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therainscene · 5 months

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I think I might have figured out what the Mind Flayer really is.

This theory has been percolating in my brain for a while now; it hasn't really finished baking yet but I wanted to get the gist of it down before The First Shadow debuts.

Let’s begin at the Hawkins National Lab, 6th November 1983. For the second time in her young life, El faces terrifying and deeply traumatic circumstances which cause her powers to lash out and rip a gash in the fabric of reality.

Meanwhile, across town, Will is doing what every queer 12 year-old has done and finds an excuse to spend an extra moment alone with his crush.

His little gay heart is as aflutter as the garage lights.

(Strange, that. The lights, I mean -- considering that he's on the other side of town from the lab. Do you suppose the Demogorgon trekked all the way to Mike's house and quietly followed him home again?)

Will heads home, lost in thought as he cycles past the lab. Is he thinking about how sweet his new X-Men #134 is gonna be? Or is he thinking about something even sweeter? The lights flutter again.

And something in front of him notices.

Will has always been noticeable: his clothes, his mannerisms, his interests -- they've always attracted the attentions of bullies. Now something new -- or maybe something that was always there and is only now making itself known -- has attracted the attentions of a monster.

He runs home, he calls for help, but he's alone, there's no escape. He races to the shed and loads a gun like his father taught him -- but it's not in his nature to be violent. He freezes, petrified.

The lights surge as his terror wrestles control of his powers and uses them to puncture an escape route in the fabric of reality.

Why were we so quick to believe that the Demogorgon -- a minion of the guy whose whole thing is his inability to open gates -- was able to open its own temporary portals in S1 and then never again?

Will could plausibly have been responsible for every temporary portal in S1: he’s at the Byers house when the Demogorgon pushes through its walls; he's on the run to Castle Byers when Nancy stumbles across that portal in the woods; and he's plugged in to one of Vecna's vines during the finale -- something we see Vecna plug himself into when he remotely opens gates in S4.

There’s one exception though.

Barb likely slipped through a gate in Steve's pool, but how could Will have opened that one when he was in his bedroom at the time, talking to his mother through the lights?

Let me ask you this: isn't it interesting that of all the injuries Barb could have obtained in her passage to the Upside Down, she got a nosebleed?

I think powers are more common than we’ve been led to believe, and gates are a last-ditch self-defense mechanism for anyone with powers.

This is why the four curse victims’ deaths opened a gate: Vecna pushed them to their breaking point to artificially trigger the self-defense response. Those headaches and nosebleeds weren't caused by Vecna directly, but by their own powers acting up as they inched towards oblivion.

[Shoutout to @givehimthemedicine's underrated powers and blood theory for the idea of Vecna's Curse being the overcharging of his victims' own powers.]

It was already pretty obvious that Vecna's Curse is a metaphor for suicide, and this theory reinforces it: every kid who gets targeted by the horrors of Hawkins for being "different" tries to find some way to escape.

Willel's misfortune is that their powers are considerably more easily manifested than the average person's. Byler tells the story of visible vs invisible queerness, but that's just a reflection of the larger theme at play in the show: the visible and invisible ways kids are othered and abused.

Max's trauma was a quiet thing that came from within and festered until it was almost too late to save her... but Willel's trauma manifests as a giant monster that openly hunts them down.

And I'm being literal when I say the Mind Flayer is a manifestation of their trauma.

We know that Vecna fashioned the Mind Flayer from a cloud of black particles he found in the Upside Down, but where did that cloud come from? The Upside Down is a mysterious enough place that it's easy to assume the Shadow is native to that realm... but what if it isn't?

The Mind Flayer is heavily associated with repression -- Will gradually lost his memories while he was possessed, and El lost her powers when the sliver of Flesh Flayer wormed its way into her leg.

But Will has mysteriously been without powers ever since leaving the Upside Down, and we've seen El lose memories too: her memories of surviving the lab massacre, in which she didn't simply escape by opening up a gate, but by disintegrating her attacker into black particles.

The Mind Flayer doesn't cause repression -- it is repression.

There must have been countless generations worth of traumatized children who took the extra step El did and sent their abusers -- or at least their memories of abuse -- into that hidden realm beyond the gate.

(There's also the possibility that Mr. Time-is-Just-a-Social-Construct is stuck in a time loop of some sort -- maybe the massacre has repeated hundreds of times, and Dimension X is a timeless graveyard of El's attempts to repress her trauma. This would explain why Henry seems to have both disintegrated and survived: we were watching at least two different iterations of the massacre all along.)

Whichever way you slice it, it's a perfect fit: the tool Vecna uses to perpetuate the cycle of abuse isn't some bizarro alien from an alternate dimension, but a direct consequence of the cycle itself.

The Mind Flayer tells us that escape alone doesn't work as a long-term solution: it might help you survive the initial abuse, but if you don't address the effect it had on you...

...it will come back to wreck havok.

[Edit: Click here for post-TFS thoughts on this theory]

#stranger things #will has powers #willel #byler #will byers #el hopper #max mayfield #barb holland #henry creel #mind flayer #my analysis

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the-believer · 2 years

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max escaping vecna was every bit as powerful as eleven using her powers. it was such an incredible and beautiful scene

max has had to be strong her whole life; she’s been through so much and that’s what was expected of her. if she’s not strong, who will be? she was so underrated (both in the fandom and in her group) and i’m sure she felt that she could never quite fit into the group because she got there late and didn’t have superpowers. and then she spent the year after the fourth of july dealing with horrific trauma and guilt, and did so alone- her best friend moved away and she felt like the others couldn’t understand- not to mention max blamed herself. and then she finds out vecna cursed her- “of course”. and max uses her final hours to write out letters to the most important people in her life and all but resigns herself to her fate. i’m sure she thought it would be easy- because no one undervalues max as much as she does herself. i’m sure she thought that really, they would be okay without her, because she pushed them away and it’s “just” her- not el, not will.

but her friends rally around her, refusing to give up, and do everything they can to save her- just like they would for el, for will, and the others because they. are. family. and max is irreplaceable. even nancy and robin, who we hardly see interact w her, do everything they can (breaking laws) to get the information to save max. and when vecna does catch up to her and they know from eddie’s story that this might be it for her, they still refuse to give up on max. i’ve never seen steve so panicked, never seen the boys try so hard to get through to someone (and lucas knowing her favorite song shows how much he loves her, how he never really left her)

and max? she was going through even MORE shattering trauma but she was still so brave. she ran, kept fighting and got into vecna’s mind because even at her lowest, max is a fighter. max mayfield has had to depend on herself for so long, and she kept trying until vecna finally got her. you can see in her eyes how alone she feels, how hopeless, how she’s out of options. and as her worst fears come true, max’s friends’ love and devotion breaks through another dimension because they will never give up on her. 15 feet in the air, they call her and tell her they’re there for her.

max’s eyes change the second she sees them breaking through. she truly sees that she isn’t alone- she sees memories of lucas and dustin welcoming her to hawkins, bonding with mike, dancing with lucas, her day at the mall with el, having fun with her all of her best friends and realizes that all along, they have loved her every bit as much as she loves them. max realizes that she is strong, but that when she needs help, her friends will always be there for her. so max chooses to hope, to fight, to live. she escapes vecna’s control, something no one has done before, and runs. she dodges every obstacle, refusing to give up despite all the odds and everything she’s been through to get back to her friends and her life. and as she escapes, you can see vecna realize- this girl is special.

max overcomes her trauma and an otherworldly demon purely through her own strength and the love of her friends family and there is nothing more powerful.

#max mayfield #mad max #sadie sink #stranger things 4 #lucas sinclair #dustin henderson #steve harrington #eleven #jane hopper #mike wheeler #will byers #nancy wheeler #robin buckley #lumax #the upside down #the duffer brothers #vecna stranger things

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wibble-wobbegong · 2 years

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Mike Hostage Theory

i just wanted to make an official post with my view on this theory bc i have a very specific vision

edit: i’ve made a post with some more evidence here! :)

For anyone who doesn’t know, the Mike hostage theory is essentially the idea that Mike will be taken hostage by Vecna in season 5.

Here’s my reasoning for why I think this is a possibility for season 5:

- Mike has managed to ruin all of Vecna’s plans since season 1 and each season he develops a better understanding of the UD and is able to formulate plans that take direct action in preventing Vecna from achieving his goal. a short list that shows this would be:

s1: Mike discovers what the upside down is and relays all the information he’s gathered from El, giving the rest of the cast an understanding of what’s actually happening. Plans to rescue will spring from Mike’s information

s2: Mike is the only one who actually understands what’s happening with Will AND he takes the lead in creating the plan to save Will. Second only to Will, he has the most in depth understanding of how the mind flayer works which he demonstrates in episode 8 where he explains everything he knows to Dustin who then makes the analogy to the mind flayer in DND. He suggests putting Will to sleep, isolating him to try and break him out of the possession, getting the mind flayer out of Will before the gate completely closes, and distracting the demodogs by lighting the graveyard on fire.

s3: After learning about the mind flayer’s return, he comes to the conclusion that the mind flayer won’t die when it’s expelled from someone and that they have to figure out how to actually kill the mind flayer (though they never ended up doing this). After learning about Billy being a potential host, he mentally made a complete plan of how to know whether he was a host or not. He barely had to think about it after they confirmed Billy was acting suspicious, he knew how to test him with the sauna and executed that plan in the same day after coordinating with the rest of the party. Mike is still pretty in touch with how the mind flayer works when interacting with its hosts

s4: Vecna very specifically timed his attacks so they would begin the day Mike left. He was counting on Mike not being able to get involved and it making him more successful, which is what happened. He thought he had Mike completely out of the picture and yet he still managed to get involved with Vecna’s plans when he was finally going to kill El. Mike’s monologue was mostly a failure, but it did boost El’s memories with Max in a way. Either way, Mike still managed to get in the way even with Vecna counting on him being on the opposite side of the country.

