#i feel like it would just make so much sense to flesh out mike more and kind of give closure to his character

[demobatman]

i've convinced myself season 5 will have flashbacks to mike (and the others) experiences in highschool and i think if they dont show Literally any i will be extremely and genuinely disappointed

[yanderes-galore]

yandere hcs for ennard, more so ennard when they're using Mike's skin and the darling is someone Mike knew? Hopefully that makes sense

Yeah, sure! I'll see what I got :)

Original Ennard HCs I'm using for personality purposes

Yandere! Ennard Pretending To Be Michael

Pairing: Platonic/Romantic

Possible Trigger Warnings: Gender-Neutral Darling, Obsession, Stalking, Graphic descriptions, Manipulation, Multiple personalities (Ennard), Deception, Dubious but implied forced companionship.

I feel this situation would progressively get worse as things progress.

Your connection to Michael doesn't matter too much.

I'd imagine due to the pairing you were friends or something closer.

The biggest issues with Ennard taking over are these;

Ennard has multiple personalities you'll pick up on over time, they struggle with replicating Michael fully.

The eventual smell as their disguise rots.

The odd movement "Michael" begins to display.

The look of your friend gets worse and worse.

Pretending to be Michael is a way for Ennard to be close to you.

At first they'd definitely struggle.

Not only do they have constant personalities buzzing in their mind, but they also don't know you well... if at all.

As a result, when you call Michael's name, you'll notice him twitch a little before trying to respond.

Ennard tries to also learn singular pronouns.

It would give them away if they kept saying "we".

Ennard struggles to learn Michael's behavior, but soon they get the hang of it.

It would help more if Michael had videos of you and him so they can copy it.

When Ennard meets you they can tell you're worried about Michael.

They can't tell if it's nice someone cares about them after being forgotten so long... or if they're envious of the supposedly deceased Michael.

Either way they try to respond in a way similar to Michael.

Honestly, trying to replicate Michael is hard for them.

One moment you find Michael being playful with you, the next he's asking you to dance midway through.

Then there's times he claims he wants to impress you, other times he gets a bit... devious.

You begin to wonder what he's gone through when he was gone?

Michael just seems so erratic with you.

He also appears oddly obsessed with you and things about you.

You even pull him/them aside to try and figure out what's up.

Your friend is acting weird... so you'll keep an eye on him.

There's times when he visits that there's the distinct smell of decay around him.

You jokingly tell him to take a shower one time, to which he (Ennard) gives you a confused look.

You feel even more concern towards your friend when you notice his walk.

He appear limping at times, leading to you holding him up.

An action you notice he shuffles closer to you during.

You offer to call the hospital when you notice Michael's skin turn a bruising purple, one that remind you of flesh lacking blood.

Ennard tells you they don't need it as Michael despite your worry.

Meanwhile as Ennard plays the role of your friend, they pick up items they think remind them of you.

They also often stare in an attempt to memorize what you look like in their mangled databank.

During this time Ennard is working on a time limit.

Michael won't be a suitable disguise soon enough.

Plus... the personalities buzz even more when they discuss you.

Soon you'll notice "Michael" slip away again.

This is Ennard making their escape, fleeing into the sewers.

They really hate the idea of leaving you... they miss the comfort you offer.

However, they promise to see you again.

They may even be in a different form when they meet you again.

Then they can have your comfort in their true form...

They hope you'll be just as welcoming as when they were Michael... won't you?

[thatpodcastkid]

Magnus Archives Relisten 17, MAG 17 The Boneturner's Tale

Honestly, if my high school bully got their hands on a Leitner I think basically the same thing would happen.

MAG 17 analysis, spoilers ahead.

Facts: Statement of Sebastian Adekoya regarding a new acquisition at Chiswick Library.

Statement Notes: "Books are amazing, aren't they?"

The first line of this statement is so hopeful. Sebastian approaches what happened to him with this strange light pouring out of him. He takes on the world with a realistic yet deeply optimistic outlook. His character feels out of place in the Magnus Archives world because, although he's afraid, he isn't sick or sad or angry or desperate. Despite the horror he finds himself facing, there isn't any actual disruption to his routine, meaning he doesn't have to change in the face of danger. Adekoya is a static character in a dynamic setting.

As a book lover, Adekoya uses a lot of flowery language in his statement. He spends the first minute giving a speech on the beauty and power of language and the written word. He serves as an incredible contrast to Jared. They don't necessarily have conflicting beliefs, but conflicting focuses. Adekoya deals in the beautiful and abstract, Hopworth deals in the messy and real. Language is art, humans are meat.

Since Sebastian and Jared are around the same age, and Adekoya just graduated college, we can assume Jared is about 22-23 during the events of this statement. His characterization was very realistic. People often joke about hearing the bully of their secondary school getting arrested, but it's very different when you realize the violent but ultimately harmless kid you knew has become a violent and harmful adult. Often, that violent energy is turned against family members first. Those who tried to help, those who enabled, those who don't deserve it.

The end of the statement was very frightening. The violence enacted against Adekoya is a show of power by Jared and, in turn, The Boneturner's Tale. The Magnus Archives is an eldritch horror story, and The Bonetruner's Tale holds power no human can possibly understand. It is capable of enacting violence no human can understand. Its power is so great, we are left to assume a car killed Sebastian, because no living thing could do that much damage. Right?

In addition to Mike Crew's strange strategy of dropping the Leitner off in a random library, he chose to file it as Trainspotting of all things. This means that not only did Crew check out Trainspotting from the library, but he now owns the copy. Does this matter at all to the plot or metaplot of TMA? No. Does it matter to my heart? Yes.

Entity Alignment: Another strong Flesh episode. When Hopworth's mother is described as missing bones in her arm, I began to wonder if Boneturner was how Hopworth first began harvesting for the meat pit. Early on, he likely had no knowledge of the ritual. But since Boneturner is what allowed him to steal the flesh of others, it would make sense that he would utilize it to feed and serve the entity.

If not, and Jared only used Boneturner to steal for and add to himself as his powers developed, there is something to be said about the Flesh's affiliation with greed. Humans eat meat partly out of necessity; it's accessible, it's filling, it's fuel. But the excess of meat consumption, the ever-increasing animal slaughter across the world at the expense of our own health and environment? Is that because we're hungry, or because we just want more?

I also noted how Sebastian didn't seem attracted to Boneturner at all. There's a motif with Leitners regarding them "calling out" to people and drawing innocents into their dark ways. But clearly, it's not indiscriminate. The isn't an apple of discord or ring of power situation; Leitners are capable of choosing who they want to attach themselves to. While I don't know much about the Canterbury Tales (feel free to educate me in the notes), it does seem that as the book makes Hopworth stronger, he makes it stronger by feeding its written desire for blood and violence.

Character Notes: Who speaks to their boss like that. Who. I get Elias needs him but is it not suspicious to everyone else when his employee can just say stuff like that? "Fine, fine, I'll be more lovely?" You sarcastic bastard?

This is a...weird intro to Elias to say the least. While of course Jon is being rude and they're passively sniping at each other, Elias does seem calm. He seems responsible and put together. He's not antagonistic in any way. If anything, Jon is the aggressor in the conversation. Up to this point, Jon has been the listener's only lens to view this world through. So when we are presented with a new character to compare him to, and Jon is snippy and rude, we are essentially forced into seeing this character as calm and rational. There was no way for the audience to ever perceive Elias as the villain. Which is exactly what he wanted.

Jon also states the Institute's goal is to "record and study, not interfere or contain." This makes sense for an academic institution (you wouldn't expect a forensic research lab to arrest criminals and keep them on-site), but it becomes interesting in the context of The Magnus Protocol. The Office of Incident Assessment and Response explicitly intends to respond to the supernatural even though it's still questionable how/if they do. Jon's initial goal isn't to take action against the entities, but he is more or less forced to. As of now in TMAGP, Sam wants to be involved in the supernatural, but is forced into a state of inaction.

Also Elias calls him "Jonathan." That doesn't mean anything but god to be a fly on that wall.

There's also the strange implication in this conversation that Rosie is in charge of the recording equipment. If this is true, it clearly doesn't last as Jon slowly becomes lord of the tape recorders. But still, the only reason I can think of for Elias giving his assistant access to the tapes is to indulge her "nosy Rosie" habits. She seems to only have access to the digital recordings, so none of the "real" stuff. But she can still listen to other people's private thoughts and experiences. Elias wants her to look into other people's business so he can keep her on in the world to come.

