#he’s making such a mature decision!!!!

[estrellami-1]

If I Should Stay

Part 1 | . . . | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9

After pizza—and after El wakes up and eats her own pizza—everyone gathers around again to listen to Steve and Robin. “So I think by now we’ve proven we’re from the future,” Steve says. “We’re here, four years in the past, because a lot of bad things happen, and if we can, we’d like to stop those things from happening. The big one, and really the recurring problem, is a guy named Henry Creel who essentially took control of an alternate plane of existence we call the Upside Down.” He motions El over beside him, and she goes gladly, tucking her feet up onto the couch as she leans into his side, trusting him to hold her up. He does, sliding a protective arm around her shoulders as he says, “He’s also One.”

He watches as one by one the lightbulbs come on. “Oh, shit,” Dustin whispers, and Steve doesn’t even call him on it, just nods.

“Beyond Henry, though, there are creatures in the Upside Down that can and will kill you.” He rolls his eyes fondly at the boys. “For some inexplicable reason, you came up the names, so they’re called demogorgons, demodogs, and demobats. Demogorgons are what took Barb and Will, but they both got away. That doesn’t mean they’re safe, though. Like El said earlier, Barb was safe in the moment, but it’s still a very dangerous place. There are vines everywhere that are connected to a hive mind. You step on one, and Henry knows you’re there.”

He continues telling the story, Robin interrupting when there’s a detail he misses. It’s silent when they finish. Finally, El speaks up. “So, it is… my fault?”

“No, El,” Steve says softly. “None of this is your fault. Things out of your control happened that made you who you are. Those same things created all of this.”

El frowns. “So I am bad? Like One? Like the Upside Down?”

“No,” Mike says sharply. “You’re good, El.”

“He’s right,” Steve murmurs. “You made yourself good.” He pokes her arm teasingly, and she smiles, leaning back into him.

Steve looks around, catches Nancy’s eye, and sighs. “Nance? A word?”

“Steve?” Robin asks.

He shakes his head. “I’ll yell if I need you,” he promises, rubbing her head as he passes. She squawks and bats his hand away.

“Asshole,” she mutters, and he laughs as he disappears down the hallway, Nancy in tow.

They end up in a room Steve thinks was meant to be a study. “You have questions.”

“Understatement of the century. There’s just one that’s really bugging me, though.”

“Us?”

“Yeah.”

Steve sighs and leans against the wall. “On Halloween, Tina throws a party. We didn’t know what we do now, about the Upside Down, and you were still looking for her. I was an asshole, self-centered and unhelpful.” He blows out a breath, crosses his arms, and looks away. “You got drunk, called me, and my love for you, bullshit. Left. I tried to talk to you the next day at school about it and you couldn’t say you loved me. I was still hopeful. I’m a romantic at heart, y’know? I thought maybe if I could be everything you needed, if I changed enough, if, if, if…” he shakes his head. “So we stayed together. I tried. You slept with Jonathan Byers, then broke up with me.”

Nancy looks horrified. “Steve-”

He shakes his head. “I made my peace with it. And maybe this makes me an asshole, I dunno, but Nance, I can’t go back. We’re okay, we’re friends, but I can’t pretend I still have feelings for you. I’m sorry, but we both know I was just convenient for you.”

Nancy takes a breath. “So that’s it?”

Steve shrugs helplessly. “I don’t know what you want me to do. I tried and got my heart broken for it. I moved on, found someone I think I can really be happy with, without changing who I am. And for the record? It gets rocky for a second, but I think you and Byers are it, too.” He smirks. “Plus Mike likes him better than me.”

Nancy rolls her eyes. “Oh, well, if Mike likes him better…” they both laugh, and she looks at him. “No more feelings?”

He shakes his head. “We make much better friends.”

Nancy grins lopsidedly. “And Robin?”

Steve snorts. “Purely platonic, I promise. Neither of us want anything else with each other.”

Nancy looks at him then. Studies him. “You’ve been through some shit,” she decides. “But you look happy.”

He smiles. “I am, for the most part. I know who I am.”

