#and you know that floating upside-down kid from the second trailer? | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

italiansteebie · 11 months

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also on ao3 (Im not... super happy with this but here you go anways.

There were many things people didn't know about Steve Harrington. Like how he was fluent in italian, or how he actually didn't care that much about his hair or his looks, or how his parents are never home.

But people seemed to take one look at Steve and seemed to think they had it all figured out, and Eddie was no exception.

Until the guy started picking up the newest sheep from hellfire, until he saw Robin Buckley from band hanging out with him, hanging onto his every word.

So maybe he didn't have the guy figured out.

And he figured out he really didn't have shit figured out when a cheerleader started floating in his living room. Or when the ground split open and Steve Harrington wanted to go down there.

But then he figured out that for Steve, Nancy, and newly Robin, this was... Quite normal for them actually. And so they walked through the gross ass woods with Nancy Wheeler to find the guns that she had hidden in her closet. Guns. In Nancy Wheeler's closest. In a dimension hidden in the crust of this one.

What the fuck is going on?

So anyways, they make it out.

After Steve gets chewed on by bats, of course, and he gets up and runs like nothing ever happened and Nancy and Robin pretend that that's normal.

And he doesn't know how the guy did it because when it comes time for Eddie's turn, he almost dies. They kill the big bad guy, though Eddie doesn't get to hear about that part for a few weeks. He doesn't remember much about how they got out of the Upside Down the second time, but he does remember one really weird thing that Steve had said.

"Fuck, fuck! My leg fell off!"

And then he was being dropped, and it all went black.

They had done it, they had finally done it, he was dead and it was over. The race was over.

Well, Steve had thought it was over.

But then Dustin was sobbing over Eddie's body, and the kid couldn't stand up right, and suddenly there was another race to escape the throws of the upside down.

They were so close.

The steps of Eddie's trailer were right there. But of course life had other plans, and he felt the suction come loose.

And he toppled over.

"Fuck, fuck! My leg fell off!"

And maybe he should've thought about that sentence. but Eddie was slipping away and he panicked.

Nancy was the only one who really knew what he was talking about (to her credit, she was the only one of them who's seen him naked), but Dustin and Robin both looked very concerned, and he'd even heard Robin whisper "rabies." with a crazed laugh bubbled up as punctuation.

"Here, get dustin to the gate, I'll help Steve,"

"Wh- how are you gonna put his leg back on? How does a leg fall off?!" Robin asked, laughing again, this time more maniacal.

"Go!"

"Nancy!?"

"It's a prosthetic! the suction came loose, just get Dustin out of here!" Steve yelled, cutting through the shouting of the others, there was a studying pause from Robin and Dustin. "Questions later, please just go!"

So they did, Robin only looking back as Nancy cut away at the extra fabric of Steve's jeans, trying her best to help Steve with the suction sleeve of his prosthetic.

And soon enough, they were at the hospital.

Steve, Eddie, and Dustin had been admitted and Nancy and Robin were being checked over. They had arrived soon after Max, Erica and Lucas did, Max being admitted for multiple broken bones. (She'd be fine, the doctors had told them. Just a few broken bones and some new glasses).

–

When Eddie woke up, it took a minute for him to realize where he was. Uncle Wayne was to the right of him, holding his hand, looking a little worse for wear.

"Wayne?" The old man turned to him, eyes lighting up. "Oh, Eddie. you're awake," he could see the relief on Wayne's face, and almost felt bad for almost getting himself killed. But over the course of a few days, he woke up a little more, and Wayne told him all about how Chief Hopper came back from the dead, how the charges were dropped and a new trailer was waiting for them, curtesy of the government (which Wayne knew was shady but, hey. A new trailer is a new trailer). And how Steve Harrington had been visiting, every single day since he'd gotten better himself.

And that's when Eddie remembered.

"Hey, Wayne?"

"Yeah, son?"

"Did he have two legs?"

“Who?”

“Steve!” He said, exasperated, like it was exhausting just asking about the guy.