The first indicator of Martin's absence. "Stomach problems." There is the continued question of Prentiss' lucidity. In her statement regarding the wasp's nest, she seems to be losing her grip on reality. Several statement givers describe her and other infected as mindless monsters. But, she clearly was conscious enough to concoct an elaborate story of Martin's illness and maintain text communications with the archival staff. She would also need to be lucid if she was consciously conducting the corruption ritual, but it's equally possible the ritual was driven by animalistic and unnameable drives given to her by the entity. The Corruption needs Prentiss mindless enough to serve as a source of nameless protruding rot, but still sentient enough to A) not be captured and B) fulfill its worldly tasks. This is another instance of TMA dream logic: Prentiss is lucid enough to lie and form plans, but too far gone to be reasoned with.

[pinkeoni]

Why The Dragon Could Represent Will's Self Harm

TW: Discussion of self harm

This is an idea I've had swimming around in my head for awhile but I didn't start seeing the evidence for it until recently.

Why the dragon is connected to Will

This point is pretty easy to explain— the dragon in Will's painting was painted by Will.

I mean, it's a pretty simple reasoning but it's solid. Even without getting into the nitty gritty of the creation theory, you can point to the fact that since Will painted the dragon, he essentially created it. Will conjured the dragon in his painting, so he will likely conjure the dragon in some form during the climax.

It's always possible that Vecna could conjure the dragon, but dragons aren't really his MO. Vecna's into spiders, not dragons. It makes much more sense fantasy and Dungeons & Dragons to be the one to conjure the dragon. Thank you to @bylrndgm for pointing out that Will has some winged creatures (possible dragons) on his bedroom wall in Hawkinsand while looking for screenshots I found this dragon toy behind Will (in a scene where he’s being self deprecating no less)

This could also be another Vecna/Will parallel. In season 4 we see little Henry draw his spider monster before turning it into a reality in the Upside Down. Will painted the dragon, so he'll create a real dragon. Similarly, if the spider monster (Mind Flayer) that Henry created is meant to also himself, then could the dragon that Will creates also be himself as well?

How the dragon could represent his self harm

This part is going to take a little more explaining than the last part. I'll start with explaining Will's self harm.

Will doesn't really self harm in a traditional sense, rather we see him emotionally harm himself. While there are a few moments where we see Will stick up for himself, (the rain fight, Rink-O-Mania) there seems to be a line where Will no longer asserts his feelings outward but rather directs them inward and ends up hurting himself in the process. The rain fight results in the destruction of Castle Byers, and when Lucas tries to apologize to Will later, Will claims that it doesn't matter anymore. Something similar happened at Rink-O-Mania, where initially Will is able to defend himself but then later claims that he actually "deserved it."

And then, of course, we see Will harm himself emotionally when he gives Mike the painting under the guise of it being from El. Here we see a recurring aspect of Will's self harm, his self sacrificial nature.

In episode 1x01, Will sacrifices Will the Wise in the D&D game for the sake of the rest of the party. In episode 2x08, Will tries to sacrifice himself again when he instructs everyone to "CLOSEGATE" despite the fact that this would kill him. These two instances combined with the painting show how little regard Will has for his own self preservation, so long as others are saved.

What's interesting about all three of these instances of sacrifice is that they involve fire, burning, or even the dragon itself. The most obvious one being Will's dragon painting, which he uses to try and fix Mike and El's relationship and therefore hurts his own feelings.

When Will sacrifices himself in 1x01, he does so while casting fireball.

In order to get the mind flayer properly out of Will in order to properly close the gate, they do so by burning it out of him (and Will even receives a physical burn from Nancy in this scene).

Why this would manifest as the dragon

ST tends to use its supernatural and horror elements to explore themes of mental illness. The most recent and obvious example being the Vecna's Curse plot from last season, which was used to explore trauma and suicidal ideation. The NINA plot was a look at trauma and repressed memories through a sci-fi lens. In the case of Will, his true sight episodes were a supernatural spin on PTSD flashbacks. The show rarely ever has monsters just for the sake of monsters. Even the giant flesh monster from s3 was likely used as a metaphor for forced conformity and patriotism.

So then, when a big dragon gets manifested in the show, likely by Will, I don't think it would be just a big dragon for the sake of having a big dragon; I think that the dragon would likely be used to represent some kind of aspect regarding mental health. And based on what I've mentioned above, the aspect in question would likely be Will's self destruction.

How would a dragon be used to show self harm?

Something important about Will's dragon is that it has multiple heads.

It's been theorized as to exactly how many heads the dragon would have. Would it have seven heads like the dragon in revelations? Five heads like the Tiamat from D&D? Or just three heads like Will's painting? (Likely the last option) No matter how many heads, the dragon in each example has multiple heads, enough heads to be able to cause harm to another one.

Considering that the Duffers often pay homage to other sources, I was wondering if there was any examples in other media or mythology to a self destructive dragon— and then I remembered the Ouroboros

The Ouroboros is an ancient multicultural symbol that has taken on a few different interpretations depending on the culture it comes from, but is always represented as "a serpent or dragon eating its own tail."

The ouroboros usually represents the cycle of death and rebirth, but is also commonly seen as a symbol of self destruction.

Will doesn't realize that his self harm hurts others

Something that I don't think Will is quite aware of is that whenever he self harms or self sacrifices, he believes he is only harming himself but doesn't realize that he's harming others. When he sacrifices himself in D&D and subsequently goes missing, he doesn't see the pain and distraught that it brings to everyone. When Will gives his dragon painting to Mike under the guise of it being from El, he doesn't realize that he's actually hurting both of them through his attempt to save their relationship.

What this could mean for the dragon is that it could be harming itself, like in the case of the ouroboros, but it could also be causing damage to everything around it in the process. Imagine, for example, the dragon breathing fire on one of its other heads, but it ends up setting fire to part of the town. A dragon literally at war with itself whose self destruction spills outward, just like Will.

In the terms of how this works thematically, this is how the dragon could be used to show Will's journey toward selfishness. Contrasting his many instances of self sacrifices, Will learns that the real answer to saving others involve saving himself, and that's how they defeat the dragon.

Prediction for how this could happen in the show

Here's a rough timeline for how this could play out in the show:

We see Will's self destructing nature build up throughout the season

The dragon ends up manifesting at the climax, likely in episode 7

The dragon manifests at a point where Will is at his lowest, possibly considering sacrificing himself for the benefit of others. He doesn't realize that this would do more harm than good

The dragon tries to destroy itself but does damage to everything around it in the process

Will realizes that he was the one who created the dragon and has to contend with why it was created

Part of defeating it means Will has to have a personal realization

This point is a little less fleshed out but the party defeats the dragon together as part of the final battle before the final confrontation with Vecna

tagging: @howtobecomeadragon @smalltown-babygirl

[dinosaursatemymom]

St characters ranked by me

even though nobody asked

Lucas Sinclair

Max Mayfield

Erica Sinclair

El/Jane Hopper

Steve Harrington

Will Byers

Robin Buckley

Joyce Byers

Jonathon Byers

Hopper

Murray

Mike wheeler

Dustin Henderson

Argyle

Nancy Wheeler

The entire town of Hawkins

Eddie Munson

Vecna/Henry/001

Billy Hargrove

1- do I even need to explain myself? Lucas solos, end of story, but in all seriousness this guy is just such a good person, whenever he screws up he always takes accountability and apologizes. Lucas is a green flag and good character.

2- Max is a good character, and I wish that her depression has been explored more. I think most of her sarcasm is a defense mechanism and closing off as a trauma response, which I relate to a lot as closing off is also my defense mechanism.

3-Erica is a great character, she's funny, shes nice when she needs to be and it's clear she really does care about her brother. She's wayy too young to be dealing with all the upside down stuff though.

4- El is great, and I would love to see her again her independence and more of a sense of self.

5- Steve is a good guy, he makes mistakes(like a lot) but he tries to make up for them(cleaning off the spray paint, and helping with the camera for example) I definitely think that his whole thing with Nancy this season was weird, but tbh I think the duffers just don't know what to do with him anymore. Cause he was supposed to die, like more than once. All in all I like him as a character.

6- Will is a good character I just think he needs to stop being sidelined so much, which has already been proven to come to fruition in s5.

7- Robin is also a good character who needs more screentime. I would like to see more of who she is separated from Steve.

8- Joyce is good mom, she loves her kids and really tries to help them.

9- Jonathon was a bitch for most of s1, which can be written of as trauma response. He's a great big brother. I would love to see him owning up to his mistakes better, and being honest with nancy. I'll say that the whole taking pictures thing was creepy and he should've apologized to more than just Nancy.

10- I like him, although he makes mistakes, as we all do, but he doesn't really own up to all of them. And in certain moments he was an asshole, but all in all I like him for the most part.

