#sorry lumax on top

[sinclairstarz]

I’m not a huge elmaxer but I do think it’s fairly cute and whatever, but… if u ship elmax and dont ship lumax…..! idk there seems to be a trend of ignoring a well written, super cute and enjoyable mixed/poc m/f ship in favor of a bland, mega whatever they-touched-once white on white queer ship, under the pretense that you can just be like “oh i just dont like m/f ships theyre boring” :/ like. lumax is so much more interesting than elmax im sorry, elmax is cute and i think el probably had a crush on max at somepoint, but the lumax dynamic, “do you accept the risk”, “I like talking with you, stalker.”, “i disappeared / no you didnt, i just didn’t look hard enough”, “movie friday?”, just everything about them will always beat elmax?? its weird so many of you are so quick to ship el and max and put them alongside byler (ignoring the canon byler/lumax parallels and double date!) claiming that m/f ships are boring and queer ones are better, while ships like byclair or henclair are rarely talked about by the same crowd. it smells like racism!

#ship what you want #but i think ur weird #sorry lumax on top #literally the best ship in the show other than maybe byler #and the people who pair of elmax and then pair off henclair #just so they can pretend they care about lucas or even dustin and not be called racist #! ur weird #fans who only care about elmax and byler…. #do NOT interact thats crazy #this fandom loooooves their white people #stranger things #byler #lumax #idk if i should tag elmax ☠️ #but its not really elmax hate either #i do genuinely think elmax is cute! elumax is very cute to me #fandom #harpersays

[mimymomo]

In ‘Lucas on the Line,’ Lucas Sinclair experienced countless bouts of racism and micro aggressions including but not limited to:

Had children run away from him and refuse to touch him because they thought his Black skin color would rub off on them. This happened IN THE THIRD GRADE! And he never told his parents about it!

Calmed his anxiety about being the only Black kid in his homeroom class by coming to the realization that since there was no other Black kids that meant he most likely wouldn’t be bombed

Had to install a camera in his locker because his property got defaced by a glitter bomb

Lost his first and only black friend/mentor who supported him thanks to an ACTUAL MAKESHIFT BOMB being installed in his locker that caused a janitor to go to the hospital for 1st/2nd degree burns (and the white boy who did it barely got punished)

Got teased that the only reason he got on the basketball team was because he was Black

Comes to the realization that he might’ve actually only gotten in the team because the coach has a history of recruiting Black boys for the team regardless of their skill level

Gets called an Oreo (for uneducated: white on the inside, black on the outside) by racist bullies. Erica (who apparently has also been called this) sticks up for him and is the only one who understands what the insult means which means Mike and Dustin don’t know/understand the lengths of how deep the racism Lucas experiences in Hawkins on a daily bases

And these aren’t even all of them! These are just examples I had from the top of my head!

And despite all this happening in the book, “fans” have STILL FOUND A WAY to turn this book about Lucas and his struggles as a Black boy in a mostly white suburban town and his deteriorating relationship with Max and make it about Byler!

The fact that Lucas, one of the only characters of color on this show, can’t have ANYTHING to himself without people using him to push their ships is so aggravating!

He and Erica constantly get shit talked and miss characterized by fans, get excluded/cut out of group shots, and barely get any fanart/fics about them and their struggles compared to the white characters (I could make a whole new post about the terrible way this fandom treats Erica but I won’t do that here). Hell don’t forget that the fandom constantly tries to dispute the racism Lucas received in S2 from Billy was either not really racism, just a moment that Duffer Bros. put in to “ruin” Billy’s character and ultimately can be tossed out and ignored.

The only time I ever see Lucas get any large amount of attention is either due to 1) Lumax (but let’s be honest: 90% of the lumax tag on here isn’t even about them and has now become Elumax 2.0 and most post are people praising ElMax and then being like “oh Lucas/lumax is cute too” in the tags and that’s it). 2) people creating “parallels” of Lumax to their ship of choice (mostly Byler and Mileven) as a way to say that their ship is gonna be canon or 3) to say that he’s bisexual.

And all that is fine and whatever, ship and headcanon things to your hearts content, but if you only care about Lucas if he’s helping push you ship narrative or because you think he’s gay (to the point where some people actually read snippets of the book that talked about Lucas coming to the realization that Black boys like him can be considered attractive and only acknowledge the “queer” reading of the text and completely ignored the big race element that was the main focus), I’m sorry but, that’s not cool. The fact that 95% of the Lucas Sinclair tag isn’t about Lucas himself but white characters like Steve, Eddie, Byler says everything about how the fandom treats him.

I’m just so tired.

Lucas Sinclair deserves the same respect that the white characters get!

I leave you one of my favorite sections of the entire book: Lucas learning to become unabashedly himself:

Rant over.

Edit: in my blind rage I realized I forgot to edit out the Twitter handle. That’s completely my fault. Please don’t hate that Twitter user. I’m just coming back to fix that.

#stranger things #stranger things spoilers #lucas sinclair #lucas on the line #st season 4 #you know what? I AM gonna tag all the popular ships #if you clog the Lucas/lumax tags I’m gonna clog yours #Byler #steddie #mileven #steve harrington #eddie munson #will byers #mike wheeler #Lucas Sinclair deserves better #also stan lumax for clear skin

[jaegerisim]

Vent post y'all are gonna hate me for.

I viscerally hate how the Duffers treat most of their non white or queer characters and I hate even more viscerally, how y'all big byler blogs in your circle jerk of other 5 big byler blogs casually like to ignore many red flags the show has.

Y'all like to say: "tHe DufFeRs ArE gReAt WrIteRs" and it's like girl, who are you lying to??? They aren't top shit writers at all. The Duffers are pretty mid imo. Yeah, they run a good show that's fun to watch and theorize abt , but that doesn't mean they're good writers cuz they're not.

1. they completely side lined Will during s3 for the sake of their straight romances: lumax, jancy, mlvn, duzie and partly stobin (even if stobin wasn't endgame, thankfully, Steve's intentions were clearly wanting to date Robin and they gave it a lot of screen time). Will was sidelined bc he didn't fit the straight romance plotline bc they planned to make him gay or whatever. Now in s4 Will and his feelings have been used as mlvn toilet paper. Yes, we like to say this is build up for byler but canonically, Will's feelings have been used to clean the shit mlvn leaves behind.

2. Billy was sympathized a lot during the last 2 seasons. They gave him the sad backstoryTM in order for ppl to feel sorry for him. Billy's backstory is literally Jonathan's but whatever.

3. El's anger issues are constantly girlboss-ified. They down play her bullying situation and literally just use it for El to be a ''girlboss" without realizing how triggering that is. As someone who has lived bullying, seeing it be ignored by canon and fanon is super sad. The whole Rink-O' Mania experience must have been so traumatizing for her yet, everyone absolutely forgets abt it 🤷🏻‍♀️

4. Robin, Erica and Argyle are stereotypical characters. Robin is the quirky lesbian with social anxiety, Erica is the badass black woman and Argyle is the Latino stoner that sells weed to white kids and works as a pizza delivery guy.

5. Altho Argyle and Eddie both do drugs, (Eddie actually sells K-12 to a minor and nobody batted an eye. He has a huge fan base). Eddie is held in a pedestal bc "poor thing 🥺 he lives in a trailer with his uncle 🥺". Tell me a single fact you know abt Argyle that isn't "he smokes weed", "he is Jonathan's only friend", "drives a van" and "he works at a pizzeria". Exactly, Eddie is given a useless backstory and Argyle isn't.

6. Dustin stopped being important to the plot sometime around s2 and s3. He is only there to curse and be mildly funny. My guy needs to hangout with ppl his age cuz he only hangs out with seniors.

7. El needs to stop having so much "I'M THAT BITCH" screentime like I need in s5 for El's arc to not just be her becoming more powerful and falling in love with Mike. I need the Duffers to explore her trauma and problems.

