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solarmorrigan · 1 year

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Little epilogue to the “Steve crochets Eddie a scarf” story (I promise I’m done now)

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Ao3

“What are you working on?” El asks, leaning slightly into Eddie’s space to watch as he works.

Eddie pulls his latest stitch tight and tilts the fabric a bit so El can see the patch he’s securing. “I’m putting my new battle vest together,” he says. “Since someone bled all over the last one.”

“You knew I was bleeding when you gave it to me!” Steve snaps from the other end of the couch. “Anyway, we salvaged most of the patches, I don’t see why you have to keep complaining about it.”

“Because you’re so pretty when you’re irritated,” Eddie says, and he can hear Will give a snort of laughter from where he’s bent over a sketchpad on the floor.

Baby Byers is the latest addition to their little group of creatives; he doesn’t do anything with yarn or thread, but he does set up with colored pencils or, sometimes, a little set of watercolors and listens while Steve and Joyce gossip.

(His presence has stumped Steve’s continued efforts at naming the group, however.

“Five people probably makes up, like, an actual circle, but he doesn’t do… fabric-related things,” Steve ponders.

“Call it a craft pentagram,” Eddie suggests.

“No,” Steve vetoes immediately. “Besides, it’s six when Murray shows up.”

Right. That guy.

Eddie isn’t quite sure what he thinks of Murray Bauman just yet; he doesn’t appreciate the relentless roasting of his and Steve’s “honeymoon phase” (Bauman’s words, not his), but it is funny watching him threaten to teach Steve how to knit. In either case, Bauman and Joyce are good friends, so he’ll have to be included in the final group count.

Eddie and Steve decide to think on the name a little longer.)

“What is a battle vest?” El asks.

“It’s a metal thing. You put stuff like patches and pins onto a vest to show off the bands you like, the stuff you support, the stuff you don’t support – shit like that.” Eddie spreads the vest out a bit more to show El what he’s gotten done so far; he’s collected a few more patches since this spring, and he’s still considering what he wants to do with the pack panel, but he thinks it’s really coming together.

El runs a finger over the Motörhead patch. “And you sew it yourself?”

“That’s the only way to do it, kid.” Eddie grins. “My uncle Wayne taught me to sew when I came to stay with him. Said it was something everyone should know how to do.” Here, El nods wisely, and Eddie can see both Steve and Joyce grinning in his periphery. “I’m pretty sure I fidgeted and fussed through every single lesson, but he was right. I was glad I at least knew the basics once I started putting my first vest together.”

El studies his work a little longer before declaring, “It’s bitchin’,” and startling a bark of laughter out of Eddie.

“Thank you very much,” he says, pulling the vest back into his lap. “At least someone appreciates it.”

“Not taking the bait,” Steve drawls.

“Did you do these, too?” El draws Eddie’s attention back; she’s brushing a thumb over the bottom hem of the vest, where Eddie has sewn in a tiny swarm of bats in purple thread.

“Oh. Yeah, those are mine,” Eddie says. “That’s a little different from what I’m doing with the patches. Just some dumb embroidery.”

“I like it,” El says, looking up at him. “Would you show me how?”

Eddie blinks, taken aback by the sincerity in the request. “Uh – well, yeah, sure. I think I’ve got some extra stuff at home I can bring next time. I’m not, like, the best at it, but–”

“Thank you.” El cuts off Eddie’s uncertainty with a smile. “And I can show you how to crochet.”

Eddie can’t say he’s ever really wanted to learn how to crochet – or that he’d even really known what it was until a few months ago; he’s mostly been content to leave that particular craft to Steve.

He glances over to where Steve is sitting now, frowning over the blanket (afghan?) he’s finally decided to try his hand at; despite what Steve says about not being sure about what he’s doing, it’s coming out beautifully. Eddie knows it’s going to end up a prized possession on Buckley’s bed when it’s done.

From the chair beside Steve’s end of the couch, Joyce catches Eddie’s eye and gives him a sly smile he finds he can’t help but return.

And as Eddie thinks about it, it’s a gift all on its own, isn’t it? Getting to teach someone something you know, getting to learn something from them, too. And hell, you can never have too many hobbies.

“Yeah,” Eddie finally says, turning back to El. “Why not?”

#steddie #eddie & el #eddie munson #el hopper #steve harrington #stranger things #no tag list this time because no one explicitly asked and I don't know if those things are just supposed to carry over??#but anyway I'm done bothering you guys with this fic now I swear #solar wrote #eddiesteve

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luckyyluka · 1 year

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Empty

Steve Harrington x gn!reader

Summary: Reader is at their limit but Steve interrupts their plans for the end. (hurt/comfort fic)

Disclaimer: Technically this is an OC because reader is Dustin's older sibling, but it is intended as a reader insert fic, so I am going to keep it listed as such. However, if you feel like being related to Dustin does not accurately fit you, you are free to interpret this however you'd like. Reader could be adopted, or maybe has a different father. Maybe reader isn't even related, but Dustin's mother kind of took them in when something happened in the past. Reader doesn't have to have the same genetics to be family with Dustin.

Notes: Reader is Dustin's older sibling. Reader uses they/them pronouns. NO use of y/n. I can't even tell you how long this has been in my drafts bro

Credits: gif from @appocalipse , dividers by @cafekitsune

Trigger Warnings: no specific mental illness is mentioned but in a general sense, SEVERE depression is heavily implied. Detailed depictions of depression, self harm, suicidal thoughts, almost attempted suicide using pills (all from reader).

This fic has a fairly detailed moment where reader is cutting themselves. I wrote this originally only for myself as a form of comfort. Please THINK before you decide to read this. The most important thing here is for you to stay safe. The sole purpose of me posting this fic is for readers who are similar to myself that might find comfort in this, but not everybody will get the same thing out of this fic, so please please please do NOT read if this will trigger you in any way.

Empty. The room feels empty. Your heart feels empty. Your hope feels empty. The emptiness pierced through your chest like an arrow, cold and sharp and leaving you breathless. Your tears fall from your face like a flood as you sit on the ever-so-slightly scratchy carpet underneath you, one hand brushing over the fabric, the other playing with the necklace you wore around your neck. The necklace with the guitar pick. Eddie's guitar pick.

Eddie Munson was your best friend since the first grade. He meant the world to you. He helped you through your darkest times, the times when depression would hit too hard, the times you'd feel like you were wasted space in the world around you, the times you got too sick to function, the times you relapsed. He stayed there with you until his last dying breath, a breath that shouldn't have come. It wasn't at all fair that he died saving a town that only ever judged him, outcast him, berated him. It wasn't at all fair that he was gone.

He took that last dying breath only days after he witnessed the gruesome death of Chrissy Cunningham, framed for murder, and tragically stuck in the middle of the most cursed parts of Hawkins, Indiana. You'd been there before. Three times. Starting when your little brother's best friend, Will, disappeared. Dustin snuck around in secret at first, but you knew him well. You knew him better than anyone did, aside from maybe himself, so you figured it all out pretty quickly. And that's the thing about the trust between you two - it made it easy for him to tell you everything when you asked. To trust you to hold him in your arms on the most difficult nights, softly singing the lyrics to Heroes by David Bowie to help soothe him as he would slowly but surely fall asleep. Just like you did when you were younger.

Those three times had left you to mourn the loss of your friend, Barb, your little cat, Mews, and the man that made Joyce Byers smile for the first time in over a year, Bob. And as much as you hated Billy Hargrove - the man that abused his sister, Max Mayfield, made racist remarks about Lucas Sinclair, verbally spat in the faces of anybody he spoke to, and beat Steve Harrington to a pulp - even he had died tragically. Though you were sure it wouldn't have effected you near as much if it weren't for the shattered heart of Max Mayfield - a heart that you and your friends desperately tried to help piece back together - it still left your own heart heavy.

The fourth time around was different, though. As your best friend, you had done everything in your power to protect Eddie from the things you've had the misfortune of witnessing before, even if it created a barrier in the middle of your relationship. But the Upside Down had other plans when a monster named Vecna gave Eddie the burden of witnessing Chrissy shake in a trance, eyes rolling to the back of her head, floating, limbs folding and crunching, eyes sucked into her body. He had no choice but to be a part of it all. Vecna gave him no choice.

The monster got into the minds of anybody who was suffering. He fed off of defeat, distress, heartache... it made him stronger. He tried taking Max, and he almost got her, but Eleven brought her heart back. That didn't change the fact that she did die, though, even if only for a moment. It still gave Vecna that little ounce of power that he needed. The power to open up the rift to the Upside Down, a rift that split Hawkins into quarters... the great "earthquake" of Hawkins, Indiana.

You grieved the loss of Eddie Munson, Chrissy Cunningham, and even basketball player Jason Carver, all while praying desperately to anybody above who would listen that Max would wake up from a coma, miraculously escaping death. You all visited her every single day, none of you dared to leave her alone. Her hospital room, despite being arid and lifeless, was unofficially deemed the spot, all of you gathered there to hang out almost every day as she recovered. You covered the room in posters and knickknacks, left behind toys and board games that you could have simply brought back the next time you came, just to mask the bleak atmosphere. It took half a year, but your prayers were answered, and she did miraculously escape death.

Two years later and her body grows closer and closer to fully healing everyday. Her sight came back faster than her smiles, but eventually, she got those back too.

But the reason for your tears as you sit on the floor in a dark, empty room at this very moment, gripping onto the pick that hung around your neck, wasn't to mourn your best friend Eddie Munson. The pick only helped to nudge a few breaths back into you, reminding you about all of the times Eddie held you in his arms and begged you to keep going, to stay alive, trying desperately to convince you of the truth - that everyone around you loved and needed you here, that you couldn't die, not even if it was at your own hand.