This would give Vecna 1 major motive to keep Mike in the UD with him. It allows him to keep an eye on Mike and eliminate the possibility of his interference.

- Mike is incredibly close with vecna’s true target; Will. Vecna needs to bring Will back into the UD again to follow through with whatever plan he’s been trying to follow through with since season 1. Does he want Will to join him? Does he want to turn Will into an asset to the hivemind? Does he want to possess Will himself and obtain his abilities? There’s no way to know for sure, but no matter what he needs to lure Will into a situation where they can talk alone. Vecna and Will are still connected so Vecna is definitely aware that Will’s feelings for Mike are way too strong for Will to not come to rescue him. He’s likely going to use Will’s emotions to his advantage.

- Mike’s perspective needs to be told and having him live through a long-term psychic curse from Vecna would allow us to understand what Mike’s fears really are. I think they could use a situation like this to tell Mike’s perspective of the story in a way that’s reminiscent of how El had an isolated story in season 2.

- Mike has a very strong tendency to isolate himself when he can’t cope with things and there is going to be a lot weighing on him, emotionally, in season 5; Eddie’s death, breaking up with El, Will is in danger again, still believing that his feelings are unreciprocated, and he’s probably gonna be expected to take a leadership role again. Everyone is going to be focused on dealing with the apocalypse during the two year time gap so I could see Mike spending a lot of time alone when he’s not working with the party which gives Vecna an opportunity to kidnap him silently before starting the next phase of his attack.

note: maybe will discovers his powers before the time skip and has to spend a lot of the two year time gap practicing with el, though he hangs out with mike when he can

How I think this could advance multiple plot lines!

Mike’s Personal Arc

I covered this a little bit, but if mike were to go under a long-term psychic connection with vecna, we could watch his point of view for a lot of the major moments in different seasons that we were denied his perspective. It would be an opportunity to finally reveal mike’s genuine feelings, fears, and regrets to the audience in a way that wouldn’t involve other characters discovering this about him. Personally, Mike would finally be able to emotionally advance past a lot of his repression as he’s finally forced to face it head on over and over. He might break down at first, and he should, but the longer he stays there the more he’ll learn to deal with those fears. I’m going to tie this into another plot line, but him being able to walk through his emotions would demonstrate a new emotional maturity he has been lacking due to his relationship with El and his incessant need to be normal. He might learn to hide from these things that are torturing him by going into happy memories, which will force him to accept that he wasn’t happy in his relationship with El and that he is a happier person when he’s with Will and his friends doing the things he loves (I’m sure he’s aware of this to some extent during s4). Vecna won’t be present in his mind (explained later), so Mike will be able to walk through these happy memories safely and reminisce on those moments which will continue to expand his perspective, this time from a positive light.

Will’s Personal Arc

Will is going to have a Hero Arc in season 5, it’s been foreshadowed since season 2. He’s finally escaping his repeated victimization and fighting back, protecting who he loves, and avenging everything that Vecna stole from him. He doesn’t need to be Mike’s heroine to go through this arc, but it would be more impactful for Will to rescue the boy who saved him time and time again, the boy who always protected him, the boy he’s in love with. It’ll add more emotional depth to Will’s story in season 5, not that protecting the others isn’t emotionally strong, but it’ll give him a certain level of empowerment that he couldn’t achieve by saving anyone else. Knowing that he has the strength to do what he’s admired Mike for for so long would be fantastic for his view of himself. If he’s going to fight off Vecna with love, he’ll need to develop some self love too, which can come from finding strength in himself and knowing Mike reciprocates his feelings (Mike makes him feel like he isn’t a mistake, but he feels like a mistake for being gay. When Mike confesses it’ll make Will feel even less like a mistake).

The Mike/Will Role Reversal

There have been tons of hint throughout season 4 that hint at Mike and Will having reversed roles in season 5. For one, Mike has a ton of death tags (ex. being compared directly to romeo, dying in the opening DND game, etc.) that won’t lead to an actual death. When Mike disappears randomly, there might be people who assume he’s dead the same way they did with Will in season 1, but if we know anything about Will it’s that he’d never give up on Mike just like how Mike never gave up on him. This is also going to give them an even deeper understanding of each other as they’ve now both been the searcher and the rescued.

Finding Max

So, I’m going to be assuming two things for this part of the theory.

1. Mike is traveling throughout memories in his own head but those memories are manifesting in Vecna’s mind.

2. Vecna absorbed Max’s consciousness, as he describes being able to absorb his victims, and Max is now able to traverse Vecna’s mind and go back to her own memories as she pleases.

If both of those are true, then Mike may very well run into Max once he starts hiding away in happier memories. To be clear, I don’t want nor think Mike will be the one to free her consciousness: that has to be left up to Lucas and El somehow. Mike could be the one to discover that she is alive and start considering the possibility of bringing her back. When he’s freed, this is information he can give to the party. That ties into his role as an information gatherer and it’ll likely lead to him planning a way to get her back, though it’ll be Lucas and El carrying the beef of that plan.

As for which memory they’d run into each other in, I think it has to be that scene in the gym from season 2. It’s pretty much the only memory between them where they’re both happy and together that’s been shown on screen. It would be a good way to reaffirm their friendship, too, if they’re both visiting that memory. We see Mike shooting her concerned glances when her nose bleeds and she wrote him a letter despite their dynamic being shown as rivals more than friends, so this is a way to expand the depth of their relationship and show that they are friends and they do care about each other in a way that’s yet to be displayed.

Romantic Byler

Can’t talk about Mike in season 5 without factoring byler into it!

As far as how this theory plays into byler edging towards becoming canon, I think this is where the audience would finally be being told that Mike is in love with Will in every aspect except the actual words. This is where “show don’t tell” is gonna take it’s extreme. We’re going to be going on a journey with Mike through memory lane of all the good and the bad, which Will is inevitably a major part of both of those types of memories. We’ll see Mike’s reactions to things, which we aren’t shown throughout the show very often after season 1. There is going to be an undeniable love for Will shown from Mike’s perspective.

Then, with Will being the one to rescue Mike, we’re also going to get Mike realizing Will needs him even when he isn’t providing something for Will. He’s going to understand that Will wants him around. A more emotionally aware Mike + a single Mike + a Mike who feels loved for who he is by Will = a potential confession.

All around, I just think that Mike getting held hostage through a long-standing curse could add a lot to the story. I also wrote this while having not slept in about 2 days, so please feel free to add onto the things I missed :)

#can you tell this is my favorite theory #can you tell #mike hostage theory #mike wheeler #byler #my theories

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ghoulsanderson · 1 year

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Furthering my Mike Wheeler gets vecna'd in s5 agenda

(also a corny will byers has powers entrance at the end) (also not so sneakily encouraging others to write more Vecna Possessing Mike Wheeler fics) (If you do pls tag me I'm addicted to them)

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Vecna knew Michael Wheeler. Had known him since a fated night in 83' when he'd seen him through the lens of his Demogoron, fighting stubbornly for Will, for Eleven, for everyone.

He'd known him in the lab when terror shook him to his bones, but his feet stayed planted at Will's bedside like a stubborn weed. When he foiled his plans time and time again.

He'd known him in Starcourt when he threw himself in the line of fire for Eleven.

Vecna knew him as the wrench in his plans, the thorn in his side, the boy braver than most, which is why he thought this would be a lot harder. He expected Mike to fight, to yell, to escape, to writhe and struggle.

And he had, momentarily. Mike had run away, cursed him and spewed insults, but the instant the vines entrapped his arms and legs, he fell like a puppet with his strings cut in what looked like near-relief. Like the chase had been routine, robotic, and he'd never planned on surviving at all.

He'd been in the boy's head, so he thought he knew the ins and outs of Mike Wheeler. He knew the dark thoughts Mike had at night, the rare visits to the quarry, where he sat under the stars and weighed the pros and cons of jumping, the dreams he had that should be nightmares where El didn't save him at all.

He knew this.

And yet, in the end, he still expected more of a fight.

"Giving up so easily?" He taunted as his vines pulled Mike up to the pillar, wrapping around his neck, waist, and thighs, though he wasn't sure he needed that much security.

