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tryingonametaphor · 2 years

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Entertaining the possibility that Mike’s struggles with Will and El are exactly what was shown to us on screen

i.e. looking at Mike's perspective through the lens of his insecurities rather than internalised homophobia. This is going to be long, but I've tried my best to properly articulate and connect all my thoughts!

Starting off with,

Mike being unable to tell El that he loves her (4x2) because to put it simply, he’s not in love with her (anymore at least) but he loves her enough that he can’t lie about it, and neither can he let her go. He’s not fallen out of love because of El, but subconsciously because of who he’s become when he’s in a relationship with El. We see early on in season 4 that El has been pretending to be someone she is not in her letters to Mike. We see her breakdown when Mike handles the roller-skate-to-Angela’s-face situation badly because that’s the confirmation she wanted to know that Mike may not be appreciative of who she truly is. El was under the impression that she was a monster in that scene. She is not, but she was worried Mike would react negatively to her and he did. El even compares it to Brenner’s reaction to a traumatic incident she repressed and believed was her fault. What Mike said later is probably true - that he just reacted that way out of shock, but he also couldn’t tell her he loved her right after, so El heard what she wanted to hear. Pretending to be someone else wasn’t working for her anymore. If we observe carefully, we’ll realise that El hasn’t been the only one pretending in this relationship.-

-Mike has been pretending to be someone else too. Perhaps for longer. Through season 3, he acts like he’s moved on from DnD, games, hanging out with the party, and all the little things that make him his nerdy self. Everyone (Hopper, Lucas, Will, Dustin, and Max) points out that there is something off about Mike and El’s relationship - that he's keeping her to himself and that he's ignoring his friends to be with her. In contrast, we have Lucas and Max who balance their relationship and their friendships. Mike later picks a fight with Will that feels irreversible when Will calls him out on this behaviour in 3x3. That entire fight could be Mike projecting, but he was especially projecting with the “What did you think? That we were going to sit in my basement and play games for the rest of our lives?” line. When El moves away, we see Mike join Hellfire Club, indulging himself in his interests once again. We haven’t once seen Mike talk about these interests with El outside of season 1, where she ignored him:

gif by @beaulesbian

He feels embarrassed at the end of season 3 for getting excited about presents. The costume designer for s4 even confirmed that it was scripted in the Airport scene that Mike was dressing up a certain way out of his norm to fit in. All this coupled with what Mike says in 4x8 in the van - “someday she’s going to realise that I’m just some random nerd who got lucky” further proves that he thinks he’s not worthy of El unless he’s someone who is not just a random lucky nerd - which is what he was, technically in that moment (but he is also so much more, and we will circle back to that in a bit) Mike has spent so much time trying to be someone he’s not that he isn't sure about his feelings for El anymore, because-

-Mike is scared he’s lost Will -his best friend- in this process. This is the third time Mike has lost Will and this time according to him, it’s his own doing (“I feel like maybe I was worrying too much about El, and I don’t know, maybe I feel like I lost you or something.”). The fight from season 3 and the ending of season 3 are two of the Mike and Will moments that stand out before the Byers move to California. In the fight, Mike indirectly tells Will that it’s time to grow up and move on from DnD, and in the finale, Will is shown to have sort of moved on from it. He gives away his stuff and says he’ll just use Mike’s set when he comes back - that is if Mike still wants to play. And Mike for a moment feels reassured that Will didn’t take his comments during the rain fight to heart. He thinks they’re separating on good terms and that their friendship has been mended, except he’s going to realise soon that it hasn’t. Will starts to pull away and doesn’t reach out, as Mike accused him of in 4x2. Will thinks that if he has to lose Mike, he should do it quickly, like ripping of a band-aid. But Mike doesn’t know that this is because Will has romantic feelings for him and that it’s Will trying to deal with his own struggles. Mike genuinely believes that something he did (probably said, during the rain fight) is the reason he’s lost Will. And this hurts because Mike has always been authentically himself around Will.

Mike is now stuck pretending to be someone he is not in a relationship, and as a consequence, he thinks he has lost his best friend, with whom he could always be himself. And all this pretending because-

-Mike has put El on a pedestal. This could be because of her powers, or because of who he thinks he should be in a relationship with a girl because she is canonically the first girl to have shown interest in him.

The first ever character description of Mike Wheeler states that not having a girlfriend is one of his insecurities.

This also explains why Mike lashed out at Will in the most hurtful way he could think of when Will called her “some stupid girl” he was ruining the party to swap spit with (3x3). But as we’ve seen over and over again, Mike and El are just not compatible in their interests. Normally, that is something couples can easily work through together, but Mike has been trying to mould himself into someone that he thinks is compatible with El - straying further away from who he is, and El has been doing the same for Mike - both of them losing themselves in this process.

I think by the end of season 4, it’s very evident that both of them are tired of pretending to be someone they’re not. Because El got a taste of individuality. She has learned from Max and Owens and even Brenner that the choices she makes doesn’t define whether she is a monster or a superhero - but who she is as a person. She has realised that she is content in being a good person and not a superhero.

Meanwhile, Mike spent all his time away from El in Will's company in season 4, understanding that in their time apart, Will never stopped considering Mike as his best friend. Mike realises that Will is just as devastated as he is about their withering friendship (4x2, rink-o-mania fight) and that he is still able to be vulnerable and his true self around Will (literally every heart-to-heart they had in s4). Mike, for the first time in almost two years (apart from his time in Hellfire), has been able to experience what it’s like to be himself again because he's never felt the need to change himself to be around Will.

Mike can’t balance his relationship with Will and El because he is two different people around each one of them.

Will’s veiled confession turns out to be exactly the way Mike wished El (or anyone) loved him - like he is their equal, and like he is worthy of the person he loves. This is why he reacts this positively to Will's words:

Except that is not El's truth. That’s not how El feels (because El has been putting him on a pedestal too) ("Everyone looks at me like I'm a monster. You look at me like I'm a monster"). They’re Will’s feelings.

Will and Mike at this point in canon, consider each other as equals while Mike and El consider themselves inadequate to be with one another.

Everything that transpires after is just an unreasonable amount of chaos for drama tbh. They could’ve made Mike be honest with El in a moment of calm and talk out his insecurities if they wanted to fix that relationship. Have him reassure her that they can fix what’s broken with proper communication, but instead, Mike’s love confession during yet another high-stakes situation is laced with half-truths and him bringing back the whole El being his superhero concept (In direct contrast to Jonathan and Nancy describing how good the both of them are as people in their 4x1 love declarations while talking in sync to Fred and Argyle). This is followed by El decidedly not talking to Mike properly for two days after that monologue nor seeking comfort in him when she's just experienced one of the worst losses in her life. Mike is still drifting towards Will at the end because now that he’s got a taste of what being himself around his best friend feels like again, he’s finding it hard to let go.

Both Mike and El seem a little done with each other just before the final byler heart-to-heart, and I can only imagine that they’re going to break up at the beginning of season 5 because both of them have realised that they deserve better and that’s it’s neither of their faults. They’re kids who are learning what they want in life and that’s okay. They jumped into a relationship when they were 13 and it didn't work out for them. For them to rebuild a friendship instead would be monumental because they truly do make a great team when they don't have all this relationship drama suffocating them.

Where does this leave us with Mike and Will in season 5? Imagine Mike finding out that the Van scene confession was from Will himself. A possibility he’s never thought of because he believes he’s not lovable just the way he is. Mike finding out that the person he feels like he can be himself around the most loves him romantically, and that the same person also feels like a mistake except when he’s around Mike, because Mike makes him feel safe. And this person is someone who has seen the ups and downs of Mike for almost a decade. I don’t think Mike is going to take that very lightly. In fact, I think it’s going to rock his entire world. Because Mike will finally realise that Will never ever gave up on them. That Will’s been secretly and silently hoping for them to be more for a long time and reciprocation doesn’t feel like a long shot to Mike because loving and being around Will is so, so easy.

I’d always been a Mike is dealing with internalised homophobia truther, but I’m starting to think that Mike might actually just be more emotionally repressed and insecure. To the point that he’s constantly pretending to be someone he’s not. I don’t think he’s scared of being perceived as a queer person (seeing as how he always stuck with Will and defended him strongly against the homophobic bullies. And how in the beginning of season 4, he feels comfortable being seen by his high school classmates as a nerd or a freak) but I think he’s worried he’s never going to be enough for the person he loves. And Will has already proven that Mike just as he is, is everything and beyond to him. Will thinks he’s a nerd(very affectionately), he’s a leader, he’s his the heart, he’s Will’s safe space, he’s Will’s go-to person, and he’s Will’s forever (“We can just play DnD and Nintendo for the rest of our lives”)(“I’ll always need you, Mike”). Mike feels the same way about Will too. He’s just going to realise that oh, all this will stay the same and maybe be even more incredible when they shift their friendship to a romantic relationship.

Mike is going to fall harder than ever once he finds out that Will is in love with him and I honestly think Mike is already halfway there. He just can’t seem to put it together because he’s always loved Will this way. Mike is finally going to realise that he can spend the rest of his life in a loving relationship with the person who understands him best. The person he understands best. Who cares what the rest of the world thinks because holy shit, Will Byers loves him (and vice-versa)

I also think it would be incredible for Will (who deals with internalised homophobia in canon) if Mike, his partner, is more confident in his queer identity because having Will by his side gives him the strength and courage to be who he is. I think it would neatly wrap up both of their self image issues. Will unconditionally loving Mike for who he truly is and Mike unconditionally loving Will, through his gay struggles and all.

#byler #mike wheeler #will byers #byler endgame #byler evidence #stranger things #stranger things meta #i've been thinking about this a lot #and i can see them going for this tbh #mike wheeler i know what you are #thoughts

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frownyalfred · 2 months

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If this too much or too personal please ignore!

But I was just wondering if you had any advice for grieving? (I lost a close family member very recently)

I'm so sorry for your loss, anon. I don't know your exact situation, but I hope your loved one's memory is a blessing to you and your family. I'll leave my thoughts below the break, since I'll discuss death and dying a little.

I am, as many people on here likely know, still grieving the loss of my father. It was sudden and unexpected. It was bloody and somewhat traumatic for our family. Thinking about it still leaves me dazed and unfocused.

Grieving is such a strange process. I've been talking about it with my therapist weekly, and her main takeaway has been that there is no right way to do it -- and that it is far from linear. There are positive moments and regressions. There are funny memories and difficult truths to grapple with. There is anger, confusion, sadness. Despair. So many unanswered questions and moments that hover on the edge of veneration simply because they are the only ones you have left.

How did I grieve? I cried a lot, at first. I took off work and sat shiva with my family. I answered a thousand well-meaning messages and played one singular song on repeat on my phone. I barely slept. I dreamed and dreamed and dreamed. I woke up crying without remembering exactly what I had been dreaming about.

Then, as if in reprieve, my brain let up. I slept somewhat normally again. My body was no longer on the edge of tears at any given moment, nor was I entirely numb. Slowly, I began to think of normal things again; new television shows, updating a chapter, irritation at the banal things like traffic and work.

