#and he still looks like season two steve because thats funny to think of

[your-stranger-halfblood-things]

"Uh, just this please," Steve said, handing the CD to the guy behind the counter.

He gave Steve a weird look. "Are you sure you want this?"

Steve nodded, sweating. "Yup."

"You do know it's Ozzy Osbourne, right?" the guy said, looking for the price. He glanced up at Steve; striped polo shirt, perfect swiped hair, and all. "It's not Wham! or ABBA. That'll be fifteen."

Steve handed him a twenty. "It's for my friend. He likes Ozzy. But he prefers Dio, but I much prefer Ozzy than Dio. So I will be buying this one, so I get to listen to it with him rather than having to listen to Dio." He took the bag the guy gave him. "But honestly, Mötley Crüe is my jam."

"Yeah man," the guy just looked weirded out, "here's your receipt."

Steve gave him finger guns. "Coolio, man," he said, trying to be slick, but he ended up tripping on the way out of the store.

[steveharrington]

can you elaborate more on steve being abandoned by the narrative?

yes <3 so i think there are two very unfortunate circumstances surrounding steve's character that have led to the current state of his plotline: 1. after not killing him in s1 like they originally planned, the duffers have never really had a plan for steve and 2. they are extremely influenced by audiences. when they were conceptualizing steve to fit in among the ensemble cast, the duffers were picturing him as a douchey boyfriend who unceremoniously dies. lonnie was originally going to come back to the byers house to save jonathan and nancy. there was no need to picture where he'd be 4 seasons down the road, so they just didn't account for that. then joe keery charmed them so hard that they literally couldn't bear to kill him, so steve ends season one still somehow alive.

but we've already established the nancy/jonathan plotline, because jonathan was once the duffers' self-insert who must defeat the evil jock and win over the girl. they couldn't just backpedal on that right away, so they needed to give nancy and jonathan a plotline alone, away from steve. but steve only ever functioned as an extension of nancy until this point, so what do we do with steve now? in an accidental stroke of genius that the duffers have admitted was a last second decision, they pair him with the children and make him into a babysitter. it almost instantly boosts steve into being tied with hopper and el for most popular character from the show, potentially even beats them both out. in 2017 when s2 aired, you could not escape mom steve jokes. it was everywhere, steve was everywhere, joe was everywhere, it was arguably the second coming of #justice for barb, which, in netflix business-y terms, was the exact viral meme type situation that the show wanted and needed to sell merch and remain relevant and say "see we still got it!!!"

you know who has the 2nd most lines in the entirety of season three? directly behind hopper? ahead of winona ryder? steve. think for a second about how absolutely insane that is. the character who was written specifically to die in season one. joe keery's name wasn't even in the season one credits, because he wasn't considered a series regular. and now he has the 2nd most spoken lines in the big blockbuster season because he rocketed up in popularity so intensely. season three marketing features the mall so heavily, creates a literal physical shrine to 80s nostalgia, and when the very first promo is released an entire year before the season airs, who's the star of that teaser trailer? and who, pray tell, is featured in the main brand sponsorship ad that plays in movie theaters worldwide? thats right its america's little darling steve harrington.

but here is the issue. the duffers look at what made steve popular and they see: funny exasperated babysitter, heartthrob action hero. they're like oh okay so we should keep putting him directly in the center of the action, bang him up every season to give him his classic bloodied aesthetic, but. he still needs to be funny. we can almost kill him, but we can't actually kill him because he's profitable. we can let him get horrifically injured because it's badass, but we still gotta let him crack jokes. it creates this very weird tone to steve's role in the story starting in season 3 because he's both the action hero and the comedic relief and protected by plot armor, so we get scenes where he's being literally tortured until he's begging for his life and gasping for breath but the tone is still.......fun? comedic? light and goofy? i think the duffers also forgot he's supposed to be a teenager.

now this is partially me making educated guesses but i feel pretty confident about this: once again, like gollum, joe keery uses his big shiny eyes and manages to evade death again in season four by being so likable and charming and marketable that netflix execs or shawn levy or maybe even the duffers themselves were like oh fuck we just can't do it. they were obviously tossing around the idea of taking mom steve all the way by letting him die sacrificially for dustin, so in season four they make eddie, transfer steve's relationship with dustin directly onto him, ctrl f steve's name in the death scene and just type in eddie instead, and once again steve is alive but he's directionless.

so what does he have now, in season four? i think the duffers have a whiteboard somewhere with steve's name and around it are little circles that say "funny" "cool" "DO NOT KILL" and steve is now stuck in this endless cycle of getting beaten up, popping back up somehow unharmed like a looney tune, saying something cute and oblivious, rinse and repeat. because that's what worked, that's what made him popular all the way back in season two. that's what the duffers are obviously keeping in mind when they're writing steve: popularity. not realism, not depth, not growth, just literally how to continue making him popular. meanwhile, other characters get to be part of the actual story. other characters get to serve a purpose other than selling merch. when el is bitten by a monster, she gets to actually feel pain and need help because that's realistically what any human would need. when hopper is tortured, he gets to suffer and ponder his existence and reflect on the relationships in his life. steve never gets any of that, because the writers just don't see steve as the 19 year old boy on his 4th straight year of traumatic events that he actually is.

they literally just see him as a money maker, there for cool viral moments and witty lines and maybe the occasional emotion experienced but only if it's about his romantic prospects. and the narrative that other characters get to have and be apart of just kinda runs parallel to steve. he's there, technically, but he's not really in the story. and it's like actually crazy because you'd think after all the funko pops he sold, he'd have earned an actual storyline!!!