Mike scoffed, splattered with blood from his falls, covering his face like red freckles and spilt across his yellow hoodie, "You've got me. Fuck else can I do?"

Vecna chuckled, stroking a finger down Mike's cheek like he was endeared, "Not even a beg?"

"Like I'd beg to you." Mike rasped, the vine around his neck tightening until his eyes bulged, sure it was going to break him.

Vecna grinned, "You're letting me kill you?" He cocked his head and pinched Mike's chin, forcing the boy to face him, "You're going to make your friends and family watch you die?"

Mike convulsed with a raspy shout, "Fuck you!" He coughed, gasping for air, "I'm n-not doing s-shit!"

Vecna's beady eyes stared at him, dissecting him like a bug under a magnifying glass, "Did you hope for the hero way out?" He asked, sinister, mocking laughing bubbling in his throat, "Did you hope I'd kill you in some sad twist of fate and they'll mourn you and curse my name? Never knowing that you got what you wanted."

Mike tried to growl, to shout a refusal, but it broke into a litter of sobs, cracking out of his throat, his tears parting the blood on his face.

"I could." Vecna cooed, wiping away a tear, "I could kill you now and use your tragic willingness to kill William later."

"Fuck you!" Mike wailed, trying for the first time to tug his wrists free, "E-El w-will save me a-any... any min-minute now! Y-You won't tell t-them s-shit!"

He nearly gagged at the pressure on his adams apple, vision blurring as he failed to suck air into his lungs.

Vecna sighed, "But they already know, Mike." He leaned forward, watching pure horror start to mould its way onto Mike's face, "She's here... watching... she's been watching all this time... but she can't save you. I won't let her."

Mike's whimper broke, his struggling becoming weaker and weaker as his air ran thinner, "I-I'm sorry..." He sobbed, and Vecna knew he wasn't talking to him this time.

His caress on Mike's face morphed, becoming rough nails digging into his scalp, leaving crescent marks that bled, "It's time."

He leaned his head back, his power travelling like fire through Mike's body down to his ankles, his knees and his arms, where he started snapping them one by one.

Left leg, right arm, right leg-

"Get away from him!!"

Vecna roared as he was slammed through the wall of his decrepit house. He considered fighting back, but the force pinning him down was ignited such fury, pressing him down like he was being buried alive. He felt it on his fingertips, his legs, his body, and his face. He felt it crushing his neck and squeezing the air out of him.

In a spur of fear, he fled, disappearing to the safety of his demonic realm in a cloud of smoke.

Will panted, blood pouring from his nose and ears, but he found the strength to sprint, "Mike!" He wailed, catching the other boy's body as he fell like a ragdoll, bloodied, injured, and unconscious, "Mike! God, no, no, no, no, please! Please wake up-, please. I love you!"

El joined his side, sickened by her failure. Again. She'd failed again, "Mike!" She cried, collapsing onto his chest, hugging him where he lay in Will's lap, "Mike..."

***

The group was a wreck, everyone trying to comfort each other but falling apart themselves.

Lucas had thrown up into the grass, heaving with sobs. He felt useless, just standing by, but he couldn't- he couldn't do this again. And Dustin tried to comfort him, but he was crying so hard he couldn't even hug him.

Nancy couldn't cry. This didn't feel real, her brother hovering in the sky. She grasped her gun like it would help, standing frozen. No. This wasn't real. It couldn't be. In no universe could Mike die. He couldn't.

Her boyfriend was trying to comfort her, but he was a wreck himself. Mourning for Mike like he was his little brother. Nancy knew Mike was, to Jonathan, a brother in everything but blood. Mike knew Jonathan loved him, would do anything for him, would die for him.

Did he know Nancy would do that too?

El's eyes were rolling under her eyelids, Will had collapsed from the stress, and Mike was going to die-

Nancy screamed, falling into Robin's arms as Mike's leg snapped, and his arm, and his other leg, "No!" She wailed, on her knees, like she was praying to the deities, "No! No, please! Mike!"

"Mike!" Lucas screamed into the grass, the agony was driving him crazy, pulling at his mind like a knot, and Dustin wasn't fairing much better, anguished like he was staring into the face of his own death.

Not their paladin. Please.

But then Mike fell, spared by some miracle, into the arms of his family, "Mike!" Nancy shrieked, pulling her brother close and cradling him like a baby, "Mike- wake up, y-you're okay, you're okay, right? You're fine, wake up..." She whispered, pressing their heads together.

Mike's limbs bent at funny angles, and blood crusted in the creases of his eyebags, his complexion waxy grey, "Mike." She sobbed, "Mike, what am I supposed to tell Mom and Dad? Fuck... w-what a-am I supposed to tell H-Holly?"

Steve checked for a pulse with a hand that shook so hard his wrist ached, and slumped in relief to find one, "I-I'll call an ambulance!" He shouted and sprinted away.

As Dustin and Lucas cried over their friend, Will and El began to wake, their tears following into the unconscious.

Unfortunately, Mike woke too.

His eyelids lifted, and his usual midnight-brown eyes had paled to an unnatural copper, misted with white fog, "W-Will?" He rasped, blinking through his blurry haze, "O-Ouch- ouc- fuck!" He threw his head back, the pain hitting him like a truck, "W-Will?!"

Will wobbly crawled to him, "I-I'm here!" He wailed, "I'm here."

Sirens began to whisper in the distance, growing closer and closer, "Help is a-almost here." El stammered, taking Mike's hand, "You'll be okay!"

"I-It hurts..." Mike rasped, his chest heaving with rapid breaths, "I-It hurts."

Nancy sniffled, pressing a kiss to his forehead, "I-I know," She stroked his hair, "I know, but you just stay awake."

Mike whimpered, eyes searching for her desperately beyond the blur, "I-I do-don't think I-I want to g-go..." He whispered.

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and I have to end it there for now, I gtg.

Hope you enjoyed!

#byler #byler fics #byler week #fanfics #mike wheeler #mike wheeler angst #will byers #byler ao3 #byler is real #bylerfics #stranger things #stranger things fan ficiton #mike getting vecna'd #vecna possessing mike wheeler #stranger things fics #mike wheeler is depressed #mike wheeler is suicidal

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voydhund · 7 months

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(Extremely fitting colors! Naturally we cant use Green... but coloring the others would be tricky. I think Hopper would absolutely support them because he loves his kids while giving Mike ever so subtle death glares. Three inch rule would still apply) If I remember right your money is on Mike getting Vecna'd right? Do you think we will see Vecna using the same psychological tactics as he did to Max? Following on from that what song would even break Mike out of the curse?

(Exactly. and green is reserved for the transition in Byler, the words weed and green, and some Byler refrences. (Also I know absolutely nobody cares but, if you look, Miwi and Byler are different too! Didn't even purposely color them to their names, just felt right lol) I really want Mike to be the one Vecna'd. It would (Hopefully, I can't see them using any other memory) give us the Swingset scene, and maybe (if by psychological tactics he used with Max) even a look at little Will (or both actually). If you think back to S2 E2 (Trick or Treat, Freak), remember how Mike's voice alone snapped Will out of his thing? While they're technically two separate things of separate powers, and The Mind Flayer could've just been weaker, I think hearing Will desperately shouting his name would snap Mike out of it too. (in other words,)

I can't think of a song that'd work for Mike, since there's just never any particular song he's associated with like Will is with a song like, Should I Stay Or Should I Go?. (To the best of my memory.) Edit!! Wanted to add: I'm only positive one of them will get Vecna'd because of the whole 'The Silver Cat feeds when blue meets yellow (in the west)' thing. tags below

@lucas-nowhereislands @looking-into-the-voids-jaws

#void answers #byler #stranger things #mike wheeler #will byers #mike x will #will x mike #stranger things s5 #miwi #the mind flayer #vecna

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you-were-alone-too · 2 years

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no because really, what’s the whole purpose of the painting if it results in a rejection anyway? what if the painting serves to remind mike of his speech to will in season 2 when they tried to break him out of his possession, and it gives mike the idea to do the same thing now that will gets cursed by vecna?

it would also explain why noah schnapp told us “should i stay or should i go” would be the song to break will out of his trance, because maybe it’s not a song that breaks him from vecna’s curse...

#stranger things #stranger things 4 #mike wheeler #will byers #theory #text post #mine #byler

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tartarusknight · 6 months

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I don't know what you're hunting. It's not me, it's something else - 2/10

Chapter 1 <-- previous chapter Chapter 2: Give me back my heart you wingless thing

Robin felt out of her mind as she sat in the passenger seat of Nancy's Station Wagon. Steve had been acting off since the Upside Down and wouldn't let her in to see what was really going on. She had theories but nothing solid. Because they'd never truly lost before.

Steve was always a good sport about things. Always moves on and pushes through whatever is thrown his way. But he also believes that everyone else is better than him. That he deserves the worst of it. He pushes through it because he thinks he deserves it. It made it easy for her to assume that Steve was thinking that it should've been him. That he should've died instead of Eddie. Or been cursed by Vecna.

