#and jonathan the whole time is like DUDE maybe don't?

[jonathanbyersphd]

I need all 3 of u that are invested to know I've spent the rest of the day thinking about that Jancy Emma AU and how I would formulate it

[hairmetal666]

"Is this always how they act?" Jonathan asks. He has to lean close and yell a little for Robin to hear him over the noise of the house party.

"Yup," she says.

She, Jonathan, and Argyle continue to stare at Eddie, sitting in an easy chair, Steve perched happily on his lap. Eddie has a whole bowl of bbq Lay's, and Steve will lean back for a chip, which Eddie feeds him with a smile.

"And they're definitely not dating?" Argyle asks when Steve leans back to whisper in Eddie's ear, mouth pressed close. It's deeply gratifying that they just got in from California and already they see it.

"Steve says no."

"You think he's lying?" Jonathan asks.

"I think he doesn't realize he likes Eddie yet."

Eddie tugs at Steve's hair, and Steve turns back, gives him a smile that's so intimate Robin can't stare directly at it. Instead, she turns to her friends, but Argyle is still watching Eddie and Steve. He's drumming his fingers against his chin, expression what Robin could only call mischievous.

"What are you planning?" Jonathan asks.

"Just helping some bros find true love."

Jonathan looks mildly concerned but before he can say anything, Nancy makes her appearance. And they're something, becoming something, and she cares about Eddie and Steve getting their shit together, but Nancy is smiling and she's so, so pretty. It's easy to get lost in the blue of her eyes and the sweep of her hair and forget about everything else.

---

A few hours later and they're all sitting around a coffee table in the basement, just the six of them. It's sort of funny, she thinks, how it always ends up being the six of them.

They're crossfaded already, but that hasn't stopped Eddie and Argyle from lighting another joint. Her thoughts have gone light and floaty, all that's holding her to earth the press Steve's leg and Nancy's hand against hers.

Argyle is sort of monologuing and she doesn't think any of them are paying much mind, but then he stops mid-sentence, grips Jonathan's shoulder tight enough that his knuckles go white. "Dudes. What if we played Truth or Dare?"

Nancy snorts. "Not on your life."

"I don't think I can move?" She says. She leans into Steve, sighing with contentment.

"I, for one, would love to see Buckley complete a dare," Eddie says.

She sticks her tongue out at him. "I've done plenty. Band kid, remember?"

"Ugh, curse the horny trumpeters." Eddie slumps on the coffee table in defeat.

"I'll have you know, they were very wholesome games."

Steve squints at her. "Wasn't there an orgy in someone's pool?"

She sniffs, looks away instead of answering, which makes everyone laugh.

"Speaking of sex," Argyle says. "No one catch your eye tonight, Harrington?"

"Wasn't really looking."

"That's new," Jonathan says.

Steve laughs. "I'm tired of hooking up."

He's told her that too, countless times. She thinks the real reason he hasn't dated in months is sitting right next to him, drumming his fingers on the coffee table.

"Maybe you've just lost your touch," Argyle says.

"I have not!" Steve clutches a hand over his heart. "If I wanted to, I could pull any girl upstairs."

"C'mon, my dude, no way you're that good."

"I was!" He looks to Robin, Nancy, Jonathan. "I was, back me up!"

"I don't know, Scoops wasn't your best work," she says.

"No, no, we said Scoops doesn't count! It was the hat. The outfit! I did fine after!"

"I happened to think the sailor costume was very cute," Eddie says.

"Thank you," Steve preens. He shifts away from her to lean into Eddie, who grins.

"I don't think we can trust Eddie's judgement here," Nancy says.

Steve points at her. "Yes, and I remember you being totally uninterested."

She squeaks in indignation, Robin smothering her own giggles behind her hand. "It was--it was hormones!"

"Yeah, very uninterested in me." Jonathan chimes in. There's a little second where no one reacts--the fact that Nancy was technically still with Steve when that happened ringing unspoken between them--before Nancy and Steve start to giggle.

"I've hooked up with everyone I've ever tried to," Argyle chimes in, nonchalant.

"No way," the whole group says.

"I've got the touch."

"C'mon, that literally can't be true just by like...stats," Steve says.

"Don't know what to tell you, my dude." Argyle's smile is smug. "I'm really good."

"You're just jealous," she tells him. She nudges his shoulder so he knows she's joking.

"No! Jealousy has nothing to do with it."

They erupt at that, calling out the obvious lie.

"I'm not upset!" Steve shouts over them. "I'm just saying, it didn't happen. Sorry, Argyle. You have bizzaro charm, but there's no way it has a 100% success rate."

"Sounds like jealousy to me, Stevie." Eddie cocks his head with a smirk.

"Harrington, you're so cute when you're competitive," Argyle says. "Anyway, it worked on--"

"Don't say Jonathan," Nancy, Steve, and Robin all say.

"Hey! Why not me?'

"Well, it's just--" Nancy waves her hand in the air. "You're. I mean. It's not hard."

Jonathan groans, hides his face in his hands as they laugh.

"I'll prove it to you," Argyle says to Steve. "100% success rate."

"What?"

"I'm going to seduce you."

"Oh, shit," she says.

She knows what's going to happen even before Steve puts his hands on his hips, awkwardly cause they're sitting, cocks an eyebrow, and says, "Okay."

Eddie grumbles something she can't make out, but Steve shakes his head, laughs. "Nah, it's just for fun, right?"

"Until it works." Argyle tosses his hair.

Steve rolls his eyes. "Gimme your best shot."

They rearrange around the table, Eddie and Argyle swapping places.

Everyone is quiet for a second, Steve reaches for his drink. "You got great hands, Harrington," Argyle says.

"I--oh, what?" Steve splutters. He goes a little pink, and Robin thinks it's the first time she's seen him this flustered by a compliment.

"Yeah." Argyle takes his hand, traces along his palm and knuckles. "Big. Strong. Like you could really take care of someone."

Eddie kicks the table, sending it rocking, scattering empty cups and chip bags. Steve is crimson, totally oblivious to Eddie's flailing.

"Thanks," he mumbles. He doesn't pull his hand away. Robin, everyone, is riveted.

"No one's ever told you that?"

"No. No one."

"That's too bad. It's probably all about your hair and your eyes and your body."

Steve smiles and it's one she recognizes, flirty and a little wicked. "You noticed my body?"

Argyle laughs. "Oh, c'mon, you know everyone notices that."

"Would you believe it if I told you I don't get enough compliments?"

"Not on your life."

Steve leans into him, giggles. "Well, worth a shot, right?"

"Always. You wanna know the first thing I noticed about you?"

"Ass, right?"

"It was how much you love your friends but you hide it behind a facade of disapproval. Made me think maybe you weren't used to the love you want to give being reciprocated."

They're all locked in on Argyle and Steve, but she notices Eddie flinch, move like he's about to stand, Nancy reaching out to stop him. She thinks, then, for the first time, that maybe this is mean to him. He doesn't know it's not real.

"Oh," Steve says. His voice breaks, a little, and her heart breaks for him. "I--oh."

"Your ass was the second thing I noticed," Argyle quips and the tension around the table breaks, Steve giggling.

With smooth confidence she never would have expected him to possess, Argyle cards his fingers through Steve's hair. "Just had to touch it for myself." His voice is soft.

"That all you want to touch?"

Argyle grins. "Not even a little bit."

She watches, stunned, as Steve leans in, face almost touching Argyle's. Eddie makes a noise, a pained cough, and Steve leaps to his feet.

"I can't kiss you!" He half-yells, stumbling.

"And why not?" Argyle asks. He's got a wild smile on his face.

"I'm in love with Eddie!" Steve's eyes are wide, panicked.

"I'm sorry," Steve says to him. "Eddie, I--"

But before he can get the words out, Eddie's climbing over the coffee table, sending drinks and snacks flying, the calls for him to get down ignored as he trips into Steve's arms.

"You love me?" Eddie asks.

"I'm sorry I couldn't say it before. I--got in my head about it and I--I hoped it didn't seem like I was leading you on because my words kept getting stuck, and--"

"Sweetheart." Eddie stops him. "I--" He breaks off, notices that the rest of them are raptly listening to the confession. "Do you want to go somewhere we can talk?"

They disappear upstairs, and she turns to Argyle in awe. "I can't believe that actually worked."

"What can I say, I'm a miracle worker. Are there more Doritos?"

---

Early in the morning, they're piled in Nancy's station wagon, Jonathan driving them home. She and Nancy are in the middle seat, Steve and Eddie in the back. Steve's curled against him, face pressed to his neck, hidden by a cloud of hair. She wants to ask what happened, how their conversation went, if they're official and how long Steve's known he's in love, but Nancy moves closer, head dropping to Robin's shoulder. Their fingers entwine and Robin closes her eyes, smiles.

"Tomorrow?" Nancy asks.

She nods. "Tomorrow."

[pepperf]

Whilst I fully get tumblr's bias towards artists, I've been side-eyeing the whole Jonathan Yeo speculation--because yes, on the whole, people in the arts DO tend to be lefty, good people, etc, but it's not always the case. Official portraiture, in particular, tends to be the most Establishment-friendly of all the arts, attracting the kind of artists who are technically very talented, but who also have no inclination to rock the boat and are very happy to schmooze with those in power.

I know next to nothing about Jonathan Yeo, but on a little digging, I found:

He's the son of a Tory MP and is good friends with the Earl of Snowdon.

He's known for a painting of Tony "war criminal" Blair that made him look as tragic and sympathetic as possible.

He's also done chummy portraits of David "pigfucker" Cameron, Camilla (when she was still Duchess of Cornwall), Prince "massive racist" Philip, and Rupert Murdoch.

The notorious porn collage of George Bush was (allegedly) after a an official commission was approved and then withdrawn, so - fit of pique? Who knows. He also did a porn collage of Lucian Freud, which, given that he's often cited as Freud's natural successor in the world of big name British portrait artists, is a little rude.

On the other hand, if you know anything about Damian Hirst, you would know that he must have LOVED to be painted with his crotch in your face, looking like Henry VIII. Dude is a knob.

No one in Yeo's position is going to imply that a D-Day veteran is a war criminal. Just. Full stop. No.

Furthermore, his whole schtick seems to be to paint the background to match the outfit, in a kind of weird, matchy-matchy, interior decor style that I personally find meaningless.

Chas chose to wear his beloved Welsh Guards uniform, which is a lurid, bright red. Whatever else Yeo did, red was always going to be the dominant colour of that painting. The butterfly was apparently his idea, too, because he thinks he's some kind of eco-warrior.

Yes, Yeo has painted Malala Yousafzai, and Idris Elba, and Kristin Scott Thomas, and Baroness Doreen Lawrence, and lots of other worthy people, too - it's his job, he's a portraitist.

If you want my opinion, the impression that Chas is swimming in buckets of blood or burning in hellfire is something the artist did not intend. Don't ask me how he didn't look at it and think, hmm, that's a little on the nose - maybe he'd thought too much about colour theory, too, idk. Judging by his past history, he's probably enjoying the attention rather than being mortified. Or maybe that was partly the intention. Just don't give him too much credit for being intentionally subversive.

But absolutely do keep reading into that painting as the indictment of British royal power that it ought to be; it's pissing off both the royals and the royalists, and I hope it burns, every time Chas has to see it.

[transvampireboyfriend]

part 1 - part 2 - part 3 - part 4 - part 5 - part 6 - part 7 - part 8

Steve and Jonathan go setup the cabin before they start unpacking.

Steve opens the windows, takes off the couch covers and dusts off the coffee tables while Jonathan takes care of toiletries and then they get the bed sets and start making the two bunks and the big bed in the main room.

Steve has mostly shaken off his freak out about Eddie saying all that stuff about him and Steve reacting by practically shoving his fingers in his mouth.

Robin helped. She always does.

She's been telling him to make a move on Eddie for months, but Steve keeps overthinking it.

He likes Eddie so much, it just feels impossible Eddie could like him that way too.

So, whenever Eddie says something like what he said in the car, Steve's head cannot compute it.

It doesn't make sense. Steve came out to them all ages ago. If Eddie thought of him like that, surely he'd have made a move by now, right?

He's the loudest, most unashamed person Steve has ever met, he's so unapologetically himself, he sticks by the stuff he likes no matter what, of course he would've made a move.

But he hasn't. And so he doesn't, Eddie doesn't like Steve like that. He's just nice.

He's so nice.

Of course he's not gonna make a big deal of what Steve did in the car. Steve's still a little embarrassed but he knows Eddie would never give him a hard time over something so silly.

Robin reminded him of that too, as soon as they got out of the car and Steve made mortified eyes at Eddie's back as he watched him go stand by the lake.

"You're kinda drowning in a glass of water there, man," Robin said, ruffling his hair.

Steve laughed, escaping her hand and glaring at her.

"I bet he didn't even think twice of it!" she offered, then when he didn't look convinced, she added "He said a bunch of stuff about you, did you think it was weird?"

Steve shook his head "Of course not. it doesn't have to mean anything"

"Exactly." Robin agreed then, rubbing his back. Steve sighed, leaning his head on her shoulder.

So, Steve is mostly over it now. Robin is right.

But, that doesn't stop Steve from stealing glances at the grill through the bedroom windows, where Eds and Nance are making hot dogs, as him and Jonathan make the beds.

Jon must notice, because when they switch to the second bunk, he comments "You know, you can let him down easy. it doesn't have to be a big deal"

Steve immediately drags his eyes away from Eddie and looks at Jonathan.

