#also it's so funny to me that S4 was like 'it's thanks to nancy that steve changed'

[kurokoros]

but what the fuck was the point of having Eddie, Robin, and Dustin all batting for team st@ncy in S4??? i don't know what would make me angrier. the writing continuing that plot thread or just dropping it and never addressing things in S5. why the hell would you devote time to that in an already bloated season just to drop it in the final??? could these characters not have had anything meaningful to talk to steve about beyond his less than a year long high school relationship???

[thestobingirlie]

i read this post that said robin was written to show steve wasn't homophobic anymore but "that doesn’t mean I’m just going to forget how he implied that Will deserved to die because he’s gay, so what now? Steve is growing and changing but that doesn’t just take away everything he’s said, especially since he has yet to apologize to Jonathan. There’s a reason why Will and Steve have zero scenes together!" like it makes no sense firstly bc robin wasn't even originally written as a lesbian so that just doesn't line up. then steve also never said will deserved to die bc he's gay; he never actually said anything about will's sexuality, his comment about will is about the byers family being full of "screw-ups" which steve actually classified as separate from gay ppl at the start of his mini monologue lol (by saying he thought jonathan was queer but he's actually a screw up like his dad). sometimes i think certain ppl have never actually watched that scene bc they just use it as a Steve Said Bad Things free space where they get to invent what he said. he did apologize to jonathan, it was literally the only reason he was at the byers' house, but it was interrupted which led to steve both saving jonathan's life and buying him a new camera. the thing about will and steve not having scenes together is baffling to me. their storylines just never intersected like s1 will is gone, s2 will is possessed while steve is helping junkyard trio, s3 steve is held captive in an underground russian bunker, and s4 will is literally in a different state on the other side of the country.

yeah, i saw that post lmao, real fucking stupid. it’s just so funny to me that these people accuse us of reducing robin to just being steve’s friend, and then can’t see past her sexuality in regards to her character? they’re the ones making robin just a lesbian bff, not us.

and saying that steve hasn’t had an impact on her character?? rewatch the show! steve’s the reason that robin feels comfortable in who she is, that she rambles and jokes around instead of fronting her stony facade from s3. i honestly think these people only care about robin in regards to a certain character they ship her with. because they seem to know nothing about her.

thank you!!! he never implies will is gay. at all. why would steve know or care about the sexuality of some random 12 year old?

and, 100%, people take that scene and mold it into anything they want just to rag on steve, and it’s super telling, because they’re constantly getting it wrong. some people decided that steve called jonathan a fag, which is the most annoying to me, because at least get the slur right lmao.

steve fucked up, absolutely. but he did apologise, and he did save their lives, and virtually sacrifice his own when he decided to run back into that house. had steve not done that, jonathan and nancy would be dead. just a fact.

and the will and steve sharing scenes thing is especially funny to me, because they’re just part of different plots. they have shared scenes, and will clearly has no problem using steve to get free movies like the rest of the kids, so there’s no animosity there.

[despapillon]

stupid how you managed to make a dick joke out of innocent shot. and hosegate oh no that is awful. Byler is not going to be in relationship. what show have you been watching certainly not Stranger Things more like Gayer Things. Duffer have had an emotional love declaration by Mike and you believe Byler? that is sad. it may not be romantic but to Duffers it is. same men that wrote in Steve talking about his breeding kink to Nancy and framed it as romantic. just because something is the better choice in your eyes does not mean that will happen. after events of show i can only see Mike and El get married. Duffers try to convince he is straight and they intend him to be but Mike reads as deep in closet. fans dw Will is going to get over Mike and find a bf that is give him happiness he deserves. but Mike? Mike will forever be in loveless marriage and he is never ever going to get over Will. in his thirties and beyond that he is going to suffer and not stop thinking about how everything would be different if he accepted his sexuality and chose Will not El. he is going to hate himself for making such a mistake

listennnnnnnnnn. ppl were talking about hosegate so i just made a reference to the rolled up painting shot. i wasnt the one that noticed it first. i only knew it was a thing because of Bylers discussing it. i had the pic saved, as i was preparing a post that i scrapped that was about Will and the allegations he had, including fake stuff spread around that S3 Will would have a p*rn magazine and the speculations that Will is going to sleep around with random men in S4 and my thoughts on this plus the sexualization dramas like Byler sex in the show, Byler kiss not being chaste, writing Byler smut, Mike supposedly checking Will out, hosegate and other phallic imagery. i decided against that and now i think that was a good choice because it would drive some wild.

i never truly meant the rolled up painting thing was intentional i was simply saying what was a regular shot became dirty to me thanks to Bylers influence. i’m sorry i didn’t mean to offend anyone. i still find it funny but i feel bad for making that post. i guess i should have kept it to myself. i had no idea it would come off this inappropiate. though the characters are only 15 (i think) so that is on me for not caring how uncomfortable it could make others.

now onto the rest of your ask. i don’t know if Byler is going to be together. i don’t. i ship it because i like it. when we get the next season we will see. i willingly choose to spend my time on discussing Byler knowing i’m not really that confident in it. nobody is forcing me to do this. i know we may get queerbaited. but i don’t care.

there is that section of Bylers that got utterly destroyed by vol 2 and either converted to M!leven and now mock us for still shipping Byler (there must be a name for that phenomenon because how) or are bitter and lashing out at Duffers because they lost their faith and now Byler bad. i assume you are the second. i hope you are proven wrong because you seem heated about the topic. to the point you sent me an ask about it.