11- Murray is Murray. He's the chaotic neutral. He's not a matchmaker, he's just sick of everyone's bullshit.

12- I have a lot to say about Mike, but as of right now this is where he stays. Because unless he gets confirmed get with IH he's just a little shit.

13- Dustin is funny and nice, but he's also a cocky little asshole a lot of the time. He is the exact type of person I would be friends with in real life though. 😅

14- I like argyle, but he is definitely not fleshed out enough. I need him fleshed out more in the next season.

15- I don't like her very much, shes kinda just a rich entitled white girl. She strung Steve along in s2, she told Jonathon he was pulling the Oliver twist routine and barely apologized. She got all smug when Jonathan apologized. She can't take accountability for her actions well, and that just ticks me off.

16- I don't know much about them but yk.

17- I don't like eddie. I don't get why people like Eddie, he's a greasy twenty year old who basically bullies high schoolers for not being freaks enough. He also sells drugs to minors as a twenty year old. He was kinda at fault for the whole basketball dnd game thing, he acts like having any other interests is wrong and tbh he just feels like the semi-attractive white guy to ship with other semi-attractive white guy. I was sorta indifferent to him at first but then the fandom kept adding him into everything where he absolutely did not need to be. Like, no, he's not gonna come back to life and mentor Will who's gonna come out to him.

18- do I need to explain this? Really? He's evil

19- racist, sexist, greasy, abuser, likely homophobic. Just a shit person let's be real.

Okay that's it this is all my opinion though, please don't hate.

[cherubchoirs]

Yo :3

So uh, I’ve been looking through your art and I am absolutely in love with it. I love your use of colors and lineart (ESPECIALLY v1 but I’ll get to them). This will mostly just be me rambling about it cause :]

Dude how the fuck do you get emotion so well done. V1 is immaculate, like look at this shit

You can feel that it’s alien to non robots, but is genuinely curious. I absolutely love how you draw poses. Especially since the characters don’t have faces, body language is key. They feel like they have a personality with each drawing. Always hunched down and extended with no regards to social norms. The attention to detail is what really makes it, the thicker outlines on the character make them pop more, and your take on V1 is clearly thought out well, along with your ultrakill characters.

LIKE LOOK AT IT‼️

IT GENUINELY LOOKS 3D‼️‼️

While my favorite is v1, Micheal in your aus is especially well written and drawn. His design reminds me a lot of the corpse of king Minos / Minos prime. which I like! It highlights their contrast, how Minos tried to reason with a higher being on an equal level. Micheal acted instead, deeming himself unworthy of said higher being. Both genuinely cared for their citizens, both were royalty. Minos spoke out, Micheal stayed isolated, which only further deteriorated him, unlike Minos, who instead was proactive, reaching out to other layers and kings like Sisyphus. Sometimes you need to know what it’s like to feel consequence in order to succeed. But in the end, both of their bodies are left to rot, unable to succeed.

Also I really like this one of v1. Their silhouette is distinctive and you’re good at posing :3

Sry. Idk if this is weird or creepy, but I thought I’d share my thoughts with you since I like analyzing stuff.

THE WAY THIS MADE ME SO EMOTIONAL THO....WTF THANK YOU SO MUCH......it's absolutely mind-blowing to me that you pay attention to these little details because i absolutely try to add all of these things intentionally, but i find myself thinking like 'will anyone even care??? about these tiny things???' so it means more than i can say to see that someone does!!!!! like i'm so happy to know that my characterization of v1 comes through, because i really do have a very clear idea in my mind of its behavior and personality that i'm trying to convey through still images. v1's movements are bird/raptor-like and while i give it a very sophisticated, sentient mind, its intelligence is nonhuman and it is a being that absolutely doesn't conform to our standards. v1 is something new, and i want it to be something that clearly has an internal life and a bright mind, yet exhibits very little corresponding human behaviors. plus, it's a bit odd because of its somewhat corrupted software, and so i wanted too for its little hunched posture to show it's sort of a machine gone feral (in the traditional, once was domesticated but is now on its own sense lol) - it was made with a humanoid body shape and so SHOULD stand up straight, but it doesn't anymore. because it doesn't want to. and so!!! i really do draw v1 with a LOT of intention and i put plenty of thought into posing it correctly to both convey its character and its emotion in the piece...and since it's my favorite, i'm so glad i'm doing it justice!!

AND YEA!!! michael definitely has parallels to minos (which i started to think on when i realized their head shape is....kinda similar lol i swear i was just going for crown + blindfold for mike's helmet but oops!!) and i do like their throughlines as fallen rulers, plus their sort of opposing yet ultimately disastrous relationships to their own corpse - minos is separated from his and must watch as it mindlessly tears his city apart while michael is trapped in a flesh prison of his own body, forced to stay within it as it rots away. they are two rulers that would have done anything for their people, and yet both failed them despite again taking opposite paths. minos really had no hope, the external forces of heaven coming down on him in their full authority, though he will forever blame himself. michael departed despite, with god's disappearance, being essentially the highest in heaven - he believed only god could save them though, that he could never become a king from a prince (again, due to heaven's own hierarchy). their meeting would be nothing but utter disaster, but it does make me consider their interactions a little more closely when michael decides to test minos prime's strength (because while michael would have a lot to say about how minos failed his people by defying god, minos would have much to say in turn about a prince abandoning his people at their weakest)

BUT FOR REAL....this message was so amazingly kind and i want to thank you again for sending it my way. it just made me!!!! feel so happy to see that my art is loved and that the work i put into it really means something. honestly it's the best thing i could ask for <3

[weirdmorefics]

Hi!! Could I please request a stranger things imagine where the reader (Elevens younger sibling) feels like el doesn’t see R as a sibling figure, and so constantly puts themselves in harms way to prove themself. And one day, they almost die and let’s it slip on why they’re acting the way they are, and El assures the reader that they are siblings and is worried about reader and protective?

x sister!reader

If You Ever Do Anything Like That Again I’ll Kick Your Butt

Pronouns- She/Her

Word Count- 1,090

Summary- The Mind Flayer tries to attack Eleven but the reader protects Eleven and gets seriously hurt. 

I can't believe I am here again, putting my life on the line. Just so I can finally convince El finally sees me as a sister. I will do anything so El knows that I am her family even if it means dying I am just so tired. I am really not sure how much longer I can keep this giant nasty monster from killing us. El is helping she is the stronger of the two of us I hope I will be as strong as her one day. I stand behind her trying to hide the nosebleed from over-exerting myself when I see the monster go for her leg. Before I can think I push her out of the way and the monster grabs me instead.

I am flying in the air swinging around with no control. I hear everyone screaming like crazy. Eleven has used all her energy already so she tries to pull me down physically and Mike comes to her aid then the rest join in trying to yank me back to the ground. My whole body is quaking in fear I want to scream so badly but nothing will come out.

Jonathan screams for nancy to shoot it and I want to scream that will just make it angrier but all that comes out our anxious labored breaths and tears from my eyes. This frozen feeling happens to me a lot even in the lab it would happen where I felt so much fear I could not move or speak. I think papa would call it a panic attack.

Nancy shoots and I can hear the bullets woosh by me and I think this may be my end. If I die for Eleven will she see me as the sister I see her as? Nancy screams Lucas’s name and he starts trying to chop the monster apart with an axe as Nancy shots more. They start pulling on my arms even harder it feels like my arms will be ripped off and I will fly into the night sky as the monster tears me apart.

Lucas chops one of the monster’s limbs off causing me to fall to the ground with it. I am exhausted I just want to close my eyes and wake up from the nightmare and go back to eating egos with El. Eleven tries to talk to me but the words don’t make sense in my mind. Her eyes widen when she looks at my leg. I follow her gaze to my leg and see part of the monster still attached to me. With little energy, she has left she yanks it off with her powers. My voice is back due to the blinding searing pain that causes and all I can do is scream until my throat hurts.

Eleven looks angrier than I have ever seen her and she turns around and faces the monster. She screams and holds her hands up toward the monster. I can’t really see what is going on right now my eyes are blurry from the tears and pain but I hear the disgusting noise of flesh ripping. I see Eleven fall from exhaustion I try to stand to catch her from falling but my leg will not function. Mike luckily catches her but this just makes me feel like a failure of a sister. Why can’t I protect her as she protects me.

Max and Lucas help drag me to my feet and help me limp outside as Mike carries Eleven. Nancy and Jonathan are screaming go over and over as they rush us out the door and slam it behind us. We all scramble into the car and Eleven is still knocked out as I whine in pain.