"What?" he asks,

"Eddie" Jonathan presses, Steve stammers,

"Wh-?"

"Oh come on, he obviously has a crush on you, man." Jon says, "And it's fine if you don't feel the same you know? you can talk to him as your friend, he's a cool dude- I don't think he'd be-"

Steve finally finds his words and interrupts Jonathan.

"Wait, no. Back up. Eddie doesn't have a crush on me." Steve states.

Jonathan scoffs but when he looks at Steve's face his half smile fades,

"Are you serious?" he asks,

Steve looks around them like his answer is written on the walls.

"Didn't you hear what he said in the car?" Jonathan demands "I thought that was the whole reason you were freaking out!"

"I'm not- I'm not freaking out." Steve excuses "And he doesn't have crush on me, if he did he would have made a move by now" he explains.

Jonathan gapes at him for a bit before he answers.

"Okay, one: you have not stopped looking at him since we got out of the car;" Jon notes, "And two: you flirt with all of us except him, you shut him down when he gives you a compliment and you always refuse to dance with him when we go out. Why would he make a move?"

Steve feels his eyes go wide and his stomach drop.

"Shit. Do I?" he asks "No, I don't flirt with you guys" he adds,

Jonathan snorts and gives him a non-plussed look.

Fuck. Okay maybe he does, it's a past-time of his, sue him.

"I-" Steve scrambles "How do I shut down his compliments? I don't do that" he tries,

"You cough and redirect or you laugh and deflect," Jonathan supplies, apparently had those at the ready, damn.

"I didn't do that in the car" Steve counters,

"Robin changed the topic. And you two share a brain" Jonathan states,

Steve covers his eyes with a hand. He hoped it hadn't been that obvious.

"Ohmygod. Fuck. And I do refuse to dance with him" Steve remembers, he's afraid Eddie will figure him out if that ever happens,

"Uh huh, but you dance with us," Jonathan reminds him,

So Eddie had made a move. Several, if Jon's to be believed.

"Fuck. Fuck. Eddie thinks I don't like him," Steve realizes, "Eddie might be attracted to me and he thinks I don't like him at all" Steve despairs,

"I mean," Jonathan placates, "you do spend a lot of time together, I'm sure he knows you like him"

With this realization, at the sight of the tiniest possibility, Steve feels his despair dissolve every excuse he's ever had to hide his feelings.

"No," Steve explains, dragging his hand down his face "No, he thinks I don't like him like that. He doesn't know I'm attracted to him!"

"Wait. You are?"

"Yeah!" Steve confirms, "It's the reason I freak out around him! I can't trust I won't throw myself at him if we dance and I'm always embarrassed of my reactions to him flirting or complimenting me cause I don't want him to find out. I don't wanna ruin our friendship" Steve explains

"Oh." is Jon's helpful reaction.

"Yeah, oh." Steve says,

"How are you so sure he has a crush on me?" he asks Jonathan after a bit,

"Well," Jonathan starts " First of all, who doesn't?"

Steve laughs despite himself "Shut. Up!" he says, balling up the sheet in his hands and throwing it at Jonathan's head, he dodges it easily and picks it back up.

"Second of all," Jon continues, like there was no interruption, "everything Eddie said in the car. And third, just how he generally acts with you." Jonathan shrugs, like it's so obvious, "He shares his songs with you first, he always lets you pick the movie, he cooks your favorite meals, he makes us buy your favorite dessert, I could go on, it's no very hard to tell,"

"And yet-" Steve interjects, laughing a tad bitterly.

"Give yourself a break, Steve." Jonathan tells him, "Nobody thinks straight when they have a crush,"

"Har har" Steve deadpans at the pun.

"That was completely unintended, I swear." Jonathan defends, "I meant it's not hard to tell from the outside. I bet if you really thought of it you could come up with signs you've missed too",

"I don't wanna assume-" Steve muses,

"Then don't." Jonathan tells him, "That was more or less what I was gonna tell you anyways, only now its the opposite"

Steve gives him a confused look.

"Just- You don't have to go ask him out this second," Jonathan explains, "you can just start letting him see that you find him attractive. You said your reactions embarrass you, you keep hiding them, I bet he'd love to see them if we're right about how he feels." Jonathan goes on,

Steve thinks about all the redirecting and hiding he does with Eddie, just so he doesn't find out Steve feels this way about him. If he has a chance to be with Eddie he knows exactly where to start.

"And if we're wrong he won't be an asshole about it." Jonathan says, "I'm 100% sure of that. You can have a big conversation if you want but I know that can be hard, so you can do easier stuff first"

"Like flirt with him" Steve supplies, maybe a little too excited by the prospect.

"Exactly." Jonathan smiles, "Helps that you're not bad at that",

"I'm not the only one" Steve shoots back with a wink.

Jonathan laughs, "There it is" he says, throwing the balled up sheet back at Steve.

Steve chuckles and catches it easily, "Okay. Alright, then. This- I can do this" he states.

"Yeah." Jonathan agrees, "Don't think of it like a huge change, just remember you're only letting him in a little bit, trying to figure out if he feels the same, and if he doesn't, that's cool," he reminds him.

"Yeah." Steve repeats, "Yeah you're right. That makes sense." he agrees,

"I mean it doesn't." Steve adds, "I can't believe he might be attracted to me but- thanks, man. I really appreciate it"

Jonathan smiles and reaches out to clap his shoulder "Anytime, dude. You're my friend, you can talk to me whenever, I'll be happy to listen." he says. Steve can't help thinking Will is so lucky to have him as a brother.

"You're really good at this." Steve tells him, "But, you know, I'm here for you too man, anytime." he offers.

"Thanks, Steve" Jonathan smiles,

Steve smiles back and untangles the bedsheet in his hands, and then they get back to work on the second bunk.

part 4

[ijustwanttoreadfanfiction]

Friendly Sex - Chapter 1 - The Party

Eddie Munson X AFAB!Reader

Your 6 year long unrequited crush on Steve Harrington is starting to wear thin, and after discovering Eddie Munson feels the same way about Chrissy Cunningham you decide to make a pact. After all, what's the harm in a little casual sex between friends?

  A/N: Story opens April 1986. Slight AU, all the events of seasons 1, 2 and 3 happened, except Hopper didn't get transported to Russia, the gate was closed and Joyce, Hopper, Jonathan, Will and Jane all move to California as one big happy family. Jonathan and Nancy break up (necessary for plot, apologies to any shippers). Nancy and Steve are together. Reader is 18 and in final year at Hawkin's High School, alongside Robin and Eddie etc. Reader works at Family Video with Robin & Steve. Vecna storyline is not a thing, strange things will not be happening. This has been festering in my brain and I don't know what to do with it, so, tada!

Warnings: NSFW. SMUT, (MDI) 18+ only, drugs, sex, alcohol, underage drinking, public sex, dirty talk, name calling in sex (consensual), explicit language, adult themes, there will be angst, it will get messy.

More warnings to be added.

Revised edition.

************************************************************************

  It was Robin’s idea to go to the party, one of those let’s have a party for the sake of having a party, parties, the all American standard, under-age keg fest.

It was an unwelcome change from your regularly scheduled Saturday night plans of doing nothing.

But argue as you might, Robin had made it clear you were going, even if she had to drag you.

"I'm tired of watching your ass wallow in self-pity." She said in true blunt Robin fashion, pulling outfit after outfit out of your closet, throwing them haphazardly in your general direction.

"I thought you loved watching my ass." You bite back, holding up a rust-coloured corduroy mini skirt to your hips.

"Ha, ha. I'm serious though dude, this whole moping Minnie routine is getting old, you just need to get out there and get yourself laid." She groans, pushing past you, flopping face first onto your bed in frustration.

"The skirt looks good, you should wear it with your tan knee highs." She adds, laying on her front to look at you.

"I'm working on it Rob." You grumble, fishing your boots out from under a pile of clothes. "It's not easy to let go of a 6 year crush you know."

"Well maybe if you had made a move 6 years ago, we wouldn't be in this mess." She huffs in exaggeration.

"Gee, you're right, let me just hop in my time machine, go back and tell my 12-year-old self to man up and ask out Steve Harrington. Huzzah!" You quip dryly, yanking the zipper of your boots up none too gently.

  "Honestly Harrington has a lot to answer for, it's like the women of Hawkin's see him and suddenly all rational thought disappears." Robin laughs.

"It's the hair." You agree, fluffing up your own in the mirror. "And only the great Robin Buckley, lesbian superheroine, is immune to its hypnotic powers."

"Then I must use my powers for good!" She declares in a manly tone, hauling herself off the bed to wrap her arms around your shoulders. "My mission, gentle citizen, is to break the spell cast over you." She places a wet kiss on your cheek casting an appraising eye over your finished ensemble. "Very hot."

  ***

  It's not that you disliked parties, after all it was a time honoured tradition to go to some random person's house whilst their parents where out of town and get absolutely wasted, chintzy picture perfect living rooms suddenly overrun with overactive hormones, sweaty bodies and dubious punch bowls, however after the initial buzz wore off you usually found yourself longing for the quiet solitude of your bedroom. Of course, when you express this to Robin, after half an hour of being there, she merely rolls her eyes in disgust, thrusting another cup of mystery alcohol in your hand, ushering you back into the throng of young adults.

"Would you stop?" She implores, holding your left shoulder with her free hand. "Your problem is you think too much. So, give those little grey cells a break by killing some of them off." She lifts her own drink in a mock toast, nodding at you to do the same.

"You are a terrible friend." You relent with a laugh, toasting quickly and taking a gulp, face scrunched up in distaste as the alcohol burns your throat.

"The very worst." She says with an evil grin, which fades somewhat as she focuses on something behind you. You turn towards the source, and despite knowing what you would see, your stomach still swoops uncomfortably at the sight of Steve or more precisely Steve with his arm wrapped around Nancy Wheeler looking incredibly loved up. "Shit." Robin declares.

"Shit." You agree flatly. 

  You move to go back towards the kitchen, but Robin takes your hand, holding you in place, Steve having already spotted you both, his own hand thrown up in greeting, weaving through the crowd with Nancy in tow.

"Fancy seeing you fine ladies here." Steve grins broadly, leaning in to give each of you a one-armed hug, your skin burning from his touch.

"Fancy that." Robin agrees sheepishly, you get a grim sense of satisfaction at the uncomfortable look on her face.

Nancy, who had been hanging off of Steve's free arm for the majority, leans forward to speak to you over the pounding music. "I love your skirt Y/n." She smiles sweetly; and you feel the rather irrational urge to stick pins in her bright blue eyes.

"Thanks Nancy." You call back, trying to return her smile. "I- uh -I like your bracelet." You say, noticing a golden glimmer on her wrist, plastering on the enthusiasm.

Nancy, being an actual angel, flushes with pleasure at your compliment. "Steve bought it for me." She sighs, toying with the gold bangle,

and you try not to urge as they share a sickening saccharine look.

"Of course he did." You mutter grudgingly to yourself, desperately wanting to escape.

"What did you say Y/n?" Steve asks absent-mindedly, still gazing at Nancy.

"I'm gonna grab another drink." You say in a clearer voice, not that it mattered, because at that moment Steve seemed to find a very interesting spot on Nancy's neck that required the immediate attention of his mouth. Grimacing you slip past them, purposely ignoring Robin's pleading calls for a top up and/or a sick bucket.

  Reaching the kitchen, you chug a cup of punch straight off, before refilling it to the brim, whilst you knew alcohol wouldn't solve your problems it could certainly try and soothe the jealous beast currently roaring in your head at the human octopus that was Stancy.

Deciding the garden was the best place to avoid a front row seat to the lovefest, you steer your body around bumping and grinding couples, careful not to spill a drop of your precious emotional medicine. The backyard to your pleasant surprise is empty, the party having not yet spilled out, and the chilly night air was a welcome contrast to the stale humidity inside. You wander out onto the pristine lawn, and find yourself releasing a breath you didn't realize you had been holding, ears ringing slightly as they adjusted to the now muffled thumping bass.

"Well, well, well what brings you out here Sweetheart?"

You groan heavily at the teasing drawl behind you.

"I was trying to get some peace and quiet, but that's not likely to happen with you around, is it Munson?" You sigh, turning to face Eddie Munson who was perched on a swing set to the far right, slightly obscured in semi-darkness, but a Cheshire cat grin clearly plastered on his face.

"Ouch, you wound me." He says, placing a dramatic hand over his heart, still grinning away like an idiot. "Seriously though, I wouldn't have pegged you for this kinda gig." He gestures with his head back towards the party.

"It was Robin's idea." You mutter darkly, glaring towards the shut French doors.

"Well, if looks could kill, I'm guessing you'll have a best friend vacancy by this time tomorrow." He laughs again, which irritates you further. 

  "What are you doing here?" You deflect back, hiccupping slightly as you drink some more punch. "Place is like jock city in there, hardly your regular stomping ground either."

He nudges a battered black tin lunch-box with his foot, slightly tucked under the swing. "You know me sweetheart, got a business to run, empires to build, horizons to expand." He says with the usual Eddie flair.

"Dealing drugs to inebriated teens, I should've guessed." You say wryly, rolling your eyes.

"You make it sound so dirty." He mocks you, irritating smirk still fixed.  "And you've never complained before." He reminds you pointedly.

Whilst far from being a hardcore user, you were a semi- frequent customer of Eddie's when it came to weed, finding him to be discreet, reliable and most importantly for your minimum wage ass, cheap.

