#seasonal steddie is very special to my heart

[steddieunderdogfics]

This week’s writer spotlight feature is: @oh-stars! ohstars has 91 fics in the Stranger Things fandom and 69 of them are in the Steddie tag!

@lady-lostmind recommends the following works by @oh-stars:

Fuck. I Think I Love You.

The Men We've Become (Series)

Yours (all along)

Hidden Depths

Distance

"ohstars has a way of making heartache feel so good. Every time I read one of their fics I know I'm in for something special, and will inevitably go through a wide range of emotions while I'm brought along for a ride with the characters. I love the way they show so much through small details, letting the characters actions speak for themselves a lot of the time and the insight you get as a reader when you catch glimpses of the story even the character hasn't realized yet and getting to watch them grow throughout the story. They have a way of showing the beauty in the little moments, and letting you linger in the sweet in-between of big points, letting the story build on itself slowly." -- @lady-lostmind

Below the cut, @oh-stars answered some questions about their writing process and some of their recommended work!

Why do you write Steddie?

I think a lot of my ships boil down to Golden Retriever x Stoic Character. Add in that I adore when there’s a character who would sacrifice themselves to an inch of survival (if that) that gets the love and comfort they deserve, Steddie hits the spot. I’ve always been a big Steve fan but none of the ships prior to season four really inspired anything in me. And it took a minute for Steddie to click (which I think is the case for a lot of us, volume two just hit different), but when it did, there was no going back. I really enjoy exploring their relationship within the universe and everything that comes with – from sexuality crises, coming out, saving the world, and Stobin struggling with Steve liking a gremlin of a man. They just love each other so freakin much, y’all.

What’s your favorite trope to READ?

Misunderstandings, hurt/comfort, and kidfic are all tied as my favorites. It’s hard to pick just one because it really depends on my mood, but a good hurt/comfort is always the vibe.

What’s your favorite trope to WRITE?

Slow burn. It’s kind of a cop out answer because it can be used in any fic and with any trope, but I love the build up.

What’s your favorite Steddie fic?

I read so much that I don’t know if I have one fic that’s my all time favorite. Bandaids for the Heart by LexiRoseWrites and Steve’s First Bruise by cairparavels are ones I think about pretty often.

Is there a trope you’re excited to explore in a future work but haven’t yet?

I’ve been toying with a royal au in my head for months, if not a year now. I just haven’t nailed the plot yet to want to put some real effort behind it. Once I have a better idea of the story, I can’t wait to dive in.

What is your writing process like?

Up in the air at the moment. It changes a lot over time. Something will work really well for a few months, then suddenly it doesn’t. Most of the time, I can’t seem to write unless I’m sprinting. Usually that’s a solo sprint, but I love writing with other people. I do a little light plotting ahead of time, then let the characters take the reins… which is probably why I hit so many walls throughout a fic.

Do you have any writing quirks?

I don’t know if I have any quirks that are unique to myself. I’m very particular about my format when writing. I can’t write without it being double spaced, times new roman, 12 pt, and justified, which is 100% a product of schools enforcing that format for projects. And I have a hard time actually sitting down to write without the help of writing games like sprints and the word game. Otherwise, I don’t do much editing? I do the bare minimum and post… which isn’t ideal. That’s the opposite of what I’d advise.

Do you prefer posting when you’ve finished writing or on a schedule?

I would love to be someone who can post on a schedule consistently, but it rarely happens. Usually I can only succeed with that when a fic is a part of an event, otherwise I always get behind on my schedule.

Which fic are you most proud of?

You carved the space for my sadness to be seen for once (hold on to me) has a very special place in my heart. Out of my Steddie fics, it’s probably the one that I hold most dear, but I’m incredibly proud of The Man That I Could Be. It’s taken a lot for me to be proud of that one, but it was a whirlwind of an experience. I still go back to it and can’t really believe I wrote it to begin with, even though I have vivid memories of writing some of those scenes.

How did you get the idea for Yours (all along)?

I had an initial idea of doing a teacher AU but also wanted to explore lavender marriage Stobin, so I just… ran with it. I didn’t know where I was going in that first chapter’s first draft, just let Eddie’s voice take over. The plot and idea formed the more he revealed to me, with a few standout points acting as markers to get me through.

When writing Yours (all along), what was something you didn’t expect?

I didn’t expect my big bang artist m0momercy to be inspired by as many scenes as they were! Whenever I write a big bang or event fic, I’m very aware of which scenes I think would be visually compelling versus ones that would be harder to create for. I may dabble in art, but I don’t consider myself an artist, so it really took me by surprise that they were able to take the most random (but beloved – that scare scene is everything to me) scenes and create magic out of my words. I adore them and their work (please go check them out!!), so it was really great getting the honor to work with them on this project.

What inspired Hidden Depths?

This one was based on a prompt for @steddiesummerexchange. I had been wanting to do a nerd Steve fic, so this was the perfect opportunity to explore what that would look like!

What was your favorite part to write from Fuck. I Think I Love You.?

The playlist!! imfinereallyy created the playlist for @strangerthingsreversebigbang and the art to go along with it, so I had the opportunity to create a story around their song choices. I listened to that playlist exclusively (rip my spotify history on that one) while writing it, tried to find new ways to interpret the songs and incorporate them into the fic, and I’m really happy with how it turned out.

How do/did you feel writing The Men We've Become?

