#he's basically fanon now

[captaingondolin]

same, I had to go all the way to wookiepedia way back when - and then found out that Clone Medic Helix was a creation of swmoddy from swpromptsandasks

Me when I remember Helix the 212th’s medic isn’t actually a real character, he’s someone’s OC that the fandom collectively adopted.

[post-cal]

this isnt related to the blog i just am thinking abt your drawing of Hal-If-He-Looked-Like-Bro. i think about it every day. i love it to death. i humbly request a redraw

Fun fact about the name for Hal Ambro it is just FULL of references.

[maiselyormaiforshort]

Would anyone be interested in my ideal transformers shattered glass au

[wasabikitcat]

I had this realization a few days ago when reviewing what we know about Gaster while theorizing about the mysterious Valentine from the newsletter and idk if other people have pointed this out yet, but I haven't seen anyone else talk about it:

I don't think Gaster's disappearance has anything to do with Core.

The Core is only mentioned in relation to Gaster once, in this dialogue from one of the Gaster followers:

This dialogue is why most theories and fanon built around the idea that Gaster fell into the Core, which for reasons unknown to us erased him from existence. But I'm now pretty convinced that this is a red herring, because it doesn't actually say Gaster fell into the Core. It says he made the Core, and that he fell into his creation.

It does not say that this creation is the Core.

The dialogue is written in a way that leads you to assume the creation he fell into was the Core, but that doesn't really make much sense considering the rest of the dialogue.

The dialogue says "they say he created the Core," which implies this is second hand knowledge, but then says with certainty "One day, he fell into his creation." Why do they know for sure he fell into "his creation," but only knows he created the core from what others say?

If you talk to the follower again, they say "Will Alphys end up the same way?" Why would Alphys also fall into the Core? As far as we know, Alphys doesn't maintain the Core; if I remember correctly, a few monsters at Mettaton's hotel are stated to work in the Core, so wouldn't this follower be more concerned that those monsters will end up like Gaster and not Alphys?

And another question that I think fanon has just ignored due to the assumption it was something we don't yet know about, but I am now wondering about: Why would falling into the Core erase Gaster from time? When traveling through Hotland and viewing the Core in the distance, Alphys says this:

And while this dialogue may at first seem indicative that the Core is more mysterious than a normal geothermal power generator (and it is in some ways), remember: Alphys didn't build the Core. Alphys doesn't understand how the Core works, not because it has some unnatural property that could erase people from space time, but because she didn't build it. Not only does this mean that the Core is likely just a power generator that utilizes the lava in Hotland to produce geothermal energy and convert it to electricity, it also means that Alphys doesn't work on the Core, because she doesn't know how it works. So why would the Gaster follower worry about Alphys ending up like Gaster if she doesn't have any involvement with the Core?

Additionally, that Gaster follower is the only one to mention the Core in relation to Gaster. In fact, one of the other followers says something that could be interpreted as actively contradicting his erasure being caused by the Core:

This follower says "his experiments went wrong," and doesn't mention the Core. Why would Gaster be experimenting with the Core? And if he was, we don't know anything about it.

But you know what experiments we do know Gaster was working on, because it's literally one of the only pieces of dialogue we have from him?

And do you know what other creation was presumably made by Gaster, as Alphys is unfamiliar with it's operation? That is also a creation that was actively being used in experiments, which Alphys is continuing to perform herself? Experiments that are directly involved with something we already know can alter time and space? A creation that is located in one of the most mysterious areas in the game with several oddities in it that are straight up never explained, multiple fourth wall breaking moments, and a couple explicit references to things we believe are associated with Gaster? A creation that suspiciously resembles in appearance the form of a character who canonically can alter time and space, not to mention resembling the thing that's literally called a GASTER BLASTER???