Duffers did make a lot of writing mistakes and choices i disagree with. whether Byler happens or not i do plan on discussing what i had a problem with after watching s5 because i need to see how they will handle the characters’ arcs to make a post as there could be surprises awaiting us. and talk about how i’d handle certain plotlines as a person that can’t write anything coherent.

keep in mind that Montauk, the original ST, drew inspo from It, and if there was a potential season 2 to Montauk, they wanted to straight up go the It route by having the characters grown up and some leave the town then come back when it all gets fucked up again and join forces for the second time.. they do also mention It, and Stephen King as inspiration. you can see it in the current series too. Willelmike is literally a ripoff of the love triangle between Ben, Bev and Bill. Ben’s poem and Will’s painting.. it’s so blatant. and those that watched the movies know how said love triangle ends.

Gayer Things is a great series that i suggest you need to have more faith in.

[perexcri]

what's on your s5 wishlist? the silly, goofy things!!!

oh hello!! i saw several other people on my dash get this question, so thanks for including me :D

(also, i wanted to say congrats for finishing come back to me and forgive everything!! my apologies as i have not read it yet, but i know how challenging it can be to finish a longer work like that, so congrats on accomplishing what you did and for making something you're proud of :] 💜💜💜)

so my expectations for s5 are on the floor because sherlock hurt me too much back in the early-2010s so now i live life with no expectations for tv. but!! as far as silly goofy things i would love to see:

Argyle being a chekhov's gun of plot relevance like he was in vol2 getting them into the pizza shop. idk how, but i want him to have vital info that helps them avert the apocalypse. i'm thinking maybe since he's an outsider and isn't is as mired in all the UD stuff as everyone else that maybe he has some clarity about the situation that comes with distance. like have him point out something super obvious and everybody be like "well why didn't WE think of that"

i also think some pedantic bickering among the main group is warranted. just have them argue over something so minute and so unnecessary and get lost in the details of it because it's the damn apocalypse and of course they're looking for a distraction

i have one post-s4 fic where they go to a grocery store for a supply run and Mike slips on a rotten banana,,,not to reveal my love of slapstick humor on main but like. i do think something like that happening to any of the main characters would be funny, full offense to them (fic can be found here!)

and finally, there is an alternate universe that lives in my head where stranger things is a monster-of-the-week, 22-episodes-per-season styled show that has gimmick episodes, and if i were able to manifest at least one gimmick episode for s5 (that will never happen bc of the show's format but pls let me dream), i would want them to have a bottle episode/memory loss episode like Tabula Rasa from Buffy the Vampire Slayer!! just something where all the older and younger teens are stuck in Mike's basement, something happens, and all of them wake up with no recollection of who they are and have to piece together what they can based on the information they have contained on their persons and in the environment around them. i wanna write this fic so so bad and have for MONTHS now but just haven't gotten around to it,,,but tbh i don't care if it would be a total tonal disconnect from the rest of the season. i would 100% watch an hour long break from the main plot just to watch all the main characters suffer temporary amnesia and have to figure out who they are. plus it'd be funny just to see what people come up with, like...do Steve and Nancy wake up next to each other and assume they're a couple?? with Will's drawings up in the basement, do people assume it's Will's house? what happens when they find a family photo and realize Nancy and Mike are siblings and this is their house? things like that would be so so fun!!

anyway sorry for the long rambles but thanks for including me and for stopping by!! i hope you're doing well :] 💜

[lucassinclaer-archive]

top 5 Lucas dynamics?

omg nonnie??!!! this is a delightful question thank you soso much!

lucas & el — could talk about it forever, as we know, i could write books about them with all the potential s1 left them with. the hero and the pragmatist, the two who understand each other bc they saw the flaws first. beloveds.

lucas & dustin — idiots of the highest order, great comedic potential, but also so much heart. i like to think of them as the probability calculator (lucas) and the speculator (dustin). there's sm that fascinates me about their outlook and the differences between them, but equally it's delightful to see them on the same wavelength, to make a great team. i really think there'd be sm more in terms of plot that could be done with them. again, could write books.