Honestly, it’s a blur. The first 100k of The Man That I Could Be was written in a month, with the rest over the next few months. It’s a beast of a fic, the longest I’ve ever written. When I think back on that time, I genuinely think something possessed me when writing. I was sitting down and knocking out 5k writing sessions almost daily, tapping into depths I wasn’t really sure I had. It’s kind of insane to me that I finished it.

What was the most difficult part of writing Distance?

I wrote this fic as a part of @steddielovemonth and was doing my own 90-Day writing challenge. Honestly, the hardest part was remembering this was a writing exercise to see a snapshot of Steve and Eddie’s relationship, rather than a longer fic. I wanted it to have the feel of a longer work with the satisfaction of a one-shot. Keeping it short and in the moment, not letting myself get lost in the tangents, and having the fic have a grounded feel was really important to me so I’d hope that I was able to succeed there.

Do you have a favorite scene and/or line from any of your fics?

I know there are lines that I’m proud of but for the life of me, I could not tell you what they are or where to find them. My two favorite scenes that come to mind though are the opener scene in you carved the space for my sadness to be seen for once (hold on to me) and the scene in chapter four of The Man That I Could Be – aka Steve’s breakdown/grief scene.

Do you have any upcoming projects or fics you’d like to share/promote?

Oh gosh. I do plan on writing again soon, with a few FandomTrumpsHate fics coming out by the end of the year and new chapters of you carved the space for my sadness to be seen for once (hold on to me) coming soon. Otherwise, I mod a lot of things! @steddiebingo sign ups start November 1st and @steveharringtonbigbang starts January 1st!

Thank you to our author, @oh-stars, and our nominator, @lady-lostmind! See more of ohstars's works featured on our page throughout the day!

Writer’s Spotlight is every Wednesday! Want to nominate an author? You can nominate them here!

[berenwrites]

A Small Thing - Stranger Things - Steddie

Rating: T | cw: none | tags: post season 4, eddie lives, steve has terrible parents

Prompt: Love is wanting to know everything about what makes up the person you're in love with, even the difficult stuff.

A/N: Written for @steddielovemonth day 4. Y’know how Stranger Things kind of has a different 80s movie feel for each season? Well I grew up in the 80s and I have some very fond memories of 80s sci-fi movies, and this was inspired by several of them. It started off as a silly fun idea in my head and then got way deeper than I expected once on paper. I hope you enjoy it.

Also on AO3 | All my other Stranger Things Fic

A Small Thing: The Truth Hurts

“Stevie, I didn’t know you had a tattoo,” were the words that killed any desire Steve happened to be feeling.

He’d forgotten, and now he was cursing himself. It was a tiny thing, right on the upper inside of his thigh. He had to spread his legs and someone had to be up really close to see it. Unfortunately for him, Eddie had been slowly taking him apart, bit by bit, which included kissing and nipping up his inner thigh.

“Is that a barcode?” Eddie asked, looking up at him and smiling.

His expression must have given him away, because the smile dropped off Eddie’s face almost instantly.

“Hey,” Eddie said, climbing up him until they were face to face, “you don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to. Looks like it comes with baggage. Did someone force that on you?”

Steve took a deep breath.

“Not exactly,” he said, looking down and away, but unable to lie to his boyfriend.

“Stevie, hey, sweetheart, can you look at me please?” Eddie asked, gently taking his hand.

Instinct told him to climb out of the bed and leave, to get as far from Eddie as possible, but he couldn’t. Slowly and oh so reluctantly, he lifted his eyes.

“I love you,” Eddie told him as soon as their eyes met, “and I want to know everything about you, but what you tell me is up to you, okay?”

It was so sincere that is made Steve’s heart thump in his chest. All the love he had been trying to keep locked away in case he frightened off his boyfriend ripped through him like a fire.

“I’m not the real Steve Harrington,” he confessed as the need to be really seen blew apart his defences. “Well, I am, but I’m not the original.”

Eddie said nothing. Not a usual state of affairs at all unless Eddie’s mouth was occupied.

“That’s not a joke, is it?” Eddie finally said after agonising silence.

Steve shook his head.

“I think you’re going to have to explain that, Stevie,” Eddie added, and he was tense against Steve’s side.

“I’m a replica,” he admitted quietly. “The real Steve died when he was two of a congenital heart defect. My parents paid to have me recreated in a lab, their baby, but perfect this time. I was grown in an artificial womb. The barcode identifies me as theirs.”

“You realise that sounds insane, right?” Eddie said, although his tone was not accusatory.

He nodded.

“I know exactly how it sounds,” he said, “but it’s true. Rich people live in a different world, Eds, and my grandfather is super rich.”

“So why didn’t he just pay to have his grandson’s heart fixed?” Eddie asked. “If they can grow clones, why couldn’t they do that?”

“They could have,” Steve replied, unable to keep the bitterness out of his tone. “But they didn’t want a child with issues, they wanted a perfect baby, so they grew one. If the original Steve had lived, he would have been shipped off to some special school and I would have been his twin.”

“And they told you all this?” Eddie sounded incredulous.

“My whole life,” he said, voice going quiet again. “And they let me know exactly how much of a disappointment I have been since 83 after all the money they spent to make me perfect. The only reason they haven’t thrown me out is because it would reflect badly on the family name.”

“Holy fuck,” was all Eddie said.

Steve went to pull away, grabbing the sheet to cover himself up.

“Look,” he said, “I’ll understand if you never want to see me again. I know I’m not quite a real human…”

Eddie knelt up and put a hand on either side of his face so he couldn’t get away.