8. Angela should have been run over by the van.

9. Patrick should have been given a backstory that isn't the basic "strict black parents that hit their kids cuz they are a disgrace". Patrick's backstory is actually racist af, fight w the wall.

10. As Lex already said, they didn't trigger tag the ep where Jason and his friends assault Lucas and Erica. Like wtf? Why was that necessary? Why did I have to see a black boy being held at gunpoint by some white guy?? Was it relevant to the plot?? I don't think so. And then I've got to see ppl online be like "Jason wasn't that bad. He was just mourning" like bitch you can stfu. This is what happens when you make the racist assholes conventionally attractive.

Also the fact that Lucas's arc is fulfilled by him fist-fighting Jason and "embracing his weirdness" aka accepting he is black. His arc was not fulfilled at all cuz that ending spoke so loud to me. It showed how little empathy ppl have towards the struggles poc ppl living in the Midwest have. Y'all circle jerks can only see racism when it's super obvious.

Furthermore, parents complained when ST showed "an excessive amount of smoking" yet nobody batted an eye when Billy tried to run over Lucas, when Erica (an 11 y.o ffs) was chased by white kids or when Lucas was held at gunpoint by Jason.

All of this happened while they focused on Max's guilt and mourning that, yeah, are important but certainly not less important than racism!!!

11. In s3, they gave us that whole Nancy vs The Bigots arc that was honestly just triggering and useless. It didn't help Nancy's character at all, quite the opposite it put unnecessary angst.

12. Lonnie being presented as an abuser just for him to never be spoken of again. Can we please get to explore the trauma he left the Byers's with?

13. The fact that both queer relationships are considered "sloppy seconds" is extremely sad. Both Vickie and Mike are rebounding from their failed relationship with Robin and Will. These 2 ships have caused more commotion than Jancy and Jopper together! (These last ships are technically sloppy seconds too but everybody forgets that. Shocker!!)

14. Last but not least, ppl blame Argyle for being the one to get Jonathan into smoking weed as if Jonathan probably wasn't the one looking for it. Let me tell you, that you only find weed if you look for it.

#P.S: I'm gonna pay attention to how many ppl send me hate bc of this or block me #stranger things #lucas sinclair #st vickie #robin buckley #jason stranger things #will byers #dustin henderson #eddie munson #argyle #jonathan byers #erica sinclair #byler #← target audience #byler target audience

[stranger-theory]

Song & Scene Analysis, Lumax vs Byler

I've also posted this on the Byler Subreddit, so if you see it there, hi, that's me!

I’m sure you’re aware of song importance in Stranger Things, with the Duffer Brothers saying sometimes it takes weeks to pick a song that conveys the exact message they’re trying to portray. I’ve seen quite a bit of theories around what songs mean what, but there’s one specific song that caught my attention.

There’s a scene in season two, episode six where Lucas and Max speak on top of a bus in the junkyard. It’s a lovely scene in which Max explains her behavior to Lucas, and apologizes for some stuff she wasn’t proud of. She says she’s sorry for acting like a jerk, and doesn’t ever want to be like that, but she feels overwhelmed with her home life and takes it out on people she doesn’t mean to. She then expresses that she likes California, and sometimes wants to go home, but having Lucas there with her for comfort makes her feel better. Max makes a call back to their “Stalker” joke, with a shared laugh. This emotional scene is then cut off by the sighting of a demodog, and a tense scene plays.

Now you know the base of the conversation, let me tell you about a similar scene I see as a parallel. Season four, episode four bedroom talk. This scene is between Mike and Will, where Mike apologizes to Will. In his apology he says he’s sorry for acting like a jerk, but everything with El was just so overwhelming, and he doesn’t want Will to feel like their argument was personal. Mike explains to Will that he likes it in Hawkins, but since Will moved to California, Hawkins feels different. He misses Will. They share a “Cool” with each other and sit in silence while smiling, but are cut off by the doorbell as Jack’s men come searching for El.

These scenes may not feel as similar as I'm insisting with just this information, but there’s a very key portion to this parallel: Music.

I’m going to go through these scenes at the same time to help you understand where I’m coming from. At the current moments in time for these scenes, Lucas/Will have a like Max/Mike, but don’t know how to confront them about it. Max/Mike both apologize to Lucas/Will for hurting them when they didn’t mean to. Max/Mike say the reason they acted like this was because they felt overwhelmed with their lives at the moment. Max/Mike say that they like California/Hawkins, but without Lucas/Will, it wouldn’t be the same. Max/Mike make a callback to “Stalker/Cool”. Almost directly after these heartfelt talks, they’re interrupted with the intense Demodog/Goverment scenes. The same song plays in these scenes to further imply that we’re supposed to view them the same way. The camera slowly zooms closer on their reactions to help the audience understand better, and help it feel more intimate.

These are things you basically can’t deny, as I’m just stating the facts of these scenes. From all of these similarities and comparisons, we can also further suspect other aspects of these scenes. Something we’re allowed to assume is that, like Max, Mike also has feelings for Will. If the original scene including this song is meant to be interpreted as romantic, then why would the second be any different? If the original scene is meant to be read as a “romantic” and “intimate” apology, then why would the second scene suddenly be a purely platonic interaction? If they’d wanted us as an audience to think otherwise, then they would have chosen a different way to portray this scene.

I thank you greatly for listening to me rant about why this scene drove me crazy. I’ve been looking forward to posting this the moment I got tumblr, but with my very on fire Spongebob looking brain, I never remembered. I’d love love looooove to hear your thoughts and add ons to this, ESPECIALLY corrections if i’ve somehow misinterpreted something. I wouldn't want to spread misinformation. Have a good morning, afternoon, or night, folks.

#byler #stranger things #mike wheeler #will byers #byler endgame #byler is canon #byler nation #byler tumblr #byler is real #stranger things theory #lumax #byler parallels #stranger things parallels #lumax parallels #parallels #lucas sinclair #max mayfield #stranger things theories #st theory #st theories #st2 #st4 #st4 theory

[octopusoptimusprime]

why mike wheeler is autistic

by me, your friendly neighbourhood autistic :)

overexaggerated facial expressions

we might be starting off with what seems like a bit of a reach here, but hear me out

mike doesn’t show emotion visually on his face a lot (also an autistic trait) but when he does it’s usually over-the-top and there’s other people around

the way he looks at el in the ‘i dump your ass’ scene - looks to me like he’s playing up the disgust/confusion/anger face because lucas/max can see him. (i also think the fact that it’s not really clear what emotion he’s trying to show proves my point)

‘what about us?’ in rink o’ mania - when he turns around you can see him look genuinely blank/blindsided by will’s comment (this also has romantic/byler implications) but then he arranges his face in a mask of anger

taking things literally

this is mostly just a bullet point solely for the ‘so i should get her something that literally says ‘i’m sorry’ on it?’ scene from s3. because i think that from what lucas said, a nt person would understand what he meant, and an autistic person is more likely to assume the literal meaning, as mike does here

copying others’ examples of ‘normal’ in terms of life/relationships

ohhh i could talk about this one for ages. so much proof on why milkvan is so incompatible lies here too.

so the way mike views his relationship with el is very performative. it’s very putting on a show of normalcy. the fact that the only thing they do together is make out because that’s mike’s perception of how to show people they’re happy together. and it clearly must be mike’s perception, because what opinions would el have on situations like that? the way they make a big show of leaving the party in 0301 to do this also proves it’s mostly for show.

when lucas comments on this when they go to the cinema together, mike defends himself, calling it ‘romantic’, when both hopper and the party can tell there’s something distinctly abnormal about their relationship. that’s because it has very little substance. mike and el don’t actually know very much about each other, which is why mike had such a hard time picking out a gift for her at the mall. but mike thinks that their relationship is normal, and is healthy, because he’s trying to replicate the relationships around him, but he doesn’t have a very good basis for this as he is most likely going off of stancy and his parents, because he sees very little of jancy together, and lumax (arguably the best canon couple in the show) call him out on his relationship’s unhealthiness.