Mike screams to nancy, “drive”

We arrive quickly at a store and Nancy and Jonathan break the door so we can get in. Max and Lucas help me inside as Mike helps a groggy El in. I can’t stop groaning in pain. Nancy and Jonathan are ransacking the shelves and giving orders to everyone. Max and Lucas set me gently on the ground and pull my pant leg up.

I see Eleven’s eyes widen and Max gasps “Oh shit.”

I groan in more pain it just keeps getting worse and I really think I might die here.

Nancy says she wants to clean the wound but Max corrects her and tells her how to treat it properly. I honestly don’t care how they do it I just want it to stop.

“Eleven hold this keep pressure,” Max orders seriously.

I scream as El puts pressure it is just making it worse. Eleven quickly looks to Max to see if she is doing it right and Max nods. Max lists more instructions to everyone but everything sounds distorted to me.

Everyone leaves to get supplies except El who continues to keep pressure on my wound. It starts to feel a little better now that I am sitting and I think the bleeding is not as bad now.

Eleven looks at me seriously, “Why would you do that?”

“Do what?” I shrug

“Push me out of the way? It was going after me first,” she frowns.

I sigh trying to think of some lie so I don’t sound like a dork but I just say the truth anyway, because I mean this wound is probably going to kill me tonight anyway what do I have to lose? “Eleven you're the only family I have I know you don’t see me as a sister but I see you as one. You always protected me in the lab it was about time for me to return the favor.”

Eleven look suddenly very angry... I did not think it would upset her maybe I should not have said it after all.

“What do mean I don’t see you as a sister? You were the only one who even talked to me in that lab! You have always been my sister and that’s why it’s my job to protect YOU because you are the little sister.” She shouts at me.

I smirk “You think of me as a sister?”

“Of course! You mouth breather!” she says affectionately and hugs me.

“Ow,” I say quietly.

She quickly let go, “Sorry.” Then she gets serious again and points at me “ And if you ever do anything like that again I will kick your butt!”

I grin widely at her and nod and she grins back and we giggle together.

[shortkidenergy]

OK DONE WITH PART 1

Characterization thoughts:

Bill: I like kid Bill a lot. especially as part 1 goes on you see more and more of that gravity he has and why he’s Big Bill who all the other kids (and anyone with sense) would follow into hell. i always imagine Bill with dark hair and maybe…a little stockier? but i think this Bill felt more visually and emotionally like book Bill than movie Bill did to me. closer to my ideal Bill. a platonic Bill if you will. adult Bill I still haven’t seen much of yet but the PONYTAIL. the PONYTAIL IS HILARIOUS. i love that in the book adult Bill was bald and in the miniseries they were like what if he had A LOT of hair tho. it’s such a bad ponytail.

Ben: oh Ben my beloved. kid Ben might be my favorite of these losers. he’s SO EFFORTLESSLY COOL and i really love that for him. like the actor is genuinely so great. he’s sweet but also just so cool. which is like honestly so Ben. im sad it feels like they’re playing down how smart he is by removing the library and replacing his scare with something about his dad. or whatever that was going on with his cousin??? unfortunately as much as i love kid ben so far adult ben is my least favorite. i haven’t seen much of him so i’m trying not to judge too harshly but everything about his introduction was so ://. he’s supposed to be a weird lone reclusive artist who frequents a particular bar so often he knows the bartender. he’s supposed to live in the middle of nowhere and have picked up cowboy traits. making him a player???????? no. this man is SO insecure. (yes he is also Very Hot and Lots of people would be attracted to him but the DIFFERENCE is that he would not get close enough to anyone for that to matter. because 1 he’s gone back to being the lone wolf he was before joining the Losers and 2 his heart is still holding out for Bev even if he doesn’t remember her…)

Eddie: kid Eddie is GREAT. he’s like a tiny little old man and that’s fantastic. his voice, his lines, his clothes, the way he *walks* perfect. impeccable. tiny little geriatric man. no notes. it’s sad that we don’t get his character arc with his asthma and everything, but i get why they didn’t have time to flesh out the characters the way they did in the book/movies (unless that’s coming in part 2 but from the scene where they all passed around Eddie’s inhaler i kind of doubt it). i also LOVE that they kept Eddie’s sense of direction. i just love when all the kids have special powers for no explicable reason. Eddie just always knows where to go 🥺 adult Eddie I have not seen much of but i have HIGH HOPES FOR. i love his look, i love his voice, i love his micromanaging. so far he’s my favorite adult. can’t wait for good things and only good things to happen to him in part 2 :)

Bev: very fond. i really really like how kid Bev looks. her wardrobe and those braids. it just really feels like she’s a scrappy kid right with the rest of them. the movies made her feel a little more…grown up/cooler than the rest of them but i guess thinking about it the kids are older in the movies. and like she is supposed to be cool and she is cool but she’s cool the same way the rest of them are, y’know? i really really liked her bantering with Richie. i have such a soft spot for their friendship and i really felt it here. grown up Bev i haven’t seen much of, but so far i like her. i wasn’t so sure at the very first scene, but after she got the call from mike i was like ohhh yep there she is.

Richie: oh Richie ascshdjs. i like this Richie a lot. definitely feels a lot like book Richie which makes a lot of sense because book Richie is so very from the 50s, and so is this one lol. i love his look and body language. when he’s running from the werewolf i’m just like yep there he is. limbs too long. flailing around. perfect. LOVED when he dumped his drink on the bullies. LOVE whenever he says shit and starts shit. he’s just so much fun. the chemistry between him and Eddie isn’t as strong as it is in the movies (i honestly don’t remember how it was in the book) which is for sure missed. but also they feel like they have an age difference between them that they don’t in the movies. adult Richie i’m ehhh on so far. i just don’t think i’ve seen enough of him yet.

Mike: sad that we don’t get to see more of him as a kid :( don’t love the way he was introduced but a lot of that is i think because i don’t like that they are in school. i also think he’s…smarter. than to draw attention to himself like that. also the fact that doesn’t go to school with the rest of the losers kind of feels like an important thing that got missed. that’s why none of them know him. i also feel like his connection to the historical racial violence in Derry is under-played by just having him just presented as being interested in Derry’s history of violence. like there’s a REASON he knows this stuff and it’s because of his PARENTS. specifically his DAD. who i am upset has never made it into any film adaptation. will hanlon my beloved :,( ultimately i don’t feel like i got enough of kid mike to decide how i feel about him. ADULT MIKE HOWEVER i am a fan of. his vibes are GOOD. i love him sticking his nose in the crime scene at the start. i love that that’s the opening. i love this nosy librarian who gets Involved In Shit. I really love how he looks. His voice. Everything about him. high hopes for adult mike in part 2

And finally…

Stan: oh Stan :( my baby. it took me until the stan part to get a read on him and. wow. both kid and adult stan are Really Really Good. the grabbing his ear and reciting the boyscout code or whatever it was he was doing. again i get why we didn’t get birds if it’s just a cut characterization for time thing so i LOVE that they gave him something else to recite. and oh my god when he sees the photograph and he just. has a mini meltdown i. god i love him so much. he’s so so scared to go into the sewer. he gets the brunt of the trauma down there. and then he’s so so reluctant to promise to come back. and god when he gets the call. and he and patty are so sweet…it’s so interesting how the timing of his bath is different in the book, movies, and mini series. and i think this one is honestly the most devastating. like the book you know right off the bat, and then it’s a slow sort of pain as you get to know him because you know exactly how he ends. the movies… i guess i don’t know what it’s like to watch them without knowing what happens, but i feel like the break in between the first and second movies shaves the edge of it down. but here. here you’ve seen the rest of them answer the phone. you’ve seen him throughout in the background. then you see just how devastated he is by It. just how much he can’t accept it. how traumatized he is. how he went into the tunnels scared and came out scared and still promised to come back. and then. and *then* Stanly takes a bath.

devastating.

i was planning to write more about other stuff but it’s getting late and i wrote so much more here than i thought i was going to asgdj. probably expect at least another one of these when i watch part 2

[terrence-silver]

I just finished season five of Cobra Kai and saw what happened to Terry :( could we have some post season five beloved and Terry fluff? This ending needs some fixing

---

He wakes up on a familiar set of laid out silk sheets.

In his bed.

Glendower Avenue. Beverly Hills.