lucas & max — this one's to be expected. they make me want to chew gravel etc. they can be so funny, but they get each other despite being very different and complement each other because of it. again, bc the show has a weak spot writing lucas, there's a lot about the reciprocity of this relationship that i like to imagine. it's a shame they never rly show us how max is there for lucas bc i think that could have added a dimension to the ship that exists in my head.

lucas & erica — again, u n d e r - e x p l o r e d, but man. elder brother lucas >>> i'm one of the ppl that is of the opinion that lucas and erica will probably grow closer and be better communicators as they get older bc rn they're a teen and a pre-teen and uh... well let's just say my sibling and i get along really well, but growing up we were more like that. i'm a sucker for sibling dynamics, i love them sm and i think it adds a lot to lucas' character that he's the oldest of two. also, erica is my baby, let them hug!! (and for the horror dimension of it all, the slow taking over of the younger ones...... from nancy to mike to lucas to erica. man.)

lucas & mike — they're so smart, they're so dumb, they're best friends, they're neighbors, they annoy each other via walkies and lucas won't follow the right protocol and mike always corrects him. i just think they're neat and that they need each other. will sort of took on lucas' function as the lancer in s4, but willmike ultimately shares an idealism that lucas doesn't have, which makes his dynamic with mike so special to me. he needs these ppl to believe in things and they need him to remind him of the cost of focusing solely on one goal

i didn't include ellucasmax, which is technically its own thing, but i kept it to the duos and a lot about elumax is my love for their individual dynamics so see above.

[andiwriteordie]

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

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

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

okay, let's do this:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[strangertheories]

1,9,10,18

1. That one character that everyone gets wrong. There are quite a few to be honest as I, along with my mutuals, are the only person in the fandom with correct takes (/j). But off the top of my head, Mike. Even if Byler isn't canon, Mike is still a traumatized child who grew up with parents who didn't love each other and also bullying. He's emotionally immature and says regretful things, but he's mostly just trying to cope with his feelings and insecurities. I saw an edit to him to First Love, Late Spring by Mitski that kinda puts it simply for me; "I was so young when I behaved 25 yet now I find that I've grown into a tall child".

9. The worst part of canon for me is the six nuggets comment. Just S4 Steve in general to be honest. I'm not exaggerating, it really puts me off rewatching S4 which is one of my favourite seasons outside of that. Yes he was worse in S1, but that was intentional. Now they've got a character who evolved through his relationships to others and got over Nancy barely hanging out with said people and instead just becoming that babysitter who likes Nancy. Not to mention Nancy's nightmare is becoming a suburban mother and the script seems to imply she liked that comment so now they're screwing over their strong female character as a reward for a guy becoming not shitty.

10. Similarly, fanon Steve drives me insane. I'm not a Steve anti, by the way, I really love his character's moments and S3 Steve is one of my faves in that season. But fanon Steve is literally canon Johnathan if he played sports. I was gonna put this for a misunderstood character but I put it here because it annoys me. It just frustrates me how people have this perception of Steve and then completely ignore Johnathan because (in my opinion) they are less attracted to him than Steve. Not problematic or anything, but it annoys me because Johnathan is super underrated.

18. The fandom needs to stop sleeping on Lucas Sinclair, although I think that's been getting better post S4 unless I'm just surrounding myself with pro-Lucas account. But he's so cool and funny and also the best boyfriend ever and I love him and it's so frustrating how this fandom will love the most mediocre white dudes ever and then ignore him.

And secondly, Jargyle! You cannot tell me that they don't get high and make out. They are so cute, my fave weed smoking boyfriends, and I do not see enough fic or fan art of them. I feel like they'd be way more popular if Charlie Heaton was more conventionally attractive (I'm a lesbian and think he's pretty but a lot of people don't) and if Eduardo was more conventionally attractive and white. I feel like every fandom goes insane for vaguely hot white dudes interacting with each other and yet Jargyle flies under the radar which is so annoying.

Thanks for the ask, in reference to this post. Also just to clarify, I am white so if someone who isn't thinks I'm overstepping then I'll gladly correct myself, but these are just some things I've noticed in the fandom!

[seeinganewlight]

*knocks on door* ITSSSSSSSSSS ME. Match a musical to a member of the Drew Crew

hi erin!!! i miss you! i hope you're doing well! oh, this is such a fun question, okay, let's do this!

nancy - the mad ones; the mad ones is all about grief and handling that grief and how do you "move on" when you lose someone who is a huge part of your life, and i feel like it would really help nancy. especially since in the mad ones, the protagonist, sam, experiences this loss as she's about to graduate high school, so nancy would really understand what she was going through and i think it would be cathartic for her. additionally, the music is just so wonderful (i've been in love with this show for like 10+ years since it was in development lol and i need everyone to listen to it)

bess - my first instinct is to say that bess is a mamma mia and & juliet girlie. i think she loves jukebox musicals! she wants something that is going to make her happy, but also tug on her heartstrings. she'd also like anatasia a lot -- the searching for family plot would draw her in, and i think anya finding not only her birth family, but a new family in dimitry and vlad would mean a lot to her.