autistic people tend to have a hard time in relationships, because it’s difficult to tell between genuine attraction/a healthy relationship and performative but toxic relationships. speaking from experience, i understand mike completely here. but he also craves stability, which is why in s4 he fights to keep that stability that he has in el, even though he knows now it isn’t right. we accept the love we think we deserve, and autistic people (in my experience) will put up with a lot of toxic and harmful behaviour/situations in order to keep a stable relationship, because we expect people to leave us if we aren’t directly benefitting them. i struggle with this a lot, which is why mike’s storyline in s4 really resonated with me.

difficulty with emotional regulation

with mike, he either has zero emotion or a lot of it, and this kind of ties into the next point, but difficulty controlling emotions is definitely a mike trait. sometimes he is very monotone/blank and can come across rude. a prime example being the dinner scene after rink o’ mania, where mike says ‘she didn’t look fine’ and el storms out.

of course, the opposite of this is when too much emotion comes out at once, usually manifesting in anger for mike (and me too). the rain fight in s3 i think is actually a great example of this, because to me mike has spent a good amount of time masking around lucas, talking about the girls and pretending to be disinterested in dnd - because of lumax’s relationship, i think mike felt a lot of pressure to act the same way as lucas and change his interests here. i don’t think mike intended to hurt will’s feelings, and i think he genuinely didn’t realise that he was. and then the rain fight happens, and to me it looks like mike is so exhausted from masking, and so confused and scared by will’s reaction and having upset him, that this manifests in anger and frustration which is most likely at himself rather than will. he is just projecting the anger he feels at himself (for hurting will and for having to ‘pretend’/not having the same interests as lucas)

i also think the rink o’ mania fight shows this, because it’s the same principle - mike is frustrated with himself for not being the ‘perfect’ boyfriend/not caring about el as much as he should’ve, and this manifests as anger at will (again). i think will is the only person that mike doesn’t really mask around (the ‘will voice’!!), but unfortunately will is also the person he takes his frustration out on when he gets overwhelmed. seeing as this wasn’t the case in s1/2 (because it came out at other people then - lucas/el in s1, hopper in s2) but now that mike is aware of his feelings for will (yes, i do think he knows about how he feels, but he doesn’t think it’s reciprocated & uses it as another reason to hate himself) he outwardly blames will for his relationship problems even though he inwardly knows it’s his fault (& he feels horrible about that too. because there’s no reason why he doesn’t love el the way she wants him to. the way he wants himself to. he just can’t. and he feels like that’s just another thing about him that’s wrong.)

suppression of emotions/masking feelings

so like i said, this is kind of similar to the last point, but it’s mostly just that we barely get to see any emotion from mike other than anger. there are multiple times throughout the show (but especially in s4) where he’s shown to almost smile and then quickly mask it. he’s hyper-aware of how he ‘should’ react in situations. this is just a pretty autistic trait in general, the overanalysing/trying to predict situations in order to act ‘right’.

echolalia/repetition

so this is a verbal stim, and because mike isn’t shown physically stimming (to my knowledge) i think the way that he often repeats words or phrases is his way of stimming. (& not to be depressing, but since it was the 80s any physical stims had probably been ‘disciplined’ out of him).

saviour complex (cue the pheobe bridgers)

i sort of mentioned this earlier, but it’s basically that autistic people have a hard time with self-worth, and the most common way we allow ourselves some self-appreciation is by serving other people. the ‘i can fix them’ mentality is quite common among autistic people, and this is a huge part of mike’s personality. his driving motivation throughout s1 and s2 is ‘saving’ will, along with protecting el and teaching her about the world. (i do think that the reason mike and el connected so quickly and had a sort of mutual understanding was because i also think el is autistic - & this is also why platonic elmike as a dynamic has so much potential and i like them a lot). this ‘fixing’/‘saving’ mentality is a way for mike to prove his own self-worth, that if he can ‘fix’ everyone else maybe he’ll be worth ‘fixing’ too. (i put ‘fixing’ in quotes because obviously there’s nothing wrong with mike. at all. he just believes there is.)

-

(i do also want to add that his talent/academic ability also shows this, as ‘gifted kid syndrome’ is a very popular autistic situation/trait)

(also i think his special interest is dnd which is why it hurt him so much in s3 to have to mask that, and why in s4 he’s so happy about playing again. just watch the hellfire recruitment scene and tell me his little ‘it has 20 sides!’ isn’t the cutest thing you’ve ever seen. <3)

okay, that’s all i have for now! please add onto this with anything else you’ve noticed or anything like that! i love you guys and i love mike wheeler a lot so thanks for reading if you made it this far lol <3

edits:

very black&white sense of justice

another ‘taking things literally’ moment being at the end of s3 when lucas says to mike ‘that’s the olive branch’ and he js goes. huh???

autism dinosaur hands!!

@biigiiiii pointed out that he does have other physical stims like blinking/nodding/playing with his bag straps/pacing <3

his attachment to his toys in s1/2 (playing with el and when karen asks him to give them away he gets Very upset)

#stranger things #autistic mike wheeler #mike wheeler is autistic #mike wheeler hc #mike wheeler #byler #tagging y’all bc i love you & you’re so nice #gay mike wheeler #milkvan bones #anti milkvan #byler endgame #st s4 #st s1 #finn wolfhard

[lucassinclaer]

if that inspires you, can you do please lumax + 16 "things you said with no space between us" ?

helloooo nonny! this one's a few days late and i'm so sorry, but i finally got to finish this lil thing and now i'm having brainrot fr. (small cw for allusions to max's family situation)

lucas will NOT be seeing it (2017) in theaters.

16. things you said with no space between us

There’s this horrible quiet that comes with doom. 

Max knows it well at this point, actually finds some comfort in it now that she doesn’t have to drown out all her thoughts with music. It’s such a certain thing. The ultimate perspective on life, the knowledge of what’s important and what isn’t. Max maybe kind of likes it. 

Lucas, on the other hand, gets antsy. 

Silence, to him, isn’t a comfort. Maybe ever. Max understands it in a way – the Sinclair house is rarely quiet. Erica alone is loud enough to fill any room with life, but Sue isn’t far behind her either, a more comforting but steady stream of chatter she keeps up easy as breathing. Charles is the only reserved one but even he gets animated when the right subject gets brought up. Like planes or Lucas’ biology homework. (Erica once confided in Max that she’s 100% sure Lucas got his “nerd genes” from their father’s side of the family. “You should hear Uncle Jack go off,” she’d said with a long and meaningful look.) 

Spending time at the Sinclairs’ definitely shed some light on Lucas’ constant bickering with Dustin and Mike. There’s no fear in him that a simple argument can shift and shake in a single word. His parents built him and Erica a home where they never have to be truly afraid of their punishments. 

If Max had that, maybe she wouldn’t relish silence either. 

But she did, and so she does, while Lucas gets into his own head. He and Mike can give each other a run for the money in pacing.  

And sometimes, like now, Max can’t take it. She waits for him to pass her and stops him short, tugging at his sleeve. She’s sitting crisscross applesauce on the ground and at this point they’ve done this often enough, so he knows what she’s saying. 

With a sigh he abandons his route and lowers himself to sit in front of her. He spins himself so it’s his back to her and she uncrosses her legs so he can lean back against her while she brackets him, leaving little to no space between them. 

It makes her feel better, knowing that she's someone's resting place. Sometimes it's nice to feel relied on. 

“Do you want the Walkman?” she asks, hands hovering over it at her side. Sometimes that helps, to introduce sound into the dread. They’ve learned to communicate with the lights anyway, he doesn’t always need his ears. 

“No,” he says. “I just wanna get this over with.” 

Max laughs, a little bitter. “You know after this there’s just gonna be another one. And another. And another.” 