Terry Silver had the most peculiarly innate, complicated and nonsensical dream vivid even now, lingering, with the sun peeking through the heavy brocade curtains Milos promptly opens with his usual, curt 'Good Morning, Mr. Silver. You've a call from Hong Kong scheduled at eight. Which robe would you like this morning?' --- a usual, well-rehersed ritual. He had a genuine nightmare, he'd dare even say, for accuracy's sake, and even though Terry trained himself not to be affected or controlled by such things after the war through sheer discipline, this was one was something else; John has betrayed him. Terry betrayed him right back. The cops got involved. They didn't talk for thirty years previously --- too much bad blood between them appearantly. What the fuck did that even mean? Dynatox was more or less defunct and obsolete? His...life's work. Terry was miserably involved and equally uninvolved with Gwyneth Paltrow's more annoying cousin in a passionless arrangement and a peanut gallery of equally fucked up, stifling individuals and he became someone else due to it. He sold this house. Why did he sell this house and move out to Malibu? Where were Snake and Dennis? His old staff? Cobra Kai ceased to be for decades, and then it came back and ceased to be again. That Lawrence schmuck an obstacle at every turn, for some reason. Mike Barnes the narcoleptic furniture salesman. Someone called Sensei Joe. Someone who reminded him of Lady Snowblood from that crap movie he saw during his trip to Japan back in the 70's. The Larusso kid was a car salesman who crane kicked him into a glass trophy stand. Who the fuck is Stingray?

He should really lay off the champagne.

Or at least, have Margaret order him a batch of something of even grander quality.

Something that doesn't induce, well --- that shit.

-"My usual pintstripe."- He clarifies on his choice of bathrobe and then continues, slightly stiff, loathing the sensation of being quite so affected; -"Milos. What year is it?"-

He sits up in his bed and he genuinely has to ask, because that --- living hallucination, psychedelic nighttime trance, vision, coke fuelled high or whatever the fucking bullshit that was --- it felt real. Too real. Tangible enough to touch and sense under his fingertips like pulsating flesh. More real than any dream about Vietnam he could ever hope to have even years later. Ending in him led away in the back of a police car like a common criminal. And then he bolted awake. No longer gray and old and so decrepit and lost. -"1985, sir. June 25th."- Milos clarifies, removing the silk peignoir from the closet on it's silver hanger and rolling over his hand, waiting to help him drape himself into once he was ready to get up, being ever so professional in his attentions towards him as Terry adorned himself with the barrage of rings and his gold Rolex neatly placed on the night table, checking for time, trying to distract himself from the reeling, haunting sensation he felt, covered in cold sweat even as he slept entirely in the nude; something his staff was accustomed to by now. -"Are you alright, sir?"- Milos has to ask as Terry gets up, bolting off from the California king-size mattress and covers his nudity in satin, tying the sash around his waist, shaking himself off, cracking his shoulders and neck to get circulation back into his body. He needed to get to exercising right away and de-stress. That's it. Kick some air. Some of his sparring partners, preferably, determined to get himself back into gear and...shake this feeling of dread off.

Some Freddy Krueger bullshit this was.

-"No, I'm not fucking alright!"- Terry seethes, hissing, displeased and not making an effort to conceal it, sauntering towards his master bedroom's door in wide strides, affixing his gelled down hair into a state of order, Milos following his every step diligently. -"Have this bed thrown out and order a new one! I haven't slept well. I want it out by time I come back! Or better yet --- now!"- Terry halts, speaking firmly and feeling like himself again when he was out giving orders, pointing a bejewelled index finger back towards where he had the unfortunate...whatever...and Mr. Dadok nods with a prompt 'Yes, sir.' Fact is, everything that provided him with a nightmare where he and John fell out didn't deserve to exist. Should be burned on Sunset Boulevard like a witch. Terry slams the bedroom door and angrily huffs down the brutalist brick foyer, grand and intimidating, just like he liked and remembered it...just yesterday. He must've slept deep. Deep like the dead. Felt, subjectively, like he was gone for years. He wasn't. He was just smoking a Cohiba in his jacuzzi yesterday.

-"Mrs. Silver is in the dining hall, waiting for you to join her for breakfast."-

Following suit behind him, Milos alerts him of you.

Another thing clicks into place.

And relief. There's relief. Sense. Order. You.

Terry Silvers hastens his speed until he can barely be kept up with.

He needs to see you. Assure that you're real. Not illusory.

He needs to call Johnny too.

---

(I can do you one better --- far better; The entirety of Cobra Kai as a show was merely a bad dream Terry Silver had.)

[midnightactual]

//I’ve seen your Neon Dark AU. Gotta say, I dunno how you did it, but you seamlessly blended Yoruichi into the Cyberpunk world. Did it a lot better than I could, that’s for sure. Just in case you needed a bit of positivity.

hey, thanks for the compliments, but don't put yourself down in the process of handing them out. I think that your presentation of a Cyberpunk 2077 AU centers the game world in a much more eminent and relatable way to anyone who actually played the game (which is gonna be most people besides maybe those coming in from Edgerunners), especially with the breakout of stats, gear, abilities, and so on, and the backstory you created really dwells on the personal, which I think is normally where bios should be focused. keeping Ash relatively light on chrome is also fair and fun for both the overhaul and dealing with the setting more generally

I personally just camped out on the Wiki (and some PDFs of rulebooks) for a while and focused on reading Cyberpunk 2020 and Cyberpunk RED lore until I found some largely free real estate that let me do what I wanted to do, then bent Mike Pondsmith's lore on cyberpsychosis some in a way I thought made sense to make it work without any real care for what that'd look like in the TTRPG rules or game. I felt that de facto giving Yoruichi an exceptional base humanity score and saying the Raiden also has minimal humanity cost was fair, with how powerful it is balanced by it having no upgrades and no ability to do Netrunner or Smart Weapon stuff, but I could easily see someone arguing it's min-maxed and metagamey... but then, the goal was to make her powerful but mysterious

(someone like lore-accurate Adam Smasher would beat her in a fair mano-e-mano physical fight because she's not built for raw power and only has so much mass and bulk, but she would never fight someone like him fair, and would absolutely do heavy assault stuff in some super-customized Assisted Combat Personnel Armor like one of these wacky fanons because she'd be expecting him to show up in an Arasaka DaiOni as he canonically did in 2023, not in his base body even if that is now supposedly an IEC Dragoon)

to be honest though, neither her verse page or rumors page (it's fun if you haven't seen it!) address who she actually is, what she was up to previously in her past life, who was behind the attack, and so on. I have some Deep Lore™ thoughts, but those aren't fully fleshed out...

Who she is: I have the feeling that although Sasai Arasaka only officially had one child (Saburo Arasaka) she is either the descendant of a bastard child of his (since he only married Yui at the age of 46, which was very old for that time in Japan), or is the descendant of a sibling of Sasai's, and that in any event her "branch" of the Arasaka family basically lived thereafter in exile/shame/poverty at the hands Saburo... thus engendering permanent generational resentment of Saburo and Arasaka Corporation. she herself is probably in her mid-to-late 30s or early 40s, but appears to be in her late 20s, and would be the great-great-grandchild to grandchild of that ancestor. ostensibly the original motivation of her family was, "Everything of Saburo's rightfully belongs to us, and if we can't have it neither can he," and although she's more sanguine about it, her opinion is still basically Fuck Arasaka

What she did: while she's specified to be Japanese Army, I think she would've specifically been whatever the Cyberpunk equivalent to Special Operations Group would be. kinda like Motoko Kusanagi from Ghost in the Shell, but foreign ops rather than domestic, thus the "Paradise" stories? I like it being called SOG. given their entanglement with FACS, FACS-SOG makes me think of MACV-SOG, despite being completely different things in different times. anyway, she was a spec ops ghost

Who attacked the Raiden Program: I think it was AIs beyond the Blackwall. the Raiden would be uniquely immune to the type of Blackwall shenanigans seen in Phantom Liberty, and that made it a threat to them if it proliferated, so they neutralized it, and Yoruichi's a loose end (that's escaped cleanup due to what the Raiden is like and the fact she doesn't seem to be presenting a threat to their agenda yet). the doppelganger recently seen was their own private reconstruction of the data acquired during that attack—however many copies the AIs have (not many), they all look like her since it was specifically her customized data that survived their attack and they saw no reason to change it. shit has not rolled downhill onto her for their actions because they never leave evidence or witnesses during their attacks—she's a fluke sole survivor because of the Raiden

part of the reason I haven't detailed this officially is, uh, muses would have no way of finding any of it out! and the parts she knows (1 and 2) she probably wouldn't reveal to anybody. but anyway, that's some more info on her. I don't think muses "need" to be tied to big lore in some way to be good, though, I just kind of like her that way because she's Yoruichi

I'm glad it feels plausible and cool rather than overwrought and overpowered, at any rate, so thanks for writing in! if you ever wanna do a thread, just feel free to throw over a starter or something

[himynameis4]

