#post-Vecna

[hellcheerficdatabase]

Valentine’s Day 1990

Author: a_strange_inkling

Rating/Warning: Explicit

Chapter Count: 2/2

Description:

“Happy Valentine's Day.” He murmurs softly when he pulls away to breath, tracing his nose along hers. She beams happily, lifting her chin and chasing after his lips, wanting more of him. All of him. It’s never enough. She strokes his jaw as she keeps kissing him sweetly in fluttery gratitude. “Was that my surprise?” She ponders out loud, fingers in his hair as she lays back against the pillow just to gaze up at him in wonder.

“Oh no,” he replies with a breathy laugh. “That was purely selfish.”

Tags: alternate universe- canon divergence, alternate universe- everyone lives and nobody dies, post-vecna, 90s au, established relationship, smut, fluff, alternating POV, two-shot, status: completed

[orangesunsets12]

December Winter Fic #2- Stranger Things (#1)

Of Snow and Memories

AO3 Link

Stranger Things

Rated Teen and Up

Featuring Steve Harrington & Robin Buckley friendship

Summary:

Steve used to love winter. But, after Vecna, nothing about the season was ever the same. Despite no words being said, Steve knows that the rest of the Party is struggling, too.

Thankfully Robin knows how to make things better.

(Read below--- approximately 2700 words)

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Steve used to love winter. 

As a child, he loved to skate, taking in the wind around him, the snow falling from the sky, the stars above him, twinkling. He remembered seeing his breath in front of him with joy, a cloudy vapor that would be his constant ally in the cold. He thrived on cold fingers warmed by cups of hot chocolate, scarves wrapped around his throat, and the distant smell of someone’s fire stove.

He would often go over to Tommy’s house during the winter months, where they would lay in the snow until they were numb, making snow angels and talking about what Santa would get them that year. 

Winter meant peace to him. It meant that he could escape outside when his home became too much for him to handle, and be transported into a new world, like Lucy walking into Narnia. It meant that he could be someone else for a few moments, someone who wasn’t burdened by fancy outfits and presentable etiquette at his parents' parties, drinking in the cold and beauty of it all instead of the stuffiness that he always seemed to feel. 

Throughout his teenage years, the winter months became more than just an escape, they became a breath of fresh, cold air from all of the pressures of life, not just his parents. The basketball season finished in winter, so he could skate without having to hear his peers ridicule him, saying that he could be injured before the basketball game that week. There was no school for some of it, no pressure to finish assignments in the cold, so he didn’t have to feel the fear of failing another class. He could sit in the snow, away from the parties he pretended to love so much, and watch the snowflakes fall gently around him, a slower pace than high school demanded. He could finally take a break from all of the craziness around him; no one else liked the cold, so no one would bother him and force him to put on the mask he hated. 

Yet, that all changed after Vecna. Steve now hated the winter. 

He hated the cold that clung to all of his bones, reminding him of the cold water that he was yanked through, the cold seats in the hospital that bit his skin through his torn pants as he waited to hear that Max was okay.

The snow that fell on Hawkins looked too much like the ash that fell around Spring Break, the ash that seemed to catch in his throat, filling his lungs with the weight of death and loss.

The scarves that he used to love so much, no matter how loosely he wrapped them around his throat, felt like slimy vines, like a demobat tail choking him, slamming him onto the hard ground, making him see dark spots. He couldn’t wear them anymore, and that thought alone devastated him.

Even skating on the pond just a short walk from his house brought dark thoughts to his mind, of him losing his footing as the Creel house shook, as the whole earth quaked. His legs shook then, and they shook every time he stepped foot on the ice, as if waiting for the ice below him to give way. 

Steve didn’t know if anyone noticed how he looked away from the windows as snow began falling once more, one cold evening in December. He did, however, guess that the people around him, his friends, his family, would go silent when they saw it, too, and had no doubt that they were struggling just as much as he was. He wished that he could offer words of comfort to them, being the leader he wanted to be, he needed to be, but he couldn’t. He was just too hurt, too broken. His escape from reality, the one thing that he could count on, was gone. The miracle of winter had disappeared, tainted with the blood and darkness that his life was now filled with. 

How could he comfort them when he couldn’t even comfort himself?

He sighed, turning away from the window, and instead focused on the room around him. The kids, no doubt noticing the snow, too, got quiet just like he guessed, and continued their game with hushed, unenthusiastic whispers. Jonathan and Nancy, who were sitting together on the couch, seemed to draw each other closer, their eyes focused on the Christmas movie in front of them, eyes unseeing. Steve had no doubt that they were lost in their memories, just like he was. He distantly wondered how Lucas and Erica was doing, if they was aware of the snow, too, watching from the window of Max’s hospital room. He should probably check on them, see how they was doing. Yet, the problem once again rose; what would he tell them?

Hopper and Joyce were watching them in the kitchen, Steve could feel their parental gazes on him, concerned, and wondered if they would say something. A part of him hoped that they would, but he doubted that words would do anything to make anyone feel better.

But, it wasn’t Joyce or Hopper that broke the uneasy silence, or even Steve, who needed to say something, anything to get rid of this uneasiness. It was Robin. 

She was late, and, in a fashion only she carried, she slammed her way into the room, covered head to toe in snow gear. 

“Come on, up everybody, up!” She said, walking over to Steve and pulling him to his feet, “We’re going outside!”

“Robs, it’s not a good idea一” Steve said weakly, but she shook her head, determination reflected in her eyes, a fire that Steve even knew that he couldn’t snuff out. 

“No! We’re going out there, all of us! It’s snowing, can’t you see?!”

“That’s sort of the problem, Robin.” Jonathan said, straightening up. “It’s like the ash from Spring Break, we…”

“But it’s not the ash. I know it looks like it but it isn’t!” She protested, and every eye was on her, “Guys, are we really going to let Vecna and the Upside Down take all of the joy from our lives? I used to love snow, I would make snowmen all of the time! Surely you guys like snow, too!”

Will looked outside, then looked back at Robin, shrugging just a bit. “I used to like snowball fights.”

“See?” Robin said, pointing at Will like he had just won the lottery, “Don’t you want to do that again? Don’t you want to have fun like that again? If we let our fears of the ash, of Vecna, of all of it, ruin winter for us, Vecna wins! Again! Now, I’m done letting him take anything from me, aren't you? I’m not going to let that monster take this from me, not the joy of winter.”

With those words she looked at Steve, and he could feel the ice that had formed around his heart seem to melt. She was right. He was letting his fear get in the way of having fun, but could he really go out there? Could he wear a scarf again? Could he skate without a care in the world like before? Could he look at snowflakes and not think of all of the deaths? All of the pain?

“Steve? You told me you used to love winter.” 

He had told her that, after the Russians. He was thankful that she cared, that she had even noticed how he was suffering, but the fear he felt got in the way once more. 

He nodded. “I don’t think I can go out there, Robs.”

She reached over to him, her gloved hand holding his shoulder. “I’ll be there with you.” She turned back to the group, standing tall. “All of you. No one will be alone. I brought sleds, carrots for snowmen, even cardboard boxes that we could make into shelters for snowball fights! Let’s fight this fear together. Please? Please don’t let Vecna take this from us, too.” Her words ended in a plea, and Steve’s heart broke for her, and for the life and joy that Vecna was still taking. But, could he really go outside and have fun again? He didn’t know that he could.

The room was dead silent, and Steve couldn’t find words. It was El who broke the silence, the quiet girl getting to her feet. She looked confused, and Hopper stood up too, no doubt wanting to see what was wrong.

“What’s a snowman?” She asked innocently, and Robin beamed.

“I’ll show you! We all can! Right, guys?”

