#dustin hayes

[sinceileftyoublog]

Walter Etc. Live Show Review: 9/21, Subterranean, Chicago

Walter Etc.

BY KEITH MILLER

Last Saturday, on the downstairs stage of Chicago’s Subterranean, stood a California folk-punk band with a variety of names. As Walter Mitty and His Makeshift Orchestra, they were a traditionally acoustic outfit that, when playing live, tended to plug in. Nowadays, they haven’t broken up but fully embraced their electric side as Walter Etc. They’ve signed to SideOneDummy, toured Europe with Jeff Rosenstock, and opened for Slaughter Beach, Dog at legendary Joshua Tree honky tonk Pappy and Harriet's. Lead singer Dustin Hayes has made some seriously good connections. And now, with Pavement playing four miles south of Subterranean at Riot Fest in Douglass Park, Walter Etc. had nonetheless sold out a tight venue space in order to play 2014's Walter Mitty album Well Soon from cover to cover.

The space got tighter and more intimate as local opening bands What’s Vital and Sunday Cruise delivered their sets, thrilled to play a sold out show during Riot Fest weekend. (The latter especially took the stage with energy, humor, and stellar vocals. They were even kind enough to offer up their setlist, which reads like a poetic heartbroken letter to a meter maid.) But the audience was howling as Walter Etc. got on stage. Well Soon’s opening song, “Compersion,” didn’t exactly bring the house down, but it led into the fast-paced, existentialist “Post Graduation Oblivion,” a song that I--yes--played on repeat immediately after graduating college. Throughout the entire set, Hayes told jokes, laughed with the other band members, talked about the album's significance, and even dissed the slowest song on the album, “Chamomile”, all while keeping the show moving. After the last song came to an end, a track titled “Auntie Earth”, the band kept right on, playing tunes from Walter Mitty albums Overwhelmed and Underdressed and Cliche Definitions of Success. Though Walter Etc. played nothing from the albums released under their current name, the energy and attitude of a punk show was alive and vibrant.

I got a chance to meet Dustin Hayes briefly after the show. He and I have exchanged messages from time to time over Instagram, as we’re both fans of the author Larry McMurtry. I usually send him a message telling him about some new book I’ve read. As I wrote this review, I realized that I forgot to tell him to check out Terms of Endearment. Maybe he’s already read it. Who knows? Anyways, if you have a chance to see Walter Etc. on tour, definitely pop in and say hello. Either way, keep them on your radar. There’s talent and dedication in their sound, and they're a band you don’t want to sleep on.

Sunday Cruise setlist

[upsidedog]

god the scene in season one where jonathan comes home to joyce and lonnie on the couch drinking together is harrowing. it makes me want to cry just thinking about it, your brother is dead, your mom is horrible mental state and is now also introducing your abusive father back into your house. what a fucking nightmare.

[obsidianstrawberrymilk]

How’s it going YJ and Stranger Things fans

[jonathanbyersphd]

At least s4 didn't try to convince us that Hawkins has an airport

[bookhouseboy1980-blog]

WCW Saturday Night June 27, 1992 (Review)

Sub to my channel for more: https://www.youtube.com/@oldschoolwrestlingrambles595/videos

[midnight-star-world]

#CountryMusic

CMT 2-4-23

So today I will be bringing you the Hottest 20 Country Music Videos for the week of 2-4-23 from CMT (Country Music Television). So let's get started right now.

Number 20 belongs to Dustin Lynch who is new to the list this week - Stars like confetti.

Number 19 belongs to Jelly Roll who is staying in the same spot as last week - Son of a sinner.

Number 18 belongs to Shane Profitt who is new to the list this week - How it oughta be.

Number 17 belongs to Walker Hayes who is staying in the same spot as last week - Y'all life.

Number 16 belongs to Gabby Barrett who is dropping 12 spots this week - Pick me up.

Number 15 belongs to Corey Kent who is moving up 1 spot this week - Wild as her.

Number 14 belongs to Carrie Underwood who is staying in the same spot as last week - Hate my heart.

Number 13 belongs to Bailey Zimmerman who is moving up 2 spots this week - Rock and a hard place.

Number 12 belongs to Cody Johnson who is moving up 1 spot this week - Human.

Number 11 belongs to Sam Hunt who is staying in the same spot as last week - Water under the bridge.

Number 10 belongs to Nate Smith who is dropping 9 spots this week - Whiskey on you.

Number 9 belongs to Blake Shelton who is staying in the same spot as last week - No body.

Number 8 belongs to Dierks Bentley who is moving up 2 spots this week - Gold.

Number 7 belongs to Hardy featuring Lainey Wilson who are moving up 1 spot this week - wait in the truck.

Number 6 belongs to Morgan Wallen who is moving up 6 spots this week - Thought you should know.

Number 5 belongs to Carly Pearce who is moving up 2 spots this week - What he didn't do.

Number 4 belongs to the Zac Brown band who are moving up 2 spots this week - Out in the middle.

Number 3 belongs to Lainey Wilson who is staying in the same spot as last week - Heart like a truck.

Number 2 belongs to Luke Combs who is moving up 3 spots this week - Going, going, gone.

Number 1 belongs to Kane Brown with Katelyn Brown who are moving up 1 spot this week to take the top - Thank God.

And that's a wrap for the Hottest 20 Country Music Videos for the week of 2/4/23 from CMT (Country Music Television). Thanks as always goes out to CMT for doing their weekly Country Music Video Countdowns. And thanks as well goes out to you for taking the time to read this weekly list. See ya all next time.

[gayofthefae]

Lucas' reaction to Jennifer Hayes when Dustin mentions it:

Mike's:

[alwaysmoncheri]

𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐨𝐝𝐬 | 𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐯𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐭𝐨𝐧

summary: in which best friends, y/n henderson and steve harrington get caught up in their feelings while paranormal activities occur in the small town of hawkins, indiana

cw: fem!reader, I wrote this a long time ago(I apologize for everything cringe), shit writing, first person pov, will’s funeral, mentions of guns, mentions of trauma/family issues, mentions of blood/dying deer, 2.4k

<3

I stand next to Nancy, my brother and his friends in front of us as we watch Will's funeral service. A solemn atmosphere surrounds us as we stand around the casket that holds Will's body.