Okokok bc this is actually bothering me—did billy hargrove have powers or not?!?!?! Like, first of all, fuck him, but—was he “sensitive”? In the sense that he had, at least, like Terry-Ives-pre-experiment “potential” that could be “activated” by unethical experimentation/electrocution/etc (which is how i understand terry ives’ powers ig). In general, i picture having powers like el’s as a genetic thing that environmental factors—whether during pregnancy/relating to the mother or external factors after the fact—can cause to be “activated” & i use the term “sensitive” to refer to that potential, regardless of strength. I can’t tell jow clear im being rn/if everybody else is on the same wavelength or it i need to give a bunch more context—i’ve seen billy-with-powers stuff but thats most like from fans of billy which…

It would make sense. I’m operating from the standpoint of Will, Barb, & all (or at least some, at least the ones who got the slug treatment & weren’t being eaten asap) of the people “taken” by the demogorgon in season one as likely being “sensitive” in that sense, and i have a whole explanation about that but—

I don’t see the flayed as being the same. The flayed are a stepping stone. Except billy. Billy isn’t mushed into the overall flesh monster. The way billy is controlled is different—if billy is “sensitive,” i don’t think he’s very strong tbh, but he does fight back at the end. Was Heather sensitive, or was it just that El touched her & got inside her head… GAH. i woulda loved to see how much autonomy the other flayed had, the difference between the flayed and will’s experience needs to be elaborated on more bc i have thoughts but i really should just lay them all out & then go & ramble about me theorizing but like—

Max. Max was able to get into Vecna’s mindscape. Vecna was surprised by this. Is this a sign of latent abilities, or a creative use of the human mind that any ordinary person could potentially learn/use? I’m leaning towards the latter tbh.

I don’t think the sacrifices had powers. But i’m trying to figure out the limitations of vecna’s powers. Lucas was correct: all the targets had repressed trauma, something they were trying to hide. But i feel like nancy was an outlier—they were in the upsidedown when she was vecna’d, which you bet your bottom dollar made it easier to “get” her—plus the gates are open. Reaching through time and space and dimensions with no gate and “finding” people is a different matter, & probs a lot harder. What vecna did to nancy is more like what he did to his family, really. But why the obsession with nancy?????? Just because she thwarted him so many times—like MIKE, i might add—or because of something more???

And then vecna/henry has his “i see everything” bullshit but i don’t buy that i think being connected to the hivemind has certain benefits but i think he’s a narcissistic asshole who thinks he’s stronger than he is. Max is right—he sees the darkness. So—if nancy’s an outlier (maybe) then why… what is the unifying factor in the people he saw in his mindspace scene, why is it mostly teens? Bc that unifying factor can’t just be trauma, ALL of the kids have trauma. If we knew what the unifying factor was for the people vecna can “see” in his mind’s eye, that would be another limitation on vecna’s power, and we could rule out some potential targets. Does it have to do with parental neglect/abuse? Generally unhealthy family dynamics? Basically, is vecna seeking out people he can project onto for his sacrifices?

I really truly believe mike was a planned target for henry & that leaving hawkins saved his ass bc targeting mike makes SENSE—but it would be easy to make a different argument & i would buy it, because we DON’T HAVE ENOUGH INFORMATION. I’ve seen some posts/fics that posit that Henry targeted people with a history of suicidal ideation, passive or otherwise—but we don’t have enough information to make that determination. But there ARE more limits to his powers, too—i don’t think he has much of a reach beyond hawkins, bc of limits of his powers. But THEN, most of this is speculation—i could point to my reasons for thinking these things (i really need to do that at some point) but that doesn’t—all of it could be disproven next season bc it’s too tentative & we don’t know enough.

Okay. Billy. What was the point of this man? What was his function? Why does vecna want another will, bc from my seat he looks kinda like he’s using will as a fill-in for el (smol child to project onto & take over the world with), and for will’s powers. So… will’s function in season 2. Vecna doesn’t want will dead then, we know this, maybe that’s changed since but again, CAN’T SAY EITHER WAY. Billy isn’t killed like the other flayed & made into jello… but having a human is useful for human things? & human things are necessary when one is taking over the world? & billy doesn’t have an easy home life, vecna could very easily be projecting here.

Like genuinely what was the point of them? What is the master plan? I mean i have my Thoughts obviously but then I want to go back & rewatch & gather evidence & refine bc this is Bothering Me.

Idk. @wibble-wobbegong @aemiron-main @bottomlessabyssposts @givehimthemedicine thoughts?

[emblazons]

I like reading theories here (and i like to theorize on my own too) but I just kinda wish there was more "realistic" Bylers here who theorize about what actually migh happen in terms of character arcs and story and relationships in the next season. Because when it all comes down to it, we will have to arrange our expectations regarding what is most likely to appear on our screens in S5. And I just feel like there are not many blogs doing or considering that. I especially agree with you on this-- reading Bylers' analyses and theories before vol2 really meddled with my expectations and it feels like the majority of our fandomside just went overboard and focused on what they wanted to see instead of what was likely going to happen or happening in story's direction and that is why the majority of Bylers misunderstood things or just got very disappointed or got shocked by what happened.

I feel like majority of the Bylers are still misreading some things in the plot (that being Mike's characterization most of all) and that because of that reason, many people will get blindsided again in S5 like they have in vol2. Because people expect and want to see certain and specific things about characters and plot, and they are setting themselves up, so it kinda feels like ppl just going to be disappointed again by certain things due to them not actually considering Duffers' intentions and writing style/choices.

That is why I wish there were more "realistic" Byler blogs in this fandom who do not go overboard or do not get too attached to their headcanons and do not build up way too specific expectations based on those-- i feel like it would honestly be the best way to get ready for S5 and arrange our expectations in this community for what is likely to come in the next season.

I agree! Honestly, I can appreciate people wanting characters to be the kind of people they can relate to or enjoy (or more specifically fleshed out than this ensemble cast of characters allots for sometimes), but when you combine that with a sense of "I know better than the writers" a lot of people have, it leads to either vast disappointment or bitterness, which...idk. Maybe I'm just good at managing my hyper-fixations with logic/ who The Duffers are as people, which makes me more lenient LMAO

Especially in terms of the Mike characterization bit / how a lot of theories don't really align with the narrative so much as their desired characterization of him...I can deeply empathize with why people think certain things about him, but the way I see a lot of people still analyzing based on single looks from Finn in S1 scenes or off of another post where someone cherrypicked 45 seconds of a scene without the whole episode or season as context...like, I just feel like they're setting themselves up for upset. I obviously also have my own preferred interpretations and I do definitely think some people are better at pulling and synthesizing important bits of the narrative / details into a sensical way than others, but...like I said in another ask, I'm not holding anything with an iron fist.

Lately I've just stopped waiting for other people's analyses for any new knowledge + have started working on my own Mike analysis (kind of a companion / extension of this concept I started for Will + Dustin) where I talk through the narrative setup of his character for S5, less so than whether or not I want him to be gay/bi/end up acting first etc (just because....be the change you wanna see in the world LMFAO). I've already written several posts about my perception of Mike's arc + his characterization outside of any strict interpretation of things like Finn's looks or his labeled sexuality, and...that's how I'll continue to process his character for as long as it makes sense to lol.

--I'm also entirely unsure how I became the spot people went to talk through their feeling weird about how theories are made in this fandom, but! I appreciate you all trusting me with your honest opinions haha

[favoredcircle]

My Thoughts & Theories on The Fnaf Movie

((Spoilers ahead)) (Also it’s a long post)

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My Thoughts:

To kick this post off, I LOVED the Fnaf movie! Seeing it after 8 years of waiting with bated breath was an experience. I watched it when it released on Peacock, but a part of me wishes I could’ve watched it in theaters instead just so I can be surrounded by other Fnaf fans and hear the reactions of the crowd.

I was pleasantly surprised with how the movie handled Mike Schmidt. To take a character who was just a name on a paycheck and possibly an alias of Micheal Afton, and turn him into a fully fleshed out character with his own character arc was fascinating. Blumhouse and Scott Cawthon could’ve easily written him as Micheal Afton, but they took a different route and took an extra mile to create the Mike Schmidt we see in the movie. Gotta say, I respect the decision. (Although they could easily change this in the next two movies, but I digress)

The movie’s take on Vanessa also took me by surprise. When the cast list revealed the police woman in the first trailer was Vanessa, this caught my attention. I wondered why Blumhouse and Scott would include a character from the Fnaf games much later in the timeline, even assuming she’d be revealed to be a second killer similar to her role in Security Breach. But once the movie came out, I was caught off guard when it reveal Vanessa to be William Afton’s daughter. The movie did a well enough job foreshadowing this with Vanessa having extensive knowledge of both Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza and the spring lock suits, but didn’t reveal enough to give away the twist.