And anon, I thought to myself, this must be it. I'm no longer "grieving," or at least not in the traditional sense of the word. I was eating, sleeping, going to the gym and work, updating my works and hitting the club again on the weekends.

But I wasn't done. And I'm not sure I ever will be. I wanted to be done, in so many ways. I was mad at my father for dying, for making me grieve, for keeping me in this state where I couldn't be confident in anything I was feeling, any progress I was making. Where I could remain silent and resolute at his burial, but sob like a baby in my apartment when the concert t-shirt he gave me was stained by some soup.

But that's a lot to put on the dead. And sometimes I have to keep reminding myself that -- that he is dead, that there is a gap in my life I keep trying to skip over, like avoiding tonguing at the aching tooth in the back of my mouth. And when I forget, the world is more than glad to remind me, whether through well-meaning neighbors, colleagues, etc etc.

I suppose that's a long way of saying, I think I'm still grieving anon. I'm not sure I'm doing the best at it, active or involuntary as this process seems to be. I have an amazing support network, but so much of this work seems to be solitary, even when someone is sitting right next to you, crying with you.

The Jewish saying "May their memory be a blessing" has been a good focal point for me, I think. It dovetails nicely with the Mandalorian saying "Not gone, merely marching far away." I've thought about both a lot in the last few months, because I'm a huge nerd and also because I don't think the cultures are too dissimilar.

Let your loved one's memory be a blessing in your life, anon. Remember the happy moments, and speak them out loud if you're able. Don't let their name remain sacred. Don't sanctify them, for we are all humans and humans are complicated, but don't leave their life behind you.

Those memories of them, those funny moments and sad days, fun trips and strange conflicts, those are all yours now. No one else has them. And when you and your family are gone, those memories are gone too.

Other small things that have made this whole process easier: Starbucks and DoorDash giftcards (seriously, some days are too hard), letting myself take time off hobbies (gym/writing) without penalizing myself, naming my grief and allowing myself to sit in it (I'm sad today about x, and I want to lie down for a few hours. I'm lying down because I'm feeling sad about x, and I'm allowed to feel that way). Going to the gym and running until the natural endorphins help. Talking with my families about good and complicated moments with my dad. Writing, when I'm able. Reminding myself it's okay to not be very functional, that it's okay to not be perfect and you would never expect someone who is grieving to be so. Talking to a therapist and getting treatment for what I experienced. Accepting the kind words of others, even if they hurt or are unintentionally difficult.

I'm sorry you're going through this anon. I know how you feel, or at least some of what you feel. I hope you have support and loved ones around you who can help shoulder some of this process.

<3 Jay

#tw grief #tw death #tw dying #tw grieving #personal #about me #forgive me for being terribly emotional and personal for a moment #asks #anon

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nihilnat · 2 years

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Your favorite song

[chapter one] [chapter two] [chapter three] [chapter four]

Summary: When Vecna’s curse affects you, someone who doesn’t consider himself as a hero outside of D&D comes to save you with his amazing guitar skills, playing your favorite song to save you from it.

Author’s Note: Heavily follows the plot and contains spoilers! If you haven’t watched S4 I wouldn’t recommend reading this fic. Maybe you could save it for later? Also I’m in LOVE with Eddie and wanted to do something angsty and fluffy at the same time. This chapter is a mix of both. The summary is for the entire series. Also the fic is in a normal font if any of you have problems reading smaller fonts.

Word Count: 4049

What to Expect: Reader x Eddie Munson, mutual pining, reader is talking about a past trauma (losing her parents), friendships, heavily contains reader’s flashbacks about Eddie and the others, Steve and Dustin being the comedic relief duo, Steve being jealous of Eddie and calling him a douche, Eddie is kinda traumatized, Reefer Rick's Shack, Eddie being cute, reader is kinda shy BUT things take a turn.

Spoilers below the cut, you have been warned!

Ever since Nancy and Max started to find more information about Vecna’s curse, you felt uneasy. You had this strange gut feeling that something bad was going to happen to you because you were showing the same symptoms as Chrissy and that nerd newspaper guy before they died tragically: Constant ongoing headaches, having experienced some sort of trauma, sometimes seeing weird hallucinations about that tragic event…

You actually didn’t think about it much at first because you were having a hard time connecting to reality. After losing both of your parents during the mall fire, you couldn’t accept the truth, you didn’t want to. It was as if your brain was denying to take that information as a fact. You felt as if the whole world lost its meaning and that living was useless. You were showing clear signs of depression and wanted to be alone most of the time.

Unless you spent that time with Eddie Munson.

Even though you had a lot of friends and an amazing friend group of four which contained Steve, Nancy, Robin and you. After some time, Eddie Munson, the new addition to your friend group, grew on you faster than anyone would’ve expected.

Before he joined your crew, you ofcourse knew the infamous leader of the Hellfire Club but you were too intimidated to talk to him since he was loud and he had a very theatrical personality. Your mind wandered to the time where he insulted the basketball team and the head of the team called him a ‘Freak’.

You loved how he always stood on his ground and didn’t care what anybody else thought of him. He didn’t mind being called a ‘Freak’ just because he liked playing a fantasy game a little too much. He was also a metalhead and you admired his style from afar.

He was aware of your presence too; You always made eye contact whenever you passed by each other in the hallways or when you were both in a crowded room, you would always search for one another and lock eyes, smiling. There was this tension between the two of you and as much as you didn’t want to admit this to yourself, you had a crush on him.

It was actually obvious because of the way you would blush whenever he looked at you and the way you’d break eye contact very fast because you get easily overwhelmed by how he looks at your pretty (e/c) eyes. He had this grin on his face whenever he caught you looking at him and you adored that stupid little grin of his.

He had a huge impact on you and he was aware of it basically because you sucked at hiding it. But he thought it was cute. That you were very cute.

The first semester went on like that and during the spring break, Chrissy’s unexplainable death shocked everybody in town and Eddie went missing. You knew he wasn’t capable of doing such thing and that he probably had nothing to do with this murder. But you understood why he chose to run away, Brent and his team wouldn’t have listened to a single word he said.

Even though you ‘knew’ he wouldn’t have done such a thing, you didn’t know it for sure. Other than staring at each other, you both didn’t do anything. Not even a single ‘Hi’ has been said.

And you were determined to change that. You wanted to speak to him and tell him that everything was going to be alright. You wanted to show that you cared for him. Maybe you were going a little too strong with this ‘little' crush but you didn’t care.

The day after the tragic death of Chrissy, you were hanging out with Robin and Steve at their workplace. There were new customers going in and out. Steve was trying to find a new girl to go on a date with and almost all of his tries were a fail. You and Robin loved to make fun of him about this topic because he was so desperate. It was nothing harmful tho, he was one of your best friends.

He finally thought that he met a pretty girl who is single but she said that she was going to watch the movie Steve recommended with his boyfriend. Oops, no luck again! He was so close tho, you thought. After she left, Robin started to laugh out loud and Steve rolled his eyes telling:

‘Haha Robin! SO funny. Hey (Y/N) why don’t you shut her mouth up and let me focus on my next target please, thank you.’

Robin was still laughing. A few seconds later she finally catched her breath and said,

‘Why don’t you try going out with the first person who walks into the shop? Maybe you’ll find THE one!’ sarcastically.

Steve wanted someone, anyone to date but was he actually down this bad? You didn’t think he would accept Robin’s challenge but after looking at you with desperate eyes, he turned to the glass door of the movie shop and started to wait. You and Robin looked at each other with amusement in your eyes and you locked your gaze to the door too.

After a few seconds, you saw Dustin rushing to the door. You could tell that he was in a hurry and that he was worried because of the way he acted. You always liked that kid, he was such a goofball but a genius at the same time.

Then he opened the door, yelling ‘Steve! Robin! (Y/N)! We need your help.’

Remembering what Robin said to Steve, about the one walking through that door being the one, you and Robin started to laugh hysterically. Steve looked at you guys yelling ‘C’mon give me a break!’ He then turned to the ceiling, opening his arms to the sides saying ‘What have I done to you?’ with a confused expression and furrowed brows.

Dustin said ‘What, not happy to see me? I know you’re lying Harrington.’

He then wasted no time and ran straight to the computer, rolling on top of the cashier counter. In the process, he knocked some of the movies and tapes to the ground. Max followed him shortly after. Robin yelled ‘Hey! We just stacked them. What’s going on with you!?’

‘As much as I’d like to chit chat with you guys Robin, we don’t have any time for this!’ The three of you were looking at him with such confusion, he understood that he forgot to tell you the reason why he was acting in a rush.

‘Look, this is important, okay? Just help us find Eddie.’

After you heard the name Eddie, you instinctively rushed to Dustin’s side, looking at the computer. You thought that the kids in the Hellfire Club already knew where he was but turns out, even Dustin was clueless. You began to worry about him.

‘Dustin, what do you mean you don’t know where he is?’ you asked, looking straight into his eyes. He knew that you had a crush on him, most of your friends knew it.

‘Look (Y/N), I don’t wanna scare you, but we have to find Eddie before Jason and his team if we want him to be safe. So let’s just focus OKAY?’

He was now going back and forth with rapid movements, shaking his head from side to side. His eyes were wide open.

‘EDDIE PLEASE TELL ME YOU FOUND A GOOD HIDING SPOT OR I SWEAR TO GOD-’

‘WHOA WHOA whoa, Henderson calm down!’ Steve yelled. Dustin was clearly panicking. Steve grabbed him by the shoulders and started to shake him.

‘Earth to Dustin! Dustin? DUSTIN! That douche must be alright.’

‘Who are you calling a douche? It’s because you’re jealous Steve admit it-’

‘Guys, GUYS! Come on, we don't have any time for this right now.’ you exclaimed and you turned to Max.

Max was holding a paper which had a list of names written on it. You asked whose names those were. She said that those were the names of the people who could’ve known where Eddie was. You were a little relieved that they found some important information but you had to start looking for those people immediately.

After hearing Max, Robin wasted no time and directly jumped to the seat behind the counter as she started to look at some of the clients’ rent history to get a better clue. You all started to brainstorm and after a short time, you finally found a lead: Reefer Rick.

****

After a short ride with Steve, Max, Dustin and Robin, you finally found Reefer Rick’s house. It was out of town, out of prying eyes. Best hiding spot for a drug dealer.

You didn’t listen to any songs while Steve was driving the car. All of you were anxious and worried about what was to come. The tragic death of Chrissy was unnatural. The way they described the state of her body made you think that no human being could’ve done it, let alone it being Eddie. But how did it all happen? You were going to find it out really soon.

When you stepped out of the car, Dustin was already giving you flashes to use while searching up the house for a sign of Eddie. You first went to the house, trying to look inside through the windows. There was no sign of a living being in there.. You were so sure about Eddie being here that you didn’t even consider not being able to find him. You were beginning to lose hope.