"Just wait 'till we tell Will that Jennifer Hayes was crying at his funeral," Dustin snickers to his friends, pointing at the crying girl.

"Shut up, Dustin," I whisper kicking his foot lightly before turning my attention back to the man speaking.

"Ow!" Dustin whines, bringing his leg up to rub it, stumbling in the process.

"Shhhh." Mrs. Wheeler leans down to shush my brother.

I drop my white rose into the ground where Will's casket lies and embrace Jonathan to offer my support.

"Hey," I give the boy a gentle smile after pulling away from our hug.

"Hi, thanks for coming." He says softly before shoving his hands in his suit pockets.

"Of course." I say as I move over to Joyce and gently rub her shoulder lovingly, noticing she wouldn't appreciate a hug at the moment.

"Hey, Joyce." I say, "I'm always here if you need anything, okay?" She only offers a small nod in return.

Nancy slowly approaches Jonathan and I and we silently walk together, sitting by a near fence where headstones sit within.

|☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆|

This is where we know for sure it's been, right?" Jonathan says, showing Nancy and I a map of Hawkins.

"So that's..." I say pointing at the x on the paper in front of us.

"Steve's house." Jonathan confirms with a nod, "And that's the woods where they found Will's bike and... that's my house." Jonathan continues, pointing at the paper.

"It's all so close." Nancy comments and I shift nervously on the ground, looking towards the woods surrounding us.

"Yeah. Exactly." Jonathan says.

"I mean, that's gotta be all within a mile or something." I say, glancing back at the two.

"Whatever this thing is, it's not traveling far." Jonathan finishes with a determined expression as he glances at Nancy and I.

"You want to go out there." Nancy concludes looking back at Jonathan.

"We might not find anything." Jonathan replies with a sigh.

"We found something." I say gesturing between Nancy and I and Jonathan nods.

"And if we do see it..." Nancy adds, "Then what?”

"We kill it."

|☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆|

Jonathan leads Nancy and I over to a car, opens the passenger side door and starts picking the lock of the glove box.

"What are you doing?" I ask confused, crossing my arms nervously.

"Just give me a second..." Jonathan says as Nancy and I look around uncomfortably.

Jonathan successfully picks the lock, pulling out a gun, checking at the components and stuffing the extra bullets into his pockets.

"Are you serious?" Nancy asks, looking around again to make sure nobody can see us.

"What? You want to find this thing and take another picture?" Jonathan asks sarcastically, "Yell at it?" He gets out of the car, shutting the door behind him.

"This is a terrible idea." Nancy says, tugging her jacket tighter.

"Yeah, well, it's the best we've got." Jonathan replies shoving the gun in his jacket pocket and Nancy rolls her eyes, "What? You can tell someone, but they're not gonna believe you." He adds.

"You know that."

"Your mom would." I pipe up, trying to break the tension between the two.

"She's been through enough, (Y/n)." Jonathan says sadly.

"She deserves to know." I continue and Nancy glances at me, nodding her head in agreement.

"Yeah, and I'll tell her..." Jonathan says determinedly.

"When this thing is dead.”

|☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆|

Standing alongside Jonathan in the woods, gun in hand, I aim at the cans in front of me. With a click and a loud shot, I hit three cans dead center. I turn to Jonathan a smug look on my face, and he chuckles before checking his watch for the fifth time.

"Calm down, lover boy." I say, crossing my arms, "She's on her way." Jonathan shakes his head with a chuckle and takes the gun from me, walking up to where I just stood.

Taking aim at the cans, Jonathan fires off multiple shots, only to miss each one. He lowers the gun with a sigh, frustrated with his failure.

"You're supposed to hit the cans, right?" Nancy says, walking over to Jonathan and I with a baseball bat in hand.

"No, actually, you see the spaces in between the cans?" Jonathan says sarcastically, "I'm aiming for those."

"Ah," Nancy replies, setting down her bag and bat.

"You ever shot a gun before?" Jonathan asks.

Nancy scoffs.

"Have you met my parents?" Nancy asks jokingly and Jonathan laughs.

"Yeah, I haven't shot one since I was ten. My dad took me hunting on my birthday." Jonathan explains, "He made me kill a rabbit."

"A rabbit?" I ask softly, kicking the dirt beneath my feet.

"Yeah. I guess he thought it would make me more of a man or something." Jonathan says, "I cried for a week."

"Jesus." Nancy whispers, shoving her hands in the pockets of her jacket.

"What? I'm a fan of Thumper." Jonathan says, shrugging and I chuckle lightly.

"I meant your father." Nancy says, looking at Jonathan sadly.

"Yeah..." Jonathan replies, "I guess he and my mother loved each other at some point, but..." He cocks the gun, "I wasn't around for that part."

"Welcome to the club." I sigh, glancing at the ground.

Nancy gestures towards the gun in Jonathan's hand, eager to take her turn shooting at the cans.

"Um, yeah" Jonathan says and gently hands her the gun, "Just, uh, point and shoot. (Y/n) caught on pretty quickly."

"You could say I'm a natural," I comment with a light smile.

"Of course," Nancy returns my smile and adjusts her grip on the gun, "I don't think my parents ever loved each other." She adds returning to Jonathan's previous point.

"They must've married for some reason." Jonathan says, looking at the girl with all too familiar eyes.

There's something there.

"My mom was young. My dad was older," Nancy begins, aiming the gun, "But he had a cushy job, money, came from a good family. So they bought a nice house at the end of the cul-de-sac and started their nuclear family." She finishes, gripping the gun tightly.

"Screw that." I say crossing the arms.

"Yeah, screw that." Nancy agrees before releasing the trigger, hitting the can dead on.

|☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆|

Nancy, Jonathan, and I walk through the forest, each of us carrying our weapon of choice. Jonathan grasps the baseball bat that Nancy had brought, while Nancy held the gun. And I carried a crowbar I found in the top shelf in my garage.