george - i feel like george would love we are the tigers. it's funny, gritty, a little dark and filled with lots of interesting female characters and dynamics. i also think george would just get a kick out musicals with murder? so, she'd probably like sweeney todd and little shop of horrors as well. oh! i also think that she would be really interested in next to normal, especially because of the dynamic between diana and natalie and she'd probably find some similarities to her relationship with victoria

ace - okay the first one that came to mind was hairspray, but that's just because of his hair dfkjbsagklbslgkhbsa. i actually do this that ace would really love hadestown. i think the music style would interest him since there are a few different styles mixed into it, but it does have a folky feel, and while we know ace likes rock music, i do think that he likes folk as well (i think he has wide musical tastes). i also feel like he would already know the myth of orpehus and eurydice, as well as hades and persephone, and just greek mythology in general, so he'd probably be pretty interested in it. plus, if we're being totally honest, after the curse, i think he would see some similarities between his and nancy's relationship and orpheus and eurydice, but he gets his girl in the end.

nick - newsies. i think it only makes sense after we see him getting into hb politics in s4. i think he'd probably have watched the movie when he was a kid (i get the vibe that millie is a musical lady and probably raised nick on a healthy dose of musicals), so when the musical opened on broadway he checked out the obc and really liked it and just...found himself listening to it a lot and suddenly he had the whole thing memorized. i also like to think about nick and bess talking about newsies fsdhbflkdsbgkdlsha

ahhhhh this was SO fun! thank you, erin!

[monsterhunting]

20 questions for fic writers

Thank you @atlantablack for tagging me!

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

51

2. What’s your total word count?

875,350 😵‍💫😵‍💫

3. What fandoms do you write for?

In the past I’ve written mainly for Check please and IT, now I mainly write Stranger Things and sometimes the MCU

4. Top 5 fics by kudos

of the things you said (that you can’t take back now) (sambucky)

just let me adore you (sambucky)

secrets i have held in my heart (stoncy)

all these people think love’s for show (but i would die for you in secret) (sambucky)

i hate accidents (except when we went from friends to this) (sambucky)

5. Do you respond to comments?

Most of the time, yes!

6. What’s the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

i just scrolled thru all my fics and I genuinely do not think I’ve ever written an ending that was even remotely angsty. I’ve written FICS that are angsty but I always wrap up the angst with a nice happy ending lmao

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

tbh probably give you my sunshine, give you my best given I ended it with stoncy having a happy lil family with two kids

8. Do you get hate on fics?

I wouldn’t call it hate per se, but there is one particular fic I’ve had to enable comment moderation on because I’ve gotten a few rude comments on it

9. Do you write smut?

Lol sometimes

10. Do you write crossovers?

I did back in my FF.Net days

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not that I know of

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

I have not!

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

I don’t think so. I feel like if I did I’d remember lol so I’ll say no

14. What’s your all-time favorite ship?

Ugh I don’t know… I feel like generally it would be katniss and peeta, but out of ships I’ve actually written for, either nurseydex or stoncy

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you will?

sooooo sometime in 2021 or something i came up with this idea for a stoncy royalty au where Steve is heir to the king, Nancy is royalty from a neighboring kingdom in an arranged marriage to Steve, and Jonathan is their knight. but like Nancy and Jonathan have known each other since they were kids and have feelings for each other but can’t be together bc Nancy was always supposed to marry Steve, so there’s a lot of resentment and tension between the three of them that leads into…something else. and then there’s this monster in the woods outside the kingdom that has been killing villagers and Steve Nancy and Jonathan have to figure out what’s going on but also present a strong front and a specific image to the kingdom and… yeah. It’s basically a halfhearted outline and it’s the only pre s4 stranger things fic I never actually wrote bc i knew it was gonna be too plotty and I didn’t have the energy. I sometimes fantasize about reworking it into an original novel idea but let’s be honest, I’ll probably never do that either lol

16. What are your writing strengths?

Why would you ask me this

Jk uhhhh I don’t know. Dialogue? I like making characters argue with each other. And I also enjoy writing funny scenes. I would say I’m good at both of those

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

probably writing descriptions

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language?

I don’t think I have thoughts on this??? I mean go for it I guess. I only speak English so that’s all I write in but

19. First fandom you wrote for?

I think it was narnia all the way back in like, 2008. on quizilla no less. only the real ones remember

20. Favorite fic you’ve ever written?

This is sooooo hard but I think I’m gonna say who you gonna call? because it has a special place in my lil heart

I’m going to tag @fabesrutter @lavenderstobins and @marypsue (but no pressure if you don’t want to do it)

[marypsue]

I realise you haven't been enjoying season 4 very much, but i thought you might enjoy my newest ST related hobby, which is thinking about an AU where Bob survives season 2 and goes to Russia with Joyce and Murray to break Hopper out of jail. I personally think this is the funniest possible timeline and would have some incredible character dynamics/interactions.