That was until one of you found another perfect hiding spot just at the back of the main house. It was like a small but not so tiny shack. You had to look inside the shack. Then Steve and Robin opened the door by force and all of you gathered inside. You guys were looking everywhere for a sign.

After a brief time Steve grabbed an oar and with its back, he started to poke an old little boat which was covered with a boat cover. He was being a bit harsh so Dustin tried to stop Steve from doing it because what if Eddie got hurt? Well, Steve didn’t care about his protests and continued to do what he was doing.

While the others were still searching, you felt hopeless. You thought that you guys had cracked the code and you were one hundred percent sure that you were going to find him in here. But I guess I was wrong, you thought to yourself, deep in thoughts.

Then suddenly the cover of the boat lifted up and you saw Eddie. In just a few seconds, he was pinning Steve to the wall, making him stuck between the wall and himself while holding a sharp broken bottle to Steve’s neck. Dustin started to yell at Eddie, begging him to drop the sharp object.

While all of these were happening, you were in shock. Dustin was the only mutual friend that they had and he was a great negotiator, so all of you decided that it was best if Dustin did the talking.

‘Eddie, EDDIE! STOP. IT’S ME, DUSTIN!’

‘STEVE DROP THE OAR! Look this is Steve and he’s not gonna hurt you. ’

‘LOOK HE’S NOT TRYING TO HURT YOU I SWEAR, WE’RE HERE TO HELP’

Eddie turned to Dustin and asked ‘What are you doing here?’ His voice was raspy and low, almost like a grunt.

‘We’re here to help, we’re on your side!’ said Robin, hoping that he will loosen his grip.

And after a minute that felt like years, he finally dropped his grip that he had on Steve and let him go. At that time, he started to be aware of his surroundings and finally saw that he had a crowd watching him. And that you were in that crowd.

Dustin started to introduce the group to Eddie. He started with Robin: ‘Eddie, these are my friends. You know Robin, from band.’ She made a little trumpet noise while acting like she was playing an imaginary one.

‘This is my friend Max. The one who never wants to play D&D.’

‘And lastly, this is (Y/N)...’

He locked his eyes with yours and you did a little wave with an awkward yet genuine smile. At that moment, your heart shattered into pieces at the sight. His eyes were bloodshot, it was obvious that he couldn’t get a good nights’ sleep for quite some time because he was always on alert. He had to be careful, otherwise he could’ve been spotted. His hair was messier than usual and he looked like he was in pain because he was hiding in that boat, folded and crippled up to fit in. He was wearing the same old Hellfire Club t-shirt and the clothes he had from the day he went missing.

And it was clear that he didn’t want anybody to see him like that. He didn’t want you to see him like that. But you didn’t care about his looks at that moment, you were just glad to see him healthy without any injuries.

While you were both looking deeply into each other’s eyes, Dustin had to snap him out of it saying

‘Eddie, tell us what happened.’

Eddie looked at him and the rest of you, trying to calculate whether to say what he truly saw or not. He started to slowly slide down, his back on the wall. He waited for a moment before speaking, his gaze fixated to the floor. His hands were shaking.

‘You won’t believe me’ He said, sniffing.

‘Don’t want you guys tellin’ me that I’m crazy but I know what I saw. I just can’t wrap my head around it.’

He was now sitting on the floor, his head between his legs trying to cover his face. He then lifted his head and started to shake it slowly, his hands were on both sides of his face. You could see it in his eyes and the way he acted that he was suffering while remembering that night. He looked like he was trying to get away from that memory.

None of you made a noise while you were watching him, then Max broke the silence and said ‘Try us.’

Only then Eddie looked at all of you with confusion in his eyes. His brows were furrowed and he squinted his eyes ever so slightly. And after a few seconds of silence, he started to tell you the whole story. How Chrissy was in a complete trance and he tried everything in his power to wake her up from it but he failed. Then, he said that she started to slowly rise to the ceiling and float for a minute or so before her bones cracked with a sick sound and her eyes disappeared as if they were being pulled in.

You were having a hard time understanding everything he had just said. You were trying your best to not make him feel like he was a freak for telling these but how could any of it be possible? You then looked at the others and saw that they weren’t shocked or surprised at all. They had this understanding look in their eyes. You were more confused than ever.

When Eddie finished telling the whole story, he said ‘I left her there, I didn’t know what to do so I… I ran away.’ His gaze was still fixated on the floor, not being able to look at any of you. Then Dustin kneeled in front of him slowly, saying ‘You know how everyone says that Hawkins is cursed? Well, they’re not completely wrong…’

Dustin then turned his gaze towards you and said, ‘(Y/N) you’re also new to this so maybe it’ll be better for you to sit down while I explain what we’ve been going through for quite some time now.’ His eyes motioned you to sit next to Eddie so you did what he wanted you to do. He was trying to get you close to him and if the events that were happening around you recently weren’t this strange or tragic, you would’ve flashed him a grateful smile.

‘But before the story time, let’s get Eddie some snacks from the car. He must be SO hungry. Right, guys?’ Robin said abruptly. She was also trying to get you guys some alone time. You had sweet friends, didn’t you?

As the others left the shack, leaving you alone with Eddie, you slowly went your way next to him. You weren’t quite sure how to behave or what to do. You were shocked after what he told to the group and you were scared about what Dustin was going to tell to the both of you. Was Hawkins really cursed?

As you sat down and got into a comfortable position, you saw that Eddie’s hands were still shaking, it wasn’t as bad as when you first came to the shack but he was still terrified from all the things he had experienced the other day. He felt your eyes on him and tried to stop his hands from shaking but he couldn’t.

Now, he was trying to hide them and while he was doing it, he tried to put on a brave face, just like the way you had seen him all the time. But you could tell that he was hurting.

So in order to reassure him and stop him, you took his hands in yours. He was definitely not expecting that, neither did you. But in that flash of a moment, you did it. You took his hands in yours. He lifted his face and looked into your eyes, he was embarrassed about it. Embarrassed that he was being vulnerable.

‘uh.. Hi.’ You said shyly. It was as if like you were being aware of what you were doing at that time and blood started rushing to your cheeks, making them a brighter pink color that looked way too cute. He said ‘H- hi’ as well, putting on a small and genuine smile that made your heart skip a beat. You have never seen him like this before, he looked so fragile.

You were looking deeply into each others’ eyes when you broke the silence saying ‘Look, I know things have been more difficult than it should’ve been for you and I know that we don’t know each other very well but I wanted you to know that we are here for you.. That I’m here for you.’

‘(Y/N)..’ he said whispering while getting closer to you. He was looking at your lips now. ‘Thank you, means a lot but… Why are you tryna help me?’

You tried to look at his face but you got overwhelmed by how pretty he was looking. His bangs perfectly framing his face, his beautiful brown eyes piercing through yours, the feeling of cold metal on your fingers because of his rings; He was even prettier up close. You got to see a different side of him today and it drove you to him more.

You were looking at the ground, not being able to meet his gaze. ‘Because I.. I like you.’ You said. ‘I like you and it hurts me to see you this way. Like I said I know that we don’t know each other very well but-’

While you were talking, the coldness of metal from his rings on your palm was gone. Turns out he freed his left hand and he was now grabbing your chin to tilt your head. He forced you to look at him with a gentle touch. After a few seconds of staring at each others’ eyes, Eddie suddenly made a quick move and brought your face closer to his. Your eyes shut close, waiting for his next move. Then you felt his lips on yours, kissing you. It was a gentle and sweet one, as if he was afraid of hurting you if he acted too harsh.

You were so surprised you couldn’t do anything but to return the kiss. After a few seconds, he broke the kiss and looked at your face, observing you and your emotions.

‘I thought that butthead Henderson already told you about it.’ He said emphasizing the butthead part, rolling his eyes jokingly. He loved the kid but that didn’t mean that he was a butthead.

You chuckled a little at his expressions, feeling happy that he was acting like his usual self again. Seeing that you don’t have an answer, he continued to talk.

‘I.. I like you for quite some time now and I thought I made it pretty obvious. At least that’s what they told me during our D&D sessions.’

‘They made fun of me for not having the courage to talk to you but, I’m glad you did. I didn’t want you to be labeled as ‘the freak’s girlfriend’ or something.. Not that I care about what they call me but-’

‘I don’t care about it either Eddie, I like you a lot and nothing can change that.’

He had the cutest smile on his face after hearing you say those words. He looked relieved and happier now, despite the things that has been going on lately.

You were smiling too, probably like an idiot.

‘Robin tried to leave us alone, probably gotta thank her when its all done.’

‘Yeah well, don’t worry about it and let’s get back to where we were, shall we?’ He said, looking at your lips and back at your eyes again, looking for a sign of consent.

You shook your head slightly but eagerly, wanting to continue. His left hand found its way back to your chin, pulling you closer.

Your lips were almost touching when the door of the shack openned loudly. Dustin was the first person to walk inside. When he saw you guys in that position, his eyes went wide and he quickly tried to cover his eyes yelling ‘Oh MY GOD, OH MY GOD! CODE RED! …sorry guys.’ but at the same time he was smirking and he winked at you guys once with the biggest smile you have ever seen on his face.

You guys broke apart and Eddie got frustrated at how you guys got interrupted but it was no surprise, he thought to himself. Then, when he saw Dustin winking to the both of you, he turned to you and flashed an amused yet at the same time, confused smile. You told Henderson about it too and he didn’t tell Eddie a single word about it? He had some explaining to do to Eddie for later.

‘A total butthead indeed.’ you said in a whispering tone, sighing. Eddie turned to you and both of you chuckled. After a few seconds, the others rushed inside, Steve grabbed the oar once again and yelled:

‘CODE RED? WHAT HAPPENED HENDERSON, TALK TO ME’ He was looking around, swinging the oar, being the babysitter he was as usual.

When he and the others saw you sitting so close to Eddie, they understood what was going on and they all started to share a knowing smile.

‘So Dustin, Dustin, Dustin… You knew this fine lady had a crush on me too and you hid it from me all. this. time? …Amazing.’ He said with a low voice, eyes wide open. He was smiling but the smile wasn’t reaching his eyes.

‘Look Eddie I can explain, EDDIE-’ Dustin yelled when he saw Eddie starting to get off of the ground. He ran straight to the outside, knowing that Eddie can’t go out and risk getting caught. Eddie yelled ‘YOUUU SON OF A B-’ but everyone was laughing out loud at that point, even Eddie was having fun... You loved his smile. You really did.

***

Thank you so much for reading chapter one of the series!

If you like this part, let me know by liking, reblogging or even leaving a comment. All of it and feedbacks are appreciated.

Stay in tune for the next chapter <3

#eddie munson #eddie munson x y/n #eddie munson x reader #eddie munson fic #stranger things s4 #steve harrington #dustin henderson #robin buckley #max mayfield #stranger things imagine #stranger things fic #joseph quinn #yourfavoritesongseries #writings

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erikahenningsen · 2 months

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Do you have any Regina headcannons?