Steve looked back to Robin, hating how he felt tears burn in the back of his eyes, his mind conflicting with his heart and with his stomach. He couldn’t go out there. He wanted to make Robin happy. He wanted to get over the fear. He wanted to stay away from the snow. He wanted to beat Vecna again. He wanted to hide.

“I think it’s a great idea.” He heard Joyce say. “How about this; everyone who wants to stay in here can, but I’m going out there. It’s been a while since I’ve had a good snowball fight.”

Will’s conflicted face broke into a small smile, and only with a bit of hesitation, he walked to the door, where his boots were no doubt sitting. El followed him, uncertainly looking to Hopper, who gave her a nod. Mike and Dustin, who were both oddly silent, looked to Steve, as if he had the answers. Steve wasn’t sure if he had them. 

“Just feel the snow, Steve.” Robin said softly, turning back to him, her hand squeezing his shoulder reassuringly. “Just lift your chin and open your mouth when we’re out there, stick out your tongue. It’s nothing like what it was before. I promise.”

“What if it isn’t? What if all I taste is ash again?” Breathing seemed to be getting difficult, but she smiled despite it all, a light in the darkness his mind was falling into. 

“Then I’ll be here. I promise, Dingus. Have I ever broken a promise?”

He was well aware of the kids that watched him. He hoped that they wouldn’t get hurt by whatever decision he made, but he knew that this was Robin. He could trust her. When the whole world was crumbling around them, he could trust her to the very end. 

“Okay.” He said softly, “Okay.”

Robin jumped up and down, beaming, wrapping Steve in a quick hug before pulling him to the door. He let her lead him, feeling a small smile on his face, too. He slid on his boots and coat, and, after making sure that Dustin and Will, who were now whispering to each other, following them, had their coats on, the four of them went outside. 

The cold hit him like a brick, and he stuttered to a stop, instantly feeling the cold of the water around him, drowning him, dragging him under. Yet Robin’s strong hold on his hand, her comforting words of encouragement brought him back to the present. He looked to her for guidance, and she tipped her head up, letting the snowflakes fall onto her cheeks. She stuck her tongue out like a kid, and Steve followed suit. He could already feel the cool flakes on his cheeks, but the second one hit his tongue he felt alive. Memories of the hundreds of nights enjoying this feeling came back to him, and he knew that this wasn’t the ash that he thought it was. It was snow. It was peace. It was escape. 

This wasn’t the Upside Down. This wasn’t Vecna. This wasn’t Lover’s Lake. This was Hawkins, Indiana, in the winter. Steve’s Narnia. 

Another snowflake hit his tongue, and the effect was like magic, and around him Steve could suddenly hear Will and Joyce laughing, El asking Hopper a million questions about snowmen, and even Mike, who yelled that he was going to join in on the snowfight, his footprints crunching in the snow. Robin wrapped Steve in another hug, one that he graciously melted into.

“Robin一”

“You don’t need to say it, Dingus, everyone needs a little bit of winter magic every so often.” She said, “I just gave you a little reminder, that’s all.”

She pulled away, looking behind him, and Steve followed her gaze. Dustin stood behind him, looking a bit lost. At that moment Steve knew what he needed to do. 

“Hey, Dustin. Get in a sled, I’ll pull you around.”

Dustin scoffed, but it lacked the enthusiasm it usually had. “I’m not five, Steve!”

He felt himself smile, shrugging, “You don’t know how fast I can pull you until you try it. And, a moving target is harder to hit in a fight, right?”

Dustin’s eyes narrowed. “Are you suggesting that we join the snowball fight? With me in a sled?”

“Why not?”

Robin was beaming once again, and gave Steve a knowing look. “If you need me I’ll be teaching El about snowmen.”

“Have fun.”

“You too.”

Steve turned back to Dustin hesitant to let Robin out of his sight, but knew that it was for the best. Dustin still looked hesitant about the idea, and he didn’t look all that happy to be out here. Steve knew that Dustin could go inside if he wanted, but if he was going to be out here anyways, Steve would want him to have fun.

As Robin walked further and further away, Steve could feel the ash begin to form on his skin, but he forced himself to remember that it was snow. It was safe. It wasn’t ash. 

“So, what do you say?” He asked Dustin, “Want to do this together?”

He had no doubt that Dustin knew that he wasn’t just talking about the sled. Steve didn’t have to guess that Dustin was struggling as much as he was. The snow continued to fall onto his skin, repeating the word safe in his mind, over and over again. 

Dustin watched him for a moment, but then leaned down, making some of the snow into a ball. 

“You get the sled, I’ll make the ammo.” He finally said, his eyes lighting up a bit brighter than before, and Steve nodded, relief bursting forth in his chest. Maybe he could help Dustin. Maybe he could finally help him. 

As he went to go get the sled, he looked around him, taking in all of the joy on his friends faces, joy that seemed impossible not five minutes before. He even saw Jonathan and Nancy standing outside, looking up with small smiles on their faces, looking more at peace than they had in a while, clinging to each other, no doubt for support and with love.

A gust of wind pushed through Steve’s hair, and he closed his eyes briefly, reminding himself that he wasn’t back there, that they were all safe, that Vecna wasn’t winning. Not now. 

He still didn’t think that he would be ready to enjoy winter when he was alone, so maybe Vecna was winning in a sense, but right now, as Steve was surrounded by his family once again, Vecna was losing. They were having fun, despite the memories and scars that haunted them.

Steve looked forward to the day he could enjoy winter like before, but for now he enjoyed the joy and peace he felt while surrounded by his family. He enjoyed it even more than the winters he spent alone, and he found it to be a strange thought.

He used to love winter, but he believed that the winter he was experiencing now was better, a lot brighter and happier than it once was. He wasn’t running from people, he was outside with them. It wasn’t an escape from the pressures around him, it was an escape from the trauma they all experienced together. He wasn’t alone this time. He wasn’t alone.

And in that moment, he knew that nothing could make him happier. 

Now, he just had to make sure that he was there to help Dustin feel happier, too. Thanks to Robin, he finally knew how to. 

[mysteriousxmidnight]

Thinking about a post-Vecna world where Eddie and Max have grown closer. Because I think Eddie and Steve would both have a soft spot for Max and be like the big brothers she deserves. So:

Max has been having nightmares but she doesn’t want to admit it to Lucas. They’re just starting to repair their relationship and she doesn’t want him to worry. She considers telling Steve, but she knows he’ll get overly protective and hover, and she doesn’t want that either - She’s not a baby, just having some bad dreams, big deal.

And then she has a bad one. Like, the kind of nightmare where you wake up screaming, in a cold sweat, fully convinced the nightmare was real. It takes a long time for her to fully wake up and realize she’s okay and Vecna is dead and not coming back. She’s still too shaken to fall back to sleep, though, and she refuses to bother Lucas and Steve with it.

And then she realizes she has someone else she can go to. Someone who also has nightmares. Who won’t judge her. And who will keep their mouth shut about it if she asks… nicely.

She knocks on Eddie’s door. It takes a minute but the door eventually swings open and Eddie is there, looking sleep rumpled but alert, almost worried. And grimacing in pain, clutching his sides. Max winces, feeling bad. El had used her powers to heal Max, to bring her out of a coma, knit her bones back together and restore her vision. It isn’t perfect; her bones ache when it rains now, and her vision isn’t perfect; she needs glasses to read where she didn’t before. But she’s doing way better than she would have without El. Eddie hadn’t been as lucky; by the time El had finished healing Max, she’d depleted her energy and she hadn’t been able to help Eddie. He shrugged it off, said he’d be fine, Max was more important. But Max still felt a little bit guilty, especially seeing him now, hunched over, a thin sheen of sweet on his forehead. And he looks scared.