If you were gonna change one plot point from ST, which do you think would have the best knock-on effect on later seasons?

Oh I'm absolutely going to be adding that scenario to the 7-11 taquito roller in my mind, thank you! Any AU where Bob survives is a good AU, and also I am dying thinking about how absolutely, incandescently confused Hopper would be about him turning up in the USSR like 'what, like it's hard'?

I love every single time people underestimate Bob Newby because he is kind and cheerful and goofy and intensely normcore and a lil fat and a bit of a scaredy cat, until the stakes become real and he immediately steps up and turns out to also be brave and inventive and kind of a badass, and leaves everyone who hadn't expected it from him and had only seen what they expected to see scratching their heads. It never fails to delight me. (I am still only at the end of s4 episode 4 so I don't actually know how they managed to resolve the whole Russia-rescue plot in canon, but now I am absolutely going to be finishing out my watch thinking the whole time about what would be the most ridiculous, absurd, infuriating, hilarious way to work Bob into it. Excellent watching-season-4-faceplant-itself-directly-into-a-wall-over-Cold-War-xenophobia coping strategy. Delightful.)

If I were going to change one plot point, in canon, with the intent that it would be a) something that could realistically happen canonically in a Netflix show between 2016-2023 and that its knock-on effects would be as well, and b) something that would have the most general positive effect on my opinion of the series...hm. That's a tough one. Because I can think really easily of thematic things that I would change, or characterisation things that I would change, but those would both require changing a lot of plot points. This is a much bigger challenge!

I am going to say that the plot point I would change...would be in season 3, where it turns out there are Russians in a secret basement under the mall. Dustin and Steve and Robin and Erica can keep chasing what they assume are Russian spies throughout most of the season, but something isn't quite adding up. They find their way into a secret sub-basement, and find the source of the Russian message Dustin intercepted - only to discover that it's all been a false flag operation, because the lab got shut down in disgrace after season 2 and Nancy and Murray's expose, and now they're having to study the Gate (and try to recreate it) in secret with plausible deniability of their government connections if they get caught. Things get considerably more complicated and less jingoistic, it's tied back into the theme of season 1, and there's like at least 25% less Murray Bauman.

(And then, even though season 4's plot isn't really all that affected by the events of season 3 beyond Literally The Last Episode, we have no boneheaded bullshit involving Russia in s4, and any sympathy that the boys might have tried to cultivate for the assholes at the lab who abducted children and raised them in captivity, being experimented on against their will, without human connection except that which was used to manipulate them in order to use them as weapons would be just patently absurd, so maybe they wouldn't fucking do that. And also maybe I wouldn't have to endure any more Murray-with-a-funny-Russian-accent cardboard cutout 'characters'. One must imagine a better world, or how else can it become?)

[elizabeth-mitchells]

Stranger things for the tv ask!

thank you for asking!! sorry it took me so long!!

Favourite character: Robin!! Robin Buckley!! Funniest character: oohh they're all kind of funny in their own ways even untintentionally lmao could be Robin too but let's say Dustin? Best-looking character: hmm Robin sghdjfhgj i'm sorry i'm a lesbian 3 favourite ships: RONANCE, elmax!!!!! and... hmmm.... the sapphic senate Least favourite character: probably mike. second place to eddie probably tho that's in large part to the world's annoying obsession w him Least favourite ship: eddie and nancy... like why would you do that. also stancy like it should be criminalized by now Reason why I watch it: for the ladies and the ladies only!!! for el and her journey, for max and the happy ending she deserves (please), for joyce byers #1 milf, for nancy wheeler who deserves so much better, for Robin Buckley my beloved <33, for Erica who deserves so much more, even Karen Wheeler Why I started watching it: hmm i don't remember very well but i think my friends and cousins insisted for a long time and when s2 came out i was like okay fine! i watched s1 and s2 just casually and without hurry and just enjoyed it. then s3 came out and i fell in love with robin. and then s4 happened and i absolutely lost my mind about it

Send me a tv show!

[strangeswift]

opinion on stonathan bc of your new blog title *hands you mic AGAIN* 🎤

Anon you're literally my favorite person thank you for handing me the mic AGAIN. I love rambling.

Stonathan my beloved!!

Okay so in reality, no I wouldn't want romantic Stonathan to be canon (not that there's even a chance it would be, I'm just speaking hypothetically). But I think it's a cute idea for fanon. (I don't even actually HC Steve as queer and I really love J4ncy, but you know... ✨️Stonathan✨️)

Really it's the best Steve ship lol. And we love an enemies to lovers! Plus like there's just so much there to build on with the relationship they've had to each other and the interactions they've had over the years. Also it's just funny to imagine like it would be such a strange relationship but I think it could work.