"Well maybe I'm in the mood to complain tonight," You mutter suddenly feeling bitter about the way the night had gone downhill so quickly, scuffing your boot into the neatly trimmed grass.

Eddie leans down to extract something from his tin.

"Joint for your thoughts?" He offers, holding out a perfectly rolled spliff, quickly adding. "No charge." You mull it over for all of 2 seconds, concluding your jealous inner demon will not be calmed by alcohol alone. 

  "'Atta girl!" He calls happily as you stomp over to squeeze beside him, he pats your knee in encouragement, then lights up, graciously passing you the joint for the first drag which you take gratefully.

You both sit in comfortable silence for a few minutes, offering the smoke back and forth. You could tell straight away that the weed was a much higher quality than you could ever normally afford and therefore hoped its soothing effects would kick in a lot quicker.

"Soooo," Eddie gently ventures after a few more minutes, "you wanna walk about it?" 

"What's there to talk about, I'm in love with a guy who is in love with someone else." You shrug on a heavy exhale.

Eddie whistles between his teeth, regarding you carefully as you take another hit.

"Ah, that old cliche huh?" He nudges you lightly, taking the joint back for his turn.

Now Eddie had said it, you couldn't help but laugh in agreement.

"I guess it is pretty clichéd." 

"Yup no points for originality this time princess. So, who's Captain Oblivious?" He asks, offering you another hit, shaking your head you opt to take a swig of alcohol, mentally bracing yourself for Eddie's inevitable teasing.

"Steve Harrington." You sigh glumly into your cup.

Eddie let out a muttered "Damn." 

"The former King of Hawkin's High himself. I don't envy you there babe."

  You snatch the joint back from his ringed fingertips, fed up with his teasing. "Don't take the piss Eddie, I'm not in the mood." You mumble defensively, leaning forward so as not to see the smirk on his face.

"Hey." He says in a surprisingly genuine tone, his hand rubbing your back, making you turn to look at him. "I'm not ragging on you sweetheart. Harrington is a nice enough guy now he's not hanging out with the douchebag brigade. I can see why you'd like him."

You lean back and Eddie slips his arm around your shoulders. 

"Well, I'm glad you can see it, he doesn't even know I exist, at least not in the way I want him to." You sigh, resting your head on his arm, seeing off the last of your drink and feeling distinctly sorry for yourself. 

You both lapse into silence again, the swing swaying gently beneath you as you burn through more of the joint , somewhere inside the house voices were shouting "Keg! Keg! Keg!"

  After a few moments, Eddie shifts slightly, arm wrapping more securely around you.

"Can I tell you something?" He asks, sounding nervous.

"I mean I just bared my soul to you, so I guess it's only fair." You murmur, glancing up at him.

He breathes a heavy sigh, right leg jiggling.

"I have been head over heels in love with Chrissy Cunningham since middle school." He confesses with a wince.

You wanted to say something encouraging, maybe even profound, or at the very least offer some words of comfort, so you felt a little guilty when you couldn't suppress the giggle that passed your lips.

"Chrissy Cunningham?!" You exclaim, staring at him wide-eyed "Cheerleader extraordinaire, Chrissy Cunningham?"

He looks at you, lips pressed tight as though he was trying to hold back his own laughter. 

"Yep." Letting the 'p' pop. "Ever since she shook her pom-poms in the talent show."

You were barely holding it together, attempting to keep your voice level as you spoke. 

"Wait, wait. So not only are we both in love with two very attractive people who are waaaay out of our league, these people are also in long term committed relationships with two other very attractive people." 

Your statement hung in the air for a second, both of you then erupting into fits of laughter at the ridiculousness of the situation.

  Eddie chuckled throatily around the stub of the joint, almost burnt out. "Oh man, we are pathetic." Shaking his head.

You jam your elbow lightly into his ribs. "Hey, speak for yourself!" You jokingly admonish. 

"What, you think you have a chance?" He snorts incredulously.

You pretend to weigh up your options.

"If Nancy Wheeler gets hit by a bus, sure I'll shoot my shot… after an extended mourning period of course." You say.

"Of course." Eddie agrees, both of you collapsing into fits of uncontrollable giggles once more, fuelled on by excessive alcohol and weed.

  "So, what do you think you need to do to get over little old Stevie?" Eddie asks you somewhat more seriously, stamping the remainder of the joint out under his sneakers, leaning back against the swing, taking you under his arm again.

You shrug, settling comfortably against him, staring up at the night sky, your own arm wrapping lightly about his waist. "Robin says I just need to get laid." You sigh flatly.

"I mean it's not the worst suggestion in the world." He says reasonably. 

"Yeah, but c'mon Munson, guys aren't exactly queued around the block waiting to give me a service." You say, gesturing to the empty garden, Eddie pulling a face at your phrasing.

"Maybe that's because you've spent the past however many years with your Harrington blinkers on." He suggests, and it hits a nerve within you, quite often you wondered if you had missed opportunities with other guys because of your Harrington fixation. Your first and thus far only proper relationship, at 16 ,was doomed to fail from the start as Bobby Cooper just couldn't live up to the standards you had set in your daydreams of Steve.

"Well, what about you and your Chrissy conundrum? Your on-tap supply of groupies not helping to ease the pain?" You bite back, on the defensive.

Rather than get shitty with you, Eddie just gives you the classic Munson smirk.  

"You think I’m good enough to have groupies?" He teases, squeezing your side, with a saucy eyebrow raise.

You pinch him back playfully. "I've seen you play Eddie; you know you're good." You admit with a smile.

He heaves a dramatic sigh, hand to his brow like some wretchedly poor southern belle.

"And yet, the tour bus-"

"Your van?" You chip in snidely.

"-my van" He ruefully concedes "is decidedly empty, even with the new air freshener."

"It's a crying shame, Eds." You laugh, patting his cheek.

  He places an affectionate kiss on your head, cuddling you closer against the chilly breeze, it feels nice to be held, and even nicer to talk to someone so openly, other than Robin of course.

You lapse into comfortable silence once more, the strains of some Blondie song thumping from inside, the party was kicking up a gear but you found yourself lost in thought.

You had always had a soft spot for Eddie, conversation flowed easily enough, and you appreciated his dry sense of humour, both of you were regular outcasts in comparison to rest of the high school cliques, and you had found yourselves in detention together more times than you cared to count; you had a bad habit of disagreeing with your English teacher. And if you were being honest, he was actually really kind of pretty when you took the time to really look at him, chocolate brown eyes, full lips, awesome hair.

You hadn't realised you had been staring at him until he cleared his throat, you pulled away from his arms sheepishly, cheeks aflame from the embarrassment of being caught out, but feeling sure Eddie had been staring at you for the same amount of time.

"Uh- sweetheart, and by all means please let me know if I have completely misread some signals here, but I think I may have found the solution to both our problems." It surprised you to hear a note of uncertainty in his voice, particularly as Eddie was normally shockingly cavalier to a fault, it made you turn back to face him.

"Go on…" You encouraged him, finding your mouth oddly dry.

  He took a deep breath, leaning closer, his arm snaking about your waist, warm fingertips tracing absentmindedly across the inch of exposed skin between your skirt and top, goose pimples erupting that made a shiver run up your spine.

"You need to get laid." He stated. "I need to get laid. We both have stuff we need to get out of our systems. You're a stand-up girl," he gave you a courteous nod. "...and I think I'm correct in saying you find me tolerable at the very least." The uncertainty was back, steeling yourself you placed a hand on his denim clad knee giving him a squeeze. 

"More than tolerable Eds." You offer a smile.

"Thanks sweetheart." He mutters blushing. "So, uh anyway, what I'm trying to say here is… in a pretty roundabout way and you can of course say no-"

"Eddie"

"Sorry, rambling, what I'm trying to say is we could… help each other out?" He was staring at you, pleading with you to chime in.

"You mean sex?" You ask slowly, noticing his blush creep up to his ears.

"Uh, y-yeah that thing." He stammers. "If you wanted to, with me, we could have sex as friends every now and then, friendly sex."

  You glanced at your wristwatch, 26 minutes ago you came out into the garden of some unknown person seeking a quiet place to drown your Steve induced sorrows, and now you were sitting next to Eddie Munson, seriously considering his offer of 'friendly sex'. Maybe Robin's kiss from earlier really had broken a spell, you laughed aloud at the thought, mirth quickly turning to frantic apologies at the look of horror on Eddie's face, forgetting that he was not privy to your inner monologue.

"Oh my god Eddie, no I'm sorry, I'm not laughing at you!' You cried, cringing at your own social ineptitude.

"Hey, it's ok honey, I told you, it's cool if you don't want to-" His tone was calm, patting your side, making to stand and walk away with what little dignity he had left.

"NO! Don't go, I do want to!" You let out a shout, grasping his arm to pull him back down, your face burning in mortification that you essentially just begged Eddie to fuck you. 

"Alright sweetheart, calm down I'm not going anywhere, no need to shout." He soothed; devil- may-care smirk back in place, holding you firmly about the waist again. You tried to turn away at his teasing, but Eddie cupped your cheek, the numerous rings on his fingers cool against your prickling skin.

"I'm going to kiss you now." His voice low and surprisingly authoritative. "Ok?" He asks, inching closer to your lips. Unsure if you had the nerve to speak, you merely nod. "Use your words princess, I need you to tell me that it's ok for me to kiss you." He teased; lips just shy of brushing against yours.

"I-it's ok, kiss me, please." You whisper, hands fisted in his jacket, pulling him in to close the final gap.

Eddie surged forward with an urgency that made you gasp, kissing you hard, your teeth clacking together painfully but you didn't care, adrenaline coursing through your veins like rocket fuel. You quickly found the right rhythm for each other kissing back with equal enthusiasm, his grip tightened moving you to straddle his lap, with you kneeling. He kneaded your ass, grinding you down, you gasped feeling the hard outline of his dick, taking full advantage of your open mouth, his tongue slipping in to meet with yours. Releasing his jacket, you tangled your fingers in his hair, tugging harder than intended as Eddie nipped at your bottom lip, but he hardly seemed to care judging by the groan that escaped his throat. You smirked, tucking the knowledge away for later use, Eddie also appeared to be mentally cataloguing your reactions, like the way your hips rocked involuntarily as he sucked your neck just below your right ear, and how your breath hitched whilst he felt you up under your shirt, brushing the underside of your breast.

So lost in each other you didn't notice the sudden increase in noise coming from the party, signalling that someone had opened the screen door, it was the violent retching sound of vomiting that had you jumping apart as though you had been electrocuted, scrambling off Eddie's lap. You grimaced in disgust, Chance from the High School basketball team spewing chunks over the once pristine lawn, to the jeers of others inside.

  "Hey…" Eddie spoke breathlessly, pulling your attention back to him, his lips kiss bitten, pupils blown wide. "You uh, want to get out of here?"

Grinning you snatched up his hand pulling him none too gently in the direction of the back gate, the sound of Chance's digestive pyrotechnics mercifully fading away, Eddie now pulling you along in the opposite direction to the house.

My van is this way."

Your heels clacked against the concrete, the pair of you moving at a light jog, keen to pick where you left off, both breathless as you came up on Eddie's van.

"Your chariot milady." He gestured proudly to the beat up vehicle like it was Cinderella's magical pumpkin carriage.

"Eddie, calling me milady is a total turn off." You teased, nose wrinkling.

  He pulled you to him, spinning you so your back was pressed against the passenger side door, 

"Oh well in that case, I best stick to sweetheart, huh sweetheart?" Caging you, his smile almost predatory as he set to work sucking what would no doubt be a prize-winning hickey just above your throat.

You grabbed the scruff of his neck when the skin got too sensitive, pulling his lips back to yours, both of you fighting for dominance in the kiss, thoroughly making out. Eddie palmed your tits, as you reached down trailing a teasing hand along the bulge in his jeans, he broke the kiss huffing out a low "Shit…."

Feeling bold, you flashed him a mischievous grin, unbuckling his belt, your hand slipping inside the tight denim stroking his cock properly, he was fully hard, your thumb swiping a thick bead of pre-cum around the mushroomy head.

"You keep doing that sweetheart and I’ll have no choice but to fuck you right here in the street." Eddie panted against your neck, his words going straight to your cunt.  

"Promises, promises." You said with a purr, jerking him slowly.

He laughed breathlessly. "Fucking tease." His hands quickly hitching up your skirt, hips pressing you closer to the van, slipping your panties to the side, you gasped as he trailed a finger through your wetness up to your clit and back down again.

  "Jesus baby, you're soaked. All this for me?" He asks incredulously, kissing you deeply again, two fingers moving slowly pumping in and out of your cunt as his thumb plays with your clit. The pair of you working each other, quiet moans slipping past swollen lips 

"Eddie." You whined softly, there was a tiny voice in the back of your mind which was terrified about getting caught in such a compromising position, but a much louder voice was screaming, begging to let Eddie have his way with you in the street where anyone could see.

"What is it princess?" He murmured, biting at your lower lip.

"I want -" You hiccupped on a moan, all four of his fingers now working over your swollen clit, spreading the slick from your cunt, you could only hold his cock, brain not functioning enough under his ministrations.

Grinning, taunting you openly he nipped at the sweet spot under your ear, whispering "Use your words baby."

"Oh my god." You whimpered. The screaming in your brain reaching a fever pitch; you wanted him to fuck you, right now, you didn't care if you got caught. "Eddie, do it, fuck me, fuck me right here." You say frantically, his movements stilling in shock. 