[solwhynot]

Hello tumblr, i give you this Stranger Things x Percy Jackson Au because i love both and with the show coming out i had to finally draw it

After the thingy there will be my headcanons/how i imagine the Au plus some closeups ^^

So i separrated the seasons as years, yes i did it so every season gets its own bead (also will make it easier to navigate the timeline lol) For now just byler in this au, but if y'all like it i'll talk more about it, so, ekhem:

• In this Au both Wheelers and Byers still live in Hawkins, i wanted to highlight that these two have been friends longer than others and overall just spent more time together (Yes, this will make the California move way more painfull than if they had never lived close, yes i do love my angst)

• Both Will and Jonathan are sons of Poseidon (it just makes sense to me idk why, i will not elaborate further rn)

•Mike and Nancy are actually children of Nike (You can't look me straight in the eyes and tell me that Karen had never been with a woman) but because its the 80s and PJO plot is like semi canon in this Au, the minor gods still weren't claiming their children, and both of them will stay unclaimed until i feel like writing an arc. But it will 100% give them a feeling like they're lesser than others and the need to prove themselves. Which i feel like is pretty close to the way they act in the canon

•In the Au The Upside Down is just Tartarus, so yeah, basically hell

•The story itself is similiar (almost the same) as the show just happening in the PJO universe

•Since Mike is unclaimed and has to sleep in the Hermes Cabin (for context Steve, Carol and Tommy are all kids of Hermes, so its kind of a nightmare to stay there, especially in the first few years) he often sneaks into the Poseidon Cabin and has sleepovers with Will

• '83 is actually their second or third (i didn't think this through yet ) year at camp, cause thats when they meet El, and the Party knows each other for some time now

•Hopper is a horse ( a centaur technically but it sounds funnier), this has nothing to do with Byler but i just find that really funny

After all that reading have some nice closeups as a reward

Also prepare yourselves for absolutely horrendous low quallity horses

[self-loathing-angel-of-thursday2]

Beautiful Spouse Rewatch Thoughts SPN 06x02

Two and a Half Men

“Ooo spicy” “That’s a lot of Sriracha” “the fuck” “It’s never going to work - babies cry” “She’s holding her own mouth? That’s kinda weird” “That kid is fucked” “This season is icy. Ice cold vibe to it” “Why are they moving?” “Oh they moved in” “His badge is crooked” “What’s an Everything pizza?” “Did he actually forget?” “I don’t remember Grampa coming back from the dead” “Gotta teach him trigger discipline there Dean” “Is Sam in the Black Charger? Doesn’t he drive a silver charger at another time?” “It would be funny if Dean could do a Steve Irwin act with the ball cap and gator wrestling” “This one is possessed” In an Australian accent

“Jesus Christ. Hes dead” “She’s also dead” “this looks like bobby’s house” “Like the closet at the end of the hallway looks the same from when they were hiding from the zombies that one time” “I mean they have to reuse sets right? I’ve seen similarities over the seasons. I wonder if they reused the set, because it’s a neat looking house” “Is it Castiel news? Maybe?” “Idk who Gutenberg is” “Who’s the baby?” “Either she’s really sarcastic or he’s a huge dick. I think she’s sarcastic” “It’s the same road as Old Guy gets shot on. This is the road with Yellow Eyes” “Maybe not, but I’m pretty convinced” “Who the fuck is the kid?” “Dean’s talking about diapers” “what the fuck” “I still don’t know what’s up with the baby” “I’m not trying to be oblivious” “Oh he dead” Do you remember what that goo is? “Shapeshifter” “Are you going to be a man about it huh?” “This decor is peak supernatural” “Did he just give the baby some alcohol? Jesus Christ” “So that’s a shapeshifter baby?” “Idk what’s happening” “Thats a lot of poop” “I shouldn’t laugh, but that’s a baby covered in cake and applesauce” “There goes the baby’s ears too, but it’s a shapeshifter baby so idk” “This looks like some sort of vampire hideout or some shit” “If they were actually family, I feel like we’d see more about their backstory, but I’m still confused about their storyline. I guess we’ll find out later” “good line” “This is the longest that some characters were brought on the show to just die - 2 or 3 episodes. Thats a lot” “Bobby Jon Benet Ramsey” “Thats convenient” “That was a lot of grunting” “wait” “You can kill god but you can’t kill a shapeshifter” “Isn’t this soulless Sam? Or they’re starting to hint at this?” “Animated gif wrap” Spouse started laughing during Dean’s serious man talk

“Ok. Long pause. Serious music. She asks what. And it takes so long…so long. Then he turns around and starts singing Fergalicious” “So are they long distance when he’s on another planet or some shit?” “He only had a year off, and he’s doing the midlife crises car dramatics” “Daddy’s going for a drive”

[spinaroos-47]

Part two of three of my commentary about ASIAS!

This one will have screenshots! Not the most good looking ones, still new at it, but still screenshots!

Flying derby looks so much more fun than grudgby in my opinion, I guess I just like non ball sports

THEM

I LOVE THIS IMAGE SO MUCH ILL CHERISH IT FOREVER ITS ALL I COULD HAVE ASKED FOR THIS HAS MADE UP FOR ME WAKING UP AT 5AM BECAUSE OF THE EPISODE

They befriended, this is so lovely :,3

(And all of their outfits are great)

Emerald entrails is not really that subtle but its also a great name, AND THEY STILL KEPT THE NAME AT THE END OF THE EPISODE

Fucking donkey

Interestingly enough, the lack of the cape did make the dissonance I got from his GG outfit in Separate Tides and the first half-ish of Hunting Palismen not happen. I guess seeing his hair and ears helps on avoiding that djjsdfjd (also the little staff twirl he did here was really nicely animated)

Steve is a fucking mvp, I think him going “Steve is beggining to regret his choices” is a good segway to the promo screenshot we got of him in a motorbike. Him and Hunter being buddies was great, I love that it’s not just Lilith that appreciates him

“I think Hunter is too” Almost made me scream and I would have if it wasn’t 6am when i was watching this. I’m so sure this is the start of his big turning point, these friendships he made are being SO important for him

The initiations he mentioned more than once are making me think that this will return in Labyrinth Runners in some way. I don’t know how but I hope he appears on there too then. Belos taking the palismen away also make me ponder why Lilith didn’t lose hers (thank god she didn’t, I love that little guy). 

(Also great commentary/criticism of the military)

That slight paralel to Hunting Palismen, with Hunter now sneaking into the flying ship was sooooo good

Pain and suffering and pain and suffering AND LILITH (i love how you can see her finger on the photo dsnjdnjnjd. and the small comeback Alador did fdjsdjnd also I don’t know how to feel about Alador looking so much like my dad)

Also this is a funny frame to have paused on jfdjdfsndfs

Willow, you made me tear up some three times on this episode, I just want the best for you, you deserve so much better

Darius change of behaviour was really surprising, and weirdly really sweet, he also kinda reexamined his own bias against Hunter which was good. He sewed better the sigil on his cape and im assuming got him a scroll to make a penstagram account to interact with more kids his age and thats really nice.