Permanent Taglist: @justforthedead89 @ilovecupcakesandtea @madigoround @bookbinderbitch @suddenlyinlove @nburkhardt @artiststarme @paintsplatteredandimperfect @i-less-than-three-you @alyelf @quarble @messrs-weasley @littlewildflowerkitten @vankaar @starman-jpg @bornonthesavage @steddie-there @goodolefashionedloverboi @andienotannie @cinnamon-mushroomabomination @platinum-sunset @just-ladyme @steddiestains @swimmingbirdrunningrock @imhereforthelolzdontyellatme @martinskis-lydias @notaqueenakhaleesi @sleepyboosstuff @bestwifehaver @m-owo-n @thatonebadideapanda @finalmoondragon @velocitytimes2 @callmeanythjing @ajeff855 @ilikeititspretty @knitsforthetrail @sillysparrow @that-one-corvid @ace-is-bored @local-writers-corner @harpymoth @weirdandabsurd42

@paperbackribs @ninjapirateunicorns @bisexualdisastersworld @hiscrimsonangel @lolawonsstuff @xo-r4e @thedragonsaunt @l0st-strawberry

Fic Taglist: @blondlanfear @do-you-want-something-more @str4wb3rry-guy

#stranger things #if I should stay #steve harrington #eddie munson #eventual steddie #nancy wheeler #past stancy #robin buckley #platonic stobin #eleven #Steve and eleven #yallll this one. this one was hard to write #please believe me Steve does NOT hate Nancy #he’s not even really upset anymore #but he’s GROWN and MATURED and knows he can’t do it anymore #he’s making such a mature decision!!!! #also no Nancy is not okay but she’ll deal in her own way #Steve knowing who he is can be something so personal TO ME- #like listen. he didn’t know who he was for a LONG time #which means he let himself be whoever anyone else needed #which is NOT healthy #he’s doing SO MUCH BETTER now #I love him #starambles

[carrotsofthepirabbean]

I will say I think part of the reason OG Kirk isn't more popular on Tumblr is because he can't be crammed into the 'If one part of a ship is the unemotional logical one the other one MUST be the bouncy himbo sparkle softboy' cliche. Kirk can be goofy and has a good sense of humor, he teases and laughs, but speaking in Lord of the Rings terms, Kirk isn't Pippin, he's Aragorn.

Which is SO much tougher for the 'must distill every variety of character into the same 5 different people' crowd on Tumblr. There isn't an 'Aragorn' slot because 'incredibly complicated' isn't descriptive enough for cliche. Like yes, he's charming, but it's the quiet sort of charming. Yes, he's a strong athlete and a fighter, but he's fundamentally a shockingly huge nerd and spends his private time reading poetry and thinking about philosophy and what it means to be a leader. Yes, he's haunted, but he has a fundamental hope that keeps shining through. Kirk's got a serious job, and he's a serious person. He's an Adult kind of adult. He's one of the last survivors of a horrific genocide. He's killed people with his bare hands.

Spock wasn't bowled over by how bright and shiny and cuddly Kirk was. Because underneath everything, there's a fundamental sadness and loneliness to Kirk, and a simmering possibility of rage that most people would consider Abnormal. And Spock shares those qualities, though for different reasons. The thing that really shakes Spock (besides Kirk's iron sense of loyalty) is that there are times where KIRK is more coolheaded and professional than Spock is. In everyday terms, Kirk is easily and confidently emotional in a way Spock was always taught was a weakness, but when the shit hits the fan Kirk gets this shine of cold, calculating, James Bond-like brutality/practicality that not only meets Spock's Vulcan control, it will at times go PAST it. Surviving that genocide gave Kirk access to both a level of iron-willed 'do whatever is necessary to live no matter what' and a level of genuinely bloodcurdling rage that, when death is on the line, reads sometimes like a Vulcan on steroids. In a battle-type situation Kirk has absolutely looked at Spock and snapped like 'for god's sake, control yourself', and that is some whiplash a Vulcan doesn't just get OVER.