Yes that girl lives rent-free in my brain

I subscribe to the lesbian Regina starter pack headcanons like she only takes Aaron back because she has a crush on Cady and is jealous, she had feelings for Janis at some point (especially because she kept the rainbow pin), etc

I have mentioned this before but I think Regina figure skated when she was younger, and I now accept her having done gymnastics as part of canon. I think she probably quit around level 7 or 8.

Lacrosse Regina is canon to me I think she joins in her senior year

I wrote a throwaway line about her having a horse in a fic but I think she did express interest in horseback riding at one point so her parents bought her a horse but Regina smelled a barn for the first time and turned around and left

She was traumatized by the bus—she tries to hide it but she has nightmares and panic attacks and is sometimes afraid to go into the parking lot. She also has chronic pain.

Regina and Shane are very close friends and remain so after high school. He's the first person she comes out to.

She also becomes close with Damian post-canon

Regina has a near-perfect GPA but is very "what, like it's hard?" about it. She wants to go to law school. If debate club wasn't for nerds she would demolish anyone in a debate.

She is deeply insecure about literally everything but especially her body/appearance and craves assurances but doesn't know how to communicate that

Her relationship with her mother is strained at best and downright hostile with her father (I will continue to demonize this man in every fic despite his .5 seconds of screen time)

The movie shows her having seemingly no hobbies but I think she loves to read and, according to Taylor Louderman, she plays the sims

She's a touchy-feely drunk (e.g., her high at spring fling licking Cady's head) but will bite you if you try to hug her when she's sober. Except Cady. Cady is allowed to play with her hair but you can't tell anyone.

I always find it interesting to reverse the typical canon power dynamic in intimate settings—like Regina has such a dominant personality but it's rooted in her need to control things in her life (friends, status, her weight, etc) so I think when she is with someone she trusts she'll hand them the reins and let go. I'm specifically thinking of the Cady/Regina dynamic here.

#i'm not sure what it is about the repressed lesbian teen queen bee trope that really gets the gears turning in my brain #mean girls #regina george #ask #anonymous #this isn't even all of them i'm just sleepy

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jasontoddssuper · 8 months

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Jason Todd tropes that are bad and ruin JT's extremely based character:

1.Him being uncultured/stupid(Speaking as an active comics reader who has him as his main fix,this is literally a lie-He's a genius and has been since he was Robin as seen by his grades and a big Jane Austen and Shakespeare fan.I still can't believe i saw a poll calling it fanon,there's a canon panel of him reading Pride & Prejudice in prison and he quotes Shakespeare all the time💀)

2.Him being a hyperhorny pervert(Just because he's hot that dosen't mean he's trying to get into people he barely knows' pants and y'all are ugly asf for forcing your weird little assumptions onto an incredibly traumatized man based off said trauma.Also for the simps this is why y'all can't get boyfriends)

3.Anyone but Duke being his favorite sibling(Duke was NOT the only other Batkid he never had beef with for y'all to minimize Jason and his love for eachother.'Little Wing' isn't canon,it's time to move on)

4.'The rebel Robin'(Don't buy into DC's classism guys)

5.Speaking of which,let's just pretend the Roy and Kory deal never happened period.Ableism and racialized misogyny aren't made okay because OMG POLYAM REP!!!!!-Sincerely,a polyamorous and mentally disabled black woman

6.Both the erasure of his soft and redeemable side and the twisting of it to make him a perfect person

7.Pairing him up in age gap ships(He kills pedos,he's not gonna be into any of the whole ass entire children y'all aged up as an excuse to cover up your k*nks that leave you bitchless)or hc /oc Batkids(same deal,he's canonically an incest hater)

Jason Todd tropes that are good and have a basis in his character and add on to him:

1.Him being smug about what a nerd he is but getting big mad when someone uses that word for because he's 'too cool for it'

2.Him being demisexual(see Artemis and Rose evidence)

3.Duke and him being brothers who're also like chaotic and teasing best friends,with a side of Cass hating his ass and him being scared shitless of her with neither budging until he stops killing and then they become the definition of 'siblings who're mean to eachother to show affection'

4.Keeping his pre-reboot Robin characterization since a big part of the tragedy is that he was an extremely sweet ray of sunshine who still had trauma responses and then DITF changed him forever but not completely

5.His Outlaws team being HIS OWN CAST because he deserves to be his own person and his friends deserve to have their characters respected instead of literally just existing to prop him up.My personal hc is Eddie,Rose,Artemis,Kyle,Thaddeus and two ocs but i'm open to other ones!!

6.Giving him justice and letting him keep his duality core trait.He's extremely cruel yet unbelievably kind,he's got high intellect yet makes dumb mistakes,he's full of anger and sadness yet far from without happiness or calm moments,he's a grump yet very fun and so forth!!Also:He's definitely 'not knowing how to deal with kids turned Team Dad' at this point and i would love for that to be included in more Dead Robins Club content!

7.Pairing him up with the Outlaws i mentioned and Superfam ocs(i'm shocked this second one isn't common,aren't you guys always saying every Bat has a Super as their soulmate????Major L on y'all's part)

8.Go nuts with projecting your identities onto him!!!To me he's afro-dominican,bi,a trans man and neurodivergent asf just like me and it feels super good so i highly recommend it!

@clanofjones @nightwings-robin @ammomancer

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otakusheep15 · 1 year

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Random Headcanons I Have for Twisted Wonderland Characters

Just like the title says. These will be all over the place, and most probably won’t make sense to anyone other than me. Some of these are very cute and lighthearted, most are pretty dark, so fair warning.

Tw: underage alcohol/drug abuse and overdosing (Deuce’s part), fighting/injury (Ruggie’s part), eating disorder/purging (Azul’s part), mentions of poisoning and attempted murder (kalim’s part), suicidal thoughts/ideation (Jamil’s part), mentions of death (Lilia’s part), bullying (Sebek’s part)

Riddle is a major history nerd, and when he was little, he always enjoyed history lessons the best. Sometimes he’ll chat with Lilia since he seems to know so much about history, but sometimes Riddle is too intimidated to initiate conversation.

Trey is secretly a lot stronger than people assume he is, physically anyway. After all, he is a baker, and he’s constantly lugging around heavy bags of flour for his family’s shop. Not that he’s super buff or anything, but he definitely has some muscle on him.

Cater has a secret account that no one at NRC knows about. On this account, he posts about all of his real thoughts and feelings, like how he has a hard time making genuine connections, how horribly his sisters treat him, etc. He makes sure to stay completely anonymous, and this account is surprisingly popular despite no one knowing who the poster is.

Ace was super popular in middle school. Like, he was that one guy who was very athletic, had a ton of friends, and, obviously, had a girlfriend. He assumed that this popularity would easily transfer over to his high school life, but he was very wrong. For the first couple of weeks, everyone thought he was annoying and rude, but he eventually calmed down after a couple of complaints from his dormmates.

Deuce used to drink and smoke quite a bit in middle school. One time, it got so bad that his mom had to take him to get his stomach pumped because he overdosed. He honestly didn’t mean to, but it was a dare from one of his gang buddies, and he didn’t think it would be that bad. From that moment on, Deuce had sworn off all drugs and alcohol. He’s still not completely rehabilitated yet, and sometimes he comes close to a relapse, but his friends watch over him and make sure he’s okay.

Leona sucks at checkers. Like, he’s absolutely horrible at it. For someone so good at chess, and strategy games in general, he has never won a single game of checkers in his life. Even Cheka can beat him at this point. Only a few people know about this, namely his family and Ruggie, and he gets teased for it at least once a day.

Ruggie has rips in his ears and tail, mainly due to fighting. He’s gotten pretty used to them by now, and sometimes he even forgets that he has rips until someone points them out. None of these fights were super traumatic for him or anything, and he has no problem recounting the stories of how he get each rip. If anything, he feels like a badass whenever someone brings it up.

Jack had a small puppycrush on Vil when they were younger. It was nothing serious, and he’s gotten over it forever ago, but he did at one point. The crush probably developed when they first met. After they became friends, Jack would follow Vil around a lot, helping him out with chores, playing games with him, and helping him practice lines. Vil knows about the crush, and will sometimes tease Jack about it, even to this day.

Azul used to purge when he was younger. He thought that, as long as he at in front of people, no one would know what he did when he was alone. Eventually, Jade and Floyd found out and told his mom. Then his mom took him to the doctor. By this point, Azul had lost some serious weight, and he was pretty unhealthy. He’s better now, but he sometimes has those days where he’s tempted to start purging again, especially when people make comments about his body.

Jade will sometimes join the science club when they go hiking. For one, he’s friends with Trey and Rook (vice-housewardens unite), and he just really likes nature. He’ll also lecture some of the freshmen about various plants and what kind of concoctions can be made from them. At this point, most of the science club consider him an official member, even if he isn’t.

Floyd is banned from being a waiter at the Monstro Lounge because he once threatened someone with a knife when they complained about his service. Granted, most people thought he was in the right up until the knife was brought out. Now he’s only allowed to work in the back preparing food, and if he tries to sneak out to the front and talk to customers, Azul will dock his pay.

Kalim has never had a real, genuine friend before. There’s two main reasons for this, one being his own fault, and one being the fault of others. The first reason is that he’s afraid to get too close to anyone for fear of them being hurt. That day when Jamil was poisoned because of him still continues to haunt his nightmares, and he’d hate it if something like that happened again, so he keeps his distance. The other reason is that, everytime someone does get close to him, it’s never out of kindness. Even Jamil, the person closest to him, secretly hated him for so many years, and all of the others just tried to kill him. Now, he purposefully keeps a certain distance from others to ensure no one gets too close.

Jamil was actually really happy that one time he almost died from being poisoned. He thought that, maybe, this would show people how horrible being stuck to Kalim was for him, and he’d finally be set free. When he wasn’t, he was, naturally, upset. For a while after that, he started dreaming up ways he could purposefully put himself in danger, and possibly even get himself killed. It’s not like he wanted to die or anything; he just finally wanted people to see just how miserable he was. By the time he got to NRC, he had realized how morbid his thoughts were, and eventually got over the idea, but sometimes those thoughts come back to haunt him when he’s having a rough day.

Vil never wanted to be famous. Or, more specifically, he didn’t want the type of fame he has now. Especially as a kid, he was always stressed out, adults constantly yelled at him when he messed up a line or missed a cue, and he never really got to experience a normal childhood. There were days he wished he could just quit acting and modeling and leave it all behind for a normal life.

Rook actually hates the way his hair is cut. He preferred it when it was longer, but he doesn’t want to say anything about it because it might upset Vil. He’s considered growing it back out once he graduates. As a side note, many NRC students had a crush on him during his freshman year because they thought he looked really pretty with the long hair (and they didn’t know his personality yet).

Epel, surprisingly, likes being feminine sometimes. He enjoys wearing makeup and dressing up nice, but he’s also really insecure about it. If he acts too feminine, he thinks he’ll get bullied, so he over-exaggerates his hatred for girly things so no one makes fun of him. Also, a small part of him thinks that, if he likes girly things, he’s no longer allowed to enjoy Spelldrive or other manly things, even if he knows that’s not true.