The reason was your mind. The way your thoughts were able to make your heart ache, your body shake, your lungs desperately scratch for air. You felt like you were drowning, and to make things worse, you had no one reason why. It was a mix of everything. Everybody you had mourned in your life, every intrusive thought that had you second guessing reality, every time your mind would flash back to every trauma you've experienced.

You turned on music, started watching tv, writing, dancing, anything to help you to slow your thoughts, make them more bearable. But it didn't work. They just wouldn't stop.

You've coped with this burden for as long as you can remember, Eddie, Dustin and your mother being there for you every step of the way as you were in and out of hospitals, therapy, relapses. When everything with the Upside Down kick-started, you thanked whatever higher being out there that your meds were working like they needed to be. It helped to grow close to the new people around you - Robin, Nancy, Jonathan, Steve, Joyce... Hell, even the little ones, Will, Lucas, Mike, Eleven, and Max. Your support system was strong. You weren't alone. And while it undeniably helped, nothing was cured.

You made it through every time, and you thought that should have helped, that it should have put everything into perspective. You're alive, most of your loved ones are alive, you've got a long list of people surrounding you who understand exactly what you've been through... yet it only made your stomach churn with guilt. Guilt that you had no right to be depressed over anything, not when things like the Upside Down existed, not when there were worse things out there. But you couldn't help it. You didn't understand how you couldn't even bring yourself to get out of bed a lot of times, but your friends were getting out of bed, getting dressed, showering, existing every single day...

You wondered why you couldn't do that. You wondered why your mind worked so hard against you every second you were awake. You wondered why you were still alive and not Eddie. Not Barb. Not Bob. If you can barely exist, so weak, so cowardly, so ungrateful, but they were giving their all every single day, then why were you the one who made it out alive?

It was eating you from the inside out. The guilt. The survivors guilt. The guilt of just simply feeling. The fleeting guilt of hurting your loved ones if you were to die, though it was quickly washed away by the knowledge that it wouldn't matter, that they would be better off without you, that you didn't matter enough for anybody to be effected by your death.

You hadn't talked about how you were feeling in two years. Since Max almost died, that guilt had gotten so severe that you just couldn't bring yourself to let anything out anymore. So you held it in. You held it in until you were about to burst at the seams. And even then, you couldn't seem to allow yourself to let it out.

But now here you were, alone in the empty room you sat in, the spare bedroom of your house. The only room that had a lock on the door. Usually, your mom, Dustin, and you were respectful of knocking, respectful of each other's privacy... but you couldn't risk it. Not right now. On the floor beside you was a Coke can - the classic, not the new kind - next to a bottle of pills, a note you had carefully hand-written, and your pocket knife. You had this planned for weeks now, and you finally reached your limit. It was time to set the plan into action.

Your grip on Eddie's guitar pick tightened, if that were even possible. Your forearm wiped away at your tears, which deemed to be useless when the tears fell far too quickly. The emptiness you had once felt moments ago was suddenly gone, replaced with the weight of a burden much too heavy for you to bear. A burden of existing with a mind so relentless. Reluctantly, you let go of the pick around your neck and grabbed your knife, popping the blade out and sucking in as much of a breath as you could take.

Without thinking, you pushed down. The cold sting on your wrist made you shudder, eyes closing in relief. Feeling the blood trickling down your wrist had urged you to open your eyes, to take in the sight of every emotion you endured being put on display. The breath you held finally escaped your lungs, and for the first time in days, you noticed your breathing begin to even out. As if you weren't drowning anymore, yet simply floating at the surface of the water you were once drowning in only moments ago.

You continue your actions, the crushing heaviness you felt in your lungs lessening with each cut. When you felt satisfied with your work, you let the blood trickle down and make a mess. That was the most satisfying part of it all. The visible mess and what it represented; hey, this pain is real, it's not all in your head.

You sighed, your tears lessened just a bit as your breathing evened out and you felt more at ease. Your shakey hands slowly but surely untwisted the cap of the bottle of pills, fumbling a bit more than you should have - damned safety cap. Nevertheless, you popped it open and poured about a dozen pills into your hand, but before you could wrap your other hand around the coke can next to you, you heard the front door open. Fuck.

"I just need to grab my bag! It has all the walkie talkies."

Dustin.

"Dude is that really necessary?"

Mike.

"Can you two shut up and hurry? We've got places to be!"

Steve, ending his sentence with a clap. He must have been the last to enter because you heard the front door shut shortly after.

You winced at the sound. The sound of your little brother talking, not knowing you were about to end your life in the next room. The sound of your friends, Mike and Steve, mostly unaware of your mental struggles and completely clueless to your current state.

You heard shuffling footsteps and indistinctive murmuring between the three boys. Dustin shut his door and you let out a short breath knowing they were finally about to leave - except they didn't.

"Wait, Dustin, where's your sibling?"

Your breath caught in your throat as you tried to hold back from sobbing at the mention of you. The tears were hard enough to control as it was.

"I don't know, probably with Robin," Dustin shrugged it off and you hoped it'd end with that, but it didn't.

"But their car is still in the driveway," Steve speculated, "plus, Robin's working."

You heard the footsteps growing closer to you, and the door to your room opened. "They're not in here," Dustin said with worry. He called out your name, but of course he didn't get a response. He knew you were at an all time low right now, he saw it every day, so of course his first response would be to worry.

The door knob on the spare room that you were in wiggled. "The spare bedroom is locked!" Dustin called out, frantically fumbling with it.

Little did you know, Dustin had been updating everyone of your struggles. He couldn't bear the weight of it all alone. Plus, they all cared for you. They wanted you to be okay. They missed you. They loved you. So they tried to help in every way possible.

"You don't think they're... like, cut-"

Steve cut Mike's words short, "I got a paper clip. Let me open it," he got closer to the door, "step back with Mike, okay Dustin?"

"Okay," you heard your little brother's voice crack and you could tell he was on the verge of tears. You, however, were way past tears. Your sobs had you almost gasping for air as you tried desperately to hold them back, but you know they'd heard them. Quickly, you reached for the bottle of pills before the door swung open.

"Shit," you whispered when the bottle of pills tumbled over.

Steve was quick to hide you from the kid's line of sight with his body. He looked at you with sad eyes, talking in a breath as you frowned at him with guilt.

He turned around, "wait out here," he instructed the boys and turned to face you. He slowly walked closer before sitting next to you on the ground.

He wrapped his arms around you gently as you finally let yourself cry. Sobs ripped from your chest as the tears flooded, and you knew his shirt was already tear-stained. Steve held you long enough for you to finally catch a breath before he pulled away to assess the current situation.

He gently wrapped his hand around your wrist, maneuvering your arm so that he could see the cuts. "How many did you take?" His eyes scanned the still bleeding cuts as he asked about the pills.

"None," you told him, "the bottle tipped over," you frowned, "I made a mess..."

"My love..." His eyes glossed as tears threatened to fall from the corners of his eyes. "You're okay, don't worry about the mess. Let's just get you cleaned up, alright?"

You shook, more than you were before, as your sobs evened out slowly. Steve stood up, helping you slowly get on your feet, and he guided you to the bathroom.

He helped to pick you up and you sat on the counter, but the movement made you realize just how groggy you were starting to feel. You felt tired - exhausted, even - and almost fell over, but Steve held you up. "I got you, baby. You're okay. Stay awake for me, alright?"

He grabbed a wash cloth and wet it before guiding your arm under the water. He did his best to be gentle with you as he helped to clean your cuts. Finally, he wrapped a towel around your arm, instructing you to hold it there as he searched the medicine cabinet for some bandages.

"Aha," he pronounced when he found the bandage wrap that he was looking for. He got some antibiotic cream and covered your now-clean wounds, wrapping the bandage just tight enough around your wrist to help the bleeding slow down and protect the cuts from worsening.

"There. All clean," he smiled at you as he held your wrist in his hand while his other hand covered yours. You were much too tired to try and fake a weak smile for him.

"Now, do you want to talk? Or would you rather watch some movies or something?" Steve gave you options, and none of them included leaving you alone. "Dustin and Mike are here, too. I can call Robin, Nancy, Jonathan, Max... Anybody you want around. We all talk if you want, or we can order a bunch of pizza and binge your favorite show on Netflix."

He rambled more and more options for you to choose from, proving that he would really do pretty much anything to comfort you in this moment. You sighed, but a real smile actually seemed to form on your lips - albeit small, but it was there.

"I think... I'm really tired, Steve..." you confessed, really only wanting to sleep. Steve frowned a little.

"Let's get you to bed, then," he rubbed circles on the back of your hand soothingly. "I'll let the boys know. They won't mind playing some video games or something while we take a nap."

"We...?" you questioned hesitantly, suddenly feeling a bit nervous, but too tired to care enough.

"If that's alright with you? I'm a little sleepy too," he smiled gently.

You only nodded in response.

He'd assumed you didn't really want to talk to Dustin or Mike right now, and that assumption was correct, so he went to update them on the situation and they both understood.

When Steve returned to the bathroom, he helped you down from the counter and lead you to your room, practically tucking you in. He climbed into the bed next to you and the two of you faced each other.

"I think you're fantastic," he said to you, "and you mean a lot to me. You mean a lot to all of us. Especially Dustin," he smiled. "That boy would die for you in a heartbeat."

You frowned slightly, taking in his words as much as possible as your eyes got heavier. "I'm sorry," you apologized.