He tilts his head back. She’s already looking down at the top of his head, so their noses are almost touching now. The smell of him sits deep inside her chest, an automatic recognition of him. 

“Yeah, but eventually we’ll figure out how to get to the end,” he says and sounds wonderfully confident. Against her better judgment it warms Max from the inside out. His conviction is always so infectious, it’s hard to resist 

Still, she can’t resist challenging him just a little. “What if we don’t?” 

He shakes his head and she feels it against her torso and bumping against her legs. “We will.” He bumps his nose against hers. “And then I never wanna see a Stephen King movie again.” 

#thank you soso much for sending me THEM i so v much hope i characterized them at least semi well #lumax #lucas sinclair #max mayfield #lucas drawing comfort from physical touch and max drawing comfort from words of affirmation they're perfect for each other your honor #*mine #*fics #*ficlets

[blankinsidecards]

Steddie fic rec list

Absolutely nobody asked for this but here we go! These are my top 5 favorites, meaning they live in my brain 24/7 and I want them tattooed on my eyelids. Edit: this has been updated!

oh, happy dagger on sunshine bones by inallthingsgoodorbad

Rating: M • Edit: Complete!

Eddie Munson is stuck in the Upside Down. Barely alive. Steve Harrington is trying to sleep and failing at it, miserably. What a strange thing it is, to save the world alongside friends and come away from it with nightmares and loneliness.

A fix-it fic to a heart wrenching degree. Deals with the trauma and ptsd of each character in really careful detail, and plots out a bright future for them in the same breath. Lots of gorgeous, if messy, original poetry that fit with Eddie’s emotions throughout the fic in really beautiful ways. This fic is criminally underappreciated, but it’s an absolute masterpiece. Highlights include: the nickname of ‘Angel’, bedsharing, a fluffy lumax subplot that made me sob with joy, a wonderful appreciation for our dear Uncle Wayne Munson, and food as a love language. Slooowww burn with so much pining.

the most remarkable thing about you standing in the doorway is that it’s you by @greatunironic

Rating: E • Complete

Sixteen years after the world didn't end for the last time, Max Mayfield showed up on Steve’s doorstep and said, “You gonna walk me down the aisle in May or what?”

Or, it’s 2002 and Steve Harrington attends a wedding, a funeral, and a birth.

As the writer says in the notes of the first chapter, it’s a love letter to “Steve Harrington, father figures, + metalheads everywhere” which I think says more about the feel of it than I can convey here. The way that everyone is written, specifically Joyce and Hopper’s relationships with Steve, as so firmly family is something I didn’t know I needed so bad. I don’t reread fics very often, but I’ve read this one all the way through three times, and have listened to the podfic twice as well. (I’ve never been able to get into podfics but @itty-bitty-blondie did such a beautiful job with it) It will have you ugly crying through every chapter, I guarantee. And as fucking sad as it will make you, it also the softest, most comforting thing I’ve ever read in my life.

You’re Divine by OonionChiver

Rating: E • Edit: Complete!

‘Blood?’ Eddie says again.

Eyes black but for the slice of iridescent white in the centre. His teeth are sharp, his hands are weapons and Steve thinks maybe he’s made a mistake doing this without telling Eddie first. Eddie’s focus lowers, it moves to his left hand which is…

Oh fuck.

It’s dripping blood onto the floor.

‘Shit,’ Steve says, takes a single step back, swallows. ‘Eddie, I’m so sorry, fuck.’

Eddie can’t seem to look away, can’t bring his ethereal gaze back up where it belongs. Steve thinks he should run, he should flee. A tiny part of him knows Eddie will chase him. Eddie will catch him, outrun him easily.

It's more than a little fucked up how that thrills him.

So far, this is definitely my favorite Vampire!Eddie fic I’ve read so far. I’m going to come right out and say it: I’ve read my fair share of toe-curling smut in my time, and this is the only fic that while I was reading it, I felt like I got a ‘New Kink Discovered’ alert. If you like your ships to be co-dependent in the most fucked up ways possible, this is for you. I cannot stress enough how absolutely drunk on this fic I was at the end of the first chapter. Good lord, PLEASE check the tags yourself before reading, it is A Lot. Apart from how hot it is, the author has put a huge amount of detail into the technicalities of Eddie’s vampirism and, I’m not sure if this is accurate due to my own lack of knowledge, but it seems like a lot of it is directly drawn from D&D mechanics and Kas lore. I may be wrong here, but it’s impressive either way. Another big highlight is that they take a sledgehammer to the Mr. & Mrs. Harrington’s shit in a beautifully cathartic way. Don’t be put off by the fact that there’s so few chapters, each chapter is really long and covers several days. It took my two an half hours to read the latest chapter (and I only had to put my phone down to scream into my pillow like, six or seven times)

the lathe by @palmviolet

Rating: M • Complete

"This time, do it right. This time Eddie won’t bleed out in his arms, in anyone’s arms. This time, Steve will do it right."

— or, Steve relives the day they try to kill Vecna over and over, and Eddie just can't seem to stop dying. Steve finds this totally unacceptable.

It’s a time loop fic. It’s a Steve-centric time loop fic. It has more themes and symbolism than Chekhov could shoot a gun at. It peels Eddie’s character apart like an onion. It’s the ultimate put-your-blorbo-in-a-glass-jar-and-study-him-like-a-bug for EITHER of them. It had me waiting like a war widow for each update. I was more anxious over the ending of this fic than I was of the actual s4 vol2. Again, check the tags and individual chapter warnings for yourself because, as the author warns, it really does get so much worse before it gets better- but it gets better. I think this may be one of my favorite fanfics of all time, of any fandom, and that’s really saying something.

a bottle of rouge (just me and you) by @anniebibananie and @galmance

Rating: E • Edit: Complete! • AU

Eddie was sure 1988 was going to be his fucking year. Harringley had finally made it big enough for their first national tour, and, sure, they might all get sick of each other on the bus and kill their livers over the course of several months, but this was his fucking dream. None of that other shit could wreck it.

But Eddie Munson’s life has always been a dumpster fire of massive proportions, so really he should have expected it: Steve Harrington ruining his fucking life.

[Over the course of Harringley’s first national tour, band rules are made, broken, and might just cause feelings that leave them on the precipice of destroying everything they’ve built.]

Eddie-centric band fic where the Fruity Four is a band and everyone is too fucking hot for their own good. Classic friends-with-benefits setup with delightfully fast realizations of Actual Feelings. I’m talking a -‘no fucking bandmates’ rule at the beginning of chapter one, and a blowjob by the end of chapter one- kind of pace. I haven’t seen a lot of bi/pan Eddie fics yet, and this one does a good job describing how he feels attraction. (I’m NOT saying it’s ‘good bi/pan rep’. The man is a SLUT and it’s FUN) I also love how they’ve written Nancy as this hardcore drummer while somehow keeping her completely in character. Highlights include Jonathan Byers being Steve’s ex-boyfriend, Argyle being the band’s beloved bus driver, and several absolutely electric concert scenes. There’s also not a SHRED of ‘period-typical homophobia’ if that’s something you, like me, have a hard time reading.

Edit: the sequel come right inside (welcome to my new life) just began and it’s from Steve’s pov five years later. Where Side A was the epitome of Sex, Drugs, and Rock & Roll; Side B is already addressing the recovery the characters have needed from that destructive lifestyle, and I’m so down for it. Edit: also now complete and with a very sweet happy ending!