And wasn't that the worst thought? She didn't want to imagine her soulmate wishing for his own end but she knew him well enough to know that's probably what he was doing. That he wasn't allowing people to take care of him because how else would he get his wish? It made her angry. It made her scared. It made her feel at a loss for what to do.

But she couldn't voice her mind. Not to the Party. Not to Dustin who was barely holding on after Eddie died in his arms. Not to Lucas or Erica because they were at Max's side in the hospital. Not to Hopper or Joyce who were busy with their own kids and the Upside Down. And definitely not to Nancy.

Robin liked Nancy. She thought the girl was badass and was happy to be at her side. But she was the same girl that broke Steve's heart. The girl who threw Steve's biggest insecurity in his face in a drunken rage. So, Robin wouldn't speak of her worries. Not because she thought Nancy was a bad person. But because as Steve's best friend, she would protect him from those who hurt him. And one thing she'd never do is give Nancy Wheeler any ammo against Steve.

“I think we should just go pick him up,” Nancy breaks the silence. It makes Robin jump a little and she looks at her. Mike and Dustin staying quiet in the backseat.

“He wouldn't join us,” Robin says and it hurts to say. It feels like she's telling them that he doesn't care about himself. And in a way, her.

Nancy's hands are tapping on the wheel. “I know, he's stubborn and doesn't like letting people in. But he'll die if he keeps it up.” She states like it's easy to say. “He didn't even let us take him to the hospital.” Nancy's voice is annoyed and Robin can relate but she also hates the idea of backing Steve into a corner.

Robin shook as Nancy took the turn towards Steve's house. She wanted to argue. She wanted to scream. But mostly, she just wanted to make sure Steve was okay. She just held her legs to her chest tightly the entire way. Trying not to notice the claw marks on a tree by the road.

However, before they even reached Steve's house, her worry for him grew until it had her fumbling for the door handle. Before the car was even fully stopped she was stumbling onto the road, running towards the Maroon Bimmer on the side of the road. It was slammed into a tree, and windows shattered. The door was torn off and with claw marks on the side. Nancy put the car in park, "Robin!" She shouted and Robin ignored the worry, too focused on finding her best friend.

“Steve!” Robin calls out but she doesn't get a response. Her eyes scanned the area for her dingus. Her food slid against the road, an unnatural feeling that had her falling backward. She would've hit the ground if Nancy hadn't been there to catch her. Her arms were tight around Robin, holding her steady.

They both looked to the ground. Robin's red sneaker blackened with something Robin remembered vividly. Her hands wrapped around Eddie's arm, the blood and saliva of the bats making her hands slip and almost drop him. Steve as if knowing she'd drop Eddie, took more of the man's weight. He and Nancy moved the dead metal head to lie in the Upside Down's version of his room. As a final resting place. As a coffin.

The black substance had been impossible to wash away and clung to her. A long-lasting reminder of Eddie's dead body. Nancy slowly lets go of Robin and bends down. As Robin pulled her foot away from the puddle, a string followed and Nancy made a low hum. “Nancy,” her voice sounds choked to her own ears. Nancy looks up at her, the worry on her face only partially hidden by the increasingly familiar investigative Nancy Wheeler look.

But Nancy just shakes her head, her hand gestures forward and Robin looks around, trying to spot Steve or something to lead her to him. “Footprints,” Nancy finally says and Robin's eyes snap to the ground. Steve had stepped into the goo. It only shows a few steps but... they looked frantic. Like someone slipping a little as they took off running.

Before they can do anything they hear a terrifying noise. A mix of a human cry and a monstrous screech. “Car now,” Nancy orders but Robin's frozen. Waiting for something in the trees to burst out at any second. Nancy doesn't let her, pulling her backward. Robin bumps into Mike and Dustin, the two looking frightened and on edge.

Robin is practically shoved into the passenger seat and she's just frozen. Her brain working hard yet not a single thought pierces through the mess. Nancy peels away from Steve's car. Her eyes are bouncing around the road as she picks up speed. A blood-curdling roar came from the forest. So loud and jarring that Robin couldn't help but curl in on herself.

As she watches the treeline she can see something rushing through the underbrush but it is too dark to make out what it was. That didn't stop Robin's brain from making up something. A mix of the stories Steve told her and the monsters she saw firsthand. All she knew for sure was that whatever it was, it was no doubt what attacked Steve.

Robin can't even begin to understand what's going on as Nancy drives them away from it. It feels real and fake as the Bimmer disappears from view and Nancy steps on the gas even harder. The others are talking, trying to figure out what was going on but Robin can't look away from the review mirror. “Steve,” her voice breaks and she looks at Nancy. She's surprised to see tears falling down the girl's cheeks. “We- what about- about Steve?” Her voice breaks and Nancy just shakes her head.

“We can't leave him behind!” Dustin shouts and Robin can tell it's not the first time he said it from the way Nancy barely reacts to it. Robin's gaze goes back to the review mirror but there isn't any signs of monsters chasing them.

“That sounded like a Demogorgon,” Mike stated and Robin's eyes widened. Steve had told her about that monster. How it never seemed to be hurt by what they did. She had held Steve tightly. She had silently thanked everything she could think of that Steve had lived to meet her. She had also silently been grateful that she never had to deal with one of those herself. But now...

“Oh god,” she feels like she's going to puke. The image of Steve's car spinning and smashing against the trees. Before he could even gain his barrings the door was pulled off. Screaming as he was pulled from the car. Claws tore him apart, blood and tears being shed until Steve didn't even look like Steve anymore. Too quick to even try and grab his bat from the back seat. Too fast to radio for help. Too late for Robin to protect him from it.

Nancy reached over and took one of Robin's hands, making her startle. “We have to radio the others. Tell them what we saw. But if we go back we're dead. I've only got my pistol and that hadn't stopped it the first time.” She said and Robin couldn't get out a single argument as she struggled to catch her breath.

She blocked out the way Dustin argued. She blocked out Mike's frantic words. She blocked it all out. Robin was shaking so badly she felt like she might fall out of her seat as she sat there in shock. “Robin,” Nancy snapped and from the tone, it wasn't the first time Nancy had said it. “The radio's by your feet.” She states but all Robin can focus on is the sound of the monster.

The way it echoed, growing further away but it already got a swipe at her heart. Her insides twisted with guilt. “Steve would've stopped,” her voice doesn't even sound like hers anymore. “Steve would've helped.”

As she finally looks over at Nancy she can see how much those words hurt Nancy. “The radio Robin,” Nancy says again and Robin barely manages to grab hold of it. Her hands feel almost numb.

She looks back in the mirror, there was nothing but the two boys who were truly too young for this. Not Steve. Not the monster. Nancy takes the radio from her. The hand that had been holding hers was gone. But she'd rather stare at the road behind them than close her eyes for a moment. Not when her brain was far too creative.

Robin locked eyes with Dustin. The kid looked so sick, his eyes wide and filled with tears. He was back to being silent. Only Nancy spoke. Her words clipped as she told the others what just happened. Robin wouldn't pay attention to the conversation. Not when it wouldn't let her turn back around and find her best friend. In whatever state that was.

Fret not dear heart, let not them hear the mutterings of all your fears. (The Horror and The Wild - The Amazing Devil)

Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10

Also on ao3 You were all interested :) @ellietheasexylibrarian @nburkhardt @artiststarme @flowers-that-sing @juleswashere3 @indiearr @remosdeerica

#welcome to my spooky season story #hopeful ending #but goal is to traumatize at least one of you <3 #stranger things #platonic stobin #steve harrington #robin buckley #nancy wheeler #the party #post season 4 #knightly talks #I don't know what you're hunting. it's not me it's something else

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post-modern-prometheus · 2 years

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just thinking about vecna going after mike and them playing small town boy to save him.,

i just think this would FUCK. so i am going to use this opportunity to give you my vision for this bc narratively and from a writing perspective, having mike face vecna is just. such an amazing opportunity. he’s just got so much going on in his brain, esp things he will never say and even if he does then how are we even sure what he’s saying is true, esp with the nature of his character and issues. getting cursed by vecna SHOWS the audience what he’s struggling with in a way they can’t deny.

i’d love to see mike sitting on his own, then el walks over to him. they start talking and she leans in really close and says smth like “i know im not the one you love” as they’re being very close in an explicitly romantic way. she morphs into will, who jumps away with disgust like “what the hell is wrong with you.” this is the moment the audience realizes what this is. a vision. cur back to the others as they notice him in a trance. and so mike runs after will (the only music they can find on the other side is a little song called smalltown boy yk run away turn away et ). he busts down a door and falls to the floor of his own room, in front of his open closet door. the whole party is there, staring down at him with hate in their eyes. his family is there too, and he tries to talk to his mom, reaching for her, but she jerks her arm away, as if he were poisonous. and then vecna shows up. he does his whole i’ll put you out of your misery speech. he’s like you’re dirty, broken, they will never accept you. cut to will. “they will never love you.” and mike doesn’t scream or fight like the others. he accepts it. and vecna starts to raise his hand. cue big gay montage of all those moments with will as it cuts between that and everyone on the other side trying to save him. but instead of those memories saving him in the way they saved max, they just send him deeper and deeper down in vecna’s grasp. because he has to face what those happy memories truly were about and that terrifies him more than anything else.

and the thing is, to avoid repetition… mike doesn’t beat vecna. smth else interferes. not even in the way the music saved max, but somehow vecna just leaves him alone bc i cant see mike overcoming this yet.