"No, love, don't apologize. You've got nothing to be sorry for. Pinky promise."

It was a joke between the two of you. The first time you really spoke to each other, you made him pinky promise to keep his end of a bargain - you buy the drinks and he doesn't talk about his hair for the rest of the week. It was funny, and neither of you expected it to mean anything, but it stuck.

"Okay," you smiled at him.

"There's that beautiful smile," Steve tucked your hair behind your ear, careful not to startle you.

"We need you here," he finally began, "you light up the room every time. You're our light. You're funny and kind. You're amazing. You've gone through so so much. You're allowed to be sad. To cry. But please, talk to us when you need to. Please stay."

Steve's words resonated with you, so much so that a small tear escaped from the corner of your eye. "Okay," you repeated from the last time.

And before he could say anything else, your eyes closed and you were asleep.

With him there, you finally got a genuinely good sleep for the first time in a long while.

When you finally woke up from your nap, Steve wasn't in the bed anymore. You frowned slightly, until you heard his voice bantering with Mike and Dustin's in the living room. A sigh escaped your lips as you rolled out of the bed and headed into the living room.

Dustin was the first to notice, not bothering to pause whatever video game was on the TV as he dashed towards you. His arms wrapped around you immediately, "you're awake!!"

A small smile formed on your lips as you pat his head and hugged him back, "I'm awake."

"I love you so much," Dustin mumbled against your shoulder, tightening his grip on you. "Please stay."

Your hug tightened around him this time before you pulled away and looked into his eyes, "I'm not going anywhere, Dustin."

Mike stared from afar, his attention on you and making sure you were okay had occupied his mind, any attention towards the video game he was playing with Dustin was lost.

Steve made his way over to you, Dustin going back to the couch to let the two of you speak. "How are you feeling?" Steve questioned.

"I don't know," you admitted, "but I finally got some actual sleep for the first time in a while." A weak chuckle escaped your lips.

"That's good..." Steve ran his fingers through his hair, "you know, uh... well, Dustin isn't the only one who really needs you here. I mean, Mike was lost trying to process what had happened... he was terrified. And, well, I..." he stopped himself there, inhaling deeply and averting his eyes from yours to the ground.

His hand rubbed the back of his neck anxiously, his eyes meeting yours again as he continued, "I can't lose you."

Your breath caught in your throat as you studied his eyes and took the time to process what Steve had just told you.

Before you could say anything, he continued his words in a frantic effort to explain himself, "I, uh, I know we weren't ever very close.. I mean, before I started hanging out with your brother, I was... kinda a shitty dude," he let out a breathy chuckle, "and you were so shy, you hung out with Eddie, who didn't exactly get along with my clique, and..." he paused, letting out a deep sigh before continuing his ramble, "what I mean to say is, letting Dustin drag me to your house that night to help him explain all of this upside down shit to you... Well, it led me to you, so..."

You raised an eyebrow at him, the corner of your lips curved upwards, fully understanding what he was saying, but teased him anyways. "So....?" You pushed for him to finish what he was saying.

"So, I guess maybe I should thank the little shit," a breathy laugh escaped his lips as he joked with you.

You giggled quietly and put both of your hands on either side of his face, locking eye contact with him. Judging by the way your cheeks burned, the blush on your face was prevalent, you were sure. His left hand went to your waist, pulling you in a little closer as his right hand gently curved around the back of your neck.

"Can I kiss you?"

You nodded in response, "Yes," you whispered.

He leaned down and brought his lips to yours, kissing you slowly. He had to force himself to break the kiss before he was in too deep to stop, the closed-lip, dopey smile on his face as he looked at you would have made you think that he was in love with you, if you didn't know better.

Or maybe, you were on the right track. Either way, you knew you had a friend in him, and everybody that you cared about truly did care about you, too. You finally felt safe for the first time in a very long time.

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redshoes-blues · 2 years

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Will Byers Vecna Song Theory

You may have seen my Will Byers Mirror Theory, which is where I discuss my thoughts on why Will being put under Vecna’s curse is pretty much inevitable in vol. 2. I wanted to delve deeper into that theory, discussing the music itself, and how a few songs apply to Will as a character. This section assumes that Will gets Vecna’d, so if you want more info on that theory, it’s linked above.

Also this is long as hell. Whoops?

Music plays a crucial role in Stranger Things. Even before Vecna was introduced, the iconic 80s soundtrack is a feature of the show, and several characters within the text are huge music fans. One of these characters is Will, who we know uses music to comfort himself in the Upside Down in ST1. Assuming Will is cursed during vol. 2, what songs might save him? What do these songs represent within Stranger Things and in the real world, and how might they give insight into Will as a character?

As I see it, there are 3 possibilities for Will’s song. The way I selected these songs is by looking at the songs Will himself mentions, songs directly related to important moments in his arc, and more subtle prop hints.

1. Should I Stay or Should I Go, The Clash

2. Boys Don’t Cry, The Cure

3. Heroes, David Bowie

Let’s go through each song and see how it could work for Will’s song.

Should I Stay or Should I Go

To me, this is the obvious first pick. When I first realized Will would probably fall under the curse in vol. 2, my first thought was: “oh but he’ll be safe, everyone in the Party knows he loves that Clash song.”

Will sings the song to himself in the Upside Down when a Demogorgon is near, and the Demogorgon leaves. Although music doesn’t seem to have the same impact on them as it does Vecna, the song still provides Will comfort in times of panic and distress. In flashbacks, we’re shown that Jonathan introduces the song to Will during an argument between Joyce and Lonnie. The song acts as a shield for Will in that moment, just as it does later on in the UD. Within the Vecna scene, it would provide a perfect parallel to Will being in the UD for the first time early in the show.

However, as I mentioned in another post, “Should I Stay or Should I Go” is now a song intrinsically tied to Will’s trauma from the UD. Now, the mechanics of how songs work and which ones may or may not work haven’t been ironed out yet. I suspect this will be elaborated on in vol. 2, but if the song is now tied to traumatic memories, maybe it won’t work.

Maybe there’s another song Will connects to on a deep level that is less obvious to both viewers and the Party. In such a case, the disconnection between Will and the Hawkins gang will quickly become apparent. This is especially the case if Vecna gets to Will before the California and Hawkins groups are reunited and able to go over details. But even if Will if put under Vecna’s curse when everyone is back together and the California gang finds out what’s happening, Will has still been disconnected from the Party (aside from El, but even then we know he hasn’t told her about his crush on Mike).

I think it’s quite likely that the Party could try “Should I Stay or Should I Go” (maybe even at Jonathan or Mike’s suggestion), only to have it fail.

So if it doesn’t end up being “Should I Stay or Should I Go,” what other songs may Will have a personal connection to?

Boys Don’t Cry

I love the idea of “Boys Don’t Cry” saving Will from Vecna’s curse because A. I’m a massive fan of The Cure, and B. I love how the song could connect to him as a character! In case you missed in, the reference to this song is subtle, as Will has a poster of the album cover in his California bedroom.

I’ll be honest and say that of the three songs, I think this one may have the most limited evidence to support it. But perhaps that’s the point?

Will’s character arc in ST3 was very much about him feeling left behind, and that is definitely continuing in ST4. Mike is realizing how the two of them have split apart because of the distance and his own lack of awareness for Will’s feelings in ST3 and beyond. We’ve never heard Will mention “Boys Don’t Cry,” but we as viewers have grown distant to Will as a character, just as Mike has (note: Mike is often used as a character to show the audience’s perspective, and his lack of awareness reflect this).

Although the song is alluded to, it hasn’t been played or mentioned directly. If this is Will’s Vecna song, then it will show how distant he has become from his friends as a result of many factors — one of which will likely be his sexuality, something I can see Vecna using in the vision to make Will feel more like an outsider.

“Boys Don’t Cry” as a song is a bit of an anthem for gay men. Especially during the 80s. The song is about toxic masculinity and the ways Western society has damaged men by making them cover up their emotions. Within a queer reading, the song could also be used to highlight the ways that gay men in particular are stereotyped as feminine or overly sensitive, the second of which has been used as a descriptor for Will within the show. As we know, Will has his own experiences of toxic masculinity, especially where Lonnie is concerned (baseball is a key metaphor here).

So even though “Boys Don’t Cry” is only shown in a prop, the song would be a powerful message for Will: conquering toxic masculinity and finally sharing his feelings and emotions by coming out to his loved ones.

Heroes

Okay, I know I seemed enthusiastic about the other two options, but “Heroes” is where my true alliance lies. Listen, I’m slightly biased here. David Bowie is my all-time favourite artist, and “Heroes” is my all-time favourite song. But I digress. For fellow Byler shippers, this is the song out of the 3 that I think most aligns with a queer reading of Mike and Will’s dynamic.

Note: I’m not the first one to come up with “Heroes” being used as Will’s Vecna song. Go here to @gayeddiemunson‘s post which initially brought the idea to my mind (and inspired this long-ass analysis)!

“Heroes” is played twice over the course of the show during two peak emotional scenes. In both scenes, a gorgeous Peter Gabriel cover of the song plays. In my theory, it’s specifically the original Bowie version which would be used for Will, and I have a specific reason for this that I’ll get to.

In ST1, the song plays when “Will’s” body is discovered in the quarry — specifically showing his body, Mike running home, and Jonathan and Joyce hugging in a shot which mirrors Mike and Karen. In ST3, it plays at the very end of the season when Hopper is reading his letter after “dying.” In these instances, a character is thought to be dead and the other characters mourn them in some way. Both characters are later revealed to be alive. In other words, "Heroes” is a song which represents resurrection in Stranger Things.