At the very start OG Kirk is already both wildly famous for and frighteningly good at being a commander, better than Spock is by miles, which forces Spock to confront his self-hate fueled 'Vulcans are better' prejudices over and over again until Spock has a starry-eyed admiration for Kirk that knocks him so hard into love that Spock's teeth rattle. Kirk isn't Some Soft Boy that grows on Famous Vulcan Spock against his will. Kirk is the most talented Starfleet officer in generations- He's Horatio Nelson, except not an imperialist asshole. Spock is (at first) just Some Science Guy who managed to nail one of the most coveted jobs in Starfleet.

Like, what is Tumblr going to do with a Kirk (who is supposed to be the bouncy soft boy half of Spirk) who looks coldly at an alien who is killing people and without hesitation goes 'I am a military man, we have a mission, we don't have time to understand motivations, kill that thing' and calmly walks off? And then Spock, (the unemotional logical one) is the one going after him going 'please, this is a thinking creature, it could be scared or hurt, think of its feelings, at least let me try to talk to it'. And like, the big lesson of the episode is KIRK being convinced by Spock to care more and be more empathetic?

Like, that's not some shit Tumblr can fit into its 'five acceptable personalities for every single ship ever'. There isn't a category for 'one is the logical one and the other one is the guy in charge on the battlefield that the men point their swords at while yelling "to the king!"'

But, it does make me a bit sad, because god, the relationship between Kirk and Spock is unique. Because Kirk is SUCH a freak. If there's a fictional personality grouping Kirk is a part of it's like Kirk, Chris Evans' Captain America, Aragorn, and nobody.

I super agree! AOS Kirk fits the bill more for the ship dynamics tumblr focuses on (and I do really love Chris Pine's performance, not half because it was what introduced me to Star Trek in the first place), but I do find TOS Kirk more intriguing because he has such layers. He's scarily competent, youngest captain in Starfleet and it's not like you get in that position by being a sunshine flower boy - he's got a streak of cold practicality that, yeah, is super apparent in Devil in the Dark. But he's also warm, loving, and physically affectionate with his closest friends, professional with his subordinates and his duties, calculating with his enemies, and overall an exceedingly intelligent individual who does not take his position and responsibilities lightly. And in terms of his relationship with Spock, it was all those things that drew Spock's respect and interest, and not (checks notes) his being a "bouncy himbo sparkle soft-boy". He's just a wonderful character <3

#I do however love a good 'spock blushes cause jim is physically affectionate' thing though #as is clearly apparent in the last drawing i posted. but i love jim for being a responsible and mature leader #including the kind of cold and practical decisions he makes #as well as being a warm and affectionate man #god i do fucking lvoe that man god help me #ask #star trek #jim kirk #star trek tos

[beanghostprincess]

"the way the fandom portrays shanks when referring to shuggy is out of character and he has moved on" aha. aha. yeah. have you considered i like shanks to be a wet depressed cat who's pining for his childhood best friend

#'but-' but nothing i like him dramatic and sad #and also it's not that far from canon we don't know shit abt shanks he shows up every 100 episodes i'm sure his seiyuu doesn't even get pai #i get why some people complain but you can make him respect buggy's decision to leave him and be mature and also be a fucking pining idiot #balance is the key #one piece #red haired shanks #buggy the clown #shuggy

[t4tails]

oh my god shes going to kidnap this baby. girl you are in no position to care for a child and your boyfriend has a HORRIBLE PARENTING TRACK RECORD. do NOT kidnap this baby!

#og post #liveposting #THE NYMPTH IDEA ISNT BAD #is it shitty zeus is abandoning him? yeah but like. thats how zeus himself was raised! nympths do a pretty good job! #DO NOOOOT KIDNAP THIS BABY #ZEUS IS MAKING A MORE MATURE DECISION HERE. HES RIGHT! ITS CHAOTIC RIGHT NOW! DO NOT KIDNAP THE BABY

[iangallagherisadeadman]

post-s11 Tami definitely gets tired of Lip and leaves him.

yes, I do like them as a couple, I think it is an interesting dynamic and that Tami is good for him honestly, even though they lived completely different lives and crash so many times because of it throughout the last seasons.

fact is Lip won't ever change and will keep making the same kind of mistakes and she will get fed up with it eventually. they'll go different ways, maybe keep a somewhat friendly relationship, and she will get a new partner and Lip will have a Sean kind of relationship with Fred: that kid is the most important thing in his whole life and he's constantly hunted by the fear of drinking again and hurting Fred.