[narwhalandchill]

its been like. nearly a year (How.) already but i cannot lie theres Still a part in the back of my brain occupied with and being thoroughly entertained by the way that childes confirmed 4.0 complete self-awareness over waking up the narwhal at 14 recontextualizes some key liyue things leading to some very funny self indulgent scenarios in my head

like yes chili is old news its basic please excuse me for predictable popular ship crimes (do NOT however associate me w the crimes of fanon against their actual range. theyre peak to Me) but i just keep replaying the imagery of zhongli and childe back on their homoerotic Professional Working Relationship bullshit where their flirting passed the jkjk unless treshold of even remotely plausible deniability like 8 exorbitantly priced business dinners ago and theyre just like. doing that whole song and dance now neither committing to a move except zhonglis presently feeling moderately conflicted (but nonetheless fairly unfazed at) by the prospects of actually developing some sort of a thing for the harbinger hes supposed to puppet master into executing the major story climax of his 67-step retirement plan bc he turned out to be quite the strangely charming ginger specimen (to His weird fucking 6000 year old tastes at least. they deserve each other) with some fascinating life ambitions he cant help but be enraptured by.

but because hes still 100% Locked In on his entire plan zhonglis also just . simultaneously dual wielding his coy-ass "i like you and am taking it slow to Savor this developing relationship (Also bc of the Geo Archon Shaped Elephant In The Room) except am old as shit so my languid sense of time inadvertedly Automatically turns my behavior into an equivalent of the dark souls boss of playing hard2get" act (cue "waddup im ajax 24 and im in fucking agony with this hot funeral consultant". Yes they live like this) AND also meticulously theorycrafting like 12 moves in advance for his 6d chess play of leaving the most subtly crafted trail of breadcrumbs behind for the tsaritsas 11th to follow into the intended & completely "Coincidental" idea of unleashing the one particular sealed sea deity that zhongli Specifically wants momentarily released for his sweet 6k retirement party and graduation test for the nation hes helicopter parented for 3.7k years .

like. this is zhongli we r talking about the guy Absolutely has it planned out down to a fucking art like he has an entire branching path dialogue tree planned and memorized like its a visual novel for every possible way he can conveniently namedrop osial in a non-suspect way and also that he just happens to be sealed right over there across the harbor (what a coincidence!) and also to slip in the intel about the latent power of the sigil of permission etc etc. like zhonglis just out there doing all this massive galaxy brain computational work simultaneously while infodumping on an academic level about whichever subject childes latest random comment of amicable small talk happened to remind him of because in his helicopter parent in remission mind its Absolutely Critical that the idea about releasing osial occurs Completely organically in childes mind it Has to he Cannot risk revealing anything . (hes in remission not in recovery guys.) so like here we are. he requested notes from the tsaritsa Personally on the character of her 11th just to ensure every move was painstakingly crafted to draw him Specifically to the intended conclusion without risking revealing his true identity .

except. the thing . neither he. nor the tsaritsa . would have been informed of . is that this simply isnt childes first fucking rodeo waking up an eldritch city sized sea creature . and he is very well aware of this fact . he woke that beautiful wonderful beloved huge fucking narwhal up by himself had his brain chemistry Immediately and Irrevocably rewired as a direct consequence do you fucking think hes somehow stopped thinking about that singular moment for even a second since then???

yeah . thought so.

so what actually ends up happening in reality is theyll be on another definitely-serious-business-not-just-a-date and zhonglis going to get down to like dialogue selection part 10 of the 86 step conversation tree at Most where hes only beginning to like Vaguely allude to the key pieces of information involved but it turns out Because Hes That Guy (TM) And Has Been There Done That Before childes basic pattern recognition and sense of irony simply proceed to kick in Way ahead of time and hes Immediately perking up like Hey wouldnt it be really fucking funny if i wake up an eldritch sea beast Again . like just in case. as a last ditch effort .

and zhonglis just sitting there seeing the gears turn in his head as they enjoy their cringe fucking picnic (bc they just stare at each other intently like that nowadays its a thing. being in a room with them by this point is essentially a human rights violation) and is just completely fucking flabbergasted and lost on how in the hell childes speedran his way to that conclusion at what amounts to barely a 13% completion rate in his whole overkill fucking plan (just 1 of 3 contingencies btw) and its like yes he has his intended outcome but also precisely 0 idea on how the fuck said outcome was reached the way it was this fast . like hes still winning its His plan thats well underway and ahead of schedule but How

(pov: ur selling the concept of waking up destructive sea creatures to the guy who woke up a celestial body eating cosmic whale at 14)

anyway its truly beautiful i absolutely detest these two and have prime liyue AQ hijinks nostalgia now thank you for the lore drop that allowed this to become canon in my head hoyo

[evilvarric666-archive]

guy standing in the corner at a party meme They don't know about TOS Kirk's fucked up traumatic backstory

[just-call-mefr1es]

hes so me 😻😻😸😸💫💫

[floralovebot]

I talk a lot about how different fanon!Helia is from canon!Helia but not enough but how bad it is for all the characters.