Given the knack the Duffer brothers have for creating parallels over the course of the show, I wouldn’t be shocked if they faked Will’s death again within Vecna’s curse, before using “Heroes” as a signal to save Will.

It’s important that the version used is Bowie’s original recording because it’s more upbeat than Peter Gabriel’s cover (making it much less melancholic and attached to negative emotions in the show), and because of a scene between Will and Jonathan in ST2, ep. 1:

Jonathan: You know what? You’re right. You are a freak. But what, do you want to be normal? Do you wanna be normal? Do you wanna be just like everyone else? Being a freak is the best, alright? I’m a freak . . . Who would you rather be friends with? Bowie or Kenny Rogers

Will: Ugh

Jonathan: Exactly. It’s no contest. The thing is, nobody normal ever accomplished anything meaningful in this world.

Within the text, Bowie and Will are both “freaks.” Both outsiders in their own way who are scorned by some because they don’t fit into the norms of a heteronormative society. Bowie is a figure who was openly queer during the 70s, experimented with the boundaries of gendered fashion, and openly and bravely expressed himself in a much less accepting world. He stood up for queer people when others didn’t, and was an icon beloved by outsiders and people who weren’t seen as “normal.” For that reason, using Bowie’s version of the song would be a perfect moment of Will accepting that he’s a “freak” . . . but learning to love what makes himself different.

I do think Vecna would be most likely to make Will feel like an outsider by comparing his experiences as young Henry Creel to Will’s own feelings that he’s a “freak” because he doesn’t fit his society’s norms. In this way, Will fighting off Vecna with Bowie’s “Heroes” would be a beautiful moment of acceptance and resurrection as he comes back to life (the Real World) a stronger person.

Heroes, Will, and Mike

My final reason behind the “Heroes” song theory has to do with Byler, so if that isn’t your thing, that’s all good — feel free to skip this!

During ST1 when “Heroes” plays, Mike’s reactions to Will’s “death” are key in the sequence. Mike runs home and Karen comforts him as he cries over the death of his best friend. In the meantime, the following lyrics play:

And the guns, shot above our heads And we kissed, as though nothing could fall And the shame, was on the other side

“Heroes” was written when Bowie saw a two people kissing next to the Berlin Wall, and was struck by the image of a structure representing the Cold War next to a forbidden love affair. This section of the song is the most romantic part, when the couple comes together despite their forbidden love, casting aside the shame brought on by the affair, feeling free like “heroes” in the arms of each other just for one day.

I don’t think “Heroes” has the same meaning in Stranger Things as Bowie’s initial inspiration. As I said above, I see it as a motif representing resurrection and new life in the show. But I do find it fascinating that the line about shame over a romantic love affair occurs during a shot of Mike. Coincidence, perhaps. But interesting all the same.

Obviously Will’s love for Mike is considered forbidden at the time. Whether or not Mike has feelings in return wouldn’t make a difference towards the forbidden nature of being gay in the 80s (at least according to the dominant culture). For this reason, the song not only connects to Will for the various reasons already described, but also to Mike given that the song plays for him as well as Will. If the Duffer brothers plan to make Byler canon, then I could see “Heroes” becoming an important song in the show again.

Final Thoughts / TLDR

Out of the 3 songs I've analyzed, I think “Heroes” has the strongest evidence supporting it: both within the narrative (the song has been used 2x in Stranger Things) and subtextually, from a character analysis perspective. Overall, Bowie’s original “Heroes” is a song of forbidden love by a queer artist who Will aligns himself with in the show. As well, the song represents resurrection and rebirth within the show, which thematically relates to the idea of Vecna’s curse.

Anyways, that’s all for this mammoth of a post! I’d love to hear what anyone else thinks. Are there any songs I missed that could be used?

#will byers analysis #stranger things music #stranger things music theory #byler endgame #byler analysis #will byers #st4 spoilers #stranger things theory #bowie theory #stranger things analysis #will byers is gay #and so is mike #vecna's curse #vecna #vena song #vecna theory #this is so long god #redshoes-blues

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the-case-book-of-fanfiction · 10 months

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my rewatch of broadchurch has reminded me of how much i love the idea of hopper taking on steve as an intern and showing him the ropes of policework. so, uh, here's a little thing i might make into an actual fic one of these days:

it's not steve's first choice of job. but it was offered to both him and robin, it pays well, it gets his dad off his back. or maybe worse. ("finally getting your life together, are you? finally got yourself an actual career.")

at first, it's simple, easy. reports, paperwork, sometimes some leg work. hopper oversees steve and robin's training personally. he says it's because they show potential; while that may be true, steve also suspects that hop's been told to keep an eye on the two of them by the shady government agents who have been lingering around hawkins—most of them pretending to be regular people, but the townspeople know better. everyone knows everyone in a small town like hawkins, and after the hellscape the town became, people have their own theories about what happened. most of them are pretty close, almost all of them including a government conspiracy.

for the few months, that's all they do. chase after the people who get too close to the truth, hush them up before the papers can snap up the story. they can't stop them all, but for the most part, people outside of hawkins write it off as lunacy. steve and hopper are thankful for that.

two years. two years of pure silence from any related to the upside down; no demodogs, no labs, no doctors, no psychic children. just eleven—jane, now—with the hopper-byers, and she hasn't used her powers for anything other than making max's life easier. the party's gone back to playing d&d together regularly, even though their parents tease them they're too old to be playing it in mike's basement.

and then, a couple months after the anniversary of will's disappearance, the world starts to crack again.

not really, not literally, not like it did when vecna split hawkins into four chunks of hell. but it's close, because steve can feel the world shift and begin to fall, just like it did then. it's worse this time, though, because he didn't really notice last time. he was too wrapped up in himself, in high school, in tommy and carol, in nancy. but this time? this time steve is fully aware of just how disastrous the world is.

it's a body. it's a young boy. all of hawkins stills because it's a little too similar.

when he's found, nobody knows who it is. the body's in the quarry, found by a group of young kids playing a little too close to the edge. (the town starts to get uneasy.)

the police retrieve the body. the family's contacted privately. the mother screams and wails that she was right, that she knew, that if they had just listened to her—

they realize, too late, that a missing persons report was filed about the boy two days ago. hopper hates how much the woman reminds him of joyce.

the autopsy is performed, and it confirms that the boy is really this woman's son. hopper insists on being present for the autopsy, just a little too worried it would be another fake.

for a while, steve is convinced it has to be related to what happened in the early 80s. hopper is, too, until that autopsy. after that, he tells steve it's a perfectly normal murder case.

it takes a while before steve believes him. only after that does he start to think that a regular murder case is even worse.

"i hate these small town murders," hopper says to him one day. "too many secrets about too many people get uncovered. things we never should know."

"but we're the police, shouldn't we know these things? if people are threatening and blackmailing and committing petty crimes, shouldn't we know?" steve asks, confused as to why hopper seems to be okay with these things—small compared to a murder, but big to a small town—happening all the time under their noses.

because that's what has been happening. backs are turning quickly. the town is becoming violent, accusing anyone and everyone who is slightly suspicious as the boy's killer.

"in a regular small town, it wouldn't be as big of a deal," hopper says. "even then, some things are just better left unsaid. but here? there's too many secrets we need to keep. secrets unrelated to this case. secrets that could get the soviets interested again."

and the idea of that makes steve shudder, his body remembering pain he had never really gotten rid of, always feeling it when it's too cold or raining.

robin shares similar ideas to hopper. "all these accusations," she says one night, when it's just them in the office because hop sent everybody else home and he's in the next room making coffee, "doesn't it scare you? like imagine if somebody turns on...i don't know, jonathan or...or nancy? i mean nancy owns guns and people know about it—"

"the boy wasn't shot, robs."

"—and jonathan, i mean, everybody who went to school with us heard about you breaking the camera and why you did it. they might..."

steve shakes his head. "i wish i hadn't, robs. especially now."

"i know that, that's not what i'm saying. my point is, we've all got dirt, every single one of us. eddie's been accused of murder before, who's to say they won't do it again? even if it doesn't make sense, neither do the people they target now. anyone who's done any wrong is in the risk of it being made public. and if that happened to us? if people find out about el, about vecna, about will? what happens then?"

she's worked herself up into a panic, steve can tell. but this time, he doesn't really know what to say. he doesn't know what will happen. the government agents who watched them for months before they disappeared all at once never made verbal threats, but the threat of their presence was enough to silence everyone.

the only thing he can think to say is "eddie's on tour with the guys right now, he's safe from all of this."