"You never said what I was saying." Nancy says quietly as we're walking.

"What?" Jonathan exhales.

"Yesterday." Nancy replies casually, "You said we were saying something and that's why you took our pictures."

"Oh uh, I don't know," Jonathan mutters to the ground before Nancy turns to glance at the boy, urging him to go on.

"I guess, I saw this girl, you know, trying to be someone else," Jonathan says to Nancy sincerely, "But for that moment, it was like you were alone, or you thought you were. And you know, you could just be yourself." He finishes glancing at Nancy for her reaction.

"That is such bullshit." She replies.

"What?" Jonathan says, stopping, Nancy walks ahead before turning back around to face us.

"I am not trying to be someone else." She says taking a couple steps towards Jonathan and I, "Just because I'm dating Steve and you don't like him—"

"You know what? Forget it." Jonathan comments, walking ahead, "I just thought it was a good picture." He adds.

"He's actually a good guy." Nancy says, trying to defend herself. She didn't need to but she did anyway.

"Okay," Jonathan stammers.

"Yesterday with the camera... He's not like that, at all." Nancy says walking inline with Jonathan now, "He was just being protective." She shrugs.

"Yeah, I've been friends with him all my life. He's always been a good guy." I say and Nancy gestures in me direction sending a pointed look a Jonathan almost to say 'see', "He just gets in with the wrong people sometimes." I mumble, kicking the leaves beneath my feet again.

"Yeah, that's one way to put it," Jonathan sasses.

"Oh, and I guess what you did was okay?" Nancy retorts.

"No, I never said that." Jonathan says quickly.

"He had every right to be pissed—" Nancy starts, frustrated. I stay back letting them work out their differences. Even if I did have opinions.

"Okay, alright," Jonathan cuts her off frantically, "Does that mean I have to like him?" He asks turning to look at her again.

"No." She replies.

"Listen, don't take it so personally, okay?" Jonathan says angrily, "I don't like most people. He's in the vast majority." He shrugs before walking ahead again.

"You know, I was actually starting to think that you were okay." Nancy says stopping in place.

"Yeah?" Jonathan says back.

"Yeah." Nancy confirms, "Yeah, I was thinking, "Jonathan Byers" maybe he's not the pretentious creep everyone says he is."

"Guys..." I whisper, being ignored, I shove my hands in my pockets and let the argument play out.

"Well, I was just starting to think you were okay." Jonathan replies walking back towards Nancy again, who's mouth turns into an "o" shape, egging the boy on, "I was thinking, "Nancy Wheeler" she's not just another suburban girl who thinks she's rebelling by doing exactly what every other suburban girl does. Until that phase passes and they marry some boring one-time jock, who now works sales, and they live out a perfectly boring little life at the end of a cul-de-sac. Exactly like their parents, who they thought were so depressing, but now, hey, they get it." Jonathan breaths out before scoffing and walking away for the last time.

I cast one last sympathetic look towards Nancy before jogging up to Jonathan. Together, we walk in silence, Nancy not far behind us.

"What was I saying?" I whisper curiously, "In my picture?"

Jonathan looks up at me in question and I nod confirming I would like to know.

"Uh, you were saying that you wanted nothing more than to be with this guy, but you can't, so you hide away. But it was like, that moment, made you realize that when you're next to him it feels so right." He says truthfully, trudging along beside me.

"Oh..." I felt exposed, Jonathan knew exactly what and who he was talking about. Which made me feel like he saw straight through me, the rough exterior easily cracked with a single picture.

"Yeah, I'm really sorry, (Y/n)," Jonathan says sincerely, "I shouldn't have taken that."

"Hey, it's okay. And don't worry," I say glancing back at Nancy, "She'll come around."

|☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆|

As the sun set, casting a dark blanket over the woods, the three of us walk in-line with each other. However, the tension between Jonathan and Nancy is still so thick, you could probably cut it with a knife.

Just as we thought all was quiet, a noise suddenly comes from afar, causing me to flinch lightly. Nancy and I exchange a glance and come to a halt, looking around. Jonathan unaware, continues walking until he notices the two of us are stopped.

"What are you tired?" Jonathan turns, asking sarcastically.

"Shut up." Nancy responds, looking around the forest.

"What?" Jonathan says, confused with our actions.

"I heard something..." Nancy whispers.

We hear a whimpering noise, slow and distant, causing us to head cautiously in it's direction until we discover its source. We find an injured, bloodied dear lying on the ground in front of us. It's labored breathing and pained cries makes my heart sink.

"Oh my god..." I whisper, clasping my hand over my mouth.

Nancy has a distraught look on her face before her kneels down in front of the deer. Jonathan sighs and glances towards my teary eyes, touching my shoulder lightly, before bringing his hand back to his side.

"It's been hit by a car," Nancy says softly. The deer lifts it's head slightly before continuing to whimper, "We can't just leave it." Nancy whispers as she slowly holds up the gun.

"I'll do it." Jonathan says confidently.

A few silent tears run down my cheeks.

"I thought you said—" Nancy starts, hesitant.

"I'm not nine anymore." Jonathan replies as Nancy slowly hands him the gun and stands up next to me, rubbing my back comfortingly.

As Jonathan cocks the gun, ready to end the deer's suffering, Nancy and I cling to each other tightly, not wanting to witness the violence. Just as Jonathan prepares to pull the trigger, the deer is violently dragged away, leaving us to stumble backward as we stare at the empty spot where the deer once lay.

"What was that?" I ask breathlessly, clutching my crowbar tight.

"I don't know..." Nancy replies, just as breathless. She starts walking forward, flashlight in hand, following the trail of blood and Jonathan and I trail close behind her.

The trail of blood suddenly stops in an opening in the woods. The three of us looking around frantically, searching for the thing that snatched the deer.

"Where'd it go?" I ask whipping my flashlight around to shine through the trees.

"I don't know," Jonathan replies, confused, "Do you guys see anymore blood?" He asks, pointing his gun.

"No." Nancy and I reply at the same time.

