#corroded coffin fest

[jo-harrington]

Corroded Coffin Fest - Day 4 - Eddie

Summary: A Day in the Life of Corroded Coffin's Frontman: Eddie Munson

Word Count: 990 - damn, cut it close

Rating: T

Warnings/Themes: A tiny bit of angst, protective Eddie, probably bad representation of playing guitar--I don't know much music lingo.

Check Out the Main Post for @corrodedcoffinfest here! Even if you didn’t start on Day 1, you can still join!

You can find my masterlist here.

Please do not interact if you are not 18+.

Enjoy!

An average Saturday in the life of Eddie Munson.

It could be the title of a magazine article all about him.

But no.

It was some creative writing exercise that his English teacher assigned. Something about understanding character development? And a chance to know themselves a little better.

“It’s not like I don’t already know how to write about characters,” he grumbled as he scribbled his pencil across his notebook. “The NPC’s don’t create themselves.”

This assignment would be easy.

---

Eddie Munson starts his day with a well-balanced breakfast and some light exercise.

He rummaged through the kitchen for something that tickled his fancy; Wayne had just gone grocery shopping so he had a good selection to choose from.

He could make eggs and toast and have it ready and warm for when his uncle got home from his shift.

Or have some good old cereal and milk while he watched cartoons, and then offer to do a load of laundry that consisted of his band tees and Wayne's work shirts.

He chose the latter.

And the balanced breakfast--juggling several boxes, a carton of milk, a bunch of bananas, and two bowls and managing not to drop a single thing-- was coincidentally also his exercise.

His afternoons are often filled with adventures of varying degrees. Most often, he ventures around marketplaces, perusing the wares of the merchants, and showing his companions how to haggle for the best deals.

"There's an art to it," he explained to Gareth as they strolled aisle by aisle. "You can't just go for the obvious choice. Sometimes you need to see what fate has in store for you."

His friend stopped in his tracks.

"We're sneaking snacks into the movie theater," Gareth stated, voice heavy with confusion. "It's not a life or death situation. Let me just get my damn Raisinettes."

He reached out to grab the desired box off the shelf and Eddie's hand clamped around his wrist to stop him.

"First of all," Eddie got right up in his face. "The raisinettes aren't even on sale, my very young apprentice. So you might as well just buy them at the theater. What are you gonna save? A quarter?"

"It's just a quarter."

"And it's in a box. Not a bag. It's gonna rattle. Old man Miller is gonna catch you immediately and then you can say goodbye to the rest of your money."

"So what would you suggest?"

Eddie's smile grew wide and feral as he directed Gareth's attention across the aisle, where plastic-wrapped pastries were displayed in abundance.

"May I introduce you to the two-for-one Hostess snack cakes?"

Occasionally, he finds himself in dangerous situations...

"Do you think they're going to see Ghostbusters too?"

"I dunno Gare, just ignore them."

"They're looking at us."

Eddie stared at the showtimes above the box office window so he could avoid the stares of the boys in letterman jackets standing at the side of the lobby.

"It's a free country," Eddie's shoulder quirked in a shrug. He kept his calm so he wouldn't scare the younger boy, but he was entirely aware of their surroundings. "That's what my uncle always says, they're free to look."

"What if they say something?"

"First amendment, freedom of speech."

Eddie was about to continue, to tell Gareth that there was nothing to fear, and that they couldn't go about avoiding all the nice things in life just because they were afraid.

...perilous, even...

But he finally looked at the younger boy.

Really looked at him.

Gareth was pale and his eyes glassy. He couldn't stop himself from staring back at the jocks who watched them and whispered and snickered. His one hand was clenched in a fist, and the other was clasped around his wrist, rubbing circles into the joint nervously.

And he was shaking.

...but he knows how to pick his battles, especially to protect his friends.

"Hey," he knocked his arm into Gareth's, pulling the boy's attention from the jocks. "If you don't want to stay, we don't have to. We can swing 'round Family Video. See if they have Monty Python?"

Gareth's eyes strayed towards the jocks again, but Eddie's words stopped him.

"I'm pretty hungry too. I don't think twinkies are gonna cut it," he patted his stomach. "We can order a pizza. Whatever toppings you want."

And Gareth couldn't help but nod and follow Eddie out of the movie theater, grateful for the boon that was offered.

No conditions.

No judgment.

At the end of the day, although his dreams might be fantastic, he is anything but that.

It was late, later than his uncle would be happy to hear about if this came back to him. The neighbors weren't fond of his music but he couldn't help himself.

He had his stereo cranked up, as loud as it could go, so he could hear the intricacies in the recording. The soft, almost imperceptible rasps of fingertips on guitar strings.

And he tried to emulate those notes on his own guitar, as he pressed his own fingers against the fret board along with the music, without strumming. He'd have his chance.

He isn't a hero.

He didn't need to hear it. Not until he was confident he had the passage and the technique down.

He didn't have music lessons or books or sheet music.

This was how he learned. Through sound, and touch, and intuition.

And once he was ready, he slammed his hand against the stereo to silence it, then started playing.

His head bobbed to maintain the tempo as his fingers flew across the frets and he strummed rapidly.

He isn't a rockstar.

He echoed back the bridge almost perfectly, wincing as he heard the mistakes, and then circled back again, fixing those mistakes.

Rewind then play, rewind then play.

Again and again.

Til he could hear the roar of a crowd as he got it right.

He's just Eddie.

[munson-blurbs]

@corrodedcoffinfest Day 4: Eddie

Word Count: 619/Rating: T/Pairing: None/CW: bullying, brief violence/Tags: Eddie Munson, Jason Carver, Billy Hargrove, Tommy Hagan, Hawkins High 1985

Divider credit to @silkholland

“Watch it, Freak!”

Eddie Munson winces as he nearly collides with Tommy Hagan. The jock’s muscular form is no match for his scrawny one, and Eddie’s back smashes into the row of lockers. He grips his notebook tight, not willing to let anyone get a glimpse of the song lyrics inside. 

Especially not a jackass like Tommy Hagan. 

Tommy notices the way Eddie quickly draws the book to his chest, his growing smirk holding nothing but malice. “Whatcha got there?”

“Probably his list of potential sacrifices,” Billy Hargrove chimes in, snapping his gum loudly. Eddie’s never been so repulsed by the smell of spearmint in his life. “Do you just do animals? Or humans, too?”

“Shut up,” Eddie mutters under his breath. A hand reaches out and snatches the book from him. It doesn’t belong to Tommy or to Billy.

Jason Carver, a junior on the team and the heir apparent to Billy’s douchebag throne, cracks the book’s spine. “Aww, what do we have here? Love songs?” His cackle has Eddie shrinking into himself.

Tommy peers over his shoulder, reading the lyrics aloud. “Gonna fight every enemy, won’t let them get the best of me…what the fuck is this shit?” His eyes blaze with challenge when he stares at Eddie. “What enemies do you have? Y’know, besides a hairbrush?”

“I think the Freak’s writing songs about us.” Billy presses a hand to his heart. “I’m touched.”

A muscle twitches in Eddie’s jaw. Confirming what they already know would result in instant mortification, and they wouldn’t believe a lie anyway. He opts to stay silent, only grabbing for the notebook.

Tugging it just out of Eddie’s reach, Jason grins at him. “Sometimes I forget that your name isn’t actually ‘Freak.’” 

“Pretty sure it is,” Billy chimes in, “but we can ask his parents–oh, wait. He doesn’t have any. Just that weird-ass uncle.”

Red flashes before Eddie’s eyes. He’s used to the constant barrage of half-witted insults from guys who would certainly peak in high school, but he’ll be damned if they speak ill of Wayne.  

Tommy’s the first one to catch the sudden shift in Eddie’s composure, but he continues holding himself with unfounded confidence. “Guys, be careful–he might get sad and write another mean song about us.” He slips into baby talk, which only makes the others laugh harder.

Already bored with the taunting, Jason flings the notebook back in Eddie’s general direction; it hits the tile floor with an unceremonious thump. “Later, Freak.”

Before he can think better of it, Eddie’s hand shoots out and grabs the collar of Jason’s letterman jacket. The second he wraps his fingers around the fabric, he’s tugging him back with enough force to slam his head against a locker. “My name,” Eddie seethes, saliva pooling at the corners of his mouth, “is Eddie Munson. Eddie fucking Munson. You got that, jockstrap?”

Jason’s Adam’s apple bobs, filling Eddie with a strange sort of pride. Wielding his newfound courage, he hisses in the junior’s ear, “And if you ever say another fucking word about my uncle, I will personally nail your balls to the gym wall. Got it?”

“F-Fine, whatever.” Embarrassment blooms in Jason’s cheeks and neck, having been bested by Eddie. He wrangles out of Eddie’s grasp and retreats back to his friends, not bothering to even glance back. “Prick.”

Eddie allows himself to breathe, even if just for a moment. Is ‘Prick’ a better nickname than ‘Freak’? Not much, but he’ll take it, if it means shutting them up.

One day, he thinks as he shoves his lyric notebook back under his arm, everyone will know his name. His real name, with no whisper of The Freak attached.

Just him. Eddie Munson.