Like you have Riven going from this insecure teenage boy who lashes out at anyone who challenges him to this suave bad boy who could kill the winx. People seeing Stella as a stuck up brat, thinking that she loves Bloom more than the other winx, or that she would ever choose to be selfish in ways that hurt the other characters. Or Flora going from this fairly confident young girl who loves to meet new people and hangout with others to an introverted shy mess who never speaks up and would never say something sarcastic. Not to sound like a bitch but I really do think it's time the fandom stops pretending we're better than other fandoms and don't have Fanon Versions because we do and it's messing with y'alls perception of canon so fucking bad

[void-writing]

If Lazarus Pit side affects appear in your story, could you tag them on AO3 please? Jason mentioned them in chapter 6. They're a fanon concept that makes me really uncomfortable and I'd appreciate a forewarning.

No worries, that's totally reasonable! (And anyone else with similar feels, let me know! I'll try to be conscious about tagging potential tws but let me know if I miss anything. Off the top of my head, the worst of it is "depictions of toxic parenting" with Jack and Maddie and...uh. whatever bullshit the GiW has going on in the background)

There's not really going to be any of the conventional Lazarus Pit fanon in CiM. The only impact Jason's dip in the corpse juice will have is that it makes the boons Danny unwittingly gave him more pronounced on account of him having a more profound connection to the other side, as it were.

And really, the League of Assassins aren't going to feature that strongly in CiM aside from maybe occasional mentions. Including them would just take the story in a direction I don't intend it to, and as such, Lazarus Pits and their impacts aren't going to feature heavily--if at all--in this fic, fanon interpretations or otherwise.

[raimagnolia]

Okay, glad this is a universal experience. We need to keep tagging what bothers us so we may find each other

the struggle when you only like a ship / dynamic in a specific way and find it very annoying otherwise. and most of the fandom really really likes it in the annoying way. and you don't really want to blacklist but you Suffer

[starsignchaser]

at the end of the day pretty much every character in harry potter can be boiled down to “but they were just a child!”

[pipermca]

New AO3 Tag Wrangling Policy and the Transformers Fandom

Edit in the event people come back to the original post: Please do not email AO3 about this issue. See their response about this issue!

(This is a long one, folks, but I think it's important.)

A new tag-wrangling policy on AO3 has the potential to create some massive confusion and chaos in the Transformers fanfic community, with regards to fandom tags. There is a Reddit post about it here with a focus on anime fandoms, but I want to give some concrete examples for the Transformers fandom on why we DO NOT WANT this, and why I think it's a horrible idea.

The Problem

Basically, AO3 is looking to get rid of the "All Media Types" fandom tag across the board, either by dismantling them or just not maintaining them. The Transformers - All Media Types tag has been an all-purpose tag that you could select when your story doesn't fall into any one specific continuity. Additionally, all most (see below) TF continuities on AO3 are considered a subtag of the Transformers - All Media Types tag. For example, if you look at the link above for all works in the All Media Types tag, you will see fics that are also tagged ONLY with Transformers: Animated, because it falls under the All Media Types tag.

One exception: With the upcoming Transformers: One movie coming out imminently, there will likely be a big influx of stories tagged with Transformers: One. In fact, there are several already. However, it hasn't been linked to the larger Transformers - All Media Types tag yet. I wasn't worrying about it though, because I know these things can take time.

With information about this new tagging policy, however, I'm now wondering whether it'll EVER get linked to the All Media Types tag. If that happens, and when more continuities are developed in the coming years (since you know Hasbro loves creating new universes) this has the potential to cause massive confusion when looking for stories to read.