Wayne looked at him, "They up your morphine drip? Yeh, he had two legs." Eddie shook his head at him, "When we were in the... uh." Eddie hesitated, "Earthquake?" Wayne finished for him, "Yeah, earthquake, he said something about his leg falling off... but then I passed out... I. Is he okay?" he asked finally. Wayne pondered this for a moment, studying Eddie's face. "Well, he looked a little tired but, okay other than that."

"Is he going to come back today?" Eddie tried to sound like he wasn't desperate. It didn't work, if the look on Wayne's face said anything.

"Probably. When you were just waking up I pressed the nurse call, and she said she was fixing to tell everyone the good news."

And just like that, Steve walked in, eyes wide, "Eddie! You're okay. they wouldn't let me see you when I woke up and I was so scared that I didn't make it in… Time." He cut off his nervous rambling.

"Yeah, I'm okay. Thanks to you, big boy."

Wayne arched an eyebrow at this and stood, "I'm- I'll leave you boys to it." and with that the two were alone. Eddie studied Steve for a while. This was not the guy everyone told him about, the guy his friends had warned him about, and he wondered how everyone got it so wrong. "You're not who I thought you were."

"I'm... Uh. I'm sorry?" He posed it as a question.

"No! Not like that... Just. Everyone thinks they know you so well. And I- They don't. It's like, no one knows anything about you."

Steve smirks, "I'm a man of mystery,"

"Yeah, but maybe you should tell people when you're missing a leg, dingus. Nice to see you back in the land of the living Munson." and there was Robin standing in the doorway. "Rob!"

She and Nancy filtered into the room, Dustin hopping on his crutches behind them, "Yeah, what's up with that Steve? I thought you were captain of the swim team?" Dustin inquired. Steve rolled his eyes, "Yeah, the disabled swim team." he laughed.

"So... When we were 'down there' your leg really fell off?" Eddie questioned, watching as Steve lifted up his pant leg, tapping on the metal that was there in place of an ankle, "Yeah, I was sweating so much that the suction came loose, and well... It just slid off."

"So... How did you lose your leg?" He asked, getting smacked in the arm by Robin, "Hey! No hitting the guy in the hospital bed," he said, pointing to himself. "Dude, you can't just ask people that!" She said incredulously, Nancy and Dustin nodding in agreement, while Steve just laughed. "It's okay, it's okay! I'm used to it. I lost it when I was young... You guys probably heard about it… Uh. Me and my nona were in a car accident, we were both fine but my leg got trapped in the metal of the car, and well... They couldn't save it. It was pretty scary for a while, not having a leg... But then my parents got me a prosthetic that had dinosaurs on it. Perks of having rich parents who don't know how to show you love. " He shrugged, and Eddie didn't have time to be sad before Robin piped up.

"You... Oh my god! That was you! I remember hearing about that, you were what, 7 right? Because I was six... I was so sad for you. Oh! But then you showed your prosthetic at show and tell!" Robin rambled, and Steve watched the realization cover everyone's face, including Eddie's morphine clouded brain.

"Dude, when I heard that, 9 year old me freaked out! I had just moved in with Wayne and all of a sudden there's a kid without a leg? I thought you were the most metal person ever! Before I even knew what that meant. Wow." The look on Eddie's face could only be described as starstruck, like he was meeting his idol.

"Man. People really don't know shit about you."

And Steve laughed.

“No really!” Eddie insisted, sitting up slowly to prove his point, Steve reaching over to help him the rest of the way, urging him to be careful. “See! That's exactly what I mean! You're so… Helpful! It's weird. In highschool, I took one look at you and thought I knew everything about you, but… I don't!”

“I mean, after a while, you stop trying to share stuff when people just assume they already know you.”

And maybe that made Eddie feel a little guilty, but he knows it wasn't meant too. “So. Let's get to know each other then.” He said, reaching for Steve's hand, Steve closing the gap and holding his gently.

Steve smiled softly.

“Ew, are you guys flirting?”

And both Steve and Eddie jumped out of their skin, forgetting they weren't the only ones in the room. “And what if we were, mind your business Buck.” Steve snarked, smirking back at Eddie. Robin rolled her eyes, “Let's play a game! It's called "get to know Steve!” Eddie cheered before the two could start arguing again.