--

[xzerosparrowx]

The Guitar

Written for the @corrodedcoffinfest

Divider by @saradika-graphics

Day #1 - Prompt: Firsts | Word Count: 861 | Rating: T | CW: Use of homophobic language/slurs | POV: Eddie | Tags: How Eddie Munson got his first guitar, Wayne Munson is Eddie's Dad, Allen Munson, First Christmas, Christmas special.

Eddie lays awake in bed, watching the weak winter morning sun cast its light across the unfamiliar room with tired eyes. He blinks back hot tears as he feels the chill around his ears, remembering the way Allen Munson pulled at his hair, the sound of the electric razor buzzing against his skin. 

Now he was here in his Uncle's trailer, a man he barely knows aside from the few times Al complained about him over the phone. 

“... Says I should stop stealing cars and get a proper job. Wayne doesn't fucking get it, man.”

“Why does he wanna look after that little queer?”

“... Just because he's got no kids, he wants to steal mine.” 

A soft little knock startles him, the shuffle of feet near his door. “Eddie, you awake?” Wayne calls out quietly, a nervous waver in his voice.

“Yea-yes, sir,” Eddie answers, sitting up but not making a move towards the door.

“I'm not- you don't have to call me that, Eddie. You can just call me Wayne,” Eddie hears him sigh, “I'm thinking of making pancakes or waffles, not sure which one you prefer. If you like something more savory for breakfast, I bought eggs and bacon as well.” Wayne rambles, and there is something sad and warm in Eddie’s chest, an old ache that he had now long been accustomed to that Wayne had stumbled upon and brought into sharp focus.

“I-I’m happy with whatever si- Uncle Wayne,” Eddie answers finally, getting up from bed and pulling on a pair of old sweats and a baby blue threadbare sweater. It’s large on his thin frame, a hand-me-down from Wayne, warm and comfortable. 

He hears his Uncle move away from the door and Eddie gathers his courage to step out of the room. A kaleidoscope of twinkling fairy lights meet him, the trailer lit in a beautiful array of colour and tinsel.

Oh yeah, it’s Christmas.

Wayne is standing in the kitchen, pouring a ladle of pancake mix on the hot griddle. Eddie rubs his eyes, forcing the tears away before standing near Wayne and watching him cook. 

“You know how to make pancakes?” his uncle asks, expertly flipping a pancake. Eddie shakes his head, the only time he ever got breakfast was if Al left him money for groceries, which was not often.   

Wayne pours another ladle in response, before handing the spatula to Eddie, “all you have to do is wait for the bubbles to show up. Once they pop, they’re ready to be flipped. See?” He says, pointing to the little bubbles in the pancake. 

Guided by Wayne, Eddie flips the pancake his uncle beaming down at him when it lands perfectly on it’s uncooked side, “I think we have Julia Childs in the trailer!” Wayne laughs and Eddie cannot help but join him, rolling his eyes good naturedly at his uncle. They continue like that, Wayne ladling the perfect amount of batter on to the griddle and Eddie flipping them with varying degrees of success. 

It’s the first time, since Eddie moved to the trailer a week ago, that living here feels normal. To realise that maybe Wayne is nothing like Al at all. They eat the pancakes in companionable silence, Eddie drowning his in maple syrup while Wayne sprinkles icing sugar and lemon.

“I have a present for you, go sit on the couch,” Wayne says, pushing his plate away and getting up before Eddie can think to protest. Eddie does as he’s told, feeling awkward and unsure again as he listens to Wayne move stuff around. 

“Alright, close your eyes!” Wayne calls and Eddie closes them, he fidgets with his hands, rubs his thumb over his fingers in a soothing back-and-forth. He hears Wayne place something on the coffee table and opens his eyes when Wayne gives him the ok. 

Oh.

Eddie stares at the old, black acoustic guitar in front of him, lovingly stored in its case. There are scratch marks here and there, the leather strap flaking in places, but it gleams under the lights as if it knows that it is a well-used and treasured thing. 

“I’m sorry it’s not a new guitar, but I don’t really use this old girl anymore, so I thought maybe I’ll hand her down to you,” Wayne offers sheepishly, wringing his hands nervously, thumb over his fingers. 

“How- How did you know I wanted one?”

“I remember hearing you ask Al for one,” Wayne says this like it’s natural that he would remember something so small about Eddie, and Eddie breathes through that sad and warm ache in his chest. 

“That was two years ago, Uncle Wayne,” he manages to choke out, he can feel his throat starting to thicken, tears beginning to well up and he watches his uncle trying to fight off his own emotions. 

“Well, you’re a good kid. You deserve something that’s just for you.”

His uncle's arms are strong and comforting when Eddie leaps towards him in a tight hug. Eddie does not remember the last time Al hugged him, but if he closes his eyes he can almost pretend that Wayne had always been his Dad. 

[rip-quizilla]

Give It All We've Got (First time getting booed offstage)

A/N: This is based off the prompt for Day 1 of @corrodedcoffinfest's writing event! Day 1: Firsts

Word Count: 766

No content warnings other than strong language!

Divider credit to @steddiecameraroll-graphics

“You guys suck!”

“Get off the stage!”

“Go back to the trailer park, freaks!”

Eddie, Gareth, Jeff and Grant were no strangers to jeers or harsh words, but getting booed until they had no choice but to leave the stage was new territory altogether. The four of them had shuffled dejectedly from the glaring red spotlights through the flimsy black curtains until they were completely backstage. Now, they may be unseen, but that didn’t mean they couldn’t still hear the applause at their disappearance mocking them as they stood around staring at the sticky black stage floor and holding their respective instruments. 

Eddie looked around at his friends- his fallen comrades- and instantly shook the thought from his head. They weren’t fallen yet- just a little shaken. 

“Nah, fuck this.” Eddie bit. “Fuck them.” 

“Come off it man, we just got booed off the stage.” Grant muttered. “We were that bad.”

Eddie scoffed. “You think that’s a reflection of us?” He shook his head, a wry smile tugging up at the left corner of his mouth. He clapped a hand on Grant’s shoulder “Man, we’re in Wisconsin, land of cheese.” 

Grant snorted, still staring at the scuffed up toes of his converse but smiling despite himself. Eddie noticed Jeff watching him from the corner of his eye and looked up to see him smiling too. 

Good old Jeff, ever the optimist. Eddie shifted his attention to the tall guitarist, slinging his arm fully around Jeff’s shoulders.

“Jeff, you’re the one with relations around these parts… tell me, would these people know metal if it slapped ‘em silly and fucked them sideways in the ass?” 

Jeff chuckled, cringing slightly at the metaphor. “No, they wouldn’t. But to be honest I’m not exactly sure how someone could be fucked in the ass sideways, asses are usually a one-way passage-”

“Semantics.” Eddie cut him off with a dismissive wave of his hand. “What I’m hearing is that we don’t need the approval of these cheese heads to know we fucking rock-”

“But we do need to get paid.” 

Eddie, Grant and Jeff all turned to look at Gareth, the only band member who still wasn’t smiling. His hands were balled into fists around his drumsticks, eyes still trained on the ground as if staring hard enough could somehow calm him down. 

“The first few shows on this tour didn’t pay, and I know we talked about how that was the price we had to pay to get our name out there, but…” Gareth looked up at Eddie now, and where the frontman had expected to see anger and embarrassment on the drummer’s face, he was surprised to find worry creasing between Gareth's brows. “This show was supposed to be our first paying gig on the tour. We can only live on our savings for so long; what happens if we get booed off the next stage? Or the one after that?”

“If that happens,” Eddie answered, silencing Gareth with a hand on his shoulder. “then we’ll figure it out.” He could have sworn he felt Gareth heave a little sigh of relief, however brief it was. Eddie gave Gareth’s shoulder a reassuring- almost paternal- squeeze. “One day at a time. I’m not willing to throw in the towel until we’ve really given this thing all we’ve got.” 

Eddie turned to look at Grant and Jeff over his shoulders. “What about you fuckers, you ready to crawl back home to mommy yet?”

“Hell no!” Grant grunted, the scowl on his face launching Eddie’s lips into a bright and rebellious grin. His hair whipped across his face as he turned to face the other direction.

“And what say you, Jeff the Just?” 

The light in Jeff’s grin was enough to match Eddie’s. “I say we give it everything we’ve got.”

“Well said!” Eddie nodded, pride in his comrades in arms oozing from every pore. Now, he turned back to the youngest member of their party and offered his hand. “What do you say, Gare-” he arched an eyebrow at the curly-topped drummer. “-to the death?”

Gareth looked at the frontman long and hard, that crease between his brows returning. It didn’t take a genius to see that he was unsure, that the lack of a solid place for his reason to stand was enough to cost him sleep most nights. However, when given the choice between security and trust in his closest friends, Gareth knew without a second thought where his loyalty lied. 

With a rueful smirk and a glint in his eye, Gareth firmly clasped Eddie’s hand. “To the death.”

[stardewfanficwriters]

More mayonnaise drinking here! An entry by @inkstainedheartbeats in which Sam’s guitar is going to meet a grizzly end and Steve may never kiss Eddie because how do you kiss lips that have drank mayonnaise. Ranch or ketchup he could understand, best condiments. Mustard is a little iffy but better than mayonnaise. He has standards. He does

[corrodedcoffinfest]

Welcome to Corroded Coffin Fest!