“What’s wrong?” Eddie demands. “Vecna?”

Max shakes her head. “No, no Vecna.”

“Upside Down?” Eddie asks.

Max shakes her head again. “No…”

“What… Red, it’s 3am,” Eddie reminds her. “What’s going on?”

“Can I sleep here?” She blurts. At his confused frown, she rolls her eyes and grudgingly admits, “nightmare, okay? Please…?”

Eddie’s expression softens and he motions her inside. She follows him back to his room and they crawl into bed. Eddie passes her his stuffed teddy bear and she clings to it.

“G’nite, Red,” Eddie says, ruffling her hair.

“G’nite,” Max says quietly, then pauses. “Hey, Eddie?”

“Yeah?”

“If you tell Lucas or Steve about this, I’ll rip your balls off and feed them to a hungry lion. Understood?”

Eddie chokes out a laugh. “Noted.”

And Eddie doesn’t tell Lucas or Steve… Instead, he casually mentions it to Robin the next time he sees her at Family Video, and then Dustin when they have their next Hellfire meeting.

It’s not long before both Lucas and Steve are fussing over Max, scolding her for not telling them sooner. She glowers at Eddie, who gives her an innocent smirk.

“Don’t look at me, I didn’t tell them,” Eddie says honestly.

“You’re such a smartass, Munson,” Max snarks, eyes narrowing. “Payback’s a bitch, though. You better watch your back.”

Eddie swallows nervously. Shrugs. “Worth it.”

[steddieficrec]

A Sign of The Morning by ToEdenandBackAgain

(12/12 I 86,804 I Mature I Steddie)

Vecna is dead. The Upside Down is cut off from Hawkins yet again. Steve is trying to go back to normal, whatever that is. He's also trying to figure out exactly how Eddie Munson has managed to fit so easily into his life.

[hairmetal666]

"I'm going to marry you one day, Steve Harrington," he declares to all and sundry (Steve and Robin) in Family Video.

Steve laughs, ducks his head, hair a bountiful cascade that doesn't move an inch. He's blushing but it's not, like, a reaction to the sentiment of marriage. Steve knows Eddie is just like that, flirtatious and over-the-top and incapable of not speaking his thoughts as soon as they enter his head.

Robin roles her eyes, goes back to flipping through her magazine, something about cinema, and Eddie swipes his just rented movies off the counter.

"You think I'm joking," he twists so he's facing them, walking backwards to the door. "But I swear it, oh, beloved purveyor of movies and deleter of late fees."

"Yeah, yeah." Steve's face is pinker than before and Eddie recognizes and immediately forces himself to forget how cute it is. "But get out of here before I change my mind."

And Eddie, he loves to push his luck and also has very little filter between his brain and his mouth, so he says, "aw, don't be that way, Stevie, you love me."

Robin looks up, then, mouth a pursed twist as she tries not to laugh. "Gross, Eddie." She throws a Sour Patch at him. "Keep all that mushy stuff to when you two are alone."

It's his turn to blush, fierce and raging, and Steve whirls, squeaking, to whack Robin with a Twizzler.

Eddie points at her. "Rude, Buckley. You know I love you too."

"Again, gross." She sticks out her tongue, tinged blue from the Sour Patch.

"We really need to work on your ability to accept affection," Steve tells her.

She scowls, kicks him, makes Eddie laugh.

"I think that's my cue to leave, children." He says. He, quite literally, bows out of the store, just missing the barrage of candy thrown his way.

---

Three Months Later

Eddie stumbles into the Harrington house, kicking his boots off by the door. Steve's in the kitchen, fussing around the stove. His hair's askew and he's--

"Harrington, are you wearing an apron?" He ignores the kick in his chest at the sight. "You'll make a sweet little housewife one day."

"Shut-up," Steve says without any heat. "Try this."

He brandishes a spoon filled with red sauce in Eddie's direction, and Eddie--heart always on his sleeve--eagerly leans in to taste. He closes his eyes, savors, and it's good, truly. Perfect fresh acidity with just a burst of sweetness.

"It's amazing, baby," he says without thinking. He opens his eyes right in time to see Steve turning back to the sauce, blush high on his cheekbones.

"Thanks. You're making me nervous though, hovering." Steve hip checks him. "Go sit somewhere."

And Eddie does, jumps onto the island--the Harrington's are the kind of people who have an island--and chatters to Steve about his day, about his new campaign, about the new song he's trying to learn.

All the while, he's watching Steve cook, in his apron, with such care and thoughtfulness, with true command. Maybe it's the domesticity of the scene, maybe his raging crush, but he has this flash of the two of them in the future. In their kitchen, Steve cooking dinner, and Eddie's arms are wrapped around his waist, he's pressing kisses to his temple, complimenting all his hard work and--

Steve feeds him a bite of the finished pasta, and it's so good that he groans, full-throated, unembarrassed, and says--he says, "I'm going to marry you one day, Steve Harrington."

He laughs, face pink, batting Eddie's shoulder. "Go sit down, man. It's time to eat."

---

Two Months After That

Eddie's working on a new campaign when the storm rolls in, wind rocking the trailer, thunder and lightning crackling in the sky. The power doesn't go out, but only just barely, the flickers making his heart pound for reasons that have nothing to do with weather.

There's a knock on the trailer door, and he opens it to find Steve Harrington standing on the porch, hair plastered to his head, clothes soaked. Robin's bike is propped against one of the awning supports. Familiar panic snaps to life in his gut.

"God, Steve, are you okay? Did something happen? That's Robin's bike, where's the Beamer? Is it--is it Vecna? Is--" He's blabbering can't stop, so he shoves his palm against his lips.

"It's not--not Upside Down stuff." He runs a hand through his soggy hair. "Can I come in, man? I--I want to tell you something."

This snaps Eddie out of his panic, and he's moving aside, saying, "Oh my god, get in here, you're soaked. Let me get towels. Do you want a change of clothes, I can--"

Steve catches him by the elbow and he full stops at the look in those big hazel eyes, fearful and sad and he doesn't know what, but his anxiety amps back up.

"I was with Robin and we were--we were talking, you know? And I told her that I like somebody, like really like them, but it was unexpected and--and--it's a guy. He's a guy but I still like girls? Robin said--she said that I'm probably bisexual. That I like guys and girls and--and everyone, I think."

It sends shockwaves through him, and he hopes it doesn't show, doesn't think it shows, but he's having trouble processing. Steve is bi and he likes someone and--Eddie stuffs down the jealousy that claws at him, knows it's more important that he's here for his friend.

"Thank you for telling me, sweetheart." He reaches out, slow in case Steve doesn't want to be hugged, but he launches himself into Eddie's arms.

Eddie holds him tight, heedless of his wet clothes, can feel his shoulders shake, and it tears Eddie's heart in two. All he can do is hold Steve and offer comfort, jealousy be damned.

"You're so brave, honey," he says once the tears taper off.

Steve gives a wet chuckle, face still buried against Eddie's neck. "I don't know about that. I think I got snot in your hair."

"It'll wash out." He laughs. "Is now the time to welcome you to the family? Apparently, we're growing exponentially."

"Does the welcome include a cake or something? I could really use cake."

And God, Steve, is so fucking cute, so sweet, so--everything Eddie has always wanted, and he--it's an accident, or at least, thoughtless--he presses a kiss to Steve's temple. More than one.

Steve pulls back fast, and Eddie lets go immediately. "Sorry, sorry. I--that was stupid. You like someone already, and I--"

His words are cut off as Steve kisses him. Steve kisses him? His brain can't process, but he kisses back. Can't not, not with Steve. Like, he doesn't know anything, head empty, but his body is with the program.