"You sure sweetheart? I-I can wait, we don't have to do anything you don't wanna-" He cut off, watching as though in a trance, you turned yourself around, pushing your ass out toward him, in the dim streetlight your pussy glistened with wetness all swollen and pretty.

  "Ho-ly fuck." He breathed out in awe, fishing hurriedly for a condom in his jacket pocket. You were breathing hard against the passenger window, watching Eddie's reflection, staring, cheeks flushed with excitement and lust as he yanked his jeans and boxers down enough to free his length, panting as he rolled the condom on. Coming up behind you, he crowded you against the van once again, his body covering your back, feeling his cock line up with your entrance; shivering at the slow press and delicious stinging sensation as he worked his way in.

"Christ you're so fucking tight baby." He hissed, balls flush to your ass as he bottomed out, one hand coming up to play with your tits, the other bracing against the van as he started to thrust.

"Eddie…fuck." You choked out, rubbing at your sopping clit, you were already so close, bouncing your hips back against him as he thrust harder.

"Oh my fucking god, you're perfect, so fucking tight and perfect. I can feel you dripping on my balls." He groaned, grabbing your hair, turning your head to capture your lips in a frantic kiss, you keened into his mouth. He was pulling your top up, freeing your breasts, pinching at your puckered nipples, his other arm wrapping tight  around your middle, holding you steady, pounding deeper.

  It was lewd, it was indecent, it was sinful and you had never felt so alive.

  "Eds, Eddie, I'm - fuck I'm fucking close, please." You begged, pleading, hovering over the edge, heat swimming deep in your belly.

"Oh shit, yes, such a good girl." You could hear he was close, the words passing through gritted teeth. "Taking this cock so well. You wanna cum baby?"

"Yes." You whined desperately, the coil within you tightening. "Please, I wanna cum so bad, fuck me harder." 

You didn't know where the words were coming from, had never felt this pent up, never craved sex this way before.

Eddie's balls were slapping against you in a faster rhythm, the sound penetrating the otherwise still night air.

"Fucking hell baby, yes take it, so fucking good - shit - that's it fucking cum for me sweetheart. Cum-on-my-cock-you-little-fucking-slut." He punctuated each word with brutal thrusts and at the word slut you felt the dam break, wave after wave of throbbing pleasure seized your body, head thrown back in a wordless cry, spasming around his dick.

"Shit,shit,shit,fuck,fuck." Eddie was chanting in a low whine, hips stilling against you, even with the condom on you could feel the pulse of him cumming.

  You both stayed perfectly still for a moment, your shared heavy breathing the only sound now.

"That was… holy fuck that was…" Eddie muttered leaning heavily against your shoulder, you clung onto the side mirror for support, legs feeling like jelly.

"Uh huh." You agreed breathlessly, you felt his hand on your back rubbing soothingly, unable to stop yourself from hissing as he pulled out, gently righting your panties for you and pressing a fleeting kiss to the back of your neck.

It was a remarkably sweet gesture, particularly in stark contrast to your position moments before, you tugged your top down, and skirt back up leaning against the van with a heavy exhale. Eddie had tucked himself away, and was now busy tying the condom off, stepping into the road to drop it unceremoniously down a gap in a drain cover, your face scrunched in distaste at the action.

"Giving the swimmers a new lease of life." He said winking impishly.

"I'm sure the sewer rats will be ever so pleased." You deadpanned.

  You were unsure what the plan was now, should you go your separate ways, you back to the party, him to - well wherever Eddie spent Saturday nights?

Returning to the party felt like a hellish idea, not just because you probably looked like you had just had sex, which you had, but you'd also have to face Steve and Nancy and whilst you now seemingly had the option of sex on tap, emotionally your heart still very much belonged to Harrington. Also you had the beginnings of a headache no doubt from the toxic punch.

"Uh- sweetheart you in there?" Eddie asked you, waving his hand in front of you, evidently you had zoned out.

"Huh?"

"I was talking about milkshakes." 

'Milkshakes?" You repeatedly blankly.

"Yeah, ya know, you take the milk, you take the shake you take them both and then you have the facts of life." He said moving past you, opening the passenger door.

You just stared vacantly.

"Oh my god I fucked the intelligence out of you." He giggled, ducking to one side as you tried to punch him in the arm, catching your hand he pulled you to him.

"Sweetheart I would very much like it if you would accompany me to a diner where we can have milkshakes and discuss the intimate details of our little arrangement." He clarified, gesturing for you to get into the van.

"Details?" You ask cluelessly, clambering into the seat, maybe he had fucked you dumb.

"Details." Eddie cooed, tapping you on the nose and strapping you in like a child, before handing you his drug box and slamming the door.

You were unsure whether to be amused or concerned at how he skipped to his own driver's side, lighting a cigarette. 

"Eddie, what exactly are we doing?" You ask, completely exasperated. He revved the engine, jamming the play button on the car radio, head banging along to Ace of Spades - Motorhead for a few moments.

"EDDIE!" You yell over the music impatiently.

"You and I are making a pact princess" Flashing you a huge grin before peeling down the street.

[dwobbitfromtheshire]

From Hell to Home to Back Again

Summary: At the talent show, Chrissy Cunningham is so hungry that she nearly collapses. When she's found by Hopper, her parents ended up losing custody of her. She ends up being placed in the care of the Hendersons, and she finally finds the family she so desperately needed. She also ends up falling in love. What other changes are made in this alternate universe?

@emen-98

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chrissy was nervous. Today was her first day back at school since it all happened. It was an entire month of bed rest, healing, and trips to the lab to be prodded by the doctors who took over Hawkins Lab. Will had already gone back to school since he wasn't as messed up as she was. Her black eye had healed, but the claw mark that ran through her eyebrow and over her cheek would always be there to remind her. As well as the scar on her stomach and her leg. At least she can still cheer and play softball.

"Chrissy, honey, there's a phone call for you," Claudia said, popping her head into her room.

"When did the phone ring?" Chrissy asked as she headed into the living room to pick up the phone. "Hello?"

"Lady Henderson!" Argyle's voice yelled from the receiver.

"Argy!" Chrissy exclaimed happily.

"Hey, figured I would send you some positive energy your way since it's your first day and all," Argyle said.

"Thank you," Chrissy said and sighed. "I wish you were here with me."

"Yeah, man, me too, but Mama insists I finish out the school year," Argyle said and paused. "I just think she's having a hard time letting go of the house. I keep telling her it's not the house that makes the home but the people in it."

"That's actually nice," Chrissy said. "You know, Jonathan wishes you were coming to school with us this year too. I think he's more eager than I am to see you."

"Yeah, the dude's a good egg," Argyle said casually. "Dude's riddled with anxiety, though. He's like one of those trembling chihuahuas."

"So, you think he needs someone like you to help calm him down?" Chrissy asked teasingly.

"Oh, yeah, definitely. A little purple palm tree delight could definitely help that boy out," Argyle said and sighed. "Oh, man, I feel the sudden urge to call Jonathan."

"Maybe you can catch him before he leaves. I need to finish getting ready, anyway," Chrissy said.

"Good luck, fair lady!" Argyle exclaimed.

Chrissy pulled a dark purple cardigan over her dark blue turtleneck and slipped on her shoes before letting her hair down. It made the scar less noticeable. A car honked outside, and she frowned. She looked outside and found Steve’s car waiting for her. Nancy. Chrissy smiled.

"Oh, Nancy called earlier and asked if you guys wanted a ride. Dusty already accepted," Claudia said.

Chrissy rolled her eyes affectionately. She gave her mom a hug and a kiss before letting her fuss over her. Dustin dragged her out the door as she was pulling on her jacket, holding her hand protectively.

"I don't even know why you're coming to school anyway," Dustin said. "It won't be long now before we're getting off for Christmas break."

"I just need to get out of the house, and I'm ready to go back," Chrissy said. "I'm going to be okay, Dustin."

"It's just that they're already going hard on Will with the whole Zombie boy thing, and now you have a nickname too," Dustin said.

"I can handle a few assholes, Dustin. You do remember what I survived, don't you?" Chrissy asked softly.

Ever since she came back from the Upside Down, both her mother and her brother had been awfully clingy to her. Overprotective was the word for it, which she understood. She had been clingy to them as well and with Will.

"I know," Dustin frowned.

Chrissy hugged him tightly before moving towards Steve’s car. Nancy was in the passenger's seat, and Robin was surprisingly in the back. Dustin slid into the middle seat beside Robin while Chrissy slid in next to him.

"Thanks for the ride," Chrissy said.

"No, problem," Steve said. "Nancy was worried about you."

"Just Nancy?" Chrissy asked.

"I mean, I was too, of course. I didn't want you to face those assholes without backup," Steve said.

"Is this how you got Robin to come?" Chrissy asked.

"Oh, no, me and Steve are best friends now. Platonic with a capital p," Robin said.

"Yeah, you would think they were twins instead of me and Robin," Nancy rolled her eyes.

"So, you're not worried that Robin's going to steal your boyfriend?" Dustin asked.

"No," Nancy, Steve, Robin, and Chrissy all laughed.

It was in that moment that Nancy, Steve, and Chrissy realized they all knew about Robin being a lesbian. They laughed again, leaving Dustin in the dark.

"Am I missing something?" Dustin asked.

"Yes, Dusty, but you have to be a higher level to unlock that secret," Chrissy said seriously.

"Oh, shit, how high?" Dusty asked. "And what level am I at right now?"

"Pretty low, little man, but I think you can get there," Robin said, her eyes twinkling with mirth.

"Okay, what creatures are we talking about here? What do I have to fight?" Dustin asked.

"Demogorgon," Robin shrugged. "Several of them."

"Okay, do I get the assistance of my party members?" Dustin asked.

"No, on your own," Robin said.

"Well, that's bullshit!" Dustin cursed.

"Chrissy never shuts up about how smart you are, I'm sure you can figure it out," Steve grinned.

"Thanks, Chrissy," Dustin said and leaned forward. "What's my strategy here, Steve?"

"You know, Nancy's pretty good at that too, you know," Steve said, rolling his eyes.

"Okay, Steve and Nancy, what's my strategy?" Dustin asked.

"Talk to Steve," Nancy said in amusement.

"Flirt with them," Steve said snapping his fingers.

"Oh, you would be one of those people. Just flirt with the monsters," Dustin said, rolling his eyes. "You're not allowed to play with us."

"Damn, just when I was working up the courage to ask you if I could," Steve said.

"Really?" Dustin asked eagerly.

"Yeah, no," he said with a smirk as Dustin huffed, sitting back.

Chrissy, Nancy, and Robin laughed as Dustin continued to argue with Steve. She always knew that Steve would get along great with her little brother. The arguing made the journey to school seemingly go by quickly. As soon as Chrissy stepped out of the car, a blurry figure rammed into her stomach and hugged her tightly. She laughed as she hugged Will back.

"Jeeze, Will, you almost ran her over," Jonathan said in amusement.

"I'm just really excited to see you," Will said. "I'm just happy you're back. Are you nervous?"

"A little," Chrissy said as Will pulled back. "I guess Argyle wasn't able to call you before you guys left."

"Damn, no, he was going to call?" Jonathan asked, his eyes lighting up, his cheeks pink.

"Yeah, this morning when he got off the phone with me," Chrissy said and laughed when Jonathan pouted.

"He won't stop talking about him," Will whispered, and Jonathan jabbed him in the side.

"Go on with Dustin to school, butthead," Jonathan said, rolling his eyes.

The group walked towards the school and tried parting through the crowds of students trying to escape the cold. It took a minute for Chrissy to realize that they were walking behind Eddie Munson. She smiled, and it was gone just as quick. Suddenly, Eddie slipped, falling backward in her direction. Chrissy managed to catch him in time but not without falling on her butt. Eddie looked up at her in surprise.

"Hi," Eddie said breathlessly. "I'm sorry."

"Are you apologizing for falling for me?" Chrissy asked with a smirk.

"Yeah, I mean no! Jesus, I'm sorry, but that's just cheesy for someone so. . .," Eddie trailed off, his cheeks pink.

"Someone so what?" She asked.

"You look familiar," Eddie said, squinting his eyes at her.

"Yeah?" She asked hopefully.

"Eddie," a boy with curly hair said, bursting through the crowd. "Why is Chrissy Henderson cradling you like a baby?"

"Oh, you're - OH SHIT!" Eddie screamed.

Suddenly, Eddie was flipping her over and cradling the back of her head. Now, he was on top of her, and an icicle had crashed to the ground near their heads. Their faces were so close together that Chrissy could feel his breath on her face.

"Awww, the witch and the freak!" Someone from the crowd exclaimed.

"A matchmade in hell!" Someone else hollered.

"Is that what they've been saying about me?" Chrissy asked.

"Sorry," Eddie muttered.

"I wonder what their babies would look like," someone cackled.

"A lot better than your parents'!" Steve snapped.

"Oh, damn," someone said. "I think he's saying you're ugly, Kenny."

"Yeah, thanks, I didn't get that."

"There's nothing to see here!" Steve exclaimed. "Get inside!"

Steve and Nancy quickly helped them up as the crowd started to dissipate.

"You saved me," Chrissy beamed at Eddie.

"You saved me first," Eddie winked. "See you around, Henderson."