"until they get back, then everyone will become the next jason carver," robin says, and steve begs her not to bring him back up.

secrets get dug up as the case drags on, only getting further and further away from closure. affairs, bullying, threats, drugs, alcohol, robbery. whatever small, dirty secret the town could possibly have, it does have, and it gets dug up and aired out like dirty laundry.

steve watches the town pretend to be shocked at every new revelation. it doesn't hurt very much until he watches the entire town pretend that they—and he—didn't know his dad was cheating on his mom and has been for years; that still doesn't hurt as much as the pitying looks they give him when he shows up to ask questions or to take their statements; and that still doesn't compare to the looks everyone gives his mom.

he watches his mom lose her love of life. it was fine, or they could pretend it was fine, before everybody knew (officially) about his dad's infidelity. they could pretend it wasn't happening. they pretended it was some big business meeting or a dinner with a client or whatever it was, except what it actually was.

that's what hurts steve most about policework. watching people go under for things that have nothing to do with him. watching people lose family and livelihoods over mistakes made years ago. watching the life drain from a community, replaced by suspicion and anger and hatred.

because if he stops and thinks about it, steve doesn't really mind it otherwise. he likes the thrill, the facts fitting together, the possibility that they might actually be right.

and when they are right, even after countless wrong leads, steve feels the relief deep in his bones. he feels it in the town, too, feels people start to breathe again and start to go back to normal and live their lives again.

he knows it's not normal again, not really. how can it be? but he watches the case go to trial, he watches it go right, he watches the killer go to jail. he watches the family finally breathe again, hears the mother thank him and robin and hopper, sees them try to go back to their lives and do they best they can.

it's not normal, but it's better. it's better than it was, because the accusations are gone now, what's been dug up has either been forgotten or left alone or maybe it has changed lives, but people are moving on. sweeping it under the rug like it never even happened.

there are some divorces in the following weeks—the couples whose infidelity was discovered. the police chase a few domestic abuse reports. steve handles a few of them, because he's learned to handle the punches now. there'a crackdown on illicit substances. steve and robin are glad eddie's quit all of that now, that he had given it up years ago.

the world stops ending. steve knows it'll end again someday, more often if he ever ends up in a big city. but for now, it's over and he can go back to his boring old police routine.

steve likes "boring" these days. boring is a safety net, something to fall back into when things get exciting.

the other thing steve likes about policework—it is exciting. sometimes. sometimes, it makes him feel alive again.

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matbaynton · 10 months

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tagged by @baynton thank you!! 💙

8 shows to get to know me better

1. BBC GHOSTS

copying nat here to say that this is also where the mat obsession started 😈 my friend hallie (who i will also be tagging to do this obviously) got me into it and i cannot thank them enough for giving me the brainrot! i've watched this show.... idk how many times now i'm constantly rewatching it but i still laugh (and/or cry) every time. don't think i needed to know how absolutely FERAL and UNHINGED and RABID i was capable of being, i swear i was normal before i saw thomas thorne. i WAS, and no one can disprove that so just believe me 🤡 he is my sopping wet babygirl pathetic chewtoy and i love him.... so much..... and i want to d*e on the button house property and become a ghost more than anything in the whole world. anyway this show is fantastic and it changed my life and there isn't a single bad main character!

2. STRANGER THINGS

not sure if it's because i watched this show the year it came out (and on the night before/night of my 18th birthday, so it ended up being the best birthday i've had in years which is. still true lmao) but it continues to hold such a special place in my heart, and i can't truly explain why. gonna be honest seeing that winona ryder was in it immediately made me want to watch (and i love joyce byers + jopper a normal amount) i'm also really into horror and gross shit and this show really delivers on that sometimes, it's fantastic 🫡

3. THE OWL HOUSE

i don't think i can talk about this show for too long without crying lmao, but for a silly starter: THERE IS SO MUCH GOD DAMN FUCKING PURPLE IN THIS SHOW IT IS VERY PLEASING TO MY EYEBALLS!!!!! i'm a huge blubbering baby when it comes to the found family trope and this show has that! not to mention the incredible lgbt+ rep that truly shocked me to my core. i've also never related to a fictional character more than luz noceda, it's almost unsettling. still haven't watched the finale because i'm in denial about it being over and fuck disney channel for cancelling it.

4. DOCTOR WHO

besides glee and pretty little liars (that i'm surprisingly not putting on this list for reasons) this was one of the first real tv shows i've gotten into. my friend and i stumbled upon it on netflix (back in the ancient times of the early 2010's) she wasn't into it AT ALL but when i went home i immediately started watching the rest of it. i love all of the doctors/companions/eras in so many different ways, and every time i rewatch this show it feels like home <3

5. YONDERLAND

99% of the characters in this show are complete dumbasses and i'm truly here for it,. also seeing mat as so many different freaky sexy characters fixed me made me worse. HOWEVER.... the felt puppets still strike fear into my heart, i've gotten somewhat used to it but i still want to scream and poop my pants whenever i see them.

6. COMMUNITY

as we've established i'm a fan of the found family trope (even the FUCKED UP PROBABLY MENTALLY BAD FOR EACH OTHER kind of found family) besides how funny this show is (and how much i love troy and abed AND WANT WHAT THEY HAVE MORE THAN ANYTHING) it was also the first time i interpreted autism portrayed in a somewhat better way than i had ever seen before on television (of course abed being autistic isn't technically canon, hence "interpreted") but i really appreciated it and the fact that he IS canonically the most mentally stable in the group is incredible and i love it. will NEVER forgive them for making a felt puppet episode though, it haunts my nightmares.

7. SANTA CLARITA DIET

drew barrymore plays a zombie milf and timothy olyphant plays her hot husband who helps her kill shitty people to eat. wtf else do i need to say? it's a masterpiece and i wake up every day hating netflix for cancelling it

8. TOO MANY SPIRITS

YEAH THIS IS A SHOW! I'M COUNTING IT AS A SHOW! i knew i was going to put at least one watcher show on this list because i love these idiots so dearly. i chose too many spirits because the amount of times i've almost (😐) pissed myself from laughter watching these morons get drunk and tell stupid stories is TOO MANY..... spirits! like the name of the show! too many! too many times 🤡 anyway

tagging (no pressure to do it!) @larryrickard @reysorigins @softdavidrose @karura @captainsjack @jugheadscrowns @bejeweledantihero @hannamarins

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apatheticlexicographer · 2 years

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this post by @stranger-chichka unlocked a train of though in my brain and i just gotta-

a recurring theme of season 4 is the recurring details you dismissed as unimportant being brought to light and woven together, in both a lore sense and a character sense (i should make a more general post about that but it’s 3am and i still have schoolwork rip). the hawkins library has to be one of the most consistent locations in the whole show. despite being seemingly innocuous, things keep leading back to it in more and more obvious ways, to the point where it clearly holds a large amount of yet-to-be-unravelled significance.

in season 1, it’s where hopper goes to research the suspicious activity at the lab, which leads him to learning about mkultra and el’s mama. it’s also where will is found, temporarily dead and pretty much plugged in to the upside down through the vines. the upside down library is particularly hellish, and while it’s easy to assume that it’s the demogorgon’s lair or nest of some kind in s1, we never see anything that actually confirms this. it’s never a good idea to make assumptions, particularly not where stranger things is concerned.

in season 2, dustin goes there to get his “knowledge paddles” for research of his own. the subject of his research: dart. you know. the juvenile demogorgon. the spawn of the upside down.

i don’t remember them visiting in person in season 3, but stranger-chika pointed out that joyce probably got the books she was using to research electromagnetic fields from there (fields caused by the russians trying to open a gate). i was just skimming over the transcripts and i saw that the word library is used twice in the season: when the goverment line hopper got from owens is called, they answer the phone both times with “philadelphia public library”

and then in season four, obviously, things begin to converge. it’s where nancy and robin go to research the creel family, with henry creel being the single strongest connection between the lab and the upside down (will and el are each connected to both, but el is more closely related to the lab while will is more closely related to the upside down. another post for later). and, of course, it’s where all 4 gates converge when hell finally begins to swallow the earth.

every season, then, it’s had connections to the lab, the upside down, or both. it’s appeared in person in 3 out of 4 seasons- as many as the byers’ old house and mike’s basement!!! it’s such an unassuming location, surely just a convenient writing device for a story set in a time before google- until the plotlines and leylines both converge on it.

(and yes, it has a clocktower)

#byler #stranger things #stranger things meta #stranger things theory #stranger things analysis #stranger things thoughts #i have been thinking about this goddamn library for months #maybe it's the ritalin wearing off but i feel like my 3rd eye is opening #librarygate

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blank1eboi · 1 year

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so my mom got me into stranger things right. we binged all of s3 today because i'm sick and why not. these characters are giving me brainrot.

steve? gets sillier every scene. what a silly guy. my mom says he and robin look like little sailor babies in their uniforms and i thought that was silly. also? shut up. everyone in this group is a nerd. you are a nerd, just maybe.. not in the same way. ur little car stunt? that poor car but also FUCK YEAH GET EM!

dustin? perfect silly guy and everyone who hurts him makes my blood boil. he just a little guy. he looked so silly in his snow ball outfit. his relationship with steve makes me so happy they r like brothers.

hopper? idiot. silly idiot. why are you emotionally constipated so BAD. at least he is LEARNING how to communicate properly. i'm proud of him. silly guy.

joyce? good mom. im proud of her and she goes through so much shit. i hope she and hopper can properly get their shit together but also kinda not because let me tell u it can be FUNNY. she needs a break i think. give joyce byers a break.

robin? <3 i got so excited when i saw her ace ring my mom had to pause it so i could do a mini-ramble about ace rings. she is also a nerd. she does not act like it at the very beginning of the season but she is SUCH a nerd.

erica? sometimes she can be VERY RELATABLE. very mood and i am happy she is safe. also top tier sibling relationship when she said she believed dustin ab the crazy shit just not that lucas could ever be involved.

nancy? kind of an asshole again but that's ok. she's p chill otherwise and i think she just has too much trauma and isn't very good at handling it. also BAMF. nancy wheeler BAMF and you can rip this from my cold dead hands. her hair looked very pretty this season too. i love her

mrs wheeler? the beginning of the season, that thing with billy? that had me wince quite a few times. icky yucky. but. also good mom at end of it after nancy got fired and just. after the thing with billy she was p cool.

