#i love him SO much but every guide seems to assume u have 5 family members in ur home and/or just can dedicate ur life to take care of dog | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

ickeyandmian · 4 years

Text

On Ian’s Reading Choices and His State of Mind in Prison

Okay so I don’t know if this has been covered already but I was curious about what books Ian was reading in prison and how this relates to his character so I’ve spent more time than I probably should have trying to compile a list based on one blurry screenshot.

This information serves no purpose really and idk most of these books were probably randomly picked up by the props department but it’s still fun to read into!

I think it’s safe to say that the prison library probably hasn’t had any new material for a while so we’ll assume that these aren’t all necessarily books that Ian would choose to read in normal circumstances and has picked them up simply to pass the time (but who knows, maybe the guy’s super into romantic fantasy).

I have not read any of these so I’m literally reading multiple books by their covers but whatever. Here’s some pointless half thought out meta based on what Ian read in prison, enjoy!

Detailed thoughts at the end but from top to bottom, left to right we have:

1. Knight of Darkness - Kinley MacGregor (2006)

This is volume 2 of a fantasy romance series (have you read vol. 1 Ian? U following the story okay?)

2. Circumpolar! - Richard A. Lupoff (1985)

Pulp Fiction sci-fi fantasy action fun according to google!

3. Fifth Planet - Fred Hoyle & Geoffrey Hoyle (1963)

4. A for Andromena - Fred Hoyle & John Elliot (1962)

Some 60s science fiction thrown into the mix

5. The Bard of Sorcery - Gerard Houarner (1986)

Another Fantasy novel. Well who can blame him, dude’s in prison.

6. Demon 4 - David Mace (1986)

Set in a fictitious WWIII, dealing with disarming a nuclear bomb. Maybe it appealed to Ian’s old military leanings.

7. Damiano’s Lute - R. A. Macavoy (1984)

Another romantic fantasy sequel. How likely is it for prisons to have complete series’? Did Ian read the first volume and like it so much he picked up the sequel? Questions that haunt me at night.

Interestingly, in the synopsis we learn that ‘Damiano Delstrego has forsaken his magical heritage to live as a mortal man’ and I may be reaching but you can tie links between that and Mickey giving up his freedom to be with Ian in prison...

8. A Lonely Planet Travel guide for Cambodia (1992)

I have no idea what the significance of Cambodia is. Maybe Ian is simply fantasizing of being able to go on vacation with Mickey 😭. Perhaps ties into the whole escapism theme there seems to be with this selection of books

9. Out to Canaan - Jan Karon (1997)

This seems like a kind of slice of life, easy read type book. A bit of realism in amongst all the fantasy and sci-fi.

10. Science and Human Behavior - B. F. Skinner (1953)

This is an interesting one. Maybe Ian was trying to understand why Mickey shits at the same time everyday who knows.

Jokes aside, there’s some interesting excepts, notably on severe punishment and it’s effects on human behaviour, possibly a very interesting read for someone serving time.

11. Prisoners of Our Thoughts - Alex Pattakos (2008)

Another non fiction and another fascinating addition in terms of Ian’s character. This book takes the teachings of Victor Frankl and deals with the psychology of finding meaning in your life (something which Ian has often struggled with).

A significant quote being ‘everything can be taken from a man but the last of the human freedoms - to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances’

Let’s remember that in season 6, Ian lost his purpose for being entirely, he had no ambitions, no career, no Mickey (😔) but he found his purpose again when he became an EMT, a job which is perfect for someone like Ian who has proven time and time again that all he really wants is to help people. Now, significantly, he’s lost that job and with it that sense of purpose he’d gained. As someone with bipolar disorder, this could have potentially affected him significantly, so for him to choose to read a book like this is a nice insight to his character and I love to see evidence of him doing something positive to take care of his mental well being while in prison.

12. The Holy Bible

Such a minuscule reference to Ian’s Gay Jesus phase, I actually love that they included this though. So by now Ian probably recognizes that he went a little out of control but, idk he went full ham on the bible stuff, and maybe he got some comfort out of some of the verses in there, so it’s cool that he keeps a bible around as part of that storyline.

13. Another bible

(Ian, u good?)