Searching for Stories with the New Tagging System

So let's say the All Media Types fandom tag isn't accurate anymore, because it no longer includes ALL of the continuities (such as TF:One). You will need to include ALL the Transformers continuities when browsing for TF fics.

How many tags is that? Well, here are all of the tags currently listed under the Transformers - All Media Types tag:

Note that this doesn't include Transformers: One since it hasn't been categorized yet.

You will potentially have to have 40 or more different fandom tags in your search, just in case the author tagged their story with something you weren't expecting.

This massively decreases the findability of a story.

Tagging with the New System

The email response from the Tag Wrangling group (see the linked Reddit post above) seems to be a bit flip in the response to the user's concern. "...encourages creators to tag with the media they intend."

While I appreciate what they are attempting to do, this policy change feels like a solution in search of a problem, especially in larger fandoms with multiple continuities, versions, and media types that are all cross-pollinated in both canon and fanon. While I'm focusing on Transformers fandom, imagine a creator in the DC comic universe writing a story that incorporates bits and pieces from a dozen different reboots.

For example, let's say that I am writing a fic about Ratchet. I am using the setting of the original G1 episodes, but I also am using the characterization of him as a bit of an old man grump. That characterization originated in the Animated continuity, but I want to incorporate bits of pieces of his other characterizations as well (old friend of Optimus from TFP, Ratchet ran a faction-free clinic like he did in the War for Cybertron series, he's got a Decepticon boyfriend like in IDW1 - or maybe even Cyberverse, etc.)

With this new tagging structure, I might potentially have to tag the story with ALL of those continuities. So instead of just slapping down the "All Media Types" tag (and maybe one other fandom tag that matches the characters as best I can), I'll have to analyze my story and try to figure out how best to tag for the characters I used.

And what if you're doing a completely AU version of the story? For example, a humanformers story, or merformers? Using the All Media Types tag along with a Alternate Universe - Human or Alternate Universe - Mermaid tag worked perfectly, since you weren't writing the story to fit into one specific continuity. But now, that might not be an option.

What To Do??

The first thing I would suggest is to contact AO3 (using the Feedback and Support page) and let them know (nicely) that you think this is a horrible idea. Give them some examples on how you use the All Media Types tag to find stories to read, or to help you tag a story. People outside of the Transformers fandom don't always appreciate how absolutely tangled the continuities can be with each other, and providing examples might help them see why this would be a really messy change.

Readers: Be aware that when you are looking in the All Media Types tag, it will no longer show newer continuities. And if AO3 starts dismantling that tag like they suggested they are doing, be aware that some stories won't show up in that tag like they used to. You can also create and then bookmark a custom search page that includes all 40+ continuities. REALLY annoying, but it's a workaround.

Writers: Until they start dismantling the All Media Types tag, ALWAYS ALWAYS tag your stories using Transformers - All Media Types... Especially for newer continuities. This will be especially important if you are writing a Transformers: One story. Right now, anyone who is only browsing the All Media Types tag will not see a story tagged only with Transformers: One. Make sure you're aware of how tags work and how they can affect the visibility and findability of your story.

Epilogue

Ugh. That's a lot of words for a long-weekend Saturday. And maybe I'm overreacting a tiny bit. But my work involves information architecture, and this change just absolutely baffles me. It's almost as though they want to make it harder to find stories. Considering that AO3 won a Hugo partially because of its fantastic tagging system, this change seems like AO3 is doing its best to shoot itself in the foot.

When you have a square hole, a round hole, and a rectangular hole… Yeah, you DO want each peg to go in the "right" hole. But if all of the pegs fit in the square hole, who cares? You got the job done.

I love you @ao3org, but please reconsider this change... Especially for IPs that are as old and are as varied as Transformers.

[acowardinmordor]

Well. Um. Narratively you just convinced me that Steve is definitely going to die in s5.

Probably goes: Guilting him about what happened. Trauma/grief no one takes seriously. Genuine moment of praise or appreciation in the lead up to the fight. Dies keeping the kids safe in a way that lets the kids win the final fight. He won’t be the one that wins it. He’ll be the one that makes it so they can. And I’d say 80% chance that he either dies alone, or doesn’t let them know how bad he’s hurt until after it’s too late.