My eyes suddenly spot a drop of blood trailing onto a nearby tree branch. Curious, I wander off in that direction, and discover a tree with an opening covered in a gooey substance. Kneeling down to get a closer look, I reach out and touch it, only for the substance to stick between my fingers. Stretching as I pull them apart.

"Ew..." I whisper to myself. I then notice the trail of blood leading into the tree.

"Nancy?" I call out and look behind me, where my friends once were, "Jonathan?"

"Shit... Here goes nothing." I say, before slowly crawling into the tree.

After squeezing my way out of the opening, slime covers my skin. With my crowbar firmly in hand, I raise it nervously at the sound of a disturbing noise nearby. Hesitantly moving forward, my eyes land on a horrifying scene, so unexpected that I draw in a sharp breath.

"Holy shit."

<3

next chapter . masterlist . steve harrington masterlist . taglist

thank you for reading, my darling! remember to like! reblog! and comment! i’ll give you a smooch if you do, ily! send requests to my inbox!

alwaysmoncheri © ─ all rights reserved. please do not repost/translate/copy any of my work.

[bylerpolls]

I'm curious. How did people interpret Dustin's line, "Just wait till we tell Will that Jennifer Hayes was crying at his funeral" when you first watched S1?

A) I was blinded by heteronormativity and fully believed this was implying that Jennifer Hayes was a girl Will had a crush on. I didn't know Will was gay at the time and thought he was just bullied for it because bullies are bullies.

B) I assumed Jennifer Hayes was "the hot girl" that everyone had a crush on, and so Dustin was operating from heteronormativity and assuming Will did too. But I knew or suspected Will was gay.

C) I noticed Will's potential queerness, but I also interpreted Dustin's line at face-value and meant that it was implying that Will (along with everyone else) had a crush on her. Those two things aren't mutually exclusive tho, and if I had thought about it harder, maybe I would've thought Will was bi? But I was really just along for the ride and didn't have any specific thoughts about it.

D) I didn't even really notice the line or think anything about it when watching for the first time, tbh. Everything was still so new, and I was just taking everything in with no specific thoughts.

E) A secret fifth thing

[andiwriteordie]

hello! ✨sending you good vibes in this stressful month✨ (why is february Like This?)

if you feel so inspired for the valentine’s day fic prompts: byler where someone asks one of them out and the other cuts in like “he has plans” and (one the person is gone ofc) they share a cute lil moment? 💕🫂

lark i LOVED THIS PROMPT!!!! this was so fun!

here you go, have some post s5 byler set in the winter of 1989 in a not-destroyed hawkins!

—

1: take my hand, wreck my plans.

Mike hates high school.

Yeah, that much was a given, and honestly, Mike fucking hates high school. Middle school was bad enough, but then high school came around and turned out to be a million times worse—a tall order, considering the fact that middle school was full of things like the demogorgon and the Mind Flayer and then the Mind Flayer’s fleshy form.

…

Okay, technically, high school did have One and the near interdimensional war that could’ve ended the entire world. That sucked too. So maybe, high school was always destined to suck just as bad as middle school.

Or maybe Mike just has rotten luck.

That has to be it, because there’s no other reason that Mike would find himself here, waiting by his best friend’s locker and watching stupid fucking Jennifer Hayes flirt with Will.

Will, who most definitely seems uncomfortable right now, and Will, who most definitely does not like girls in a romantic way, and Will, who Mike is almost positive actually likes Mike.

Like… like-likes Mike. You know. In a romantic, more-than-friends kind of way. In the “Hey, I want to make out with you underneath the bleachers” kind of way and in the “I know we can’t because this is Hawkins, but will you be my date to prom this spring?” kind of way and in the “I don’t ever want to lose you again, so please don’t go” kind of way.

…

Okay, fine. Maybe Mike is projecting a little bit. But he likes to think that after knowing Will for over ten years, surviving all the horrors of the Upside Down with him, and coming out on the other side of all of this with a stronger friendship than ever, he knows his best friend pretty damn well.

Mike’s like… ninety-five percent certain Will has feelings for him too, which is exactly why he’s been trying to work up the courage to ask Will out for Valentine’s Day. He had planned to do it today, since the rest of the Party is busy today, and Will is planning on coming over to do homework with Mike. 

But then stupid fucking Jennifer Hayes had to come and mess all of Mike’s plans up.

Look.

Sometime around sophomore year, something weird started to happen. Girls really started to notice Will—or maybe Mike just started to notice how they noticed Will. Either way, it was like everywhere, left and right, girls were coming up to talk to girls. Will’s reputation as “Zombie Boy” had somehow disappeared in his year spent away from Hawkins, and suddenly, all the girls seemed to view him as the cool and sweet and lovable California boy. 

Suddenly, all the girls at Hawkins High wanted to date Will.

Right around the same time, Mike suddenly wanted to kill all the girls at Hawkins High.

Looking back on it, that really should’ve been Mike’s first clue (or his second… or tenth… or twentieth) that he had feelings for his best friend. Honestly, Mike knows that he’s a decently smart person (not as smart as Dustin, but smart enough), but sometimes, he can just be downright stupid.

Oh well. At least Mike knows now, and he can finally do something about it.

“Yeah,” stupid fucking Jennifer Hayes says, and she does that stupid girl thing where she twirls her hair and smiles really big at Will. “Mrs. Elliott canceled practice for the musical on Tuesday, since it’s Valentine’s Day and everything!” 

To his credit, Will smiles back at her, and to anyone else, it seems like a genuine smile. But Mike can tell that Will seems incredibly uncomfortable right now and is just looking for a way out of this awkward conversation. “Oh, that’s fun!” Will says with a bit of an awkward laugh. “I’m sure everyone was, um… excited!”

Stupid fucking Jennifer Hayes smiles widely again, and God, Mike wants to punch her in the face. “We were!” she says brightly, taking another step towards Will and leaning up against the lockers. “And um… anyways, I was just thinking about it, and well… I know this is so awkward, but I was wondering if you were maybe free on Tuesday? To… you know… go on a date?”

Mike’s going to punch her in the face.