“Are you going to tell him about your secret palisman?” And now I’m scared again for Flapjack. But its good that Darius isn’t going to tell about all this to Belos, thats also really nice

This really settled for me the theory that he and Eber will join Raine and do *something*. I was already on board with the theory but didn’t know how that would happen, from what little we had about Darius before this episode. And we might get more, seeing how Reaching Out will be about abominations a lot, with Amity and Alador and what not.

This episode was really good for Darius, gave him even more nuance than he had before, even with him not appearing that much compared to the other characters. (Also his abomination sweater. Glorious)

A little less related to the plot of the episode, I feel like the animation looks a bit different on 2B but i don’t know how to explain it

I still will make the part three about the Lumity c plot but I’ll round out my thoughts about the main plots of the episodes here

It was my favorite episode of 2B for now, I loved how it was kinda low stakes but kinda high stakes too and how the a plot (willow’s) and b plot (hunter’s) merged into one basically, and also how lumity didn’t really steal the spotlight from this episode like in TTLGR, which is a criticism I have about season 2, and also I haven’t seen much of the fandom reaction and most the ones I follow already are focused on Hunter too but it’s nice that in the show it wasn’t like that again

This was really fun!

[pop-punklouis]

speaking on strangers things; i am happy hop is alive, but they way the wrote him surviving was too obvious of plot armor. oh he just jump onto the lower level, no major injuries or burns??? Like there was always another level below the machine, in the season 3 finale you literally see like 4 of the bad guys in hazzmat suits on that lower level be turned to dust. Also it would been more interesting to see him stuck in the upside down instead. But i did enoy that plotline over all, specially the prison breakout, betrayal, and monster fighting. The hawkings crew had the strongest arc, but i did genuinely enjoy all of them. the Bullyying though...... that was fcking extreme man and hard to watch ngl. Like who on earth bullies someone for grieving their dead father 😭 the skating rink...... like i dont condone violence but like somebody had to put her down. Also the van and dinner scene right after that were so fcking funny to me. also least favorite character this season is that one dude thats basically the archice andrews of hawkings. i know they want me to find him cute, but he just bothers me ksjdhfhdh. Also i liked vecna as a villian more when we didnt know who he actually was, like idk i just like itd be better if he originated from the upside down, but i do see why the connected it the way they did. My adhd brain doesnt mind the 294848 different plots tbh and long episodes, but i do hope the last two episodes is everybody coming together and staying together for more than that one group scene they have every season. Also i know its likely someone will die, i just hope none of the kids, i cant handle that, srry to the adults but yeah... anways i rewatched the first three season after finishing the 4th and season 2 remains my favorite

i agree. i think it would've been more interesting to have him stuck in the upside down, but I'm not sure how good the CGI would've been able to hold up having him there practically the entire time. but his plot was one of the more interesting, in my opinion! i liked it a lot, and as I've said previously, i still think the prison break where he fights the demagorgen is one of the best scenes in the whole season.

the bullying was SUPER extreme like it made me hate angela with a burning passion of course lmao and i did not feel bad one bit when she finally got knocked in the face with the skate but the dramatic reaction from the cops? it was almost funny because it felt so absurd to me after everyone saw what was happening to her on that rink. like talk shit you get hit sorry :/

NOT ARCHIE ANDREWS pls its so real. every time he was on screen (that poor actor... his line deliveries were so bad) my mom and i cracked up lmao

and yes?? i was way more intrigued with vecna as a character when i assumed he was just another monster. not a great villain, in my opinion, as his presence did not rock me the same way the demagorgen, the demadogs, and the mind flayer did in seasons past, but he was alright. him being a human who morphed into this demon/monster hybrid that... preys on teens regrets and trauma or some shit is so dumb I'm sorry like what's the point. i wanted more also i wanted a better monster design he kinda just looks like a similar design to Predator

people keep speculating that steve might die, but unless joe keery wants to leave the show and pursue other opportunities, i don't see that happening. the blowback from fans would be unreal, so i think it might be a main character that isn't as present (like jonathan jesus he doesn't even exist here anymore tbh) but i don't think it will be one that's TOO beloved just for the shock factor idk

i actually was planning on going back and watching the first three seasons as well! season 2 will always reign supreme in my mind, but I haven't watched the seasons back since I did the very first time so it will be cool to watch it all over again knowing where the story is in S4

[skullrock]

Are there any characters apart from Dustin and Robin that you want to see steve interacting with in S4? Preferably some new dynamics with people who he has never shared screentime with before, or old pairings that haven't been given much focus?

most excellent question, anon!

This will get long and I apologize, but here is my list:

Mike - I want to see Steve and Mike scenes!! So bad!! We only really got the one where Steve has the dish towel on his shoulder, and then when he lets Mike and the kids into the theater. I want to see the SASS, the sarcasm, the glares, I WANT IT ALL. Man, I really hope they give us something with these two in S4. 

El - Steve and El would be SO precious. I think it would have been so cute to see Steve teaching El how to read or write, or something. She’s so soft and quiet where he is abrasive and loud and I think their friendship would have been so cute and wholesome. and also again she could paint his nails and I would die

Max - I agree with everyone else that Steve should become Max’s unofficial older brother. I want to see him stand up to the plate and protect her/give her life advice (that isn’t shitty!!!!!)/be there for her. They both have had each other’s backs in the past (mainly season 2) and I want more of that!! They could be the second most sarcastic friendship, after Robin and Steve. 

Will - I think that Will would be intimidated by Steve because Steve is very “cool” and loud, and Will is the exact opposite. Similarly with Steve and El, I think they could have a friendship that is very soft and caring, and I want to see it, god dammit!!!!

Lucas - In my eyes, Lucas 100% looks up to Steve. It would be fun to see Lucas going to Steve for advice in general, maybe about how to be cool and suave, and Steve giving him all these pointers. Like, Steve gives Lucas pretty much a makeover and sends him off to high school, like, “Thats my boy!!” and being very elated when Lucas excels. 