Idia loves playing dating sims with an all male cast. For one, he’s lowkey very gay, but that isn’t the main reason why. Playing these games helps him understand what people find attractive in men, or, at least what his fellow otaku like in men. He thinks that, if he can model himself after some of these characters, maybe people will like him more. Now, he’s not nearly confident enough to do something like this in public, but online, he can act however he wants, and he does. Sometimes it works, and sometimes it doesn’t, but it’s all a learning process to him.

Ortho used to love sweets back when he was alive. It’s part of the reason why Idia likes them so much now. Back then, the two would often sneak sweets when no one was looking. Currently, Idia is trying to program Ortho so that he can eat, or at least taste. That way, Ortho will be able to taste sweets again and enjoy them like he used to. Ortho doesn’t say anything because he doesn’t want to rush his brother, but he is very excited, and he even has a list of sweets he’d like to eat once he finally does get the new upgrade.

Malleus falls in love very easily, but not very often. No one gets close enough for him to fall in love with, and those that are close to him (Lilia, Silver, and Sebek) are more like family to him than anything else. But in those rare moments when someone has the audacity to get close to him, he cannot help but fall for them almost instantly. In many ways, he hates this part of himself because it ruins what few relationships he’s able to build. On the other hand though, it’s such a nice feeling to fall in love, and he hopes that, one day, he’ll find someone who will feel the same for him.

Lilia hates how close he’s gotten with Silver. He hates that, one day soon, Silver is going to die, and he will have to live on without him. Genuinely, it pains him more than any battle he’s ever fought. It’s hard, but he tries not to think about it too often, instead hiding his pain with his silly-goofy nature. However, when he’s alone, that sadness overcomes him, and he’s left to deal with those thoughts. He loves Silver more than he’s ever loves anyone, and he hates that one day he’s going to have to say goodbye. But he tries so hard not to let that show because the last thing he wants is to worry Silver with his thoughts.

Silver is warm, and he gives some of the greatest hugs known to man. Many assume he’s cold because he just looks like someone who would be cold, but he’s so incredibly warm. That’s also why animals like him so much. He’s like their own personal space heater. Because of his warmth, Silver gives out amazing hugs. In general, he’s very cuddly, and the body heat he gives off just makes it that much better. Plus, he secretly loves giving hugs, even if he acts like he doesn’t.

Sebek doesn’t actually hate humans as much as he says he does. In Briar Valley, humans tend to get a bad rep. When he was younger, he moved to Briar Valley with his family. He was often bullied by fae kids because his father is a human, and he’s half-human. Due to this treatment, Sebek developed an inferiority complex, and blamed humans for his problems. If not for his human father, he wouldn’t be bullied like this. So he started acting all tough, claiming he hated humans for their weak nature. Eventually, the bullying stopped, but Sebek is too afraid to let this act go because he’s scared he’ll be bullied again.

Sorry everyone, this got much deeper than I wanted it to. I swear, I tried to make these lighthearted (and some of them are) but most became very angsty very quickly.

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renegade-diamonds · 1 month

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Hellooo i'm here for your daily dosis of omegaverse ronance, today thinking about Robin being the only omega of the fruity four, with the other three all being alphas - the joke tells itself. I'm thinking about an Eddie lives AU in which the three of them become a tight-knit group and do everything together as friends, even before Nancy and Robin get together. It's eye-catching, to say the least, because when I say they do everything together, I mean it. They basically have no friends outside each other in school, outside all the traumatized nerds, ages between 11 and 15, that are more or less related to them. To say Eddie is the most "popular" one of the four, as leader of the Hellfire club with at least two or three other friends there, says a lot. You get a dad of seven, an autistic lesbian who made her first friend at age 17, an alleged satanist accused of murder and a nerd who tries to pretend she's not a nerd and fails, all of which became social outcasts in their own ways.

So when people see them hang out - three alphas and one omega - they point and snicker and spread horrible rumors about all the different ways in which Robin's friends "help her" in her heats, and whether or not she returns the favor for each of them during ruts. It's a constant reminder of how much everything has changed since she presented. She can't even hang out with her friends in peace. She wants to be a wallflower again.

It doesn't help that a little bit of their scent always lingers on her from spending so much time together, or that Nanch keeps scenting her the way mates do every day as soon as they get to school so now she just smells of Unidentified Alpha most of the time.

The first time someone makes an implication to her face, she ends up having a panic attack in the bathroom and refusing her friends' help. So what if the four of them were in an empty classroom with the door locked? They were discussing Upside Down matters, but of course, that's not something they could tell people about. And the fact that Robin was visibly at the beginning of her heat was just coincidence (she couldn't afford to skip classes with the exams coming).

She never - never - thought she'd be called a slut in school. She expected people questioning her on why she never dated anyone, not for sleeping around too much - which she doesn't do, anyway! At least before they didn't like her for who she was, but this isn't even who she is, at all. And it only gets worse when she tries to tell the school authority and they just scold her for being alone in a room with three alphas when she's clearly beginning her heat. And then they call her parents, and her parents give her the yelling of her life and take away her bicycle and Robin just wants to scream because she did nothing wrong, and she still needs to get to the library to study for the exams, and discuss Upside Down business, and now she's just missing Nancy specifically a lot.

It's like torture because she actually feels so safe and content with her friends most of the time. It's a mix of feeling perfectly accepted and valued and her insticts telling her she's well-protected. But then someone will make a gross comment and shame her for feeling this way, and she's almost scared of going out again and be seen with them. I imagine that, highschool being highschool, alphas will group with alphas, omegas with omegas, etc and any mixing between the groups will imply something sexual in the middle.

She gets so sick of it that at one point, she asks Nancy to stop scenting her, and makes sure to wash her scent off all of her clothes and return the scarf she gave her, in hopes that it will stop the bullies at least a little. It kinda breaks Nancy's heart, and she hates the idea of Robin going around unprotected, because as humiliating as some people make it to be, at least it was a way of telling the world she had an alpha looking out for her. But the way Robin looks at her with tears in her eyes is just too much, and she finds herself accepting, hoping she'll be able to keep an eye on her from afar.

Ok, but imagine Nancy finding out what's been going on, or over hearing other students taunting Robin.

For all Nancy cares, it's open season once she finds out what the school admin did to Robin when she tried to report the harassment. She wants to expose the school's negligence towards bullying and omega's students safety. Nancy ends up calling in a favor with Murray who invites them to come over to do a few interviews for the expose.

As you might suspect, he sniffs out their weird quasi-relationship dynamic right off the bat. He clocks the way Robin sticks to Nancy's side in this unfamiliar environment within five minutes, and he spots the tells of Nancy's over-protectiveness of the omega the very first instance in which Robin's nerves visibly flared up.

Oh yeah, these two were right on the cusp of something new and Murray was going to make sure they realized it.

#ronance getting murray'd fics are my favorite #ronance omegaverse #abo

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elekinetic · 1 year

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What are your hcs about the Stranger Things characters’ futures? Like concerning their careers, where they wind up living, pets, colleges, or anything else that you want to talk about!

ohhhh i’m torn. i want them to all end up in the same place. i don’t think this is the canon answer but this is what makes me happy:

the party ends up in california for college. they all go to uc santa cruz, cause they didn’t get a chance to do the whole college application thing while saving the world and owens pulled some strings. el and max are roommates. dustin mike and lucas get put in a triple, but if mike starts staying at a certain party member’s single most of the time…..that’s none of their business. max starts as a neuroscience major until she fucking hates it. she’s at the arcade one night and watches someone repair a broken machine and is like, oh shit. that’s kinda cool. she switches to computer science, then to computer engineering bc CS is for nerds. (dustin does CS.) lucas came in as a political science major, but he realized he was way more interested in helping max with her neuroscience homework. he ends up doing a double major in political science and human health sciences. mike majors in communication cause it’s a compromise between getting a business degree like his parents insist and studying something he’s actually interested in (this is the problem. mike has no clue what he wants to study). will is a visual arts major obv. el switches her major about seventeen different times (zoology, religion, international relations, mechanical engineering). she ends up graduating w mike in communication bc its the easiest to apply her various credits to. el and dustin get really into improv. el also does theatre, and mike ends up getting dragged into the tech scene. lucas plays club basketball and gets involved in student govt. he sets up a lot of food and blood drives. the party goes to a board game club, but will goes EVERY week and makes a bunch of great friends. max learns guitar and starts playing at open mics (el is the only one who knows. and lucas, a little later). they all join the college radio station. first its dustin helping a mutual friend fix radio tech, then its will filling in for a mutual friend’s missing cohost, then it’s will and lucas starting an advice show, and el and max starting a show where max makes the tapes and el just talks about whatever she wants, and mike fucking around in the background of all his friends’ shows and shouting out unsolicited comments. when they all move off campus, mike and will, dustin and lucas, and el and max get their own apartments respectively. lumax starts talking abt moving in together and el is like “i love you both but i am not trying to third wheel in my own home.” thus, henderhop house is born. these two were BORN to be roommates. they become such good friends and are so respectful of each others space and are so so communicative! and they both love to cook. henderhop lives together for like, six years post college. listen, they have two cats together. they don’t want to traumatize them with a divorce. mike and will get a dog when they’re older (late 20s, early 30s). they used to catsit for their neighbor, but mike is crazy allergic. it always sounds like he’s going through puberty again. the party ends up in southern california. el becomes an archaeologist and travels a lot. dustin lives in pasadena and works for JPL. max does some work with him, does some contacts for a few different companies. she eventually becomes a professor and spends her off time doing research. lucas becomes a pediatrician. later in life he serves on city council, then turns to non-profit work. will get a job as an illustration intern at a comic house straight out of college and works his way up from there. mike bounces around office jobs, does some time at a publishing house, and goes back to school for a creative writing MFA. he sells some original stuff but he ends up mostly writing comics for IPs with will. they make a name for themselves in the Star Wars EA and actually get invited to a couple comic-con panels. dustin flips his shit.

#stranger things #comic con panel #stranger things (ella's version)

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bookofmirth · 3 months

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Sh anon once again. If it’s not already taken, I’ll go by 🦄 anon. You already know my account, but I’m still a little shy.

So, my thoughts on why I think Gwyn interacting with Mor and Rhys will be important. Something I’ve noticed is that Feyre & Cassian were neglected as children while Nesta & Azriel were abused as children. They share similarities and are close friends. Feyre is mated to Rhys and Nesta is mated to Cassian. I believe that Gwyn is Azriel’s mate and she will become friends with Rhys.

Gwyn and Rhys share similarities. Both won the Blood Rite, both had to be carried (which I’ve seen people shame Gwyn for) by their friend, both are Carynthian warriors. Rhys is a half breed and Gwyn is a quarter nymph and not “pure” High-Fae. And this one is more of a headcanon, but I think both of them are somewhat nerds given the researching for other worlds. (I could see them having a book club of sorts or like a science convention kinda thing. Fan-girling over each other’s theories and the thing Rhys built.) Even their trauma is similar. Both of their sisters were decapitated and saw the traumatic remains. And both of them are survivors of assault. (I was surprised by how much they have in common.)