This is a fanworks challenge/event that is all about Corroded Coffin. It will take place from July 1st thru July 31st.

Thanks so much for showing interest in this event during this post! If you have friends that you think would like to participate, please considering reblogging this announcement!

The calendar of prompts is located here:

Since there are so many events going on (and we love to see it!) we've decided to set a word count range for this event, so the love can be spread around to more events.

GUIDELINES:

Ideas for works include: fic, art, gifsets, fanvids, moodboards, edits, playlists, or anything else you can think of to celebrate Corroded Coffin!

For fics, there is a word count minimum/maximum of between 300-1000 words per drabble. We'll use wordcounter.net to check the word counts before reblogging, so make sure you stick to that range!

Do one prompt, do them all. Hell, do them all twice! It's totally up to you. You can pick and choose what you're interested in. And we're not going to police how you interpret the prompt. Just use them as a jumping off point to be inspired by the boys of Corroded Coffin, and then share that inspiration with us! (Not everything has to be band related, we encourage you to explore other parts of their lives, too!)

Submissions can absolutely be connected to other prompts from the event, or even past works, but should still be able to stand alone each day.

Every morning a new prompt card will go up, reminding everyone of what that day's prompt will be.

All submissions should include any pairings featured, content rating and any content warnings (CW) or tags that you think are appropriate. Please put the prompt you are fulfilling as well, just to keep things straightforward. A sample could look something like this:

Prompt Day 9: The Hideout, Word Count: 666, Rating: M, Pairing: None, CW: Underage Drinking, Recreational Drug Use, Tags: Corroded Coffin, First Gig, Partying, Eddie, Gareth, Jeff, Freak, The Hideout

Also, please consider putting any explicit material under a read more cut, because anything rated E that's not hidden under a cut will not be reblogged.

For the artists! Your art submission must be posted on the same day as the current prompt in order to be reblogged by this blog. Your piece of art (or other creation) must be Corroded Coffin focused, using any combination of the guys, together or solo. Of course, other characters can be included, too! But you need to have at least one of the CC band members in it for it to count for this event. Thank you!

All ships are welcome, as long as they include at least one member of Corroded Coffin: Eddie, Jeff, Gareth & Freak. (Who I look forward to learning the name of from you all, time and time again!)

Please tag us here @corrodedcoffinfest when you post your work for the day so we can reblog it!

Be respectful of your fellow participants and readers. We're all here to have fun and share the love of all parts of Corroded Coffin.

Definitely feel free to ask me anything if the rules weren't clear in places, or if I straight up forgot something (or if you just have anything else you'd like to ask). You can send an ask/message to this blog or reach out to @thisapplepielife.

Please submit your post by 11:59 PM EDT on the day of the prompt in order to not be missed for reblogging.

 If posting on AO3, please feel free to use the collection associated with this event: Corroded Coffin Fest AO3 Collection after your submission has been reblogged by this account.

Most importantly, have fun! We can't wait to see what Corroded Coffin fanworks come out of this new event!

More info below, including full prompt list with jumping off suggestions, the warm-up rounds for April, May & June, and a spreadsheet you're free to use:

PROMPTS:

JULY 1ST - FIRSTS

First gig, first check, first award, first...anything.

JULY 2ND - IN THE BEGINNING

How did Corroded Coffin come to be?

JULY 3RD - BEST FRIENDS

Who are the best friends in the band in your head? Let's find out.

JULY 4TH - EDDIE

We all know Eddie. Let's hear some more about him today.

JULY 5TH - ON THE ROAD AGAIN

Get them out on the road, in any way you see fit.

JULY 6TH - HEARD IT IN A LOVE SONG

Let's have some romance. Any pairing(s) that tickle your fancy.

JULY 7TH - CELEBRATE GOOD TIMES, C'MON

Let them celebrate! Maybe that's a birthday/holiday/celebration show. Maybe it's a wedding, etc.

JULY 8TH - BAND POLITICS

Fight! Fight! Fight! Not everything goes smoothly all the time.

JULY 9TH - THE HIDEOUT

Catch them there, every Tuesday, playing for five drunks.

JULY 10TH - PRIDE

Let's see them celebrate Pride! Or let's see them be proud, etc.

JULY 11TH - JEFF

Let's spend some time with the guitarist of Corroded Coffin.

JULY 12TH - OW!

Injuries happen. Tell me more.

JULY 13TH - SEX, DRUGS & ROCK N ROLL

Tell us about the seedier parts of being in a band! 18+ for adult content, please!

JULY 14TH - AND THE WINNER IS...

It's time for awards season. Do they win? Lose? Let us know.

JULY 15TH - LET'S TALK ABOUT THAT

Press Tour/Interviews. Sometimes they need to promote themselves.

JULY 16TH - STRUGGLING

They're working their asses off, grinding it out, but they haven't hit the big time yet. Or they're struggling in other ways...

JULY 17TH - "THIS ONE'S FOR YOU"

Dedicate a song to someone special.

JULY 18TH - FREAK (GRANT, FRANK, GOODIE, ETC.)

Whatever name you given him, let's all focus on the bassist of Corroded Coffin.

JULY 19TH - IN THE GARAGE

Get them in the garage. Band practice, fixing the van, etc.

JULY 20TH - UNDER THE COVERS

Let them cover some real songs. Or, you know, get under the covers in another way...

JULY 21ST - HATE THIS TOWN

Hawkins. How was it dragging them down? Or, maybe they hate LA...

JULY 22ND - ALTERNATE UNIVERSE (AU)

Use your imaginations and put them into a whole new world!

JULY 23RD - UP AND COMING

They're finally gaining a little traction. Or maybe they're up...and coming. *wink wink, nudge nudge*

JULY 24TH - BEHIND THE SCENES

What's it take to get this show on the road? Or, what are they really like, off-stage? Let's get a peek behind the curtain.

JULY 25TH - GARETH

Bang them sticks! Let's catch up with the drummer of Corroded Coffin.

JULY 26TH - TOUR DATE

Let's focus on a specific show.

JULY 27TH - YOU'LL BE IN MY HEART

Navigating love while on the road.

JULY 28TH - BACK TO INDIANA

Let's go back to Hawkins and/or Indiana. Send these boys home.

JULY 29TH - BEHIND THE MUSIC

You know there's drama. A story. Probably enough for VH1 to come knocking.

JULY 30TH - FAME & FORTUNE

They've made it big! Now what?

JULY 31ST - YOUR SONG

A Corroded Coffin song? A work inspired by a song? A song that makes you think of Corroded Coffin?

WARM-UP ROUNDS:

Let's get a little practice before the full event in July!

Here's a prompt each month leading up to the event to work out the kinks and get in the rhythm of it all!

APRIL 15TH - TAXED

It's tax day. Do they need to pay their taxes? Is this a write-off? Or, are they just taxed from being on the road? Tax them.

MAY 15TH - GET A JOB

Put 'em to work. First jobs, side hustles, etc. Surely they've had some other jobs besides being in the band. Tell us about them.

JUNE 15TH - BAND ON THE RUN

Are they late for a gig? Running from monsters in the Upside Down? On a tour from hell?

Same guidelines as the full event will apply.

SPREADSHEET:

If you'd like a spreadsheet to help you keep track of the prompts and your progress, here's the one I personally use for other events, and will be using myself for this event. If you'd like to use it yourself, just go to File>Make a Copy and you'll get a version you can edit in your own Google Sheets.

Thanks for showing interest in having a Corroded Coffin event this year! ❤️🦇🖤 - @thisapplepielife (and thanks for the help and adding to the prompt list, @wormdebut!)

[corroded-hellfire]

A simple place where I can update things!

Buy me a coffee, if you’d like 💕

18+ MDNI

As You Wish series

Where the Heart Is series

Big Brown Eyes series

Jack & Coke

Good Girl

Attend the Tale

The Boy Is Mine (Red’s Version)

Inked

You Belong With Me | Hesitate

The Wyvern

A First Second Date

Separation Anxiety

Infestation, Oppression, Possession

New Outfit

Pretty Girl

Passing Through

A Court of the Lord of the Rings

Top This

Wrong Crush | Double date with Will

Man of My Dreams | Sleeping Beauty

My Favorite Elf

Love Comes Walking In | Road Trip

Mommy Issues

Birthday Girl | Birthday Boy

Eddie’s Girl

Cold Turkey

@Oneforthemunny’s Summer Writing Game

Never Have I Ever

Kitten Licks | Search for Ember

Hey, Neighbor | Part 2 (Mayfield!Reader)

My Girlfriend and Her Girlfriend

Somewhere Between Edward and Dracula

Different Kind of Jealous

Eddie Requests:

Eddie with no filter hurts the reader’s feelings

Eddie takes Wayne house shopping after Corroded Coffin makes it big

Eddie finds best friend!reader singing a sad song about unrequited love and is concerned

Wayne comforting Eddie after a nightmare

Eddie x pregnant!reader where the baby kicks for the first time

Eddie taking an interest in something you like

Eddie is jealous you’re talking and friendly with your ex

Eddie teases the reader by calling her a bookworm because he has a crush on her

Eddie and reader can’t seem to find the perfect moment to have their first time

Hellfire guys keep teasing Eddie about his crush on you, so he decides to avoid you