Mike is actually going to punch her in the face, and hey, it’ll actually do some damage, because unlike little fifteen year-old Mike with noodle arms, absolutely no hand-eye coordination, and a complete inability to hold his own in a fight, Mike… can sort of do some damage now. He still has noodle arms, mind you, but the hand-eye coordination has improved (who would’ve known that he’s needed glasses this entire time) and can hold his own in a fight, thanks to many long days spent training with Steve and Jonathan and Hopper and literally everybody else in their Upside Down group.

So, yeah. There’s no way stupid fucking Jennifer Hayes is winning in a fight against him.

“Oh!” Will squeaks—like actually squeaks. He sounds like how he used to before his voice dropped near the end of middle school, and his face is bright red right now. He looks completely panicked, which is actually sort of adorable if you ask Mike. “I, um. I-I mean, I—”

“He has plans,” Mike blurts out, before he can stop himself.

Both Will and stupid fucking Jennifer Hayes turn to look at Mike, with varying looks of surprise on their face. Stupid fucking Jennifer Hayes also obviously looks a little disappointed (which makes Mike feel incredibly smug), while Will looks caught off guard but also a little pleased (which makes Mike feel even more smug). 

Will recovers first, and he smiles again at stupid fucking Jennifer Hayes. “I’m sorry,” he says, even though he’s definitely not. “I… I’ve already got plans.”

“Oh… okay,” stupid fucking Jennifer Hayes says, and she shifts awkwardly, glancing at Will then back at Mike. “That’s alright.”

Judging by the look on her face, it definitely isn’t alright. Mike fights the urge to grin at that.

Then, with another forced smile, stupid fucking Jennifer Hayes picks up her wounded pride, and she waves at Will. “I should get going,” she says awkwardly. “Bye, Will!”

“Bye, Jennifer,” Will calls faintly, though stupid fucking Jennifer Hayes is already gone, her ponytail bouncing stupidly behind her as she walks down the hall. Mike can’t help but roll his eyes.

Goodbye, and good riddance.

Beside him, Will clears his throat, and Mike flinches slightly, glancing at his best friend. There’s an amused look on Will’s face, and once Mike catches his eye, Will raises a brow. “I have plans, huh?” he says with a bit of a teasing smile.

Mike feels his face go warm, and he clears his throat, leaning his hand against the lockers. “Something like that,” he says, trying his best to ignore the way his heart is pounding inside his chest. “I figured anything’s better than having to go on a date with her.”

A soft laugh escapes Will’s lips. “Jennifer’s not that bad,” he says, rolling his eyes. “But you’re right. I definitely don’t want to spend my Valentine’s Day on a date with her.”

Once again, there’s a playful smile on Will’s face, and when he meets Mike’s eyes, Mike becomes like… ninety-eight percent certain Will has feelings for him too. 

Oh, to hell with it. Ninety-nine percent.

So, Mike just decides to take a leap of faith.

“Well… is there anyone else you’d want to spend your Valentine’s Day with?” Mike asks softly.

Another little smile tugs at Will’s lips, and he shrugs, leaning against the lockers slightly. “Maybe,” he says, just as soft. “That depends though.”

He’s teasing Mike—again, which… fuck, is driving Mike absolutely crazy. Will’s always been a little bit mischievous, but now, over the past few months of settling into their friendship and finding peace after the mess of the Upside Down, it’s like he’s become more and more comfortable to do little things like flirt with Mike more openly.

Mike absolutely loves it.

So, all he can do is grin back at his best friend. “Depends on what?” Mike asks, and Will’s eyes crinkle as he smiles again.

“On what these plans are that you were talking about,” Will hums, a playful glint in his eyes. “Because last I checked, Lucas had plans to take Max and El to the movies, and Dustin plans on calling Suzie that evening, so…”

Will’s voice trails off, and he looks Mike expectantly, a hesitant but shy look on his face. There’s a rosy little blush on his cheeks and a dozen different emotions in his eyes, and God, Mike just wants to kiss him.

“So… it sounds like it’s just you and me for Valentine’s Day,” Mike says, soft and shy. 

“Sounds like it,” Will agrees.

“And I don’t know… I was thinking that since it’s just the two of us… maybe we could make it a date?” Mike asks softly. 

A huge smile stretches across Will’s face, and Mike’s heart does a stupid little somersault because of it. That ninety-nine percent certainty increases to a solid one hundred percent, and  inside of Mike’s mind, it sounds like one of those game shows after someone has finally won something—like DING DING DING, WE HAVE A WINNER! YOU’RE THE WINNER! YOU DID IT!

“I’d love that, Mike,” Will whispers back, just as shy. “I’d really, really love that.”

Mike can’t help but grin like a complete idiot, and he nods, probably just a little too excited. “Cool,” he says breathlessly. “It, um… it’s a date then.”

Somehow, Will’s face turns even redder, and he beams. Luckily for Mike, he nods just as enthusiastically, so that’s definitely a good sign. “Yeah,” he agrees softly. “It’s a date.”

[oldfashionedmorphine]

happy sunday! it’s time for another preview of…

on the same frequency!

PS: the reason i’m doing these this way is because i kept making all these chapter moodboards but i didn’t know what to do with them because the fic is being released all at once, BUT since i planned to share some wips of each chapter anyway, i just decided to make them extra fancy! oh and sunday because the fic releases on a sunday… and seven in total because it was a seven (there’s seven chapters lol) 😈

-.-. .... .- .--. - . .-. / ..---

December 23, 1995

“And what’s that?” Holly points to a gray box with numerous dials and switches.

“That’s a transceiver. It’s part of my old ham radio.”

“What’s a ham radio?”

“Well, uh, it’s kinda like any radio—only you connect to specific radio frequencies used for non-commercial broadcasting… like it’s meant for personal communication and you can even communicate with people across the globe, although unlike a walkie-talkie, you need a license in order to transmit anything—I still have my license too—actually renewed it last year even though I haven’t touched a ham radio in years…”

December 23, 1985

Will checks his watch again, it was 10:23 am—What’s taking him so damn long?