Steve shook his head, “I won't have any mystery then!”

“Maybe I don't want you to have mysteries with me.”

Robin scoffed, “You're flirting again.”

And the look Steve gave her was so quick, Eddie almost missed it. But it seemed to do the trick because soon enough she was dragging Nancy and Dustin out of the room with her, claiming it was time to visit Max.

“You really want to get to know me?”

“I want to know everything about you, Steve.”

“Wow, I mean. No one's ever been like… Interested in me. They like my looks but… That's it.”

Eddie frowned, “Not even Nancy?” he questioned, regretting it as soon as he saw Steve’s face fall. “We weren't good for each other.” and that was all he said.

“What's your favorite color?”

“What?”

“What's your favorite color?”

“Oh. It's uh. It's green. Forest Green.”

Eddie smiled, “Getting to know you, getting to know all about you,” he sang, eyes squinting as he smiled, only for it to grow as Steve let out a giggle, an honest to god, giggled. Eddie thinks he's going to die, and what a place to do it. In a hospital bed, smiling at his crush.

Steve pulled his hand away, and Eddie frowned, “Where are you going?” Steve smiled, “No where, just uh. your heart rates been kinda high since I started holding your hand.” he giggled, pointing at the monitors who's beeps were faster than they were 15 minutes ago.

By the time Nancy, Robin and Dustin came back from visiting Max, the two boys had a date set for as soon as Eddie was cleared to go home.

“Hey, Steve?” Eddie asked as the girls settled back into their chairs in Eddie's room, an idea sparking in his brain. Steve turned to him, eyebrows raised. “What’s on your prosthetic now?” He led.

“Oh, uh. It's just plain metal. My parents got tired of paying for the prints as soon as the whole thing wore off it's… Attention value I guess.” Steve shrugged, looking at the floor.

Robin jumped up from her seat, “Let's paint it!” she said, proposing the idea before Eddie could.

Eddie brightened, “Yeah! We can all add something!” He cheered.

Steve smiled, “You guys would do that?”

“Of course we would, Steve.” Nancy said, leaning over to rest a hand on his shoulder, smiling at him knowingly. And so the next day, the whole group was piled into Eddie's room, Will’s paint supplies spread across Eddie's bed.

“What did you guys need it for?” Joyce asked, a protective hold on Will’s shoulder as she scanned the room. Steve came out of the bathroom, metal leg in hand, crutch in the other, “This! They're going to paint my leg,” he smiled. And just as expected, the new information made the room explode.

After they shared the story, and Steve answered all the questions, it was decided that there was going to be even more art on his leg, even Hopper wanted to add his own piece.

Steve smiled as he watched his family paint something that brought his real family so much shame.

–

It was months later, Eddie was out of the hospital, and Steve was confident in showing off his prosthetic, now that had been decorated by the ones he loves. They were on a date in the park, Steve was wearing the shorts that Eddie loved so much. The wind was blowing a soft breeze, and the sun was just beginning to set.

“I'm so glad I got to know you.”

There were many things Eddie Munson knew about Steve Harrington. Like how he was fluent in italian, or how he actually didn't care that much about his hair or his looks, or how his parents are never home.

And how he loved with his whole body, and the way he likes his eggs in the morning, and the way he showed off his prosthetic when it was covered in reminders that he is loved.

If one thing is for sure, there was no way you could take one look at Steve Harrington and know everything about him.

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be-ready-when-i-say-go · 1 year

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Love in a Ghost Town--Part 2: Small Town Exposure

Eddie Munson’s become content with working his day job. After the crazy stretching of events from 1983-1986, Eddie’s grateful for a little bit of normal in his life.

That is until one day, Valeria Browns shows up in town looking for a quick car fix. And she’s more than he might’ve bargained for on the eve of Valentine’s Day. Valeria is just trying to enjoy her Valentine’s Day weekend after many years of being perpetually single. She has her fun, but it’s never serious. Maybe Eddie can change some of that.