Now to bring up the Man Behind the Slaughter himself: William Afton. While everyone saw the twist that Steve Raglin was William in disguise from a mile away, it hardly detracted from the inevitable reveal at the climax of the movie. While brief, you could feel Afton’s presence throughout the movie. With the hints, the drawings, and the opening of the movie showing off how Afton did his heinous deed in an 8-bit style reminiscent of the many different mini games all over the series. The scenes William is in kept my eyes glued to the screen. His demeanor and actions were disturbing and unpredictable. An example would be when Vanessa showed Mike the photo of her and William. Seeing that he gave Vanessa a toy from one of his victims goes to show how deplorable of a human being Afton truly is. The amount of joy I felt when I saw the spring lock scene is indescribable. While it wasn’t as brutal as Fnaf 3’s version, it was still satisfying to watch this monster who took the lives of innocent children finally getting exactly what he deserves. It’s a treat for any Fnaf fan.

Now while I enjoy it, I wouldn’t say it was flawless. There were a few questions I had about the plot of the movie, leaving me wanting more in both a good way and a bad way.

As an example: Why did William take Garret? We can easily see that the kidnapping was out of state, taking place in Nebraska. It may be possible they are saving the answer for the sequels and keeping as talking until the 2nd movie releases.

Another example would be the climax of the film. Certain parts of it felt a bit rushed in my opinion. Using taser to take down the animatronic makes sense, but it feels a little boring. One shot and they go down. If I were to change it, I’d recommend the animatronics to be more resistant with Mike, Abby, and Vanessa being forced to go on the defense in the office. It would be a cool callback to the games, every move they’d make would need to count. Something fast paced and hectic like most later nights in the Fnaf series. Although, that’s just what I’d recommend. Someone else can think of something better than what I came up with.

Now this last one isn’t too big of a deal, but still I felt like bringing it up. I wished we saw more of William Afton in person, or in other words, have Mathew Liland get more senses as Afton.

Those are the big three things. The rest are just nitpicks that aren’t worth mentioning.

My Theories:

I do have a theory about the movie, but it’s nothing too crazy. While watching the movie, there was something people kept repeatedly saying about the movie, but the movie itself kept tap dancing around it, never truly confirming or denying. That is: William’s ownership of Freddy’s. It obviously make sense for him to be the owner with the line about the owner being a sentimental guy and him keeping the place around to conceal his crimes. However, I don’t believe William is the owner. Post MCI it works, but pre MCI doesn’t. Why throw away your entire business to kill five children? You could simply say that he’s a serial killer and he does this whenever he wants, but I have another question. If William has such an affinity for Spring Bonnie, a yellow rabbit, why make the main mascot of the restaurant a brown bear? He has complete creative control. Why do this? The movie never outright says that William is the owner. I believe this is due to the movie not wanting to commit to it, potentially if they want to give a different candidate for the owner of Freddy’s in the second or third movie. But we’ll have to wait and see next year or possibly 2025 until we get a definitive answer. I may expand on this theory in a later post.

Second/last theory. Garret will most likely be the Marionette in the next movie. At the end of the credits, we heard a music box playing My Grandfather’s Clock followed by the a voice spelling out COME FIND ME. Both are clear references to Fnaf 2. The song referring to the Marionette and the voice to the death mini games in Fnaf 2 which the Marionette appears in 3 out of the 4. The reason I believe the Marionette is Garret and not Charlotte is due to the absence of both her and Henry, but that could easily change in the next movie. Garret would be the most likely candidate to give the message as he would want to contact Mike.

And that’s it. Those are everything I have to say about the movie for now. I’ll most likely talk about the Silver Eyes Trilogy in the next post since I’ve recently been reading through it again. That, or I’ll make another post about the Fnaf movie.

Thanks for reading this long post.

[hellocatbruhbi]

…You know what's funny ? Your post (great post by the way, don't worry this won't be a rant against it) made me think about this situation even more. I've seen thousand of posts and complains, and yeah I've think about it a lot already and saw multiple perspectives on it, but I don't know, reading yours made me think about all the things we lost frome the books for one, and how it's stupid to not include any minorities for the reasons you included, but also because it flesh out the charactes so much more.

For example, let's take Thomas, who outside of the discussion with Sammy, also had other signs in the other books he was black. One of the most important thing the books flesh out about him is why would he works for Joey in the first place (outside of "well it's his job") but also why would he KEEPS working for him for years. Because he wanted respect. He wanted to be treated with respect, something he says he didn't have often except when working on planes in WWII. And wouldn't you know it, if he's black in the 40s, it makes so much more sense.

In makes more sense ESPECIALLY to why he keeps working with Joey even though he hated his guts (Other than the Ink Machine stuff). Part of it was proabably because he wanted respect, and Joey treated him with it (at first sight), and even though the situation was bad, taking all this into account, especially if he's black, it's obvious one of the reason he stayed was because he knew he could get worst elsewhere, if he even get another job.

And heck, one of my absolute favourite thing in the books (thing we lost since it isn't canon, thanks Mike) was seeing and overanalysing Allison's character in the books. Because it was so fun to read between the line, because it flesh her out so much, and did a thing that made her one of my favourite : It insinuate multiple times that she isn't just innocent and happy. That there's more going on

In DCTL, she knows the purpose of the Ink Machine. Something not so many people actually know. And she even explain it to Buddy better than Thomas did. Which is kinda suspicious for a voice actress. But also, it adds about her relationship with Joey, he fired her because she told both him and Thomas to calm down, because she took Thomas' side. (Adding even a "I excpected better of you Allison") And she immediatly see through his bullshit and say very calmly they're gonna talk about it tomorrow morning. In just one book. In just one book you have all that to analyse already.

Should I also mention how in Fade To Black, who you know, already gave so much depth and poetic irony to the creation of the Cycle, also give us more insight on Allison's perspective of her life and friendship with Joey ? Like how she kinda seems depressed ? And probably because of Joey ?

Because Joey doesn't allow Thomas to come to parties anymore, something she seems used to, she's alone, and is alone most of the party because Joey is too busy going left and right to talk to people. Which yeah already a great way to treat your friend Joey. It's even worst when you realize he basically chooses her dress, and how much he refers to her as "an angel", which is very clearly Joey projecting the image he has of her more than who she is. Also note the fact that she doesn't even feel confortable in her own dress but Joey insisted to "go all out". Even just her conversation with Rose is full of lines to dissect and analyse, like this one :

Sorry for the picture's quality, but do I even NEED to explain how much this "always have to be on" perspective flesh her out SO MUCH and put SO MANY THINGS ABOUT HER IN A DIFFERENT LIGHT. DO I, REALLY ?

And heck while I'm at it, it even gives some people a reaction to the events after Susie's death, showing she was beloved and missed after she was gone, but even though nobody probably know exactly what happens (except maybe Allison seeing how quickly she changed the subject after a sad look) they at least know they didn't see her anymore and missed her.

All of this adds so much to the World of Bendy, and it's very intersting to build theory with and analyse the characters right ? Especially when they build little by little more insight on how our big bad Joey was at the time ? And it's really fun right ?

Well that's the moment I remind you that yeah, Mike confirmed the books aren't canon. A classic way to shoot yourself in the foot.

I don't know why Mike feel the need to say their characters are defined by their actions, not who they are, when ironically these two things overlap more often than not. Who you are (especially if you are a minority rejected by society) can defined your action and even explain them. And it aligns too with Joey being described as taking people who are desesperate. Really desesperate. So much stuff lost with a tweet. Amazing.

Wow, so umm... This looks bad, not only is it inaccurate due to using the wrong ink demon design [unless this is confirmation BATIM Ink Demon has been outright retconned... Which would make me pissed enough to make a new post just about THAT] but from an art standpoint this is just... Confusing and poorly done.

I wouldn't care if this was fanart, of course you should support young, indie artists... But for a Graphic Novel making sure your cover doesn't look like something Butch Hartman shat out in an afternoon is kind of important. Remember they're going to be asking us to give money to them to read this. The artist likely won't see any of that money and neither do the authors most of the time, not to mention this art screams of the artist being underpaid and overworked.

Like they Had to get something on someone's desk and their boss said 'good enough'. A concept Joey Drew Studios is very familiar with considering the allegations of poor working environments that Kindly Beast. Not to mention Mike Mood admitting in a Reddit AMA that they did in fact rush projects like Showdown Bandit. [Which they sold at full price]

He also says they can in fact say no or yes to designs involving their IP. Either Mike or Meatly had to say yes to this cover, according to his own damn words.