They break apart, he's breathing hard. Steve is beautifully flushed, mouth red and swollen. "You like someone," is what Eddie says.

Steve laughs. "I like you, Munson. Fucking crazy about you."

He smiles, so big it hurts, so big it grows into a delight laugh. "I'm going to marry you one day, Steve Harrington," he says.

---

Six Years Later

They're in bed, Saturday morning, rain pattering softly on the window.

Steve places slow kisses against his naked tummy, makes him tremble, shiver with overstimulation.

"Baby," he whines. "Sweetheart."

Steve smiles up at him, something cold pressing against his ribs, then into his hand.

It's a ring, black metal, shiny and iridescent as he turns it in the light. "What--Steve?"

With one last kiss to his hip bone, Steve sits up, slips the ring onto Eddie's finger. "I'm going to marry you one day, Eddie Munson."

[lioniheart]

(It was based on a take I saw earlier today but I think it got deleted)

"Why don't you like me?" Steve asks, not meeting his eyes.

They were on the new Hopper-Byers's back porch, a little bit after dark. The rest of the party had gone inside a while ago but Steve wanted a smoke and Eddie decided to have one as well. It was quite chilly for a summer night, and the wind made both of them shiever a bit.

"Excuse me?!" Eddie replied, after a half a minute of confusion. "Who said I didn't like you?"

"C'mon, man, I know the kids say it a lot, but I'm not actually an idiot!"

"What the fuck are you talking about, princess?"

"See?! Right there! Look, I just don't get it. I know you overheard that conversation I had with Will last week, but I thought you were all for that non-conformist bullshit, and let me tell you, fucking with someone because of their sexuality is very "the man" of you!" His voice was still hushed, but Steve had turned all the way to Eddie's direction now, glaring at the metalhead with what he tried to make look like defiance on his eyes, but were clearly just hurt.

"Steve-"

"The thing is, you've been treating Will just like always, so maybe that isn't it, wich is so more confusing, because I really thought we were getting closer, but now you keep making these jokes and... I don't get it! Did I do something wrong?"

"What?! No--" the other tried to interrupt, but Steve's rambling just kept on coming.

"Is it because of high school? Is the ‘princess’ thing some kind of payback for the whole King Steve bullshit? Dude, I know I was a douchebag- hmpf!"

Eddie, sensing Steve was about to spiral, clasped his hand on top of the boy's mouth.

"Stevie, I'm going to need you to stop right there, okay?" His voice was calm, but his heart was racing. Steve's eyes were wide, his cheeks pink, and Eddie couldn't help but notice how much closer they were now. "I'm so sorry I made you feel like I was mocking you. That was definitely not the intention. The total opposite, actually.” Steve made a questioning noise behind the ringed hand “The princess thing was me being an idiot, actually. I was just..” Deep breath in, deep breath out. “I was trying to flirt with you, sweetheart. Apparently, I’m really bad at it.”

[ahhrenata]

i just wanted to draw them wet 😬

[fifthnailinstevesbat]

after the events of season 4, steve just wanting SO BADLY to be friends with eddie. just LOVING the idea of them getting closer and having eddie as a friend because hell yeah! a close male friendship with someone that is actually my age, and who i don’t have a weird history with involving bruised eyes and love triangles? count me IN! and eddie is FUN, he is actually hilarious! the way they share the same glances of understanding when dustin is being an absolute shit head, rambling on and on about some obscure topic, expecting everyone to always be on the exact same page as him. of course. and, although steve suspects that eddie actually probably is keeping up with everything dustin says, much better than he ever could, he knows that above it all eddie can appreciate the antics for what they are, and roll his eyes with steve at dustin, i concur, you dustin henderson, are a total butthead.

steve just about junps RIGHT IN to being friends with eddie. hey man, what’cha up to tonight? wanna watch a movie? get drunk, smoke a bit? hey eddie, how have you been, man? he starts calling eddie up on the phone regularly just to check in, shoot the shit, he loves it! he loves having this new friendship with eddie munson and he loves how much the other boy has surprised him with how much he actually enjoys being around him. he’s not a freak, really, well ok maybe he is a little bit, but only in the best ways. he’s kind, thoughtful, and is always looking out for the people he cares about, which is something steve can really respect in a dude. but he’s also so funny? steve never could’ve anticipated just how much eddie has managed to make him genuinely LAUGH over their short amount of time spent together. and he’s really, out there? with the way he presents himself, the way he takes up space with these big THEATRICAL movements, leaving no room for regret or shame or god forbid embarrassment. steve isn’t even sure munson is capable of feeling it at all.

eddie munson is a good dude, and steve could use a bit more of that kind of person around him. he loves all of his friends, the weird little bonded family he’s found himself apart of, and they are all good people, but it never hurts to have afew more added in here and there. it never hurts to know there are more good people out there to find.

so steve is all over eddie, it seems.

at least, from where eddie is standing. nobody else seems as phased as eddie does at this sudden change in steve’s demeanour, in his interest in what eddie munson spends his time doing these days. it seems like, to everyone else, to steve, it’s just a natural progression in their relationship, after being sort of role model figures to the same group of kids, both being the two single dudes, who fought the same monsters together last spring, it seems nobody questions too much that they’d start casually hanging around eachother more. especially since eddie has found himself to fit into his own special spot as one of the group now after it all, after he unwillingly became tangled in this whole upsidedown-superpowers-supernatural-monsters and demons debacle, and tangled quite dramatically at that, the rest of the group that’s been with this since the beginning seemed to find no trouble in taking him in and seeing him as “one of them” now.

so, steve asking eddie to smoke, to watch movies, to go for a drive with no real end destination, it’s not really something that earns them too many double takes. dustin makes a comment or two in the beginning, because steve since when did you like hanging out with eddie? you guys are like so opposite, you don’t like any of the same stuff he does? and steve barely gives a shrug and a dismissive yeah yeah whatever man in response, with a signature eye roll, and dustin had said it seemingly also not too seriously, poking fun at steve wherever he can, not really meaning anything by it, as he fidgets around and rambles in the backseat of steve’s car, eddie riding up front. after that, though, he’s dropped it. it’s never brought up again. part of eddie thinks, too, that dustin would actually be enjoying that his two older friends are becoming friends themselves.

robin seems to be the only other person to look a bit harder at their situation, lingering stares at their interactions, all squinted eyes and eyebrows raised, though from her all this seems to be almost always and only ever directed at steve. eddie’s not sure what to make of that. isn’t he the weird one? i mean, he’s the one that stands out, right? he’s the odd denominator that makes their friendship strange. why would steve harrington want to hang out with Him? HIM? but robin doesn’t spend her time studying eddie to try and search for what about him could possibly have piqued the interest of cherished steven harrington, no, shes always looking at steve. like she’s seeing him differently, almost. eddie doesn’t even think that steve notices it, either, because he doesn’t seem to be questioning or doubting anything odd or strange or out of the ordinary with their newfound time spent together. and maybe, maybe robin is seeing him differently. eddie knows he definitely has been. seeing him more, intensely. deeply. human. seeing the person that steve is, as just steve, not this idealised version of a boy that eddies starting to question ever really even existed at all, or if everyone around him just needed to believe that he did, and who was steve if not happy to comply to the wants of the people around him for who he should be?