“Stevie,” Eddie said, looking straight into his eyes, “you are as real as any of us. You think El’s not a real girl because she grew up in a lab?”

“No!”

“Then what makes you not a real boy?” Eddie challenged him. “You’re the only Steve Harrington I’ve known, and you’re the only Steve Harrington I love. The more I learn about you, the more I love you, and the more I am amazed what an amazing human being you’ve turned out to be. Does Robin know about this?”

Steve shook his head as well as he could with Eddie’s hands still on his cheeks.

“They said if anyone found out they’d have me recalled,” he said, feeling the tears burn at the back of his eyes.

Robin was his best friend, the other half of his soul, if he had one, but she didn’t know the truth. That Eddie did and still loved him, blew apart everything he had been brought up to believe.

“Jesus Christ,” Eddie whispered, still staring into his eyes. “And recalled means what I think it means?”

“Just like a malfunctioning washing machine,” he said.

“How long? How long have they been threatening to have you recycled like rubbish?” Eddie asked.

“Since they let me out of the house and told the world I was their little Steve,” he confessed.

“They don’t deserve you, Stevie,” Eddie told him firmly, “they never did. And now you’re mine and they never get to hurt you again.”

The first tear fell as Eddie leaned forward and kissed him on the forehead, so gentle and so loving that it broke him.

“We need a plan, Sweetheart,” Eddie told him as his boyfriend infolded him in a loving embrace, “just like the one we all have to keep El safe. No one gets to hold this over you ever again. No one.”

And Steve believed him.

All my other Stranger Things Fic

[augustjustice]

Fic authors self rec! When you get this, reply with your favorite five fics that you've written, then pass on to at least five other writers! Spread the self-love 💞

Thank you so much for this, buddy! 💕Such a sweet, fun ask.

you wanna feel how it feels (let's exchange the experience)

This is my latest baby the Steddie bodyswap fic, and even though it's far from finished, it's really a situation where I've let myself just indulge in what in my heart of hearts I really wanted to write, which is always a great time.

Living Dead Boy

Also recent, this one got pretty experimental for me, as it's more of a sort of horror second person prose poem from Steve's point of view. I enjoyed getting to explore some of the tropes and meta narrative's here, and was glad it came together as well as it did, as I really wasn't certain I would be able to pull it off at first!

Got You By My Side

This is very quintessential 'Steve takes care of Eddie and also sort of asks him out in the hospital after the bats' fic and is canon to me lol. I always like writing kind of semi-canon adjacent stuff, and I thought I was able to tap into the boys' voices and banter pretty well here.

Got Your Mother in a Whirl (She's Not Sure If You're a Boy or a Girl)

This is the first Stranger Things fic I ever started writing, way back in Season 2! I didn't end up picking it back up until Season 4 started, but I remain pretty proud of how it turned out. No romance in this one beyond implied hints, this fic is very much just a story of Stevie exploring his gender identity as someone who is genderfluid, and then eventually she comes out to Dustin who is able to offer lots of support and brotherly love. This fic began long before I realized I had some complex gender feelingsTM myself, so it holds a special place in my heart. I also really got to emphasize one of my favorite aspects of Stranger Things in it as well--close friendships, particularly the one between Steve and Dustin.

The Rules of Engagement

This fic is from my Nygmobblepot days, and I played around with things I often don't in fic here, like established relationship. I really enjoyed writing these characters as middle aged in a post-canon future, and with this one I felt like I did a nice job of balancing sentimentality and fluff alongside the more vitriolic aspects of these characters' temperaments. Ultimately, I think of this one as a love story about two people choosing to be together and make it work despite their flaws, and there's not much that's more romantic than that it my eyes.

[xenon-demon]

WIP Weekend! 🖋️

So I've been tagged in various WIP games this week by @stobinesque @penny00dreadful and @steves-strapcollection - thank you all Very Much for the tags!! <3 (even if the tags were because I am an Enabler Of Fic, I recognise my true calling is to be a hype man and writing is my side gig lmao)

Anyway I have a reasonably free weekend this weekend and a BURNING DESIRE to get something ao3-ready. Also FYI these rules are a slightly modified version of the ones Sam (penny00dreadful) is using, because I am using the "Fuck It We Ball" approach and cobbling together all the various WIP games into something that will work for me.

🎆 Rules 🎆

In a reblog (or new post w/ rules attached), post up to five (5) filenames of your WIPs; not titles, file names.

Post a snippet from one of them. Snippet must be words you wrote in the last 7 days. We’re posting progress here. If you haven’t made any, go make some and come back to post!

After you’ve posted, people can send you an ask with one of your file names. You must then write 3 sentences in that file. If the filename is one you can’t share from (for example, an event fic), write 3 sentences on it anyway, and then 3 more on another to share.

That’s it! You can invite others to join in, or just post. If you tag me in your post, I will send you an ask request!

I am listing my WIP names as a poll; the poll will run for 24 hours and at the end I'll do the maths on how many votes each WIP received. I'll then set a goal to write 100 words per vote* for each WIP, and make a post of the vote breakdown for accountability! (*I may change this to be more than 100 words per vote if I don't get many votes in total.)

Snippet from "steve overstimulation projection manifesto" (SOPM) under the cut!

So yeah. Eddie can’t handle sudden change, big deal.

Steve can, for the most part; he's a lot more adaptable. No, Steve's weakness is people.

