#The Shadow Monster (Mind Flayer)

[pancake404]

That’s my friend. Mike.

Finally drew more of Stranger Things with my favorite characters, Mike and Will. I think season two was my favorite season and I remembered this moment with possessed Will which I found interesting.

The Shadow Monster(or perhaps Vecna) describes Mike as his friend(probably before Mike became an actual nuisance as he’s part of every plan that successfully thwarted Vecna’s attempts). This could also relate to the idea that Mike is the Dungeon Master setting up the monsters in D&D similar to how the Mind Flayer/Vecna sets the Demogorgon, the possessed people, and the demodogs as monsters and/or enemies the heroes must face through.

It struck me as cool connection between Mike and the Upside Down monsters(both are quite blue in coloring). So I decided to draw the Shadow Monster communicating Mike as his friend through the possession of Will Byers, someone Mike cares a lot about(probably romantically, especially later, based on Byler evidence).

[princesssunderworld]

You know how the party are the ones who name the monsters and stuff?

I always thought of how funny it would be since Vecna has been watching the party the entire time and he is just like, “…the fuck guys, my name is One…” when they discuss killing him. He is just like, “these fucking nerdy ass kids…”

[demondog27]

Speechless

[v-i-r-i-d-i-a-n]

Shadow Brenner in the VR game whenever Henry does ANYTHING

[friendsdontlieokay]

I've said this once and I'm saying it again. Maybe I'm overanalyzing this, maybe I'm being delulu (assuming from the fact that I'm trying to give my favorite girl the spotlight) or maybe the mind flayer/ the most powerful creature in the upside down is rooting for killing Nancy for a long time.

Know how El's constantly been ruining the mind flayer's plans over and over again? Which is also precisely one of the reasons why it wants to kill her and I think the same thing is going on with Nancy too.

I mean definitely she does not have powers like eleven, but she too, has been trying to directly ruin the flayer's plans by connecting the dots and finding the truth everytime.

In S1, when she gets stuck in the upsidedown for that short while, a Demogorgon tries to attack her, I mean sure if a prey falls right into the trap themselves, what's the poor Demogorgon's fault right? But it didn't try to kill Hopper or Joyce so it's kinda sus cause it seems to me that there is more than one Demogorgon in the upside down, but let's just dismiss the fact for the time being just for the sake of it.

But again, in S2, Nancy, along with Joyce and Jonathan, manages to get the mind flayer out of will, and even though she was mainly there for assistance, Joyce did most of the work/torture, needless to say that she was the one to give it that final push when she poked that burning metal into Will's body which forces the flayer out of him, now I don't know about the mind flayer but if I were him I'd be pretty pissed at Nancy.

Now jumping straight into the third season, it's when things start getting real suspicious and logical, we know how the mind flayer has total control over the flayed's minds right? They have no control over it at all when the mind flayer is activated, so in the hospital scene when Nancy and Jonathan get chased by Tom and Bruce it's definitely for a reason, and I can't exactly remember who but one of those flayed assholes do mention it explicitly how the mind flayer is solely chasing Nancy "I'm here for you Nancy Drew" why would it be here for Nancy? And it's clear that it only chased Jonathan because he was with Nancy cause the whole time it's been after her, and even tried to swallow her, in fact even in Hopper's cabin, it tried to flay her.

And the reason for s4 is absolutely clear, vecna doesn't curse people without trauma, true he did not really curse her but he did enter her mind, revealed his plan and showed her the most terrible things about her loved ones, and I know that vecna did say that he showed her all these because she was so close to the truth and so that she could tell El, but I don't honestly think these are the only reasons, because in that case the chasing and torture are just unnecessary, I mean why would he mention and show her the dead body if barb right? It just doesn't click right.

[hatchpaper]

Inktober Day 8 - The Mind Flayer

By Corbin Leach | October 8, 2024 (Age 31)

[somethings-wrong-with-nana]

Anyone else think that shadow on the wall has a familiar shape? Or is my brain just making stuff up since we’re in a content drought?

Is anyone else as firmly in belief that Vecna/the shadow monster/the head MF in charge has been gunning for Mike since ST2?

He's already tried to kill Mike physically, in those tunnels in ST2.

Then he took his security/superhero,

he's destroyed his party,

he's separated then estranged him from the love of his life,

he's ruined his childhood,

and now, he's destroyed his home.

Not to mention, in ST1, mentally, Mike was already caught between here

and, well... here.

I mean, there's not much left they can do now, except destroy Mike's future.

[tsaheylutales]

You weren't supposed to know | Chapter 1

Hello! This is my first Steve Harrington fic EVER so please be kind. There will be a part 2, i just got impatient and wanted to post something. She's an angsty girl, hope you like it! It’s basically a rewrite of season 4 episode 2.

Pairing: Steve Harrrington X Henderson!Reader

Warnings: ANGST, stranger things level threats, mentions of blood and knives, reader is a softer girl so if you don't like that, scroll, Steve and Dustin are very ooc so...keep that in mind. Let me know if there's any more!

Summary: Steve wasn’t always like this, he used to be kind, and caring, and he used to call you every night. But now? He barely calls at all. Most of the time it’s you calling him. Or you visiting him…Or you planning dates…He’s just really busy at the moment…That’s it. That’s gotta be it…Right?

about 2k words

You weren’t supposed to know about the Upside Down. Or the Mind Flayer. Or Eleven. Or interdimensional monsters made of blood and flesh. You were just supposed to drop Dustin off at the mall. That was it. Easy. In and out. But Steve’s your boyfriend. And you hadn’t seen or heard from him in days. So…why not surprise him?

Worst case, he’s dodging you. Best case, you kiss in the backroom of Scoops Ahoy and steal an ice cream on the way out. That’s what you told yourself, anyway.

Instead, you and Robin ended up decoding a secret Russian message, discovered a secret Russian base underneath Starcourt Mall, got captured, maybe drugged, tortured a little, and were eventually saved by two kids with an electrified stick.

And then, just when you thought your night couldn’t possibly get any worse, a walking nightmare made out of flesh and bones clawed its way through the mall like it had personal vengeance. Turns out it did but that's besides the point.

Your entire life flipped upside down. 

And Steve, your boyfriend…He had known the whole time. And so did your little brother, Dustin.

And afterwards, everyone else went back to normal, back to school, back to work. They made no mention of the horrors that happened that night. They just moved on. Like you didn’t fight The Mind Flayer. Like Hopper didn’t die in that Russian base. Like Billy didn’t die in front of you all.

You haven’t gone a single night without nightmares since. And it doesn’t help you have no one to talk to. Not anymore. 

You’re not really part of the group. You’re just there.

You’re Dustin’s older sister. You’re Steve’s girlfriend, well, sort of. On a good day, when he remembers to call. 

You joined the fight the same day Robin did. Same nightmare. Same blood-soaked floors. Same mindless terror crawling out of a gate you didn’t even know existed until it nearly swallowed you whole. But somehow…She became one of them. Fast. Seamless. Like she was always supposed to be there. And you…didn’t.

You're the one who drives them sometimes, the one who gets asked, “Hey, can you grab snacks?” before a movie night, ones you weren’t even invited to.

You hear about things after they’ve happened. “Oh, sorry, it was last minute.”  “Did we not tell you?”  “Thought you were busy.”

You’re always busy, apparently. Even when you’re not. Even when you’re waiting by the phone, waiting for someone to call. Waiting for someone to invite you to anything.

You’re not welcome. You’re unwanted.

You try not to let it show. You plaster on your smile. You nod along. You say “cool” and “no worries” and “maybe next time.” 

But it gnaws at you. That hollow, twisting feeling.

“Have you talked to anyone else?” Dustin’s voice is tight, panicked, as he and Max hurry down the hallway. They need to find Eddie, and ask him about what happened last night. What happened to Chrissy. They suspect it's something more evil, covered in slimy tentacles and sharp teeth, or a dark shadow, or maybe a towering monster made of the citizens of Hawkins.

“No. I can’t find Lucas or Nancy, and Mike’s in-”

“California. Shit, shit, shit.” He cuts her off without thinking. His brain is moving too fast, thoughts crashing into each other. Too many questions, half the party missing, half the party on the other side of the country. 