Older!Mechanic!Eddie Munson. 2003 alternative universe. BlackFem! OC.

The Upside Down doesn’t exist in this fic. But strange things do happen to th town of Hawkins, Indianna. Major Character Death that is not canon as a result of the non-Upside Down AU.

Series Warnings: Character death, Implied/Referenced Death, Smut (18+ Content)

Chapter Warnings: Past references to trauma, Implied Steddie, Mentions of Alcohol Consumption

Edited photo of Eddie by @eddiemunsons-missingnipple

Feel free to view my masterlist here

___________________

The question’s been burning at the back of Valeria’s throat ever since Eddie extended the offer to show her the town personally; several hours earlier in the day. A long day if Valeria is going to admit it. But now, sitting in the passenger seat of Eddie’s pickup truck, the radio tuned into the top 40 hits, Valeria keeps replaying his soft confession, Hawkins isn’t bad anymore. From the corner of her eye, Valeria can take in the white undershirt and jeans Eddie changed into. Now the tattoos are easier to see, scattered up his forearms and biceps. Across his lap is a flannel and tucked between them is the jacket Valeria made him grab before they left his trailer.

His trailer isn’t a lot. But it’s homey. There’s hats and mugs that line the wall the couch is settled up against. The kitchen opens up immediately to anyone who enters. It was mostly neat. Some papers--mail most likely--stacked on the corner of the kitchen counter. The small dining table tucked into a corner held Eddie’s keys, wallet, and glasses as he discarded them. The coffee table in front of the couch held coasters and a bottle that seemingly was left in a rush. Eddie was quick to get it up and into the trash.

He’d shown her where the second bedroom was and let her know anything in the fridge and cabinets were free to her. Even handed her a fresh set of towels so upon their return she wouldn’t have to worry about them. As Eddie freshened up, Valeria dropped her backpack onto the edge of the black comforter. There was little in the way of decorations. A dark brown dresser on the bedside with a lamp. The walls were pretty bare. A clock rested above the closet and a shadow box with newspaper clippings rested against the wall that is shared with the kitchen. The closet had some spare hangers hanging from the silver bar, tucked into the left side against the wall were several boxes, Wayne, scrawled over one side of the boxes. She assumed it was all stuff Eddie couldn’t dare part with and though it wasn’t her business, she gingerly caressed the edge knowing how hard it is to part.

But now, she's settling in reality and she can’t help but think about what had happened to this town. “What-what did you mean by Hawkins isn’t so bad anymore?” Valeria asks above P!nk’s voice from the radio.

“I was hoping you wouldn’t catch onto that,” Eddie admits, reaching for his gear shift to shift down a gear.

“I’m new in town. Of course I’m going to catch onto it.”

Eddie nods. “Fair enough. It really starts back in ‘83. Between two missing kids, one turning up later dead, the other presumed dead but with no body, the town starts to panic. Some government conspiracy theories start to float up. They sound like hocus pocus, but of course they’re supposed to sound like that. ‘84 and ‘85 are a little blurry personally.”

“That’s when your uncle got sick?”

Eddie nods to the question. “Yeah, it’s when we started to suspect something. Didn’t get an official diagnosis until ‘86. But the missing kids and then rumors about Russian infiltrating the town in the midsts of the Cold War. This town really had a stretch of some turbulent years. In ‘86, the town’s still reeling because now it’s coming out that there were government involvements with the missing kid whose body never turned up, and the Russians. Part of the town goes on a witch hunt even still. Religion was prominent, even if we didn’t admit to it. I think they call it the Satanic Panic. At the time, I was really into this game Dungeons and Dragons.”

“I know the game. One of my friend's brother still plays. I think he’s the DM now.”

“I’m glad to hear D&D is still going strong. I founded a club back in high school for a little bit. After everything that had gone down, people needed a reason for why. Why was it all happening to us? Our small, quaint, idyllic town. And when people don’t understand something it becomes the easiest target. There were rumors about a cult being behind the reason for the reason the feds were looking at our town. Really it turns out only one kissing kid is a result of the government involved. Other kid just got lost in the woods. He’d run off, looks like there might’ve been a little trouble at home. A bad storm came through in November. Exposed to the elements like that, it’s only a matter of time.”