#stranger things #eddie munson #steve harrington #stranger things fic rec #steddie fanfiction #steddie fic rec #stranger things fanfiction #fic rec list #steve x eddie #steddie #fanfiction #top five favorites #top five Steddie fics #steve harrington/eddie munson #free to reblog

[jjtheresidentbaby]

Rating Stranger Things Ships

(I’ve seen so many people do this so I wanted to)

(Some of these don’t have ship names as I can’t remember them or just can’t spell sheubeud)

(Btw feel free to send in any asks you have any these or just want me to talk more abt them)

- Byler 8/10- I love them but I understand the people who don’t. Honestly before season 4 Will and Mike were low on the favorite character tower, they were basically at the bottom actually. But I love Will in season 4 and season 4 Mike is so good to me (even if he’s oblivious). Also them being absolute idiots when they start dating is canon, just little whispers back and forth, Mike crushing will in his sleep, wills constant need to do laundry bc Mike drools in his sleep, Mike posing funny for paintings, Will getting his picture taken by Mike every five seconds- just awe

- Mileven- 4/10- Eh. I didn’t even like them in 1&2 so there isn’t much to say, I think season 3 showed some cute moments and the part in the pizza place in 4 was so cute to me. I don’t really love the idea of them staying together but I get peoples liking to them

- Jopper- 10/10- I mean come on, the best, love them, they need to get married and move in together

- Jancy- 5/10- I loved them in 1&2 but three ruined them, it was just so bad and then 4 on top of that proves they need to break up. It’s that thing where the build up is way better than the actual thing, they just aren’t it and some of their fans get crazy so it makes me dislike the ship even more

- Stancy- 8/10- my loves <3, would be a 10/10 if steve didn’t do that billboard sign thing in 1. Steve being a housewife while Nancy is out making the money sounds like heaven to me. Lovers to enemies to friends to lovers again trope give me (I know they weren’t really enemies but shush) (also if anyone tells me Steve would force Nancy to have kids, fuck off and shut up, disrespectfully)

- Steddie- 3/10- IM SORRY!!! They just got so much hype and for what?? I don’t hate them or anything but they do nothing for me. They’re just eh. Meh. Bleh. Bland I guess

- Ronance- 6/10- I could see it and I could get behind it but it’s not like my otp or anything. They are super adorable and I love seeing fanart for them so yeah, good ship just not my fav

- Jargyle- 10/10- if you don’t think they’re gay you’re just plain dumb. Stoner bfs for life

- Stonathan- 8/10- need I say more? Steve and Johnathan? Yeah. Yup. 1&2 just make them have the best enemies to lovers arc known to man

- Steve x Johnathan x Argyle- 10/10- I feel like this is self explanatory but yeah them, them over so many

Steve x Johnathan x Argyle x Nancy -11/10- YES I NEED IT!!! It’d solve every single problem ever!! Omg I would sob so bad if I ever found a fic of them

- Stoncy- 10/10- one of my favorite ship of the older kids. They’d be perfect and having Robin third wheel at all times is great, they are everything to me. The three of them in 2 makes me feral

- Lumax- 10/10- how can it not be a 10/10??? It’s perfcet!! Max is so great for Lucas and Lucas is so great for max!! I love them!! Would die for both of them <3

- Elumax- 10/10- give it to me now!! They’d be so fucking adorable and just so pure. I’d die for the three of them

- Elmax- 9/10- add Lucas and boom 10/10, I’m a sucker for these two together though and that mall scene remains one of my favorites out of the whole show

- Byclair- 5/10- okay so I see potential but it’s nothing I’m actively thinking about a lot, they’d be cute tho

- Madwheeler- 7/10- id pay money for them to be together in a different universe where they’re snarky sarcastic partners that shit on everyone and love doing it!! Their relationship would make me giggle and I know it. They have actual potential for enemies to lovers but just not canon cause y’know Lucas is <3

- Wheelclair- 8/10- yup I see it and I love it. Nerdy broody boyfriend with jock teasing boyfriend?? Yup. They’d be so smart together don’t even lie, also Lucas teaching Mike how to play basketball is a must. Them skipping hellfire to make out- yup! Mm them <3

- Dustin x Suzie 4/10- okay I like season 4 them as Suzie is a queen but season 3 made me annoyed a bit, like girl shut up about a song when the worlds collapsing

- Henderhop - 6/10- I can see it and they’d be adorable but I wish they had more interactions in the show. Like yes they’d be adorable but I have a hard time picturing it with how little I can think of them that relates to actual scenes

- Lucas x Dustin - 5/10- I see it okay but they just meh for me, like season 1 them yeah but I much prefer max and Lucas

- Dustin x Max- 2/10- I remember rooting for Lucas when watching 2 for the first time and my points still stand, it wouldn’t work out good and I know it. Max is too mature (?that sounds mean but I can’t think of another word) for Dustin and it’d crumble so fast

- Will x Lucas- 5/10- okay yeah I can see it but I think it falls into the category of the not enough screen time together for me to get a good visual of how it would play out

- anything with Billy- 0/10- he’s racist and abusive stop trying to pretend he isn’t

#jj rambles #stranger things #lumax #elumax #stancy #jancy #jopper #byler #henderhop #madwheeler #byclair #stoncy #stonathan #jargyle #ronance #steddie #mileven #wheelclair

[knghtlock]

she's alive.

her ship is trashed , but did its job: with the help of her allies, it was reinforced enough to pierce the veil with magic & tech & other arcane shit that she couldn't understand. the good-luck charms she got from her faily & friends survived, too: tucked safely into her belongings & plucked from the broken cockpit. her she stands inside the traveler, a world that felt like a dream, defying the odds to retrieve a friend. it's a miracle she survived, but after ikora's comms went dark ....

it felt just like the prison of elders . like cayde's hand stroking her hair before going cold, cold, cold . like the rattle to his modulator when he told her that where i'm goin', you can't follow. like the grief that ate her alive, ravaged the tangled shore, & resulted in the birth of crow, her brother, but the brutal death of uldren sov.

she refuses to let her grief swallow her whole again, mangled cybernetics reforming & snapping back into place with the help of lumax's light. she can't. she won't, gritting her teeth as she rises from the ashes, running on sheer force of will & her unbreakable spirit. and as she rises from the wreckage in this strange new world , hotaru rededicates herself to bringing her vanguard leader, her friend home. by any means necessary, even if she died trying.

but that was three days ago.

three days without hope until her eyes catch the smoke of a campfire atop a hill.

she scrambles up the cliff-face with newfound purpose despite her injured state - some injuries that she's nursing the old-fashioned way in case lumax needs to rez her. the warlock screams ikora's name until she shatters apart into streaks of light that burst up the hillside, until she's shooting up to the top & ----

well, ikora's not here. but her belongings are: knowing her, she's off investigating, like the brilliant warlock she is. ( like the warlock hotaru wishes she could be. )

but he is: a sucker-punch of a sight for sore eyes that abruptly snaps her back together, streaks of lightning colliding to re-assemble the sum of their parts. somehow, wherever this is, cayde-6 is alive , breathing , as bright & beautiful as the day she lost him.

she stumbles slightly upon landing - cyan eyes boring into his in deafening, uncharacteristic silence. ( in denial, in grief , in mourning , in a sliver of hope that hasn't entered her eyes in five long , long years. )

his death cast a long shadow upon them all , but she was cursed to be ground zero , cursed to hold him until the warmth faded from his metal frame . & there are so many emotions in in this moment that tangle & writhe in her chest , from a wound that never truly healed in her heart. demanding to be felt properly, in their entirety.

( a wound left behind by a love that lived in every atom of her being . )

one step forward . then another , than another , until she's right in front of him. until she's grabbing his face & pulling it down to hers , until her lips are on that stupid mouth of his because the best time to kiss him would've been at least two centuries ago, & the second best time is now . brief and fleeting as it was, exploding every synapse in her with joy , with longing , with love . it's the same emotions that live in her eyes when she pulls back , just as quickly as she slammed into him.

" ---- sorry . uh . not for kissing you ! i mean, unless you didn't want me to? i mean, i really should've done that... before. but i should've asked, & --- " a frustrated noise escapes her , her hands scrubbing at the tears in her eyes as hotaru's frame trembles ever - so - slightly , before beaming up at him with a watery, fanged smile.