eddie likes having steve as his friend, too. don’t get it twisted. he loves how unexpectedly expressive steve is about everything, even really small things. steve LOVES to raise his voice, rest a hand on his popped hip, scolding the kids for something stupid with no real heat or malice behind it. and steve is, like, kinda bitchy too. eddie knew he had the capacity to be a real asshole when he wanted to be, that’s all he knew steve for back in the day, when he was back in high school, hanging around tommy h and the basketball boys, the jocks. eddie would spend his days hearing only whispers and gossip in the hallways of the parties at king steve’s house and the fights king steve had started and won on the court or out in the fields, only ever getting as close as a shove into a locker with the guy at the time, but eddie knew how it could go. he knew all about what steve had done to jonathan, what he’d said to him, the words he’d used. eddie knew it all. he’d seen enough, and been through enough himself, to know how these guys acted in response to guys like him, like jonathan, people who were lower on the social food chain. so, eddie knew about steve’s “mean streak”, if you will, but this kind of snarky bitchiness was something new to him. harrington was almost, sassy, when he wanted to be. it was less so cruel and more just, just sass. if he’s being completely honest it kind of blew eddie away, at first. he thought steve was one of those dull headed jocks who thought with their fists more than their actual brains, but that couldn’t have been farther from the truth. steve’s insults were well thought out, they were FUNNY, he was smart with his words. and silly. oh my god steve harrington could be so fucking silly, real honest to god goofball when the moment called for it, when he felt comfortable enough. eddie had caught on multiple occasions steve mimicking lightsabers to play fight with dustin, or the stupid fucking shit he would do or say just to make robin laugh, singing along to a song playing on the radio with a funny voice.

it was all a little, intoxicating, to watch. eddie didn’t know what gave him the right to be in on this now, to get to see this side of steve and better yet to be at the other end of some of his best qualities. it was fun, all the time they spent together, but there was always something else tugging inside eddie everytime they spent close time together, too. something, he knew steve wasn’t aware of. something he knew steve wasn’t equipped to deal with. something he knew, was him. was him, making things something more than they should be, because, nobody seemed to be questioning that they could become friends, so why ruin that? why disrupt it?

- robin and steve

“Steve.”

“-but then like, it wasn’t that I didn’t want to watch it I just thought, hey, y’know, let’s try something different for a change, but then he- oh my god he honest to god TACKLED ME Robin — I mean, it was so fucking funny and it happened so quick — and all over a fucking Tom Cruise movie-“

“STEVE.” Robin lightly slammed a hand onto the counter. She had been standing behind it for no short of 20 minutes, watching Steve as he paced around, supposed to be stacking tapes onto shelves, but ended up spending the whole time going on and on, and ON, about how movie night went with Eddie last night. She thought she was bad…

Steve jumped, almost running into a shelf and knocking down his hard work, and seemed to snap out of whatever trance he had found himself in after starting to tell Robin a story about something funny Eddie had done last night.

“Shit, sorry. Sorry, what were you saying? Were you- were you saying something?”

To this, Robin just rolls her eyes and let’s out a laugh, “You, sir, are goddamn hopeless.”

“Sorry. How long was I talking for?” Steve wandered his way over to lean his arms onto the counter from the opposite side.

“Oh, I dunno Steve, just about half an HOUR?”

“That is an over exaggeration Robin, it’s only been like-“

“Honestly, man, i’m concerned for you. You are like next level OBSESSED with Eddie. Eddie Munson. You do realise this right??? You are obsessed with him, Steve.”

To this Steve sputters, lazily waving his hands back and forth.

“No, Robin, what the hell are you talking about? I am not OBSESSED. No need to be jealous, alright, Stevie-Boy here can have more than one friend. Your spot in my heart isn’t any less special now that it’s beginning to be shared by another.” He bats his eyelashes up at her, holding both hands over his chest as if to cradle his heart.

“Oh my GOD! You even SOUND LIKE HIM!”, she playfully slaps his shoulder. “Steve. You are obsessed.”

“I am not obsessed! He’s just a really great guy, alright-“

“Blah blah, yep whatever you say, lover boy.” Robin quips, plopping down onto the chair chair infront of their staff computer, turning herself to face it.

“Wha- what? Lover boy? What the hell Robin, that is not- that doesn’t even make any sense!”

She is just smiling at him now, enjoying seeing him spiral like this. Steve let’s out a sigh as he puts his hands on his hips, and shakes his head, looking at her right back.

He opens and closes his mouth afew times, like he’s really thinking about what he wants to say next. Or like he has no idea what to say next, and his brain is not moving fast enough to formulate the next sentence his mouth knows he wants to say. He wasn’t obsessed. That’s not- that’s like- no. No he was not, Robin was just playing around with him, she knew how to get on his nerves. Get him all wound up over little things just to see him react like this.

After a minute or two, Robin realises Steve was not going to reply anytime soon, so she turns fully back toward him. Saving him from his spiral.

“So, what are you’re plans for tonight Steve-O?”

He lets out a chuckle and walks around the counter till he’s behind it with Robin, leaning his back against it so he can stand across from her and face her.

“Well, not really sure. Parents aren’t home, no early shift tomorrow, might drink afew beers, listen to some music, —“

“See what Eddie’s doin?” Robin finishes for him, quirking her eyebrows up and down as she does it.

“Oh shut up!” Steve just laughs and softly throws a tape from the counter at her chest. “As a matter of fact, yeah I will see what he’s up to. Because we are friends now, Robin. Is that a problem? Actually I was also gonna ask you what you were up to after work, too, but you know what after this I’m having second thoughts, I mean, the way you’ve been treating me lately-“

“Oh my god, you are the worst. Yes, I’m free, of course I’ll hang out with you dingus. You and your tweedle dee.”

Steve laughs at this, then tilts his head.

“Wait, does that make me dumb? Tweedle dumb?! That’s how you see me?”

“Yeah it is actually, got a problem?”

“Oh wow, she’s feisty today. Can’t believe you think I’m dumb, Rob’s. When you come knockin’ tonight, do not expect a warm greeting at my front door.”

“Yeah, yeah, I’ll take my chances.”

- later. steve’s house. to be continued?

[gayofthefae]

Will as a target and how there is only one time Henry didn't tear the town apart, that he raised no alarm bells and warranted 0 coverups. Season 1 they had to have the gas leak coverup, those hunters got attacked by bears, and Will got lost in the woods. Season 3 they had to tell everyone it was a fire. Season 4 they had to claim earthquake.

But in season 2, Vecna got him. He had him. And guess what happened to the town......nothing.

He wasn't looking for Will so he could tear apart the town like he did with Chrissy, Fred, Patrick, and Max. He was tearing the town apart looking for him. Trying to reach him.

He had him once. We saw that he had him once. And it was completely contained. There was only one other time he had him. In season 1. And he didn't destroy the town then either. And the only coverups were for disappearances, and only 1/3 of them was Will.

When he got Will he stayed in the upside down, guarding him. When having Will was threatened he ventured only to the school. When he had Will he stayed in his house. When having Will was threatened, he ventured only to defend in the junkyard and the lab.

When he didn't have Will, he took the body of another homophobic abuser's son named William born in March then additionally killed hundreds of people to form a monster out of an army...that lost. When he didn't have Will, he had to steal Eleven's powers to tear a giant gate across the entire town of Hawkins, made up of 4 gates that each took 6 days of overlapping, dedicated psychological torture, and killed many more as casualty to the opening of the gate.

When he didn't have Will, Henry killed hundreds of people. When he had Will, he killed 1-3 people.

What does this boy have that killing hundreds of people is his best attempt at replicating it and still isn't enough? What is this boy that that's true?

Henry didn't tear the town apart to tear it apart. He tore it apart looking for Will. Every time he found him, he stopped.

You can say Vecna lost when he he fell out of the window. You can say he won when he opened the gate. I would consider neither are true.

This is the moment he won. This is the moment he succeeded. "I can feel him again," he said. He can feel you too.