It took Eddie a while to realize it, and even then, he didn't truly understand until after they'd started dating. After all, how could the former King of Hawkins High possibly find socializing difficult? Eddie remembers all those bitter glances he used to shoot King Steve's way, jealous of how effortlessly he commanded the court of public opinion - not that he'd ever admit to it. But then Steve fell from grace, underwent more character growth than Eddie thought one man was capable of, and now Eddie knows the truth: uneasy lies the head that wears a crown. (Eddie is forever in debt to his freshman year English teacher for pointing him in the direction of the battered copy of the Complete Works of Shakespeare in Hawkins Public Library. If only poor Mr Collins knew Eddie was only interested so he could use it as inspiration for D&D campaigns.)

Steve is absolutely charismatic; he knows how to tell people exactly what they want to hear, or make them feel special in a way that keeps them coming back for more. The catch is it's an intentional act. It's a mask that Steve used to be terrified he could never take off, as he mournfully confessed to Eddie one night while sharing a joint in the trailer. As it turns out, Steve just needed better friends; with Robin, with the kids, with Eddie, he finds it so easy to just be himself. He doesn't have to censor himself or fret over what image he's presenting to the world, and can instead relax and actually enjoy the company. Steve's joked around with Eddie before that it's actually kind of good for their relationship that Steve used to have to try so hard - he knows how to flirt without even consciously thinking about it. What Steve doesn't know is that he could go into graphic detail about the shape of his toenails and Eddie would still be listening with hearts in his eyes.

—————

And now some tags, both for visibility and as an invitation to join in if you'd like to/aren't already doing a writing game for the weekend! <3

@sailing-through-hawkins @onirislanding @inairbinad @eriquin @scarcrossdlvrs @patchworkgargoyle

[lasagnaboxlesbian]

LBL's Master Post 🩷🧡💜✨

For convenience's sake I thought it would be a good idea to have a pinned centralized post for all my fics, so here we go!! (please be sure to read any additional tags/warnings on the fics themselves!! ❤️):

ONGOING WORKS:

i think i’ll call her on the phone (or am i better off alone?) [T] (84k words, Ch 10/11) - F/F, ronance, season 1 rewrite, neighbours, comphet lesbian Nancy - [link] [tumblr preview]

something about the way you're looking at me (something very special) [M] (40k words, Ch 17/?) - F/F, ronance, mystery, University AU, academic rivals - [link]

COMPLETED (new to old):

lovely to be rained on with you [G] (2k words) - F/F, ronance, modern day, autumn, quarter life crisis - [link]

i missed your skin when you were east [T] (1k words) - F/F, ronance, historical, sapphic letter writing - [link]

fight the pain that holds us back [T] (1k words) - F/F, barb/chrissy, hurt/comfort, afterlife - [link]

ignoring the young women (what is this dilemma of the heart?) [M] (43k words, Ch 6/6) - M/M, steddie, fake dating, roommates/housemates, 2000s AU - [link]

admitting you're wrong is only half the battle [T] (2k words) - M/M, steddie, angst, season 1, canon compliant - [link]

moonlight in your eyes, sunlight in your smile, and all the stars inbetween [T] (1k words) - F/F, barb/chrissy, hurt/comfort, afterlife - [link]

i wish i knew you sooner, but i have the rest of our (after)lives to learn all about you [T] (2k words) - F/F, barb/chrissy, hurt/comfort, afterlife - [link]

i stole your name, but you stole my heart [M] (4k words) - F/F, ronance, spies/secret agents, secret identity - [link]

with all the (fish n') chips down, i'd still bet on you [T] (3k words) - M/M, steddie, modern day, public transit AU, chess metaphors - [link]

Checkmate or Soulmate? [T] (2k words) - M/M, steddie, modern day, public transit AU, chess metaphors - [link]

SERIES:

in the afterlife, you make me feel alive again [T] (3/3) - F/F, barb/chrissy, afterlife, healing - [link]

on the edge of reality, i'd fall for you [M] (1/3) - Multi, steddie, ronance, expanded universe of the fake dating roommates/housemates au - [link]

LBL's Bollywood-verse Collection [M] (3/?) - Multi, ronance, steddie, otherwise unrelated compilation of fics inspired by bollywood movies - [link]

The Steddie Gambit [T] (2/?) - M/M, steddie, public transit AU, chess - [link]

[roosterbox]

Fic Rec Friday 11/3/23

Title: Another Version Of Me

Rating: General Audiences

Archive Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply

Category: M/M

Fandom: Stranger Things (TV 2016)

Relationships: Steve Harrington/Eddie Munson, Robin Buckley & Steve Harrington

Characters: Steve Harrington, Robin Buckley, Eddie Munson, Nancy Wheeler, Maxine "Max" Mayfield, Eleven | Jane Hopper, Erica Sinclair

Additional Tags: Genderfluid Steve Harrington, Established Relationship, Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Post-Season/Series 04, Fluff, Minor Angst, not very much, Genderfluid Character, Platonic Soulmates Robin Buckley & Steve Harrington, girls night, Author is genderfluid, if this doesn't match your experience just know it matches mine

Summary: In which Steve discovers that he's genderfluid and he only has a little bit of a crisis about it.

———

Two of my favorite things in the world: Steve Harrington and gender fuckery. Any story that manages to include both is a special kind of amazing to me. And this one is no exception.