#headcanon? #its not that i desire lip to be unhappy and unlovable i just feel like he wont get his happy ending living the way he is #making the decisions hes making treating people the way he does #i feel like he is going to mature by the power of love because of fred i truly believe that #also no fucking way hes going to be poor for the rest of his life hes a genius and a southside he will get up and fix this up #i like him as a mecanic but that one s11 scene that he saves that dude a lot of money in the computer doing a super simple thing #means to me hes not done with the whole engineer thing. he just will need lots of money and labs he used to have acess at college and doesn #anymore but he will do whats necessary and turn things around definitely #maybe he thinks he can pull this off without going back to college and eventually realises he cant and then has to try to pick up his credi #and finish somewhere near? i dont know i dont understand lots about US educational system #honestly my dream is for him to work for debbie so she could be his boss it would be his life karma and make her happy #but that would never happen unfortunately #lip gallagher #tami tamietti #fred gallagher #shameless #shameless us #og.

[botls]

i always admired percy as a character but it only happens more and more so as i get older. i was 12 when i read the lightning thief for the first time and i do remember feeling bad for him and as though i would be out of my depth in the situation but overall a twelve year old in that situation didn’t seem too crazy (let’s blame it on desensitization as a result of my reading many ya/middle grade books with similar magical and world-altering premises at the time) but now i’m 20 and my sister is 12 and i’m just like dear god the fate of the world should never be in her hands

#12YO ANNABETH CAN TALK MAD SHIT ALL SHE WANTS BUT PERCY WAS KINDA RESPONSIBLE AND MATURE AS FUCK OKAY #i know i know it’s a book but seriously he did So Much #rob rokicki and co knew EXACTLY what they were doing when they wrote good kid i’ll tell you #percy jackson #mine #and this is both about my fear for my sister we’re she having to travel cross country and fight monsters all while thinking #her mother / only family was dead and also about how much of a shit show it would be because she would have no presence of mind when it came #to making the important decisions

[deadboyswalking]

I love that Luffy was a deeply uncool child. I love that he didn't start as the brave, competent (albeit still silly and free-spirited) fighter we met at age 17. He gets scared and cries and whines and can't keep up with his big brothers and gets over-excited and wants to play and can't keep a secret and does annoying or stupid things and you know what? He's in the second grade. Think of literally any 7-8 year old child you've ever met. Can't we give little Luffy some grace when he acts his age?

#can't we give his 17 & 19 year old selves some grace for not making perfect mature decisions? can he still be silly? can he still dream?

[cementcornfield]

WR!!!!!!

#i'm 3 for 3 so far!!! #a little alarmed by nick saban saying he has maturity issues 🫥 #apparently he's emotional??? and can make poor decisions #but uhh #hopefully he's good besides that #hmmm #fblb

[odinsblog]

it is some for profit stuff yes, but not having to worry about money for funeral stuff also lightens the load and lets you focus on what ís important en just grieving

[re: this post]

Yeah, my mind knows you’re right, but my heart feels like a supervillain

I did buy/prepay for both of their burial plots, and I still feel super guilty about that

Tyvm for this though

Idk. I guess everyone needs to talk about these kinds of issues more regularly, but Black people especially need to

#anon #ask #answered #a post about me #life insurance #on the other hand - i have no doubt ​my brother has several policies on me #no telling how many times he almost got paid off big bc of my risky ass behavior #lol #ive been shot at several times #ive had incidents climbing into moving vehicles on the highway #and ofc lets not forget the horse incident that broke my leg #but i like to think im slowing down #and making more mature decisions as i get older

[beanghostprincess]

we gotta start giving luffy more credit for his emotional intelligence and empathy because i don't think y'all are aware of how fucking smart this lil dude really is