“What about your sister?” She blurts, scrunching up her face.

He sighs, a defeated, frustrated sigh. He treats you like a last resort, you are the last resort but…You know about the upside down so…guess you’ll have to do.

“[Y/n]! Can you take us to Family Video!?” he yells, sharp and impatient.

You peek your head out from your room, wide-eyed. “Right now?...”

“Yes, come on!” He rolls his eyes, tapping his watch.

“Uh, okay. Let me get my shoes-”

“Now! Come on!!”

“Okay-okay.” You whisper, shrinking back slightly.

Max glances at him. “That was harsh,” she mutters under her breath. Dustin ignores it.

Your mom calls out, “Dusty, where are you going?” 

“To see a friend.” His voice comes out stressed. Too panicked to just be ‘seeing a friend’. He’s already heading for the door.

“You heard the news. It’s not safe.” Your mom’s voice waves and it makes you feel guilt. She’s already been through enough. 

“We’ll be careful. Thanks, Mom. Love you. Bye.”

“Bye, Mom. Love you,” you murmur behind him, brushing a kiss to her forehead. 

Max and Dustin take off ahead of you, their sneakers smacking against the pavement as they storm towards the video store. Dustin throws the door open and they both rush inside.

They’re already at the front desk, knocking over stacks of tapes, looking through the computer. They set up a “base of operations,” whatever that means. You just stand there, eyes drifting across the rows of movie tapes, pretending to read the titles you’ve seen a hundred times. You feel invisible. 

You still don’t know what’s going on but, the urgency in their voices, the frantic energy? It’s terrifying. It feels like last year again. Whatever it is, it’s scary…. Fourth of July scary.

Your eyes find Steve.

He’s crouched near a toppled display, restacking the mess Dustin left behind. He doesn’t notice you at first. He doesn’t look up.

You walk over, swallowing the nerves in your throat. Your smile feels fragile, like if you hold it too long it might crack and fall.

“Hey.”

Steve looks up. His face shifts. Not into a smile, into something smaller. Tighter. “Oh. Hey…”

Your heart sinks, just slightly.

“Um…” You try to sound casual but your voice wavers. “You didn’t call. Last night…”

He blinks. Hesitates. “Right. Yeah. Sorry. Had to cover for Robin.”

A lie. You know it’s a lie. Robin was here yesterday. You came in to drop off a tape after school, about an hour before he was supposed to call. “You couldn’t have called from here?” you ask, softer this time.

“Super busy.” He mumbles. “Yeah, it was just…really busy.”

He’s not even looking at you anymore. The bell over the door rings again. A girl walks in, she’s pretty, confident, like she belongs. Steve glances at her, not you.

You bite your lip and clear your throat softly. “I was thinking…” You start, trying to sound upbeat, like this isn’t breaking your heart. “Maybe we could go out this weekend? Dinner, or a movie? Whatever you want.”

Steve exhales. Not a sigh. Something heavier. Tired. Dismissive.

“Yeah, maybe.”

You latch onto the word like it’s a life boat. “Cool! I’m free all weekend, so we could do whatever, whenever, I mean-”

“Look,” He cuts in, voice clipped and distant. “I’ve got a lot going on this weekend. Maybe another time.”

Oh.

Your smile falls before you can stop it, not dramatically, just…falls. Ever so slightly. A tiny fracture. Barely a second of vulnerability before your instincts kick in. You catch it. Forcing a grin even though your lip wobbles.

The smile that returns doesn’t fit right. It strains too much. It doesn't reach your eyes. You nod. Once. Twice.  “Yeah. Sure. Another time.”

Steve gives you a tight lipped smile and turns to your brother, who is still trying to find Eddie. You awkwardly wait by the front desk, picking at it nervously. Steve wasn’t always like this, he used to be kind, and caring, and he used to call you every night. But now? He barely calls at all. Most of the time it’s you calling him. Or you visiting him…Or you planning dates…He’s just really busy at the moment…That’s it. That’s gotta be it…Right?

“Hey,” Max says, her voice breaking your from your thoughts. You blink, startled. “We found something. Are you coming?”

You nod automatically, though the words don’t register. Your body moves before your mind catches up. 

Eddie slams Steve against the wooden wall of the cabin. It’s damp and a little rotten, that’s what happens to things left unchecked. You gasp, moving towards your boyfriend before realising he has a knife. You swallow softly and look towards Dustin, eyes begging him to do something.

“Woah, woah! Eddie, stop! Eddie, it’s me, it’s Dustin! This is Steve. He’s not gonna hurt you. Right, Steve?”

“Right. Yeah.” Your boyfriend breathes out. He gulps, eyes squeezed shut.

“Steve…” Dustin says gently. “Why don’t you drop the oar? He’s cool. He’s cool.”

“I’m cool, man. I’m cool.” Steve echoes, voice shaky and wavering.

“What are you doing here?” Eddie growls, pressing the knife closer to Steve’s neck.

“We’re looking for you!” Robin jumps in. “We’re here to help.”

“Eddie, these are my friends. You know Robin, from band? This is Max, my friend who never wants to play D&D.”

Dustin raises his hands. “We’re on your side. I swear on my mother. Right, guys?”

A chorus of, “Yes. Yes, we swear on Dustin’s mother,” echoes around the small cabin.

“Yeah. Dustin-Dustin’s mother,” Steve stammers.

Eddie pauses, and then lets him go. Steve's knees almost buckle as he falls away, and you immediately rush towards him, reaching for his face “Hey, you’re okay. You’re safe-“ You coo.

“I know-I know, god stop touching me!” He shoves you away, leaning towards Robin, who’s sat on the other side of him.

Your eyes widen, and you feel that familiar pit in your stomach. “Sorry. Sorry, I-“ You start, confused, voice wobbling.

Steve gives you a look, one that he’s been giving you a lot recently. One that says ‘You’re really getting on my nerves, please stop talking.’ 

It makes you swallow your apology, and you look down to your scuffed shoes. 

They’re a beat-up pair of converse that you bought back in sophomore year. They’ve been everywhere with you, including some very lovely dates with Steve. Like when you went to the movies, where he kissed you for the first time.  Or like the picnic, where he fed you strawberries and whispered he loved you while watching the stars.

Dates like that feel like a dream. They don’t happen anymore, haven’t in months. Not like they used to. 

For the rest of the conversation, you’re not there. Not really.

[reo-bylerwagon]

a new line in the first shadow confirms byler endgame (at least for me and the people i’ve talked to about it)

this post contains tfs spoilers⚠️

in the scene where patty visits henry in the void, and is holding his hand she was already known to say something like this (quote drawn from a post analysis from @tryingonametaphor regarding creelby and byler parallels):

“if you leave, we can run away and find my mother. we can fight the monster together, you and me.”

now, it changed a little to something along the lines of patty saying they can run away to vegas (yes to find her mother but) will suggested to mike that they stop at vegas on the way back to lighten the mood for him. and there's also this ofc:

the added line is the craziest part of all this though. patty tells henry “we can be superheroes”

superheroes were something henry and patty bonded over in typical nerd-fashion, but it was a way of them reassuring each other. patty reassuring henry that his power can be something good (a “superpower”). this is reminiscent of mike reassuring will that he is a “super spy” in s2 and that this could be a good thing. and henry reassuring patty that all the great superheroes were orphans like her. reminds me of will reminding mike that he is an inspiration to the party in the van.

the line itself “we can be superheroes” is a direct contrast to “you’re my superhero” that mike delivers in his monologue to el (which visually parallels to this creelby scene). patty is referring to her and henry as a team, over just talking out of admiration in hopes that it would be enough to encourage henry. combining this new line with “we can fight the monster together, you and me.” it’s starting to sound a lot like “let’s start a new party, you and me.”

in addition, the line also alludes to “we can be heroes” and we know the subtext there:

as well as this VERY FUCKING SIGNIFICANT QUOTE FROM SHAWN LEVY!!!!

another thought i had while writing this out was how similar “crazy together” is to “we can be superheroes”. walk with me.

mike and will both talk about how they’re seeing things, and feel like they’re going crazy because of them. (will obviously heavily parallels henry)

patty and henry confide in each other about what makes them feel different (they were like spitting out different things like “my mom tried to exorcise me” “my dad doesn’t like me” which eventually led to their conversation about superheroes i mentioned earlier).

henry feels that patty is the only person he can trust to talk about the mind flayer with (before he was whisked away to the lab and put under the care of brenner, but even then, patty still respected henry's abilities and never pushed his limits, like mike with will).

mike and will come to the conclusion that they’ll go crazy together, and patty and henry come to the conclusion that they’re like superheroes. eventually, mike says will is like a superspy, and off of what mike said in 4x04 (asking to be this way again) they’re a team. similarly, patty calls henry’s abilities a superpower, and when encouraging him to leave the lab and come back to her, they’re superheroes.