“Poor kid,” Valeria sighs.

“It was Jonathan’s brother that ran off into the woods. Joyce, their mother, she took it hard there for a while. But then she really turned it around for Jonathan before she passed. Joyce was always fierce.”

The truck stops, running idling mostly to keep the heat going. But there’s so much that threatens to melt Valeria’s teeth if she doesn’t ask. Like why does the town have newer looking roads and what were the feds actually in town about? How did the other person die? Did people start a witch hunt for Eddie because of the club? But she can’t quite get her jaw to open, loosen up enough for any air to come out before Eddie’s turning to her. He gestures to the side of his face. “You’re probably already putting some things together.”

Valeria inches her hand a little closer to Eddie’s outreached forearm. The truck’s parked, no where for it to go, but he keeps a hand on the gear like maybe even he’s unsure of where to place it. “People start blaming the game?”

Eddie nods. “Spring break of my last senior year was definitely a spring break for the records. To backtrack, the feds were in town because there were an increasing number of reports of illness coming from people that were working the power plant. There are old cold mines littering this state, but the biggest one was here in Hawkins before it got an upgrade. Though between you and I, it needs another one. Power plant is technically a safe distance away from old coal mines but the buildings and the conditions aren’t that great. Feds were coming in to try and keep things hush really and at the same time, following leads about Russians too. It’s sort of a mess. But this isn’t exactly public news just yet. So to the town it feels like a plague--you know? It’s a stretch of four years with a lot of turmoil. We had a mall that came in in ‘85, got burned down in the midst of this mess too. Didn’t get rebuilt until the 90’s if I remember right.

“But Spring Break, man,” Eddie exhales, staring up at the front of the pharmacy. Valeria assumes this is the downtown--where bars, stores, and much of the nightlife thrums for Hawkins. But she doesn’t want to break the spell. The more Eddie speaks, the more she feels like she can see what sort of town this place was and may still be in the depths.

“Yeah, no, Spring Break was a time. Part of the government cover up is becoming less of a conspiracy theory but between the mall fire and general turmoil, the town needs a reason for everything. I,” Eddie laughs, looking over to Valeria as he rubs his chin. “I wasn’t a straight lace back in the day.”

“You don’t look like one now,” she retorts with a snort.

Their laughter intertwines in the air between them. Eddie shrugs, turning more now to face Valeria directly, back resting against the driver side door. “Fair enough. I deserve that one. But I was dealing. I’ll admit it. It was putting food on the table. I don’t think my dad was a bad guy. I just hated the situation we were in. Mom died when I was young. Dad’s trying to take care of me but doesn’t know how to grieve his wife properly. He resorted to dealing and got mixed up real bad. When he landed in jail, I got turned into a ward of the state until it came back about my uncle. I sort of felt neglected. Wayne was a good man and I’m really grateful that he took me in. But I guess after everything--bouncing around from place to place, picking up some skills I’m not very proud of--I still wanted my dad, you know?”

Valeria nods. “There’s no one like your parents. And there’s no one else that can fuck you up like your parents.”

“Ain’t that the truth. But, I was dealing, and the founder of the D&D club. And Chrissy Cunnighman- Liv’s mom- she was head cheerleader and approached me about buying. If we run into Chrissy, you’ll understand what I mean by this, but she’s like literally an angel. I’ve known her since middle school and I swear to heaven, she’s a direct descendant. Night of the championship game, Chrissy comes by the old trailer. There was a little bit of settlement money from the feds. I didn’t want to take it, but Wayne made me promise. I upgraded the place a little with the cash. But Chrissy-I didn’t know when she first approached what was really going on. I sort of suspected the more we started to hang out. She originally just wants weed, which is fine. But when she asks for the harder stuff,” Eddie sighs, exhaling deeply from his lungs.