Hopper - I want. Cop Steve. So bad. And I know we can’t have it and that’s okay. But FUCK, if they all go to break Hopper out, Steve better have some quality fucking screentime with Hopper. I want Steve to lose his shit when Hopper guns down 10 men in 2 seconds, I want to see him pick up on some of Hopper’s fighting techniques, delivering a swift and solid punch to a Russian soldier to knock him out. And then I want Hopper to pat him on the back and go, “ever thought about joining the force?” and Steve is like “holy shit”. I just! Want it dude

CLAUDIA HENDERSON - willing to bet their relationship is SO cute and wholesome. I bet they quip with each other and I bet Steve compliments her all the time. It probably would annoy Dustin that they get along so well, but they just do, and it would be so glorious. 

Nancy - I want them to bury the hatchet and get back to some good ol’ fashioned sleuthing. I want to see them do some detective work together since Jonathan is away. I also think they could be good friends but the writers really just said “ok they broke up we don’t need to elaborate anymore” and thats WACK! Let them talk!!! let them talk abt their relationship for what it was!! Let them both grow from it!!

Jonathan - pretty much exactly as above! I want to see them burying the metaphoric hatchet or like, Jonathan gives Steve some kind of peace offering (maybe a new bat?) and they both end up being really good friends. I think they could be great together if the Duffers would let them interact!

KEITH - I want to see Keith and Steve SO BAD DUDE. I want them to rag on each other, I want this weird rivalry, I want Steve to save Keith’s ass and Keith STILL be ungrateful and hate him. They could be so funny together imo!!

that’s my list right now but if I think of any more, I will add them!! <3 this was fun to think about, thank you anon!

[amazingphanisnotonfire-imagines]

Steve//Boys Like You

Okay, so this doesn’t exactly follow the Steve/Nancy plot of season 2 (or at least I don’t think it does) but, I really like it so I don’t care. Anyway! Enjoy! And yes, I am now becoming a Stranger Things stan account. Sweet Pea who? I only know Steve Harrington. (based off this song)

“And then she said it was all bullshit. Like our entire relationship and everything.” Steve is sat on your couch at 2am, sobbing into your chest. He turned up twenty minutes ago, tears flowing freely down his cheeks and a look of defeat on his face. 

You’d of course let him in, glad that your parents were out of town for the week. Ever since you’d known Steve Harrington, you’d followed him around like a lost puppy. Wherever he was, you were right by his side. Well, more behind him slightly, kinda in the background. There enough for him to notice you, but never enough, and usually when he needed you. 

You knew that you could get better friends, you were pretty, funny and smart. But there was just something about the brown-eyed boy with the brilliant hair that pulled you in and kept you hooked. So much so that by the time it was your senior year, you were madly in love with him, watching him pursue a girl that just didn’t seem that interested in him. 

However you were there to pick up the pieces, like you always were. And tonight seemed to be one of those nights. He’d been to Tina’s Halloween party, something that you weren’t invited to, by Tina or Steve for that matter. But you had other things to do anyway. You’d just been about to fall asleep when he knocked on the door, and now your trying your best to comfort him, even though the girl he was madly in love with, had just broken his heart and left him for another boy. 

“It’s okay Stevie.” You soothe, the nickname that you’d used for him since you could remember, rolled off your tongue like second nature and he smiled at the comfort. “She’s just drunk. She probably won’t even remember it in the morning.” 

“I don’t know if that makes it better or worse.” He sighs and you look at him sympathetically, running your fingers through his hair. There was only a few people that had the privilege of touching his hair, and you were one of the lucky ones. 

“Better. There’s always a tomorrow to talk things through and make things right.” 

“How did I get so damn lucky to have you as a friend?” He asks, wonder lacing his voice and you blush profusely. 

“Luck, I guess.” You shrug and he shakes his head, laughing softly. 

“Nah, it’s more than that. You’re the best thing in my life.” He says, and grabs your hand, giving it a tight squeeze. He drops it before you even have the chance to comprehend what was happening and you can’t help but feel disappointment rise.

“Shouldn’t you be saying that to your girlfriend.” You roll your eyes. 

“Nope. Because I’m saying it to you. Y/n Y/l/n. You are the best thing in my life.” He repeats himself, but there’s something in his voice thats holding him back. You know he’s lying. You know it’s always going to be Nancy Wheeler, but for just one night you can pretend that he actually meant that. You know what you look like to him, you know what you are to him. You’re his childhood best friend that has followed him blindly and not minded being put in the background, just as long as she gets to hang around with him. 

“Sure I am.” You roll your eyes again. “You keep telling yourself that Harrington, I’m going to bed. You coming?” 

“Yeah.” He shrugs and stands up, holding his hand out towards you. You gladly take it and he pulls you up, rather aggressively. So much so that you fall slightly into his chest and he grabs your arms to steady you. You tilt your head up to look at him and he’s already smiling back at you. That signature Steve Harrington smile that has made every single girl in Hawkins High fall in love with him. 

“Steve?” You ask, breaking the silence. He hums in response, still staring down at you, a soft expression in his eyes that makes you melt. “How are you feeling?” 

“Much better after seeing you.” He replies and you giggle softly. The two of you stare at each other for a few moments longer, and you swear he’s leaning into you. His gaze flickers between your eyes and your lips, and then he’s pressing his lips against yours, igniting a flame deep inside you. Steve Harrington is kissing you! Holy shit. You kiss back, just as cautiously, but his hands fall to your hips, pulling you closer to him and your arms wrap around his neck, deepening the kiss. However he pushes you away from him, staring at you wide eyed and breathless. You’re looking back at him, also breathless and blushing, but your heart feels like its just been put through a lawn mower. 

“I’m so sorry.” He stammers and runs his hand through his hair. “I shouldn’t have done that. I really shouldn’t have done that.”

“It’s fine.” You reassure him, taking a few steps towards him but he stumbles backwards and there’s another sharp pain shooting through your chest. The way he’s looking at you is as if you’ve just told him that there’s mythical creatures roaming Hawkins. He’s looking at you as if you’re a stranger. 