[sunflowerwizard]

I've seen enough people mischaracterizing Early Access Wyll, so here's the best breakdown of his original character I can give.

I'll start this off by plainly summarizing Wyll's EA backstory, some of his core personality traits, then do a bit of analysis.

BACKSTORY

EA Wyll mentions being "born and bred in the upper city" into nobility. It's unspecified what exact level of influence his family occupied.

In datamined voice lines from EA (take with a grain of salt) Wyll refers to being from House Eltan specifically. Eltan was the Grand Duke of Baldur's Gate in the first Baldur's Gate Game, and the founder of the Flaming Fist. Forgotten Realms lore states that the Eltans are no longer in charge of the Fist and have somewhat diminished in power, but again. We don't know to exactly what level.

This also means that this iteration of Wyll was not Ulder Ravengard's son. While he still spoke about his father in EA, the descriptions and characterizations do not line up with Ulder at all. Additionally, he comments about "knowing of" Ravengard during the burning inn sequence, but otherwise makes no connection.

The most damning evidence of all that Wyll being a Ravengard was not originally intended, is Wyll wanting to be like his father and thus "going thieving in the wrong shadows".

Wyll gets caught stealing, presumably as a teenager, and his father uses latent connections within the Flaming Fist to get Wyll sent there. Effectively the fantasy equivalent of sending your unruly kid to boot camp.

Wyll mentions that he didn't adjust well to life as part of the Flaming Fist, was not a very good fighter, and was generally not well liked. The goblin at the windmill calling Wyll "Captain Failure" implies he might have been given higher status despite not earning it.

The way Wyll feels about goblins is a big change between EA and full release, and is explained as part of his backstory.

We didn't get the finer details, but we can assume Wyll in his time with the Fist bore witness to a group of goblins razing a village. Horrified and enraged, he tried fighting a goblin, was overwhelmed, and had his eye torn out.

This is when Mizora showed up and offered him a pact. Considering he was left for dead and probably going to bleed out, it's pretty understandable why he took the deal.

Mizora is not nearly as present in Early Access as she is in the current game. Karlach was not involved in Wyll's story at all, there's no devil transformation.

It's also more heavily insinuated there's a sexually coercive element of Wyll and Mizora's relationship, with him speaking to how every time he wanted to leave her, she found some way to pull him back.

Additionally, Wyll wants out of that contract. Unlike full release where Mizora is randomly captured in Act 2, she starts off kidnapped, and insists she'll let Wyll go if he frees her

It kind of ended up being a plot cul de sac, but Torturer Spike was the goblin that took Wyll's eye--which was a quest item you could pickpocket/loot off his body. Wyll had commentary on it and everything.

TL;DR: -Born to a noble family with Flaming Fist connections -Caught Stealing and sent to work for the Fist as punishment -Tried to fight back during a goblin attack and was gravely injured -Mizora offers a pact -Uses his pact to become a traveling monster hunter, presumably to make up for his past failure to protect people. Antagonistic towards goblins in particular -Ultimately wants out of the pact, but Mizora won't let him go -Wyll and Mizora get abducted by Mind Flayers -Mizora agrees to let Wyll go if he frees her from the cultists

PERSONALITY

This is a bit less concrete than changed story beats, but I can say this: a lot of Wyll's core traits stayed intact between EA and full release. He's still willing to put his life on the line for the Tiefling refugees, with a whole cut line about how the kids he's training deserve to have a carefree childhood. He wants to do good in the world, probably because he spent so much time in his youth feeling like a fuck up.

There's also a much clearer divide between "Wyll" and "The Blade of Frontiers". Notably, in EA he didn't introduce himself by name. Not even a "my friends call me Wyll" quip at Shadowheart like he has currently. During his old romance scene, he has a line about being used to being the hero, and not used to needing one. He's a symbol. An emblem of something bigger than himself. The fact he's so self-aggrandizing as The Blade makes it apparent he's not confident in himself as "just Wyll"

He's also decidedly more forward and flirty in EA, with no reservations about courtship. In fact, the main obstacle to your budding relationship is Mizora herself. Wyll's trauma from her treatment interrupts your first night together. Whether you have sex or just snuggle, Wyll has a line about how he doesn't want to start a relationship until he can "give himself completely" after being freed from his pact.

THOUGHTS & COMPARISONS

I'm also not entirely sure if I'd say EA Wyll is substantially angrier than current Wyll, so much as he had more opportunities to be angry during Early Access. I can understand why the goblin stuff was cut, because it did dip into "Let's make the one black guy fantasy racist" trope. However, it did very much feel like the narrative was pointing in bright, flashing colors that this is a trait Wyll would have to grapple with, learn, and grow from. The fact EA Wyll's most glaring character flaw was scrapped and didn't get much of a replacement in full release makes his story feel less realized.

While I appreciate the overtly sexual element of Wyll and Mizora's relationship was removed, I feel like the final version is somehow even more creepy. During Early Access she existed in the background as a vague villain you only experience via Wyll. And if you do his romance scene and see the way he panics at the mere memory of her, you get the impression of oh shit. This broad is bad news and I've gotta get my boy out of there. The same principle behind not showing the big scary monster too early in the horror movie. Once you've seen it, you can't let your mind fill in the blanks. Mizora went from this intimidating figure whose motives you couldn't fully ascertain, to a mean girl that thinks she's smarter than everyone else but is really just the bumbling lackey of a bigger fish. Who pulls Wyll around with an actual metaphysical leash like a dog. And you're meant to find this sexy.

My final point, and I've said this before: current Wyll's personality seemed more suited to being a scion of house Eltan, while EA Wyll seemed more suited to being Ulder Ravengard's dissapointment son. Current Wyll speaks and carries him like someone raised in nobility despite only being elevated to such status as a teenager. Perhaps this is cynical and maybe even a bit of a conspiracy theory, but I genuinely think he's only Ravengard's son to save on time and assets. Why give Wyll a whole unique family with its own story when we can just tie him in to the "rescue the grand duke" plot, regardless of how much sense it makes!

[monster-disaster]

Monster Disaster Requests 2024

[gargoyle] Garog

[wolf-shifter] More of a cat person

[wolf-shifter] on a date

[orcs] after a battle

[orc] your boss [orc] your boss +1

[goblin] Ut

[naga] Vicra

[chimera] Lord Elohim + Illustration [chimera] Lord Elohim +1

[demon] Vinar

[demon] Ada

Possessive!werewolf boyfriend headcanon

[ghost] to make you feel better

[monster] Scenarios [monster] Scenarios +1

[wolf-shifter] Rome + pack [wolf-shifter] Rome + cbf!AU

[monsters] Dungeon

[dullahan] Rip

[tentacle] A monster for broken heart

[merman & human] Lauran & Alex

[mind flayer] In another life...

[monster] Co-worker

[orcs] Tiktok +1 [orcs] Tiktok +1

[dragon] Diman [dragon] Diman +1

[naga] So pretty

[vampire] In the attic

[demon] Ezek

[shadow monster] One summer evening

[aliens] Scad & Talex

[naga] Vellar

[robot] 2000

[tryingonametaphor]

You vs. We

i rewatched the first shadow yesterday and i think there’s a hentty/byler/mlvn parallel worth noting. (spoilers for TFS ahead⚠️)

when henry is taken by brenner for the first time and brenner asks him to make contact with the mind flayer, patty tries to reach out to him so he lets her into his mind in the void. when she sees him strapped down in the lab, she runs to his side, holds his hand and talks to him. it looks exactly like the way mike’s monologue is framed in s4. and that’s where the similarities end.

patty holds the unconscious henry’s hand, but in the void, she’s still looking at henry when she talks and henry’s looking back at her. she says something along the lines of “if you leave, we can run away and find my mother. we can fight the monster together, you and me.”

and this made me realise the glaring difference between how mike talks to el and how mike talks to will. the entirety of his monologue is “you can do this,” and “you can do that, el!” meanwhile at the end of s4, when will says “we have to kill him,” mike says “and we will. we will.”

