#we all hate steves parents we all love wayne we all will borrow nancy's guns to protect these folks

[newunknowns]

So I read some fic this year...

Shoutouts to Dibbs this is all his fault, she got me into it back whenever and showed me how to use Ao3 so I'm going to throw an unordered list on here for posterity. I'm going to be specific in some places down to the single work, or go broad in others to a series. It's all stranger things, sorry Dibbs.

Let us Dwell in Fair Ithilien and There Make a Garden by materialism, sparklyslug This is the series that really cracked open things for me, let me see what makes the fic tick as it were. The yearning over decades, the soft acceptance, Steve Harrington breaking down crying in Robin's bed, EXPECTATIONS IT'S ALL EXPECTATIONS.

Unlikely, But Likely by Pocket_Sand A delightful collection of AU one shots all centred on Ronance relationship stuff.

When It’s Cold (I’d Like To Die) by NotesFromTheChamber Holy fuck. This is the longest thing I've read this year, fic or novel. And it's the single most traumatic thing I've read and I fucking read Detransition, Baby this year. There is so much trauma here, PTSD, suicidal ideation, the works. This work was so much I read like 90k words of it before I realised the actual effect it was having on my mental health that week and started to take more care with it. Extremely worth it though. I honestly considered getting the note from this tattooed on my body I still have it screencapped on my desktop months later. Flour. Eggs. Butter. Milk. I love you.

The One in Which a Time Loop is Fucking Exhausting. by badpancake This is my visit to the land of time loops. I know The Lathe is the big one but I read this first and didn't get around to reading it all this is the one for me. Someone let Steve rest and give him a hug, please. He's so tired and lonely and broken.

Nurse Robin by Conspicuously_Gay When Robin and Nancy got together in like chapter 4 of at the time 20 when I was reading this I got very confused? It turns out you don't actually have to burn slow you can just have them kiss? A charming look at what happens if the girls are thrown together after a few years apart and decide to actually have their shit together.

I know I've kissed you before (Can I try again) by ChristinMKay The unfinished of the two Teacher AUs I read but still makes the list as there is more trauma and sadness and the weight of expectations on Steve's head so naturally I'm all over it.

the most remarkable thing about you standing in the doorway is that it’s you by greatunironic greatunironic made me cry a bunch recently but this is the big one. Sharing some similarities in world ideas to Ithilien this one has rockstar Eddie pulling his best Pete "I'm sorry, every single song is about you" Wentz impression, with the story framed by a series of magazine interviews from the 90s where it's very apparent that grunge icon Eddie is the world's most hung up boy. Finally pulling the trigger on my tearducts around a time when everyone is gathered at Hopper's deathbed, this fic is at the very least the most tears per minute read of the past month for me. Also shoutout to brutalist architecture, the other weight of time fic from the author.

this world is a cold one (it takes one to know one) by greatunironic WAYNE! CIS GIRL STEPH! This one isn't that long or complicated, but it's a great Wayne POV and an appearance by girl Harrington, because of course I love it when Steddie are actually girls. Even if I haven't read a ton of it.

did you find the key (and what is the meaning of it?) by CoffeeAndArrows, moonlitprincess This is from a longer series of works post s4 with a lot of Ronance and some Steddie but this work in particular is maybe my favourite depiction of Nancy and Eddie being friends, set mostly in the aftermath of Eddie getting attacked by jocks who still think he killed Jason. It's fun when lesser explored pairings get their time to shine.

all's well that ends well (to end up with you) by moonflowerdamie This might be the one fic from before anyone knew what a Steddie was, written back in May before s4 dropped. This thing has like, background Stonathon for crying out loud. But the reason it's here is the scene of Nancy taking things into her own hands and outing herself in front of a panicking El and Max to show them that it's ok, that it's ok that they like girls, that she's there for them. Maybe the Nancy scene of the year.

The Second Chance Club by walkingsaladshooter I read this twice over last weekend and it fucking killed me. Chrissy Cunningham I love you, you deserve the world. A ressurected Chrissy and a ressurected Eddie trying to find a place in the world, and the gang coming together to protect them both.

took you for a working boy by pukner I read this last night until 2am and it fucking rearranged my brain chemistry. Set in a world where Hawkins did actually break and a quarantine is in effect, with mutual aid in the community the only way that those left behind in town can survive against the Upside Down breaking into the real world. It's Non-Binary, he/him girl Steve Marie Harrington. It's codependant traumatised triad Steve/Eddie/Robin, it's people think Steddie is real even though it isn't, it's Steve being so very sad about the fact that he's not a boy and the boy he loves is gay. It's the best fic I've read this year for at least the next day. This fic makes me want to develop codependant relationships with my friends, to platonically share a bed every night, to scream from the rooftops and play Danger Days on loop because the author eventually figured out that this was their Killjoys/Stranger Things AU and that kind of mashup should be illegal for how targeted at me it is.