(idk if u can tell but these characters are in ZERO order it's just who is on my mind)

billy? VERY ICKY. s2 and almost all of s3 i had ZERO sympathy for him. then his dad was an ass and when he sacrificed himself because he thought of his mom that was actually like. ouch, but still i hate you. also his hair is ugly change my mind.

max? actually kinda of hated her the first few episodes she was in. like. she was kind of a bitch. she grew on me tho!! and by the time she and el started talking i was happy to see her. she's also. not as whiny as most of the boys in the group so. that was nice and her hair is always cute.

el? able to consistently get on my nerves and make me happy. it's a little funky. GREAT style tho i would steal a lot of her clothes. her relationship with hopper makes me go <3

suzie? did not like, personally, but i wouldn't protest if she showed up again. also if she wasn't annoying and made dustin sing hopper wouldn't have that shit happen to her and i would like her more.

bob? i was sad and i probably cried idr. he grew on me and i think he was sweet. he made joyce happy and he made me happy that he liked to help even when he had no clue what was going on and sometimes his advice didn't work.

mike? whiny bitch. learn how to be a decent friend and i'll give u another thought. why is nothing ever your fault? have you ever considered that it MIGHT be at least partially your fault?? ass.

will? honestly, the kid grows on me. he's always caught up in some shit and its hard to actually get anything from that but what you do get... he mostly seems like a sentimental guy who just wants to play games with his friends. i can respect that.

lucas? if he does dumb shit in s4 i WILL call him out. no hesitation. he is prone to doing dumb shit with zero regard for the consequences it seems. he's at least useful when you need him and can find him.

jonathan? he switches between "oh he's p chill actually" and "JONATHAN WHAT THE FUCK" so. idk. u kno what i mean. he's pretty smart tho he carries the party when they're stressed and i'm proud of him.

um. i think that's it. i started this post the day that i finished s3, got tired and went to bed, and now it is a whole 5 days later and i am one ep off from finishing s4. yay?

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constantementeimaginando · 2 years

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Will headcanons

School + friends + family

My boy Will would be pretty good at school, he’ll do well, but of course that the subjects he would like the most are the ones related to art, or when he had to make projects

Science would be the kind of subject he’d like, specially because of the projects he could make, where he would need to create a visual representation of the solar system, for example

He likes space, the stars and the planets, it fascinates him

I think he would be quite good at math but being just uninterested at it

Very crafty

Commited™ to all the projects he would have to do for school, so much so that the Byers family would be involved, he’d be directing and giving instructions to Joyce and Jonathan, where to use the hot glue gun, how much blue paint is needed to paint this one bit of the project.

Initially very very shy; so team assignments were not something he liked very much, only if it was with Mike, Dustin and/or Lucas

I will do another one on his friendship with the party bc I have Ideas

#will byers #will the wise #st #stranger things #stranger things headcanon #will headcanon

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occasionallykettle · 2 years

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stranger things 5 wishlist

stranger things 5 wishlist – in no particular order

max waking up from her coma, but still being blind. i hope they don't just brush her literally dying and coming back to life off and continue like nothing ever happened (that kind of happened with will in season 1 and 2 but i can't blame anyone since it was important for the storyline that everything was kept a secret and stuff) because having a blind character would be interesting, since she could prove that she can still be helpful to the party despite now having a disability.

dimitri (enzo) coming back for season 5. i am honestly kind of hoping that the whole russia storyline is over, since it was painful (a bit boring tbh) to see joyce, murray and hopper doing totally their own thing for the entire season, however i still want dimitri to come back. he was a pretty interesting character, in that he didn't backstab hopper, joyce and murray after they escaped and stuck with hopper the entire time. he couldn't have gone back to russia (at least i don't think so) because he must be considered a pariah/fugitive, so is he somewhere in america now? i guess i wouldn’t mind yuri coming back as well, i just think he fulfilled his role in the series and isn't needed anymore (that's where he differs from dimitri).

mike and will (possibly argyle and jonathan as well) having a much greater role in season 5. i was kind of disappointed when will and mike, who are supposed to be part of the og party, were on a road trip for half the season, so the fact that they are getting a bigger role in season 5 makes me ecstatic.

byler happening. if there is one season that is perfect for byler, it will be season 5. i mentioned this in a previous post but 4 and a half seasons of build-up will make byler incredibly satisfying when in inevitably happens.

it would also be great if they were to address the painting. like mike has this "oh my god" moment about the painting and the last letter that el sent to mike. mike could find the letter on the ground and read it again and then connect the dots.

more scenes with murray, joyce and hopper working as a team (and, as previously mentioned, dimitri). they are a pretty intelligent group and fun to watch. great dynamics between all of them.

robin and vickie. need i say more?

will shoots a gun and saves someone as a result of it. we know that he knows how to load and shoot a gun (and most likely done it before with his father), and no one has seen him do anything to harm someone in order to save someone else (something like smashing billy's head with a pipe, which mike did, or threatening to hurt billy with steve's bat, which max did) and we all know that he is far more capable than he seems. will shooting a gun is the bare minimum, for me.

if and when max wakes up from her coma, i really want erica to be there. i think it was really sweet when she stayed at the hospital with her brother despite barely knowing max, because her brother was there. i believe and hope that she will have a greater purpose in season 5, since she is a part of this vecna mess now.

robin and will finally meet (for real this time) and have a good talk about something they share in common. being different. i'm pretty sure robin has come to terms with her sexuality and has accepted it far better than will has. and jonathan is great, but he is most likely straight (he hasn't shown signs of being otherwise) and he can never relate to the struggle that his brother faces every day like robin can, and thus cannot help him as much as robin can. i am aware that the duffer brothers stated that they wouldn’t be doing smaller storylines in season 5 (for example, getting steve a girlfriend) like they did in the previous seasons, however this is not a small storyline. it's will byers' identity, one of the main characters of season 5. and when he does eventually get with mike, it will have been worth it to have a chat with robin, and make a lot more sense.

i was originally not planning to post this one publically because i know that a lot of people strongly disagree, but i am kind of hoping that eddie doesn't return for season 5. his character was great, but he did seem like a one season character. like bob, alexei and barb. and if eddie does come back, then literally none of the important characters (maybe papa but he was destined to die from the beginning anyway) died. eddie died at the perfect time (writing wise – not so much for the characters) and if he were to be brought back to life, then i would personally just be confused and a little disappointed. joseph quinn did say, however, that he would be returning for season 5 (or something similar), so eddie might come back in flashbacks or something. or at least, that's what i hope. also, if eddie were to come back, then that just adds another character that needs an important role in the storyline, or what would have been the use in bringing him back? there's already will, mike, dustin, lucas, el, possibly max, joyce, hopper, jonathan, nancy, steve, robin and probably some more that i forgot, that need to play an important role in season 5 for all the build-up to be worth it. and besides, did the duffer brothers not say that it would be down to the core 4 to defeat vecna? that means that all of the young adults (that includes eddie) will not be involved in the final blow to vecna, and so that kind of disproves the kas theory (there is the possibility that i am misinterpreting what the duffer brothers said about the core 4).

el gets some independent badass moments. i think she already established that we was capable of doing great things by herself but now we need it to be explicit. and also, more centred around her personality – how her compassion, loyalty and bravery helps in the time of battle.

mike or will to get vecna'd. i feel kind of mean saying that, but it could be very beneficial to the plot. think about it, if one or the other were to get vecna'd, that would allow for a very emotional scene directed by the person that doesn't get vecna'd. i actually made a post about this here already.

we see more of jonathan and will being brothers. they were shown to be quite close in season 1 and 2, but then they started drifting apart after that. it's still very clear, though, that they both care for each other very much, and i would like to see a lot more of that in season 5.

similarly, more scenes with el and hopper. i think they were awesome in season 2, like they could both teach each other things. and el needs a proper father figure, since she has literally never had one before in her life. i liked how hopper was there for el in season 2 when she was closing the gate, since that really shows that even the strongest and most independent of characters need other people to help them sometimes.

this list is unfinished, but these are the ones that i think are most likely and/or my top ones. this post is also mainly for my documentation purposes so that when season 5 comes out i can find this list easily, so if i was unclear on some things, i apologise!

#stranger things 5 wishlist #stranger things

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willel · 9 months

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You may disagree with it, but if S5 is centered on some WillEl content that is completely unrelated to Joyce and Jonathan, it would be disappointing and just uninteresting imo. El and Will aren’t such compelling characters when they’re isolated from their family, natural or not.

Why would I disagree with that? I just said I need Byers family content to come through and how I'm unsure of how confident to feel about it even though WillEl is pretty much confirmed at this point.

I disagree with Will and El not being compelling characters. I may not relate to the amount of trauma they have with the whole supernatural bits, but I do relate to the introverted characters trying to find their peace and confidence to be themselves. Coming of age stories are my favorite for this reason, as a fellow introvert.

I often speculated that Will in season 3 could've benefited from some alone time in season 3 separated from his friends to make his own way and gain that confidence he needed to face the challenges they were about to face, but it didn't happen. I thought the same thing for season 4 but that also didn't happen. I doubt he'll be alone in season 5 but it'll still be compelling for me to finally see this boy sprout his wings and say "hell no". Character isolation is not always a detriment, nor does it mean it isn't compelling. At least, not for me. I can only speak for myself.

Anyway, I've always been a Byers family fan. I love all of them. I love WillEl. I love JonWill. I love JonEl. I love Joyce and all her babies. I like Hopper most of the time too when they write him right. Like, top tier family for me they are precious so of course I want the Duffers to write them for season 5?