(all the gifs used in this post are by @will80sbyers!)

that’s not the only time mike uses “we” or “us” when he talks to will about a fight against the enemy. here are some more examples:

and how he segues into talking about his first meeting with el vs. his first meeting with will:

in his monologue to el, you is el, we is mike, dustin, and lucas.

mike sees el as the other. as someone he cannot imagine as his equal, and it reflects in the way he talks to her. this doesn’t surprise me considering it is exactly what he tells will in the van. but mike and will have had no issues seeing each other as equals. even after mike saw will possessed and powerful. and even though will considers mike the leader of the party, he doesn’t think mike is above him. they stand on equal grounds in their relationship.

[dayasfilms]

Chapter Seven - Collapse

Summary: You meet up with the other half of the group, wondering what the hell they went through.

Pairing: Steve Harrington x Fem!Reader

Warnings: Mentions of Y/N, questions of self worth, a little bit of angst, mentions of love and heartbreak, mentions of death, weapons, blood, and violence

Word Count: 3.5k

Note: One more chapter to go for this season! I sprinkled in some reader and Steve for you as an apology for the lack of Steve these past couple of chapters.

Series Masterlist

ㅤ♡ ㅤ♡ ㅤ♡

“He said he was building something,” Eleven told you all. “That it was all for me.”

After she came out of her trance, El explained what she saw. She described Billy, how he was in the cabin, but then all of you suddenly disappeared.

“Building something…” you said, trying to piece it together. “Does he mean the Flayed?”

“He must,” Nancy replied.

“So, he’s building an army, just like we thought,” Lucas said.

“Yeah, but he’s not building this army to spread,” Mike added.

“He’s building it to stop Eleven,” Will finished.

“Last year, El closed the Gate on him,” Mike reminded everyone. “I have a feeling that really pissed him off.”

“Like, royally,” Lucas added.

“And now the Mind Flayer knows she’s the only one who can stop him,” Mike said. “But if she’s out of the way–”

“Game over,” Lucas finished grimly.

“He also said…” Eleven looked around at all of you, her voice trembling slightly. “He was going to kill all of you.”

Silence settled over the room. You felt your stomach twist.

“Yeah, well…that’s nice,” Max muttered under her breath.

Suddenly, a faint noise caught your attention. You stepped closer to the windows. “Do you guys hear that?”

“It’s just the fireworks,” Jonathan said, glancing out too.

You turned to Eleven. “Billy, when he said all of this…it was here? In this room?”

She nodded.

Your eyes met Nancy’s and then Jonathan’s. You all felt it. Something was wrong.

Your chest tightened. “We need to leave,” you said firmly.

Will froze, his hand rising to the back of his neck. “He knows we’re here.”

You didn’t wait. You rushed toward the front door, the others close behind. But as you stepped outside, the trees began to rustle and shake. A low, inhuman growl echoed through the air. A massive shadow moved between the trees, crawling straight toward you.

“Back in the house! Now!” You yelled, shoving everyone back inside.

You grabbed a rifle from Hopper’s cabin, spotting another and tossing it to Nancy. She caught it with ease and gave you a nod.

As the others barricaded the doors and windows, you moved through the house, scanning every corner.

“Hey, away from the windows!” You shouted at the kids, memories of last year flashing back.

You all formed a circle, backs to each other, weapons ready. The silence was deafening, waiting for any movement. Your heartbeat pounded against your chest, loud enough you were sure someone could hear it.

The lights flickered. Objects around the house began to tremble, shifting inch by inch. Stomps echoed from outside. Everyone held their breath, bracing for impact.

“He’s close…” Will whispered.

Trees rustled. Plates clattered in the kitchen, making you flinch.

Then everything went quiet.

“Where’d it go?” Max asked nervously.

CRASH.

The Mind Flayer’s arm smashed through the window, spraying glass across the room. Everyone screamed as you all scrambled back. Jonathan swung his axe, slamming it into the monster’s limb, but it barely flinched.

The creature threw him against the wall.

You and Nancy fired. Her gun jammed first, and she scrambled to fix it. You kept shooting until the last bullet shot through the monster.

You backed up against the wall, heart racing, helpless. The creature moved in, its limb inches from your face.

You prepared for impact until it stopped.

Eleven held her hand out, face strained with focus, stopping the Mind Flayer mid-strike. You opened your eyes in time to see her eyes blazing. With a cry, she severed its limb, sending the rest of it recoiling out the window.

It was silent for a few seconds again until the beast crashed down hard through the roof, two thick tentacles whipping into the room. Eleven gasped, trying to hold both back, but they were too strong. Still, she managed to snap the ends off again, panting from the effort.

Then, one tentacle snatched her leg and yanked her across the floor. She shrieked, clawing at the ground.

Mike dove forward, grabbing her arms. “El!” He yelled, holding on tight.

The tentacle pulled harder. The rest of the group rushed in, forming a human chain to keep her grounded. You and Nancy finally fixed your rifles and raised them, aiming for the monster’s shrieking mouth.

Jonathan screamed. “NANCY! Y/N! SHOOT IT!”

You both fired.

The Mind Flayer shrieked in pain. But it still had Eleven, crushing her leg in its grip.

Lucas grabbed the axe and stood on a box. He slammed it down on the tentacle. Once, twice, again and again. You and Nancy kept shooting. Lucas slammed the axe once more before the tentacle finally gave way, tearing from the monster’s body.

Mike saw a leftover chunk still clinging to Eleven’s leg. He tore it off, and she screamed in pain. The piece skittered away, escaping out one of the cracked holes in the wall, crawling back toward the main body.

The Mind Flayer roared through the gaping hole in the ceiling, thrashing, hungry for more.

Eleven stood, limping. Blood ran down her leg. But she lifted her arm, eyes burning, and with a final scream, she ripped the monster in half.

She collapsed into Mike’s arms, trembling.

“Go, go, go!” You, Nancy, and Jonathan shouted, grabbing the kids and rushing outside.

You piled into the car. The creature, half-destroyed and screeching, still clung to the roof behind you, slowly slithering down.

Nancy hit the gas.

You didn’t look back.

She drove everyone to a closed grocery store. Lucas spotted a brick nearby and used it to smash the glass door. Mike and Max supported Eleven as they helped her inside.

You helped her sit on the floor while Nancy pulled up her pant leg, revealing the spot where the Mind Flayer had bitten her. Everyone winced at the sight, blood was oozing steadily from the torn skin.

Eleven groaned in pain. Nancy quickly tore open a gauze packet she’d grabbed from the shelf, along with a bottle of rubbing alcohol.

You furrowed your brows and grabbed her arm before she could start. “Hey, what are you doing?”

Nancy looked at you, confused. “Cleaning the wound.”

You shook your head. “No, no. We need to stop the bleeding first. Then clean it, disinfect it, and bandage it last.”

Everyone stared at you, eyebrows raised. You avoided their gazes, looking down. “My mom’s an FBI agent. She’s dealt with this stuff all the time. Trust me.”

You took the gauze from Nancy’s hand and pressed it firmly onto Eleven’s wound.

“Mike, hold this,” you said, guiding his hand over the gauze.

Eleven winced, leaning her head back against the shelf.

“Keep pressure on it. Nice and firm, okay?” You turned to Nancy and Jonathan. “We’re gonna need water and soap.”

They nodded and took off down the aisle.

A crash behind you made you turn. Lucas had dumped out everything in his bag, glancing at you expectantly.

“Does any of this help?” He asked.

You opened your mouth, but Max cut in with a scoff. “No,” she said. “Go get a washcloth and a bowl.”

“A bowl?” Lucas repeated.

“Lucas,” Max said, more firmly now. “Go.”