14. Peace like a River - Leif Enger (2001)

The synopsis describes an ‘unusual family’ in search of their ‘fugitive older brother’. I imagine the actual story itself probably has no parallels with Ian’s story but that line stuck out for me.

Also ‘peace like a river’ is a phrase taken from the bible, so that ties in with Ian’s spirituality again. Maybe he recognised the phrase from memorising verses so the book caught his eye.

15. The very last one I’m struggling to decipher, it looks old, probably a classic from the style of the binding. It might be Othello but I can’t get a clear shot to read the title, hopefully someone else might have some clue.

So what does it all mean? I hear no one asking.

While they might seem random, I think we see a lot of Ian’s character in these books.

The sheer amount of fantasy and sci-fi here is quite telling. I think it’s clearly a form of escapism for Ian, he’s trapped in a tiny cell (albeit with the love his life but it’s still fucking tiny in there okay) he’s gonna need some light-hearted adventure somehow.

He’s a guy with a lot of energy, a huge savior complex who just wants to do good. He’s tough, he’s a fighter, but he also has a softer side to him, a gentle nature so I think the romantic fantasy genre is a perfect fit for his character. Maybe there’s a bit of wish fulfillment there as well since watching your bf use the bathroom every night is hardly the most romantic scenario (sorry Mickey).

The non fiction choices are probably my favourite indicators of Ian’s character. I think we learn a lot about him from those choices there; his remaining spirituality, his state of mind, his hopes for the future, his curiosity. I just love the thought of Ian reading travel guides, hoping to one day see more of the world idk. And him reading books on psychology in the hopes of understanding himself and his mind better? We love to see it 👏👏👏

All in all, I think they’re a good fit for him, and I hope he enjoyed reading them!

I’d love to hear other people’s thoughts on this!

#Ian gallagher #Gallavich #Shameless #Shameless Meta #okay I fixed the images

61 notes · View notes

strngrthngz-blog · 7 years

Text

Muse

Jonathan Byers x Fem!Reader

Request: Could I request a Jonathan Byers imagine with a fem reader? Maybe an angst or fluff (or both?)!

Summary: When your seat is taken and you’re forced to sit next to Jonathan, he suddenly finds his new muse.

A/N: I loved writing this so much! I really hope you guys enjoy reading it. This is my second fic, and I’m really looking forward to some feedback so i can make these as good as I can and you guys will want to keep reading. Thank you! Love u all lots!

Warnings: underage drinking

Words: 2.4k

You didn’t think that being 5 minutes late to class a month into the semester would mean you’d lose your seat, but it did. You roll your eyes and look around the room, noticing the only seat available is the one next to Jonathan Byers, no one seemed to have wanted to sit next to him, but you flashed him the biggest smile and made your way over.

He wasn’t creepy to you, you knew that what his family had gone through was horrible and strange. He was just a loner, trying to get through high school without bothering anyone.

Jonathan saw you walking towards him, making his heart beat faster. You had always been nice to him but kept your distance, only saying hi when the situation forced you to. You sat down in the desk next to his, smile still on your face.

“Hey!” You said to him before turning back to the front of the class as the teacher began to speak again.

“H-hey” he managed to stutter out, but you were already paying attention to something else.

You had yet another group assignment due by the end of the class. Your teacher was always too lazy to grade 50 papers so he usually let you work with a partner.

You looked around trying to figure out who you’d pair up with since your friends were on the other side of the room but stopped in your tracks when you saw Jonathan already starting on it.

“You do know it’s a group assignment, right? 2 or more people?” You looked at him and chuckled.

“Oh, yeah, I just assumed everyone else would be partnered up already.” He said not looking up from his desk and playing with the corner of the notebook

“I’m not. Can we work together?” You asked and moved your desk towards his before even getting an answer.

“S-sure, yeah.” He looked up at you, eyebrows slightly furrowed but you just flashed him another smile. He looked away and let the blush that creeped on his face fade before looking back.

“So, I definitely think that we should start off by reading this section.” You said pointing your finger at a page in the book. He just nodded, not trusting his voice.

He stared at the side of your face as you looked down at the book, concentrated on writing down notes. He felt himself feel warm all over. He had always thought you were beautiful but he had never seen you so close. The way your eyelashes fluttered every time you blinked and the little freckles and moles that cluttered your face and neck. He wished he could take a picture. Not wanting the sight in front of him to ever change.