#ask #Anonymous

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cherrydreamer · 2 years

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which ST character do you relate to the most? -🎈

Ooh this is such a good question! I had to really give this one a good think, as I definitely relate of bits of Will (father issues, always a bit of an outsider, love my friends and I've definitely had some questionable haircuts!) but I honestly think it's probably Bob XD I'm definitely a bit of a dork, and I try to be kind and helpful, I can see myself bringing around a stack of puzzles and brainteasers to keep a poorly friend busy! (Also I'd do pretty much anything for Joyce Byers!) I don't know if I'd be as brave as him, but I like to think I'd try. Thank you for asking anon!

#super question!#this one got me thinking #i might wake up at like 3am with a 'OMG NO I DEFINITELY RELATE MORE TO...' realisation later but. yeah. bob!

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kaypeace21 · 3 years

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Idk if this is possible or not or if you've done it already but could you list all the rainbow references in the show?

Haha- talk about pandora’s box. Sure, personally i think the rainbows have multiple meanings -3 meanings to to be exact

1) Rainbows being associated with psychics + Will’s powers plot twist

*We see in the stranger thing novel 'suspicious minds' when overusing powers you may hallucinate rainbows (which are also associated with the void/ monsters in the series) .

Terry: “Spots bloomed behind her eyelids. Every color … as the sunlight turned to rainbows” ( p44-45), “streaks of rainbow appeared (p47)”,“The rainbow stayed with Terry for a long while, but eventually it faded and in its place: darkness. A pit.”(p. 48).

Alice (who sees visions of the future) : “Snarling, snapping monsters,RAINBOW LIGHTS playing in the air around them” (p. 121).

cough Will being in the upsidedown/being chased by “monsters”. And Joyce communicating with Will via “rainbow lights.”

The rainbow room (from s2) also has a rainbow on the door- according to the novel kali drew that rainbow. Similar to Will's rainbow drawing. Kali in the book also creates a rainbow allusion with sunflowers (Terry ref).

Kali: “field of yellow sunflowers grew up around them. A rainbow arcing over the golden tops.” (p. 139). “He noticed she’d drawn up there, a rainbow with her colored pencils. Maybe he’d suggest that for the playroom” (the rainbow room we see in s2) (p. 298)

I also already talked about how Terry saying "breath, sunflower, rainbow " is actually a reference to s1 Will- here (in link including pic of Will and Terry being told to “breath”.

*El in s3 also thinks of papa, her mother , and the rainbow room- cause she sees a cereal box with a rainbow (on it).

Dustin and susie sing a song from the film adaption of the book "never ending story". Which indicates how Will is subconsciously creating the supernatural creatures & people in the series . Before they sing, we also see susie is next to a ‘wizard of oz’ posters & she reads & talks to Dustin about the book "wizard of earthsea'. 2 of the 3 examples have rainbow-related songs (in their film adaptions) & all 3 hint at Will’s powers.

* wizard of earthsea:

It’s about a pre-teen wizard named Ged who has a bowl cut (Will) who casts a powerful spell, but the spell goes awry and instead he releases a shadow creature (by opening a portal between the living & dead- Will is a zombie boy remember?)! The new Archmage, Gensher, describes the shadow as an ancient evil that wishes to possess Ged. But the ‘shadow’ turns out to be a representation of the darkest aspects of his personality. It’ only when he calls the shadow monster by his own name “Ged”(cough mf=will the wise) does the monster stop acting out. The only way to save the world is for ged to then merge with the shadow(and for Ged to accept himself-and “become whole”).This also reminds me of the “Jungian shadow”

* never ending story:

Bastian ( who has a bowl cut- and is from single parent house hold) subconsciously creates a fantasy world being over run by darkness (symbolizing the loss of hope and dreams). One of the characters he creates is Atreyu (El). Atreyu ( was the child deemed the ‘chosen one). “Atreyu is knocked into the sea of possibilities. There he wakes on the shore of abandoned ruins. And Gmorick (mindflayer) then latches his jaws onto Atreyu’s (El’s) leg.”Pretty much what happened to El.”The Empress in the story later tells Atreyu, that despite being told he was the chosen one (he never was). And that it was always Bastian (Will) who was the chosen one-since his imagination created Fantasia (so he’s the only way to stop the darkness from over -running it).”

Will has mental health issues and accidentally writes a “story” about the shadow monster (reflecting his tra*ma). Bastian is depressed (over his parent) and subconsciously creates a story about darkness over-running everything. Like how Hopper describes his depression- like a black hole.

song Dustin & Susie sing:

“Written on the pages is the answer to a never ending story” (cough the books susie referenced - are explaining the answer to what’s causing the mindflayer/upsidedown/the lab...this story )

“DREAM a dream. And what you DREAM will be” ( Will’s imagination making his nightmares come true)

“Rhymes that keep their secrets Will unfold behind the clouds.And there upon a RAINBOW Is the answer to a never ending story.”

(the lyric “rhymes that keep their SECRETS” purposely pans to Will both times the song is sung). Because the ‘SECRET’ is -he’s causing everything. And thus he’s the only way to stop it- or they’ll all be stuck in a never-ending story. The only way to stop it is for Will to face his shadow/the mindflayer (aka the other Will) who is always shown within the STORM CLOUDS . Will needs to create a RAINBOW (out of those storm clouds). Like rainbows that show up AFTER a storm.He’d do this by accepting himself , his tra*ma/mental health relating to his dad, and or his gay identity- then the story will be able to end.Dustin even says “ defeat his RAINBOW of DARKNESS” (and later says a “rainbow is the answer ”(to the story). st book:”The RAINBOW stayed with Terry for a long while, but eventually it faded and in its place: DARKNESS. A pit.”AKA: Will has to face his symbolic darkness and the storm/and than create a rainbow from it- for the story to end...

When Dustin says ‘rainbow of darkness’ he talks about my little pony- where one of their friends became a dragon. in d&d wizards can become dragons &Bastian also summons a dragon with his imagination powers in ‘never ending story’. And Will is associated with dragons: s1he has dragon comic & drawing, s2 Will has dragon poster in his room + watches his friends play dragon game. And again... dungeons & dragons.

Also tw for s.a/parental ab*se (so skip to ‘wizard of oz’ if you prefer ). In the 4th book of wizard of Eathsea (20 years after the original, where ged was the protagonist). The new main protagonist - was r*ped and burned by her father as a child (and in the sequel she became a dragon as a form of empowerment ). which goes with my lonnie theory-sadly.

*wizard of oz:

it’s about a Dorothy creating a mythical world based on people she both likes and dislikes . Dorothy sings in the movie a song about a ‘RAINBOW’ and references ‘DREAMS’ coming true in a mythical land -much like the ‘never ending story’ song (referencing “rainbows”/”dreams” coming to life).

“There's a land that I heard of once in a lullaby Somewhere over the RAINBOW, Skies are blue, And the DREAMS that you dare to dream, really do come true...”

We see in s1 Hopper cop-partner calls the lab “emerald city”. Murray in s2 says people “don’t want to look behind the curtain” (to see what’s causing the supernatural -in the film what was literally behind the curtain was a wizard-cough like Will). We also have -lion, tiger, and bear stuffed animals (as a ‘lion, and tigers, and bears-oh my!’ quote )from the film. And David harbor (Hopper) when referencing the s4 rainbow room (quotes the song) and he also quotes a speech from Dorothy-when posting about the cabin the mindflayer destroyed.

2) Rainbow cups (hinting at Lonnie’s return)

We see 2 rainbow cups in the series.

in s2) when Mike & Will are sitting together & saying they’re “crazy together” . This cup next to them says “happy birthday” in rainbow. Later that season- they talk about Will’s birthday-rainbow drawing, Mike&Will meeting & Lonnie leaving. And in s2, we also see in Will’s room a card that says “sorry, I forgot your birthday”(most likely from Lonnie). So both Lonnie & Mike are associated with Will’s bday.

in s3) We see a woman yell “I don’t want her in my house!” (while she sits next to a rainbow cup). reminiscent of Joyce saying to Lonnie “get out of my house”. We also know there are rumors s4 takes place during Will’s birthday & Lonnie’s actor may have been spotted on set. Along with the fact (it’s pretty much confirmed) Mike will be visiting the Byers in s4. However, the woman (next to the rainbow cup) also says “2 visitor only. 2!″

THE 2 VISITORS ARE MIKE &LONNIE (for Will’s b day).

Also, in s3, when El is drinking from cup- she sees a rainbow. And what’s the first word she thinks of? “Papa.”

so rainbow+cup= shitty dads (lonnie & brenner) probably returning

*And of course if that’s the case -Lonnie (the same guy who called Will h*mophobic sl*rs) will not be supportive of Mike & Will’s “friendship”. And will not be nice to Mike (to say the least). Like... imagine Hopper in s3 - but we know he’s not bluffing and the audience won’t have the option to take it as a joke... and yes the s4 movies hint at that...

3) gay symbolism

First we have Mike wheeler. He in s1 has rainbows sheets, rainbow bedroom blinds , and in his basement there’s a heart propelled by a rainbow. This is like how in s3 Mike kisses El and there is a drawing that says "Mike'. And on the drawing is a heart propelled by a rainbow. I already explained how its symbolic of him trying to be straight/fighting his feelings for Will, but wherever he goes a rainbow still follows (even when he tries being romantic with El). He’s trying to hide his “rainbow heart” by dating El- why in s3 (the rainbow-heart in his basement) mysteriously disappeared from his room (but a similar symbol follows Mike even when he kisses El).

Even in s2 when talking about Will (in the AV tech room): Mike is placed in the center of 2 objects : an object with 11 on it & on the right a rainbow apple (this apple is supposed to be an ode to the gay father of computers- but also about the forbidden apple). Hinting at the love triangle of Mike (with El/Will). PLUS, in the ST book ‘worlds turned upsidedown’ they literally show Mike in the AV room- and put the caption “FALLING IN LOVE- with tech” (and placed rainbow flags next to the caption). And of course we have Mike & Will pose next to the rainbow apple- in the AV room.