He disappeared into the crowd with the curly haired boy. Chrissy watched the spot where he stood for a moment, grinning and blushing. She was startled out of it by the sound of someone clearing their throat. She looked over to find Steve, Nancy, Robin, and Jonathan looking at her.

"What?"

"So, when you guys inevitably have grandchildren, are you guys going to tell them about this moment?" Steve asked, and Jonathan laughed.

"Shut up, Steve," Chrissy said, but she was struggling not to laugh with him.

"So, is this crush on Eddie Munson new, or have you always known?" Nancy asked they walked inside.

"I do not have a crush," Chrissy rolled her eyes.

"Oh! Look! Eddie's coming this way!" Steve exclaimed.

"Where?!" Chrissy asked, peering over the crowd.

She stood back and glared at him as he laughed. She punched him in the shoulder.

"Asshole," Chrissy said.

"That was kind of evil, man," Jonathan smirked.

"No, that was fucking hilarious," Robin said as she high fived Steve.

"It was kind of funny," Nancy admitted.

"Okay, fine, fine. . .it all started in middle school. . ."

The first few periods, Chrissy was fine. The distraction of the lessons managed to get her through it. . .until it all started to slow down. She became more aware of the people surrounding her and the nickname that spilled from their lips. Chrissy the Witch. Apparently, the scar on her face wasn't enough for them to believe that she took on a bear with a knife and survived. She had to have used magic. Chrissy actually wasn't bothered by the nickname (it was actually cool), but it was the sounds of their voices and their close proximity. It was all so. . .overwhelming. She could feel everything and hear everything. She could hear ringing in her ears, and then for a moment, she was back there. . .back in the Upside Down. The hallways were covered in vines, the particles were swirling in the air, and a dark shape was moving towards her. A voice echoed in the darkness, calling her name. Suddenly, she was back in the real world, and someone dove at her, pretending to be a bear. She screamed and reacted quickly by slamming her fist in his face.

"You bitch!" Tommy Hagan cursed as he held his bloody nose.

Chrissy didn't even bother apologizing. She took off and found the nearest empty classroom. She entered and slammed the door behind her, locking it. Chrissy turned around and pressed her back to the door. She was in the science lab, and Eddie was sitting at one of the tables, a notebook in front of him. Eddie's mouth was open, looking comically surprised to see her.

"I broke Tommy Hagan's nose with my fist," Chrissy blurted out.

"What the fuck?!" Eddie exclaimed and then he laughed. "So, you punched him."

Chrissy sighed and plopped down next to him. She winced and rubbed her hand.

"You know, punching someone hurts both parties," Chrissy replied.

Eddie chuckled and took her hand, rubbing her knuckles gently. Chrissy bit her lip, trying to contain the squeal that was ready to burst out of her.

"That's true. So, what did Tommy Hagan do to incur the wrath of Chrissy Henderson?" Eddie asked.

"He pretended to be a bear when I was in the middle of. . .having a thing," Chrissy said. "He made it look like he was attacking me, and it startled me."

"That fucker deserved it," Eddie said as he continued to massage her knuckles. "I'm sorry he did that."

"I bet he's sorry too," Chrissy grinned.

"I bet he is," Eddie cackled. "You know, this isn't the first time that we hung out."

"It's not?" She asked innocently.

"Yeah, I mean, it was a few years ago at the Talent Show. My head was buzzed, and I didn't have these awesome tatties," Eddie said and flipped the hand that was holding Chrissy's to show her his puppet tattoo on his forearm. "My band - "

"Corroded Coffin! How could I forget?!" Chrissy said teasingly.

"I don't know, you're a freak," Eddie giggled.

"I think you mean witch," she corrected. "You're the freak."

"The witch and the freak," he smiled.

"I was totally messing with you," Chrissy said, pausing. "I do remember that day. It was a hard day to forget."

"Right. . .cause of your mom," Eddie said softly.

Chrissy almost made a wistful noise with her mouth as she gazed into his chocolate brown eyes.

"My birth mom, actually. Claudia Henderson is my true mother," Chrissy said. "I mean, Laura will always be my mom. There's no denying it. She's actually up at Pennhurst, I visit her sometimes. She's actually doing better, but she's not ready to leave. She's probably going to be there forever, but she's happy there, and she's happy that I am happy where I am. So, I'm glad it all worked out."

"Then I'm glad too," Eddie said. "If you don't mind me asking, what happened to your dad?"

"Left town when it all happened. Who knows what happened to him, and I don't particularly care," Chrissy muttered.

"I have a dad who comes in and out of my life. My mom's been dead since I was six. My uncle's pretty much the only one who is there for me, I mean, besides Hellfire and my best friend Ronnie," Eddie said.

"So, you get it?" She asked softly.

"Yeah," Eddie said. "I never thanked you for cheering for me."

"You deserved it," Chrissy said.

"Well, if you ever need me to cheer for you. . .," Eddie grinned.

"You willing to wear the skirt that goes with cheering someone on?" Chrissy asked as Eddie leaned on his elbow, his cheek pressed into his free hand.

"Oh, yeah," Eddie grinned.

"You know, some people would find that hot," Chrissy teased.

Eddie snorted with laughter, causing his elbow to slip off the table and his head to hit the table. He dropped her hand with a groan and rubbed his forehead. Chrissy stood up to look at his forehead, not thinking about the fact that she was standing in between his legs.

"Well, what's the prognosis?" Eddie asked.

"Hmmm, you're an idiot, but you'll live," Chrissy said as she stroked the spot between his eyes.

"That's good, I like living," Eddie said.

"So, we had a funny interaction, a shared childhood memory, and we exchanged trauma. You totally made yourself look like an idiot. . .are we friends yet?" Chrissy asked.

"Friends? Yeah. . .friends," Eddie gulped.

Chrissy suddenly realized how close they were and that Eddie's hand had found its way to her hip to steady her. Friends? Why in hell did she say that? Her eyes dropped to his lips. . .his perfectly plump lips. BAM! A bird flew into the window, startling both of them and causing them both to shriek. Chrissy stumbled back, knocking over her stool.

"JESUS H CHRIST!" Eddie yelled out as he clutched his chest.

Chrissy picked up the stool and set it back up before sitting back on it. Her heart was hammering in her chest, and she tried to take deep breaths to steady it.

"Tell me about what you were doing so I can calm myself down. You're working on your campaign, right?" She asked. "My little brother plays."

"Yeah, yeah, I can do that," Eddie said. "Jesus."

After spending time with Eddie, Chrissy managed to make it throughout the day. She met Steve and Nancy out by his car.

"So, how was your day?" Nancy asked.

"Well, it was going pretty great until I felt overwhelmed, and I was remembering what it was like there. Then Tommy Hagan pretended like he was a bear attacking me, so I broke his nose. I ran to the science lab where Eddie was working on his campaign, and just as we were about to kiss a fucking bird flew into the window scaring the hell put of us pretty much ruining the mood," Chrissy said.

"Jesus," Steve said.

"Are you okay?" Nancy asked.

"I mean, it could have been better, but it was pretty good considering I made friends with Eddie, and I got to slug Tommy H in the nose. I'm looking forward to seeing what it looks like tomorrow," Chrissy grinned.

"God, I wish I could have seen that," Steve said.

"Well, he's an idiot so there's a good chance it's going to happen again," Chrissy said, and they both laughed.

It wasn't long before Robin was also meeting them by the car and then Dustin, who threw his arms around Chrissy. Despite all that happened, she looked forward to the next day, and the next day after that. Eddie's dimpled grin swam in her head.

Chapter Five

[pukner]

Can I ask you a kinda weird question? What do you think steddie and the party would be as a supernatural creatures? My headcanon is Vampire Eddie and Succubus Steve, but I'm open to discussion. 😁

hello this is a FANTASTIC question

I love the idea of a succubus Steve, but also like? Siren Steve? This might explain his affinity for water, maybe he basks in his pool a lot and unfortunately that becomes extremely cursed for him Post Barb. He's the son of two beautiful, supernaturally charming people who learned how to show people exactly what they want, become exactly what they want. Steve is pretty and handsome and terrible and sweet and exactly what you expect from him, right up until he isn't.

I like the idea of a werewolf Robin, and also Max. Robin's larger and ganglier, and spends the full moon curled around Steve and growling at anyone who gets close. Max is a puppy, and a grumbly one, and Lucas ends up with a very determined guard dog. Robin also gets bizzarely territorial over Steve's house, for someone who doesn't live there. Her whole family scent Steve constantly, and he's thrilled about the extra cuddles.

I like the idea of Lucas and Erica being from magical heritage, old school witches who go very different with their practices. Lucas does very practical magic; makes little charms for his friends, for protection and strength and peace. Erica leans more towards big enchantments; she's real pissed about Steve's natural charisma.

Dustin is a very human person, who can and WILL science his way into magic.

Nancy and Mike, I waffle on. Maybe fae-blooded? Diluted enough that they can dwell here, won't get hunted down by either court. But still fae enough that Nancy has an almost pathological need to get to the truth, that she won't stand for illusions, that she chafes against Steve and his automatic charisma and the lies he lures people in with, almost thoughtlessly. She and Mike are deadly territorial over their kin, over those they've decided are theirs. Losing Barb made her absolutely inconsolable. Mike is much the same. They get it from Karen, who got it from her mother, who got it from hers. Ted Wheeler is an extremely mundane dude.

Will is a shapeshifter, all the Byers are. He likes to be small, unassuming animals, and so does Jonathan. Turns into a mouse or a grass snake and hides in his brother's pocket, up his mom's sleeve.

Eddie is a son of a vampire, came into his bloody heritage honestly. Wayne, his uncle on his mothers' side, is extremely human and had to learn real fast how to raise a bloodthirsty kid. He has raw steak in the freezer and teaches his kid how to hunt. He also has bloodpops in the freezer for summer days when Eddie gets lethargic and whiny.

He absolutely develops a weird obsession with Steve Harrington And His Summer-Sunshine-Salty Blood. Robin Buckley tries to eat him about it one time when he leans in too close for a sniff one day at Scoops.

Hopper is extremely human and extremely done with the supernatural side of things on this goddamn town.

El was human, once. They don't know what she is. She smells wrong, to most of them. Reads weird to their magic, to others. They love her anyway.

[wuffgang-ameowdeus-moozart]

And another average day at Family Video:

"No you literally can't"

"Of course you can, dingus! Some are just classics!"

"Well, and some go to Family Video to browse and randomly choose movies they know nothing about!"

"But doesn't that further prove my point?! Why would someone choose a movie solely by the cover if the cover is just a hot person?!"

"Well you said that Rocky Horror is also a queer classic and me and Tommy chose that one at random back when we were both assholes. If you'd flirted with Carol then you probably would have been hate-crimed."

"That is not a word"

"Well good thing I don't work in a fucking library then"

They glare at each other. If this was another genre, this story would end in a fight to the death. As things are, they are just two best friends getting unnecessarily heated while fighting about nothing. To be fair, it's more entertaining than watching the same two questionable movies over and over again.

Robin crosses her arms. "Okay. So just, let me repeat. To make sure I understood. You - who have admitted that you would sleep with Jonathan and Eddie if the chance arose and made out with Tommy multiple times - watched Rocky Horror Picture Show with Tommy, who may I remind you - you made out with multiple times, which once again, fucking ew-"

"Hey! He was the one who suggested it first!"

"And then you have the audacity to say that Rocky Horror Picture Show isn't gay?!"

"THAT'S NOT WHAT I'M FUCKING SAYING. If one were to see the cover with no context and decided to rent it just to see what it is about-"

"You mean the cover of Tim Curry in drag?!"

"Yeah well, Tommy was the one who chose the movie, and he is straight. So."

"Didn't you just say that Tommy was the one who wanted to kiss you first?!?"

Steve rolls his eyes so hard it's a wonder they stay safely inside their socket. "Yeah, but that's just the normal amount of same-sex attraction every straight dude has. That was just boys being boys. If that made someone gay, the whole basketball team would be full of queers"

"First of all, I will be coming back to that last bit later-"

"You? Coming for the all-male basketball team? Never thought I'd see the day"

He can admit that he probably deserves the kick against his shin.

"Focus, dingus! Let me just repeat what you just said. And I want you to think about it carefully, okay?! So in your words, a boy kissing another boy is not gay, unless one of the boys acknowledges that that is gay?"

"Uhm, duh?"

"So you and Tommy kissing was... straight?"

"I mean. No. Because I have now realized that I am not straight which retroactively makes the making out sessions gay"

Robin thumps her head against the counter. She takes a deep breath and does it again for good measure.

"I- oh my god. Okay. Just. Think about what you just said, okay? Think about it carefully. Think about it while you rewind that stack of tapes."

"Hey isn't it your turn?"

"Wrong thing to think about! You do that while I clean this...already clean counter. Again."

He gives her the stink eye but does as he is told.

They change topics. Robin tells him about the newest gossip in band. It is surprisingly intense. Just like Robin is also intense. Maybe only intense people go to band. Or maybe playing an instrument makes you intense? Well, he has a band member right here, so he asks, and they spend the next half an hour making fun of various instruments. The gay-jokes-whiteboard gains a lot of new points.

Both are laughing so hard they don't even realize they have a customer until the girl is standing in front of the counter, "The Wizard of Oz" in her hands. Steve raises a brow. Do you think this one is gay too? Robin nods to the snap hook hooked to her trousers holding her keys. Duh. He rolls his eyes. I also do this all the fucking time. It's convenient, okay?! It means nothing. Robin only looks at him with a deadpan look. You are literally further proving my point.