But in all reality, even though I think romantic Stonathan is a super fun ship and I like to post about it from time to time, what I am actually obsessed with and have been since I watched S1, is the idea of platonic Stonathan.

I'm not confident we'll get platonic Stonathan S5 with the love triangle and all, but GOD I would kill for it. Like the history is there!! (Also side note platonic St4ncy is something that I wanted SO BADLY S4 but they fucked it up. And they killed my Stoncy best trio besties dreams... unless?)

If they let me in the writers room for S5 Steve and Jonathan would get stuck together (forced proximity my beloved) in the Upside Down and they would bond and fight monsters together. And talk about Nancy, and Steve would realize he and Nancy aren't right for each other but she and Jonathan are.

[wikiangela]

911 lone star 4x02

spoilers ahead

aw I missed Grace so much 😍

loving Marjan getting a moment, I hope we'll see more of her this season, maybe she'll get an actual storyline 🤞

also, lmao this is so funny, why is this woman so difficult 😂 istg ls is a drama only sometimes, mostly it's a fucking comedy 😂

unpopular opinion but: I actually enjoyed Owen in s3, and I'm still enjoying him haha, tbh he was only really insufferable in s2, now I kinda like him, and his scenes are hilarious, and I'm kinda interested in his storyline this season 😂 (more interesting than tarlos that's for sure, and that's still so weird to even think lmao)

Grace and Tommy have the best friendship in this show 💯 lmao I love them

"just my wife" lmao okay that was funny - it's still not the best plot ngl, it's just so... low stakes, so low basically nonexistent - I already said that in a post before, but like, so what if they can't get married in a few weeks? 😂 like, this is just such a dumb reason jfc, we know they're gonna stay together, this is just drama for the sake of drama - I'm still gonna try to enjoy it tho, maybe they'll make it fun 💁🏻‍♀️😂

I was about to say this convo is annoying, but them recalling TK's accidents and the "how many comas have you been in" 😂 😂 lmao this is so funny

oh wow... she didn't sign the papers, who could've seen it coming..... just about everyone but okay 🙄 it's just such a boring storyline I'm sorry but like, it might've been a funny convo, but the overall plotline is just so boring, and making Iris just annoying tbh

OH MY GOD WHO CARES ABOUT THE VENUE 🙄🙄🙄 like, seriously, I can't express how boring I find this, they can literally find another place or wait a little longer

why is tarlos' storyline the most boring this season, please can this be over and can they get something more interesting?

Tommy being awkward with the pastor oh my god I love her so much, but someone shut her up pls 😂😂😂

okay, that leather jacket and hair kinda ruffled by the helmet - it's working for me, why is Rob Lowe so hot, I wasn't prepared to be (this) attracted to Owen this season 😭

thank god that was just Tommy's dream, because the dialogue was really making me cringe lol

I'm loving Tommy and Owen's friendship too 😂

I'm sorry, I guess I'm happy they're getting an annulment, and we're adding some drama now, but like.... I really don't fucking care, what is happening, tarlos were my fave part of this show and now I just wait for their scenes to be over, what have you done writers 🙄

okay, that tarlos scene was adorable and I love them - im still already over that whole marriage and Iris thing tho

oh, now Iris disappeared? okay, now it's getting interesting

that was a good episode, it flew by so fast tbh haha

loved Tommy and I'm lowkey here for the pastor storyline, but it seems to be going well, and we're only on episode 2, so I wonder what's gonna get fucked up

pls tell me Grace and Judd will get some story of their own because so far they're kinda to the side

same with Mateo, Marjan and Paul and Nancy - like, please give them something, they each had like an episode about them (aside from Nancy I think) and we're in s4, give them some longer storylines pls

(also, can we get begins episodes for them? that'd be so cool pls)

I kinda like Owen's story, it's interesting, and it's taking surprisingly little screen time for Owen 😂 (also, Rob Lowe has always been hot, but this season it's like, really standing out, almost as much as the beginning of s3 with the beard 🥵 wtf)

and finally, tarlos.... I was kinda over their whole story, but Iris disappearing makes it interesting tbh, so far it's been boring - hope it'll get even better!

so, tbh I liked this one more than 4x01 and I hope that now it'll get better and better haha

(tho was there literally like only one emergency this episode?)

[share-the-damn-bed]

I always liked jancy a lot but s4 made me realize just how much I took them for granted. Without them together it felt… not right. Mixed with the fact they tried to push Nancy with Steve it made me again, realize how much more I love Nancy with Jonathan. So even though s4 did them so dirty it pushed them to just something I enjoyed to OTP status. It’s that saying that you don’t know what you got ‘till it’s gone. Unfortunately, a lot may not have seen it that way because they essentially forgot seasons 1-3 to where people completely forgot how well crafted jancy was so I feel like it could go either way in the fandom (either you appreciate it more or you forget).