Adding this; could also see it going with Steve’s instincts being dead on, no one believing him because it’s Steve, he never knows anything, and eventually the thing he’s been trying to get them to pay attention to rears up, and Steve dies protecting them. And that’s when you get Dustin actually saying nice things directly to Steve.

sometimes you spend two hours out of your tuesday talking about the persistence of the "steve harrington is an idiot" narrative which is basically the most consistent thru-line in the entire show

sometimes you are watching stranger things 4 and eddie munson calls steve harrington "a pretty good dude" and "oh no," you think "is this the first positive thing anyone's said to him this season?" and then, even worse, "oh god, is this the first time in the show that someone directly tells steve that he's a good person?"

and then you write a lot of words about it

like. let's take a journey.

season 1: nancy doing her little "you are an idiot steve harrington" bit, which as been talked about, but also the fact that tommy and carol are constantly making fun of him for liking nancy, almost in a "aww he doesn't know that he's pathetic" kind of way. barb thinks he's an idiot. jonathan thinks he's an idiot. we know what happened when the duffers wrote him, he was supposed to be an idiot. nancy thought he was using her for sex, and she wanted to rebel! she didn't want to date him even though steve was just so clearly fucking besotted. even the kids thought he was trouble!

on top of that: we know that his parents are never home, that they think it's pathetic that he lost his fight with jonathan (probably just threw money at the situation honestly). we know he's popular, but decidedly not well-liked.

BUT. he's like. a good guy. he apologizes to jonathan for the shit he said. he would apologize to nancy later but he knew he fucked up with jonathan. called jonathan a queer, a freak, said shit about his family, he knew it was over the line and he wanted to fix it. he ran when he saw the monster but he came back inside to save them anyway. nancy gets back together with him. he buys jonathan a new camera and has nancy give it to him as a gift because he knows jonathan wouldn't take it from him. he is smart!

concussion tracker: 1

season 2: he writes his college admissions essay, but nancy doesn't think it's good, no one thinks it's good. he knows it's not good. he's visibly nervous about it, knows his parents are going to be disappointed if he doesn't get to college. there's no more "you are an idiot steve harrington" but a wider acknowledgement that he is Not Smart. he doesn't make the Right Decisions. not to his parents, not to nancy, not by listening to the government and not talking about barb, not by being worried about his family because the government will take everything away from him.

he's a fool in love. he doesn't even realize that nancy doesn't love him. she challenges him when he says so, too, calls him crazy for it, but he's right. he heard her say it to his face and he almost lets her pretend it never happened because he loves her so much.

he's not popular anymore, either, not in his senior year, not without tommy and carol, not with billy around. he can't even keep his girlfriend, that one everyone told him was a red flag, the one that is way smarter than him, way too good for him, he's only really making her worse and she thinks so too. steve, you're so stupid for thinking everything is okay when it's bullshit! when it's obviously bullshit, everything was and you clearly didn't care and everyone knew this was all smoke and mirrors except for you.

he's still good, though, still a good guy. he gives dustin bad (but well-meaning) advice. and the thing is that he doesn't even realize that it's bad advice. it always worked for him! harrington you idiot! naive. girls don't care if you like them, youre pretty! don't you know that's why?

still, he's good! he goes to nancy's place to ask for her back and to apologize even though he knows he didnt do shit wrong. he unquestioningly takes dustin where he needs to go, protects them all from billy even though he can't fight: really, very stupid of him to try. he loses and is literally passed out for a good chunk of time but the kids are okay! he can't see or hear but he knows that if he doesn't chaperone them into the upside down that they'll probably die so he gets up and does it.

he sends nancy to go be with jonathan because "i'm a pretty shitty boyfriend, but i'm not a half-bad babysitter" (and he says this literally knowing he didn't do anything wrong. he really believes he's a pretty shitty boyfriend. he's gotta be, he's too stupid for her, not good enough, couldn't make her happy, didn't let her be right in the way that she needed to be and that just must be a universal truth). it's supposed to be humbling when he takes dustin to the snow ball, now that he's the babysitter guy, he's finally been humbled! thank god! he had such a big ego before!