“Okay!” He replied, walking away with Will close behind.

You looked at Max, impressed. “You seem like you know how to clean a wound.”

Max smirked. “Yeah, well…I skateboard.” Her eyes met yours. “Trust me.”

You nodded with a small smile. The two of you waited for the boys, but eventually stood to check on them after they didn’t return.

You found them near a stand of fireworks. You rolled your eyes.

“That doesn’t look like a bowl,” Max said flatly.

The boys turned around. “Nope, way better,” Lucas said, picking up a box. “This label says ‘eighteen and older’ for a reason. It’s got a hundred and fifty grains of black powder. That’s basically gunpowder.”

You tilted your head, intrigued. This could actually be useful.

Lucas tossed a box to Max. “Strap two of these together and it’s bigger than an M-Eighty. Five? That’s practically a stick of dynamite.”

“You wanna kill that thing with fireworks?” Max asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Got a better idea?” Lucas shot back.

“Uh, yeah. Eleven,” Max said, tossing the box back at him.

“Against that thing?” Lucas said. “She’s gonna need some backup.”

Max rolled her eyes and walked away. You stayed behind, a smile forming.

“You know…it’s actually not a bad idea,” you said.

Lucas brightened. “Really? You think so?”

You nodded. “Yeah. It could definitely come in handy. Let’s take them, just in case.”

Lucas nodded enthusiastically and began grabbing boxes, handing them off to Will, who went to find a cart. You helped gather the rest.

“It’s crazy,” Lucas said as he gathered the boxes, glancing at you. “In a few weeks, you’ll be in California while we’re still stuck here. Honestly, I think it’d be nice to get away from Hawkins.”

Your smile faltered as you focused on the boxes. “Yeah…after everything that’s happened.” You let out a shaky breath, masking it with a cough. “I’m actually gonna miss you losers.”

Lucas smiled. “We’re all gonna miss you.”

Will returned with the cart, and the three of you loaded it with fireworks until the stand was completely empty.

Mike called everyone over, making you all rush towards him. Dustin had finally contacted him via walkie-talkie, but the signal kept cutting out. The only word Mike caught clearly was ‘gate.’ Now, Eleven was using her powers to locate him.

You all stood in a loose circle while Eleven sat on the floor, blindfolded and focused. Lucas popped open a Coke can, drawing an annoyed glare from Max.

“Dude,” Mike said. “How do you even drink that?”

Lucas shrugged. “Because it’s delicious.”

Their bickering grew louder until Eleven ripped off her blindfold and glared. “Hey.”

“Sorry.”

“Did you find him?” Mike asked quickly.

Eleven nodded. “He’s at the movies.”

Max frowned. “Why would he be calling us about a gate if he’s just watching a movie?”

Everyone exchanged glances. There was only one way to know for sure. You gathered your supplies, Lucas pushing the cart, and headed out.

“The movies?” Lucas repeated. “Dustin’s freaking out about a gate, so he decides to go watch a movie? Yeah, that makes total sense.”

“You’re sure he said ‘gate’ and not ‘great’?” Max asked Mike.

“Like, ‘This movie I’m watching is great,’” Will added.

“It sounded like ‘gate,’” Eleven said.

“Which would explain how the Mind Flayer’s still alive,” Mike replied.

“We just have to shut it again,” you said.

“Then the monster dies,” Nancy added.

“But if not, we’ve got Lucas’ fireworks,” Max muttered.

“Keep mocking my plan, Max,” Lucas said. “Just keep mocking it. I wanna hear you say it again, because you keep doubting me!”

You left the store, loaded the supplies on top of the car, and took off, headed straight for Starcourt Mall.

Steve could feel the pounding in his head dull slightly, though the headache didn’t go away completely. He emptied his stomach into the toilet, feeling gross all over, but after everything he’d been through these past few days, he couldn’t bring himself to care.

Every time the Russian guard threw a punch, he was sure it would be his last moment. Each blow made him think he was about to take his final breath. But even through the pain, all he could think about was you.

He hated how things ended, the way he stormed out of your house, the cruel words he’d thrown like daggers. He wished he could take it all back. Every single word. He never meant any of it, which was ironic, considering he’d promised never to say anything to you he didn’t mean. The truth was, he wasn’t angry at you. He was angry at himself. At how lost he felt. At how he had no direction. When you brought up breaking up again, he thought…maybe you were right. Maybe letting go was the best thing for you. Because you deserved better than him. After all, you were moving away for good.

“You think we puked it all up?” Steve asked his coworker, Robin, leaning against the wall.

“Maybe,” Robin said. “Ask me something. Interrogate me,” she spoke in a fake Russian accent.

“Okay. Interrogate you. Sure.” Steve paused to think. “Um…when was the last time you, uh, peed your pants?”

“Today,” Robin admitted.

“What?” Steve asked, shocked.

“When the Russian doctor pulled out the bone saw,” she said, giggling. “It was just a little bit, though.”

Steve let out a surprised laugh. “Yeah, it’s definitely still in her system.”

“All right, my turn,” Robin said.

“Okay. Hit me.”

Robin thought for a moment. “Have you…ever been in love?”

Steve’s heart skipped a beat. Of course he had. He still was. He didn’t think he’d ever stop loving you. You were etched into his brain, haunting him every time he looked at someone else. No one could compare to you.

“Yeah,” he said softly. “Y/N Kaul. First semester, sophomore year.”

“Huh. Not bad,” she hummed. “Are you still in love with Y/N?”

“Oh, yeah,” he admitted, a sad smile tugging at his lips. “I don’t think I’ll ever stop loving her. It’s crazy.” He sighed, thinking back to what Dustin had told him. “Ever since Dustin got home, he’s been saying, ‘You gotta find your Suzie. Don’t let Y/N go.’”

“Wait, who’s Suzie?” Robin asked.

“Some girl from camp. Supposedly his girlfriend,” Steve said. “To be honest, I’m not even sure she’s real. But that’s not really the point. The point is…Y/N and I…”

He trailed off, then took a breath.

“I didn’t want to hold her back from her dreams. So I let her go. She deserves better. I mean, look at me.” He motioned to himself, disheveled and bruised, even though she couldn’t see him. “I wasted so much time chasing the wrong things. Popularity. Being cool. I thought if Tommy H. made fun of me, or if I wasn’t prom king, it’d be the end of the world.”

He laughed, though his eyes were damp with unshed tears.

“It’s so stupid. Dustin’s right, it’s all a bunch of bullshit anyway. I should’ve been on my knees for her the entire time.” He looked down. “She means everything to me, and I don’t think she even realizes it. Sometimes I think…maybe we could’ve made it work, if we hadn’t overthought everything. Maybe right now, she’d be in my arms.”

He went quiet, waiting for Robin to say something.

“Robin? Robin, did you just OD in there?”

“No,” she whispered. “I…am still alive.”

Steve slid under the stall, sitting next to her now.

“The floor’s disgusting,” Robin muttered.

“Yeah, well, I already got a bunch of puke and blood on my shirt, so…” he shrugged, then looked at her. “What do you think?”

“About?”

“Y/N.”

Robin nodded slowly. “She sounds…amazing.”

Steve sighed, thinking about what the girl said back at the Russian base. “I know what you said earlier, and I just wanted to say…I’m sorry.”

Robin frowned, confused.

“You know, Mrs. Click’s class?”

Her lips made an ‘oh’ shape as she nodded.

“I’m sorry I never noticed you,” Steve continued. “My heart’s always going to belong to Y/N, but I don’t want that to get in the way of our friendship–”

Robin burst out laughing, shaking her head. “Wait–you thought I had a crush on you?”

Steve blinked. “Uh…didn’t you?”

“Do you remember what I said? About being jealous and obsessed?”

“Yeah.”

“It’s not because I liked you,” Robin said, her voice softer now. “It’s because…she wouldn’t stop staring at you.”

“Mrs. Click?” Steve asked, still confused.

“Y/N Kaul,” Robin clarified, her voice trembling. “I wanted her to look at me. But she couldn’t stop looking at you and your stupid hair. And I didn’t get it, because you dropped bagel crumbs everywhere, and asked the dumbest questions, and you were a douchebag.”