He kidnapped him first then let the town be. He possessed him then let the town be. He lost him then hovered over his school dance before presenting a never before heard plan to build an army, killing hundreds of people, in order to gain El's powers so his true body could come through. He lost before he could do that and Will left town so he built his strength back up to target teens to alert them before targeting Max to ensure they came back in time for him to open the gate and come through to get Will. He opened the gate. He can't yet come through. But Will is here. He won. That's how he won.

He won Will and did nothing more. He won Will and did nothing more. He lost Will and created a multi-step, multi-season plan that ripped the town apart and killed hundreds just to get him within reach of having.

What is this boy and what does he have

[blasvemous]

You can't tell me that this isn't Steve Harrington and his parents

[greenfiend]

Most of Stranger Things is within Will’s head…

Including El, the Mind Flayer, Vecna, and more characters...

A lot of people aren't going to like this or agree but- if you are willing to read this at risk that you won't like it... try to keep an open mind and keep that curiosity door open.

(Above is a direct cut from Will to this line...)

I just want to begin by saying: I believe Will is the center of this show. I know many disagree, and place other characters at the center but let me explain to you why I believe the show is mainly about him.

The show begins with Will, as his disappearance is the catalyst for every single event to follow.

If you take a step back, and look at the show as a whole… making Will the center makes the most narrative sense. Without Will… there is no Stranger Things.

(GIF from @/kaypeace21's post here)

Lonnie hammering a nail into the wall while we cut to Mike poking a hole into a piece of paper visually tells a lot. Remember guys, this show is all about showing and not telling. Here they are showing us that the abuse Lonnie has inflicted unto Will caused the gate to open. The Upside Down exists due to Will's trauma. This is because the Upside Down is Will's mindscape.

DID and Internal Worlds

Will has experienced trauma far more severe than we are explicitly told. His trauma mainly leads back to his father. If you are prepared to read about the depths of said trauma, read this post. Not for the faint of heart though, my friends.

In Will's case, his trauma as led to a specific rare mental health condition called: Dissociative Identity Disorder.

Dissociative identity disorder (DID) is a mental health condition where you have two or more separate personalities that control your behavior at different times. When personalities switch, you’ll have gaps in your memory. The identities are usually caused by living through trauma. x

This means I believe that many of the characters we know and love were created from Will's mind. There are common alter roles within a DID system, and this show has been assigning different characters to some of these roles this whole time.

Now, this is NOT a new theory. The creator of this theory is kaypeace21 (one of the original Byler theorists!) Check out her posts here and here. While I agree with a lot of what she has to say, I do not know if I agree with all of it... specifically: the Persecutor Alter... more on that soon (not to fault her at all! As Vecna did not even exist prior to ST4).

Let's go back to the Upside Down being Will's mindscape:

Many individuals with dissociative identity disorder (DID) have an internal world in which they or their alters can manifest as themselves and interact. These internal worlds, which are also known as inner worlds or headspaces, can range in size and complexity. x

The Upside Down = Will's internal world. Those that inhabit that world or arose from said world are likely Will's alters. Yes, that includes El, the Mind Flayer, Demogorgons, etc. and of course: Vecna.

Here's another visual clue! A hole in the wall (an opened gate...) at the Byers' house that may have "always been [there]".

I know we are told the gate had opened prior to Nov 6, 1983, and that El had been the one to open that door/gate. But... that's because El herself is Will. She is a personality that had developed from him.

Now, lets talk common DID alter roles and how some of our favourite characters fill these roles to a tee.

El, the Gatekeeper Alter

I talk about the Willel theory here but I'll explain it briefly. El is "the gatekeeper", she is the one who Will lets "front" most of the time. Because remember guys... Will "likes to hide".

El was even compared to D’art (who came from Will…) see post here.

Also worth noting: Will's abduction in the shed is compared to... the first atomic bomb (used in an act of war) called "Little Boy". Post about that comparison here. What occurs during a nuclear reaction? Nuclear fission. Fission meaning: SPLITTING INTO TWO! Just as we see with the Phineus Gage comparison. That exact moment was when "El" emerged from the UD (Will's mindscape) into "reality". Leading to her becoming... a literal gatekeeper for Will.

She also helps solve Will's dilemma of to stay or to go, as Will himself stays (in the UD) and El goes.

So... what do I mean by “the gatekeeper"?

A gatekeeper is an alter that controls switching or access to front, access to an internal world or certain areas within it, or access to certain alters or memories. x

Now. Remember guys, we literally see her closing the gate and she (allegedly) was the first to open said gate. She also is heavily associated with repressed memories (the whole NINA plot...)

El has always been protecting Will from facing his trauma and facing himself. That is why we see her "save" him multiple times, why she takes on the role of Mike's romantic partner, why she takes the brunt of the bullies at Lenora, and why Will looks on like a helpless bystander... It is not due to resentment nor cruelty but fear. Will has been hiding behind her this whole time. He is not ready to face his memories, trauma, and the world. Not yet...

The Mind Flayer, the Demon Alter

In abusive groups, a young child can be severely traumatized in order for abusers to intentionally create an alter, and the alter can be tricked into believing they have been possessed by, and have become, a demon. X

This one is pretty self-explanatory, as we literal have a "possession" plot line involving Will. Though, instead of being "possessed", this alter of Will's was fronting.

Vecna, the Persecutor Alter

This is the one I'm most excited (and nervous) to talk about because it is SO fascinating and it matches his character perfectly.

So basically, Vecna is NOT Henry Creel. Vecna is an alter of Will's existing in his hive mind. Hear me out about this.

What I believe is that Henry Creel (or perhaps Edward Creel), was a real person that Will had heard about resulting in him creating an alter based on him. This is called "Factive Introject":

An alter with the form, personality, and possibly the psychological backstory e.g. memories of an outer-world person, whether a relative, a celebrity, or even an acquaintance. x

I believe that when we see "Henry" within both the Rainbow Room AND the Upside Down... this is Will's alter. (The Rainbow Room is likely another inner world of Will's...).

Are you still with me on this? Because lets get into the real evidence here.

What is a persecutor alter?

Persecutors are alters that purposefully harm the body, system, host, core, or other alters, sabotage the system’s goals or healing, or work to assist the system’s abuser(s). x

I know that sounds pretty scary, and some easily dismiss persecutor alters as "evil" BUT they are not. Viewing any alters this way is harmful. All alters' goals are to protect the system, even if they may do so in misguided ways.

x

Most persecutor alters start out as protector alters… which exactly what we see in the show! “Henry” is kind and protective towards El (who is another alter).

Then he decides to “kill” the other kids/alters (I say kill but they will still live on in the mind.)

Lets look at the exact terms used to describe the effects the persecutor alter has on the system...

X

Headaches…

Internal bullying…

Increased blank spells…

Interference with function…

Self-multilation…

Still have doubts on this? Let’s continue…

x

As I said, the persecutor alter is not "evil", it is a misguided protector. Its goal is to protect and often does this by taking on all the suffering experienced by the host and the alters...

But why? Why does the persecutor alter do such things if the goal is to protect?

X

To prevent the host and alters from disclosing their abuse. Think about this for a moment. What did Chrissy, Fred, Patrick, and Max all have in common (other than trauma)? They all were seeing the student counsellor Ms. Kelley and revealing to her aspects of their trauma and abuse.

Vecna, as the persecutor alter, was having NONE of that and thus… “killed” them to protect the system. As he feared the consequences for Will/the system as a whole.

This is VERY telling for Will, because he has long been afraid of opening up about his abuse, trauma, and everything…

We see this emerge in many forms:

The Byers phone frequently going unanswered throughout the show due to Will’s fear of opening up/communication.

Lonnie telling Jonathan to keep his mouth shut for his mom’s sake…

The rats in ST3. To “rat” = to snitch.

El’s bullying in ST4. Angela repeatedly refers to her as a “snitch” even though she never did snitch.