Another three and a half minutes go by and then Dustin’s mother’s car comes into view and he watches him exit the vehicle and quickly hurry up the driveway. But before Dustin even has a chance to knock, Will opens the door and huffs, “You’re late.”

“Yeah, sorry. My mom kept arguing with me about not wanting me to go anywhere by myself anymore because of Jennifer Hayes—apparently she’s been missing since Friday—”

“Jennifer’s missing?”

🎶 a song from chapter two 🎶

rating: mature

tags: alternate universe, not canon compliant, major character death, grief/mourning, ptsd, blood and injury, supernatural elements, time shenanigans, butterfly effect, thriller, angst with a happy ending

release date: 11/26/2023

✨ previous chapter preview ✨

ch1

tagging:

@kaiminluu @greenfiend @total-serene560 @across-thestars @boahey @magentamee @daydreams-in-the-moonlight @soyboystan @foodiewithdahoodie @booksandpaperss @likegoldintheair @mandycantdecide @hazmatazz @sparks-olivarpente @1-tehe-1 @lucasvenkman @rebellius @maru-chu @septembr-moon @kamomillatea

(if you’d like to be tagged/untagged for the next preview, please let me know!)

[dinitride-art]

Does anyone else think that Mike knows about his feelings for Will but he’s already decided that it’s not possible for Will to feel the same? Like, there was Jennifer Hayes at Will’s funeral who was implied to have some sort of crush on him (Dustin’s comment and she was wearing a red shirt in that scene). Then there’s the girl who asks Will to dance at the snowball and Mike’s standing right next to Will and encourages him to go dance with her. Then he stares at them dancing and sits alone until El shows up. After El shows up he spends all his time with her and tries to be normal. Then the rain fight happens and Will challenges the idea that there’s no hope for Mike for the first time. Mike says, “what did you really think? That we were never gonna get girlfriends? That we were gonna stay in my basement all day and play games for the rest of our lives.” And Will tells Mike that he did think that. Mike immediately goes to apologize for what he said- and then everything happens with the mind flayer and El- and possibly Will- is in danger and he crumples under the pressure. The second time Will challenges the idea that Mike can’t be happy is at the end of season three when Will tells him that it’s “not possible” that he’ll join another party. He tells Mike that he isn’t going to leave him behind. Then El kisses Mike and Mike is stunned, eyes wide open, an odd reaction for someone who started the season making out with her. This is what I interpret as his realization that he isn’t going to be able to change/he doesn’t want her/it’s not a phase.

Season four starts off with the lab and Brenner and then El’s letter. In her letter, El tells Mike that she thinks that Will likes a girl in Lenora. This is the third time that Mike has been confronted with girls liking Will and Will getting a girlfriend and leaving him behind. Even though Will resisted that idea in season three, Mike and him haven’t spoken for about six months and Mike is now dealing with the possibility of Will liking a girl and what his own feelings- and inability to tell El he loves her- say about him. Mike gets to Lenora and immediately sees the painting that Will doesn’t show him. That’s a point for- Will likes a girl. Then Mike and Will fight while trying to find El, and Will confronts Mike about him not calling or writing to him. A point for- …maybe Mike’s not alone? All of their scenes together where they talk about Mike and Will’s relationship, and what’s happening with El- that aren’t led by Mike- teeter on a line between ‘Will is normal and telling Mike to be with his girlfriend’ and ‘Will is like Mike.’ Then the monologue happens, and Will pushes Mike towards El one final time.

Mike and Will are playing 4d chess with their feelings for each other. Unscrambling what the other is too scared to say directly isn’t easy for either of them. Will seems to have more hope about Mike than Mike does about Will. Mike seems to have already made the decision that he has to try to be normal, and that he’s alone. It’s somewhat similar to how Mike handled Will’s potential death. When Troy and his friend chased Dustin and Mike and told Mike to jump off a cliff, Mike would have been halfway between believing Will is alive and knowing that he saw a body. When Troy told Mike to jump, while he was also being threatened with Dustin being harmed- there were other things happening that would affect Mike’s decision. Lucas wasn’t there, El wasn’t there, Will might be dead. Mike is alone. So, he jumps. Mike decided not to fight Troy, or the idea that Will was alive, or that El would come back, or that Lucas and him could fix their friendship. He decided that the worse case scenario was reality. So, it seems likely that this aspect of his character hasn’t changed over the course of the story. Which is why Mike isn’t able to entertain the idea that Will might feel the same about him, and that he’ll ever have anything more than what he has with El.

[shefanispeculator]

Blake Shelton And His Wife, Gwen Stefani To Drop Heartfelt Duet, 'Purple Irises,' Ahead Of Valentine’s Day - Country Now

Love is in full bloom for Blake Shelton and his wife, Gwen Stefani who just announced that they have a new love-filled duet coming this Friday, February 9.

Taking to social media on Monday (Feb. 5), the couple revealed that the romantic tune titled “Purple Irises” will be released just in time for Valentine’s Day. Their recent joint post included the cover photo which boasts a retro theme as Stefani and Shelton both sport all-denim looks while looking giddy in the brightly colored living room setting. The country star appears to be plucking his guitar while his other half admires him from the bright yellow striped couch. The background décor features hanging wall art of purple irises to match the name of the song. 

Stefani Shares A Teaser of The New Tune

Fans got to hear a sneak peek of the mid-tempo tune through a several clips posted to Stefani’s TikTok account. The pair are seen in the studio, and building out a string of effortless harmonies while celebrating how strong their love is for one another.

“If someone comes along and tries to love you like I love you/ Don’t know what I’d do/ Don’t want to lose you/ If someone comes along and tries to take you, tries to make you/ Don’t let them change your mind/ Wonder why you took a risk/ On a broken heart you cannot fix/ No I never knew a love like this/ Now we’re picking purple irises,” Stefani and Shelton sing on the chorus. 

In her caption, she simply wrote “… now we’re picking purple irises 🪻,” while in the comment section added, “we love u guys so excited to share w u 💜💜💜💜💜 gx.”