Steve stared at her, trying to process what she was saying.

“And…you guys weren’t even together anymore,” Robin continued. “And I would go home and just…scream into my pillow.”

“But Y/N’s a girl,” Steve said, slowly.

Robin’s brows pinched together. “Steve.”

“Yeah?”

Her eyes met his, and suddenly, he understood. Everything clicked.

“Oh.”

“Oh,” she repeated, looking away.

“Holy shit,” Steve whispered, leaning back against the stall.

“Yeah. Holy shit,” Robin echoed.

There was a pause.

“Steve…did you just OD over there?”

“No, I was just, uh…thinking,” he said, before smiling faintly. “Well…we’ve got really great taste in girls.”

Robin chuckled. “Yeah.” She glanced at him. “I also had this huge crush on Tammy Thompson.”

“No way,” Steve laughed.

You all made it to the mall, stepping inside, only to see crowds of people evacuating in a panic. Confused, none of you could figure out what was happening. That is, until you spotted the men in black uniforms ordering everyone to leave. Without hesitation, you and the group hid on the second floor, waiting for the place to clear out so you could see what they were up to.

Your eyes tracked the men as they moved toward one of the food stands, guns drawn. Then your stomach dropped. They were aiming at someone behind the counter.

Something in you just knew that Dustin was involved.

As the men closed in, the group instinctively moved behind Eleven. Without a word, she raised her hand, her expression hardening. A car alarm inside the mall suddenly began blaring, echoing through the space and drawing the men’s attention. They turned, stunned, as they saw Eleven with her arm outstretched, with all of you standing behind her.

Then, with a force of her hand, Eleven threw the car toward them. It slammed into the group of men, knocking them across the room and killing them instantly.

From behind the counter, a few heads slowly peeked out, their expressions filled with shock. You recognized them immediately. Dustin, Steve, his coworker Robin, and Erica, Lucas’s younger sister. You couldn’t understand why they were being targeted by the men.

You all rushed downstairs, relief washing over you as you reunited. You ran straight toward Steve, your heart still racing despite everything that had happened between you both a few days ago. You stopped in front of him, eyes softening at the sight of his bruised face.

Gently, you cupped his cheek, careful not to hurt him.

“What happened to your face?” You asked softly.

Steve leaned into your touch like he’d been craving it.

“It’s a long story,” he replied, and your worry deepened.

From the corner of your eye, you noticed Robin step up beside him. She glanced between the two of you, and you looked back, confused as to how she ended up in all this.

Realizing how close you were to Steve, you stepped back, letting your hand fall from his face. Steve looked like he wanted to pull you close again, but he held back as you moved to stand beside Jonathan and Nancy.

The kids were already hugging Dustin, overjoyed to see him after days of radio silence. You all formed a circle, trying to make sense of what just happened.

“Lucas?” Erica asked, wide-eyed.

“What are you doing here?” Lucas shouted, throwing his arms up in disbelief.

“Ask them,” Erica said, pointing at Steve, Dustin, and Robin. “It’s their fault.”

“True, yeah. Totally true. It’s absolutely our fault,” Steve admitted, earning a raised eyebrow from you.

“I still don’t understand what happened with that car,” Robin muttered.

“El has superpowers,” Dustin said, gesturing toward Eleven.

“I’m sorry, what?” Robin blinked.

“Superpowers. She threw it with her mind,” Steve explained, waving his hand around. “C’mon, catch up.”

“That’s El?” Erica pointed.

“Who’s El?” Robin asked, thoroughly overwhelmed.

“I’m sorry, who are you?” Nancy asked, her brow furrowed.

“I’m Robin,” she said quickly. “I work with Steve.”

You couldn’t help the small spark of jealousy that flared in your chest. You knew it wasn’t fair, but the feeling was there anyway.

“She cracked the top-secret code,” Dustin said proudly.

“Yeah, which is how we found out about the Russians,” Steve added.

Your breath hitched. “Did you just say Russians?” You asked, alarmed.

“Wait, what Russians?” Jonathan asked.

“The Russians!” Steve said, frustrated that no one seemed to be following.

“Those were Russians?” Max asked.

“Some of them,” Erica answered casually.

“What are you talking about?” Lucas demanded.

“Didn’t you hear our Code Red?” Dustin asked.

“Yeah,” Mike said. “And I couldn’t understand half of what you were saying.”

“Goddamn low battery,” Dustin muttered.

Steve slapped his hands together in frustration. “How many times do I have to tell you with the low battery!”

“Well, everything worked out, didn’t it, Steve?” Dustin said with a shrug.

“Worked out?” Erica exclaimed. “We almost died!”

But you were barely listening anymore. Your eyes followed Eleven, who had quietly separated herself from the group. Her hands were over her ears, and she looked unsteady. A surge of concern rushed through you.

You broke away from the conversation and rushed toward her, just in time to catch her as she collapsed.

Everyone turned at the sound, eyes widening when they saw Eleven in your arms. You gently lowered her to the ground, panic rising in your chest.

“El? El, what’s wrong?!” You cried.

“My leg,” she whimpered. “It’s my leg.”

You quickly unwrapped the bandage around her wound. Everyone recoiled in disgust.

Then, to your horror, something beneath her skin moved.

Eleven screamed in agony, and you realized that the piece of the Mind Flayer was still inside her.

[sserpente]

Forgiveness of Blood

What if Tav and Astarion met a little differently? What if Tav was someone else? A half-vampire? What if Tav…was Cazador’s daughter?

A/N: *slides a plate of Astarion-shaped biscuits*

Words: 1920 Warnings: mentions of rape, murder, and abuse, violence, half vampire!Tav

The gith looked tasty enough. Perhaps the half-elf with the long black braid. Hells, even the Tiefling who was seemingly burning up from the inside out promised to be delicious—sizzling, you’d dare say.

At this point, you were desperate. Any humanoid blood would do and this group camped out in the middle of nowhere, was just perfect for satiating your needs for a few nights.

You crouched down further, remaining hidden behind the bushes and the dark shadows as you licked over your humble fangs. You hated it had come to this. One of the few advantages of being a half-vampire was that you were no slave to hunger for all things sanguine. You could walk in the sun though you burned up easily and you could eat regular food without it turning to ash in your mouth to sustain you. Still, there was no denying that blood, as much as you loathed the idea, would keep you at strength.

You’d been tumbling through the wilderness for days now. Escaping the clutches of a powerful vampire lord was one thing (especially when said vampire lord was your biological father) but escaping a horde of mind flayers? That took its toll. You shook yourself upon being reminded that Cazador’s blood ran through your very veins; you were disgusted by your own body because of it.

You only knew about half the horrors he’d inflicted on hundreds, thousands of innocents, the ones on your human mother included. Pregnancy among vampires was so rare it was nearly impossible. Your mother, may the gods be kind to her wherever she was now, had never been in love with that monster, of course. He’d taken a liking to her long ago, abducted her, kept her a prisoner in his palace until the impossible happened and she ended up with child—you.

Gods, the few childhood memories still flashing before your inner eye when you rested at night were all but devastating, lonely, and…cruel. He’d meant for you to do his bidding, to become his right hand—always by his side but never on top, of course. Only you wanted nothing to do with that. You’d seen the way he treated your mother when you were right there in your crib. You never found her body. Whatever he’d done with it…you weren’t sure you wanted to know.

You were around twelve years old when you took flight and, with the help of a servant who risked and sacrificed their life to save you, left Cazador behind for good.

Your stomach growled and you took a deep breath. He had passed part of the curse of vampirism onto you. There was nothing you could change about that, whether you wished to or not. You were wary of the berries and mushrooms growing around here though and you had no energy left in you to hunt for meat. The only thing left was…blood.

There. They’re getting ready for bed. You’d wait until they all gathered around the warm campfire and fell asleep and then…you’d strike.

“Astarion! Astarion, help!”

Shit. You pulled away from the black-haired girl whose neck you were about to sink your fangs into, ready to bolt away into the darkness. A beautiful elf who’d kept away from the fire stepped into view, blocking your escape route. He glared at you with his fists clenched, ready for a fight. Something was…different about him. You hadn’t noticed him at camp before because…your lips parted. He had no heartbeat.