Papa/the Demogorgon/Neil, the Abuser Alter

x I’m going to go right out and say this: “Papa” represents Will's abuser. We see him abuse El, Henry and others in a manner similar to what Will had experienced with Lonnie.

That’s why he’s called “Papa”, as he is a representation of the abusive papa of Will: Lonnie Byers.

Like Henry Creel, he is also likely based off a real person... Richard Brenner perhaps?

"That's what I have to do to keep her close to me. I don't want her going out. Men only want her for one thing and then they hurt her. She doesn't need anyone else but me." In addition to intimidating her so that she would not seek contact with men and risk further abuse, [the abuser alter] was also possessively trying to strengthen her attachment to him. X

This perfectly applies to Brenner's relationship with El, Henry and the others. He wants to isolate them to "protect" them from further abuse. We see this clearly as Brenner prevents El from leaving NINA, at all costs.

Again, even the alter representing the abuser should not be seen as “evil”. It’s complicated. All alters are aspect of the host, they are not evil. There are good intentions behind the bad actions.

Other Alters…

So, I believe other characters are also alters of Will’s such as:

Max, Billy, Chrissy, Fred, Patrick, Eddie, Argyle… and more. This post is getting far too long for me to expand on that just yet though.

Mike is “The Key” but… he’s not the only key

Let’s not forget about Ms Kelley and her key necklace!

Although Mike’s love will be an incredibly important aspect to saving Hawkins and saving Will… Will also needs to open up, face his trauma, and reveal his truth. Keeping all of this bottled up inside is causing far more problems…

When it comes to treatment for DID, there are different methods. Some include:

Identifying and working through past trauma.

Managing sudden behavioral changes.

Merging separate identities into a single identity. x

The latter being a highly controversial one, and it may not be the right choice for everyone with DID.

Within the show however? We will likely see merging or fusion of some of the characters in the end (we likely already have too...)

We already have foreshadowing of fusion between Will and El:

Robin and Steve discussing the act of "combining" to "solve all [their] problems".

Dustin hugging El and Will only to have El visually disappear during their hug.

El ending the season standing alone in the Upside Down.

In DID there's also a concept called integration, which may not be as extreme as fusion.

The individual must then make the choice of to what extent they want to integrate their alters as part of their healing. Again, some degree of integration is inevitable. The individual must integrate traumatic materials in order to heal from PTSD. As well, enough integration between alters must occur to allow for easy communication, a lack of dissociative amnesia between parts, and a consistent sense of being grounded in the present and in the body. The individual must be able to take responsibility for all of the system's actions, and all alters in the system should work together towards the same goals. x

Basically, Will must become insightful of his condition and see all aspects of himself (all alters) as helpful (even if they may be misguided). It will NOT help him to simply "kill" any alters, that will not work. He must accept himself for who he is. He must learn to love all aspects of himself.

I won’t touch on it here, but I will just mention that I’m very confident the show will end with another realm/internal world that’s beautiful and full of life. Implying that Will has finally found some peace of mind. I talk about it in this post.

[hellcheerficdatabase]

One Year Loving You

Author: @dibidibidani

Rating/Warning: Teen and up audience

Chapter Count: 7/7

Description: Seven stories demonstrating the love that Eddie Munson and Chrissy Cunningham have for each other.

Tags: Alternate universe- canon divergence, alternate universe- everyone lives and nobody dies, post-vecna, moments, cute moments in their relationship, fluff, established relationship, domestic fluff, alternating POV, multiple chapters, status: completed

[kuntniss]

be grateful you even have will byers viewing privileges

[autistic-robin]

Why “Hiding in the Light” Didn’t Work: Stranger Things’ Psychospiritual Implications

Supplementary Sources: Jungian Theory & A Wrinkle In Time

Alright, buckle in. I’m running on a year’s worth of spiritual awakening, deep dives into Jungian theory and non-dualism, and my own ego’s primary coping mechanism: immersing myself in media as escapism. The purpose of this analysis is to break down the themes of non-dualism and light/darkness in ST (and maybe predict some character arcs), and also to position the narrative of ST as a psychospiritual wake-up call.

For some context: last year, I discovered the work of psychoanalyst (or philosopher, depending on who you’re talking to) Carl Jung. He had a pretty extensive theory about the human psyche that I immediately connected to the themes throughout Stranger Things, specifically Vecna’s mind control and curse. I’m going to break Jung’s theory down as succinctly as I can, and then delve into how it plays out in our favorite gay monster show.

But before I delve into Jung’s ideas, I also think it’s important to define selfhood (you’ll understand why in a minute). For the purposes of this analysis, the experience of the “self” is an illusion created by our senses, perceptions, memories, and consciousness, all of which are impermanent. Therefore, the self is what we call “conditioned.” There is no you or me, just the ideas we have of ourselves.

Now, we can get into Jung’s theory. He posited the following:

1. Every individual has a “persona” they show the world (a constructed self) to feel like they belong. Underneath this persona, everyone has a personal “shadow,” or the part of themselves they don’t want to acknowledge. This shadow is always projected onto others— every negative thought we have about someone else is a product of our own unintegrated shadow. Note: The shadow is NOT bad, it just “is.” It’s actually there to HELP us grow and integrate all the unhealed parts of us.

2. Individuals’ shadows are usually part of their unconscious, meaning most people are not aware of their shadow side or cannot bear to delve into their trauma/darkness and begin to heal it.

3. All of human consciousness is CONNECTED. This means two things. 1: There is a “collective unconsciousness” that contains the sum of all of our unintegrated trauma, and 2: We can heal our collective unconsciousness by healing our own unconsciousness.

How do we heal our own unconsciousness? By becoming AWARE of our shadow side, accepting and forgiving the conditioning that created it, and working to encourage others to do the same.

What— or rather, who— does that remind you of?

Also— great use of lighting here.

We know Vecna has direct access to his victims’ consciousness; not just their memories, cognition, and emotions, but also their awareness itself. This is how he’s able to target and trance people. But it’s not just their consciousness Vecna has access to; it’s their unconsciousness. Their shadow. Their trauma. Yes, he has psionic abilities akin to El’s, but as far as we know, El can’t access the collective unconsciousness like Vecna can. She is only capable of “remote viewing” via the void or piggybacking into people’s minds. So why is Vecna capable of this?

If you want my take on it: the only way to access a collective shadow would be through accessing your own shadow. So is Vecna really Henry, or his unintegrated shadow? And is either really condemnable, considering the larger themes of the show?

We see this theme of non-dualism echoed in Brenner’s NINA pep talk with El:

It’s fascinating to me that they’re communicating these bigger thematic ideas through the show’s “villians”— while the above conversation could be taken at surface-level as Brenner being manipulative, it’s important to acknowledge the truth of what he’s saying. NINA is only successful because El faces “the good and the bad.” This is why “hiding in the light” is a no-go for Max.

Focusing only on happy memories is a form of emotional bypassing. Throughout the show, we’ve been told time and again that hiding doesn’t work. Neither does running away. The only way out for our characters is through their own shadows.

Now, the fun part: predictions. Looking at all of this with a Jungian lens, it doesn’t make much sense to villianize a character or to end the story by “defeating evil.” In non-dual theory, there are no evil people, only unhealed ones.

We know what worked for our characters temporarily (Will in the UD, Max in her first trance, El using her powers against Vecna) was the memory and vibration of love.

This reminded me of A Wrinkle In Time, which is a science fiction novel that’s been noted more than a few times as one of Stranger Things’ primary influences. In the book, a girl and her brother travel through time to rescue their father from an alternate dimension where all beings are controlled in a hyper-individualist suburbia by a giant, all-knowing brain. The climactic “defeat” of the brain is shockingly simple, but incredible impactful— Meg, the heroine, tells it over and over that she loves it. This love ultimately brings her father and brother out of trances they are in, and they’re able to remember her and travel back home.