Reader tell Eddie she’s struggling with anorexia

Hopper!reader where your dad tells the waiter, Eddie, that you think he’s cute

Eddie’s opens an adult magazine to find his innocent high school sweetheart is a centerfold

Eddie cuddles up with his two favorite girls—you and your kitten

You’re lucky that you’re cute

Eddie relaxes reader with back and head scratches after a bad day

Eddie cheers reader up after she tries to buy from him

Risky Business

Older!Eddie puts reader into subspace after a long day

Meeting Older!Eddie at a bar

Dad!eddie picks your son up from school

Dad!eddie dotes on pregnant!reader while your son is convinced you’re having a girl

St. Patrick’s Day party

Older rockstar!Eddie’s little girl sings Disney at a Corroded Coffin show

Reader breaks up with Eddie because he doesn’t take his future seriously

Eddie picks up reader after her mom’s drunk boyfriend scares her

Older!eddie and your daughter gives him a pretend haircut, only to accidentally cut some of his hair off

Harrington!reader cheerleader punches Jason when he calls Eddie a freak

Eddie getting flowers for the first time

Eddie x Reader based on fluffy scenes from Makeup

Eddie using sign language with overwhelmed reader

Fluffy first kiss

Introducing Eddie to make up sex

Eddie defends you when Carol and her friends are being mean

You and Eddie doing your nightly routine together

Eddie comforting you after you’ve had a nightmare

Eddie wants to prove he can lift plus size reader

You overhear Eddie talking about a beautiful girl, unaware that he’s talking about you

Eddie wears a shirt that says “Nerds Make the Best Lovers” and then proves it

Eddie reassuring insecure reader

Cock warming older!eddie

Eddie comforts virgin reader when she’s anxious about sex

Reader has a relapse with her ED

Your and Eddie’s son is your mini me

Older!Eddie getting scared after finding out you’re pregnant

Offline Meeting | Visiting Hawkins

Steve requests

Steve planning a date for you with the help of the kids

Steve falls for Eddie’s sister who is a flower child

Dating Steve before breakup (Big Brown Eyes series)

This Is Music Valentine’s Day Writing Event masterlist

Corroded Coffin Fest Event masterlist

Collaborations

Want to be added to a tag list?

[jo-harrington]

Corroded Coffin Fest - Day 5 - On the Road Again

Summary: Gareth enrolls in the Eddie Munson Driving School.

Word Count: 993–CUTTING IT CLOSE GOD DAMN

Rating: T

Warnings/Themes: Angst, some swearing, coming of age friendship fluffiness.

Check Out the Main Post for @corrodedcoffinfest here! Even if you didn’t start on Day 1, you can still join!

Tagging: @the-unforgivenn at her request

You can find my masterlist here.

Please do not interact if you are not 18+.

Enjoy!

Gareth Emerson was shitting bricks.

Or, rather, he would if he wasn’t so constipated from stress.

“Ew,” Dave pushed his lunch tray away. “Do you have to say that while we’re eating?

“Yes, Dave, I do,” Gareth snarked right back, arms curling around his midsection. “God. My stomach hurts.”

It was Gareth's first day of Driver's Ed and, unfortunately, he had done horrendously.

And it wasn't just bad, it was almost-crashed-the-driving-instructors-car bad. If anything could go wrong, it did, and nothing would make Gareth feel better than to go home and forget it all happened.

Better yet, if he could drop dead...

“Hey,” Eddie clapped a hand on the drummer’s shoulder. “Everything’s gonna be fine. The DMV let you have a permit, which means you're smart enough to drive...you just need practice."

"I hit the gas instead of the brake," Gareth deadpanned.

"An easy mistake," Eddie offered.

"I didn't check my blind spots, and almost hit Higgins while I was backing up."

"He deserves it."

"And then I pulled the steering wheel clean off."

Jeff and Dave both clapped hands over their mouths to stifle their laughter as Eddie used every piece of willpower on earth not to react in an extreme way.

"That..." He took a deep breath, searching for the kindest way to continue. "Yeah, damn...I don't know how the fuck you did that."

Gareth threw his hands into the air and was about to leave, over his friends judgment and just ready for the day to end, when Eddie pushed him back into his seat.

"Hey, I get it," he began. "Driving's a big deal. And it's hard when you get behind the wheel for the first time. But, hey, you weren't born knowing how to play the drums; you had to practice to get good. Same thing for driving."

"But what if I'm never good enough?"

"Impossible."

"Coach Simmons is never gonna let me drive again," Gareth moaned.

"Then we just find another car," Eddie shrugged. "Your mom's station wagon or...what if I let you drive the van? Show you a few things? I'm a great driver!"

Gareth didn't exactly have any other choices though, especially once he started getting the stress sweats on the days he had Driver's Ed.

So every Tuesday for an hour before their gig at the Hideout, he was officially enrolled in the Munson Driving Academy.

"Driver's Ed with Ed," he joked, earning groans from the others. "What, come on, it's funny."

Eddie had even made a sign to tape to the side and back of the van.

"So no one honks at us," he revealed with a flourish. "And if they do? Lesson Number One? You honk right back. The horn is your friend."

"Got it," Gareth nodded, and then climbed into the driver's seat.

"Or you just flip them off. You're already a pro at that Gare," Jeff snickered from the back of the van, where he and Dave were sitting, cramped, amongst their equipment.

Truly, Gareth was grateful for the lessons and the time and effort that Eddie put into them. Shit, he was even grateful for Jeff and Dave not saying a damn thing in the back while he was driving, even though they'd worn their bicycle helmets during that first lesson.

The thing was...

Eddie wasn't that great of a teacher.

At least when it came to driving.

There were certain things that he was a pro at.

He got Gareth to feel comfortable backing in to parking spots and making three-point turns. He'd even shared all of his tips about avoiding the cops and getting out of a ticket, knowing Mrs. Emerson would drop dead if Gareth ever got pulled over.

But despite half of Eddie's "tricks" being useful, for the other half of the time spend with Gareth, he had his nose in the exam booklet learning some of the things himself.

"Alright, we're coming up to this hill," he flipped through the pages. "Let's try parking."

"Where's your emergency brake?" Gareth asked as he pulled to the side.

"Uhhhh, it's next to that other switch right there, why do you need it?"

"I need to the emergency brake to park uphill Eddie!"

"Oh yeah," he flipped through the booklet again. "Good job!"

Gareth swore that he could hear prayers being muttered behind him during those lessons. And damn if he didn't say a prayer or two himself.

Needless to say, when the day of Gareth's driving exam finally arrived, all of the boys showed up to the Roane County DMV along with Gareth and his parents.

It was a momentous occasion, and Jeff and Eddie made a whole show of fussing over him.

"Our little buddy's all grown up," Jeff sniffed.

"Hey isn't that supposed to be my line?" Mr. Emerson joked.

Dave had even gotten a little package of cupcakes for them to celebrate once Gareth was out.

An hour passed, then two. All of the boys got restless as they waited in the van for the Emersons all to emerge.

But when they did, all of their hearts sank.

Gareth had his head in his hands, his mom's arm around his shoulders, as his dad simply shook his head in disappointment.

"Ah shit," Eddie cursed as Gareth shook his parents away to break the news to his friends. "How bad was it?"

"Did you miss a stop sign?" Jeff asked.

"Did you tank whole written test?" Dave questioned.

"It was one of the worst experiences of my life," Gareth moaned, eyes wrenched shut in pain.

And then, like the little shit he was, he pulled a laminated card out of his back pocket and proudly held it out to show his friends.

"It's a good thing I never have to do it again!" The other boys hollered and whooped and jumped around in celebration. "You guys wanna go to the arcade to celebrate? I'm driving."

[munson-blurbs]

@corrodedcoffinfest Day 3: Best Friends

Word Count: 756/Rating: M/Pairing: None/CW: canon-compliant, bullying, violence/Tags: Eddie Munson, Gareth, Grant, Jeff, Jason Carver, Andy, Patrick McKinney, Lucas Sinclair, Gareth's POV, canon dialogue used throughout

Divider credit to @silkholland

Eddie Munson is not a punctual person, but he’s always on time for two things: Hellfire Club meetings and band practice. 

So when he’s nowhere to be found nearly fifteen minutes after practice is supposed to start, Gareth can’t help but worry. 

“Maybe we should just start without him?” Jeff offers shyly, unsure if it’s the right call or not. 

Grant shakes his head. “We’ll give him another five minutes. Maybe he got pulled over again.”

Gareth nods, but his insides churn. Something is wrong. He can feel it. 

That sense of dread is confirmed when Jason Carver, Patrick McKinney, and Andy Shay make their way up to the garage. 

Gareth notices them first, bringing his drumming to an abrupt end. Jeff and Grant go still when they see what caused him to stop playing. 

Fear catches in Gareth’s throat. He’s never had a pleasant interaction with any of them. Every conversation has ended with mockery or the jocks shoving him to the ground. 

That was how Gareth had met Eddie—the former had been pushed into a locker by Andy, seeing stars as his books fell to the ground. Eddie stopped to help him, saw his notebook filled with angsty song lyrics and DnD-inspired doodles, and the rest was history. 

“Who’re you?” Gareth asked, finding his balance to stand up. 