It’s beautiful. The emotions, the love, ugh. It’s palpable. And not just the Steddie side of things (more on that later). No, all of Steve’s relationships in this are great. With Robin, who’s so gentle and understanding, but not without teasing him of course. And the other girls, for a small section. His convo with Max is so sweet, makes my teeth hurt, lol. And all of his introspection, his feelings about his gender… it hurts, but in a good way? Somehow? As someone who has dealt with (still dealing with, honestly) the concept of being neither one thing nor the other, I feel that pain in my bones. And I already project onto Steve a ridiculous amount, lol. I’m glad he has such a support system while he works through this thing. It is kind of a struggle, even today, let alone for a twenty-something guy in Indiana in the 80s.

And Eddie. Oh man, Eddie. I’ve said this before, but every time Eddie is endlessly proud and supportive of a non-cisgendered Steve, I just… melt. He just loves them so much. So much it makes my heart sing. I wish every person out there who feels similar to Steve had a person in their life like Eddie. Like Robin too, let’s be real. Steve’s had a hard life, and he deserves the love and peace of his friends, his platonic soulmate, and his boyfriend. He deserves all the good things.

A truly beautiful story.

———

Next week: Narumitsu! But only incidentally. Oh sure, Miles and Phoenix are 100% together, but Phoenix isn’t in this story. In fact, outside of a text (and one or two mentions of him from Miles), he doesn’t even appear at all. No, the draw of this fic is Miles and his friendship with another character. One you might not necessarily expect, but which makes an insane amount of sense if you think about it. Who is it though? Hmmmmm.

See you next time!

[bookgeekgrrl]

My media this week (18-24 Dec 2022)

📚 STUFF I READ 📚

🥰👂‍ Agatha Christie: A Very Elusive Woman (Lucy Worsley, author & narrator) - an excellent biography

😍 All That You Are to Me series (2bestfriends) - 87K, shrunkyclunks - holiday reread, 'the lumberjack steve/twink bucky fic of our hearts' - main fic 67K, sequel fic 20K

😍 It's the Best Time of the Year (chicklette) - 40K, shrunkyclunks, holiday time fic - reread of a fave with baker!Bucky & Cap!Steve - perfect blend of angst, fluff and action

😍 (if only in my dreams) (jehans) - 45K, stucky no powers AU - reread of holiday season friends2lovers/2nd chance with some QUALITY pining

💖💖 +323K of shorter fic so shout out to these I really loved 💖💖

SHOCKING! Spiderman's Alien Baby: Friendly Neighborhood Hero and His Hanukkah Blessing (AggressiveWhenStartled) - MCU: Peter Parker v the Geriatric Supersoldier Husbands, 4.8K - no one writes the adventures of a hapless Peter tangled up with the Geriatric Supersolider Husbands like AggressiveWhenStartled - pure hilarity throughout (and ZERO alien babies despite the title)

One Does Not Simply Walk Into JoAnn Fabrics (And other millennial lessons from The Winter Soldier) (attackofthezee (noxlunate)) - MCU: shrunkyclunks, 11.9K - forever fave; holiday reread of a recovering WS who gets a job working at JoAnn's and falls hard for a customer

Bucky Barnes Has His Shit Together (and Other Lies He Tells Himself) (betts) - MCU: stucky no-powers AU, 14K - holiday reread of recovering vet Bucky & single dad baker Steve

Here Comes Santa Claus (AidaRonan) - MCU: stucky, 6.7K - holiday reread - hilarious and hot - Bucky meets Santa!Steve and this santa definitely fucks

then a small thing happened (BeaArthurPendragon) - MCU: stucky no-powers AU, 35K - new holiday fave about recovering photojournalist Bucky and astronaut Steve - LOVED LOVED LOVED

rockin' around (wearing_tearing) - Stranger Things: Steddie/Ronance/Fruity Four, 13K - an absolutely DELIGHTFUL advent collection of ficlets - every day was a pop of pure joy to read

Knit One, Purl Two (mollus) - MCU: stucky, 32K - holiday reread, forever fave - recovering WS/Cap with healing via crafting with a delightful knitting group

📺 STUFF I WATCHED 📺

Taskmaster - s14, e1-10

Glass Onion

Single All The Way

🎧 PODCASTS 🎧

Decoder Ring Plus - Encore: ‘You’ve Got Mail’ Got It Wrong

Switched on Pop - Anitta & Rosalía on the borders of Latin pop

The Atlas Obscura Podcast - Tumbleweed Christmas Tree

99% Invisible #519 - Balikbayan Boxes

The Atlas Obscura Podcast - Priscilla’s Homecoming

It's Been a Minute - (Almost) 20 years of 'Love Actually'

Off Menu - Ep 41: Joe Lycett (Christmas Special)

Into It - Matt Rogers Has Heard of Christmas, But 'Do They Know It's Christmas?'