( she hopes that he still recognizes her with her arc-bleached hair , with five years of grief & change. she hopes that he can still see someone that loves him with every atom, shred, & speck of her being. )

" did ya miss me , sunshine ? 'cause in case you couldn't tell, i really , truly missed you. " / @adeth

#adeth #( adeth / cayde 6 ) & i look at you / dear sunlight / & i am home . #so yknow how i said i was sorry in advance ro #REMEMBER THAT!!!!!! #i log onto tumblr.com to hit ro with nuclear amounts of angst. i log off. /lh

[mothrite]

Something inside me

REFER TO FOR REQUEST

SUMMERY; Max and Lucas both come to realizations that change their relationship for the better <3

WARNINGS; Slight Internalized Homophobia and transphobia, Billy Hargrove is the worst but he slays in this fic, trans he/they bi max, poly bi Lucas, Lumax, Byclair, Lucas has a crush on this friend and freaks out over it, Max experiences gender euphoria for the first time

AN; I’m so sorry this took so long Anon!!! I really wanted this to turn out well because I fell in love with this idea! Proof read by me againl!! (Btw this takes place pre season 3, post season 2) Ok so like, i started this in late 2022.... it's now late 2023. didnt have the energy to finish this and I want it OUT of my drafts

Max hated it. Max hated every time someone would call them “pretty” “beautiful” or any other term of the sort. They just hated it. They hated being a girl and being told that they should wear more skirts and put their hair up more. They especially hated it when they were told to wear dresses to events. They just wanted to be free and be able to wear what they want. Max didn’t want to be seen as a girl and they weren’t really sure why. They didn’t know how they wanted to be seen

That was until mid June. Max had been forced to go out with their mom to some kind of meeting since Billy and Neil were both out. They had been wearing a hoodie and pants with their usual red vans, the hood covered the top half of their face and their hair was tucked into the back of the hood, in two braids. They weren’t exactly paying attention, mostly just reading random signs that scattered the hallway they were in with their mother when one of their mother’s recent friends approached them. They hadn’t really been listening to the conversation until they heard something that struck a flame in them.

“Oh and your son is so handsome! He just has the most amazing blue eyes!” Max’s head quickly turned to the woman in question who had long black hair and was clad in a flowing blue dress. A smile crept to the corners of Max’s mouth and they tried to cover their now red cheeks that had flushed in embarrassment and flattery. She thought I was a boy? But I look so…ugh.

The smile dropped and their fingers went cold when their mother had spoken up.

“Oh no no no, this is my daughter, Maxine.”

That day as Max was on their way home with their mother they kept thinking about it. Could people truly see them as a boy?

He wasn’t supposed to. He wasn’t supposed to like him and think of him the way he does. Lucas beat himself up for it but he couldn’t deny the fact that he found his best friend, Will Byers, attractive. He couldn’t deny the fact that he gets butterflies when he sees Will smiling and talking to him. His heart would skip a beat whenever Will invited Lucas to hang out. He hated himself for it cause it felt so wrong. He knew he still loved Max. And he knew that it was wrong for a boy to like another boy that way.

He sat in his room, some music playing lowly on a radio that stood on his desk. He forced himself to get up and walk to the phone in the kitchen of his home, though his body resented the action after laying down and doing a whole lot of nothing that day. Just as he was dialing in Max’s number the phone rang and he picked it up.

“Hello-?”

“Lucas! I didn’t think you’d pick up so fast!”

“Will? Is that you?”

“The one and only! I was wondering if we could hang out at your place for a bit? You know just us without Mike and Dustin”

Lucas’s heart beat had quickly sped up at the words and his cheeks became dusted with a shade of dark red.

“That sounds great Byers, see you in 15?”

“See ya! Bye!”

“Bye..”

Lucas Sinclair had a dilemma. One he couldn’t figure out on his own. He knew who he had to speak too, Eleven Hopper.

(MY ASS IS NOT FINISHING THIS GOODBAI.)

#stranger things #fanfiction #strangerthings fanfic #maxine mayfield #lucas sinclair #lumax

[urdearestmom]

alright y'all I've recovered enough from vol 2 that I can now articulate my thoughts somewhat. here we go! I really want season 5 immediately but unfortunately cannot have that :( I will say that I think Stranger Things' episode Nines are just,,,, amazing. nothing so far has come close to my love for s2e9 except for s4e9. I think they're tied

ngl I was mildly concerned they were going to attempt some kind of redemption with Brenner so I was pleasantly excited when he continued to be as evil as he ever was :) El finally standing up to him and realizing she's not the monster, he is, was AMAZING and I loved how she just said bye and walked away. left him to die on his own as he deserved! Owens is still a shady guy but he's always on the gang's side (I'm just curious what happened to him? like did Sullivan have him killed? arrested? will we see him next season? I'm nearly certain we'll see Sullivan again because I don't think that subplot will be so easily resolved)

as for the rest of it, Eddie's death panned out pretty much exactly how I thought it would so I never let myself get too attached to him. what got me was Dustin's reaction! Gaten did so amazingly in that scene wow. Jason also died which was great for me because he was just insane at that point and while I kinda felt for him he was also annoying. sorry not sorry

Jopper finally getting together was lovely. I've never been overly invested in them bc they are so canon in my mind that I never doubted it would happen but it was great nonetheless. Hopper reuniting with El had me smiling so hard at the end bc for a sec I genuinely thought it was Sullivan coming to kidnap El and that was how the season would end and then it was just good ol' Hop :) El having a family like she deserves is my favourite thing!! Hopper and Mike also hugging caught me off guard bc I didn't think they'd do it but they did and I hope that leads to them having a better relationship!

now El getting picked up in the desert and blowing up that helicopter? TOP. TIER. I had my arms up cheering "HERE COME THE PIZZA BOYS!!!!!!!" and when you could see Mike getting out of the van being the first one to run to her, all in slow motion, my god. I was speechless. their whole reunion was gorgeous. El's disbelief, the forehead touch: chefs kiss. El hugging Will like that? best. I live for El having a family. El's brothers ftw

Mike's long-awaited monologue: WHAT. I was shaking and on the edge of my seat the whole scene. It will absolutely live in my head rent free for the rest of all time. I can barely even process it. He really said he's loved her since the moment he saw her I can't believe it. It's what I've been waiting for since I was 16 years old and it still feels surreal that he really told her all of that in words. Mike Wheeler, King of Not Talking About Any Of His Feelings Ever, really said all of that. Wow. Finn knocked that completely out of the park

Lastly, Max's death? HOLY SHIT. That one tore me up I was sobbing and yelling at my tv. I really love Max and didn't want her to die even though I had a feeling something else was still going to happen to her. THE FACT THAT THEY USED THE SONG FROM FINDING WILL'S BODY IN S1- JAIL FOR 1000 YEARS. Her dying in Lucas' arms and his reaction really got me. Both Caleb and Sadie did phenomenal work this season and made me love Lumax a lot more than I did before. Lumax OUTSOLD!!!! Max's little drawing and the fact that they won't get to go on their date and the way Lucas was sitting in the hospital with his beat up face reading her a book... I'm in shambles

El being there watching it happen while no one knew she was there was also heartbreaking

Mildly concerning that El couldn't find Max's mind in the void though, even if she is in a coma. El can find and even vaguely communicate with Terry who is in a vegetative state, so I'm not sure what I think will happen with Max next season. Guess we'll have to wait and see!

That ending too. Vecna's not dead obviously and Hawkins is... yikes. The cliffhanger makes it seem like season 5 will pick up where 4 leaves off and I am very excited to have a resolution!

This isn't even all I could say but I don't want this post to get super long so I'm just touching on the stuff that stuck with me

#stranger things spoilers #stranger things 4 #stranger things #urdearestmom #mileven #mike wheeler #eleven #el hopper #jim hopper #lucas sinclair #max mayfield #lumax #dustin henderson

[cluelessbees]

okay. name your top 5 byler moments, your top 5 lumax and/or another ship you love, and why.