(so here’s me throwing darts blindly. just as vecna is about to kill him- his body shoots into the air- vecna notices el. he starts asking mike who she is. bc peter/001 recognizes her but cant remember. and so he just lets mike go. maybe to focus on her instead? idk smth like that. i think it would be neat and by neat i mean supremely fucked up if mike gets out of this whole thing and reattaches himself to el. continues to pretend like everything’s okay. ignore the cracks. smth smth just like hawkins both physically with the upside down and the culture inside the town. he’s super clingy but now the audience Knows for sure. and it’s heartbreaking. but el ofc can Feel that and she wont let it go. so they break up and he comes out to her cuz i want that elmike moment of a mature mutual break up so badly that i have a term for it.)

ANYWAY yeah the Vision of the vision.

#st4 spoilers #mike wheeler #byler #stranger things

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eriquin · 6 months

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The Prophetic D&D Game, Part 16

Start of the 5th session. Time marches on.

(master post)

Part 16

It felt like the home stretch for Eddie’s third and final senior year. He was determined to graduate this time, and putting all his effort into getting his grades up. Well, almost all his effort. He still spared time for his band, his lucrative sales job, and his two epic Dungeons and Dragons games. The Cult of Vecna was going great, and he expected that they would wrap up the Tales of the Cursed after it was done. But other than that, he was focused.

He was going over his notes for what to do next with Vecna when Grant tapped him on the shoulder. “Jeff can’t make it today,” he said. “He broke an arch wire and has to go to the orthodontist. Emergency and all.”

Eddie sighed. “Well, guess I won’t be needing these notes, then,” he said, shoving the Vecna notes into his bag. Grant raised his eyebrows and tried to get a look, but Eddie snapped his fingers in his face and shook his head. “Don’t even try it, Grantham.”

“Just keeping you on your toes, Edwin,” Grant said. “So this means we’re going to find out what happens to Natalia, then?”

“In theory,” Eddie said. He flashed Grant a wicked grin. “I might just kill her off and skip to the next bit of plot.”

Grant pouted. “Don’t be an ass,” he said. “At least give me a chance to save her. It’s been bugging me since the last session.”

“Yeah? You’re enjoying the story, huh?” Eddie shuffled through his notes to make sure he had everything for the Cursed run. “Did you give Jeff something sticky to eat just so he’d break his braces and we’d get to play?”

“No, but I was thinking about it,” Grant said. “We need more hours in the day, man. I want to know what happens with the cult, too.”

“Here, here,” Eddie said. He produced his Cursed notes and rearranged his stuff before heading to the drama room. Grant followed him. “Oh, did you pick up the new Metallica album? I have been listening to it over and over since I got it. It’s mind blowing.”

The rest of the club was running late, and Eddie and Grant got the whole table set up before anyone else showed. Gareth was the first of them to arrive, and he looked confused when he saw the layout that Eddie had put on the battlemap. He quickly figured out that they were playing the Cursed, and rubbed his hands together in excitement. He and Grant started discussing theories about the demon and how Natalia had ended up cursed. Eddie sat back and kept his face neutral as he listened in.

The three freshmen arrived together, arguing about something science related. They dropped it almost as soon as they got in the room and saw Eddie holding up their character sheets. Lucas let out a whoop. He had clearly missed playing Sadie.

As they settled down to play the game, Eddie gave them a quick recap of what had happened so far. It hadn’t been that long, but it was useful to set the stage and get back into character. “So now that you’re all ready to escape the demon realm, Natalia has frozen and gone into a trance. Before I take Grant aside and tell him what’s going on in his character’s head, what are you all doing?”

“We need music, right? Do any of us know her favorite song?” Gareth asked.

Dustin leaned forward. “We’re in Quinn’s house, right? He’s a bard. He probably has plenty of music and instruments around. Either he or I should be able to play something for her.”

“Yeah, sure, but that doesn’t tell us what song to play,” Gareth said. “Mike, wouldn’t Joe know her favorite song?”

Mike snapped his fingers. “Yeah! Sure, definitely.” He looked at Eddie.

Eddie shrugged. “I don’t know, man. You guys broke up a long time ago. Maybe it was for a good reason.” He held his hands out helplessly. “Make me a good intelligence check there, sparky.”

Mike picked up his die and blew on it for luck. He rolled, and got a pathetically bad number. Everyone groaned and started yelling at Mike, who complained about his dice hating him.

Eddie stood and leaned over the table to look at them all, waiting until they quieted down. “Grant, I think it’s time you and I adjourned to my office. Shall we?”

His office was the corner of the drama room, behind a folding screen. Grant brought his dice. He ran through a scenario of Natalia witnessing a young family moving into a sprawling mansion from the point of view of the only son. Grant quickly figured out that this was the Englund mansion that they’d explored, and the boy was the dead son. Grant was great for this, because he loved to sit and gather information before acting. He had Natalia watch as the young boy narrated the events of his life, and developed a twisted set of powers. It quickly became clear that he was responsible for his family’s deaths, and that his father had been unjustly blamed. He showed Natalia the way he had been made into a pawn for the wizard’s guild, just like their psychic sorceress friend.

“Still as a young boy, he is confined to a chair and imbued with a mystical tattoo. It looks much like Millie’s, but while hers a lambda, his is an alpha,” Eddie said.

“The first one,” Grant said.

“Indeed. He was the first psychic they found, and because of him, they started looking for more. But he was just biding his time, and they could not control him.”

“Oh, damn,” Grant said. He grabbed his dice. “Okay, I need to get the hell out of here. Can I run?”

“You can try.”

They went through a short combat, and Natalia ended up with psychic damage, but ultimately, the villain let her go. “He tells you to tell Millie that he’s coming for her, and that he’ll see her again soon,” Eddie said, clapping his hand on Grant’s shoulder. “Now, let’s go let the rest of them know that you survived.”

Taglist: @weirdandabsurd42, @10moonymhrivertam, @blueskiesandstarrynights

#the prophetic d&d game #hellfire club #my writing #stranger things

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ronanceautistic · 2 months

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25, 26 and 76

25. What fic do you wish you got more of a response on?

There’s a few non-ship ones that I knew wouldn’t get a lot of response, but I wish they did. My Mike & Nancy Christmas one, the Max & Nancy Vecna one. But in terms of Ronance, I’d say this one I wish did.

26. Which of your fics would you call your wildest ride?

My TLOU AU for sure. It was a lot of fun to plan, and write, and see the responses of. For the first month of the last chapter being posted I didn’t get any feedback which was disappointing, and I changed chapter 7’s entire plotline last minute. But, I really love that fic. It was definitely a wild ride and I’m sorry for killing off so many people but hey, that was the format of the actual show, so!

76. Did you have any ideas that didn’t make the final cut of [Fanfic Name]?

With Trapped Between Two Lungs, tons. Most of them in Season 5 but a big one was Nancy was not going to be in the Russian Bunker during Season 3, and then I changed it three chapters into the season. Beginning of season 4, there was going to be a kid who’d overheard the Halloween Party drama and basically blackmailing Nancy into doing her homework or else she’d out her, which prompted Nancy to distance herself from Robin out of fear of dragging her down with her. It was my reasoning for Robin being cursed, but then I realised actually, Robin has a shit ton of canon trauma anyways that went over my head because it’s never addressed in the show. It was easy to use that, instead. And poor Nancy, she deserved a break for the first part of Season 4, I felt bad for not giving her one.

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im-justatrashcan · 1 year

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What if all of volume 2 is Steve’s Vecna vision.

Nancy getting a vision of all of Hawkins (Steve’s home) getting destroyed. They make a plan to go back into the Upside Down (which Steve was totally against but no one listened to him). Nancy and Robin both getting choked out by vines while he’s helpless and not able to help them.

Robin getting her heart broken by Vickie when Steve is 100% sure she’s into Boobies, but Robin not believing him, which is fair as a lesbian in the 80s. But then her really seeing it and running off heartbroken at War Zone after seeing Vickie kiss a dude. Steve doesn’t want Robin to be hurt ever and he just watched her heart break.

Max, his little pseudo sister, sure she’s cursed by Vecna in Vol. 1, but I don’t really believe that Steve would go along with letting three children go up against Vecna alone when there are other threats out there (I.e. Jason fucking Carver coming in and beating the shit out of Lucas). Seeing her get hurt to the point of dying for over a minute and then being brought back is something that could break Steve.

Dustin. Literally thinking Dustin is in any danger makes Steve go crazy. He trusted Eddie enough to leave Dustin with him and to keep Dustin safe. But then when he gets back from the Creel house fight, and sees Dustin screaming and crying over a dead Eddie surrounded by bats… yeah that’s not a good sight for Steve. And then he finds out that Dustin broke his ankle from jumping back into the Upside Down.