#not gonna mention a specific moment because then i would have to talk for hours about the whole damn show #when he waits for nami to ask him for help bc he knows she needs to let herself do it #when he doesn't stop zoro from fighting mihawk bc he knows he can't get in the way of his dream #when he instantly knows sanji is lying to himself and them at wci and wants to go home #when he has to make the hardest decision of his life as a pirate in water 7 with usopp #when he knows robin wants to live and refuses to let her die and have that mentality #when he gave vivi that reality check back in arabasta #and etcetcetc etc etc etc etcetc #my guy is so empathetic and emotionally intelligent #and he's mature and knows what he's doing even if he's impulsive #making strategic strict plans ≠ being mature #acting impulsively ≠ childish #acting emotionally but with a solid reason behind = luffy!!!! #i love him so so much #one piece #monkey d luffy

[bidokja]

oh my god a web novel that actually draws a realistic line in the sand about wierd transmigration age gaps??? the bar is so low but it sure is refreshing when a series clears it

#cause like. im also 28 same as him #cause like. its a ridiculous fantastical circumstance right. #mental age is bullshit in real life. even if someone 'acts mature' for their age 19 is 19. #but this is a fantasy novel with a fantasy circumstance. how are you gonna navigate that. mental age or physical age. which takes precedence #and he makes the very relatable decision of: yes i know she is An Adult but her PHYSICAL BODY is a teenager. i have zero interest in that. #GOOD!!! #like itd be one thing if her body was like. 28 as well even if her original/mental/soul/whatever age is oldrr #shes well into Physical adulthood at that point so the difference is negligible #but that isnt the case here #anyways good job author-nim a+++ #literally when it said she was 19 i was so ready for this to get weird but then the Immediate line in the sand...so refreshing #i realize ive got certain double standards/exceptions for this myself (ie choicale and gongja/raviel) #still at least theres caveats to those that make them. questionable sure but not Outright Yikes if you dont approach them like a freak dhskd

[glowingreverie]

.

#i don't think tylwo is problematic #however i do think that ppl who want their stories to have purely good mcs who always make the right and correct decisions will not like it #to which...i don't...i guess i'm not catering to those ppl? #ig i never have. but...idk #seeing the tgcf fandom antis scares me i'm just like i sure hope they don't read my stories LMSDFLAKJSG;H #like i'm just a wittle guy i don't think they'll be over here haha #idk i'd like to think the group of ppl who continue to read my stories have good media literacy at least #i write for you people.... #and myself #and i want my mcs to make dumb not completely mature decisions (i'm probably overthinking it bc of all the drama i've seen recently) #i shall continue my own way #oo i have been seeing comments on my stories recently that are like #something about....idk #i don't remember the exact wording #but it was giving ' your MCs can do no wrong and i like that' #and i was like ..........UM....NO... LIKE...THEY'VE KILLED PEOPLE LSAF;KSJDLGH #like i just dno't...go into it cuz i never found a relevant way to work it in #but even gui yin has k worded ppl so like...i dunno LMAO #guess you could argue he was fighting bad guys tho but like eh???

[spicypussywave]

I just thought about how Sailom’s first time was with Kanghan and it made me cry 😭

i'll give you another reason to cry, it was kang's first time too. they're each other's first everything. and (probably) last too.

#dr #anon #asks #naomivents #anon you sent me at night but now it's morning and i'm crying thank you <3 #i don't think the kang who was crushing on pimfah ever got laid lmao #sailom really got the only guy he ever wanted effortlessly #king shit good for him #ngl i'm not a fan of the marrying your first and only relationship as a concept #not against it. i just don't prefer that #it's a me thing lol #But. if these two don't end up marrying i will be shocked #the way these two are rn. i don't see any other possibilities #they're teens they make Stupid decisions #but i feel like they're mature enough to understand each other? #kang can get obsessive (in ways that can be seen as red flag irl) and that will grow the more they are together #and i feel like sailom will start being vocal or atleast leave hints on how much he Likes that #look i don't have much to go on with other than stalker kang #“my kinda ex is stalking me bc he wants me back uwu” <- sailom #and! ballroom dance at bar #never forget. kang getting in trouble to save their friend turned him on #sailom clearly liked those mf insane as well #they know what the other wants and that's gonna grow the more They grow yk? #i feel like sailom likes the insane actions bc he knows that's one way of kang expressing his care for him. and he is right lbh #and he's a little insane too so there's that #and that's why i feel like no matter what they have to go through. they're gonna do it together #or apart but still end up together. like ep 10 #this is the kangsailom in my head lmao not sure how much of this is made up by me but yeah #i didn't know i had these many thoughts so appreciate the ask tho i dont think this is what you wanted 😭

[lilitblaukatz]

I want to post a little bit of good news. Percy's photos were taken down from that website.