concussion tracker: 2

season 3: he didn't get into college (probably because he never ended up editing that college admissions essay) (probably also because he's had two serious head injuries) and he's really fallen from grace, now. girls don't even want anything to do with him, partly because he didn't get into college, partially because he's convinced he has no game. he's insecure about it, too, because even dustin has a girlfriend from his smart nerd camp and his advice from last year didn't turn out to be any good. and not to mention what is dad thinks about him.

and steve just. doesn't hesitate for a second to help dustin with the russian spy thing without even knowing it had anything to do with the upside down. like this was no longer life and death, dustin is just his friend and he likes him. and he still helped him even when he was struggling with translation, and he was the only reason they found out it they were operating from the mall, even though everyone else thought it was stupid that he was so focused on the song.

and then he gets tortured, and manages (for the most part) to protect everyone else, takes a fucking massive beating for it, only mentions a single name when he's drugged.

and this part is extremely important to me as a robin buckley defender to the death, she straight up tells steve all about how awful he was, how big of a dick he was in mrs. click's class. and he agrees! he knows! it's hit him that the person he was in high school was this miserable asshole who didn't care about anyone else even though we've only seen a version of steve that tries and cares. nobody remembers all that. not even steve. and later he confesses to her and is straight up waxing poetic about how much fun she is and how much he likes spending time with her and how great it is to be her friend. and yeah, he likes her, he has eyes and a brain. and she shuts him down and it takes about five seconds for his brain to recalibrate.

he's good. doesn't even take a full 1986 minute to feel sorry for himself, to feel stupid for barking up the wrong tree again. doesn't take a full aids epidemic world minute to be on her side. no shit this is the guy who called jonathan a queer and immediately went to apologize. he's used to it. he's used to being wrong and he's used to transforming his love into something platonic.

he doesn't hesitate to run his car directly into billy's or back in the direction of the mind flayer. he's unafraid. he's brave. no one calls him brave to his face but they all think it.

and then right at the end, he's trying to get a new job at the movie store, where he almost doesn't get hired because he's too stupid to know anything about movies and-- isn't it funny that he walks into that cardboard cutout that was right in front of him? there goes steve harrington. the bumbling idiot.

concussion tracker: at least 4 (he got his shit rocked by the russians at least twice)

season 4: this is where it gets good. it's where it gets interesting. by which i mean it gets awful and i hate it. it's where i want to rip my hair out of my head and eat it.

spoiler alert: ive only watched volume 2 once and im currently rewatching volume 1 (which actually sparked this rant obviously), so it's going to be a bit brief talking abt v2 compared to v1

just in the very first episode, we get: steve getting negged by his date about how he was bad at basketball, steve talking about how he wants a real relationship with someone who gives a shit about him instead of just... using him for sex, steve being vocally jealous about dustin's other older male friend, steve being the only one who saw lucas win the game (other than nancy who has like never spoken to lucas) and no one acknowledging it. he's like in an accumulative like five minutes of this episode probably.

in the next few episodes, we get a lot of dustin (bless him) straight up calling steve an idiot for

suggesting they contact the police on account of all of the horrible things theyve gotten involved with and the murder that just happened

not knowing how a compass works

being careful in rick's shed in case someone tries to kill them

not knowing how walkie talkies work

not knowing where the walkie talkies are?

then there's nancy who sticks him with the kids because he isn't smart enough to pretend to know things about psychology, they need a certain type of student, says that they're not even kids anymore, that it'll be easy, as if he's only capable of the easy tasks. meanwhile the kids are constantly fighting him because they're smart and know each other well and honestly do not want to be babysat. meanwhile instinct tells steve that max is in trouble and he's right and they still fight him on it.

there's the way robin dustin and eddie tell steve how he needs nancy back (even though he's like respecting her relationship with the guy that She Left Him For) (even though she told him directly and explicitly two years ago that she was never in love with him and that their relationship was bullshit) (even though last summer he told robin all about how he would probably always love her but he knows they wouldn't work again and he's ready to move on)

and like. nobody makes long speeches about what a great guy they think steve harrington is. they all figure: he must already know. only cares about his appearance and getting girls. didn't even bother going to college. probably will skate by on his parents' money. he was popular and a dick and he's kind of an airhead. but who cares, man? it's just steve harrington.