Eddie just grinned. “Your new best friend.”

Now, Gareth ignores the hammering in his chest as he steps out from behind his drum set. 

“A little early, fellas,” he says, hoping his confident stride hides his nervousness. “Show’s not till next week.”

“Oh, that was music you were playing?” Andy smirks. 

Jason wastes no time in explaining the reason for their surprise visit. “We’re looking for Eddie Munson,” he says sharply. “He’s in this band…if that’s what you can even call this.”

“What d’you care?” If Jason is looking for Eddie, it certainly isn’t to form some jock-freak truce. Not with the fire blazing in Jason’s eyes. 

“That’s our business.” Jason snaps back. 

Before Gareth can answer, his eyes lock onto a familiar, reluctant face. 

“Lucas? What’re you doing with these douchebags?”

Trepidation washes over Lucas’s face. “We’re just trying to find Eddie, man.”

“Well, you have eyes, don’t you? He’s not here.” And I’ll be damned if you get any information out of me, he thinks. If the roles were reversed, Eddie would shield Gareth from whatever wrath the jocks wanted to unleash. 

Jason nods, the information processing, and Gareth lets himself relax. Okay, he’ll leave now. Whatever crusade they’re on, it’s—

Knuckles connect with Gareth’s cheek, stunning him. He wills himself to stay standing, aided by Jeff and Grant propping him back up. 

Jason’s fingers dig into the fabric of Gareth’s vest. “Where is he?”

“I don’t know!”

“WHERE IS HE?!”

“I DON’T KNOW!”

There’s another frustrated punch, this time to his stomach. As he doubles over, he sees that Andy and Patrick have cornered his friends. 

I gotta help them; I gotta stop this—

A muscled arm wraps around his neck, pulling him into a headlock. He fights to get out, the two grappling for dominance, but Gareth knows it’s all over when Jason flings him into the drum set. The cymbal echoes, an ironic bit of finality. 

Pain sears through his hand as Jason’s sneakered foot presses it deeper into the carpet. He keeps one hand on Gareth’s head, holding him in place as he bellows, “it’s gonna be hard to play those drums with a broken hand!”

Gareth lets out a guttural scream. Eddie wouldn’t crack, he knows. Eddie would protect him, come hell or high water. Eddie had protected him. 

But it’s too much, and he can feel his bones aching under Jason’s foot. It hurts—it hurts—it fucking hurts—

“DUSTIN!” Shame courses through Gareth’s veins as the name leaves his lips. 

Confusion seeps through Jason’s rage. “What?”

“DUSTIN HENDERSON! DUSTIN HENDERSON!” Shut up stop talking but it fucking hurts… “He was callin’ around, looking for Eddie.” You coward, ratting out your best friend. “Maybe he found him. Maybe he found…”

Jason lets out a soft scoff. “That wasn’t so hard, was it?”

He steps off of Gareth’s fingers, but it does nothing to alleviate the weight of Gareth’s guilt. Pathetic. Eddie’s your best friend. He would never cower like you did. You let him down. You let everyone down. 

The jocks say something else before they leave, but Gareth doesn’t register any of it. He can only hope that his gutlessness won’t come back to haunt him—or his best friend. 

--

[xzerosparrowx]

The Meeting of the Fellowship

Written for the @corrodedcoffinfest

Dividers by @saradika-graphics

Day #2 - Prompt: In the Beginning | Word Count: 768 | Rating: T | CW: Fat shaming and bullying. | POV: Gareth | Tags: How the fellowship met, Corroded Coffin in middle school, Eddie's first day at Hawkins, Tommy Hagan is a bully.

Hawkins Middle School. A veritable zoo where the Jocks, Geeks, Stoners, Punks, Brains, and Goths all converge for some good ol’ American education, all of them sniping and gnashing at one another when they cross paths. Gareth, Jeff, Doug, and Zach walk through the school invisible, within these halls they are no one and belong to no clique; each of them too quiet and too average to have anyone notice their existence. 

“Hey fatty!” a voice yells over the chatter. Gareth watches Zach tense his shoulders, hunching his body in an attempt to make himself look small. Before realising that Tommy Hagan and the rest of the Hawkins basketball team have surrounded their little group, a pack of hyenas circling the wounded. 

“You get that history assignment done, like I asked?” Tommy says, holding out his hand expectantly towards Zach, the others in the group snicker when Zach opens up his binder and pulls out three crisp pages of a carefully written essay. 

Tommy snatches them, flipping through the pages as he casually reads it over, checking on Zach’s work as if he knows what he is even reading about. His brow furrows and angrily points at the page in front of him “what the hell! Despot isn’t a real word!”  There is loud bark of laughter somewhere off to the side, temporarily stunning Tommy and his pack of half-witted shitheads for a moment before all their heads turn to the source of the sound.

A boy is standing by the lockers, lanky and rough-looking, swimming in a blue sweater that is marked by tiny moth holes and a black beanie on top of his head. Gareth watches him in fascination and horror as Tommy stalks his way over, the boy shutting his locker with a loud clang, books clutched in his arms, seemingly unaware of the Goliath behind him. He finally turns around and to Gareth’s surprise the boy looks bored when he faces Tommy, as if the presence of the jock is not the worst thing he has ever encountered. 

“You wanna say something, freak?” Tommy dares, a finger pointedly jabbing the boy’s chest.

Gareth watches the boy narrow his eyes at the finger, hands curling by his sides, a tightly wound coil ready for a fight before the boy suddenly breaks into a wicked grin, body suddenly relaxing.

“If you want to know what a word means, maybe you shouldn’t have shit for brains,” the boy says sincerely as if he is giving genuine advice, a chorus of ‘ooooh’ and snickers fill the hallway and Gareth cannot help but smile as the mysterious boy gives a small wink towards him and his little group. 

The boy’s face catches Tommy’s mean right hook with a loud smack, the sudden burst of violence seems to slow down time as the boy straightens up, spits out a glob of blood and rubs the bright red mark already blooming on his face before pouncing on Tommy in a burst of speed that catches everyone by surprise. It is a blur of action at that point, David and Goliath exchanging fists. Gareth, Zach, Jeff and Doug fighting off the rest of the jocks in an attempt to stop them dogpiling the boy, and there is no way in hell they will win this fight but Gareth cannot help but feel like he’s finally part of something.

They are shoved in the cramped, dark confines of the Janitor’s closet for their trouble, Tommy and the jocks laughing loudly when they slam the door close on them. Gareth pulls the cord for the overhanging bulb, revealing them all tightly packed together with the mystery boy, lips swollen and bleeding, the black beanie sitting skewed on his head revealing an outgrowing buzzcut. 

“Thanks for that, really,” Gareth says, the rest of the group nodding eagerly in agreement, “I’m Gareth.” 

“Jeff.”

“Zach.”

“Doug.”

“Eddie,” the boy replies with a smile, holding out his hand awkwardly towards Gareth and Jeff, hands criss-crossed against his chest. They shake hands seriously like businessmen in an important meeting until they are bursting with laughter, Eddie cackling loudly that makes all of them laugh harder. 

A few moments later, as they start to calm down, Eddie looks at them with large excited brown eyes “you guys want to be in a band?” 

Zach, Jeff and Doug all exchange glances with Gareth, and he can see the same glimmer of excitement and joy on their faces that he knows he is reflecting back at them. He turns to Eddie, the boy grinning as if he already knows the answer. 

“Sure!”

[rip-quizilla]

To Gareth, From Ronnie

A/N: This is based off the prompt for Day 3 of @corrodedcoffinfest- Day 3: Best Friends

Summary: Ronnie writes a letter to Gareth detailing the truth about being Eddie Munson's best friend. (Ronnie is a character from Flight of Icarus by Caitlin Schneiderhan, but you don't need to have read the novel to understand this piece!)

Word Count: 442

No content warnings other than strong language!

Divider credit to @steddiecameraroll-graphics

Gareth,

If you’re reading this, it means I’ve already left Hawkins. I told Jeff to put this in your mailbox for me since my flight leaves early in the morning; I wanted to make sure you know what you’re getting yourself into here.

It is not easy being Eddie Munson’s best friend.

Sometimes it feels like it is, I know- he can make you smile in an instant, he has a joke for literally every occasion. He never knows when to quit trying to make everything seem okay. He can talk his way out of anything, and no matter how long you’ve known him, his talent for getting himself into trouble then back out of it within moments never ceases to amaze. 

But here’s why I’m writing you this letter- the real secret about Eddie.

He is loyal to a fault. When you have his allegiance, it’s for life, and by that I mean he would probably give his life for his friends if he thought it was the right thing to do. You’ve seen it firsthand; how many times have you found yourself in deep shit, only for Eddie to save your ass? Who’s the one getting himself beat up time and time again just so you can have an opening to run away? It’s noble, yes, but it isn’t sustainable, kid. 

He can only get beat up for you so many times. I know it isn’t what you want to hear, but you need to stop being so fucking reckless. You don’t have to pick every fight you see an opportunity for, because from now on it isn’t just your ass on the line. Eddie’s going to put his there too, every damn time. Because that’s how he shows people he cares about them. 

It’s how I know he cares about you, because I’ve seen him get more black eyes with your name on them than anyone else’s. 