“I’m gonna go home.” He shakes his head and you reach for his hand but he pulls away. “This was such a huge mistake. I’m so sorry. “ 

“Steve.” You call after him, but he’s already out the door and down your drive. He can move fast when he really doesn’t want to be around someone. 

Tears fall freely down your face as you climb into bed. The covers are over your head, something you used to do as a child when you were upset. Usually if someone had said something mean to you, or if Steve had stolen one of your toys and refused to give it back (until his mother told him too). Now you’re just one of his toys, there when he needs something to keep him entertained and easily put back when ‘better’ is found. He’s always walked around like he could charm the birds from the trees, and he can. He charms you every time, tonight has proven it. 

And you fall for it. Every single stereotype. The Jock. The most popular boy in school. The boy that has a hidden softer side. Girl in love with her best friend. Oh wait, that was you. 

-------

The next day at school, Steve has been avoiding you like the plague. However, you manage to catch him at the gym. He’s playing basketball, however it looks like he’s been put on the bench for a while so you take the chance while you can. 

Sitting beside him on the bleachers. He doesn’t notice you at first, but once he does, you can see the disappointment settle in his eyes when he sees its you and not Nancy so you take a deep breath. 

“How are you feeling Stevie?” You ask and nudge him softly. The nickname leaves a bad taste in your mouth today. It doesn’t sound right. 

“Alright.” He shrugs and stares straight ahead at the game. 

“Why you been put on then bench?” 

“Hargrove.” He mutters. 

“Ah...do you wanna talk about last night?”

“No!” He replies loudly and you flinch. 

“Steve, we can’t ignore it forever. You’ve been avoiding me all day and I can’t deal with it. Just talk to me Stevie.” You force the nickname out this time and try to run your fingers through his hair, even though its kinda gross with sweat, but he pulls away. For a simple gesture, it stings like hell and you have to fight the urge to cry. 

“You just can’t help it Steve!” You shout gaining the attention of the basketball players. The game has stopped and the team are staring at the two of you. 

“What are you talking about?” He asks, running a hand over his face. 

“Are you being serious right now? You know, yesterday! At my house. Where we ki-” 

“Shhhh.” He shushed you, moving towards you quickly and glancing around the gym. Is he being serious right now? 

“Its how you were taught to love, and it’s shitty, but I still take it. You expect to keep a hoard of girls to follow you around. I always feel so lucky to hear your lines, just like the others do. But you pick us up when you and your girlfriend have a fight, and then drop us the next day when she’s sober and being nice to you again. You’re playing pretend Steve! When are you going to see that. There’s a name for boys like you-” 

“Oh yeah? And what is it!” He interrupts you and you raise an eyebrow. Before you have the chance to answer, Nancy’s voice rings through the hall and you sigh loudly.

“Steve?” She asks, a look of annoyance and confusion etched onto her face. He pulls away from you quickly and practically jogs to catch up with Nancy. They both walk out, leaving you standing alone. Again. 

“Fucking great.” You mutter before turning and walking the other way. 

In hindsight, some people would say that this was your own fault. Robin had warned you to not go there, when she caught you staring at him. The two of you had been paired up for some project when she was put in one of your advanced classes. And even though at the time you just rolled your eyes and laughed it off, your now thinking that the younger girl was onto something. 

Apparently you seem to love a nightmare, or at least you did. Actually who are you kidding, you still love him. You just can’t help it. Its gonna take more than this for you to get over him. 

-----

It’s been three days and you and Steve have avoided each other as if your life depended on it. Well, it was mainly Steve doing the avoiding but what can you do? 

You’re stood at your locker, Carol and Tommy talking about something that happened at another party you weren’t invited to, when they’re interrupted by Steve. He greets them and they make small talk for a few minutes before they start to bicker. You’ve busied yourself with your locker at this point, not wanting to be involved in any of their conversations. But when Nancy taps your shoulder you have no choice but to turn around and face them. 

“So, I heard about you and Steve.” She starts and your mouth goes dry. “About the argument you had the night of the party.” Of course. “And I want you to know that even though he would never admit it, he’s sorry. Aren’t you Stevie?” She smiles up at him and your vision blurs with tears. 

“Er, yeah.” He rubs the back oh his neck nervously. 

“Okay.” You nod your head. 

“Anyway.” He continues. “Me and Nance are back together.” He wraps an arm around her waist before pressing a kiss to the top of her head. A soft smile appears on her lips as she looks at him. The two of them start making out, meaning Tommy and Carol are shoving their tongues down each others throats before you can even say another word. Leaving you to lean against your locker awkwardly, and look anywhere but either in front of you or to your left. 

“Isn’t that great.” Nancy smiles brightly as she pulls away.  

“...yeah.” You force a smile. She seems to believe it, and the two of them start to talk to Carol and Tommy. 

And once again, you’re pushed into the background. 

part 2 part 3 part 4

[dirt-cup-draco]

Loki X Reader

Requested by the lovely @starofthedawn <3 It’s spooky season y’all! 30 "No?? Of course I'm not scared... who gets scared of... floating objects or... um weird sounds? Not me, that's for sure." 53 "There will be a lot of screaming tonight." 84 "Oh, this isn't a costume, this is my natural state of being." 

Loki watched as you fidgeted in your seat uncomfortably. Tony had just had the bright idea that spending a night in a supposedly haunted house would be a relief from the daily work load of “tracking down baddies and kicking ass” as the billionaire had so eloquently put it. His lips twitched up. The god had seen you go into battle with an iron stomach and steel heart, cutting down people like it was nothing. Yet, it seemed as if you were spooked by Tony’s proposal. 

“My lady Y/N, might you be frightened?” He challenged, eyebrow raising. You flushed and looked away. Steve glared from a distance and Sam looked amused. 

"No?? Of course I'm not scared... who gets scared of... floating objects or... um weird sounds? Not me, that's for sure." You scoffed, extending your legs so you could kick at the plush carpet beneath you. Nat stuck an elbow in your side and you jumped, eyes narrowing at her quickly before shooting back to Loki. 

“C’mon Reindeer games, our brave Y/N is coming, and she is delighted to,” Tony put the words in your mouth and your shoulders sagged. Loki nearly felt bad but it was almost delightful seeing you act in such a way. It was good seeing you had fears, that you weren’t a perfectly graceful, wonderfully brave, sickeningly good hero. The fact that you were fearful of possible spirits in an old creaky house made his heart swell that much more. 