It is then that it clicks. "Oh my god it was gay! What the fuck?!"

Robin's face falls. He hears a gasp from somewhere behind him. Oh yeah. They were not alone in the shop right now. Fuck.

Steve thinks he vaguely recognizes her. He never talked to her, but it is hard to miss her bright red hair. Her name was....Vinnie? Or something? Right??

She looks down to her snap hook. It seems like she is going to run out of the shop at any moment. But then she takes a deep breath and looks up again, determination in her eyes. "Are you...are you also a friend of Dorothy?"

Robin's eyes shine. Steve goes to the back to have his mental breakdown in peace.

Steve isn't sure how much time passes before he dares to come out again. Vanessa (?) is gone and Robin looks incredibly smug.

He sighs. A true man knows when to admit defeat. "Okay. Maybe you had a point. With Tommy."

Her smile widens even more. "Only Tommy?"

"And the basketball team. And Valerie."

She frowns. "Who the fuck is Valerie."

"The girl who just left? Red hair? Also in band I think? Friend of Dorothy or whatever?"

"Her name is Vicky."

"Hey, I got the first letter right. If you expect much more from me you are seriously deluding yourself."

Robin rolls her eyes. They continue working in silence, but there is a tension in the air that hasn't been there since Robin first came out to him. Steve is not a very patient dude, but he can wait as long as it takes when it regards someone he cares about. And so he does.

"...Hey Steve?"

"Yes Robin?"

"I- I know we talk about it relatively openly here because it's always deserted when we have a shift together for some reason. But for the love of god, you need to be more careful. Okay?! The thing with Vicky was a lucky shot-"

"You mean your future girlfriend?~"

She pinches his lower back. Everybody looks at them weird when they do that, but it is very effective. The skin is still tender where they got their matching tramp stamps and it hurts like a bitch.

"I'm serious."

He looks at her. Sees the fear in her eyes. And he nods. I know. I promise. I'm sorry. He doesn't have to say it out loud for Robin to understand him. She knows that he means it, that he will probably be overly careful for a few weeks before they find a comfortable middle ground again. That he would never betray her trust. That is the reason they are soulmates, after all.

He isn't angry when she still asks him for reassurance anyway. "I promise", he says, more serious than he has been all day. They are both getting better at that, asking for verbal affirmation.

Another customer comes in. It's a cute girl. She rents the new Tom Cruise movie and Robin finally gets to take out the you-suck-board again.

"Okay, but did you really never realize that making out with other boys is kind of fruity?! Did I literally have to spell it out for you?"

"Hey! You yourself said that it's hard to 'break out of a heteronormative mindset' and shit. Plus, this is actually my second shift. And I used my break to drive you from school to work. So like, cut me some slack"

"Steve! I told you to stop taking double shifts all the time! No wonder you look so exhausted dingus"

"Well, Buckley, I would. But as I am sure you are fully aware Dustin's birthday is in two weeks and I need money to buy him that stupid nerd-thingie he's obsessing about-"

(more average days)

[apomaro-mellow]

A good friend of mine @spectrum-spectre had a plot bunny and I had to write a lil sumthin

If it was anyone else, Steve would've questioned why they were going all the way to New Jersey for an amusement park. But he figured Eddie had his reasons. Maybe he wanted some distance. Or maybe there was some sort of nerd lore with the park or something in the area. Either way....

"It was really nice of you to plan out this whole getaway", Steve said. "And responsible....Who are you and what have you done with my man-child bitch of a boyfriend?"

"Careful, I might revert back to my bitchiness and leave you in this hotel room."

"I'm just saying, I don't see this side of you often. This side that makes plans and takes care of things."

Eddie looked to his Stevie, who was lounging on the mattress of a less-than-luxurious hotel bed. "You'd know if you ever let me be your dungeon master." He kneeled onto the bed, hovering above Steve. "You like when I take care of you?"

Steve nodded. "Yeah."

Eddie leaned in for a little mornin' love when someone knocked on their door.

"Dudes, let's go. You had time to christen your honeymoon suite last night", Argyle said from the other side of the door.

"He's right." Steve had mercy and gave him a quick peck before pushing him off.

Summer of 87 and Eddie had taken it upon himself to plan a short vacation for him, Steve, Jonathan, and Argyle. A no chicks or kids holiday. A few dissenting voices complained, but here they were. No responsibilities other than themselves.

They arrived to the park and Eddie was practically buzzing as they got in the moving line to get in to Action Park. Now that was the boyfriend Steve knew.

"Ohhh, it's this park. Interesting choice dude", Argyle said.

"Why?", Jonathan asked.

"You didn't hear? Like a bunch of people have died here, man."

Steve's eyes slid over to Eddie. He was about to ask if he knew about this but already knew the answer. Knew his boyfriend was already intimately familiar with the morbid details.

"Stevie, before you say anything, this is to celebrate our survival-"

Steve cut him off with just a raised brow. "By coming to a park where people have died? Explain that logic."

"We're just doing the waterpark today, right?", Jonathan clarified. "How bad could it be?"

They got inside and Steve watched in horror as Eddie jumped off a 20 foot cliff with multiple other people and a single, slightly frazzled lifeguard on duty.

"Five jumps is enough", Steve pulled Eddie out of the water, determined to get him somewhere with a bit more supervision.

The four of them went to the wave pool, which Steve had a fine time with. Until he saw Eddie's head go under one too many times and he was reminded of Lover's Lake and dragged him out of that too.

"Steve, you don't need to smother me. I'm not one of your lil chickadees."

"No, you're just gonna be my chicken kabob when you get skewered on a ride."

"You guys are making me hungry", Argyle said.

"One more thing, then lunch?", Eddie suggested.

Eddie led the group over to something that made Steve's heart stop right in its tracks. Even Jonathan had sobered up enough to give it a quizzical look.

"Is that a water slide....with a loop?"

"Nope! Nope, no way. No way you're breaking your back on that thing", Steve started to push Eddie away.

"I'm not gonna break my back", Eddie rolled his eyes.

Argyle nodded sagely. "Ride like that is more likely to take your head off. Or get you stuck."

"I rest my case", Steve said.

Eddie pouted but allowed himself to be pulled along. He'd just have to do something more convincing than puppy dog eyes. Meanwhile, Steve tried to keep Eddie occupied with the other, seemingly less dangerous attractions, trying not to get a heart attack any time something seemed off.

At least it was normal kind of off and not Upside Down type. Eventually, Steve knew what he had to do to get Eddie's mind off that death trap of a ride known as Cannonball Loop.

It took very little persuasion to lead Eddie away from Jonathan and Argyle. It took even less convincing to get him into an Employees Only area. And it took nothing to get him on board once he removed his wet t-shirt.

When they finished, Eddie was properly dazed and distracted. They met back up with the others, one now much tanner than when they'd left, all parked out for the day.

Eddie gave a wistful sigh as they walked out of the park. "I guess I should be happy I have someone who cares soooo much about my wellbeing."

"You're damn right", Steve grinned.

Argyle put an arm around Steve and Jonathan's shoulders on the way to the rental car. "This was a perfectly packaged day, my friends. Sun, water, corndogs, a bit of danger. Somebody got laid."

"Wait, what?", Jonathan choked out.

"That's where they went while you were nappin'", Argyle jerked his head towards Eddie and Steve.

"How can you nap in an amusement park?", Eddie cackled as he unlocked the car.

Jonathan shrugged. "I'm just lucky Argyle put the lotion on me before I conked out."

Eddie started the car before a realization came to him and his head whipped to Steve. "You told Argyle what we were doing?"

"Always let people know your whereabouts", Steve said.

"We gotta bring the kiddos some time", Argyle said.

"Not in this lifetime, Cali", Steve pointed a very stern finger at him. It was hard enough corralling Eddie. He couldn't imagine having to deal with the kids too. Never mind the thrill junkie Max, or the always experimental Dustin. All of them were just different enough to pull in different directions and drive him insane.

"Maybe Disneyland, then", Eddie suggested. "We've got plenty of government hush money left. And there's this one ride-"

"I'm gonna take a page out of Nancy's book and actually do some research before I let you plan the next trip", Steve decided.

[fandomcrazy6226]

Liveblogging Dracula Daily - May 12

Brought to you on June 26th. Yeah, I've fallen really behind, but I'm gonna try to just straight-through all of these missed entires tonight so anybody who's really following these uh... have fun with the rapid succession. Do y'all think I should put some like.. "previous"/"next" links at the end of these posts? It's about at the length to need a masterlist

Anyway, here's the entry! From what I remember this one has wall-crawling

Always good to start with facts, and better to separate them from your own memories/opinions. Objectivity is a virtue. Wait he spends all day reading and then all night talking? Jonathan I'm begging you get some sleep, you desperately need it

So Dracula is asking a bunch of questions. Question 1, can someone in England have multiple solicitors? Answer 1, yes, you can have it sounds like as many as you want, but only one can be working at a time. That's all understood so Dracula then asks if he can have more than one for like... specialty jobs.

Oooh, an example! Ok, so he asked for Jonathan's help because he doesn't live in London so that only Dracula's needs would be served... sure. And so he wants to know if he can get another solicitor to help shipping things to different areas where those other solicitors would live so it's more efficient. I guess that makes sense? Efficiency 100

And apparently there's a Solicitor Code of Conduct that says that... son of a Jesus what do these words mean I feel like I'm translating Shakespeare... the client can have one solicitor who can then direct other "local" solicitors to do local things, and the client doesn't have to do anything. Am I understanding correctly???

Ok so Dracula wants to direct his own solicitors and starts asking about paperwork and forms, and apparently he might make a really good solicitor (how many flipping times am I gonna have to type the word "solicitor")

Awww, he's so alone. And he's gonna be there for another month? Yeesh. "My needs only were to be consulted" selfish prick! This man needs to get married to his amazing fiancee!

Yeah, still a prisoner. I forgot that like... he's really not here by his own will anymore. And Dracula the master manipulator over here telling him to keep things secret and straight-up LIE to people that he's doing fine. Sharp teeth!

Heck yeah, have a secret code with your fiancee! I should make up a code to use with my boyfriend if we ever need to, that would be fun.

Spying on his mail is either gonna be a really smart move or a really stupid one, but considering how Jonathan seems like one of the brainier horror protagonists I'm guessing it's a smart one

Ok I'm gonna note this just for posterity, one letter is for Samuel F. Billington, No. 7, The Crescent, Whitby (copy-paste works wonders), the second one is for Herr Leutner, Varna, the third is for Coutts & Co., London, and the last one is for Herren Klopstock & Billreuth, bankers, Buda-Pesth. I'm guessing these are all other solicitors

Oh, boy, we're getting a warning! Don't fall asleep anywhere but your own room or you'l have... really bad dreams? That doesn't sound threatening but I'm gonna guess those bad dreams lead to something more sinister

Good idea having the crucifix over your bed, that's probably a good protection. Like maybe it protects your whole bed. Wear it when awake and hang it when you sleep

Again this scenery is so pretty when he describes it, I almost wish this was illustrated just so I could see it. I'm sure people have drawn passages like this, maybe I could look into those later

I'm.... fucking sorry??????? He's not only climbing, but climbing face-down??? I mean that's probably better, the way this is described if he'd been face-up then he'd've spotted Johnathan looking but like jesus Cuh-rist!

"I saw the fingers and toes"... was he climbing barefoot? Is he that level of freak?

Yeah I'd be pretty scared out of my mind if I saw some old dude with various biological impossiblities climbing a wall upside down with no shoes on. Gawd Dayum.

PREVIOUS / NEXT

[chirpsythismorning]

What do you think about the possibility of El and Will not being exactly twins but half siblings? Maybe Lonnie was in the MK Ultra project for money and had an affair with Terry Ivis, so El was born. His sperm was affected, and Lonnie had another child with Joyce, who was born with repressed/hidden powers (I'm considering Jonathan was already born when Lonnie's balls were chernobyl'd). Then Lonnie took Will to the Lab a feel times for test, but they concluded he was born powerless, because he appeared to be a normal kid.

Upon coming across twelvegate, I did initially go down this rabbit hole! I made a shit-post about the possibility of Lonnie being both Will and El's dad, but more recently I've expanded on that evidence in an ask, discussing why I basically don't think that is the case anymore.

The main thing that makes me so confident about this, is that I'm certain Terry isn't El's 'mama'. Like pretty much 100% certain.

There are a few posts where I discuss this (here, here, here) so definitely check those out if you want a deep dive to better understand where I'm coming from with that claim.

To be fair, I did not subscribe to this up until recently. It was as if my brain blocked me from even merely considering the possibility that Terry isn’t El's mom because of how tragic her whole situation was. And so it felt almost insensitive to even speculate, I guess?

But as of now, after actually going back and watching her scenes for myself, as well as flashbacks featuring her that resurface in future seasons, I think that if anything Lonnie is a roadblock to the truth, in the same sense that Terry is. Because the evidence that Terry isn't El's mom is too alarming to ignore. Like, once you see it, it becomes very obvious they've always been trying to hint this to us, as subtly as possible, and they did it successfully bc it went over everyone's heads.

And so since Terry isn't El's mom, and there are certain details tying Terry to having some sort of connection to Brenner (ie Papa/Mama, Bonsai trees, Hopper's line about Terry's 'relationship' with Brenner), then it's very likely that, in the original timeline/universe or whatever we want to call it, Terry could have worked closely with the lab in some capacity, though ended up supporting Joyce’s claims over allegations about the lab and experimentation, ie. the article at the end of s1 including Joyce/Terry's testimonies. And so she was basically a confidant to them who went against the lab and was lobotomized for it and placed in a scenario that blocked out the truth very conveniently for them, while also essentially punishing her.