The pop star was not included in the 2024 panel of coaches, however, fans will have the chance to see her on the stage of several festival this year including Cali Vibes, Coachella, Lovers & Friends and more. Plus, in January, she teased plans to reunite with her former bandmates of the rock band, No Doubt, for an upcoming show. Stefani has yet to share when or where this performance will take

As for Shelton, he’s gearing up to embark on his highly anticipated Back To The Honky Tonk Tour. The 17-date trek launches on February 22 in Hershey, Pennsylvania, and will run through March 29 in Wichita, Kansas. The upcoming tour is the follow-up to his 2023 run of the same name.

This year, Shelton will be joined on the tour by Dustin Lynch and Emily Ann Roberts.

Shelton To Return To Oklahoma For Hometown Show

Following the final date of the tour, the Oklahoma native will return to his home state on Saturday, March 30 for a supersized concert to benefit the Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum and its education programs.

Shelton will bring his live show to the BOK Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma for the star-studded All for the Hall concert. Joining the Grand Ole Opry member will be Country Music Hall of Fame member Ronnie Dunn, Tony and Emmy Award-winner Kristin Chenoweth, ACM and CMA nominee Wade Hayes and fan-favorite songwriters/performers The Swon Brothers. Additional artists will be added to the lineup in the coming weeks.   

All proceeds from the show will go to the nonprofit museum’s education initiatives, which directly served more than 230,000 people through in-person and virtual programs in 2023. 

[wheelercore]

Alice Creel Haunting Funerals

There is a strange mystery surrounding Alice's death. Were meant to assume Henry killed her, however Henry completely brushes over Alice in his retelling and never answers the question as to how he was able to kill her while also vecna-ing Victor. Alice is also killed slightly differently from Virginia, which adds to the confusing surrounding why the show producers deliberately decided not to show us Alice's death.

I will be making this about strange wheeler subtext as per usual- [GUNSHOT]

First of all, lets start out with Jennifer Hayes. The little blonde girl deliberately pointed out to be crying during will's funeral during s1? Yeah her.

On her own this isn't much but there's an interesting trend of Creels & funerals that done twice in s4.

In s4 we get Fred Benson's vecna vision. Fred is already set apart from other victims because his source of guilt isn't really family trauma related. He feels guilt for being a "murderer"- in this case killing a classmate in a car accident. I've already mentioned this a million times before, but Fred Benson, visually, seems to be a combo of Mike and Ted- which is only reinforced by the fact that we get 3 references to serial killers ("psychopaths") in s4: Freddy Krueger, Michael Meyers, and Ted Bundy. This is one of two interesting father-son parallels in s4 that I will mention here.

But we get an interesting moment from Fred's vision, visually similar to the casket outside during will's funeral, and Michael Meyers is brought up:

Notice how the only three people wearing hats in this crowd of people standing outdoors on a sunny day are Jennifer, Ted, and the lady standing right next to Scott Clarke (something something sunlight something something shadows). I would say this is simply a coincidence, except we get lots of focus on this young blonde (?) girl in Fred's vision- with her own hair accessory in the forefront of the crowd, pointing at him calling him a murderer. Why a little girl?

Mind you they also deliberately parallel Fred to Henry in the moment he mysteriously obtains his powers from the grandfather clock that was there from the moment the Creels moved in- and is associated in the s4 trailer with the Attic. Henry being the person we THINK killed Alice, and the mystery surrounding the imagery of the grandfather clock which seems to be important despite the fact that it most like came with the home when the Creels bought it and Henry has no childhood personal attachment to as we've seen pervious to moving.

Which Alice- she was intentionally casted to look 12 despite canonically being 15, looking very similar in age to these other two girls.

In s4 we also get Chrissy's funeral, which contains another possible reference to Alice via a Victor parallel:

Laura Cunningham describing Chrissy as her "angel" and Victor desciring Alice as "sweet" and "innocent", plus the angel who saved Victor from his vision, which again, Henry skips over in his retelling:

Of course while Laura mentions this "angel", Patrick notices the clock, behind a slightly ajar door- which again, is repeated from that moment that Henry deliberately did not show Nancy where he was spooked on moving day and Holly in s1 being lured by the DG. Both are paralleled as "explorers":

Henry's "explorer" line being attached to him finding out that his parents have done "awful things".

What "awful" things has Holly's parents done to warrant a parallel like this?

When Victor was talking about the Creel attic, which contain things that intentionally visually parallel to the Wheeler home.

"I supposed all evil must have a home"

(Funnily enough the gang are walking around the wheeler home, Dustin passing the grandfather clock chimes on the wall while discussing Vecna).

Which then leads me to talk about Fred, Eddie, Ted (Bundy), and Michael (Meyers).

The other Mike-Ted reference is in Pennhurst: the piano (I am assuming is Ted's given that none of the other POV wheeler characters ever reference playing) and the guitar (Mike's), the only two instruments in the listening room that we can see.

Music has a particularly calming affect on the "broken mind".

Oh and the cat plushie that we always see on the piano? *stares at tfs promo*

The scene where Max and Dustin repeatedly draw comparisons between Eddie and Ted Bundy, and Eddie doing the same thing Fred apparently did after the car crash, running away instead of calling the police and which associated with guilt and blame.

There are many more Mike-Ted parallels in the show, but these two are most related to what I'm talking about. The topic of father-son parallels is so interesting considering that Son of Satan in referenced twice- in s3 with the fireworks and when Victor calls the same demon I mentioned previously with it's home in the attic a Spawn of Satan.

Which immediately takes me to the classic horror movie Rosemary's Baby which is about a woman named Rosemary Woodhouse who unknowingly gives birth to Satan's son- oh hey Rose Wheeler Weaver:

The parallels with Eddie are interesting, as one of the defining facts about Eddie's family is that his father is a criminal and Eddie laments that he might become like his father- and in dealing drugs he kind of has.

After Chrissy's funeral when Jason and others are listing out places where to find Eddie, The Wheelers interestingly enough is on there despite us never having seen them visit. Reefer Rick (Richard) is also brought up and added to the list of random Richard mentions in the show as related to drugs- Richard head of narcotics, Richard Brenner, and now Reefer Rick's home having just got out of prison listed as one of the places Eddie (compared to Ted Bundy), could be found.