Eddie, who yeah he just met but got to know really well second hand from Dustin and Mike when they sang his praises to Steve. The “older male friend”. The first male his age that Steve actually likes and wants to be friends (or more) with, just ups and sacrifices his life for Dustin. But Eddie runs, he’s not afraid of running, like he said to the party during their campaign: “there’s no shame in running.” Had Eddie kept running or after he fell, grabbed the bike again or even fucking hot wired a car that was in the upside down, he would be alive and would’ve still distracted the bats and gave Steve and them more time.

And even the California crew. Sure Steve didn’t know anything that was going on with them. But he has heard the stories about Eleven and Dr. Brenner. Brenner being back and alive, forcing El to see the things he forced her to in that tank, under the guise of getting her powers back. Traumatizing her even more. Steve may not have known El for long or interacted with her as much as he had with the rest of the Party, but he’s heard stories and knows the stuff that she’s gone through. He would be LIVID knowing what happened in that bunker.

Will, the nicest and most polite out of the Party. Will has gone through so much shit and as much as I liked the Russia storyline because it gave us Hopper, I don’t believe Joyce would just leave her sons and El in California alone with no adult. So for Steve to find out that the mother figure in his life left Will in California alone (with Jonathan but still) just reminds him of his parents leaving him alone all the time. And Steve does not want any of his kids to feel like how he felt when he was growing up.

Also. Back to Nancy. For the last two years or so Nancy has been all Gaga over Jonathan, cheating on Steve with Jonathan and making plans for the future with him and not with Steve. Why would Nancy not respond almost immediately to Steve saying his Winnebago dream was with her with “I love Jonathan” or “I’m with Jonathan”? Sure they’re having trouble with long distance but Nancy seems like the kind of person to only cheat once, since she saw how that basically destroyed Steve.

So yeah. Volume 2 and maybe some of Volume 1 could be Steve’s Vecna vision.

#my headcanon #this just came to me #and I needed to get it out there #stranger things #stranger things season 4 #st s4 #steve harrington #steddie

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autistic-robin · 2 years

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stranger things 4: hiding from conformity & confronting monsterhood (a deep dive)

let’s start at the beginning.

season 4 is the first season since season 1 to feature a game of DnD in the first episode. eddie loves DnD, says “conformity is killing the kids,” then hides in a shed to escape the people hunting him like will hides in the shed to evade the demogorgon in season 1. the townspeople think he’s a monster because of his nonconformity (but this isn’t the truth).

right from the start, we’re revisiting things from season 1— mike and dustin being enthusiastic about their identity as freaks and nerds, lucas diverging from the group (before later joining them again), max’s isolation from the group (like her feeling unseen by lucas in s2), el’s past trauma haunting her, and will’s figurative vanishing from his family’s lives (they forgot his birthday). it feels cyclical.

the theme of the past haunting these characters is obvious, but what’s most interesting to me is the show’s emphasis on hiding (from trauma), monsters (that traumatize), and doors (a way out of the cave).

in s4, several callbacks and parallels to previous seasons re-establish these motifs to remind the audience of how it all began and connect the pieces of the puzzle that most viewers are unable to. i’m going to break this post up into parts to keep everything organized and easy-to-follow.

motifs discussed: hiding from societal expectations, monsterhood, doors and gates (confinement and self-acceptance)

PART I: HIDING

in episode 1, chrissy hides in the bathroom when she has her first hallucination. this is after we see max look in the bathroom mirror like will at the end of s1 and el in s1. we find out that she’s experienced trauma at the hands of an abusive parent.

chrissy’s mom (the monster) yells at her to “open the goddamn door” (i’ll touch more on this later) and she screams for the monster to “go away, go away” just like will does to the mindflayer in s2.

additionally, @/ghostgirlinsatin pointed out that chrissy’s death scene ends with her trapped by what looks like a shed door. she also caught this painting in chrissy’s house:

this imagery is chilling. the painting— of a wealthy, white, nuclear family— is the image of 80’s conformity that the wheelers try desperately to emulate. this veneer is just that: something empty to hide behind. but chrissy can’t hide from the monster, or her traumatic memories. conformity and hiding can’t save her or any of the other characters affected by vecna’s curse. and the shed imagery is an obvious callback to will hiding in the shed in s1.

later in the season, brenner has a discussion with el after she halfway-remembers her past (and still believes she k*lled the other test subjects). he tells her that she cannot hide from her past, or the “good and bad” parts of her. he also stresses that heroes are the stuff of “myths and fairytales”— in victor’s flashback, his daughter alice says their new home/life is “like a fairytale,” which ultimately ends up being untrue. brenner tells el that she will have to reconcile the good and the bad that exists in her in order to become whole again— he tells her to “stop hiding.”

brenners’s comments about reconciling the good and bad (or percieved good and bad) stuck out to me in part because of the lighting of the scene— both el and brenner are lit using sidelighting (or chiaroscuro lighting), which emphasizes a character’s duality. another notable example of this technique being used in stranger things is mike’s monologue in the shed in s2– he is the only character in this scene that is half-eclipsed by shadow— joyce and jonathan are spotlit entirely. it’s safe to say that mike is battling some inner conflict (dual nature) that he percieves as monsterhood, just as el percieves herself as a monster in the scene with brenner.

so hiding in s4? not such a great idea for our characters. but it wasn’t always this way— in season 1, the first mention of a character hiding is the scene where el flips the DnD board upside down. this is the first time we hear the demogorgon’s theme. mike asks where will is, and el says: “hiding.” the implication here is that hiding saves will’s life— it’s interesting to see how this motif has evolved over the seasons. initially, it was a good thing, something that protected will. but now, we see how it is ultimately unsustainable for the characters in danger. another example of hiding being ineffective was eddie hiding in the shed at reefer rick’s and later at skull rock (skull imagery often symbolizes death— eddie has a skull ring like b*lly’s skull tattoo, who also died.)

we also see mike in s1 hide el in his closet before karen finds him. assuming he’s acting off because of will’s disappearance, she tells him he doesn’t have to hide anything from her (a queer-coded conversation). mike insists that he’s fine. all the while, el is having flashbacks (because of the closed closet door) to the past she is trying to hide from.

so literally and figuratively, our characters try to hide from conformity. will is hiding from past trauma (lonnie trying to make him conform to heteronormative standards) and el is hiding from her time at the lab (papa trying to force her to conform like the other test subjects/001 trying to force her to conform to his worldview) because if they are forced to confront society, they will be forced to confront their otherhood and will be labelled “monsters.”

PART II: MONSTERS

if the literal monsters in stranger things are interdimensional eldritch horrors, the figurative monster is forced conformity. eddie says this in his opening monologue (while mike looks at him with heart eyes lol), foreshadowing his being suspected of murder while also establishing him as a nonconformist. eddie’s identity as a freak/nerd is harmless, but it still sends the town into an uproar— at the town hall meeting, eddie is called a monster and erica says it’s “bullshit” and that hellfire is just a club for freaks and nerds. after jason’s monologue, the police insists on everyone complying with a curfew and “closing their doors” (hiding from the killer.)

we also revisit the theme of conformity creating monsters when 001 shows nancy his life and monologues to young el— he felt trapped and imprisoned by the structures humanity imposed on him and the societal pressure to be normal. but the lack of love in his life (an understanding family or close friends) led to his villainy. we see a direct contrast to 001’s nonconformity with will’s noncomformity— his family makes it clear to him that being a freak is cool (jonathan tells him this in s2, and joyce supports him no matter what.) parallels between will and 001 also include being described as “sensitive,” and the location of the tracker in 001’s neck is eerily similar to the part of will’s neck that he touches when he feels a connection to the upside down. 001 also tells el “everyone is just waiting for it to be over,” which calls back to will saying he “just wants it to be over” to joyce in s2. (i am not comparing will to a monster here, but rather contrasting them— where 001’s otherhood made him evil, will’s makes him empathetic and selfless.)

we also see monsterhood discussed (described as a curse— like vecna’s.) when hopper laments about failing el and joyce. he says he feels like a curse to the people he loves— this parallels el’s conversation with brenner about being the monster. they’re both convinced that they are the reason for their loved ones’ suffering. however, hopper breaks free from this line of thinking because of his drive to help save el from the monster (“i thought i was stuck here as a punishment… but maybe i was put here to help save el.”) he escapes the demogorgon later in the season through the open door. (murray yells at the guards to “open the doors” and free the prisoners). also worth noting: there is a drawing in will’s room in s2 of a hopper-esqus prisoner that will is freeing.