He wouldn’t admit it but you had a piece of his heart that you had obtained, not willingly on his part might he add. He would never purposefully fall for a human. Pitiful meat sacks. 

---

“I need to go see my grandma!” You battled, struggling against Sam who had you over his shoulder, your fists pounding against his back. 

“She’s been dead for seventeen years,” Sam shot back. 

“I can’t forget to feed my pet fish!” You tried again.

“You don’t have one, come on stop being a wuss this will be fun!” Your friend encouraged, smacking the back of your thigh as you wacked his back particularly hard. 

“I left my stove on?” You mentioned in a last ditch effort. 

“You know Stark has some wacky tech that turns everything off to preserve energy,” 

You groaned as Sam set you down and you glared more, your arms folding across your chest as he tossed your bags into the trunk. You stomped around for a second and tried to run past but Loki was suddenly materializing, his arm going around your shoulders. You tensed but your fight was suddenly gone at the god’s touch. 

“You look as pale as a ghost darling, getting prepared for Halloween ahead of schedule?” He teased, his hand dragging lazily from your shoulder down to your elbow and back up leaving you warmer than you should be in the last week of October. 

"Oh, this isn't a costume, this is my natural state of being." You shot back as he set his hand on your lower back, guiding you into the car. You took note of how he stood behind you so you couldn’t try and book it back to the tower. 

Sam was behind the wheel, Bucky next to him in the passenger seat. Bruce and Scott took the two middle seats and Thor sat in the back. That left you sitting next to Loki. At least the trip wouldn’t be a huge bust, you could at least admire your crush. It was childish but he had captured your heart with a single look and you found yourself at his mercy, whether he knew it or not. 

You however, were grumpy that he had stopped your retreat so you took the other window seat, leaving the middle seat for him, his eyes narrowed because he now had to sit next to his talkative brother. 

The first hour and a half was in fact filled with Thor’s booming voice and you nearly felt bad but the blonde god eventually tired and he let his head slump against the window, nodding off. Bucky and Sam murmured to songs and Bruce read while Scott drummed his fingers against his legs, earphones in place, a to a song no one else could hear. 

You let your gaze fall on Loki and found he was already looking at you, suddenly the beauty of the colorful trees and country fell away and you could only think of how his eyes were the most beautiful thing you’d ever seen. It had taken you by surprise. You gulped. 

“Are you that worried about the little get away?” He asked, misguided by your sudden intake of breath.

“I think it’s a great idea, really, I just feel like we are asking for trouble like in those movies where the dumb college kids go and get murdered because they thought it’d be cool to camp out, ya know? Like the dumb blonde showers and gets shanked, and the horny couple fucks and gets shanked, everyone gets shanked is my point.” You stated.

Loki was clearly amused and you were sure you hadn’t said anything funny. He was just thinking that you were something else, you could gut a man but you were fearful of becoming a horror cliche. A wicked grin pulled at his features and he leaned in, breath fanning hot against your neck, lips brushing against your earlobe causing you to shiver. “Can we be the horny couple?” 

You blushed deep red and your mouth gaped, you turned to face him and squeaked when you saw the short vicinity. You struggled to find words. Finally you settled on, “Fuck off Loki,” Your eyes darting back out the window. You know he liked messing with you but sometimes you wish he wasn’t. Your flirty exchanges had been going on for a while, him being bold and all but you know it was just to get to you and there was no meaning behind it. It was just how Loki was, sensual yet deceitful. You tried to not let the words get to you.

--

When you arrived, you were the first to undo your seat belt, climbing over Loki and exiting the car, still embarrassed from what he had said earlier. He however fought the urge to pull you into his lap and kiss you breathless, your sweet blush making his heart stir around in his chest. But he let you pass and you went to Tony and Steve who were waiting outside the decrepit house, a scowl on your face. Loki exited the vehicle and hovered around you and the two other men. 

He made a show of letting his eyes roam around the place, taking note of the lake just a short distance from the house, the rest was forest. 

“This is stupid we are all going to get aids or rabies or something,” You grumbled, foot digging at the gravel. 

“We are not,” Steve cut in.

“I promise it’s mostly sanitary, just a little run down,” Tony reassured. “But there is the matter of rooms, there are more of us than rooms and well, everyone else already called dibs, so you and you know who are sharing the upstairs bedroom to the left. 

Loki turned around and looked at Tony. He nearly cheered when he found the man’s eyes were already pointed in his direction. He got to share a bedroom with you. And your cheeks were that delicious shade of scarlet he was becoming so accustomed to. 

You stalked over to Loki, a pout on your full lips as you shared the news. 

"I guess there will indeed be a lot of screaming tonight." Loki teased. 

You rolled your eyes. “Stop being gross, Loki,” His smile fell. Usually you shot right back but all today you had shut down everything he’d said. He honestly wasn’t used to it. Was he being gross? He thought you had liked the flirting. He thought you had some feelings for him, even. Maybe he was wrong. 

Disheartened he got his bags and followed you into the building, the wind chilling his nose. He was glad to be inside. Your comment and the weather had left him feeling quite chilled. 

--

Sam made dinner and a fire was lit inside, tony brought a broom and swept around, making the dust rise. You wrinkled your nose and said you were going to bed early. Loki decided he wouldn’t follow immediately. 

“Jesus, if I thought the kid would be this miserable I wouldn’t have forced her to come,” Tony said regretfully, had rubbing the back of his neck. 

Loki sighed, “It might have actually been something I said...” Everyone’s eyes were immediately on him and he felt small. A chorus of “what did you do this time?” and “what’d you say?” rang out. He didn’t like it but maybe your friends understood why you were suddenly being so cold to him. 

“It was just harmless teasing!” He defended. Wanda was the first one to show some understanding.

“I shouldn’t be telling you this, but I don’t want you to piss her off more,” The woman’s voice lowered. “She really likes you you idiot, ‘harmless’ isn’t so harmless when you actually care about the person,” 

Loki looked around. Everyone was nodding in understanding. “You mean to tell me Y/N has feelings for me?” 