OKAY SORRY THIS IS A FEW DAYS LATE

But here we go

My Top 5 Byler Moments (In no particular order):

1- The Shed Scene:

Just the way Will turns to Mike and suddenly it’s only them two in the room- in the world. Like- if you were to just watch their moment you wouldn’t know there were other people.

The fact that Mike is so hesitant but is willing to let his guard down to try and reach out to Will and show him how much he means to him. The was he relaxed when he said ‘I just walked up to you and I asked’ like it was the easiest thing ever I love it so much. Mike literally saying asking Will to be his friend was the best thing he ever did?? (Keeping in mind this is after the events of season 1 and El like— that was a genuine confession of love).

Even from a film standpoint it’s gorgeous. The way the scene is so stripped down- only two shots of just Will and Mike, minimal editing— it’s so raw. And the way Will is essentially illuminated and there’s that sense that he feels seen by Mike. And Mike, in contrast, being covered by shadows but still having half his face be equally illuminated almost like he’s breaking down his walls and letting Will see him be vulnerable. It’s just *chefs kiss*

2- Crazy Together:

I mean an obvious favourite. It does so well to establish their dynamic and their relationship as a whole. I feel like this is the first moment tells you like— oh their relationship is different- not necessarily in a romantic sense, but there’s something more to them. There’s something special about there bond.

Like- not only do we see Will open up to Mike and tell him that the others wouldn’t get it. You see Mike do the same. Mike — who was depressed, more defensive, and closed up — starts to actually open up about his feelings. He tells Will how he feels instead of shutting him out. Like—

You get this like same filming style of showing how they’re in their own world. The camera starts on a wide-ish shot of them on the couch and it’s panning in. Then it’s just two shots of them- and it’s like we’re peering into this small world they’re in. Ans after the moment it cuts back to the wide shot and we’re panning out- exiting their world.

3- Bedroom Scene:

This scene- THIS SCENE. Ugh I love it like— there’s so much tension between them it kills me. I feel like I could talk about this for hours. There’s such a hesitancy from Will in the beginning- like he turns away and doesn’t try to push the conversation forward out of like …this fear of breaking this rare instance where they’re normal. And the way Mike kinda fumbles to continue the conversations.

Like?? they both want each other and want to be okay but Will is scared of breaking it and Mike is scared of losing it. The vulnerability from Mike again it’s like you only see him like this with Will. He’s so willing to let down his walls just to show Will he cares. The fact that he can openly tell Will how much he means to him consistently. He wants Will to know he means the world to him just- (also the clear flirting)

And AGAIN I’m sorry the film nerd in me loves how it’s portrayed in the shots. Like- there’s this hesitancy in the shot types. We aren’t immediately immersed into this bubble they’re always in. They’re both scared. It starts with wide shots but they slowly pan in and it slowly builds into close ups and it’s that feeling that they’re in their own world and everything is okay. Idk I love it so much.

4- The Final Shot:

Lmao there isn’t much to say about this one but I still love it because it’s so clear that byler is endgame at this point. And also the fact that at this point I was still in denial that byler was endgame. I was like ‘WHY WOULD THEY PUT THEM TOGETHER IF THEY ARENT ENDGAME >:(‘ like….bestie- you’re almost there.

I also just think it’s a gorgeous shit composition and I’ve said it before it looks like a painting and I love it so much. Also byler in the centre?? You know we’re gonna be the main focus hehe I’m excited.

5- The Cabin Scene:

This sceeeene i love. Because for me personally it tells us a lot about what their dynamic is going to be next season. Will is more reserved now. He’s the one that is keeping to himself. After the van scene, mikes confession (‘confession’) to El- he’s trying to let go and stop hoping. Stop setting himself up for pain. He still wants Mike in his life but he’s trying to keep a bit of distance for his sake.

And it’s Mike who in turn is the one who has to reach out. The one who’s keeping consistent eye contact on Will. The one who’s reaching his hand out to him initiating physical touch. It’s so telling of what’s going to happen next season and I’m so excited.

Not to mention the shot is absolutely the most gorgeous thing ever. The way Will is quite literally bathed in sun and mike is again casted in shadows. I just love the like consistent idea of sun and moon with them. It’s so beautiful. And the fact that Mike leans in and reaches into the sun and no longer hides essentially??? It’s just so beautiful.

Anyways okay— this post is very long 😭😭 I’m really sorry— i don’t think i should add a top 5 for lumax/another ship otherwise it’ll be too long but lmk if you want me to!!

#byler #anon ask #thank you for the ask my dude <3 it was a really nice question #the last two gifs are mine so ignore the quality MSJSKSJJ

[ohfallingdisco]

okay. name your top 5 byler moments. Top 5 lumax moments and/or another ship of your choice.

Ooohh, I like this!! Fun asks are my favorite thing and I’m so personally invested in everyone working to send anons to each other to make the tag more positive today <3 everyone doing it is winning at life just so you know, thank you

Alright, for Byler:

The Superspy scene. I mean come on, it’s so cute.

The Rink-O-Mania flirt fight

The van scene, needed more awards tbh

The Shed Scene—it’s such a visceral, quiet moment and the climax of s2

Last s3 goodbyes before Cali, with the desperate hug, the return of Heroes, and Will crying by the car

Lumax:

Going to the movies with Byler at the start of s3 (in their element!! having fun!!)

“Movie Friday?” :(

Singing the Neverending Story at Dustin while they’re packing up the Byers

The bus scene in s2—it’s more or less in the middle of Max’s grand intro to the supernatural stuff, and Lucas is so sweet

The hilltop scene in s3 where Lucas calls Phoebe Cates cute

And for the last one, I’ll do Jancy, because why not:

In Mrs. Driscoll’s basement the second time, when Jon starts to believe her

Setting a trap for the demogorgon at the Byers’ in s1

Teaming up to help the kids at Starcourt before and after the MF arrives

Can I just say the whole first episode of s3? Because I feel like all the scattered moments fit together really nice and I like it

When they’re walking in school together in s2 and they get the invites for the Halloween party. Their convo is cute

This was super fun, thank you so much! Sorry it took me a few hours to answer, but I hope you like it!

#ask #byler #lumax #jancy #they're all so aksndjshd #sorry i had to include the superspy vid to spread my agenda <3 #this was fun thank you

[ghostlynimbus]

Could you do a lumax one shot please?

Thanks anon! I hope you like this.

Set post s3. Has some references to things learned in S4 but is not S4 compliant.

CW: References to canon character deaths.

“What do you want, Stalker?” Max demands tiredly, she doesn’t bother turning around or slowing her pace for the boy that’s been following behind her for blocks.

She hears the familiar footsteps behind her pick up the pace, Lucas jogging to catch up with her.

“It’s like three in the morning Max.” Lucas says. “What are you doing out here?”

He’s wearing his pajamas, Max notices when he pulls up to walk beside her. Plaid pants and a long sleeved blue undershirt, with his brand new letterman thrown on over top. 

“I could ask you the same thing.” Max says, refusing to look him in the eyes as she continues walking.

He keeps pace with her easily. 

“Eddie called.” Lucas says, eventually.

“So you’re having your friends spy on me too now?” Max asks, wrapping her arms tighter around herself as a cold breeze blows down the empty road they’re walking along.

“No! No.” Lucas insists, waving his hands around as he speaks. “He just… he saw you leave and he was worried.”

“Well. I’m fine.” Max lies flatly. “So you can head back home now.”

“Max-” Lucas tries again, but all at once Max can’t stand to hear what he has to say.

“No.” She interrupts, stopping in her tracks to glare at him. “No. I don't want to hear it. I don’t need you here so why wont you just leave me alone!”

 Lucas stops walking too, but he gets a few paces ahead of her before he realizes she’s stopped so he has to turn back to face her. Now that she’s looking at his face she can see how exhausted he is, can watch the hurt play out across his expression at her words, and she can see the way he tucks that hurt away to be able to look at her with kindness again.

It hurts. 