“You’re a spawn.” It wasn’t a question, not really. He was unusually pale, his stunning eyes were red, and as he spoke…you saw the flash of a pair of fangs.

“What are you doing here? Who are you? You better get out before I gut you,” he spat.

“Another blood-sucker? Chk,” the gith tossed in.

You lifted your hands in defence. “I mean no harm, please.”

A dire mistake, so you realised quickly. Astarion’s gaze travelled to the silver ring on your finger—a keepsake from your mother, one that granted her access to various places and chambers in Cazador’s palace: it was a silver Szarr family ring, a small round ruby in its middle.

Astarion’s expression darkened until it was downright…murderous. You had neither the energy nor enough time to react when he lunged himself at you. Your back hit the dirty ground with a thump, pain shooting up and down your spine.

You felt the sharp blade of a dagger pressed against your throat before you saw it. It was accompanied by gasps, yet no one dared to intervene—yet.

“You came for me, didn’t you? He sent you! Answer me!” he yelled, making you flinch. Cazador.

“No! I’m not, I’m…I’m hungry, I…”

“You are not touching my companions. I still need them. Are there more? Who else did he send?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, please! Let me go!” You wriggled a little in his tight grasp.

“You’re wearing his ring. You serve him.”

“I don’t serve Cazador!” you choked out.

“So you do know what I’m talking about,” he growled.

“Please, let me up and I’ll explain.”

A man with longer hair and a beard cleared his throat. “Astarion…maybe you should hear her out. The lady seems to be very much in distress.”

“That’s how they lure you in,” Astarion retorted.

“Gale’s right, Astarion. Let’s hear what she has to say. Just like when you found me, remember?” the red-skinned tiefling added.

The spawn above you took a deep breath and released you, though his dagger remained drawn and ready to slice you open. You didn’t bother to get back up and instead, knelt on the ground in a weak attempt to prove you truly meant no harm.

“Speak before I change my mind. I do so love a midnight bloodbath.”

Chills ran up and down your spine. “I…I told you, I don’t work for Cazador. You’re…you’re one of his spawn, aren’t you? I don’t understand, why would he send people after you? Did you escape? How does he not control you?”

“We are not talking about me, we are talking about you.”

“Right.” You told him your name and offered a weak smile to the group. “I’m from Baldur’s Gate too. I have no idea where we are now though, to be honest. This is going to sound hard to believe but I was kidnapped by mind flayers.”

“Trust me,” Gale said, “it’s not as hard to believe as you might think.”

“Yeah…same thing happened to us, soldier,” the tiefling added.

“It…it did? I…I’ve been roaming the woods for weeks in search of civilisation.”

“You’re a spawn,” Astarion said, dismay swinging in his smooth voice.

“No. I’m not a spawn. I’m…I’m only half a vampire.”

Gale gasped. “A dhampir? How’s that even possible?”

“You know...” the black-haired girl you intended to bite intervened, “…when two people like each other very much, they do this thing…”

Gale snorted in response.

You nodded. “She’s right. Although…my biological parents did, in fact, not like each other when it happened. All I ever wanted was to be free from his disgusting legacy. I escaped from the palace when I was twelve years old. I don’t need blood to survive and I can walk in the sun, I just…I was so hungry I didn’t know what else to do.” You turned to the black-haired girl. “I wasn’t going to kill you. I just needed a few drops to regain my strength.”

“Huh, I think I’m having a déjà-vu.”

Meanwhile, Astarion’s face remained blank. One by one, the puzzle pieces you’d fed him fell into place—and he understood. “You…Cazador has a daughter?”

You nodded yet again. “My mother was human. She was a captive, much like you, I presume.”

“Well that certainly explains a lot,” Gale murmured.

It would all be fine now. Astarion knew the truth—he knew you weren’t here to bring him back to Cazador, and that never meant to kill any of his friends…

“You are…Cazador’s daughter,” Astarion repeated. Slowly. Dangerously so.

“I…I don’t know what he did to you. But I-I’m sorry. I’ve seen him in action, the man is a monster. I’m not like my father. I promise.”

He was still ready to kill you, you could feel it with every fibre of your being. You were not welcome here, not according to him anyway. Gods, you hated you were such an empathetic person! You couldn’t even tell whether the tears pricking your eyes were because of the crude hostility you were met with…or the fact that whatever Astarion had been through must have been even more terrible than what you had experienced living with the vampire lord.

“I’ll…I’ll leave.”

“No. You’re staying. Darling. You are going to be the perfect leverage to guarantee my freedom. And if not,”—he shrugged with a malicious smirk—“it will be a delight to kill you.”

Your blood ran cold. “Astarion…please, I…”

“Hold on! Let’s all just take a deep breath, yeah? No one is going to be leveraged here. You’re welcome to stay at our camp regardless, though. I am Karlach.” She points at herself, pleased. “It seems like you could use the company. We got food too. Real food, I mean. That’s Shadowheart, Lae’zel, Gale—but you already knew that—that over there, sleeping, is Wyll and…that’s it. Halsin’s probably still out in the woods, you’ll meet him in the morning.”

Astarion growled. “Cazazdor’s blood runs through her veins. The madness runs in the family. I ought to stake you right now. I’m keeping an eye on you.”

They let you stay. Against all reason, some space was made for you at camp and you were spared a bedroll. You couldn’t say you were a fan of sleeping under the stars but beggars couldn’t be choosers. None of them wanted to share their makeshift tent with Cazador’s daughter—and you couldn’t say you blamed them.

Regardless, no matter how much you turned and tossed, of course, sleep didn’t find you even after a quick but generous meal prepared by Gale. Astarion had been ready to kill you today. He probably had if Karlach and the others hadn’t stepped in.

And against all reason…you felt guilty. The pain in Astarion’s eyes…you’d seen your own reflected in it. Only the gods knew what he’d been through… You sighed and climbed to your feet, making your way over to his tent. Was this suicide? Quite possibly.

At first, you thought he was trancing. But then, from the corner of your eye, you saw a slight movement of his hand, one that would have been impossible to see with mere human sight. You cleared your throat.

“Astarion?”

Nothing.

“Astarion, I…I just want to say I’m sorry. I know you must hate me, I understand that. But for what it’s worth…I truly am sorry. Cazador is a monster. He killed my mother when he tired of her and only the gods know what he did with her corpse. Not a single memory I have with him is a good one. All I remember is pain, loneliness, and humiliation. We…we might share the same blood but I swear to you, I am nothing like him. If you won’t believe anything else…please believe that.”

There was no response for a while as you stood there, dumbfounded, waiting for his remarkably charming voice to sound. Then, finally…he shifted.

“I believe you.”

You breathed out audibly, relief flooding your veins. It was all he said. But for now…it was enough.

A/N: I feel like I'm going to continue this somehow. Maybe. Potentially when they're back in Baldur's Gate? Choices, choices...

[therainscene]

I think I might have figured out what the Mind Flayer really is.

This theory has been percolating in my brain for a while now; it hasn't really finished baking yet but I wanted to get the gist of it down before The First Shadow debuts.

Let’s begin at the Hawkins National Lab, 6th November 1983. For the second time in her young life, El faces terrifying and deeply traumatic circumstances which cause her powers to lash out and rip a gash in the fabric of reality.

Meanwhile, across town, Will is doing what every queer 12 year-old has done and finds an excuse to spend an extra moment alone with his crush.

His little gay heart is as aflutter as the garage lights.

(Strange, that. The lights, I mean -- considering that he's on the other side of town from the lab. Do you suppose the Demogorgon trekked all the way to Mike's house and quietly followed him home again?)

Will heads home, lost in thought as he cycles past the lab. Is he thinking about how sweet his new X-Men #134 is gonna be? Or is he thinking about something even sweeter? The lights flutter again.

And something in front of him notices.

Will has always been noticeable: his clothes, his mannerisms, his interests -- they've always attracted the attentions of bullies. Now something new -- or maybe something that was always there and is only now making itself known -- has attracted the attentions of a monster.

He runs home, he calls for help, but he's alone, there's no escape. He races to the shed and loads a gun like his father taught him -- but it's not in his nature to be violent. He freezes, petrified.