Off Menu - Ep 175: Alex Horne (Christmas Special)

🎶 MUSIC 🎶

Simply Christmas (Deluxe Edition) [Leslie Odom Jr]

Merry Christmas…Have A Nice Life [Cyndi Lauper]

Trans Siberian Orchestra playlist

Classical Christmas

A Sunny Brazilian Christmas

A Merry Little Christmas [Linda Ronstadt]

A Legendary Christmas [John Legend]

Jingle Bell Swing

It's a Holiday Soul Party [Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings]

Twelve Songs Of Christmas [Etta James]

Home for Christmas [Daryl Hall & John Oates]

A Very Too Many Zooz Xmas [Too Many Zooz]

A Heavy Metal Christmas [Christopher Lee]

A Heavy Metal Christmas Too [Christopher Lee]

Merry Flippin' Christmas Vol. 1 and 2 [Bowling For Soup]

Punk Rock Christmas

Classic Soul Christmas

my rockabilly christmas playlist

my xmas playlist

[fastcardotmp3]

When you get this, reply with your favorite five fics that you've written, then pass it on to at least five other writers. Let’s spread the self-love!

oh what a cool thing 😭💛

I've only got 4 fics on ao3 right now but I'll pad it with something from my tumblr ramblings too fjdaskl

METAMORPHOSES - (109k+ wip) Eddie post-Kas possession recovery fic ft. Steddie hurt/comfort slow burn and the Eddie & Nancy friendship of my dreams

I think this is genuinely my favorite thing I've written so far even though it's not done yet. It feels like I've learned a piece of what it's taken to pull this together from every other thing I've written for this fandom and I'm finally finding a cohesive way to put those pieces together. Upside Down twisty turns? Character studies? Motifs and throughlines? you know the drill. I love this Eddie with my entire goddamn soul I'm so grateful to anyone who has taken the time to hang out with me in this little universe

there's blood in my ears (and a fool in the mirror) - (58k) Eddie & Max escape from the UD post S4 ft. Steddie getting to know each other pre S4

my very first ST fic, I just NEEDED to write about Eddie and Max stumbling their way into chosen family-hood and stumbled myself into making Boys Kiss along the way and although it's not as popular as some of my other stuff, I love this little world and I love my first try at playing around with UD logistics and DIY lore.

someone else's favorite song - (120k) Steve centric as he grieves the death of his mother and stumbles through the ups and downs of a FWB relationship with Eddie

This will never not have a special place in my heart, I got so much out of writing this both on a technical writing learning level and just the catharsis that always comes with writing about grief for me. I write for myself to such a degree that it still shocks me every time someone mentions connecting to this story and I am so full of gratitude that my catharsis could be yours too so just <3

that's just wasteland, baby! - (19k) Steve centric post S4 apocalyptic Hawkins ft. life affirming shower sex and buzzcut!Steve

I am always thinking about the immediate aftermath of season 4 and what kind of impact All That would have on the actual town of Hawkins, I mean we are RIFE with opportunity for good apocalyptic romance/ found family and this was my go at it. I'm really proud of managing to do something short and slice-of-life rather than accidentally writing a novel fajdskl and I had a really good time just narrowing my focus and making it a small story in such a Big setting ya know

reprogrammed au - (tumblr meta) after the end of the war with the UD, the people responsible for the NINA Project use that technology to wipe the Party's memories (at least for a little while)

If it's not already clear, I really love playing with the boundaries of what sort of unexplored set-ups exist for cool premises in the canon ST universe and this is just a further extension of that. I would love to write a longer more involved version of this, because there are just SO many avenues to take, especially with such a broad ensemble cast, and I love a good, kind of fucked up introspective moment/ any excuse to mess around with structure and unreliable narration so this is like the gold mine for me.

I have no idea who's already done this so apologies if I send out any repeats! I just haven't been scrolling as much this week because I'm busy getting my ass kicked by situations and circumstances and such woof

[hotluncheddie]

AO3 wrapped 2022!!!

ty for tagging me @daysarestranger ! so fun!

i only just got a ao3 account even tho i’ve used it for like 10 years lmao i was just raw dogging it before. just read amazing stuff before it was off into the eather, no idea what it was called or who wrote it. but i have one now!! :3c

works published: 5!

word count: 10,868

hits: 4,886

bookmarks: 52

most popular by kudos: seasons change, but people don’t

most hits: tiny green shorts (the people love pwp it seems :^))

longest: seasons change

shortest: pickle!eddie

most comments: seasons change (so many more lovely comments than i ever expected!! ty!!)

fic that made me cry: def ‘took you for a working boy’ by pukner

the gender in it is so so so special and the way they wrote the world with vecna and the upside down chefs kiss!!

fic that made me smile: i think ‘the shire is NOT on fire’ by kissesforcas was very lovely and i love jested eddie with my whole heart!!

gifts: ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

events: seasons change was for the winter fic challenge by @thefreakandthehair xoxo

ye lots of repeats hehe but might put a couple more of my tumblr story’s on there. plus who knows what 2023 will bring. but i bet i’ll be posting bc steddie and the steddie fandom is pretty cool and lovely!

i’ll tag anyone who wants to do it!! if u do it from this post tag me i’d love to see it!

[figthefruitfaeth]

Hi 🤗 6, 8, & 23 for the fic ask game if you like!