Thank you for sharing your experience!! I've noticed similar thoughts from other fans (and some newer Jancy fans) and ultimately it's incredibly validating. Before season 4 it seemed like general fans were either in the jancy fandom or completely indifferent to them, even found them boring. Now, I feel like many people who didn't care about Jancy were very put off by the developments in season 4 (especially concerning the love triangle) and are like 'why would you ruin such a perfectly good thing? They were happy, we were happy, what the hell?'.

I completely agree that there are fans opposing Jancy simply because they've forgotten their overarching story or only recall bits and pieces (I'm not saying this is true for every fan who opposes jancy (they have their own reasons), but it is true for many). I hope that since Jonathan and Nancy are partnering up again in season 5, there will time for them to work out their unresolved issues on screen and remind the general audience why they work well together and why the majority of fans wanted them to get together in the first place.

Tangentially related, I think it's also important to note, for fans who think Jonathan and Nancy's relationship is over because of their unresolved conflict, a lot can change in a season. Take for example, Lucas and Max. Now, I don't ship any of the kid/younger teen ships, but I think it's a relationship that has been interesting to watch change through out the course of the show and watch how fan reception to this relationship has changed over time.

Despite their cute start in season 2, Lucas and Max's relationship was not serious in season 3 and was often was played off as a joke (breaking up and getting back together multiple times between seasons 2 and 3, Lucas doing things that upset Max in a funny way). No one in the fandom beyond Lu*max shippers thought they had serious endgame, life-long relationship potential. I recall other fans, possibly even myself, saying of the kid ships, it was most likely to be the one that didn't last (mostly when compared to Mike and Eleven). Season 4 completely changed that and gave them not only wonderful development but some beautiful moments which showed fans how serious and real this relationship and their bond is. Now, fans have changed their tune (except the Lu*max shippers who must be feeling very vindicated rn) and think they are the most likely to end up together along side Joyce and Hopper.

My point, that has nothing to do with your initial comments, Anon, but a point I feel the need to make regardless, Jancy's arc in season 4 feels set up, but nowhere near complete. They have a lot to discuss and work through individually and together (mind you in the middle of an apocalypse). Upon rewatches and closer examinations of certain scenes, I think the show gives us more hope than doubt. I think ultimately, the writers have set up a very real conflict for the two of them that, if resolved well, will allow each character to do what is best for them and allow them some happiness.

Am I naive enough to believe Jancy fans will get the Lu*max treatment in season 5? No. But I am naive enough to hope.

Like, if it's not them, why would they give us this?

[bullsandthebones]

my friends and I are talking about our headcanons for ST characters so, here's mine! some of these are just haha funnies bc I think they're dumb

Eddie:

-he/it

-very gay, very homo

-tries to explain it/its pronouns to Steve

-makes fun of Steve's hair products

-makes "ur mom"/" ur dad" jokes

-calls Steve to help him brush out his hair

-wears croptops

-trans ftm

-cannot cook

-fnaf lvr

-knows the lore of every analog horror ever

-loves walten files the most

-puts dice in his mouth. (we all do, cmon)

-has probably almost swallowed a die

-it was probably a d4

-hurt like hell

Steve:

-doesn't understand pronouns

-mentally blue screens when Eddie and Robin try and explain pronouns

-starts sobbing when neos get put into the mix

-defo himbo but very supportive anyways

-bisexual w/ a lean for the ladies

-has made one deez nuts joke and immediately regretted it

-sobs while brushing Eddie's hair

-has definitely tried on a skirt

-definitely cannot cook

Robin:

-she/they + any neos

-makes deez nuts jokes with Dustin

-canon lesbian, I would never change that

-hates tryna teach Steve about pronouns

-amazing cook, "yes chef" "thank you chef"

-can probably sew

-most definitely makes special clothes for her besties

-wears two different shoes

-cool bitch syndrome

-would probably be really good at ddr and fnf

Nancy:

-she/her 😐

-hetero 😐

-ally (talk valentina! ally!)

-loves Johnathan no matter what his genitals are <3

-can definitely cook

-secretly has read lotr

-probably ate sand as a kid

-if she was a dog she'd be a poodle.

-gets Robin fabric for her projects

Johnathan:

-trans ftm <333

-he/him

-definitely laughs at deez nuts jokes

-mmmm bisexual?

-maybe pansexual

-ooo definitely pansexual

-probably can't hold his liquor

-threw up the first time he hit a bong

-didn't know how to pack a bowl for a long time

-Argyle had to teach him

-actually cooks better when high

Argyle:

-I'll be honest, I haven't finished s4

-idk much about him

-probably he/they

-gives me pansexual vibes

-makes the most raunchy jokes

-has the weirdest cravings when high

Billy:

-"nor/mal"

-"okay but what's between your legs?"