She wants to scream at him. She wants him to scream back. She’s being mean and she wants him to push back but she knows he won't.

Not like she wants him to. 

“Max, I love you.” He says. And she wants to punch him or collapse crying into his arms or maybe both. “And I’m here. Whenever you need me, whenever you want me, whenever.”

She ends up doing both.

Punching him on the shoulder and making him wince before collapsing against his chest, silent tears streaming down her face.

She sneaks her arms around his waist under his jacket and he wraps his arms around her shoulders and she feels warm for the first time since she left the trailer an hour ago. Maybe for the first time since summer.

Lucas holds her and lets her get tears and snot all over his shirt and his brand new jacket, swaying them both gently in a soothing way.

“I- I miss him.” Max whispers. “I miss Billy.”

Lucas rubs a broad hand over her back. 

“I know.” He says simply. “I’m sorry.”

Max isn’t sure how long they stand there holding each other in the empty street before she runs out of tears. 

Lucas insists that she wear his jacket as they make the long walk back to the trailer park. Max rolls her eyes but takes the jacket anyway. It’s warm.

When they reach the door to Max’s trailer Lucas doesn’t ask for it back, but Max takes it off and gives it back to him anyway. He doesn’t try to insist this time.

The light is still on in Eddie’s room in the trailer across the street, but the curtains are closed and he doesn’t make an appearance.

“‘Night MadMax.” Lucas says, putting the jacket back on and turning to start the long walk home. 

Max catches his hand before he can get too far. 

He turns back to look at her, patiently waiting for her to say something.

“Good night Stalker.” She says, and the corners of his lips twitch up into a smile at the nickname. “Thanks for being here.”

Max takes a deep breath, gathers her courage, and leans up to press a quick kiss to his mouth.

His eyes are wide and surprised, but the smile on his lips is warm and happy. He rubs his thumb over the back of her hand where they are still holding hands. 

“I love you too or whatever.” Max mutters quickly, a heated blush spreading across her cheeks. “Get home safe.”

Then she turns abruptly and heads inside.

She watches from the window as he leaves until he is out of sight. 

She still hurts, she’s still angry. 

But it doesn’t feel quite so heavy anymore. 

#lumax #lucas sinclair #max mayfield #stranger things #grief cw

[emblazons]

Oh yeah, hard agree on how people perceive Mlvn. Mlvn is portrayed as this dramatic, bombastic relationship where they have these angsty moments and loud 'ILY' moments and monologues, so it is automatically perceived as a great ship and dynamic. But as Caleb said, what makes Lmax real and genuine is that they are not like Mlvn. They do not need to show how much they love each other. Lumx's dynamic and love is real and feels natural due to that reason because they do not spell out how much they love each other, they rather show it to us by caring for each other naturally... And it's like, you really do not actually spell out how much you love someone in a dramatic scene with a dramatic speech, because it really shouldn't be needed in the narrative sense. But the media's perception regarding how a real romance should be is based on those cliche moments, and I cannot exactly blame Mlvns for that. Because, yeah, big monologues, love speeches, 'love at first sight' stuff, one character declaring or screaming how they're scared of losing their partner, just declaring how they love that person (in S3 with Mike)... those are casual and common things in media when it comes to romance.

So, do I think ppl do not exactly get the aspect of Lmx? Yeah. But do I blame them for thinking that Mlvn is a better romance due to all of those 'tropes' and common writing stuff that Mlvn was given on the show? Not exactly, no, I do not exactly blame those people for thinking that way. Bc the majority of the media does that all the time.

bro this been sitting in my asks for DAYS lmao I'm sorry. I assume this is response to my addition here, so I've kept that in mind!

But yes! agreed! A lot of people are so used to grand gestures being what is considered "romantic" in media (and, tragically, in real life) that they gloss over the romantic importance and value of friendship, familiarity and just. enjoying each other's company in the mundane.

I think the easiest way to think about it is to think about people in real life--the ones whose relationships have survived a long time. People who have been married or successfully coupled for 15, 20, 30+ years always tell you similar things when talking about what makes their relationship work long-term: namely "I married my best friend," "love is a decision you make not a feeling, because feelings evolve but I still chose your partner over and over," and "communication and forgiveness are core parts of what has made us successful."

Mike & El literally have none of that--they don't communicate effectively and haven't grown into doing so either I don't care what Mlvns say, don't lead with choice (but rather an expectation of feeling) and they don't share common interests anywhere outside of the goal to end the UD/physicality as their primary sign of romantic interest...which by the end of S4 isn't even there lmao.

Lumax on the other hand have slowly built to the "healthy" things I listed--they are actively contrasted to M*leven in S3 when Lucas showing that "romantic time" with his GF is hanging out with her and his friends together (which he actively calls Mike for not doing while doing those things for/with Will) on top of all the moments in S4 we see Lucas and Max slowly start to communicate, apologize, build back despite their disagreements/distance and then bond over/call to each other for by the end of the season.

By the end of S4, we have Lucas sitting bedside to Max reading to her, loving on her and being present even when she's at her lowest...whereas El walks passed Mike and doesn't even talk to him (per Mike's own admittance) despite him giving one of those bombastic love confessions we talked about, and Mike doesn't comfort her for anything related to Max (mostly because she won't let him, but that's beside the point). Lucas is doing what a great partner does (the "in sickness / for worse" part of things like wedding vows, honestly) while M*leven can't even bring themselves to do more than stonewall and pretend things are fine when they are decidedly not (especially when in front of other people).

Real talk is that its clear why Lumax is better suited to survive than M*leven if you have any sense of healthy relationship--but. I mean we know that "healthy relationship" has never been a real driver for why people ship Mike & El ☠️

thanks for the ask!

#lumax is THAT couple and I'm not sorry! #lumax #anti mlvn #asks #my st commentary

[unnecessarilygrandiose]

I posted 6,888 times in 2022

That's 3,566 more posts than 2021!

181 posts created (3%)

6,707 posts reblogged (97%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@m-e-w-666

@krekdon

@will80sbyers

@babbling-brook-of-books

@geisofbullshit

I tagged 3,211 of my posts in 2022

#&lt;3 - 138 posts

#greywaren spoilers - 77 posts

#lmao - 42 posts

#oh my god - 28 posts

#my horror movie twins - 24 posts

#trc - 23 posts

#omg - 23 posts

#byler - 22 posts

#ronan lynch - 21 posts

#ofmd - 21 posts

Longest Tag: 139 characters

#dare i say i like this theory even more than the 'mike has been in love with will all al—[rattling sounds] no wait sorry i'm sor—[gunshots]

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

you're telling me the goddamn duffer brothers described season 4 using lyrics of the archer??? which is, idk, only the most anxiety inducing song in taylor's discography???

all of my heroes died all alone?!

316 notes - Posted June 25, 2022

#4

marwa my beloved you are an icon a true legend breaking through the spell of a literal djinn you will always be famous

323 notes - Posted August 24, 2022

#3

they killed my wife

649 notes - Posted August 31, 2022

#2

gentlefolk, bring forward your candles and hold hands with the person sitting next to you. we have gathered here today for this prayer circle, on the eve of volume two release, to manifest the following:

eleven dumps mike's ass, but this time for good

byler have several intimate and hopeful scenes

stancy do not get together

jopper officially get together

lumax get back together

steddie and ronance get to have more scenes together

robin lives

eddie lives

brenner gets his ass handed to him

vecna gets his ass handed to him

we get one(1) flashback to One(001) because jamie campbell bower is pretty

do we honestly expect all of these things to come true? no. but we are nothing if not delusionally optimistic. let us close our eyes and pray🕯️🕯️🕯️

856 notes - Posted June 30, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

the way ronan and gansey were both infatuated at first sight and lived in half-denial about it for months meanwhile adam and blue went through a whole internal enemies to lovers

1,357 notes - Posted September 23, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

#my 2022 tumblr year in review #HENLO.