I think Gwyn will be acquaintances with Mor, or at least somewhat friendly, since I believe Mor will help train the Valkyries and could be a love interest for Emerie. I think Cassian + Azriel + Mor will become a trio in ACOTAR5, which is something that really intrigues me. I would love to see this. Az is so fixated on three brothers + three sisters, but I think the real trio is him, Cass and Mor. I think (and hope) that Azriel & Mor will sit down, fully discuss everything, and have a good friendship again. I think this could happen towards the end of the first part of Az’s book and what will start a slow healing process for him; when he accepts it. But I don’t think Mor should be blamed or responsible, which I could see some people do. It’s not her fault and she doesn’t owe him anything in my opinion. I think deep down he knows (or has an inkling) that she’s queer. He goes after women he knows he can’t have to avoid getting hurt.

This link https://www.tumblr.com/azrielsbaby/650618221310984192/gentle-reminder-that-az-only-lets-rhys-see-the is one of the reasons why I believe we will see Gwyn interact with Rhys and Mor. As the OP said, “Az only lets Rhys see the full extent of his cold rage and darkness because only Rhys can match that same level of rage and darkness. Which means that Az feels the most comfortable to express his true self with Rhys without the fear of Rhys being scared or repulsed by him.”

And then this with Mor, “Mor was the only one to be able to console Az out of his dark emotions. Which means Az is the most comfortable with Mor when he's at his most vulnerable without the fear of her using that to hurt him or feel weak around her. Rhys and Mor are the two people Az is the most comfortable to be vulnerable in two different aspects. And it warms my heart to think about when Az finally meets his mate and Rhys and Mor will completely love her because she'll love their friend wholly, for every part of him - just as they have and always will.”

When Gwyn was assaulted, she saw Azriel’s rage and darkness. She saw him slaughter those men without hesitation. And Azriel saw Gwyn at a very traumatic and vulnerable moment in her life, but he doesn’t see her as a victim. Doesn’t treat her any different. He sees the warrior in her. He does treat her differently in comparison to how he treats Mor and Elain. I know Elain hasn’t seen that rage and darkness and I don’t know if Mor has seen it to that extent.

I feel like when Azriel does develop healthy, romantic feelings for Gwyn and when the mating bond snaps, Rhys & Mor will be happy to see that Az has someone that loves him wholly. Gwyn and Mor are similar to each other, or at least to me. I think Az needs someone that’s a little like Mor, but doesn’t have to walk on eggshells around him. I understand why she does. It’s not her fault. I want Mor to tease Azriel and encourage him with Gwyn, have lunches together, and just hangout and talk. I want their friendship to be like it was in ACOMAF. (ps, I wasn’t in the fandom then. I joined the fandom very late.) I’ve seen some theories where people think Rhys either knows or suspects that Gwyn is his mate. I don’t know if it’s true, but I just wanted to add that.

I hope their friendship/relationship is healthy and respectful. It isn’t Gwyn’s job to fix Azriel. Help him and offer support? Sure, but I don’t want him to become reliant on her. Does that make sense? If Gwyn and Azriel do end up together, I think it won’t happen until the middle of the book or towards the end. Which I’m fine with as long as he gets his shit together.

I feel like this was all over the place, but I had a lot to say! I’m sorry for the long post!💜 I might have more thoughts to add on for later, but my mind is a little jumbled right now!😂

ps, on what you said: “My thoughts re: acotar5 are that it starts just before Bryce lands in Prythian, following Azriel's perspective.”

I could definitely see Azriel’s book starting off like this. It makes sense. Especially since it was switched from nine months to instead three months.

(I am tagging op just so they know their post was mentioned) @azrielsbaby :)

When you list it out like that, yeah, Rhys and Gwyn have a TON in common. So much. And in acosf when Rhys tells Nesta to be nice to Gwyn, it was kind-of interesting that he singled Gwyn out, when he knows that Nesta is around all the priestesses. (It actually annoyed me when he did that because he is constantly up Nesta's ass, but that is beside the point. It's still interesting that he made a point to be protective of Gwyn.)

I just finished rereading acosf and Nesta teases Gwyn about memorizing things even if it wasn't her job. So I totally see the interest in the history of their world being a common interest between Gwyn and Rhys, not just because of the immediate plot needs, but Gwyn at least seems to enjoy that type of work.

I think Cassian + Azriel + Mor will become a trio in ACOTAR5, which is something that really intrigues me.

I am so interested in this because they seemed so tightly-knit in acomaf and then her rearranging of the plot to accommodate the following books really blew holes in their relationships. I miss the acomaf-era IC so much. I have had that thought as well, that the trio is actually Mor/Cassian/Az, because those three are on more equal footing with one another than they are with Rhys. Rhys will always be the High Lord, the one with all the power, the one they defer to. Cassian, Az, and Mor consider each other siblings, after all.

I just really want their dynamic specifically to be addressed, because I am so, so tired of reading homophobic and misogynistic takes from the fandom about what Mor owes Azriel, while they also try to claim feminism by saying Elain doesn't owe Lucien. Which the fuck is it??? Anyway, that's another side rant of mine haha. I want people to stop saying the Mor is leading Az on because she's literally just existing and he reads into it. And I want people to stop thinking Cassian was in love with Mor when you can clearly see in acosf that he thinks so, so highly of her but has no regrets as far as them never becoming romantic.

I think your connection between Az, Gwyn, and Mor is intriguing. There are definitely plot things connecting them, with the Valkyries and Illyrians training, Az needing to resolve his feelings towards Mor, and Mor working with the Valkyries (and probably starting something with Emerie). I think Mor could probably have some words of wisdom for Gwyn about how to proceed.

Perhaps Mor is the person who can recognize Azriel's feelings for what they are. She has been on the receiving end of his feelings for centuries, has seen how it impacts him, and I think she would recognize the difference in how he acts around Gwyn, compared to how he has acted around Mor and Elain.

I know I keep making jokes about how Az doesn't recognize that he has a mating bond and thinks it's indigestion, and so... maybe he needs to hear it from someone else. Not necessarily Gwyn, but from someone who knows him better than almost anyone else, and who knows what it looks like when he has developed an unhealthy attachment. I think that right now, Azriel is too jealous of Cassian and Rhys to hear it from either of them. But I think that Mor has experienced a different side of Az and so her insight would be more meaningful.

I prefer Mor and Az having this kind of conversation that focuses on someone else, that helps him move on without forcing Mor to disclose information about herself that she isn't ready to yet.

I also think he knows she is queer, and if he doesn't then I swear to the Cauldron, Sarah. The rant posts will be endless.

🦄 anon, I think we might be on to something!

#🦄 anon #acotar #long post tag #ask

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failgirl-royale · 1 year

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PRELIMINARY MATCH: DOKI DOKI LITERATURE CLUB

this is a certified poem panic moment

sayori doesn't know how much longer she can keep fucking doing this! just getting out of bed uses up all her spoons for the day, but she still uses every last fork, knife, and chopstick trying to act normal so her friends don't worry about her! serious issues aside she’s a goofball who names her plushies and is kind of a mascot for trans communities on reddit!

monika just wanted to talk to her crush and maybe learn the piano, and she somehow fucked it up so spectacularly that she killed everyone and destroyed the game itself! she looks real smug in that act 3 render but she’s a nervous dork who has no idea what the hell she’s doing or how to fix it! absolutely nails the “sad wet cat” look but she pretends to be a girlboss cause she thinks people like her better that way! she should win i think! that would be great!

yuri is completely socially incompetent it rules! she’s the biggest nerd about books in the fucking book club and tries to connect with people by infodumping about weird horror shit! she completely shuts down when people compliment her! she talks really fancy but it’s not on purpose she just genuinely sounds like that!

natsuki doesn’t have the usual vibe but it would be unfair to include everyone except her, and besides she’s still a repressed insecure tsundere! no one here is okay but she’s probably the most traumatized specifically!

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traumatized-nerd-club · 1 year

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I'm sorry but this is just hilarious ಥ⁠‿⁠ಥ

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ally-holmes · 2 years

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Regular Customer | Steve Harrington x Reader (ch.5)

Series Masterlist.

Chapter Four – Chapter Six.

Pairings: Steve Harrington x fem!reader|plus-sized!reader|nerd!reader

Word count: 5211

Regular Customer | Chapter Five.

At six in the morning, the alarm got off, waking all of them up. They'd been so damn tired that they barely moved all night and enjoyed as little rest as they could get, even in uncomfortable positions. Nancy started explaining what Vecna showed her last night. It was hard for her to find her voice after all the awful things that man inserted into her mind; she talked in whispers, her voice breaking from fear, eyes lost in the distance, tears falling from them silently.

"He's been telling us his plan this whole time."

Max's words made Y/N uncomfortable. If that was true, if Vecna only needed four kills to start his Doom Party, then why didn't he kill Max last night instead of sending Nancy a message? Was he being cocky? Eleven, the power-girl who was now powerless, seemed to be the person the message was for; was Vecna trying to lure the girl into a mind battle or something?

Y/N kept silent. Whatever Vecna/Henry/One's true plan was, he was hiding it pretty well and she couldn't just discourage them when the party was getting worked up, ready to fight that super sorcerer. The plan sounded good in theory, as Robin pointed out, but the idea of Max being the bait had too many loose ends.

"Max, can I ask you something?" Y/N approach the young girl when the others started to wonder where they could get weapons.

"If you're trying to stop me–"

"I think is dangerous as hell, but that's not what I wanted. Steve said that when Vecna got you in the graveyard, you got out thanks to the music. How do you think it worked?"

"What do you mean?"

"Taking a good look at the risks, with the town looking for Eddie, and probably for all the Hellfire Club members, there could be a chance of somebody entering Victor Creel's house in the middle of everything. What will happen then? If Lucas isn't fast enough to put the headphones on you or if the walkman breaks. Max, we have to minimize the risks."

"You're not being very positive."

"I'm being realistic. So, think. The music, why is it special?"

"I– I don't know. It made me remember the people I love. My friends. The good times."

"Let's pretend Vecna targeted you for your sad emotions. Something traumatic happened to you and–"

"Yeah. Right. Keep going," she pleaded uncomfortably.

"Sure. Maybe visualizing the good times, clinging to those memories, would take you away from there. You might not be able to do it by yourself and that's where the music helps. So, do you know the lyrics?"

"Of course. What does–"

"Then sing it to yourself. If something happens. If Lucas isn't fast enough. If Carver finds you. If the walkman breaks. Plan B: sing it to yourself."

The look in the girl's eyes made Y/N understand her alarm was being dismissed like she was some crazy girl with negative tendencies. She did what she thought was better, she'd warned the girl of the odds her suicidal mission had and she gave her some tips that might work; whether she used them or not wasn't Y/N's problem anymore.