Eddie makes mistakes- big ones- but he always wants to do the right thing. Sometimes he’s going to think that the wrong thing is actually the right thing, so he needs…direction. Frequently. Hope you’ve got a strong moral compass. And a larger capacity for forgiveness than me. 

Between Hellfire Club, taking my place as drummer (good luck with that, by the way), and Eddie repeating senior year, you’re going to be around him a lot. He won’t say it out loud, but he’s going to need you. He’ll have the rest of the younger guys, I know that, but he needs a right-hand-man. I think you’re up to the challenge… but hey, maybe I’m wrong and you’re a total loser. 

Please prove me right, Gareth. For Eddie’s sake.

Ronnie

[babybluebex]

*claps hands together* okay SO. listen. even though i know some people dont like it, i am kind of a sucker for “tomboy character gets femmed up and male protagonist falls for them hard” cliche, and imagining that with a fem!reader (or just a kinda fem enby like myself) who’s one of eddies childhood friends SENDS me 😭 ofc no pressure!! your writing is wonderful as always and take all the time you need 🥰

𝐟𝐨𝐨𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐟𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐢𝐧 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 | 𝐞𝐝𝐝𝐢𝐞 𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐱 𝐟𝐞𝐦!𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫

𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲: you’re not exactly a girly-girl, but, after corroded coffin is booked to play prom, you decide to surprise your best friend with a dress and a confession. 𝐩𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠: eddie munson (stranger things) x fem!reader 𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐬: tomboy!reader, a LOT of fluff, brief blood mention 𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫'𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐞: eek thanks for sending in this request! i had such a good time writing it!

You didn’t usually give much thought to dances or school functions, or really school at all. All of the events, be it homecoming or the Snowflake Ball or that weird assembly about saying no to drugs, were a complete snooze fest. Even prom irked you. Who would actually want to hang around the gymnasium and drink flat punch for hours and listen to whatever crappy band was hired out for the night? The concept of it never struck any flame inside you, so you never cared about it. 

Until this prom. Until Corroded Coffin. 

“How the fuck,” you started, tossing a crumb at Eddie as he strutted proudly around the lunch table. “Did you manage to get Higgins to hire your sorry-ass band to play prom?” 

“I can be persuasive!” Eddie returned quickly, dodging your crumb with a smile. “Anyway, I also told him that it would motivate me in my schoolwork.”

“How would that…” you began with a roll of your eyes. “Never mind, I don’t wanna know how you smooth-talked that away. So, you’ve got your Saturday booked up. What happened to renting Halloween, like we talked about?” 

“We can still do that,” Eddie told you quickly. “Prom officially ends at 11, then I’ve got the rest of the night for my favorite girl.” 

Your heart swept up into your throat as he passed behind you, his hand lightly trailing your shoulder. You and Eddie had been through thick and thin since meeting, way back in preschool, and he loved you like you were his sister. You, however, had something festering in your heart. 

It had happened back years ago, despite the awful buzzed hairstyle that he had rocked all through junior high. Somewhere between seventh and eighth grade, you had developed a huge crush on your best friend, one that had consumed every second of every day. And now, your last year of high school (and Eddie’s third senior year), your crush had managed to dull down to less all-consuming and more… Loving. 

You didn’t have a crush on your best friend, you loved him. And soon you would leave him for college. You worried if your friendship would survive the distance, but, the one time you had talked to Eddie about it, he had assured you that he would write and visit every chance he got. But, as the time drew nearer and nearer, it felt less likely to happen. He would get a job, you would move, and you’d never have time for each other, and, eventually, he would only be that guy you used to know.

Spending time with Eddie mattered to you, and you were only slightly hurt that Eddie would drop your plans to perform at the stupid fucking prom. He had never gone to prom, nor had you ever heard him express any interest in going, and you groaned at him. “Since when do you even wanna go to prom?” you asked. 

“Since I decided that this is my last chance to,” Eddie said, and he finally settled down in his chair at the head of the lunch table. “I’m fuckin’ done with Hawkins High, and I’m gonna graduate and leave this place in my dust. I don’t have anything to lose. Anyway, it’s a gig. I’ll get paid. We can rent Halloween and buy some snacks. Sounds like a good deal to me.” 

You crossed your arms over your chest. “I’m going,” you told him. 

“Going where?” Eddie asked, and you coughed out a laugh. 

“To prom, dork,” you returned. “I wanna see you guys perform.” 

“Really?” Eddie asked with a furrow of his eyebrows. “Prom isn’t my scene, but it’s really not your scene. Don’t torture yourself just ‘cause you wanna spend time with little ole me.” 

“What do you mean it’s ‘not my scene’?” you asked, and you stole a carrot off of Dustin’s lunch tray. The freshman gasped at you, and you jokingly mocked his gasp before giving him an exaggerated pout. “Prom can be my scene.” 

“You just don’t…” Eddie started. “Getting all dressed up and everything, I know you hate that.” 

“You’re right,” you sighed, slumping back in your chair. “But you never know, I might surprise you and show up. It’s just a Corroded Coffin gig, right?” 

“We’re gonna be playing dumb covers,” Eddie grumbled. “We were given a very specific list of dos and don’ts. No heavy metal, nothing vulgar—”

“So, you’re a cover band for the night,” you giggled, and Eddie scrunched up his face in fake-annoyance before he tossed a pretzel in your direction. It hit your cheek and fell down into your lap, and you grinned as you plucked it up and ate it. “I know how you feel about musical integrity, Eds.”

“Yeah, well, integrity goes out the window when you get paid,” Dustin chuckled, and Eddie flashed him a dirty look. “Well, doesn’t it?”

“Whatever,” Eddie said. “Fuck you guys. If you wanna show up to prom, do it. See if I care.” 

“I will,” you told him, and you stuck your tongue out at Eddie at the same time that he stuck his out at you. “And I’ll watch you care so much.”

Prom, unluckily for you, was only 3 days out. You hated the idea of dressing up for it, just as Eddie had predicted you would. You hated the whole glitz and glamour thing, and the thought of intentionally getting all dolled up with hair and makeup and some big dress and heels made you feel sick. But, you considered, it was for Eddie. You would do a lot for him, this included. 

The problem came with the dress. Dresses were scarce in your closet, let alone something really nice, and you knew that no stores would have anything like what you wanted that was even remotely in your price range on such a short notice. 

On the night, just hours short of prom, you chewed your lip as you held the phone to your chest, debating if you truly wanted to do this, and you rolled your eyes as you got over yourself. It was Eddie— you could show up in a potato sack and he’d still call you pretty. 

You quickly dialed Mike Wheeler’s number, rotating the dial as you tried to remember it. You had only ever called him once before, getting on his ass for being late to Hellfire last semester, but it wasn’t the younger Wheeler that you wanted to talk to. 

His mom answered the phone. “Hi, Mrs. Karen,” you said, hoping to sound sweet and charming. “Is Nancy around? I have a question for her.” 

“Why’re you calling me?” Nancy asked as the phone was passed to her, and you sighed. 

“You’re the only girl I remotely know,” you started. “And I need a dress.” 

“A dress?” Nancy repeated. “Why? Are you going to prom tonight? Don’t you have a prom dress?” 

“Well, no,” you started, curling the phone cord anxiously around your finger. “I, umm, wasn’t really planning on going to prom. But now I am, and, like I said, you’re, like, the only girl I even sorta halfway know. We were in Kaminsky’s class together sophomore year, and Mike’s in Hellfire, and I just… I need a dress. Anything! It could be a church dress, sundress, it could be anything. I just need help.” 

“Right,” Nancy said slowly. “Umm… Come over, I guess. I’ll see what I can do for you.” 

You had never even been over to Wheeler’s house before, and going to see specifically Nancy Wheeler felt odd. You especially felt weird walking into her pink-topia bedroom, wearing your ripped jeans and dirty Converse and flannel shirt that used to be Eddie’s but you had stolen off of him. To top it all off, of course, her only dress options were pink and/or glittery. But you weren’t going to be a choosing beggar, and you decided on one that was the least egregious. A strapless burst of light pink tulle that fell down to your calves hugged your frame, and you examined yourself from every angle in Nancy’s little white wicker mirror. 

“How is that?” Nancy asked, stepping behind you into the reflection. 

“I feel like a princess,” you mumbled, turning again to look at your back. 

“Is that good or bad?” Nancy asked, and you shrugged. 

“It’s…” you started. The dress showed off your dirty shoes and scrunched socks, but you sorta liked the way it looked. You felt pretty. “I think it's good.” 

“And if you let your hair down…” Nancy started softly, reaching out and shaking your hair out of the perpetual ponytail that it was in. Your hair was dented from the ponytail holder as it fell down, and you took a deep breath. “Maybe curled it… A little makeup… Is Eddie your date?” 

“No,” you scoffed, but you looked away from the mirror all the same. “No, his band is performing, and I was gonna surprise him.” 

Nancy suddenly got a smile on her face, like she knew something or understood you, and she said, “You’re trying to look nice for Eddie.”

“No, I’m not!” you said. “I… I don’t know. I just wanna… Look like I’m going to prom, I guess. It’ll shake him up, seeing me in a dress, it’s gonna be funny.” 

“Honey,” Nancy said gently. “It’s okay to wanna look nice for the guy you like. I mean, any girl would want that.”

