be home alone Friday night and all of Saturday, and just Sunday morning and afternoon. Okay?"

"Uh huh."

Steve's mom closed her briefcase and took a sip of her coffee, keeping her eyes on him. Steve watched his mother watching him.

"Are you going to be okay?" she finally asked.

"Yeah...?" Steve said. "It's just one weekend."

His mom was quiet for a moment, then took a seat at the table in the seat next to him. Steve braced himself for whatever his mother was going to say next.

"Honey, your dad and I noticed you've been checking the locks again," she said gently.

What Is And What Should Never Be

Chapter 1: January 1985

On January 1st, 1985, Billy Hargrove showed up at Jim's door with a bruise across his cheekbone.

At the time, Jim didn't think anything of it. Kids, especially teenage boys, got all kinds of bruises in all kinds of ways. Especially teenage boys who played sports and got into fights with their classmates.

Billy wasn't there long; he had just come to pick up his kid step-sister Max (not "Maxine") Mayfield (not "Hargrove"). He wasn't there long enough to have any sort of conversation, especially not one about a bruised cheekbone that could have been the result of anything.

So. On January 1st, 1985 Jim let Billy walk off his porch, get in his car, and drive home without any questions, because at the time, Jim didn't think that he needed to ask Billy any questions about the bruise on his face. The fact that he had seen it slipped out of his mind not even five minutes later.

Cat People (Putting Out Fire)

One-shot

Neil got a call from Susan towards the end of his shift on Friday.

He was at the front security desk of the office building he worked in. McKinley was seated next to him, rambling about his wife who didn't put out, his adult children who never called, his grandchildren who he never saw...Neil was only paying enough attention to nod and give an mmhm periodically. He had no sympathy for McKinley. The man was a career drunk who was only able to keep his job because their boss, Stan Hinton, was his wife's cousin. And there was no way that Hinton had never seen McKinley take a swig from his flask on the job; the man barely even bothered to hide it.

Neil's father, Jack, hadn't hid his alcoholism either. "I have a shit life. Can you blame me?" he would snap if anyone dared say anything to him about his drinking. He would go into a tirade about it. How his family had lost their farm during the Depression and how he and his parents and his five siblings had to make the drive from Oklahoma to California. How the entire family had gotten typhus when they were passing through Arizona and how it killed both of his parents and his two youngest sisters. He would rant about how he and his three remaining siblings (a sister, a younger brother, and his own identical twin brother) could only get the worst, most back-breaking labor jobs because no one wanted to hire Okies

On With The Show

Chapter 1: Dustin and Steve

Not even two years ago, Dustin had thought that Steve Harrington was a total douchebag.

Maybe it wasn't entirely fair. Dustin didn't know Steve back then. He had only heard things from Mike. Things like how Nancy would spend all night talking about him with Barb (may she rest in peace) on the phone and how right after Will went missing, Mike had caught Steve sneaking into Nancy's bedroom window and when he and Mike made eye contact, Steve had tried to play it off like he wasn't doing anything sketchy, like Mike was some kind of moron.

Mike thought Steve was a douchebag and so he had told his friends that Steve was a douchebag.

The thing was...Steve really wasn't. At least not to Dustin.

#harringrove #billy hargrove #steve harrington #max mayfield #will byers #jonathan byers #nancy wheeler #susan hargrove #neil hargrove #dustin henderson #lucas sinclair #el hopper #jim hopper #mike wheeler #stranger things #stranger things fanfiction

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