And when it comes to Lonnie... That is where it gets very complicated. Because I think it's likely that in the OG timeline, Lonnie was not the greatest guy. I think there was a lot of scary subtext surrounding him harming Will in s1 and it's possible that this dude has been given the role of their father in this timeline, which in the original timeline he is not. He's essentially Stranger Things' very own Biff.

This does make me very intrigued about what is going to be revealed in 'The First Shadow' play coming soon. We're said to get the backstory for not only Joyce and Hopper but also Lonnie and Bob (and Henry) apparently, so that is making for some interesting potential Back to the Future parallels from Marty’s parents’ 1955 timeline vs Willel’s parents’ 1959 timeline. Also the synopsis being young Joyce Maldonado and Jim Hopper dealing with the shadows of the past...

Arguably, it is crunch time. We're approaching the final season and this is a revelation that a lot of the audience are probably not going to be ready for, despite a lot of the hints in the details. I presume they wont have much time in s5 to rehash the mysteries of the past, beyond glossing it over, and so this was honestly a perfect way for them to go back and give context for what is to come in a really unique way that is canon, but without having to cram too much into s5 like they had to for s4.

I do think that Lonnie is very likely to return in s5. Though he referred to Hawkins at its most tame as a hell hole, so idk if he would be running back there during an apocalypse, seeing as everyone else seems to be trying to get out ASAP. It is possible though, and yet I just really don't think his arc is about this series long secret that he is both El and Will's father. If anything I think the revelation is much darker in relation to what truly happened to him and El, possibly in relation to the lab, as he could indeed have been an MKUltra volunteer like you said. It could also help to go read up on some of the cases/allegations put against MKUltra back in the day bc, though it is quite disturbing in parts, it could very well hold the answer to at least some secrets seeing as this is partially based on a real life program that did exist back in the day.

If Lonnie was their dad, I think he would have been a lot more prioritized in the overall story over the seasons, and yet they kind of introduced him in s1 with only a couple references to him in passing since then. If anything it's giving we do not want to give this character too much acknowledgement in the story.

I think a return for him would perhaps look like the storys way of revealing to us that he is not actually their father. Either via flashbacks to the og timeline or perhaps vecna visions at a point when we’re still assuming this is Will’s dad. I do think he very likely is connected to the darker secrets behind what really happened though, related to Will and El's original disappearances, leading up to them in the lab presumably.

I won't claim to understand the memory/time-loop nonsense, because I think that it could also have a lot to do with Will's powers related to time and therefore probability perhaps, which ties really well into the whole X-Men 134 reference. And yet, obviously, I feel like it's too much to try to be certain about which angle go at it, despite having a lot of the pieces to perhaps figure it out? Bc we can guess all day what Will's powers will look like, but we still don't really know for certain? And so going too far beyond that feels like too much guessing to me.

I will say that what makes me even more confident about this theory, even more than the Terry evidence, is just the heaps of evidence connecting Will and El from the very beginning, and how that also connects to Joyce and Hopper more often than not.

If you're open to looking at evidence related to the whole Joyce + Hopper = Willel twins + Jon ? gate (?), or even just how byler also fits into this, bc tbh a lot of the evidence connects, these are a few posts below that might peak your interest. And this isn’t even all of it.

This is the MAIN one so if you read any of them, read this (first and foremost)

Twelvegate Evidence going back to s1 and oh so many unanswered questions

Twelvegate Evidence going back to s1 + Willel Twins

Deer Imagery following The Hoppers/Byers Family

David Harbour cryptically changing his IG pfp to twins, multiple times before S4 dropped:

The fact that Star Wars' big plot twist was that Luke/Leia were twins... That the Duffers are twins... That Noah Schnapp is a twin... 'IT'S NOT YOUR FAULT (MIKE), THEY'RE IDENTICAL'...

El: Me? I'm twice as happy now *cut camera to estranged twin Will opening van door for him and El*

The Wright Bros

Parallels between El being confronted, with Will standing by frozen

"She missed her dad. We all do."

El and Will reuniting at Nina and the remaining timestamp is 12:00

"Mom!"

I will alway say that I am subject to be wrong. The only thing I'm very confident about now is that Terry isn't El's mom, and it just so happens that everything else sort of falls into place after that.

[pholiabanna]

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

I'M SO SORRY FOR ANSWERING THIS SO LATE finals were killing me and I wanted to wait and write a good answer to this.

First of all I'm really excited for the 4 og boys to be together again, because we haven't had one full season of them being in the same storyline yet, which I think is criminal. I really think putting them back together will bring back the season 1 feel that made everyone love this show, and I can't wait!

I'm also so excited about learning more about the upside down. The ships and characters are awesome to analyze, but I love the supernatural part and knowing that we're gonna learn what the Upside Down actually is, and why it's stuck on the day Will went missing, among other things, makes me impatient because I need to know rn.

Now I know those weren't really goofy things but I needed to put them because they are a must for me. Moving on to the silly things:

If the season takes place in 1987, the Duffers have the chance to do the funniest thing ever and include a rickroll in a creative way. C'mon, it has to happen

A lot of people are advocating for byler to get murray'd, Erica's or Jonathan'd, but I actually want them to get Argyle'd. I imagine a scene going like: Mike and Will talk about El and Mike's breakup and the camera switches to Argyle smoking a joint in the background, while he says "Whoa Wheeler you were dating supergirl? And I was here thinking you were with mini Byers this whole time, dude, that's not cool man, that's so not cool!"

I need more Erica and Lucas sibling bickering moments, they're the best

I know this won't happen, but imagine Mike's sexuality is revealed through a conversation about movies where he reveals he finds Fast Times boring af and he "doesn't understand the appeal every man sees in that movie". I mean, at this point Fast Times has become the Duffer's favorite sexuality metaphor

I know Max probably won't wake up early on, but I'd kill to get more Elmax scenes where they just bond like normal teenage girls again. Max already taught El how to stand up for herself and how to know what she actually likes, but I think it'd be so cool to see her find out what her hobbies are. I'd love to see a scene where Max just teaches El how to skate, and El keeps trying to cheat with her powers but Max tells her that's not fair.

I need Lucas and Max to go on that movie date as well, I don't care if it's impractical

Also even though I don't really care about Dustin/Suzie because they aren't a very focused on relationship, I think it'd be cute if there was a scene where they reunite in person

More Joyce, Jonathan and Will scenes together please!!!

They need to go around town riding bikes again, bring back the whole s1 vibe

Please let us see Mr. Clarke's pov, mans probably so confused every time he helped his students the town was destroyed. Also, they can't win without him and that's a fact

Troy has to show up again, only so that they beat him up and this time El breaks his leg

Alternatively, Lonnie comes back and Jonathan beats him up (with the help of Will maybe)

Nancy notices Jonathan's tendency to interrupt byler moments and puts a leash on him

I need a new iconic song tied to another iconic scene I can obsess over. Something that can top even the Running up that hill scene

Someone needs to acknowledge the fact that they are straight up calling 001 Vecna as in one of the Dnd characters, when actually he's just some guy named Henry who would probably be so confused as to why they're calling him Vecna

These are all I could come up with but I'm sure deep in my mind there's many more things I wish for and if the Duffers deliver even one of them I'll be satisfied!

[victoriousscarf]

There's so many questions on this thing I can't choose lol- (if that's too much stuff at once just pick the ones you feel like answering and ignore the rest 😅)

7. How do you choose which POV to write from?

9. Do you comment on stories you read?

12. how does receiving or not receiving feedback/support impact you?

16. How many fic ideas are you nurturing right now? Share one of them?

17. What do you do when writing becomes difficult? (maybe a lack of inspiration or writers block)

20. Have you noticed any patterns in your fics? Words/expressions that appear a lot, themes, common settings, etc?

22. Are there certain types of writing you won’t do? (style, pov, genre, tropes, etc)

28. On average, how much writing do you get done in a day?

29. What’s your revision or editing process like? (Plus 47. How many times do you usually revise your fic/chapter before posting?)

40. If someone were to make fanart of your work, what fic or scene would you hope to see? (this is probably my favorite question) (I'm most curious about covet verse scenes ofc) (but yeah feel free to talk about whatever fic you feel like)

53. How do you spend your time when it comes to fanfiction? Are you primarily a fic reader, writer, or a perfect 50/50 split of both?

55. Of the characters you write for, which is your favorite? Has that choice been swayed at all by your followers/readers’ reactions to certain ones?

60. Have you had a writer you admire comment on your fic? What was that like?

65. Tell us about what you’re most looking forward to writing – in your current project, or a future project

7. It depends? Like sometimes a story will just be one POV--like Covet is pretty much Fili, and I'll often take Dick's POV over Jason's in a DC fic, but usually it's like whose eyes do I most want to be on in this fic/scene? I have definitely started leaning toward whole fics in one POV but I will still switch if it works for the story (for example, needing to know scenes about which one character cannot know about). I would have previously said I would switch POVs more in long fics but Mahanon sorta shot that right out of the water. I enjoy the challenge of a limited POV fic sometimes, because you really are stuck with this one dude for what's now 500k and thus as limited in knowledge as he is. But it's rarely something I think like, that much about.

9. I am once again trying to get better lol. It's all about seasons of our lives, right? I used to try and go through fics that didn't have a bunch of comments and comment on them in the smaller fandoms/ships I was in, but then I stopped reading fic for a very long time, and now that I'm more regularly reading again, it's like flexing a muscle to comment again.

But it is an effort, one I think more people need to start accepting again. Writing is really hard work, it deserves some acknowledgement.

12. Like. I will write some wild things, and I don't need a LOT of feedback persay, but if something is getting no acknowledgement at all and another fandom is doing their best to feed me... receiving/not receiving feedback WILL impact my desire to work on a fic. It can be one or two dedicated as fuck readers who get me through a whole story, or it might be a whole swarm of them, but if I get dead silence, I have less like ability to push through the bad times (which always come in any multi chapter fic) and keep going. It hurts the motivation to get silence for sure.

16. So many. So many. As always so many.

I've got usually a whole stack of fics waiting for me to care about them/have the time which I never do. In Dragon Age I've got a pirate AU (Just, Cassandra ranting every 30 seconds about the fact they declared her a pirate but when someone offers her a pardon if she turns Mahanon in she tosses them over the side of the ship like well anyway) a whole Regency Era AU with strong vibes of Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrel, and a very strange fake dating college au that may involve Fae.

Tolkien wise I've got some fics I promised people that I never wrote, an elf time loop one (which apparently is becoming a really popular idea in the Silm fandom on tumblr haha but I've been nursing this damn one for ages), that Anastasia-ish Hobbit story, a Regency Era AU for them too (but specifically Emma) and a story I've turned around for literally years now where Thorin died before the quest so Fili becomes king in exile and pretty much laughs Gandalf out of the room when he tries to convince him to reclaim Erebor (he's got a LOT to deal with emotionally okay, he's not got time for that) so they have to go and like try and kill Smaug in the middle of the War of the Ring instead.

And those are just the ones off the top of my head.

17. I think the most important thing as a writer is give yourself some grace. I try and write every week, but like I went on a trip and then I've been too exhausted since I got back, so it's been 2 weeks now with no writing for me. And frankly, I'm still feeling really wiped out so it's more like, if you're not feeling it, it's okay to take a break. Drink some tea, read a book, let it all peculate in the back of your head for a while. Try to do some things that inspire you, like for me it's reading history, or taking walks outside or going to museums, basically just learning new things. See some friends. Spend time with people. And then come back and see if that all triggered something. We forget writers block is often a systematic issue, like we're too tired or burned out or whatever, and it's about reinvigorating your creativity. And understanding and giving yourself the time. And if you're just exhausted by life well, unfortunately, maybe it's about trying to make those bigger changes, or accepting this will be a period where you plant some clover on the field of your creativity and let it lay fallow for a season or two. It will be there when you're ready again.

20. I mean, over the years I've written some wildly different things but yes, hahaha, very much yes. My favorite conflict is duty vs desire, I'm a sucker for loyalty, I'm a sucker for little shits that just don't stop, I'm a fan of knock-down, drag out street fighters, and if you leave me alone long enough, I will manifest a revolution into basically any setting. I like characters who are competent and don't give up, but who are human and make mistakes and fuck things up and keep going anyway, despite the fuck ups and danger and road blocks in front of them. I like when people feel things very deeply, but maybe aren't very good at talking about it or dealing with it, but always know they loved first and foremost, but sometimes it wasn't enough, and sometimes they did terrible things for it. I like imbuing the every day with intense feelings, be that ships or robots or undead horses or flower crowns. And I will probably try and make you cry at some point.

22. Hm. Yes and no? I have written things that I would never have expected, and I have written a LOT of stuff over the years on what are essentially dares. And there's things I wrote before that I'm like, way less inclined to write now? Like looking back my early 20s were way more willing to play around with student/teacher relationships that now I'm like... why was I even touching that with a ten foot pole? I also really really really hate pregnancy and will probably never write that into any story with any degree of detail. I'm not saying people won't have kids, but I'm not gonna be dealing with it.

So I'll write anything, as long as I can make it work for me. But it might not be in a way that like, other people expect or like.