From that day forward you sat next to him in class every day. You guys would talk and work on your assignments, always getting an A and always having fun making him blush and pushing his buttons.

And from that day forward, he spent his time taking pictures of you whenever he could. He couldn’t help it, finding you to be his muse.

Everything you did was beautiful to him. The way you’d scrunch your eyebrows and stick your tongue out slightly when you couldn’t get your locker to open

Snap

The way you’d smile brightly walking down the hallway while waving and greeting your friends.

Snap

The way you’d lean against the chain link fence on the track, bored out of your mind during P.E.

Snap

Even the way you looked, running past everyone at the party. Embarrassed and sad after getting into a fight with your friend that ended in you being drenched by her drink.

Snap

He followed you outside, unsure of what he was even doing. But considering the fact he had even shown up to the party in the first place, it was safe to say he was feeling bold and the two drinks he had at the beginning of the night still ran their course through him.

You were sat outside on the porch, on the other side of you was someone leaning over the railing throwing up their guts.

“Hey.” You looked up to see Jonathan’s eyes on you. You couldn’t help but let the tears fall.

“Hey.” You said quietly, flashing him a small smile. He was amazed at the fact that you still had that beautiful smile on your face even though the tears were freely falling.

He moved over to sit next to you, unsure of what to do but wanting to comfort you.

“Are you okay?” He finally asked. You looked up at him and slightly nodded, leaning your head on his shoulder for support.

“Yeah. I’m just kinda sad… I think I’m gonna head home.” You said playing with the hem of your skirt.

“I can drive you if you want?” He offered with a smile.

“That would be great actually.” You said as you moved to get up. Jonathan got up quicker and offered you his hand, helping you the rest of the way up. Not letting go of your hand even on the walk to his car.

You couldn’t help but blush, he seemed so confident at the moment, you were definitely attracted to this side of him. Not saying you weren’t usually attracted to him.

You had a thing for Byers, he was sweet, smart, soft and caring. You noticed him from the first day of class that year, sitting in the back corner, looking out the window with his camera hanging around his neck. The camera that would never leave his side, even now.

He had opened the door for you and walked quickly to the other side of the car. You got comfortable in the passenger seat, feeling your head starting to hurt a little.

He sat down in the driver’s side and took the camera off from around his neck, placing it gently between you.

You looked at him, getting his attention.

“You know, I always see you with that camera but I’ve never seen any of your pictures.” You said, taking off your jacket and throwing it into the back seat. You picked up the camera from where it was placed and looked at it.

“One day.” He said before smiling at you. You couldn’t help but look away, the blush on your face deepening.

He decided to take you in, not letting himself miss an opportunity to look at you. He trailed down from your face to your now bare arms and even let himself go further, catching a glimpse of your legs. He looked back at the road, as a blush and a smile snuck onto his face.

You snuck glances at Jonathan. The street lights that flashed by caressed his face. You knew that the drinks you had at the party were making you see and feel things that you had thought you kept away in the back of your mind. You didn’t want to look away, thinking that he looked so mesmerizing. You wanted to look at him forever.

You held the camera in your hand and turned, fully facing Jonathan.

Snap

He looked at you, confused and a bit embarrassed.

“Sorry, you just look really good right now.” You said with a giggle.

“You have to give me a copy of that.” You continued as you put the camera back where it previously was.

Jonathan felt his face heat up, he didn’t know how to react, so he just nodded. He felt his heartbeat skip when he thought about what you had said. He was happy and a bit confused but mostly, he was nervous.

Did you really think that? Or were you just saying it because you were drunk. It occurred to him that it actually didn’t matter, that regardless of your state, you had said it. And he would never forget it.

You guided Jonathan on the way to your house, telling him to turn left and right and making sure he got off at the second turn of the roundabout. You finally arrived home and turned to him as he shut the engine off.

“Thank you.” You folded your hands on your lap and were twiddling your thumbs.

“Of course, I wasn’t going to leave you alone outside of that party.” You smiled up at him and placed your hand on his.

“I’ll see you at school.” You went to open the car door.

“Wait, your jacket!” He said before reaching over and grabbing in the dark for your jacket. You looked over your seat to look as he picked it up, noticing a few papers sprawled across the floor. You reached over and picked them up. You sat back facing forward in your seat.