(Tangent: And God. The implications of that, outside of analyzing ST, are powerful. How do we live in a capitalist hellscape that is so caught up in the mind— in acheiving, obtaining, securing, protecting the ego— that many of us have forgotten our hearts? The answer is love. Loving ourselves more deeply to love all beings more deeply, “the good and the bad.” But love does not negate accountability, and it does not excuse harm.)

Our characters are all struggling with self-acceptance and self-love in some form or another. Each is wrestling with secrets and lies, and the desire to hide parts of themselves they think others can’t accept.

Mike is clearly struggling with self-loathing, guilt surrounding what happened to El in s1, and a crippling hero complex.

Will is also on the self-loathing train, continually self-sacrifices to his own detriment, and is hiding his identity out of fear (not at all villifying that, just for the record.)

El struggled to reconcile her abilities and forced weaponization with her identity outside of the lab pre-s4.

Max was suicidal and had a lot of self-hatred after B*lly’s death.

Nancy parallels Mike in her survivor’s guilt post-s1 and exhibits the same lack of self-preservation and self-sacrificing tendencies.

You get my point. So how will these characters overcome their trauma? Not through hiding, or running, or bypassing. Not through the light alone. Through love— acknowledgement of their own darkness, compassion for the unhealed nature of others, and commitment to being honest with themselves and their loved ones. We know Will is El and Henry’s mirror/foil and will play a central role in S5, and with all of this in mind I think it’s safe to say he will break the cycle of bypassing and hiding from trauma and pain once and for all. He won’t fight it like El, hide from it like Max, or run from it like he did as a kid.

Only by integrating their shadows can our characters become truly “themselves,” or as Brenner puts it, “whole.”

I will probably have much more to say about this after my re-read of A Wrinkle in Time, but for now, that’s all I’ve got. :) Hope everyone is doing well!

[steddieas-shegoes]

congrats on 3000!!! 🎉🍾🎊💖

For the sentence prompt: "I'm just gonna go freak out for a minute first."

Thank you!!!! ♥️

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Steve was holding his hand while the doctor checked his stitches. It wasn’t really that weird for him to be holding his hand, not since he woke up half-dead in the hospital.

It was a little weird that he was rubbing his thumb against the side of his thumb, though.

And probably a little weird that his other hand was resting on his head, a weight that was comforting and confusing all at once.

“Looks great, Eddie. I’d say by the next visit, we’ll be able to get them out and let these finish healing naturally,” the doctor smiled at him as he pulled his shirt back down.

Steve’s hand squeezed his, and he couldn’t help looking over at the sunshine in the seat next to him.

It had to be pretty obvious how he felt about Steve. He’s lucky none of the kids have caught on and started teasing him yet.

Robin has, but at least she knows to do it privately.

“I’ll have the front desk schedule you for two weeks out. You can grab an appointment card on the way out. Keep them all clean and don’t do any heavy lifting or physical activity quite yet,” the doctor reminded as she pulled off her gloves and threw them in the trash. “You boys have a nice day.”

As she left the room, Steve helped Eddie sit up slowly. He didn’t really need the help anymore, but he’d be an idiot to admit it with how much Steve touched him.

“Two more weeks, Eds! That’s better than what they thought last time,” Steve was so excited for him. His smile was lighting up the room and he looked five seconds away from bouncing on his feet.

“Yeah, it’s great.”

“Aren’t you excited?” Steve’s smile dropped at Eddie’s tone.

“Yeah! Yeah, it’ll be great to have less limits. Might be able to get the guys together for a jam session,” Eddie gave a small smile.

“But…?”

Eddie sighed. “But then you won’t be around anymore, right? Like, other than when we all hang out on movie nights. You only stuck around because no one else could really help me every day. Everyone had work or families that wouldn’t let them out of their sight.”

Steve looked heartbroken, and Eddie couldn’t figure out why.

“Eddie, I’m not gonna leave you just because you don’t technically need me anymore,” Steve shook his head. “We’re- we’re friends, aren’t we?”

“Of course! I mean, I thought so. But I know it could just be that you feel bad and I wouldn’t expect you to stick around because of that.”

Steve grabbed his other hand, his grip tightening on Eddie’s skin almost painfully.

“I wanna stick around for a lot of reasons, Eds.”

Eddie was caught in his gaze, his wide, pleading eyes almost too much.

“Like what?”

“Like because you’re fun to be around. You’re funny and talented and smart. You taught me about Hobbits! Love those guys,” Steve stepped closer. “You’re brave and you care about all of us. You-“ Steve swallowed. “You see me. The real me.”

“What do you mean?” Eddie’s heart was racing as he looked between Steve’s eyes, down to his lips where his tongue had poked out momentarily to wet them.

“You’ve seen me when my parents have come home and made me feel like shit and you just distracted me with singing whatever pop songs are on the radio and helping me cook dinner. You’ve been there when I had a two day long migraine and couldn’t even stand up to go to the bathroom. You made grocery shopping fun! I fucking hate grocery shopping, but you just keep being silly and making me laugh and I had fun.” Steve leaned in so his forehead was touching Eddie’s. “You laugh at my jokes, even when they aren’t that funny. You listen to me when no one else pays attention. You see who I am and you let me be who I am and I don’t feel scared that you’ll run.”

“I’m not running.”

“I know. I love that you aren’t, that you won’t.” Steve closed his eyes for a moment. When he opened them again, they were watery. “I love you.”

Eddie was certain he was dead. Maybe the last month had all been some coma-induced dream and they finally pulled the plug. Maybe he actually died in the Upside Down and the last month was his final goodbye to everyone in his own head.

He stood up slowly, trying not to push Steve away, but having to guide him away from the table he’d been laying on.

“Where are you going? You’re not leaving, right?”

“Nope. I’m just gonna go freak out for a minute first.”

“Um.”

Eddie smiled, leaned in to kiss Steve’s cheek, and pulled away.

“Give me a minute. This is either the most realistic dream I’ve ever had or the best day of my life.”

Steve snorted, but let him walk to the door and stand outside of it for a moment.

When Eddie came back in, his cheeks were red, but he looked determined.

He pulled Steve into him by his hips, crushed their lips together, and smiled so hard their teeth clacked against each other. It was a little messy for a first kiss, but they could get better.

“You love me? Really?”

“I thought it was obvious,” Steve laughed as they pulled apart.

“I thought I was obvious!”

“Not really. I was convinced I was imaging things! Robin had to explain to me what the hanky code was before I even believed you liked guys!”

They both laughed so hard they cried, forgetting entirely that they were still in the doctor’s examination room.

Someone knocked on the door and they broke apart quickly, trying to stop the laughter for a moment to deal with whoever was at the door.

A nurse poked her head in. “Sorry, don’t wanna rush you, but just wanted to make sure everything was okay? Did you need to see the doctor again?”

“No, no. Sorry. We’re heading out. He just needed a minute,” Steve said quickly, smiling back at her.

She nodded and left, leaving the door open as a silent reminder that they needed to disinfect the room for the next patient.

“Steve.”

“Yeah?”

“I love you, too.”

“You don’t have to say it just-“

“I’m not. I’m saying it because I love you. I see you, remember? There’s a lot there to love.”

Steve turned a bright red, and Eddie decided then he would do just about anything to see that shade on Steve’s cheeks and neck as often as possible.

“Let’s go home,” Steve finally said when he recovered. “Wanna kiss you more.”

“Can’t argue with that.”

[arcane-strangeness]

i forgot I fucking made this when s4 dropped I'm dying