This isn't the first example of sons paralleling their fathers- Eddie and Billy are major examples. We also see examples of the opposite like Will and Jonathan, who also have a father who is possibly up to some unsavory things.

Which is interesting, considering that the repeated imagery of the grandfather clock is associated with the creel home, before the creels even moved in. In fact, it's associated with Henry gaining his abilities, and we know Mike has the ability to sense the void.

We know that HNL was wrapped up in some MKUltra mindcontrol experimentation. But this didn't just start with MKUltra- the CIA had another program that preceded MKUltra by 1-2 years, Project Artichoke/Bluebird:

"involuntarily made to perform an act of attempted assassination"

We know Virginia and Brenner knew each other somehow... but what if it wasn't Virginia who approached Brenner but the other way around? Brenner, known child kidnapper, who swoops in after the killing of Virginia and Alice, has Victor blamed for the killings, and takes Henry back with him to the lab, without ever explaining how Brenner got involved in the first place. Or if he had planned it all from the beginning.

We know Brenner was trying to train El to kill, starting with small animals. This was one of Brenner's objectives, getting someone with these abilities to be willing and able to commit assassination that would be impossible to trace and prevent.

And i mean... both nights Will and Billy were taken respectively- it's heavily implied that Will was tracked from the wheeler home (wheeler tv going fucky wucky) and we also see Ted and Holly intentionally on front of the on TV when Billy was taken. In fact, they even parallel Ted on the night of Wills disappearance to Max on the night of Chrissy's death, which Eddie was an involuntary witness to and then blamed for:

And mind you, the Eddie's trailer is very creel-house coded to the point where they inserted a shot of a park very similar to the one outside the creel home before Chrissy's vision. Directly paralleling the deaths of the Virginia and Alice to Will's kidnapping/tracking from the Wheeler home.

[madwheelerz]

Since there's already a meltdown happening, I will calmly express my opinions on Mike's sexuality and leave y'all with a message.

So, if you've hung around enough, you probably know that I think Mike is gay. I'm going to highlight some of my points that I've been wanting to talk about for a while, but didn't because of well *wildly gestures at the meltdown*.

Anyway,

1) The entire fiasco with comparing Mike's reaction to the ladies store with his reaction to the fleshflayer and the comment about him being scared.

2) This is actually what I came to think about. The reason I don't think Mike likes girls has to do with a variety of things, but outside of Will he's the only one of the party that doesn't mention how hot Phoebe Cates is.

They removed his crush on Jennifer Hayes, which I always find odd because we wouldn't even be having a debate if that was there. El is the only girl he's shown to date, but their portrayal is so...juvenile ig?

Like the contrasts between byler and mlvn start immediately from the season that they get together. The sheer difference in his reaction between getting dumped by El vs. his reaction to Will yelling at him.

You could also argue that Nancy and Steve didn't have a particularly deep connection, but we don't doubt he likes girls. He flirts with the customers, and he gets a date to the pep rally. We see him with other girls.

Jonathan is the only character we see who has eyes for one person. We don't doubt his feelings for Nancy, though. We hear him and Nancy go on about the traits that they love about each other.

I know Mike has a girlfriend, but so do Dustin and Lucas. An offhand comment about how great Phoebe Cates looks or an implication of him having a crush on Jennifer Hayes would go a long way.

3) His realization when he kissed El. I think he definitely realized something at that moment.

4) Meta stuff - "boys only", finds a girl in the boys' locker room and is upset, kicked out of the girls' bathroom.

Anyway, who's to say for sure anyway. I will not be interacting with the tag for a bit. Parting message in the tags. Above all, stay safe y'all.

[midnight-star-world]

#CountryMusic

CMT 10-22-22

So today I will be bringing you the Hottest 20 Country Music Videos for the week of 10/22/22 from CMT (Country Music Television). So let's get started right now.

Number 20 belongs to Walker Hayes who is new to the list this week - Y'all life.

Number 19 belongs to Lainey Wilson who is new to the list this week - Heart like a truck.

Number 18 belongs to Carly Pearce who is moving up 1 spot this week - What he didn't do.

Number 17 belongs to Blake Shelton who is moving up 1 spot this week - No body.

Number 16 belongs to Sam Hunt who is moving up 1 spot this week - Water under the bridge.

Number 15 belongs to Nate Smith who is staying in the same spot as last week - Whiskey on you.

Number 14 belongs to Lee Brice who is staying in the same spot as last week - Soul.

Number 13 belongs to Dustin Lynch who is moving up 3 spots this week - Party mode.

Number 12 belongs to Jimmie Allen who is staying in the same spot as last week - Down home.

Number 11 belongs to Kelsea Ballerini who is staying in the same spot as last week - HEARTFIRST.

Number 10 belongs to Cole Swindell who is dropping 9 spots this week - She had me at heads Carolina.

Number 9 belongs to the Zac Brown band who are moving up 1 spot this week - Out in the middle.

Number 8 belongs to Gabby Barrett who is staying in the same spot as last week - Pick me up.

Number 7 belongs to Bailey Zimmerman who is moving up 2 spots this week - Fall in love.

Number 6 belongs to Jelly Roll who is staying in the same spot as last week - Son of a sinner.

Number 5 belongs to Luke Bryan who is moving up 2 spots this week - Country on.

Number 4 belongs to Jackson Dean who is moving up 1 spot this week - Don't come lookin'.

Number 3 belongs to Tyler Hubbard who is moving up 1 spot this week - 5 foot 9.

Number 2 belongs to Ingrid Andress with Sam Hunt who are staying in the same spot as last week - Wishful drinking.

Number 1 belongs to Carrie Underwood who is moving up 2 spots this week to take the top - Ghost story.

And that's a wrap for the Hottest 20 Country Music Videos for the week of 10/22/22 from CMT (Country Music Television). Thanks as always goes out to CMT for doing their weekly Country Music Video Countdowns. And thanks as well goes out to you for taking the time to read this weekly list. See ya all next time.