PART III: DOORS & GATES

in s4, doors serve as barriers/prisons and gates serve as mechanisms to accept nonconformity. when doors are closed, they put the characters in danger (hopper in the cell/fighting the demogorgon, the townspeople in their homes, chrissy being trapped by the shed door in her death scene, el trying to escape through the double doors of the rainbow room & 001 keeping them closed). when they are open, they provide an escape. so closed doors represent conformity— hopper being forced to conform to the rules of the prison, chrissy being trapped by the pressure to conform in her own home, el having to conform to 001’s demands— and gates represent freedom from conformity/societal expectations.

we see gates as mechanisms to accept monsterhood throughout the series— in the beginning, they’re framed as a bad thing. el opens the gate to the upside down, which hurts people, will insists on closing the gate, and owens says that there are gateways to forgotten trauma in the human mind.

but in s4, gates end up helping our characters confront their trauma (or otherness). in episode 4, the hawkins gang opens a gate using music and saves max— she escapes through the open gate. in episode 7, el opens the gate that banishes 001, potentially saving others that could have lost their lives to him (at least temporarily.) also, robin and eddie make it back to the real world using the open gate in eddie’s trailer. steve and nancy can’t because their trauma/guilt about being the same as the monster that k*lled barb (that hasn’t been confronted and accepted) holds them back. nancy percieves herself as a monster just like el and hopper (and maybe mike?) do— her survivor’s guilt keeps her trapped on the other side of the gate.

in the neverending story (referenced many times throughout st), there are several gates that atreyu has to get through. the first gate is a pair of yellow sphinxes that shoot lasers from their eyes (interesting thought: sphinx rhymes with lynx, which is the silver cat ref from s3), the second gate is a mirror (the mirror of your dreams), and the third is the no-key gate.

GATE I:

GATE II:

GATE III:

the hero of Neverending Story has to accept himself (the good with the bad) in order to make it through all of the gates.

this mirrors how our characters’ struggle for self-acceptance (even if they perceive themselves as monsters) is key to rooting out the disease of the upside down— which is a representation of the reality created by a world that condemns otherhood.

they’re trapped in a cyclical, never-ending story because they are reliving their trauma or unable to accept what they percieve as monsterhood.

#st4 #st4 analysis #byler s4 #ive been staring at my phone for too long #i was going somewhere with this #who knows where that was

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starkstruck27 · 1 year

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Alright, I've got another AU idea: Sleeping Beauty, but make it Harringrove

Billy is the son of a King in the sunny Kingdom of the Crocus Vernus, and after his birth, his parents throw a huge party to celebrate. It's during this party that Billy, like all the princesses and princes before him, will receive his gifts of virtue from the Charmlings, a group of fairies that can enchant people however they please. Charmlings are mostly adolescents until they use their powers up and become regular mortals, who then grow up to run houses of new Charmlings and help them hone their gifts. These adult Charmlings are known as "Watchovers", and Charmlings that have used their gifts but are not quite old enough to be Watchovers just yet are known as Charms.

Anyway, there are 7 Charmlings coming to the Prince's birthday celebration, and they, along with their 2 Charms and their 2 Watchovers, are ecstatic. It's their first time enchanting anyone of importance, and they can hardly wait.

The Charmlings take turns at the boy's cradle, bestowing gifts of virtue most could only hope of having. First up is Will, who bestows Kindness, then Lucas, who bestows Long Life and Good Health. Elle bestows Strength, Erica, Charm and Humor, Mike, Bravery, and Dustin, Intelligence. Finally, just as Max is about to bestow her gift, the palace doors burst open, and everyone turns and gasps.

The Dark Force, as he is known to most, enters the throne room. A mysterious creature known to curse others for his own amusement and pleasure, the Dark Force is feared by all, and as soon as she sees him, Billy's mother snatches him up out of the cradle and attempts to shield him. However, the Dark Force is not one to be fooled easily, and he goes over to the queen, unfazed.

Queen Kiara asks what he wants, and the Dark Force says only that as an act of revenge for the realm that cast him out like an old sock, he's cursing the prince to death on his 18th birthday. The Dark Force (also known as the Mind Flayer or Vecna to some) leaves the palace then, saying that the royal bloodline shall end with the prince and that the kingdom shall fall into ruin.

Queen Kiara, distraught and afraid for her baby, begins to weep with her son in her arms. Everyone is shocked and afraid for the baby boy, and they quietly murmur among themselves as they try not to notice the queen's hysterics.

Eventually, Max, the last Charmling, walks closer, and says that while she cannot break a curse that strong, she can soften it, so that instead of death, the prince will merely fall asleep until somebody who loves the prince with their whole heart makes a great sacrifice or takes a great risk for him so as to prove their devotion. There is a catch, though, if the young prince ever breaks somebody's heart, the curse will be brought on earlier than expected. Being the prince and having been gifted with all these virtues, and already being handsome, he's bound to do that to many a princess or duchess who came to court.

Because of this, Queen Kiara asks if the Watchovers of the Charmlings would mind taking him in and keeping him safe until the curse is broken. Though a bit apprehensive, the Watchovers, Joyce and Jim Hopper, ultimately decide to do so, and that evening, they take him away.

For 17 years they raise him in their house, which is just on the edge of town, close to the border of the neighboring kingdom, Paeonia. During those years, he befriends a young boy just a year older than him, named Steve. They become very close, and it isn't until they're older that Billy finds out that he's the prine of Paeonia. Still, this changes nothing about their friendship, since Steve resents his heritage a lot of the time and he continues coming back, so Billy knows he's truly his friend.

Then, on Billy's 18th birthday, nothing is changed. Except, when Steve goes to find him that day, he only finds the 7 Charmlings and their 2 Watchovers, weeping over him. He looks like he's just sleeping, but the Charmlings tell him about the curse, and he vows revenge. At this, Billy stirs a bit in his sleep, and Max tells Steve that it was the curse that stirred, and now, if he truly cares about Billy, he's the one who's going to have to break it.

Steve accepts the challenge, and he goes back to the Crocus Vernus palace, leaving the Charmlings and their Watchovers to keep an eye on Billy while he's gone. He tells the queen and king of what's happened to their son, but while the queen is devastated by the news, the king seems indifferent to it, and Steve can tell something is wrong.

Knowing that something isn't right, Steve decides to risk his neck to find out what's going on, and after asking around among the palace staff, he's directed to a duchess named Heather. She tells him to ask a maid named Chrissy, who is in love with the palace musician, Eddie, who is part Darkling (a dark Charmling, who can turn out evil, but most often turn out good, and though they age like mortals, they retain their magic for their whole life), and says he knows a guy, but he needs a day or two to set it up.

Steve is impatient, but he waits, and he's introduced to Murray, an All-Seer (a rare, almost extinct race of magic users seen as crazy and deceiving, but can really see almost anything, past or future, if they concentrate). Murray reveals that the king was consorting with the Dark Force to kill his son, so that he would be able to rule for longer and he wouldn't have to give up his crown. He planned on striking up a deal that would make him immortal, and eventually killing his wife so that he could rule forever without dealing with the law that his son would take over ruling once he became of age.

The only problem is, there's little proof, so Steve risks his neck again to sneak into the dark world with the help of his best friend, an apothecary named Robin. She helps him to make a plan so that they can find the contract that the king signed, then they can go back to the palace and prove that he's the one that set it all up.

So, Steve risks everything yet again to find the queen and show the contract to her. The king almost kills him, but Steve stands and fights, allowing the queen time to flee. Once the king is subdued, he and Robin follow the queen, all the way to the royal council, who are the only ones that have the power to impeach the king. They do it as soon as they see the contract.

Finally, Steve tells Robin to help the queen get herself together after finding all of this out about her husband, and to take her to see Billy as soon as the queen feels ready. While this happens, Steve takes one last risk in sneaking back into the dark world to safely return the contract, and when he succeeds, he ventures back to the Charmling house and back to his sleeping prince.

When he gets to the house, it's just moments before Robin and the queen arrive, and when they all go in together, expecting the worst, they find Billy, sitting on one of the sofas and drinking tea with the Charmlings, awoken from his curse. He listens to the tale of the trials Steve and Robin (but especially Steve) went through, and immediately knows that his acts of heroism are what broke the curse. He goes to Steve and drags him outside, asking if he did it because he loves him, since he knew that was a stipulation of the curse and he just needed to know for sure. Steve says that of course he does, and he kisses Billy, only stopping when they hear giggles from the Charmlings inside as they watch from the window. Steve and Billy shoot them a look and Robin chuckles and herds them away, and Billy turns back to finish kissing his hero.

The next day, Billy, Steve, Queen Kiara, the Charmlings, and the Watchovers all go to the palace, where Billy is crowned King of the realm. When his mother, with a knowing smile on her face, asks who will be his queen, Billy smiles sheepishly and looks to Steve. He nods, and Billy asks his mother how she'd feel about joining forces with the kingdom of Paeonia and having two kings residing on the throne. The queen's smile grows impossibly wider as she takes off her crown and walks over to place it on Steve's head. She says it'll need a bit of fitting, but it'll do for now. At least, it will until they can have it fixed for their wedding. And how would Steve look in a dress if she had a wedding gown made for him? Steve blushes, but Queen Kiara and King Billy both just laugh, and walk off together to start planning the wedding.

It takes place the very next day, and ironically, it's Steve who oversleeps and almost doesn't make it to his own wedding ceremony. Thank goodness Billy was there to wake him up just in time.