Sam groaned. “I thought you picked up on desires and all that shit,” 

“Not when he is blinded by his own!” Thor chuckled loudly, delighted that his brother’s emotions were being discussed. 

The dark haired god elbowed his brother and sent him a chilling glare before standing. “I am going to retire for the night I think,” 

He was nudged and bumped and a couple people whistled while Steve reminded him to be mindful of your feelings. It nearly made him gag. The stairs creaked and he had to fight the urge to look behind him. He wasn’t scared but he could understand your discomfort with the place. 

When Loki opened the door you were sitting at the edge of the bed, staring at your unopened suit case. “Thinking about leaving?” He said, simply to make you aware of his presence. 

You whipped around and shrugged. “No, everyone wants me to be here, I wont ditch even if this is probably the worst thing I’ve had to do all year.” 

“Ouch, didn’t think sharing a room with me was so terrible,” He tried but worried he had crossed another line. 

“Thats not it Loki, I dont care about that, I just dont like spooky shit, even movies bug me. I haven’t gone to a haunted house since I was fourteen.” 

“You know me,” He said, sitting next to you, “What other monsters are there left for you to be frightened of?” 

You frowned deeply, eyes connecting with his. “You aren’t a monster Loki,” 

He shrugged indifferently. 

“Clowns though, clowns are fucked up. And demons, and ghosts, and-” you sighed. “I’m being silly aren’t I?” 

Loki shook his head. “Everyone has something they fear,” He stated. 

“And what is it that you fear oh mighty Loki?” You asked earnestly but with a jesting tone, leaving him an out. This conversation was nearing dangerous waters and you didn’t want to pressure him into sharing. 

 Loki took a steadying breath. He didn’t mind being honest with you. “That I am damned to be unloved all my life, that I will only be seen as the defective son of Odin, that there is no place for me in this world, nor in Asgard.” 

Your gaze softened and your hand crawled to his. You intertwined your fingers and squeezed gently. “That isn’t true,” you muttered, “You are loved whether you recognize it or not, you have made up for any wrongs committed and you have a place here with m- us, with us....” 

He looked at your intertwined fingers and thought about how yours fit perfectly in his. “Who do you think loves me?” His heart stuttered in his chest. The obvious answer being Thor but he couldn’t be sure that there was any other being outside of his forgiving brother who truly had love for him. The look in your eye made him hopeful though and he suddenly decided that he could push his luck. 

“I am positive you at least have an idea,” You whispered, you pressed your leg against his and looked up at him from your eyelashes. You hadn’t withdrawn your hand yet. 

He could practically hear your heart bursting from your chest and he watched your pulse quicken. Loki’s own heart was working quicker than it had in a long time and he was melting in your warm bubble. The air between you two was charged. 

It didn’t take much and he wasn’t sure who leaned in first but his lip was barely brushing against yours. Your breath hitched and you were nearly afraid to move. Loki gulped and let his hand fall from yours to fall at the nape of your neck as he pulled you against him. You automatically stretched, pressing your chest against his. His other hand went to your hip. 

He experimented and pressed his lips more firmly against yours, his heart thumping when you reacted, your hot breath coming out in a gasp when you chased his mouth with yours. By the time you were sated your chest was heaving and you were in his lap. 

“I’m thinking” Loki spoke, his voice not sounding like his own,”That you might have to tell me one more time who loves me,” 

You rolled your eyes and went to go grab your pajamas but he saw a smile at the corner of you swollen lips. 

“I’m thinking this trip might turn out okay,” You said before walking into the bathroom to change. 

Loki could only grin. 

[bruhsauraus]

Armando Iannucci: I was saved from being a reject by comedy

The king of satire, back with a new film about Soviet-era Russia after Stalins death, talks about being uncool, Veep and building a spaceship in London

Armando Iannucci arrives for our 3pm meeting with a small amount of his lunch still clinging to his shirt. We discuss retouching the mark for the Observers pictures but, admirably, he doesnt seem to care either way. It is tempting to describe the 53-year-old Iannucci as the most feared political satirist of our age. Certainly, his output in the past decade the BBC sitcom The Thick of It, the companion film In the Loop, and latterly Veep has been untouchable in skewering the vanity, incompetence and plain childishness of people in power. But, in person, nothing about Iannucci is remotely scary: he is self-effacing, smiley, quick to laugh. At the end of the day, hes just a guy with a tomato stain on his shirt.

Iannuccis latest target is Stalin and his cronies. His new film, The Death of Stalin, is set in 1953 and depicts with unexpected historical accuracy the undignified scrabble for dominance that followed the demise of the Soviet despot. It is silly, moving and revelatory, all at once, with deft, pitch-perfect turns from Simon Russell Beale as Beria and Steve Buscemi as Khrushchev. Iannucci, who never likes to have fewer than seven plates spinning at any moment, has also just published a book on classical music, Hear Me Out, about a lifetime of listening to Mahler and Britten in open defiance of the keepers of the cool.

Was it easier than you expected to make a comedy about Stalin and his inner circle that was also factually accurate? Yeah. When we were researching it, we found out things like Vasily, Stalins son, really did lose the ice-hockey team in a plane crash. And because the comedy is the comedy of hysteria, you want to be true to what happened and how people responded. So anything that was so-bizarre-and-yet-true was a candidate for going in. I thought about having This is a true story, but then I thought, no, just watch it for what it is, and it would be great if you subsequently found out that the bulk of it was true.

These men are vicious, but your film also gives them a human side. They have families they fear for; they play practical jokes. Did your feelings towards them change? Um, no. But I did think, what must they have done to have survived and ended up so close to Stalin, and what has it done to them? The fact, for example, that he would almost taunt them and mock them and play them off against each other With all these things its about posing the question, What would you have done in those circumstances?

Power corrupts? Yeah, it was almost like Animal Farm by the end, and yet they all lived near each other and popped in and out of each others houses. He might have had your brother shot and all that, but they had to sublimate that as just part of the process of moving forward. But, you know, you read that Boris Johnson and Michael Gove were the biggest enemies and are now reconciled. Im not saying they are like Stalin, but in that febrile environment where you see each other every day, in order to survive, just psychologically, you must have to close off a bit of your emotion.