“I don’t like Eddie—” you tried to say, but Nancy shook her head, her permed curls bouncing around her face. 

“Then why do you wanna look so nice?” Nancy asked. “You could’ve showed up in your jeans.” 

You frowned, examining the dress once more, and you sighed. “Okay, fine,” you mumbled. “I just… I like Eddie, I really like him, and I just… Maybe I do wanna look nice for him, whatever. Don’t judge me.” 

Nancy looked at your reflection for a few more quiet moments, and she finally said, “You can keep that dress. I never wear it.” 

The band was already performing by the time you showed up. Given, you had shown up a little late, but you were sure that Eddie wouldn’t mind. You were sure that, even if you hadn’t showed up at all, he wouldn’t have minded. 

That way, you would’ve missed seeing him in that dumb fucking suit. 

Suit was not exactly what it was. It was a tuxedo, black, with a white shirt that had some frilly bullshit on the chest. You could tell that Eddie was despising the black bowtie around his neck and the cumberbund around his middle, and you also knew for a fact that he was hating every second of having his hair pulled back into a ponytail. You almost wanted to laugh at him. Your hand came up to cover your mouth to hide your laughter, as if he could see you from across the gym. 

Eddie was standing very still as he played his guitar, some gentle-paced love song that couples all around the gym were slow dancing to. You had seen him play guitar before, and you knew that he usually played with all of the energy in his body, headbanging and jumping around. You had wiped blood off of his face before after he had rammed his head into the headstock of his guitar, even. He looked miserable, and you frowned. Poor Eddie. 

You weaved through the dancing couples to make it up to the small stage, and Eddie’s dark eyes found you in an instant. You waved at him carefully, not wanting to draw his attention away from the song for too long, but that failed in an instant. He had already missed a cord and, as his hands floundered to get back on track, he struck a sour note. 

You saw him mutter something that looked like “Fuck it”, and he pulled his guitar up and over his head before he said something in Jeff’s ear. Then, he jumped down from the stage and, smugly adjusting his bowtie, swaggered up to you. 

“Alright, cut that shit out,” you laughed as he approached you. “I can tell you’re not having a good time.” 

“Jesus Christ, am I that easy to figure out?” Eddie asked, dropping his hand from his tie. “I hate this fucking monkey suit.” 

“You look like the kid from Back To The Future,” you giggled. “That tux is hideous, Eds.” 

“Kinda felt like him too,” Eddie mumbled. “My hands stopped playing when I saw you. Holy shit, by the way! You look—”

“Hideous?” you repeated with a shrug. “I know.” 

“Beautiful,” Eddie said breathlessly. His eyes were canvassing your whole body, from your curled hair to your pink-painted lips to your dress, and even down to your scuffed Converse and scrunched-up socks. “I didn’t know you had this in you.”

“Shut up,” you laughed, reaching out and punching Eddie’s shoulder. “If I look beautiful, then you’re downright handsome.”

“I’ll take it,” Eddie chuckled lightly, and the smile dropped off of his face. “You wanna… You wanna dance?” 

“Seriously?” you asked. “Do you really wanna dance?”

“Kinda,” Eddie shrugged, and your heart jumped in your chest. “But not if you don’t want to.” 

“Oh,” you said softly. “Well… Yeah. Sure.” 

You watched Eddie swallow thickly as he took a step towards you, and your skin rippled as he put his hands on your waist. “Have you ever slow danced before?” you asked, and Eddie shook his head. 

“No,” he said. He seemed nervous, and you were taken aback. Eddie, your high-strung best friend, never afraid and always loud, was nervous. Was he nervous to dance with you? Or was he really that insecure about the way he was dressed?

“You do look really nice,” you mumbled. “Really… Seriously handsome.”

“Thanks,” Eddie said as you circled your arms around his neck. “Umm, are my hands okay here?” 

“Yeah,” you told him. After a moment of consideration, you added, “They can go lower, on my hips, if you want.” 

“No,” Eddie said. “I like holding you here.” 

You nodded, trying not to think about his words too hard. Sure, you had hugged Eddie before, loads of times, and he always threw his gangly arms around you and squeezed hard, and he never seemed anxious about it. Your heart was racing inside your chest as you moved even closer to Eddie and rested your chin on his shoulder, letting your cheek brush his neck. Your body fit against his like the most perfect puzzle piece, and you sighed lightly. 

It was now or never. “Eds?” you whispered. His grip tightened on your waist at the gentle nickname, and you started to add, “I—”

Eddie cut you off, though, in the best way he could have. He turned his head and swiftly pressed his lips to yours, lingering for just a moment before pulling away, all too soon for your liking. “Sorry,” he said quickly. “I, umm… I’ve had the biggest crush on you for a long time. A-And you’re about to leave for college, and you look so fucking beautiful— not that you don’t look beautiful every day, I actually sorta prefer your jeans and everything— and I just, I can’t hold it back any more. I love you.”

“Eddie,” you sighed heavily, your voice trembling. “I mean… I don’t know what to say to you.”

“Tell me you love me,” Eddie whispered, and he pushed a lock of your hair behind your ear. “Tell me I didn’t just fuck everything up.” 

You looked at him, entranced by his wide, dark eyes, and you leaned back in, pressing your lips to his again. His hands fluttered on your waist for a moment before he dragged you right up against him, his palms pressing flat to your back, and his lips moved gently against yours as he kissed you. Eddie was kissing you; it was your dream come true. 

As you broke the kiss, you could feel Eddie’s heartbeat flush against your chest, and you giggled softly, looking down at your swaying feet. “I love you, you dork,” you told him. 

“You still down for Halloween later?” Eddie asked hopefully, his eyebrows raising. “Watching a scary movie with your boyfriend?” 

“Yes,” you told him with a smile. “Yes, I am so down for that. As long as you let me hide during the scary parts.” 

“I’ll kiss it better,” Eddie said. “How does that sound?”

“Perfect.”

[medusapelagia]

Other events: General, Rare Pairs, Character Centered Events - May Update

Stranger Things Big Bang ( @strangerthingsbigbang) The authors sign up are closed but the Artist sign up is open till May 11! Event info

Strangers Things Monsterfucker May challenge (@aidaronan) An event for the monsterfucker lovers! Event info

Hawkins microfic ( @hawkinsmicrofic) Here it is! Get ready to challenge yourself with a prompt and a defined number of words. May prompt is: Eyes - 528 words Event info

Billy Hargrove Big Bang ( @billybigbang2024) Billy Big Bang is back on under a new management! Join us! Writer Sign-Ups Close: May 15 Artist Sign-Ups Close: July 6 Event info

Stranger Things Sapphic Mini Bang ( @sapphicstevents) Writers Sign Ups are closed, but Artists Sign Ups are open till the 14th of June Event info

Corroded Coffin Fest ( @corrodedcoffinfest) This even will take place from July 1st thru July 31st but there are going to be some warm up events! MAY 15TH - GET A JOB JUNE 15TH - BAND ON THE RUN Event Info

A Stranger Summer ( @astrangersummer) A Strange Summer it's finally started! Have fun with some weekly prompts through the months of May, June, July, and August! Event info Prompts list

Summer Things Fest ( @summerthingsfest) A prompt base fest open to all ships! Prompts open on the 26th of April Claim from from the 10th of May Event info on AO3

BUCKLEWAY APPRECIATION WEEK Do you think it was a pity that Robin and Heather never got time together on screen? Here is your occasion to make it happen! Run from MAY 19 - 25 Event info

Metalsandwich Movie Mania ( @now-showing-at-the-hawk-events) Post-2000s Metalsandwich Movie Mania will take place June 9th-22nd Pre-2000s Metalsandwich Movie Mania will take place November 10th-23rd!  Event Info and prompts!

Eddie Munson Big Bang ( @eddiemunsonbigbang) It’s still a bit early but get ready to sign up to the most metal Big Band ever! Sign ups open on July 1st, 2024 and close on September 9th, 2024 Event info

Stevie week ( @stevieweek) A week were all Stevies are welcome! Non-binary, genderqueer, cisgender, gender fluid etc. From the 4th of July to the 10th of July Event info

Metal Sandwich Bingo ( @metalsandwichbingo) The bingo will take place 1 Oct - 31 Dec, 2024, more info closer to the event! Event Info

Steve Harrington Big Bang ( @steveharringtonbigbang) Finally we have some info about this Big Bang that was postponed to 2025! Sign Ups Open -- January 01, 2025 Sign Ups Close -- March 21, 2025 Event info

Stommy Big Bang ( @stommybigbang) It's still a work in progress but keep an eye on their page for more info soon!

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As always feel free to reblog and add other events!

Under the cut the past events if you want something to read!

Stranger Things Reverse Big Bang @strangerthingsreversebigbang Here is the AO3 collection !

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[corrodedcoffinfest]

Corroded Coffin Fest - May 15th - Masterlist

Big, big thanks to those who participated in this second warm-up round for Corroded Coffin Fest! Missed out? There'll be another chance on June 15th! Start working on your "Band on the Run" submissions now, if you'd like to join in on the fun!

Color-Coded Ratings Key: General, Teen, Mature, Explicit.

Here are all the submissions from yesterday's prompt:

MAY 15TH - GET A JOB

Put 'em to work. First jobs, side hustles, etc. Surely they've had some other jobs besides being in the band. Tell us about them.