The War Zone was the best chance they got to get weapons. Y/N's sword was useful, but they needed more things. Plus, it was far from Hawkins, which could give them some sense of anonymity. Y/N's car wouldn't be able to fit the whole party on its insides, but Eddie had other ideas for transportation. Still, Y/N went to her car and took out of the gloves compartment her checkbook. They couldn't go shopping without any money, could they? She should find a good excuse for her parents, but in the meantime it was appropriate.

As might be expected, Eddie's idea of transportation implied a felony. They got inside somebody's RV and took the road. It was cute to see Eddie finally offering a plan, a good plan, and committing to it with a clear mind. If in the meantime he playfully flirted with Steve Y/N wasn't going to mention it, she found it funny when Steve was out of his element.

"Don't you want to be shotgun?" Eddie asked her once the adrenaline from the theft had passed and all of them had settled in the caravan.

Y/N look at the front where Steve was driving, having some sort of conversation with Nancy, who sat next to him. They looked like a married couple going on excursions with their children to Yellowstone or something. She pulled down the hem of her shirt.

"Do I bother you, Munson?"

"Never, my love. How could you ask that?" He took a seat next to her and hugged her. "My clothes look good on you, by the way."

Unable to respond without self-hate, she just hummed and emptied her mind.

Once they were parked in The War Zone, they decided who would take what supplies. Eddie, Lucas, and Dustin were going to stay in the RV. Eddie had been right; the place was huge and had almost everything to kill anything. Y/N did a beeline to the knives' stand and took her time evaluating the blades and the balance of some of them to finally grab four of them for self defense purposes, and two hunter knives to use to spears. She met with Erica then, helping her to her list.

That's when they saw them. A green invasion. The basketball team was there looking for weapons to hunt and probably kill Eddie. Y/N shouldn't have gone out of the caravan. The party regrouped, she used her checkbook to pay for everything, and they left before any other jocks showed up.

"Carver was buying a gun," Nancy told them in their escape.

After finding a clear away from the road where they could assemble their weapons, the party ate whatever the owners of the caravan had available. Some cereal, bread, peanut butter, Oreos, and two apples.

The silent periods of the party were longer as the day went by. They didn't feel safe in their town and they had to go back to the Upside Down where they felt even less safe. Not even a week ago, Y/N was crying on Eddie's shoulder about the conversation she overheard in Family Video, thinking how impossible it would be for her to show her face in the store ever again. Now she was assembling some shields with nails and garbage cans' lids with Dustin Henderson and Eddie Munson while Nancy Wheeler and Max Mayfield were sawing off a shotgun; the Sinclair siblings were creating some sort of spears, and Steve Harrington and Robin Buckley were mixing Molotov cocktails. As Y/N was feeling more and more uncertain about the whole situation, Eddie was getting comfortable in it. He finally was doing something to protect himself instead of just waiting.

While he talked and played with Dustin, Y/N couldn't help but notice the slight hint of goodbye his words carried. It might've been fear talking, but she knew Eddie was being realistic. The chances of coming back alive were small, and in case they came back in one piece the town would still be hunting for him. He was being fatalistic; she was going to fight for him, to the death.

On their shopping mission at The War Zone, they'd also got some clothes that Steve was already wearing and Y/N was having trouble tearing her eyes away from him. The military boots were sexy, but the jacket? Hopefully, it wouldn't get damaged in the Upside Down and Steve would wear it often in town because that was a treat.

"Hey, do you think the shields are good enough for you, warrior princess?"

"You disappoint me, Eddie the Banished, I thought that, as the Dungeon Master, you would know that I'm a paladin."

"Well, can you cast spells from the divine forces? Because that would make you a true paladin and would help us defeat Vecna," Dustin said.

"I don't think you embody goodness either," Eddie completed.

"I don't, now?"

"No. You embody power. Strength. Loyalty."

"Love," the kid agreed. "Eddie's right, you should get another character for the next campaign. Something more suitable for you."

"I thought the point of D&D was that we could be whatever we wanted. Anyway, here, take this," she handed a knife to each of them.

If the knives used to do the spears were dented and big, the ones she gave them were slim and sharp.

"Is always better to have a second weapon. I once saw a History documentary about Roman legionnaires. They had a shield, a spear, and a small sword. I got you both one. I got one for myself. And another one for– Well, extra, I guess."

Eddie and Dustin shared a look. "Is there something going on between you and Steve?"

"I don't think that's the best topic right now, dude." Eddie tried to silence Dustin.

"He's just in a moment of temporary insanity. I promise. Whatever you think is going on between him and Nancy, it's not happening. At all."

"That doesn't mean that he suddenly likes me, Dustin."

"Maybe it does! I honestly don't understand what he has in his head. Definitely not a brain."

"Definitely."

"Totally."

"When he worked at the mall I thought he was going to make a move on Robin. She's amazing. I get that she might not like him, and I respect that they're friends, but, come on, you? You're crazy about him and super cool, how can he just not do something!"

"Too much hairspray inhalation."

"Are you guys ready?" Nancy asked them loudly from across the field. Eddie gave her the thumbs up. "Then let's get inside. We have to be back before the sun sets."

After dropping Lucas, Erica, and Max off at Victor Creel's house, they hid the RV. A sacred silence surrounded them.

"Okay. I want to run through it one more time," Nancy repeated. She seemed determined and focused, but also terrified of failing if she showed any kind of weakness. "Phase one."

"We meet Erica at the playground. She'll signal Max and Lucas when we're ready," Robin answered.

"Phase two."

"Max baits Vecna. He'll go after her, which'll put him in his trance," Steve supplied.

"Phase three."

"Me, Y/N, and Eddie draw the bats away," Dustin pointed to the older teen behind him. Eddie gave him a sign of affection.

"Four."

"We head into Vecna's newly bat-free lair, and… flambé."

"Nobody moves on to the next phase until we've all copied. Nobody deviates from the plan, no matter what. Got it?"

"Got it."

They were all suit-up, ready for battle. Steve carried an ax in his backpack, complaining about not having time to go look for his bat. That complaint took place hours before, when they were driving, and Steve had mentioned it to Nancy, who had remembered him that the bat was made by Jonathan and her for their first encounter with a demogorgon; Nancy had said that it suited Steve better, obviously.

Jungle drums echoed in Y/N's chest as she followed the other into Eddie's trailer. They didn't have time to lose; there was no hesitation in Steve as he climbed the rope while Eddie was still closing the trailer door. What Steve did, landing effortlessly on his feet, was impressive, and Y/N felt the urge to say so or actually applaud until Robin made her sarcastic comment. She and Nancy didn't seem too impressed by his athletics. Perhaps it was due to the fact that none of them had a crush on him, or maybe they were too used to seeing him doing exceptional stuff. Y/N was still impressed by him. The day before, he had jumped into the lake straight into a potential death, and now he did so too. There was no way they could be sure there were no demobats, demodogs, or demotigers in the trailer guarding the gate.

"Cute heart eyes," Eddie whispered to her. She elbowed him in the ribs.

The fact that Robin helped Nancy without asking made Y/N feel better when Eddie offered his help. Steve offered his hand to her when she landed, just as he had done with Nancy. Although Y/N was worried he had to do too much effort to pull her up in comparison to Nancy, she took the hand. He pulled her onto her feet as effortlessly as he had landed, so fast that she hit his chest, and he chuckled.

"You good?"

"Yeah."

Was she though? Y/N couldn't stop smiling after that. Her cheeks hurt from the effort to keep a straight face. They grabbed the things the others threw, they helped the others get up when they landed, and that's how they went out of the trailer.

Steve hesitated for a second before going back to them.

"Hey, guys, listen. If things here start to go south, I mean, at all," he looked each of them dead into the eyes, "you abort. Okay? Draw the attention of the bats. Keep them busy for a minute or two. We'll take care of Vecna. Don't try to be cute or be a hero or something. Even when you could," he pointed at Y/N. She nodded. "Okay? You guys are just–"

"Decoys," Dustin cut him off. "Don't worry. You can be the hero, Steve."

"Absolutely. I mean, look at us," he shared a look with the kid. "We are not heroes."

Steve wasn't as pleased as he wanted to and looked at Y/N sternly. He had reasons to be scared for them. They claimed not to be heroes, but he had seen otherwise. He'd seen Dustin come back for him on a Russian base instead of saving himself. He knew the kid was trouble. Eddie seemed at the edge of something life-changing, and if Steve had to guess, using the conversation they had the day before in the Upside Down as a clue, he would say that Eddie has tired of running, of hiding. And, of course, there was Y/N. He barely knew her a week ago, and now he was certain that the girl in front of him would fight to the death.

He nodded. He wasn't pleased, but he knew there was no other option. Before he could regroup with the other two, Y/N asked him to wait, giving him a knife. The knife was as long as a forearm, perfect grip, sharpest as can be.

"I know the ax is cooler, but this is better to cut someone's head off. Just one swing and it's detached. The bad news is you should be too close to him to do it."

Steve grabbed the knife with a nod, lingering his fingers on Y/N's.

"Hey, Steve? Make him pay," Eddie asked.

With that being said, Steve, Nancy, and Robin started their way to Victor Creel's house. Eddie, Dustin, and Y/N had work to do on the trailer.

Drawing the bats wasn't the only thing they had to do. It wouldn't be safe for them to do so if the bats could break into the place and destroy them. They might not be super strong or big, but they were organized. There were thousands of bats, and only three of them too. If they were at a proper house, they could at least count on the strength of the walls, this was not the case. As best as they could, they reinforced the structure, covered doors, and windows, and prepared the amplifiers on top of the trailer. Y/N took a good look at the structure from the outside, and the inside.

"We need something to cover the drainpipes and the toilet. Is there any other hole? Vents? Doesn't matter how tiny you think it is."

"Don't you think you're getting paranoid, Y/N?" Dustin asked her. "How are they going to get inside from the toilet?"

"I don't want to risk it. We don't know what they can and cannot do."

Therefore, they reinforced the windows and mortared any other opening, no matter how small it was.

It was done.

They were ready.

Now they just had to… wait.

"What are you going to play?" Y/N asked Eddie as they waited.

"I was thinking about Master of Puppets. I've been practicing like crazy since it came out."

"Wait. So… If the Upside Down is in the past, does that mean that you'd be the first one on playing that song?"

"God, shut up," he blushed.

"Copy that. Initiating phace three."

Dustin's words cut their conversation short. It was show time.

With the amplifiers connected to the other world through the gate, they were ready to make some noise. Eddie was giving his everything on each note, was vibing with the music, was embodying it. It was cathartic. Dustin and Y/N followed the flow with their bodies, especially with their heads. The lyrics played in their minds because they'd listened to the song obsessively.

"Dude. Most. Metal. Ever!!!"

The three of them were pleased with themselves and terrified as fuck. The adrenaline still running through their veins made them jump up and down to get free from the tension.

Everything was fine.

Everything. Really.

Fine.

Until it wasn't.