Jonathan already knew what you had picked up and mentally cursed at himself. All the confidence he felt that night flying out the window as he retreated into his usual self.

“Wow.” Was all you said as you flipped through photos of yourself. Shocked that he had so many, shocked that he had bothered to take pictures of you in the first place.

You were flattered, but confused as to why. Why had he been taking pictures of you? You didn’t even think you were that pretty. But these pictures were something. You couldn’t deny they were good, Jonathan had gotten the lighting and somehow your positions perfectly.

“Look I’m really sorry, I don’t want you thinking I’m a creep I swear these weren’t taken for some weir-“ he stopped talking when you turned your face to look at him, setting the photos down.

“They’re really nice. Thank you.” He was confused to say the least, you didn’t hit him, you didn’t yell, you weren’t angry.

“Y-you’re welcome…” He said more as a question than a statement.

“I gotta head inside, I think my mom is looking at us through the window.” He looked at your house and sure enough was met with an older woman looking out the window.

“Yeah, yeah of course, I’ll see you later.” You nodded at him and put your jacket on while walking out of the car.

Jonathan didn’t leave until you walked into your house.

He couldn’t wait to go home. He wanted to lay in bed, confused by the events of the night. And even more confused by your reaction. He hated himself for taking those pictures. He was sure he had creeped you out and you were just being nice to get out of the car. He felt as if he’d never been more embarrassed in his life.

When he finally got home he quickly changed and got into bed. Lying face down on his bed and wishing the ground would swallow him up.

It had been two days before he finally saw you in school. You were sitting in your desk, next to his, when he walked into class. He couldn’t do it. He couldn’t face you and he definitely couldn’t be forced to work on an assignment with you. He quickly turned and walked out of the class, opting to just not go.

He made his way to the school’s darkroom. Hoping to keep his mind off you as he developed the new pictures he had taken. Only containing two of you, the rest were for his class project.

He looked through the film trying to see how they had come out before he developed them. He couldn’t clearly see what was on the last one, and he had no recollection of taking it.

When he finally finished developing the prints he looked at the unfamiliar one. It was the one you had taken of him. He stared at it, looking at the way the light casted over his face, remembering everything that had happened that night. Feeling the happiness and confidence he had felt but quickly remembering the embarrassment too.

He put the picture down and continued to finish up the rest of his work when he heard the door open. He quickly turned to the person.

“Hey, you can’t let light- oh” He was surprised to say the least. You quickly walked into the room and shut the door behind you.

“Why didn’t you go to class today?” You asked him, stepping closer, holding your books tighter to your chest.

“How did you find me?” He asked back and moved to the other side of the small room.

“I asked first.” You didn’t step forward, letting him be as comfortable as he could during the situation.

Jonathan hesitated, opening and closing his mouth before finally answering.

“I couldn’t see you.”

“Is this because of the pictures?”

Jonathan sadly looked at you, not wanting to have this conversation.

“Jonathan, I was being honest when I said they were nice. I didn’t find it creepy… I was honestly just shocked because, why me?” You laughed humorlessly, and so did he.

Jonathan took a step forward and so did you, meeting in the middle. He gained the same confidence he had the night of the party, placing his hand on your cheek.

“Why wouldn’t it be you? You’re beautiful, inside and out. I’ve thought that since the first day we spoke. You’ve been my muse since then. Everything you do is mesmerizing.” He took a deep breathe, having said everything so quickly.

You didn’t know what to say. No one had ever felt this way about you, you had never felt this way about anyone. You set your books down on the table next to you and threw yourself into his chest, wrapping your arms around him. He smiled into your hair, taking a deep breath and inhaling your scent. He wanted to make sure this was real, that you were really there and it wasn’t some messed up hallucination his mind had made up.

You looked up at him, close as you’ve ever been and smiled at him.

“I really, really like you, and I really, really liked the pictures you took of me.” You said and laughed, nervously waiting for Jonathan’s reaction to your confessions. His eyes widened and he cupped your cheeks like he had before, this time leaning in and kissing you on the lips.

You two had spent many more days in the darkroom, kissing and whispering sweet nothings to each other while waiting for the pictures he had taken of you to develop.

#jonathan byers x reader #jonathan byers imagine #stranger things imagine #jonathan byers prompt #mine

222 notes · View notes