And do you really think this company in particular would care enough about its fanbase to not sell them garbage? They have done exactly that on several occasions. It's not like they care particularly about art either, considering their previous use of AI Art. There was no apology or even posts addressing it... Instead, they just rushed out an archives update to their game to get people to stop talking about it... Even forgetting an entire character in it. Again

This company is [or at least SHOULD BE] on thin ice when it comes to being suspected of misleading their fans or rushing out crappy products to them.

So with all that context in mind, I'm gonna talk about why this cover sucks ass.

The light sources are all over the place? Why does it look like someone put maces or knight armor on his shoulders but it's just flesh?? It looks both gross and weird [not in a good way either]

To explain more I'm going on a rant below but sadly this seems to have been confirmed to not just be a rough pass but the final cover and man... I am not excited about this graphic novel just at all. This felt like it really drained any possibility of it turning out good for me and I already had expectations low.

Okay first point, the light sources?? And there is no consistency here with the shadows or lighting, it looks like there's a hundred light sources all at once but none of them are even consistent!

the arrows here represent all the different light sources I can make out and yet the the shadow clearly implies there's only one. I understand wanting to use highlights to give the character a more clear shape but then just give him one or two lights behind him or in front of him? No matter how u follow the light sources, the highlights make no sense and the shadows make even less sense.

Why are the shoulders like that? Like on the legs it's a little understandable, at least those are clearly very heavily affected by perspective, for me I think they are so exaggerated it makes it look like one of the legs is either huge or one is small but that's maybe subjective.

However, the shoulders are unjustifiable, what happened there, what did they do??

I could pick on so much more honestly, how the color choices of piss yellow with no other colors being used, and the harsh pitch black being used for every part of his body is weird. How it looks straight out of Butch Hartman's recent crappy art. But to put bluntly bad start! Also what the HELL is going on with this background??

Seems once again the Bendy team is fine with sending out stuff thinking it's "Good Enough" for Bendy fans and honestly the people trying to tell me to "Be Grateful" for this are just proving that no matter how many times you betray your audience some of em will defend you!

Which is sad tbh. If anything we should be putting MORE pressure on the Bendy team to do better. Cause we deserve better than this, honestly we do. There are amazing artists in the bendy community who could do so much better for a cover. They've employed their fan artists before... Wouldn't it be great to do that for such a lore important book? The book that gives us the identity of one of the main characters in BATIM? The character you spend the entirety of Chapter 4 fighting to save? Not to mention will give several major characters their human designs?

But I guess this is... Good enough...

[sunflowerdigs]

My Mid-Season Thoughts on Lucas and Erica

I started writing up a general critique of the season so far, but it ended up being a rant about Lucas and Erica, so I'm posting that part on it's own. This is also an explanation of why I don't feel bad loving Billy as a character while also being black and hoping Lucas finally gets used appropriately (lol, idk why I don't give up on that).

As usual, Lucas doesn't have a storyline that makes much sense with his character, since he has basically been reduced to Max's boyfriend, where the whole point of him is caring about her no matter how shitty she is to him. Don't get me wrong, there's definitely room in Hollywood for a trope reversal like that, but doing it with a black guy and a white girl isn't a reversal, it's just reinforcing the racist idea that black characters are only as relevant as they are helpful to moving the stories of white characters forward. Lucas wants to be popular? Since when? Since they needed a way to give Mike that conflict? They could have made a really meaningful statement about the basketball court being one of the only places where black men felt respected and loved in the 80's (and, honestly, today) and woven that into Lucas's story, maybe given him a more compelling reason to be pulling away from his white friends. Because black kids in almost all-white small towns have valid reasons for doing that in high school, particularly in the 80's. They also could have integrated Lucas's parents and relatively peaceful, upper middle class homelife into his conflict with Max, shown that the class difference between them was more keenly felt than ever now that she lives in a trailer park. Like...is it really so expensive to consistently bring on actors to show us that Lucas has a family like all of the white kids do, that he isn't just this little black boy who shows up out of nowhere to help out the white protagonists and then vanishes? Couldn't we have seen his parents at the basketball game (like we would have seen Dustin's or Mike's or Will's or even Eleven's) cheering for him? I know the Duffers have been roundly criticized for this oversight, and it seems like, rather than remedy it, they're just doubling down on the racism. Lucas has no family but his white peers, while his white peers, meanwhile, have meaningful relationships with decently fleshed-out parental figures. Ok, whatever.

This is also why I can't take claims about people violently hating Billy for his racism very seriously. The show is racist in the way that it treats Lucas. And, fwiw, it's also racist in the way that it treats Erica. She talks way too tough for her age. It feels like they wanted to introduce a sassy, tough-talking black woman stereotype but didn't want to deal with black female sexuality on a mostly-white show (have to round her out as a character so one of the white protagonists could actually find her sexy? No way!), so they shoved a black woman into the body of a child (very inappropriate), so they could get the easy, uncomplicated laughs. Think about it - we've seen Eleven at Erica's age, and she had gone through many more horrible things. Was she as cynical or world-weary? Does it really make sense that Erica's characterization is so much more informed by those traits than that of a girl who has actually killed people and been involved in government research?

In addition, because white men are intimidated by black men (in the sense that men are always more intimidated by other men than they are women and then the racial component is added on top), there's often this tendency in Hollywood to promote "strong" black female characters at the expense of black male characters. Think of the sassy, loud black woman character who constantly emasculates her black husband/boyfriend/son with her cruel wit in ways that white female characters simply would never be allowed to emasculate white male characters. White male creators will back this characterization up with a deliberately non-intersectional version of feminism so that they can act like what they're doing is woke. But typically (and this is true of Stranger Things so far), there isn't any actual interest in developing the black female character or understanding her on an emotional level (in part because this would mean acknowledging the complexity of the role that the black male character likely plays in her life, which would mean acknowledging the basic humanity of both black characters, which white men don't want to do), which belies any claim about feminism. I see shades of this in Erica and Lucas' relationship and I really don't love it.

Anyway, I never hear a peep about any of these issues out of people who claim to be oh so concerned about Billy's racism. I'm not even talking about meta, I'm talking about just basic curiosity about how black fans feel about these two characters and why and what can be done to help. But no, it's always just some virtue-signaling crap about "you have to hate Billy because he's racist" and then silence on any issue that would denote an actual understanding of racism or sense of caring about it. As a black fan, I decided a long time ago just not to take Stranger Things seriously on any storyline pertaining to race because they weren't really interested in exploring that angle of anything well or in any depth. When I stack up the value of simply dismissing Billy over some tacked-on, shoddy, paint-by-numbers level acknowledgement of "oh yeah, racism existed in the 80's and it was Bad" vs appreciating the ways in which his character is an excellent deconstruction of white hegemonic toxic masculinity and its effects on sensitive young boys and the ways in which they relate to the world, it's no contest - Billy's characterization stands out as much, much more valuable and interesting than some flat, blanket rejection of everything about him based on a principal that the creators aren't interested in and don't care about.

Maybe all of this will change in the next 3 episodes, idk. But I'm not holding my breath.

[wheellrs]

okay this is a quick rant that’s probably quite messy so if i don’t make sense at parts i’m sorry, but this is why i’m not too keen on the idea of stranger things introducing a new character to be will’s boyfriend.

let me just say for starters that will being gay and getting a boyfriend would be fantastic and i would be really pleased. the thing i won’t be pleased about is the fact that we are about to get season 4, potentially a season 5. we don’t know how long the show is gonna run and (if they choose to do so) will’s boyfriend will be an entirely new character. we haven’t grown to love this character in previous seasons and we haven’t seen any of his chemistry with will, and we have no idea on how much we will get to even see. and even though i think stranger things is quite good at introducing new characters and getting you to care for them quite quickly, i’ll still be sad af.

imagine two main characters, who we’ve seen from the start, who are two main faces of this series being in a relationship which is queer. like, how often do you see two gay guys who are dating be main characters of a movie/show which isn’t centred around being gay or isn’t a romance? its not fucking often AT ALL and certainly not in things that are this popular. plus, we’ve seen all this chemistry between will and mike and we have all these theories (which are so incredibly detailed and make so much sense) and i just think it’d be a waste to just throw in a new guy just to be will’s boyfriend when mike is right fucking there.

besides the representation issue, i don’t ship byler because it’s gay. i ship byler because i like will and mike’s interactions and i think they’d be good together. i just feel like a lot of people like to pass byler off as just the “gay ship” but it’s more than that, and it’s pretty disgusting that some people in this fandom view byler as that. i don’t want will thrown with some guy that was created to just be his boyfriend. i want a fleshed out romance like nancy and jonathan or joyce and hopper.

sorry if this made like 0 sense.