Y/N had been right, and in covering even the tinniest vent and hole in the trailer they prevented the bats from going in. Unfortunately, they also became a boring target for them. That, or the golden trio was having trouble with Vecna/Henry/One.

"We need to see if the bats are still engaged with us. If they're not, we might need to draw them again."

"What is taking so long? He should be famblé by now."

"I should go. I should go help them."

"No. Nop. There's no way you're leaving, Y/N!"

"Are you insane? You can't just go out there with all the bats surrounding us."

Eddie and Dustin looked at them as if she was an alien.

"What's the plan then? Wait here for hours? Days until we convince ourselves that out friends were dead while we were here doing nothing? We have weapons. Let's use them!"

"We just draw all the bats. TO US."

"Holly shit, you're being serious. You really want to go out there. Are you insane?"

"You're not going out."

"I wasn't asking for permission."

"Y/N!"

"Eddie!" She cupped his face between her hands and looked into his eyes. "We either need to save them or buy them more time, but we need to do something. I need to do something."

"Shit. Shit. Shit. Fine. Henderson, stay."

"What? NO! What the fuck is wrong with you both? Hey! Hey, where do you think you're going? Eddie! Y/N! Shit. Fuck. Shit. NO! Hey!"

They were both ready to go out the door. She had her sword in one hand and her shield in the other. "We're going to buy some time. The Wheeler's bikes are still here. Could you take one and go to Vecna? If you can't it's fine, you don't have to. But then you'll stay here and be a good boy."

Eddie kept cursing under his breath, jumping from one foot to another. Dustin looked at both of them and felt it. Friendship. Family. Yes, it was suicidal. Yes, the chances of going back alive were shorter than before. But, how could he stay put and do nothing? That's when he started cursing under his breath, just like Eddie.

"We'll cover you, Dustin, as much as we can," Eddie tried to encourage him, although he was anxious as hell, too.

"Okay. Yeah. Sure. Okay. I'll take the bike and go."

"Do not look back. That might stop you. Wait until the bats are busy with us, then go," Y/N ordered.

"I love you guys."

"We love you too buddy," Eddie hugged him while she gave him a kiss on the cheek.

Door opened. Eddie and Y/N took two of the bikes and went in the opposite direction of Vecna to give Dustin a clear path. The bats followed, happy for their new meal. Eddie fell off the bike so Y/N went to help him. They stand back to back, shield and weapon. They were ready.

The bats surrounded them like a tornado. They crashed towards them. They hit them, tried to tangle their tails on their necks. Eddie's spear wasn't as useful as they thought it would be, but he was good at using his shield as a weapon too, while the opposite happened to Y/N. The shield was a burden on her, so she ditched it and grabbed her sword with both hands. She cut those bastards in half. Wings, tails, horns… it didn't matter what body part it was, she was cutting it with her weapon.

As might be expected, the demobats got too close on several occasions. Eddie was drawn to the floor twice by a tail on his neck, and she cut it every time, which gave the bats the opportunity to bite her. She might've looked pretty tasty to those assholes. The sweat mixed with the blood and the dusty environment. Their movements became restless. Her grip weakened due to the pain and exhaustion. His protective movements were slower. They were going to die if the others didn't kill Vecna soon.

"Eddie!!"

"What? Oh, fuck!" He hit another bat that slapped him with its tail.

"I love you!!"

"Are you saying goodbye?! Shit, motherfuc–!"

"If I'm dying I'm glad it's next to you!!"

"Shut up! We're not dying! I'm not letting you die!"

The speed of the bats flying around them grew stronger and faster, they were doomed.

And just there, when everything seemed lost, the bats fell to the ground. Dead.

It was impossible for them to determine the time they lay there, waiting, next to the dead bats for their friends to come. At some point, they heard it. People running towards them, their names being called, curses and pleads. They were both so damn tired it took a lot for Y/N to open her eyes.

"Vecna?" She asked, her voice weak, barely a whisper.

"Jesus Christ! That scared me!" Steve's reaction made her smile.

Unknown hands helped her sit; the movement made her groan. When her sight focused back, she found relief in Steve's eyes; he gifted her a weak smile.

"Hi," he whispered.

"Hi," she answered likewise.

"Dude, that was mental. My whole body hurts, fuck." Eddie's groans made Steve and Y/N chuckle.

"Are you alive? What the fuck did you think you were doing?"

"This is not what we talked about. This isn't something you should do. We had a plan for something."

Robin's rambling mixed with Nancy's disapproval. Eddie was too busy hugging Dustin in relief without compromising his wounds to pay attention, and Y/N was being helped by Steve, who murmured soft words like "It's okay. There you go. I'm right here. You're safe now. There. You good? Easy there."

"So, what happened?" Y/N's question seemed to refocus the topic.

"That's what I want to know." Nancy sounded pissed. "We had a plan."

"And something went wrong. You were taking too long."

Dustin had gotten out of the trailer without a problem, without looking back to his friends. He had gone to Creel's house like a soul followed by the devil, and he found his friends being suffocated by the vines. He took the knife Y/N gave him and tried to free them. They didn't know yet, but at that moment Eleven was having a battle with Vecna that made him ignore the vines. Dustin had explained to the others what had happened and that they needed to kill the bastard fast or Y/N and Eddie would be dead.

They had accomplished phase four of the plan and flambé him. It wasn't enough. Nancy had shot him. And shot him. And shot him. Steve found himself close enough to cut Vecna's head, and so he did, with the long knife Y/N gave him a few moments back. Vecna's head flew and rolled until the wall stopped it; his body fell to the ground, burning.

"So, you needed help," Y/N summed up.

"That's not the point. You had one job and–"

"Nance, I think that's enough. Okay? It's over. It's done. No more Vecna," Steve cut her off.

"Slash Henry," Robin muttered.

"Slash One," Eddie finished with a wink.

Going back to the other side was complicated, almost impossible for Eddie and Y/N with their injuries and exhaustion. They made it, nonetheless, and on the other side Dustin called the others on the walkie like crazy.

"Now the hard part," Y/N mumbled to herself. "You go grab the RV and drive it to Creel's house. If Max's injured, call an ambulance."

"Now you're making plans and we should follow?" Nancy was utterly pissed.

"Meanwhile, I'm taking Eddie to the basketball team hideout Lucas told us about. There, I'll call the police to send help. We'll pretend he'd been captive there this whole time."

"Don't you think Carver or his friend would be there?" Robin wondered.

"It's a possibility."

"Fine by me, love." With Eddie's approval, there wasn't much else to do.

"Be safe," Steve pleaded.

"Lucas, do you copy? Vecna's out. I repeat, Vecna's out. Lucas. Lucas. Nothing. We need to go now. Come on!"

The car ride to the basketball team hideout was silent. They had left all the weapons and such hidden in the trailer park, but they were both sweaty and bloodied. The road was empty.

"How are we going to explain it?"

"Don't know."

"Let's go to your place. Let's go there. You shower, attend your wounds and hid them, then we keep with the plan."

"Eddie…"

"No. Listen to me. The visible wounds you have can be explained with Carver's intervention, but your dirty clothes, filled with blood… that's another thing. I know I've been panicking too much and I made you responsible for my safety, but now I'm trying to protect you."

She accepted and she was fast. The shower helped her regain control of herself; that's why she drove better and faster this time. The hideout was empty and had a function phone that she used to call the Hawkins Police Department. As she'd done for the last few days, she lost control of her emotions and cried, begging for someone to help them, insulted Callahan, and cursed like a sailor. Fifteen minutes after the call, the police arrived, finding them by the door, Eddie laying his weight on Y/N.

Chief Powell was the only one who stopped the shouting nonsense of the other two officers. He approached the kids with both hands up. Y/N's eyes were fierce while Eddie's were tired and in pain, barely keeping himself awake. Powell took a good look at them and sighed.

"We need to take him, Y/N."

"He needs a doctor."

"I'll call for one."

"I'll go with him."

"Kid, listen…"

"Chief Powell, I'm going with him whether you like it or not."

That's how she found herself in the back of a police car with Eddie, handcuffed and crying softly against her chest as she hugged him protectively.

As they approached the center of town, the quiet morphed into a panicked noise. Sirens, yells, and pleads echoed. Y/N looked through the window, finding the firefighters containing a big fire in the courthouse, that was broken in half.

"Here chief Powell. I don't care how you do it, but we need a doc in the station," he told the radio in the car.

"We're on it, chief, but is going to take time with the earthquake," someone on the radio responded.

"I don't care. Make it happen, Doris."

The police station was rather empty. Doris, who had substituted Flo for secretary duty, opened the door for them as they approached. Chief Powell had Eddie grabbed by the arm, both hands handcuffed to his back, Y/N glued to their backs. Two steps in, Lucas Sinclair got up out of his chair.

"Eddie! Y/N! Thank God you're fine!" He looked rough.

"What happened to you?" She asked in a clear way to know what story they were following, and before Powell could stop him, Lucas was answering.

"You were right about Jason this whole time. He and another guy from the team lured Max and Erica to the old Creel's house. I was looking for them. I was desperate, Y/N. And then I saw light on the house. I only found Max there, with Jason. He was breaking her arm– It was the worst experience of my life, Y/N." When Lucas started crying, she knew he wasn't pretending, he was just letting go. She came near him and held him. "God, I don't know what would've happened if I don't come in time. He got crazy. He beat me up and he had a gun. A gun!! If the earthquake hadn't hit just in time to make him lose his balance I don't– I don't know– It was Jason this whole time."

"What about Erica? Where's she? Max's fine?"

"Erica freed herself. She's now talking to an officer with my mom and dad. She has a sprained wrist for fighting against her attacker. And Max– She's at the hospital. I don't know much more. And you? Where did you find Eddie?"

Now it was time to lie, and Lucas knew it. "I knew I had to look somewhere closer to Carver. When the earthquake hit," she had no idea there had been one, "I decided to look into the team hideout. You told me about it once. Eddie was there."

"I should have listelened to you when you said Jason was nasty."

"We're safe now. That's what matters, Lucas."

And, scene.

"Did someone look at your injuries?"

"Not yet. Callahan said he was calling a doctor, but nothing yet. Erica needs one. I need one. And as far as I can see, Eddie needs one too. Where is it, chief?"

"On it, Sinclair. On it. Y/N L/N why don't you sit here with Mr. Sinclair while I find a proper place for Mr. Munson here?"

"Where are you taking him?"

"To an interrogation room. There's no need to worry. Jason Carver is in one too. The doctor would be on the way. This kind of thing has its process, Miss. L/N, and we cannot rush it. It could take days until we clear the case. Luckily the earthquake wasn't too big. We have a couple of collapsed buildings and a fire in the courthouse."

"Fine. I need a phone, then."

"Be my guest. I'm too tired to fight with you."

"And give Eddie some water and food! We don't know which conditions he'd been in."

Powell took Eddie down the hall. The boy looked over his shoulder once and gave his best friend a shy, tired smile, before muttering a thank you.

To be continued…

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