Hiiiiii !! Welcome welcome, nice to have you here take a seat 🍄🫖✨

6. Are there any fics from others you reread all the time?

I’m not a big rereader/watcher or anything, so I don’t reread toooo many fics unless I forgot what happened, but I’ll share these two fics I’ve read recently that I’ve really enjoyed (I have also been pretty busy last two weeks so not as many reccs)

Anyway, It’s About Old Friends - @fragilecapric0rnn a steddie when Harry met Sally AU I adore! Great take on the story and feels very in line with WHMS as well as being it’s own thing

this text fic - I’m not a big kid fic person but this is SO cute and made me a believer even if just for a day

8. What projects) are you currently working on?

URGH so the active WIPs technically total 11/12 (this means ideas I have at least a few paragraphs for) but if we’re just going off of things I’m thinking about and generally working towards daily—4

beanie baby fic - my beloved <3 Steve dealing with the loss of his mom through a growing obsession with beanie babies. It started as a fun crack idea and then the angst and the grief spilled through and now I’m here sobbing over nip the cat listening to ‘should’ve known better’ by sufjan stevens

your name - part two of the Nancy xfiles series, following Nancy and robin on a case to find someone breaking into secure FBI sites and stealing information. very dusty roads and cracked skin, an empty diner in the desert and the strange version of yourself looking back through the rear view mirror vibes

comphet nancy - she is my manifesto and also my biggest struggle. 90s nancy moves to Chicago to be with her friends and ends up falling head over heels for soft butch robin, and also figuring out she’s a lesbian, in that order. “What about Steve and Jonathan” right well going for the most popular conventionally attractive boy and then immediately jumping to the one you have a trauma bond with -> gay. The fic deals with the toxic cycle that comes with not knowing what you want, and trying very hard to fill that void. very ‘women are people with hearts and minds…but god I’m so lonely’ and ‘hunger’ by F+TM and pretty much any mitski song ever (but especially nobody & love me more)

radio host!eddie - the latest work! This is technically still in the planning phase, or just about to exit it—basically community college au with frenemies to FWB to lovers steddie, with emo metal head loser radio host Eddie and Mariah Carey diehard lost in life and love Steve ( @fragilecapric0rnn instrumental in developing his musical sensibilities). Its got some sleepless in Seattle vibes, it’s got some Community vibes (six seasons and a MOVIE!), it’s got some classic romcom angst vibes. It’s gonna be a multichap fic (11chapter rn?) and I am soooo excited about it, especially the chapter around ‘sugar we’re going down’ by fob which is partly what helped develop the fic into what it is (by that I mean long as fuck) special thanks to @kkpwnall who endured every flipflopping version and will probably endure more

23. How do you choose where to end a chapter (if you have multi-chapter works)?

At the moment I don’t really have a specific plan as to when I end a chapter, I just do what feels right, gut instinct. Technically every chapter should have its own arc, and together they create the overarching arc of the story, so I’m probably just following that even if I’m not actively thinking about it during the planning process! Though I will say I’ve only got one multichap work published (mail murder I’m coming back to you…one day) and others planned so, check back in a few months and see what I say then kekeke

fic writer asks

[autism-archey]

@hunter-sylvester tagged me in this, my very first tag game, so thanks hunter!! you are a pioneer of Metal Lords fan content, pls keep doing what you're doing!

3 Ships:

steddie, but listen, i don't Like season 4 of stranger things. i think the plot/writing was bad actually, but. i stuck around for steve, because damn they're good at writing characters and i loved his seasons 1-3 arc. steve & eddie have incredible chemistry that everyone else has already talked about but listen bro. what if they were t4t.

frerard, but listennn its for the DYNAMICS. i feel like frerard fics have like, mythologized this pairing into something distinct from those real people that are alive and exist. they've lifted the personas and adpoted them onto some really incredible works of fiction... there are archetypes and characteristics and relationship dynamics that i see over and over and over again, always distinctly non-normative and queer, and god dammit it gets me ever time.

i'm struggling to come up with a third... i think The Batman (2021) Selina and Bruce. actually yes this one definitely. god i fucking love those two. my heart like actually ached when she left at the end.

First Ship Ever:

This is going back a long time but I wanna say it was Stucky or Destiel that really had me first. which honestly i was right about that, those white guys have chemistry! i used to eat up post-winter soldier fics all the time and i always end up coming back to them. something about bucky on the run or holed up and scared as his memories struggle to come back, and then steve being the first person to be gentle with him. anyway

Last Song:

my god let me tell you. i listened to ethel cain for the first time today (Golden Age) and i immediately started like crying in the car and then i wrote more poetry than i have in maybe months? that was hours ago and i'm still neck deep in her discography =D

Last Movie:

Avatar: the way of water!!! Avatar is basically a new special interest for me and I'm learning sooo much about it. also this movie is Worth going to the fancy theater for.

Currently Reading:

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins. i think this is the first time I'm rereading the hunger games, and I'm so glad i picked it up over christmastime bc 1) i got sucked into it and finished it in like a day and a half; and 2) what an incredible fictional depiction of revolution. like katniss' character arc, the emphasis on solidarity and community over and over and over again, every detail adds so much.

Vine Deloria Jr.'s The World We Used to Live In, which is packed with American Indian stories on spirituality and medicine men. i only just started it but i'm clinging onto his words like they're air. which, in the busted concrete version of the world now, they might as well be.

Currently Watching:

Dimension 20's Neverafter, which is premiering weekly rn (too slow! agonizing!!) and is just beginning, but already getting really fucking good. I keep my copy of Grimms' fairy tales in the bathroom now lol and the stories are crazy. The boy who could not fear had me at the edge of my toilet fr!!

Currently Consuming:

i mean where's the post that's like "autism costs families $60,000 a year" "all that weed im smoking"

Currently Craving:

my boyfriend come back :( when you're here you always put my head back on my shoulders the right way but it gets all messed up every time you leave

i dont think i have anyone to tag but mayve i'll edit & update with a tag later!

[harmonictechnicality]

It’s 1998 and Steve Harrington is waiting in line at a local department store’s Black Friday sale. The new gameboy color was just released a few days earlier - he figures it’ll be the perfect Christmas gift for all of his little dweebie friends.