this is the worst for me, man, is when he thanks eddie in the upside down for saving his life, and eddie immediately deflects, and steve has no shit whatsoever to say. he goes up to eddie away from the girls and starts a conversation with a guy that he was convinced was a murderer, a guy he called a freak until they saw each other (eddie: hunt the freak, right?), and starts the conversation to be like: hey! thank you! those girls know how much they mean to me but you don't and i want you to know.

eddie's like "dustin told me you were a badass and i didnt believe him but he was right" and steve is genuinely like. thrown off. dustin doesn't tell him this stuff! he thinks steve is indestructible. and then the good part: "i guess i couldn't accept the fact that Steve Harrington was actually a good dude. rich parents, popular, chicks love him, not a douche?"

because people always stop before they get to that part! steve has rich parents (who cut him off and are never shown because they're never home), steve is popular (or, he was back in high school but we already went over that fall from grace), chicks love him (except they historically absolutely resolutely do not, not the way he wants to be loved by them, not nancy or robin or the girl he takes to the basketball game.) -- but not a douche? when i say this might be the only genuinely nice thing said to steve about his own character in the entire show i'm really struggling to find evidence otherwise. it's honestly nicer than 95% of the shit ever said about steve, to his face or anyone else.

really, the only thing steve is good for, the only thing he has acknowledged himself for being good at, the only thing other people have openly acknowledged he was good at: babysitting

which makes the end of the season hurt all that much more, doesn't it?

he's never been allowed to hang out with the older kids. not since season 1 (even though nancy and jonathan would have 100% died if he hadn't come back). and he loves those kids. he's good at being there for them. he's stood up directly from more than one serious brain injury and immediately did the right thing by them, for them, sacrificed himself for them, only really complained about it in season 4 because at that point it becomes personal, not circumstantial. he's not asked by the kids to help, he's asked by the older people who don't think he can handle any more than them.

i'll say this, too, because it hurts my feelings and idk where else to put it: when max is running up that hill, she calls for dustin and lucas. over and over again. when eddie calls the party over the walkie, he asks for dustin and nancy. steve is always there but no one asks for him. he's going to be there. he's going to instrumental in helping them. but they do not ask for him when theyre scared or in trouble. nobody does and he comes back every single time. he's always there to hear their desperation but he knows he's not who they want!

and i feel like the steve harrington that they want us to think existed would have a snarky comment every time: "i'm here too, you know" but he doesn't. something tells me he doesn't expect to be wanted.

it's just something i noticed.

and then volume 2 hits. they have this big plan. for once, he goes with the big kids. him and his two girls. he trusts eddie and dustin to keep each other safe. he lets max and lucas keep each other safe. he does this even though he always always makes sure they are safe first before saving himself. always. (getting the kids out of the upside down, getting the kids out of the rapidly closing russian elevator, ushering them out, actively putting himself in danger, using his body as a shield. he walks into battle every single time expecting to sacrifice himself for these kids. and this time he goes with robin and nancy to fight the big bad, leaves the smaller things to the kids who desperately want him to stop babysitting them. he figures: max and lucas can handle it themselves, they told me time and time again. dustin and eddie are close and they understand each other in a way i dont get to understand dustin, they can handle it themselves.

steve harrington, you bumbling idiot, listen to them for once! they're smarter than you, anyway, you really hold them back.

and then what? eddie dies, right there in dustin's arms. eddie who is the only person who has actually genuinely told steve that he's a good person that he likes spending time with. even though he told them both not to be a hero. because he knew he wouldnt be able to save them this one time. and dustin had to watch.

and then what? max dies and then lives and then gets put in a coma. he wasn't there like he was in the graveyard. he was the only reason they realized soon enough back then and this time he wasn't there to save her from vecna.

and then what? lucas and erica are nearly killed by jason and the other basketball goons, genuinely violently hate-crimed. and like. steve was wildly popular. he fell from grace but you know jason probably respected him in some weird jock way, would probably listen to steve as like a fucking white guy. and steve can throw a punch

before the got in the fight he and robin were like: i think we're going to lose

and i know steve feels like: i stepped away from my post. the only thing i was good at, the only thing anyone respected me for. i set up this plan and it got people killed. i was tired of being the babysitter and! now! look!