The lights surge as his terror wrestles control of his powers and uses them to puncture an escape route in the fabric of reality.

Why were we so quick to believe that the Demogorgon -- a minion of the guy whose whole thing is his inability to open gates -- was able to open its own temporary portals in S1 and then never again?

Will could plausibly have been responsible for every temporary portal in S1: he’s at the Byers house when the Demogorgon pushes through its walls; he's on the run to Castle Byers when Nancy stumbles across that portal in the woods; and he's plugged in to one of Vecna's vines during the finale -- something we see Vecna plug himself into when he remotely opens gates in S4.

There’s one exception though.

Barb likely slipped through a gate in Steve's pool, but how could Will have opened that one when he was in his bedroom at the time, talking to his mother through the lights?

Let me ask you this: isn't it interesting that of all the injuries Barb could have obtained in her passage to the Upside Down, she got a nosebleed?

I think powers are more common than we’ve been led to believe, and gates are a last-ditch self-defense mechanism for anyone with powers.

This is why the four curse victims’ deaths opened a gate: Vecna pushed them to their breaking point to artificially trigger the self-defense response. Those headaches and nosebleeds weren't caused by Vecna directly, but by their own powers acting up as they inched towards oblivion.

[Shoutout to @givehimthemedicine's underrated powers and blood theory for the idea of Vecna's Curse being the overcharging of his victims' own powers.]

It was already pretty obvious that Vecna's Curse is a metaphor for suicide, and this theory reinforces it: every kid who gets targeted by the horrors of Hawkins for being "different" tries to find some way to escape.

Willel's misfortune is that their powers are considerably more easily manifested than the average person's. Byler tells the story of visible vs invisible queerness, but that's just a reflection of the larger theme at play in the show: the visible and invisible ways kids are othered and abused.

Max's trauma was a quiet thing that came from within and festered until it was almost too late to save her... but Willel's trauma manifests as a giant monster that openly hunts them down.

And I'm being literal when I say the Mind Flayer is a manifestation of their trauma.

We know that Vecna fashioned the Mind Flayer from a cloud of black particles he found in the Upside Down, but where did that cloud come from? The Upside Down is a mysterious enough place that it's easy to assume the Shadow is native to that realm... but what if it isn't?

The Mind Flayer is heavily associated with repression -- Will gradually lost his memories while he was possessed, and El lost her powers when the sliver of Flesh Flayer wormed its way into her leg.

But Will has mysteriously been without powers ever since leaving the Upside Down, and we've seen El lose memories too: her memories of surviving the lab massacre, in which she didn't simply escape by opening up a gate, but by disintegrating her attacker into black particles.

The Mind Flayer doesn't cause repression -- it is repression.

There must have been countless generations worth of traumatized children who took the extra step El did and sent their abusers -- or at least their memories of abuse -- into that hidden realm beyond the gate.

(There's also the possibility that Mr. Time-is-Just-a-Social-Construct is stuck in a time loop of some sort -- maybe the massacre has repeated hundreds of times, and Dimension X is a timeless graveyard of El's attempts to repress her trauma. This would explain why Henry seems to have both disintegrated and survived: we were watching at least two different iterations of the massacre all along.)

Whichever way you slice it, it's a perfect fit: the tool Vecna uses to perpetuate the cycle of abuse isn't some bizarro alien from an alternate dimension, but a direct consequence of the cycle itself.

The Mind Flayer tells us that escape alone doesn't work as a long-term solution: it might help you survive the initial abuse, but if you don't address the effect it had on you...

...it will come back to wreck havok.

[Edit: Click here for post-TFS thoughts on this theory]

[obsessionatthemoment]

Spoilers to Stranger Things: The First Shadow below the cut.

I'm going to be covering 2 topics in this post: does Henry control the Mind Flayer, or does it control him, AND, did Henry choose Will for a reason, and if so, why? (this is my first essay post in a few months, so bear with).

The first topic has been a point of debate in the Stranger Things fandom since season 4 came out, because we have two separate, polar opposite pieces of proof. In the show, it seems obvious that Henry has been controlling the Mind Flayer, as he is seen to be shaping the Shadow Monster when he arrives in the Upside Down. However, in the Stranger Things VR game, the Mind Flayer is giving Henry orders, therefore in control of Henry (Henry's boss, so to speak).

I've always been fast to discount the VR game, as in my eyes, it's much less canon than the show, and it literally shifts away from canon to modify the ending of season 4. I was very surprised to find that in The First Shadow, they went the VR route. Throughout the play, Henry refers to this "other" inside of him, and uses very similar language to that of what Will used when he was possessed. As the story progresses, we see him get more and more lost to the Mind Flayer, just as Will was. And, all his killings are being done by the Mind Flayer, through him, just like Will. Are you sensing a theme here?

This begs the question, is Henry redeemable, or is his brain too ravaged by the Mind Flayer at this point to be repaired? I've recently heard talks of there being a new big bad in season 5, and that Vecna seems too easy. It seems "lame" for there to not be a new monster. Is it possible for them to burn the mind flayer out of Henry, just like Will? After all, his real self is just a sad, scared, and abused little boy. Henry is redeemable. We'll have to find out if there's any Henry left in him.

NEXT: Did Henry (who has at this point become Vecna) choose Will for a reason, and if so, why?

This has also been a HUGE point of debate in the Stranger Things fandom, and I am a stronger believer, that yes. Henry did choose Will for a reason.

In the play, Henry is HEAVILY paralleled to Will. And I mean, it's barely ignorable. In the show, they are also both constantly paralleled to each other. People noticed after season 4 came out, rewatching the show, the figure shown when Will is getting abducted looks more like Vecna than the Demogorgon. At this point, it's practically undeniable that it was purposefully Will. Now the question is, why?

Unfortunately, I do not have a concrete answer or theory; however, the play supplied some new information to be brought to the table. The main one I can remember, that literally had me jumping up and down in my seat towards the end of the show, was "Henry" saying to Joyce, something along the lines of: "You're a nice person. That's what will bring you down. You need to learn to do what it takes to protect the ones you love." Then she says she doesn't understand, and he says, "you will."

This is pretty concrete evidence to me that somehow, he already knew at this point that he was going to take her son, though I have no idea how he knew this. Did he know that Will would have powers? Is the theory that he was taken to the lab for experiments before the show true?

It's also very possible that they simply put this dialogue in as a nod to the show, to get the super fans bouncing in their chairs like me, but it's much more fun to speculate that Henry somehow knew that Will was going to get taken at this point. Could the time travel theory be true? Could he somehow see the future?

Okay, so lastly, I do want to briefly discuss my thoughts of the show, and the Byler crumbs (which I know people have already discussed).

So, I'm going to start with the Byler crumbs first, because Byler is always my number 1 priority. There's this scene where Patty says a song she has to sing in sad, then she says "I like the gay one's best" and Henry is basically like "it doesn't have to be sad. We can make it whatever we want because we don't know the ending yet." and she says "then let's make it a gay one" (little side note: I know that gay was used to mean happy, and this wasn't unusual language for this time period, however, it's talking about not knowing the ending yet, and she says "let's make it a gay one", which is insane)

Shockingly, it was my mom who freaked out about this line, whereas, I moved on from it pretty fast, while we were watching. If my mom, who tends to be skeptical about Byler, thinks it's about Byler, that says a lot.

Next, I totally agree with the people who likened Patty and Henry's relationship to Will and Mike's, specifically their bonding over nerdy things, and discussions of superhero's. Now, I know some people would argue that El and Mike also talk about superhero's, however, the major difference is that El doesn't like it. She finds it dismissive and objectifying. With Will and Mike, and Patty and Henry, they use it endearingly.

Lastly, my super surface level opinion on the show: IT WAS FUCKING EPIC! If you ever get the opportunity to see the show, see it. If you ever see a bootleg on YouTube, watch it. It might have been the best experience I have ever had with theater (and this is coming from a theater lover). It was extremely immersive, and the special effects were insane. It was so great, and I wish I could upload my whole experience and share it with everyone.

Anyway, that's all for now, but my hyperfixation is revived, so for sure I'm going to get back to posting, and maybe even Byler quote's of the day, soon.