28. On days I write I aim for 4ish pages, single spaced, 11/12 font. On really good days I can do 8 pages. On really good days I can do 20. I do not usually aim for that though. 4 is quite manageable for me on one go. (And as you'll see in the answer below on my editing, that's usually the length my chapters are. I know some people like to complain about my chapters being ~too short~ but honestly I don't want to hear it. On a good weekend you're getting 8 pages of writing if I write both days, and while some would probably prefer me waiting until my chapters are at 8 pages instead of 4, the reality is if I wait for it to be that long I will start spiraling mentally on myself and if it's good enough, so it's actually much faster for me to post the smaller chunks than deal with that. I'm a post or die person, and isn't that better than not getting anything at all?)

29/47. ... Hm.

Yeah I don't really edit. My editing process is usually to do one read through before posting (Unless I'm feeling like a scene is not working at all, in which case I may go back and rework it while halfway through and change things to make it work. But if I have to do that more than 2 or 3 times I will delete the whole thing and start again). I will try and grab typos and make sure things are working, then I will post. Once posted I try to do another read through on a typo hunt, but sometimes I don't get to that for another day or two, depending on when I post it.

40. I mean, there are always so many images while writing that make me go this would be really fun as an art haha.

I would love the scene in chapter 7 of covet not the feel of gold or taste of blood of Kili just sorta losing it. Or Fili, poor lad, covered in gold.

I'd love Dick in his magic shop from trust not in the darkness, trust in my outstretched hand, or the cabin covered in candles and the snow. I tried to work on my settings a bit more in that one.

I love any time someone draws Dick and Jason and the bike from find the sun in the corners of shadows.

I would love to see Mahanon and Sonja in art together. That would probably make me cry.

But honestly I would not really care. Like any fanart is a gift that makes me so emotional any time it happens. I understand why commissions etc exist, but I feel like the idea of sharing gifts in fandom used to be stronger than it is now. And that does make me a little sad. But it still happens and every time is worth treasuring.

53. I'm more of a writer, but lately I've been reading a lot of fics again. (Stranger Things got to me). But I also read a bunch of non fanfiction things, so I go through seasons of reading fic or not. But I almost always am writing, so I'd say majority writer, but when I read I do lose it.

55. I mean, the classics at this point are Fili and Dick and Mahanon probably. I am a sucker for someone who has every reason to hate the world and chooses instead love, belief, compassion, or in Fili's case, simple fucking survival haha. And no, I don't really care about people's reactions to certain characters. If I did I would have less plans for Gaspard in the forest is dark and deep. (Every time he shows people yell at me about how much they hate him and I'm like oh well, you're going to have to keep dealing with him anyway <3)

Honestly I only seem to chose popular characters by chance, and sometimes don't really care about the fandom reading on them (Fanon Dick Grayson my beloathed). I don't mean this in a "I'm not like other girls" way, I just know I'm contrary at best, and don't really care for the whims of popular fandom. I do what I want, and I have gotten yelled at for it by readers, and not in a good squee-yelling sort of way.

Unless you mean, swayed by readers/follower's opinions in a "I will never write this again as long as I live" way in which case yes, I did actually drop a whole ship because the readers were so mean about it and it killed all joy I ever felt in those characters together. And it was Tony Stark/Loki back in the 2012 era. That was the worst experience in fandom I ever had, you will always be legendary to me for all the wrong reasons.

60. Yes! Actually I commented on their work and they went wait, aren't you the one who wrote xxx? And I was like oh, yes, that is me, and we went from there. And then we became fandom friends lol. It is always a very kind, warm feeling to realize people have read your stuff, especially when you know they've got good tastes in their own work lol.

65. Listen, listen, I'm so excited for where ancient sea is going, the fact my brain is refusing to write it is driving me crazy. I want Hawke to meet Bianca! For the temple of Dirth to be a total shit show!!! the Forbidden Oasis being EVEN WORSE! I want my boi Abelas to show, I want things in Orlais to get batshit insane while Mahanon goes "whoops" I am dying for the assassins from Josie's personal mission to show up while Mahanon is on a hair trigger on that issue (especially! Josie! After! Wycome! holy shit). I want Gaspard to show up and be really annoying for like many different things while Mahanon keeps wishing he killed him while he had the chance (real "I should have left you on that streetcorner where I found you" "But you didn't!" vibes). I want for them to try and start breaking Mahanon and his symbols down and for him and his to rebuilt something new from the ashes.

On the other hand I also want to keep trucking in Covet because I'm really excited about some of the stuff there too, and getting to the point where I can start posting some of the side story stuff I've been writing to keep myself sane in the main story lol. (I've got like a whole 13 pages of Nori POV that came out of a fucking joke to someone that I can't post yet and now I'm mad about it lol).

[marypsue]

I am back on my bullshit (thinking about your stranger thing fics 24/7 and getting confused that your canon is not universal) but i was wondering if you had any extra body swap AU tidbits to share!! Or some Robin and Jonathan interactions in any verse!!

Lastly, I would love to hear your thoughts about how the Duffers pick their outcasts!! Also one thing that’s always struck me about stranger things (especially s1) is how much the narrative beats strike along those of ecological disasters(a la Erin brokovitch) and how in some ways ST seemed to understand that tragedy is random but some people are less protected from tragedy/authority fails them/the knowledge something is wrong but having no recourse yet lost all sense of finesse in later seasons. Idk if others have had those thoughts especially bc in some way it’s been lampshaded with the Barb cover story.

Anon I'm chewing gravel, you articulated it so well and so precisely. the narrative beats strike along those of ecological disasters!!!! I never thought about it that way but you're absolutely right!! Now I want somebody who has more knowledge than me to do a blow-by-blow comparing season 1 against Chernobyl or some equally prestigious piece of nuclear-disaster literature, because I'm really curious about whether that tracks, too. Just given the era and the anxieties of the era.

(Cut because here be salt.)

The ways in which it's lost all finesse, I think, are part sophomore slump (the show was a pet project in development for something like ten years before Netflix picked up season one, and then they wanted like a season a year after that? Or something along those lines?), part Franchising Is The Death Of Art, and part the Duffers just letting success go to their heads. The more I hear about the behind-the-scenes, the more sense I get that the showrunners just...don't put a lot of thought into what they make. Part of it is almost certainly time crunch, and part of it is absolutely economic pressure (the fabled Studio Meddling, and the studio is, instead of beholden to the companies who'd run ads during the show's runtime, beholden to the companies who'd buy product placement), and then there's the whole 'the US military won't let you use their infrastructure as props/sets if your film or TV show is too openly critical of the US military' thing.

But enough other showrunners work around these forces in interesting ways that it becomes really obvious how simply lazy a lot of the Duffers' choices are. They just pick something they think sounds cool and run with it. And that's a great way for every bias or anxiety or grudge they've ever had and not examined to float up to the surface to get skimmed off and shoved into their show.

I really do think that they set out with good intentions, in terms of 'outcasts' and challenging social norms. I just think that they've got a bunch of big ol' blind spots that they maybe don't even realise they have, have never examined, and now have an army of fans telling them aren't actually problems and they don't need to change anything. Honestly, it's the same problem a lot of actual 80s media has - John Hughes' whole canon is based off of this kind of 'identification with the outsider' thing, but. Well, Long Duck Dong exists.

It's the assumption that the white straight dude is the default, and everybody can relate to him, and should relate to him, and that if He is ever outcast then something is Wrong in Society - but hey, if people oppress women or gays or minorities, that's just how things work. And it's frustrating to see unironically and uncritically repeated in something that's patting itself so loudly and enthusiastically on the back about how it's All For The Freaks! (So Long As They're, You Know, Our Kind Of Freaks.)

Also it sounds like these motherfuckers keep ignoring the characterisation notes Winona Ryder is giving them and they Will one day die by my blade for disrespecting her. She's got more creative integrity, talent, and hard-earned skill in her little finger than the both of them have in their entire bodies. Put together. She made your careers you dumb fucking walnuts, do you think anybody would have cared that much about season one if it hadn't had Winona fucking Ryder in it????????

Anyway. On a less depressing note. I absolutely do have some Jonathan and Robin interactions I can share, and I'm going to pop them in a separate post because this one turned into a bummer, because I am a bummer. Expect that in a minute or two!

[fastcardotmp3]

hii! 18, 20, 29 for the ask thing? ^-^

hello!! thank you for asking! <3

18. What’s one of your favorite lines you’ve written in a fic?

ooh this is a tricky one because I have the memory of a goldfish when it comes to things I write as soon as I post them, but I'm very attached to this bit from always; never again-

Robin doesn’t know why it triggers her whole body to be overtaken with overwhelm, maybe the feeling of being understood, of being heard in the way Steve might have heard her had it been someone else and he had been here.

Then again if it had been someone else, Robin wouldn’t feel like this, this wave of physical hollowness, such intense overflowingness. It is a presence, this absence, so loud in its lacking that she can feel it expanding, expanding, expanding in her chest cavity until all there is to do is for it to burst.

20. What’s a favorite title for a fic you’ve written?

I gotta stand by my guy someone else's favorite song 🫡 I love a title whose meaning becomes clear over the course of the story and I think this is the closest I've gotten to achieving that. grief is found in someone else's favorite song! love is found in someone else's favorite song! you know!!!

29. Share a bit from a fic you’ll never post OR from a scene that was cut from an already posted fic. (If you don’t have either, just share a random fic idea you have that you don’t plan on getting to.)

this is a short transition scene from a fic I started, like, early last fall before metamorphoses devoured all my time and energy, and I have no idea if I'll ever return to it (probably not) but if I do, it's gonna get revamped to hell and back. I like this scene though! (which is, perhaps, why it's such a similar premise to the hair-cutting scene in meta fjsdlkfj don't LOOK at me)

The heat of the west coast gets to Eddie in August and, in a fit of frustration and the after effects of a you’re supposed to be dead you should have died why aren’t you dead nightmare and just plain old sweat, he takes a pair of kitchen scissors and cuts his hair off at his jawline. 

And then he cries. 

It’s jagged and he can’t get it even with the state of the curls and the state of his shaking hands and there’s hair filling the sink and Jonathan and Argyle are asleep in the next room because it’s, like, three o’clock in the morning and Eddie is having a nervous breakdown apparently because he should be dead by now and his name isn’t Munson anymore, no matter how much his friends ignore that fact, and it’s so fucking hot in California in August. 

It’s Jonathan who finds him in the morning, still sitting on the bathroom floor below a sink filled with chunks of haphazardly chopped hair and a pair of scissors resting on the tile by his hip and Eddie’s not crying anymore but he very well might start all over again when Jonathan just looks at him, breathes a quiet oh, and then disappears for no more than two minutes before returning with Argyle. 

“Oh, dude, short’s gonna be such a good look on you,” Argyle smiles sleepily as he drags Eddie to sit on the lid of the toilet and takes possession of the scissors in surprisingly agile hands. “Argyle’s salon is open for business.” 

He’s gentle and that almost makes Eddie cry and Jonathan brings him a cup of tea which really isn’t Eddie’s thing but that too is enough to have his throat closing up so he just shuts his eyes and waits until Argyle pats his shoulder and says, “all done, man,” before he looks at himself in the mirror. 

Shaggy enough to not have to relive the trauma of a middle school buzzcut but still kind of an awkward length, it is at the very least less suffocating in the summer heat. He looks in the mirror and runs a hand through those wild curls gone untamed by the lessened weight pulling down on them. 

Eddie Arda looks back at him.

[tamarakkoarchive]

SMT livetweet thread (3/4)

okay i'm sane again

star boi is here

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what makes smt1 still age so damn well (espe compared to the sugarcoating to barely any exposition from later mainlines) is that its portrayal of factions in power is legit like i'm seeing people from real life talking

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it's interesting to think about the differences of depiction and how one absorbs the politics happening like how smt4 puts weight a lot more on its own fantasy context so it feels far while for smt1 i keep getting reminded oh yeah i saw tv news with this just now

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smt1 goes so hard on law toshiki didn't even make the choice of going to it himself lmao dude was pretty normal and literally got selected by force after turning into a corpse

meanwhile smt4 jonathan was a spoiled rich kid with a family that worked at church from the getgo, he was destined to be god fanboy #5437986765487464 from his very first breath

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what's with being chaos and having a bald agenda

oh right i just remembered these guys are monks in the first place

if hikawa was an ex-gaian that means wow... maybe prior to nocturne events he had a hot shaved head at some point

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sorry for calling ose a slut for showing his ass in dx2, nothing beats he going commando here

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damn aoi you already ruining all our potential double dates

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i commented before abt predicting their bond was gonna be more dry compared to their smt4 counterparts but i was wrong tbh tetsuo surprisingly is a very sensible friend even after transforming and often goes out of his way to check on you

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i googled "can frogs press buttons" but nothing came up. i guess they are useless after all

wait LMAO sho still can talk and hold weapons normally, he just can't use the computer??? basically i'm guessing it's not a matter of size or intellectual level but fucking slippery fingers

what i thought the frog status did vs what it actually does

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ghdfjkghdkjg after a while things went back to being stable again but aoi's healing skills are still a big joke compared to toshiki's, his samarecarm worked every time while i just can't get her recarm to stop failing

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spent a whole fucking day backtracking literally every city in this game to figure out where the fuck was the cathedral that every goddamn npc kept mentioning and all this time it was behind that neutral old man from before. you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

we have officially entered endgame folks

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omg boys don't fight over me