concussion tracker: still probably at least 4 but also i'd like to mention that he gets strangled literally twice this season for like a significant amount of time which is decidedly bad for your brain

tldr: steve harrington, fiercely loyal, canonically neglected, chronically self-sacrificial, disliked at some point by every single character on the show, constantly underestimated, openly self-conscious about his intelligence (both before and after sustaining several severe brain injuries) and how other people perceive him and if people like him and want him around, has given everything for the entire party and he needs to get something back in season 5.

he needs someone other than nancy to tell him he's a good person and a good force in their lives. he needs his final story arc to not be about his romance with nancy (they both need this). he needs dustin to open up to him about eddie's death. he needs someone to trust him with something other than their physical safety. he has never once turned someone away.

and, because he's my blorbo and i want to see him suffer, just a little bit, i want the show to acknowledge how badly he would take the blame for eddie and max and lucas specifically. it is the one time he was not there, it was the one time they lost. he's my steve harrington and i get to project my massive guilt complex onto him as much as i damn well please. and then i want someone to tell him how good he is. for the love of fucking god.

[twigstarpikachutroll22]

I didn't recognize you at first I'm so used to your old icon I was like who is this on my dash and it was all the aroposting that tipped me off even before I took an actual look at the icon and realized who it was

😂😂😂😂😂💖

[sensenotsense]

burger my pen died while trying new coloring

[acid-ixx]

villain au concept: brutus (again &. again series)

tw: flashing lights for the video

this but with a neglected! reader who had tried to take a shot at fighting and discovering their potential. they're especially good with guns, the very weapon batman has sworn neven to use.

you were born to be a heartless killing machine— if not for your mother shielding you away from the sins she had bared, you would've been more than just a bounty or a target costing millions.

you would've been the topmost hired hitman at the age of ten, but you had only found out about your skill at that age.

simply being adopted into the family had delayed your development; turning you into a human, who yearned for love and attention yet never having it reciprocated. you had brainwashed yourself into thinking that if you could reach the same level as them then maybe, just maybe, you could stand by your family's side.

your father, batman, should've noticed the signs sooner.

that in the manor, it houses a cold blooded beast, too far gone into the world of lusting.

lusting for blood, lusting for condemnation, lusting to satiate their hunger.

the way your eyes lit up whenever you successfully hit a target from miles away, or the way your tantrums and fights with damian leads you to ripping apart practice dummies with murderous intent— they were detectives for god's sake! how could they have merely ignored the heavy thumps that cloak the night?

alfred had tried to address the sudden shift in your behavior. he had tried to point out your calculated stares during family meals, the bandages that began to litter your body, your bedroom doors now bolted; how every night the smell of blood seems thicker and more concentrated in the manor.

you didn't just grow up. hell no, you were an entirely different being.

instead of you being led to the light, you were further drawn to the darkness; the picture perfect scenario of what bruce should've been had he ever not picked himself up and fixed his ways.

but you weren't bruce, fucking wayne. no, you were (last name)'s child, and you would never forgive him for even trying to wipe out your own identity.

the neglect that had built up and the anger that was left of you— you turned it into determination; motivation for you to stealthily sneak through the batcave and steal his devices, transform it into weapons made for just for you.

yet you do not use bullets for justice nor reason just like jason, no. but you had died just like him, lost your hope for the very man who you once thought of your father.

it is all a means for you to quench your thirst.

you couldn't wait to see their faces.

maybe then they'll bond with you through fists and bruises, through gunshots and bullets.

and the best part of it all?

you don't need to ask for anymore for their attention.

not when you have all the other criminals willing to give the world in the palm of your hands.

a/n: do you know of fanon! jason who was said to be an aggressive kid? in this au, it's basically you; drowning in contempt lmao. anywaysz, this is just a concept that i randomly thought about, it's basically a "what-if" you had found out the truth sooner about your mother other than the rumors? (lore still redacted lmao) bec if you did, then the end result is this au hehe. again, in the main series there's a lot of false narratives on your part, i love utilizing the faulty narrator trope.