Eddie Munson is standing directly behind Steve in line. He’s waiting to buy a new guitar amp - been saving his tip money for months and still can’t afford one at full price; he desperately needs any discount he can get.

After about the first hour of waiting, Steve notices Eddie mumbling to himself. Counting, then re-counting the money in his wallet. Steve Harrington has never re-counted money in his life. Never had to worry about not having enough. Especially not like this guy.

They spark up a conversation in the third hour of waiting. Steve compliments Eddie’s industrial bar piercing in his left ear. Eddie compliments Steve’s beaded hemp bracelet. Steve explains that his best friend made it for him after their first summer apart from one another.

By the final hour, they’re both tipsy. Eddie brought a thermos of spiked hot chocolate and offers to share it with Steve. Both of them tell stories about their worst hangovers and reminisce about their most memorable Christmas mornings as kids. They’re both buzzing and giggling at the stupidest shit. Buzzing so much that they don’t even comment on the fact that they’re huddled close together under the wool blanket that Steve supplied. Thighs touching. Arms overlapping.

Steve has finally worked up the courage to loop his pinky finger around Eddie’s when the line begins to move. He’s more than a little disappointed, but they both gather their things and enter the store.

Luckily, Steve is able to snag enough gameboys for his entire crew of nerdlings. As he gets in line, he watches Eddie studying the price on the amp he has been saving for. He re-counts his cash once more, before hanging his head and walking away without his item.

Not wasting a goddamn second, Steve jumps out of line and grabs the amp box off the shelf. Eddie looks back at him, shaking his head.

“Hey man, you don’t have to do that.” Eddie pleads with him.

But Steve has never had to worry about not having enough. Not even once.

“I know I don’t have to.” Steve shrugs, lugging all of his items to the checkout counter. “But it’s the season of giving, or whatever hallmark shit they say.”

Eddie protests a few more times, but Steve is adamant on doing this. It feels right.

As they walk out of the store, Eddie digs in his back pocket, pulling out a wrinkled neon flyer.

“You should come see my band next Friday.” Eddie hands the paper to Steve, then motions to the amp. “You know, to see this beauty in action.”

Steve nods. “Yeah, okay. I’ll be there.”

The sun is starting to rise as they both load up their cars. Steve is about to turn the key in the ignition when he acts on his impulses. He runs up to Eddie, who is closing the trunk of his van.

“Here.” Steve grabs Eddie’s wrist and pulls out a black ink pen. He scribbles his phone number there, only legible enough for Eddie to read it.

“Just in case you want to see me before next Friday.”

Steve walks away before he can see Eddie’s reaction, good or bad. He’s brave, but not that brave.

“Hey, Steve!” Eddie calls back.

“Yeah?” Steve takes a deep breath, then turns around. Can’t avoid his reaction now.

"Thank you for this." Eddie winks. "All of this."

He waves his wrist, the one with Steve's phone number sprawled all over it.

"Anytime." Steve answers back. He heads back to his car full of gifts. Smiling the whole ride home.

Eddie calls Steve that Sunday night and they spend their evening just like they had on Black Friday: talking until the sun comes up.

[fruity-phrog]

I’m bored, tired and narcissistic so I’m recording how I feel about my favorite shows:

She Ra - Didn’t really think about it much until I finished the finale. I just kinda froze and realized I’d never see those idiots again and binge watched YouTube to fill the hole.

Steven Universe - Didn’t really love it first watch around, but now I love it to fucking bits. Give me Lapidot content any day. I will devour it like a starved bear.

Amphibia - Started off as a time killer, got invested in season 2, now I cry every time I think about how Sashannarcy canonically split up. Also. Matt. Man. I just wanna talk.

Stranger Things - You’d think I’m totally obsessed, but honestly I’m just being carried by Byler. But Byler as a whole? Yes. Very obsessed. But also Elumax and Steddie and Ronance-

The Good Place - Love it to bits. I cry every time I finish it, and give me that reboot where Tahani is Elanor’s soulmate any day.

The Owl House - What the fuck, guys? This thing was a mean prank. I was told to watch it, I watched it, and now. Why. What the fuck. This show means the absolute world to me. Screaming, crying.

Adventure Time - Holds a very special place in my heart. It was my first proper show, and everything about it is perfect. There are no flaws. None. Bubbline is immaculate, Finn’s character development from cretinous 12 year old to mature 16 year old still makes me sob, Jake being dead is...certainly something. Everything. Love it. Insult it at your fucking peril.

[thefreakandthehair]

ST FOR THE ASK GAME 💖

fuck yeah okay here we go!!

my favorite female character: this one was really tough bc robin and max are absolutely tied. i just adore them!

my favorite male character: eddie, BUT steve & lucas are very very very very close.

my favorite book/season/etc: s3 will always have a special place in my heart. (i loved s4 because of the introduction of eddie but then they went and fucked it all up so.)

my favorite episode (if its a tv show): man, some of these are fucking hard!! i will always love 'the bite' though so i think i'll say that one.

my favorite cast member: not to be basic but probs joe keery?

my favorite ship: steddie, ronance, and lumax. and yes i realize that's three.

a character I’d die defending: eddie munson. eddie munson. eddie fucking munson. and also max.

a character I just can’t sympathize with: billy.

a character I grew to love: i'll say steve. i loved him from the get-go bc i just had a feeling he'd have a great character arc but i was not expecting him to become who he's become.

my anti otp: anything with billy tbh.