#stranger things #billy hargrove #steve harrington #harringrove #billy hargrove x steve harrington #sleeping beauty #long post

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will80sbyers · 1 year

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I agree with everything you said regarding bi!Mike and oblivious&confused!Mike, and I would like to make an addition:

Controversial opinion, but I dont think Mike's gonna get Vecna'd. It just doesnt make sense to me for number of reasons, first it being that the writers wouldnt use the same Vecna'ing/trancing thing at this point as it would be cheap now bc they used it in S4 already and they wouldnt want to use it again. Second, I dont think Mike realizes the extent of his feelings yet anyway, so it doesnt make sense to me why the villain would curse Mike to 'out him' like that. I think Mike's just gonna realize it by himself in a natural way, not by getting outed by the villain.

I think if anyone is necessarily getting Vecna'd, it's mostly gonna be Will because of narrative reasons 1- He is literally connected to Vecna, that reason alone makes him the likely target, Vecna would probably want to break Will's will to stop him from spying on him.

2- People can argue that both Mike and Will can get Vecna'd but i just dont think so.... as I've already said that the writers wouldnt want to use the 'Vecna'ing' thing again, and if someone is necessarily getting Vecna'd it makes more sense for Will to get Vecna'd for variety of reasons. But I can see Mike 'dying' in a way. But that also doesnt make sense to me because whenever the writers pull a 'fake death' or 'dying for real' situation, it happens when they make the audience like a character. Objectively speaking, Mike isnt that liked by the audience now. So it doesnt make sense to me why the writers would pull something like that with Mike's character. Them pulling a fake death or actual death situation with Steve or Jonathan is more likely to happen bc the writers made the audience love Steve, so it makes sense for them to pull something like that now. When Eddie, Max etc died it made sense because the audience actually liked and cared for those characters. If we're being honest.... Mike doesnt have that range now, most of the audience is either neutral to him or dislike him.

yeah unfortunately I agree, I would love Mike to get Vecnad and have a super angsty and emotional scene but I don't know...

I'm not sure it will happen or if it happens I think it will be a situation where everyone gets visions from Vecna at the same time and he is being tormented by Vecna showing him that nobody needs him and everybody thinks he's not important...

I don't think it's going to be necessarily about his sexuality, I think if Will gets Vecnad it's going to be about his sexuality and how Mike doesn't love him because they started that storyline of Will not believing that he's going to be loved romantically so it would make sense to make a climax with Vecna saying that to him...

I also think it's possible that Dustin and Lucas get visions too, Dustin about Eddie's death and Lucas about Max's death!

But I don't think it's going to be the same Vecnad scenario we saw where they are floating in the air, I think he's just making them see their deepest fears to fight them... maybe if they go to the upside down together as a team! I could see that happening...

I think that Mike almost dying would make sense but I also think the best way to go would be killing Jonathan before the time skip and then hurting Mike in the finale but not killing him, Mike being saved by Will is something that I would adore to see personally 💕

but who knows, we will see what the writers decide to do, it could go in so many different ways!

I also like the theory about Mike being kidnapped in the last season but I wouldn't want Mike and Will to be separated again 😭

I don't necessarily agree with the range part tho because I think Finn can pull it off and I think the audience can change their minds and like Mike again when they see inside his mind again after two seasons of him being a bit put aside for prioritizing other characters!

#byler #mike wheeler #will byers #ask

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poisonedprose · 2 years

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The Vampire King 4 ♰˚‧

chapter 4 !

warnings: cursing, character death

masterlist - @thefailcollection @riffcrusader

prolouge // chap 1 // chap 2 // chap 3 // chap 5

"I'm not Eddie? I'm not fucking Eddie?!" The supposed Eddie look alike shouted, making everyone raise their guards. "You know, if I wasn't Eddie," He slowly turned towards Steve. "I wouldn't know your secret." Manic laughs erupted from his mouth as he watched the fear take over Steve's face. He took slow steps, making his walk over to Steve dramatic. "I know how much you want to hide it. How much you've cried over it. How much you loathe it. How much you're enamored by it." Steve swallowed harshly, feeling all eyes on him. "Please don't do this." Steve whispered. "Huh? What was that?" Eddie put his hand to his ear, waiting for Steve to repeat his sentence. "Leave him alone." Robin chimed up, attempting to free Steve of his living nightmare.

"C'mon Stevie." Eddie whispered as he drew closer to Steve. "If... If you're the real Eddie, you wouldn't do this to us." Steve firmly spoke. "Us? There is no us. There never was. You really thought this was real?" Each of Eddie's words was like a gunshot through Steve's heart. He stood frozen, the words ringing in his ears. The dreadful truth now on full display. "Oh." Steve let the words fall from his lips, not even attempting to hide his disappointment. "You were never anything more to me than a quick fuck." Eddie let his anger flow out of his body. "I never fucking liked you." Eddie waited for a response but was only met with complete silence. "You hear me?! I never fucking liked you!" He screamed at Steve who was now on the verge of tears.

His every fear was coming true, having Eddie turn his back on him. The one thing that made him physically sick to think about, and here he is facing everything he tried so hard to deny. "You're an asshole!" Lucas shouted, causing Eddie to break his attention away from Steve. "Oh." He laughed in an eerily way. "I'm an asshole? For having a little fun with Stevie boy?" Eddie asked Lucas in a belittling manner. Lucas hesitantly nodded. Will lifted his hand towards the back of his neck, which Mike was quick to notice. "Then, you're really about to hate what's gonna happen next." Almost as if on cue the ground began to shake beneath them and low, grumbling laughs began to fill their ears. "I warned you that your world would fall." A deep, gurgling voice sent chills down the entirety of the group's spines.

"Vecna..." Lucas whispered. They quickly began to search for the crazed demon like creature, all except one. One whose eyes couldn't bare to look away from the maniac he once loved, that he still loves. "You pitful humans. Always having optimism and... hope." A dreadful laugh rumbled that seemed to encase them. "Come out, coward!" Jonathan called out into the void, but to no avail the creature did not bring himself forward. "Your world is now mine." Bats began swarming around the group. "Uhhh, I'm not liking this, brochachos." Argyle spun in a circle, looking at the bats that have now trapped them.

Nancy was the first to take action. She quickly grabbed one of the gallons of gasoline and poured it out recklessly, hoping it would fall onto the vines. Robin and Jonathan quickly took after her, mimicking her frantic behavior. "It's too late. Give up." His silhouette appeared visible as he slowly walked toward the group. "Hurry!" Mike shouted. Nancy quickly lit the lighter and tossed it into the gasoline.

The fire started quickly and the bats began dropping one by one. El kept her eyes on Vecna. He seemed to be unaffected by the raging fire. She walked forward and prepared herself for a battle she knew she would never be ready for. "Don't do this, Eleven." The voice almost sounded robotic, as if he were a toy with a sound box that was melting. "We can be one in the same." He stopped walking just before he became visible. "No." El raised her hand, starting to use her powers. She stepped forward as she used her powers to keep him in a telekinetic chokehold. The rest of the group spread apart, trying to avoid the fire, whereas Steve just continued to stare at Eddie who looked unsure of himself.

Steve studied Eddies every feature. Trying anything and everything to prove that wasn't the real Eddie, but eventually all he could find was nothing. Soon, Eddie picked up on the fact Steve was staring at him. He could sense Steve's eyes on him but refused to look towards him. It hurt. To hear Steve say that he never loved him was a pain that was unbearable, even for the undead.

"Steve! Look out!" Robin called out for Steve as the fire approached him, but he didn't move a muscle. The warmth of the fire formed beads of sweat all over his body. He was focused on Eddie. "Why aren't you moving? Do you have a death wish?" Eddie spoke with uncertainty in his voice. "What is there to live for if you aren't even alive." Eddie finally met Steve's gaze, immediately regretting it. Nancy carefully avoided the fire as she pulled Steve away from it, causing Eddie and Steve staring match to come to an end. "What the hell is wrong with you? Didn't you see the fire? Or feel the fire?!" Robin swatted Steve's arm. "Sorry." Steve spoke with a dead voice.

El continued to use her powers on Vecna, seemingly winning. Though, they should have known better than to turn their backs on someone they left to die. Eddie pulled Dustin back, holding him tightly so that he couldn't escape his grasp. "What are you doing!?" Dustin tried to squirm out of Eddie's grasp, which grabbed the attention of several people. "I'm getting my revenge, Henderson." He smirked before biting Dustin's neck, letting blood pour out. Dustin screamed as it happened, causing everyone to refocus towards the sound, including El. Steve looked at the boy, who now was dropped onto the ground, in disbelief. "Whoever said 'revenge is a dish best served cold' obviously never had it served hot." Eddie laughed as he licked Dustin's blood off his lips.

#! 🗡₊˚✧ all hail vampire king #steddie fic #steddie angst #steddie #steve and eddie #stranger things #stranger things s4 #stranger things 4 volume 1 #stranger things season 4 #eddie munson #steve harrington #eddie x steve #steve x eddie #eddie kas theory #vampire eddie munson

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