FICS:

wasting company time by @steddieas-shegoes | Rating: T | CW: None | Tags: they're idiots and i love them, especially gareth, he is my most special boy

These Keys? by @thisapplepielife | Rating: T | CW: Language, Off-Screen Recreational Weed Use | POV: Gareth | Pairing: Steddie | Tags: AU, Gareth Fakes It Until He Can Make It, Car Dealership, Gareth & Steve, Meet Ugly, Eddie Only Tortures Those He Loves Most

What a way to make a livin' by @dreamwatch | Rating: T | CW: Language | POV: Gareth | Tags: they're idiots, first jobs, banter, angst free zone!

ART:

Corroded Coffin Boys at Work by @luciferssworld

Corroded Coffin Fest will be back on June 15th for the third and final warm-up round before the full event in July! 🦇

[jo-harrington]

Corroded Coffin Fest - Day 1 - Firsts

Summary: The boys' first official practice together has a bit of a bumpy start.

Word Count: 669 (nice)

Rating: T

Warnings/Themes: Friendship, angst, mentions of FOI, Freak #3 is named Dave in my universe.

Check Out the Main Post for @corrodedcoffinfest here! Even if you don’t start on Day 1, you can still join! <3 Thanks @thisapplepielife for organizing, this event is going to be so fun!

You can find my masterlist here.

Please do not interact if you are not 18+.

Enjoy!

There was tension in the air.

Tension and maybe a little bit of BO. It was the last stretch of summer, after all, and they were four teenage boys standing in a garage.

The setup wasn't bad though, and Mrs. Emerson had set up a card table full of snacks and drinks in the corner.

"Alright," Gareth cleared his throat awkwardly. "So do we want to eat first or should we just get right to it?"

Jeff's head turned to Eddie, immediately deferring to the leader of the band for the final say, and the other two were quick to follow suit.

And in that moment, Eddie faltered.

No matter how excited they'd all been discussing this in the cafeteria the other day, it still felt wrong. Like something was missing.

There was no Ronnie.

No Dougie.

And no more second chances when it came to his friends.

Eddie looked down at his feet and let his sneakers shuffle against the smooth concrete floor as feelings of self-doubt crashed into him.

What if he fumbled it all again? What if he let them down? What if their sound really wasn't as good as Corroded Coffin's had been the first time around? At least they had something then; this was new, this was fresh, this was different.

Even worse, what if he tried to push them to be better and they just thought he was chasing after the fame game again? Even though he'd sworn to himself that if they were going to do this, they were going to do it right.

He hadn't exactly done much to earn anyone's trust back yet; a summer wasn't gonna undo all of the bullshit he'd put his friends through.

Eddies thoughts--his fears--grew and grew until they were just a buzzing drone in his head and there was a tight, anxious grip on his heart that made him feel like he was about to pass out.

"You know," Jeff spoke up after a few short, painfully quiet moments, "the first time I picked up a guitar to play with you and Dougie and Ronnie, you told me I sucked."

Eddie's head snapped up and he watched acrooked smile grow on Jeff's face.

He remembered those early day, before Jeff was officially part of the band. He said that he wanted to learn guitar he would give anything to sit in on their practices. Showed up the next day with an old out-of-tune fender and no idea what a chord was.

"I didn't have callouses yet so I kept having to stop for a break," Jeff massaged his fingers, remembering the phantom pains. "Then I got frustrated when I wasn't getting any of the things you showed me. I almost gave up, actually. I wasn't gonna show up for the next practice, but you stopped me before I got in my mom's car. Told me that I wasn't gonna get better if I just quit."

There was a heavy emphasis on the word quit, and Eddie closed his eyes, as if his friend would stop seeing directly into his soul if he did.

"I don't know how you knew man," Jeff continued, voice laden with intention. "But you did. And look at us now."

"Still a garage band in Indiana," Eddie snorted in self-deprecation.

"Uh, we're only gonna be the best garage band Indiana has ever seen," Dave interjected. "We just...have to play some music."

Gareth let out a whoop of agreement and Eddie opened his eyes to find the three younger boys staring at him expectantly once again.

"What do you say man?" Jeff asked. "First official song of the first practice of the new Corroded Coffin. What should we play?"

And Eddie stood there for a moment, contemplating, weighing and judging his options like this was the most important decision he would make in his life.

Maybe it was.

Finally, with one last glance down to his feet, he took a breath, pulled his shoulders back, and asked,

"How well do you guys know Flight of Icarus?"

[munson-blurbs]

@corrodedcoffinfest Day 5: On the Road Again

Word Count: 835/Rating: T/Pairing: Steddie if you squint/CW: slight Eddie x Steve/Tags: Eddie Munson, Gareth, Jeff, Grant, Steve Harrington

Divider credit to @silkholland

In retrospect, Eddie shouldn’t have ignored the clunking noise coming from the van’s engine. Though, in all fairness, he didn’t have the money to go to a mechanic and figure out the source. 

He would have had the money after the gig Corroded Coffin booked for tonight—a show for a club’s grand opening out in Indianapolis—except they’re currently stranded on the side of the interstate. Smoke billows from the front of the van, the scent silently urging Eddie to light up a cigarette. 

Or maybe that’s just the stress. 

“We have forty minutes to get to the club,” he mutters, the cigarette muffling his words. “If we can get to a payphone, we can call Pat and see if she can put us on later—”

“That still doesn’t solve our problem of actually getting there,” Gareth interjects, earning a scowl from Eddie that he easily ignores. “You got Triple-A?”

Eddie rolls his eyes. “You got Triple-A?” He pitches his voice upwards in a nasal, mocking tone. “If I had Triple-A, I’d be hitching a ride in a tow truck right now.”

“So…do we just wait here for someone to pity us and drive us to the club?” Jeff shoves his hands in his pockets, kicking one sneakered foot against the gravel. 

“Gonna need more than just a car to lug all of our shit,” Grant points out. “Like…a truck or something.”

Gareth crosses his arms. “Yeah, great idea. Let’s just hitchhike with a random trucker. That’s never ended poorly for anyone.”

“Don’t worry, pretty boy. I’ll protect—”

“SHUT UP!” Eddie’s anger silences the other three band members. His thumbnail is pinched between his teeth as he paces back and forth. “I can’t think with you idiots dicking around.” 

He runs a ringed hand through his curls. They’re still twenty miles out, but a faded blue sign ahead shows that there’s a truck stop a half-mile away. There’s probably a payphone there. He can call Pat, explain the situation, and ask if any of the other bands would pick them up. 

Before he can relay the plans to the others, a pair of headlights illuminates the road. The car slows to a stop next to the broken-down van. Eddie squints, trying to make out the person sitting in the driver’s seat as they roll down the window. 

“Eddie Munson?” A man’s voice, though puzzled, is familiar. Eddie recognizes the hair first—literally, The Hair. 

Steve Harrington lowers his radio as he takes in the sight before him. “You guys break down or something?”

Eddie’s jadedness makes itself present before his brain can catch up. “Nah, just enjoying a warm summer night on the side of the highway.”

“Dude,” Jeff mumbles, elbowing him in the side. 

Eddie sighs. As much as he despises the former King of Hawkins High, he can’t risk squandering the opportunity for a free ride. “Yeah, man,” he concedes. “We need to get to a payphone and find someone to get us to our gig.”

“I can take you.”

This has to be a joke. The last time Steve Harrington was nice to him was…never. 

“It’s all the way in Indy—”

“I’m headed that way.”

“And we have all our stuff—”

“Trunk’s roomy.”

Grant grasps Eddie’s shoulder. “C’mon. We don’t have another choice.”

He’s right, and Eddie knows it. The Freak’s success lies in the hands of The Hair. He waits for the gotcha moment, half expecting Steve to drive off once they’ve managed to pile the two guitars, bass, and Gareth’s snare into the trunk, but that never happens. 

Grant, Jeff, and Gareth scramble into the backseat, leaving Eddie to sit next to Steve. 

Great. 

They’re nearly at the club when Eddie can’t hold his tongue any longer. “So are you, like, a good dude now?” The words spill out. “Because the Steve I knew in high school would’ve left our sorry asses in the dust.”

Steve laughs, and Eddie finds himself relieved that no offense was taken. “Yeah, I was a jerk. Like, major ego.”

“So what happened?”

Steve pauses before responding. “Let’s just say it was my ass that got left in the dust, and it was one hell of a wake-up call.”

Eddie nods. “Well, we owe you one. Gas money, at least.”

“Nah, it’s cool. We’ll call it even after all of the shit I put you through in high school.”

Eddie thinks for a moment. “Can I buy you a drink at the club? If you were gonna stay, I mean. No pressure or anything.”

“Sure.” Steve smiles. “Figured you’d need me to stick around and give you a lift back anyway.”

“Y-Yeah. I mean, thanks.” Christ, why does kindness suddenly have Eddie unnerved? 

“Think we might be writing more love songs soon,” Eddie hears Gareth whisper to Jeff. He’d reprimand the drummer if it wasn’t for two pesky facts:

One, he doesn’t want to call any more attention to the comment. 

And two, he is, in fact, composing a mental list of words that rhyme with “hair.”

--