We also see when Mike and Will says they’re “crazy together” (aka LOVE-as Flo stated) and they’re next to a rainbow cup that says Happy birthday .

And later that season they ref the rainbow ship Will drew for his birthday-which Joyce was "proud" of. And while dancing with a girl (Will according to the script was looking at Mike instead of her) . That girl is wearing a rainbow heart hair pin. This is essentially a parallel to Mike . Will (next to a rainbow heart) is dancing with a girl, but is secretly thinking of Mike. Mike (next to a rainbow heart) is kissing el but secretly thinking of Will (and immediately goes on a movie double date with Will after this). The lyrics of both these scenes indicate they're not happy pretending to be straight. The lyrics for Will are "every smile you fake". And Mike while kissing el is "just a little uncertainty can bring you down" (and during this lyric is when El puts her hands on him-and he removes her hands from him *aka he’s not as confident in the relationship as he pretends to be.

We see in s4 bts that the rainbow heart hair pin (worn by the girl Will dances with) is also worn by nancy while standing next to Robin (who is gay). So being near a ‘rainbow-heart’ is prob a hint a character is gay. Aka robin & Will & Mike.

tumblr user “awhstrangerthings” pointed out the nancy -hair clip detail.

In s1 when troy is calling Will h*mophobic sl*rs (in front of Mike) he wears a rainbow shirt. And max while often critiquing m*leven (in s3) (to Mike) often wears rainbow shirts. I talked about how I thought Troy and max subconsciously remind Mike he isn't straight - so they're associated with the rainbow iconography-post here. Like we see Max with rainbow sheets (like Mike) and than she immediately talks to him on the phone. I mean she could be queer- but I lean to that theory at the moment.

The whole being near rainbows when associating with a queer character makes sense (it’s like a ‘gay-dar”). Similar to Nancy’s hair clip when being near Robin/ that Girl having the same rainbow hair clip when dancing with Will. If we assume this theory than see a pattern with other characters (when speaking about/being near queer coded characters)....

it’s similar to how : When lucas (via subtext) criticizes m*leven- he is also next to a rainbow (in Erica's room). I explained here- why it’s about m*leven.

or when Jonathan says he’s going to hang out with Will (it’s near a rainbow).

This Jonathan moment -Is similar to when Steve ( who has a rainbow bandaid-from the Byers’ house) calls Mike “Nancy” (which is slang for a gay guy)

*another addition: you see in the comments of this post ghostgirlsatin mentioned Dart has a rainbow blanket. But, I noticed a couple of other things.

notice Dustin says "we have to talk- its about my friend ,Will". As Dustin is near rainbow lights and a rainbow bed sheet. Like how

A) rainbows are associated with the supernatural creatures + Will

B) rainbow lights associated with Will

C) rainbows near straight characters when talking about /near queer characters... similar to how Jonathan is near a rainbow when talking about Will

*also can’t tell if that is a ‘rainbow ship’ poster?

We also see Erica has a sunflower & rainbow drawing in her room... at the moment not sure if its just a random easteregg , foreshadowing something supernatural we're not aware of yet? or just for the m*leven diss?

(although given the fact i think some characters were created by Will- and given all the Max &Billy/Will & jonathan parallels ... the rainbow stuff may be a hint Will created them? I mean they even made a Troy comic just to show his dad is a bully.) But, at the moment, i still lean to (some) characters having rainbow iconography because they’re referring to/are near a queer character.

#will byers #byler #mike wheeler #dustin henderson #el hopper #lucas sinclair #max mayfield #steve harrington #robin buckley #nancy wheeler #jonathan byers #jim hopper #joyce byers #stranger things #stanger things theory

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1jet2unknown · 3 years

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Harringrove Feedback Fest – entry-drug fanfictions & favorite artists

I‘m so happy @gothyringwald is organizing this feedback fest as I think there are so so so many talented creators in the Harringrove Fandom and, with me still being kind of new to the party, I‘m sure I will be able to find so many more creators to connect with & obsess over.

Let me start off with some of the fanfictions that I had stumbled over last year and that actually got me into the fandom. Most of them are rather long, lot of them pretty angsty and all of them are mature/explicit. Warning: They‘re all amazing!

Under the Covers by ToAStranger [M | 59k]

Steve is (maybe) a little bit still in love with Nancy Wheeler and (maybe) trying to figure himself out-- between the night terrors and the babysitting and the general weirdness that is Hawkins, Indiana-- before he graduates.

Billy Hargrove fits in there somewhere (probably).

dried up, half full - by lymricks [E | 60k]

Implied/Referenced Child Abuse | the POV switches now! | Billy fights the monsters too!

Steve’s been coming out here searching for a monster in the woods. He’s finally found one.

“What do you want, Hargrove?”

Don't Tell Me There's No Hope At All/ Together We Stand, Divided We Fall by Straight_Outta_Hobbiton [M | 59k]

Billy's used to being afraid of his father, and he knows he's not the only one scared. But it's one thing to know your stepmother gets smacked around every once in a while and another thing completely to find her body on the bathroom floor.

He's a mess, Max is even more of a mess, and Joyce Byers is a queen among mothers, she really is.

Damned If I Do You by ThirdActLove [M | 55k]

The first time Billy’s dad called him a faggot, Billy didn’t really know what he meant.

Billy Hargrove Needs A Nap – by lilpeas [E | 74.3k]

It’s one thing to be a light sleeper in this shitty town that won’t shut up at night, but it’s another thing entirely to fall asleep on Steve Harrington’s shoulder during last period English.

Pain, Will You Return It? by Anonymous [E | 32.9k]

When Billy gets beaten to a literal pulp by his dad, the police get involved. Billy has to come to terms with what he has done to those around him.

He doesn't want to be like his dad.

Especially when he sees Steve Harrington. When he sees Steve, he wants to be good.

Three is Better (than One) by ToAStranger [E | 4k]

"This little bitch is tonight's toy," Billy says, walking over, hooking a finger through the loop at the front of Steve's collar and pulling until Steve's stumbling up onto his feet; he smacks a hand onto Steve's ass and laughs as Steve yelps and staggers forward a step. "Her pussy is already nice and ready for you."

meet with monsters by lymricks [E | 13.4k]

Implied/Referenced Child Abuse | Billy fights the monsters too! | Protective Parent Jim "Chief" Hopper

Harrington stops. Billy watches all the blood drain out of Harrington’s face and there wasn’t much color there to start with. Harrington lifts the bat again, tries to get to his feet, lands back on his ass. “Billy,” he says again, but it’s desperate now, not relieved. “Billy, behind you!”

Four times Hopper doesn't arrest Billy and one time he does.

what a wicked game you played (to make me feel this way) by brawls (brawlite), ToAStranger [E | 119k]

Billy knew Steve Harrington would ruin him. Steve knew Billy Hargrove was nothing but trouble.

They never expected it to end up like this.

I also feel the need to point out some of the incredibly talented artists the Harringrove fandom has:

@wrecked-fuse – whose fanart was actually the trigger for my harringrove obsession. The artstyle, the amazing colorations (&incredible lighting) and the broad range of expressions & sceneries just made me instantly fall in love!!

@zayacv – whose AU short comics are so intriguing and hot that I reread a lot of them several times by now! You are looking for some steaming hot NSFW with great angles and the most lickable thighs in the fandom? Then zayac is the artist for you!

@ihni – whose doodles are just so damn funny! I had some really shitty days over the past few months but the creativity and joy of ihni‘s harringrove doodles really kept me sane & positive!

@pastenaga - whose Harringrove comic „Bad News“ broke my heart in the most beautiful way – over and over again! Seriously… if you haven‘t read this comic yet and you enjoy some angst & family feel: This is what you‘re looking for!!

@juu-riin – who is not just creating amazingly funny doodles but also increadibly pretty artwork. It‘s really the full package you get with this amazing artist!

@opaldraws / trashycatarcade – who has such an amazing take on Billy & Steve‘s relationship. There is so many cute artworks that really show new & adorable angles of the boys. Just so much creativity!

@wastingtime-justart – whose sketchy artstyle is just so damn pretty and makes especially Billy looks just so sensual! I‘m just in love with the strong strokes, the amazing anatomy and the way especially Billy‘s mouth and hair always look so pretty!

@gravegroves – who draws one of the most sensual Billy‘s I‘ve ever encountered. He just looks so damn BEAUTIFUL in all the pieces…

@avalonlights - whose clean arstyle & coloration I absolutely love. Whenever I look at their art, I wish it was an actual cartoon that I could watch!

@swankystuckup1 – whose soft artstyle & coloration skills I absolutely adore! And their art is so lively, with a wide range of expressions and moods just perfectly put to paper. Seriously check them out!

@ichigata – whose paintery artstyle is mesmerizing and especially I love the way she draws Billy!

@darkmystwraith – who draws Billys locks perfectly! You like seeing our kings (& especially Billy) topless looking hot as hell? Then this artist is for you!

...

There would be so so many more to name… but this post is already long enough as it is. So I‘ll leave you with a big THANK YOU to all you amazing people in this wonderful fandom and am excited to check out everyone‘s else Feedback Fest entries to find even more amazing people.

#harringrove #harringrove event #harringrove feedback fest #fic rec #artist rec #fanfiction recommendation #fanart recommendation #how amazing are all of these people #amazing fanart #amazing fanfiction #stranger things #stranger things fandom #artist support #creator support

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