Watch a trailer for The Death of Stalin.

So there are lessons about todays political landscape? Trump gets all his closest associates in over the past three or four months, and has to say, By the way, youre fired because I need to survive now. So could you go away? And eventually hell be saying that to his daughter and his son-in-law: Youve now become an albatross, I cant be seen with you anymore. Or after the general election, Theresa May turns to her two very close advisers and says, Its you or me. And they all kind of understand that. Its like that thing in The Godfather: Its not personal, its strictly business.

Is it true there have been calls in Russia for the film to be banned? You say Russia its a person in a country of 200 million people. Just somebody somewhere said something.

Were you expecting a reaction? I was wondering what it would be. I was surprised to hear we sold it to a Russian distributor. Stalins been making a comeback. There have been busts of Lenin, Stalin and other key figures going up in Moscow for the 100th anniversary of the Russian Revolution. Its that sense of, dont be frightened of strong men. Thats the message in Moscow at the moment.

Theres a line in your book Hear Me Out where you describe film directing as an astonishing ego trip, and that you wouldnt recommend it to anyone who has the slightest psychotic tendencies. Is it a job you feel comfortable doing? Ha! It is, but you do spend all day ordering people around, and everyone will do what you say. My wife teases me when I finish a shoot that it takes about a week and a half before I stop going, Right, shall we have a cup of tea? You, get a cup of tea I can see how, especially if you do shoots that go on for months, you become like a medieval lord with all these serfs, just ordering them around and torturing them and asking them to tell jokes and fetch food.

As the creator and showrunner on HBOs Veep for the first four seasons was it a difficult decision to give it up in 2015? No. It might have been the British thing that we dont do that many episodes of TV shows in the UK. Plus, it was three months of the year going out to Baltimore, backwards and forwards, and it was an all-year-round thing of the writing, the shooting, the edit, the publicising and then the writing And I knew the show could carry on, but fundamentally Id taken it to where I wanted to take it.

The show will end next year with a final, seventh series. Do you know whats going to happen? No, no, no. They asked if I wanted to stay on, but I knew I was going to do Stalin and I just thought, I cant be on set and get a call saying, Can you look at this script? But its great, because I watch it as a viewer and you realise though I always knew this what an amazing cast it is and how funny they all are. And also, I genuinely dont know what they are going to say next, which is really great.

Julia Louis-Dreyfus as vice-president Selina Meyer in Veep. Photograph: HBO

It was recently announced that youre making a new show with HBO called Avenue 5. Whats the idea behind that? Ive always wanted to do sci-fi, so this will be set mostly in space, in about 40 years time. Its not going to be Blade Runner, but there will be an element of realism to it. Ive been out to the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena and Virgin Galactic, looking at where it might be in about 40 years time. Ive mapped out the season and were writing the pilot episode and well shoot that sometime next year. And because its in space, its not location specific, so we can shoot it in a studio or a hanger in London. Well just build a spaceship here.

What impact do you think streaming services such as Netflix and Amazon Prime are having on terrestrial TV? Well, the good thing is that content producers writers and producers have more places to go. And also, whats great, and HBO paved the way with this: quality stuff is profitable. Thats their business model: youll only subscribe to HBO if you think youre going to get good stuff thats different from whats on the networks. So they need it to be better and well thought out and high production values and all that.

But is the quality always better? I do worry that simply because theres so much money available from the big streaming companies, theyll say, Oh well make your movie. We know no one else wanted to, and we realise why, because it was slightly indulgent or whatever, but well make it. And you watch it and you think, it was fine but For all the criticism of the studio process, if youre making something that costs someone else money and which is going to be available commercially, you want people to go and see it. So it does force you to think: have you made it as well as you can? Or have you really thought this through?

In Hear Me Out you write about the tyranny of the keepers of cool. Was liking classical music a reaction against them? Well, I was never really into fashion or clothes. I just wasnt that bothered. I wanted to read a good book. I was saved from being written off as a complete reject by the fact I could do comedy.

You started to learn piano in your 40s. Was that difficult? I found it hard. It was learning a language: Oh, I can speak music! And suddenly these dots and whatever started to make sense. But it was hard work. Some people can do it instinctively and I couldnt. My son would lean over me, hed be practising the violin, and go, No, no, no, its like this. And he hasnt had a piano lesson.

Do you listen to any non-classical music? I kind of like Radiohead, the Beatles, Bowie, its not extensive, but Im always trying. Whats interesting now is, because everything is available, kids can listen to Sinatra when theyre 12 and theres no real sense of: Youve got to listen to this because its out now. But you cant listen to that because thats from 20 years ago. They are a lot more experimental in what they are listening to and that then feeds into the music thats being produced. Its influenced not just by music from two years ago, but music from 20 or 30 years ago.

How can classical music stay relevant? Its up to the classical music establishment, for want of a better word, to open it up. Concerts neednt be off-putting and expensive and you dont have to dress up and you dont have to understand the technical complexities. Just talk to the audience. One of the weird things about a concert is that nobody says anything to you, so youve got to just accept whats in front of you and work it out. Somebody should sit down and explain: This piece, when it was first composed, caused a riot. Now it might sound a bit more conventional because its been used in a Walt Disney movie. I dont know, I think its just useful.

Stalin had a great passion for classical music. So listening to it doesnt make you a better human being then? George Steiner writes about how Goebbels was into Mozart and played the piano beautifully. Wagner was an antisemitic bastard, so actually, no. Thats the sad thing: it doesnt make any difference. It really doesnt.

Can you put that aside when you listen to the music? I dont know. I always got taken by the grandiosity of Wagner, but the more I listen to it now the more I think, it does sound fascist, doesnt it? But its interesting, that thing of, Can you excuse? Like Polanski. That whole, Great film-maker, but should you be watching his movies? I dont know what the answer is.

The Death of Stalin is released on 20 October.

Hear Me Out by Armando Iannucci is published by Little Brown (14.99). To order a copy for 12.74 go to guardianbookshop.com or call 0330 333 6846. Free UK p&p over 10, online orders only. Phone orders min p&p of 1.99

Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/media/2017/oct/15/armando-iannucci-the-death-of-stalin-hear-me-out-interview

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