-idfk, probably bisexual but he's got too much internalized homophobia

Dustin:

-wh/at

-por/que

-desperately trying to learn pronouns but he doesn't understand very well

-honestly? straight

-makes deez nuts jokes. it's the funniest shit to him

-has never cooked

-only uses the microwave

-ramen forever

-is quite literally the biggest ally

-the best guy

-the "bro code" probably doesn't matter to him

-will tell on you if you're cheating 👁👁

-feminist

Mike:

-dumb/bitch

-stupid/whore

-I hate him I'm sorry

-probably bi but like Billy, too much internalized homophobia

-misgenders people when they anger him

Lucas:

-I'll be honest

-I'm torn

-probably says pronouns don't exist

-but uses he/they

-straight?

-idk he's confusing

Max:

-non binary

-they/she

-bisexual and on the ace spectrum

-hates fem clothing

-is a bitch when you get pronouns wrong

-will fight transphobes

-probably would do softball

-that's a gay sport right?

-I'm pretty sure it is

-salty when they lose to Robin at ddr

-loves fnaf

-hates that Eddie loves fnaf

-probably more into gemini entertainment than any of the other analog horrors

-plays tlou religiously

-loves zombie games

Eleven:

-agender but is okay with she/her

-aroace spec!

-doesn't have a set sexuality, isn't sure on labels

-mimics Dustin's jokes

-Hopper gets upset at that

-doesn't understand video games but loves watching max play

-is actually pretty good at ddr

-I'm sorry, I love ddr

-has also put dice in their mouth

-Eddie dared them to

Will:

-doesn't have the energy to figure out gender labels

-doesn't care about his own pronouns

-call him whatever

-gay but,,, on the aro spectrum, probably grayromantic

-plays the dark pictures anthology

-loves little hope the most

-has tried to get others to play them

-failed

-wears two different socks

-is probably really good at kickball but he's too scared of getting laughed at

-me too man

that's uh, that's all. you're welcome.

[falling-for-boys]

10 fandoms, 10 characters, 10 tags

tagged by @lucilucialu, thank you! <33

rules: show us your ten favorite characters from ten fandoms and then tag ten people to do the same.

1. theo raeken - teen wolf

(gif from msmischief101)

if you didn't expect this, then. well, i don't know what to tell you LMAO. my baby, the loml, theo <33 but tbh, liam's a very very close second

honorable mentions: liam, isaac

2. bucky barnes - marvel

this also cannot come as a surprise to anyone......i really do love broken and tortured boys huh. ugh watching that train scene in first avenger is so brutal adgskgaf

honorable mentions: steve, sam, peter parker

3. amy santiago - brooklyn 99

ugh this one was hard bc i literally have a three way tie between amy, jake, and rosa BUT i'm going with amy bc she's personally so relatable and i love her <33

honorable mentions: jake, rosa

4. steve harrington - stranger things

i might've not totally liked him in s1 but GOD s2 came around and steve became the Mom Friend and now i love him sm <33 he deserves sm and if he doesn't get it in s4 im gonna be mad

honorable mentions: nancy, robin

5. david rose - schitt's creek

okay this man is so funny and relatable, binging this show was the best decision i ever made tbh ADFAG (also the simply the best karaoke scene makes me feel so many things every time i watch it ugh)

honorable mentions: alexis, patrick, stevie

6. tahani al-jamil - the good place

tbh i don't know if i have one favorite character from this show, lk feel like i like them all as a group but i love her so <333

honorable mentions: basically everyone in their group LMAO

7. eric matthews - boy meets world

okay don't think this is really a fandom but i love this man sm LMAO. also the whole tommy thing was just so akjdgjsagd the scene of him closing the door and leaning back on it UGH. just love this man with my whole heart

honorable mentions: shawn, jack, topanga

8. percy jackson - percy jackson

okay hate the movies, i'm talking about the books but this boy was probably the first guy i was obsessed with so he deserves a spot on this list LMAO. also the fact that he's obsessed with the color blue doesn't hurt <33

honorable mentions: annabeth, grover, sally (can you tell that i like the first series more than the second LMAO)

9. arthur pendragon - merlin

god i watched this show YEARS ago and have never watched it again but i'm running out of things to put on here so here we are. this man is the biggest himbo i've ever seen tbh, pure of heart baby <3

10. taylor swift

yea i'm sorry, i give up, i can't think of any other characters or fandoms so i'm giving the last spot to taylor <33 ugh love her sm

i know that most of you have already been tagged but imma tag you again and if you've already done it pls ignore :)) @attempted--eloquence, @frustrateddumbbar, @edge0fmydesiree, @artzeppo, @unholyobsessions, @yikeshereiam, @thecenturiestrickle, @theoceanismyinkwell, @skielatte, @colby-brxck