I hope it indicates that his PR team is working. Obviously no public statements should be made while there are such things going round.

Ss are here

#percy hynes white #He shouldn't do no statements if he's innocent #He doesn't owe shit to public #The court of public opinion can go fuck itself without any statements #Let them grow up #They do just that btw — make impulsive decisions they will regret later if matured #Exactly that what they are blaming him for

[carbonateddelusion]

eddie's so silly <3 me when I'm 40 and I have a panic attack because "oh no am I taking advantage of this person am I being a nasty weirdo my father was right I'm so awful and evil and-" and then you ask what he's freaking out overr and he's like. "isaac is A DECADE YOUNGER THAN ME !!"

"so you're a 40 year old dating a 30 year old"

"YES I know I'm taking advantage of their immaturity aren't I-"

cut to Isaac, built like a whole-ass bear. aged like fine wine but boy is he aged. he's 30 but he LOOKS Edgar's age bc of stress. like this is A Man this is not a Boy. this is a whole-ass panda bear right there and honestly the fact that Eddie gets so worked up over it is hilarious to me because it's ISAAC

#'he's too young for me isn't he-' #cut to isaac standing there half-naked with a bath robe on with the sweetest coffee imaginable looking like he's 70 #btw in case anybody was wondering: my opinion on age gaps is that it's all abt maturity difference #like. generally the younger you are the less wiggle room you have with gaps #but once you go past like. 21-25. you're fine #obviously this isn't Always The Case For Anything Ever and i personally think someone in their 60s dating a 30 year old is kinda weird #but the point is that they're both adults who can make rational decisions and there's nothing manipulative or abusive going on so they're 👌

[johnmalevolent]

im thinking about trigun and suikoden 2 and damn... there are parallels in there

#brb replaying suikoden 2 so i can get screencaps #suikoden 2 #trigun #krispeaks #difference is suikoden 2 has 3 sibling while trigun only has 2 (alive ones) #and um if i talk about riou and jowy to vash and knives first. both of them were always together growing up #until they separate ways to pursue what they believe is the best for the world #they climbed their ways to becoming important people either willingly (jowy & knives) or not (vash & riou) #and of course the legendary rune the chosen ones etc #now nanami is the difficult part because she fits some characters at the same time #yes she's aggresive but she also has vash's reluctance to fight and his pacifism (mostly) #she's like the younger vash and they act (somewhat) more mature than their brothers but also easily swept away #by the nature of the world that required them to fight #BUT. she's also rem. she means something to both jowy and riou although she mostly stays by riou's side #ans she's the biggest influence riou has. he talks to her before making any big decisions and every single time nanami asks him to stop #because theyre kids. they should be able to live normally as children instead of leading an army #which just reminds me of shu what the heck was going on in his mind. these kids were like 16 #so before doing anything riou (and the player) must consider how nanami feels which is why we've got the alt ending of them running away #if you choose to keep fighting tho? nanami dies. something something 'if i killed this man she'll die'? #and even after that she still haunts the narrative. everyone is at loss and even jowy #jowy who was willing to become a villain fighting against siblings to create a better world (eden) for the three of them #ALSO JOWY AND KNIVES LITERALLY HAVE BLADES/KNIVES AS THEIR POWER LOL #vash & riou has healing powers which could burst an attack but they use their physical weapons mostly (ignoring the player attached runes) #also about merilly & ww. they can come together as rina ellie and bolgan #wolfwood offers fortune reading and he still has his cross #meryl is ellie. both of them have too much weapons #millie is bolgan she's just having fun :^) #idk if theyre travelling together but these trio were prob the closest to riou and nanami as cameos in a lot of main quests #also i probably should say ftr i like riou/jowy as a ship but i mostly see their relationship as brotherly #which is to say no k/v here. begone