“I asked her to stay with me. The long and the short of it, that’s basically what happened. I didn’t want her using that kind of stuff by herself the first time. So I told her if she really wanted it, she’d have to stay with me. I’d sort of help her through her high until she knew better how she reacted to it. It’s one thing to have a bad trip and another to have a bad trip alone. It’s terrifying. But Chrissy at the time was dating Jason, captain of the basketball team. The All American couple. Jason wasn’t perfect back in high school--an insecure jackass, maybe. But I won’t paint him to be a total villain. When Chrissy didn’t show up for the party after the basketball’s championship game, it spooked him. He went to her parent’s place and she wasn’t there. Meanwhile, Chrissy didn’t even use that night. Well, not the Special K. We just smoked. She and I really spent most of the night talking. She’d previously been so…untouchable. But she was just a person. Like we all are. With her own demons.

“One night was enough though,” Eddie sighs. “By the time I got Chrissy back home later that next day, I think half the town was gunning for me. I got cornered that night. It wasn’t pretty. They wanted me to admit that I was a cult leader and I was trying to sacrifice Chrissy and corrupt her. Doctor said I’m lucky to have made it out alive.”

That does it--where Valeria had been playing it safe and keeping distance between them, a hand hovering in the gap, she finally crosses No Man’s Land and grasps at Eddie’s thigh. “If it means anything, I’m glad you did make it.”

“Th-thanks,” he exhales. His movements are measured, but he moves inch by inch to take Valeria’s hand into his. “I’m glad too.”

The calluses are prominent. No doubt a by-product of the work he does with his hands and Valeria fleeting wonders if some of them too are from his days in the band and if he still plays. But even the curiosity is drowned out by the fact that Eddie may not be here if fates were tipped a different way nearly twenty years ago. “I’m sorry it happened though.”

“I gave up on being sorry about it happening long ago. Like I said before, I had other things to be concerned about. And I knew it. I was the town freak, good for nothing drug dealer. People need a reason why.”

“Doesn’t mean you should be sacrificed in the midst of it.”

“You’re right. I made some good friends along the way. This kid, Dustin, I was going to meet up with him because he wanted to talk about the campaign finished over break. And when I didn’t show up like I agreed, he enlisted some help from some of his friends to help start looking for him. It’s because of him that I’m alive. That’s Hawkins then, though. Let me show you Hawkins now.”

Valeria nods, a small smile crossing her face. “Sounds good.”

Eddie squeezes her hand for just a moment and then they both pull away. She works to get her winter coat on while Eddie slips into the flannel and coat. They meet at the front of the truck on the sidewalk. “It’s not a lot. The mall’s got a bit more and we can head that way too if you want.”

“Here’s okay for now. I think I might explore the mall tomorrow while you’re at work.”

“Sure,” Eddie nods. “I’ll jot down the stop to get off at. There’s a bus stop just at the entrance of the trailer park. It’s a bit of a walk and I do apologize for that.”

“I’ve got good walking shoes. But where to first?” Valeria, even with the dark of the settled in evening, can take in the buildings around her thanks to the street lights.

Eddie takes hold of Valeria’s hand, nodding over to his left. “I could show you where I had my first kiss, which by the way was absolutely awful, but I think you might enjoy a quaint little bar more.”

“Which has cheap alcohol that does the job.”

“Now that it does.”

The Hideout is the opposite of quaint. The worn wood aesthetic gives away its age. The bodies that line the bar counter and some of the booths show a town that feels a bit frozen. Or perhaps is more accurate to say it’s a town that continues to fulfill its own prophecy. They’re not young. The sea is not packed. But the town has a certain prey that feeds its own ecosystem: people who don’t leave because of the haunting reality of responsibilities--the Eddie’s and Jonathan’s of Hawkins--and the people who don’t leave the small town because they are too embedded into a sense of nostalgia who can’t evolve as the times demand them. The latter seems like the best choice for one man at the bar loudly lamenting about the good old days.

Eddie leans into Valeria’s space, voice closer to her ear than usual. “Meet Jason Carver--he’s mostly harmless now at least. And I’m pretty sure he’s loaded so he’s much too slow.”

“Captain of the basketball team, right?” Valeria asks.

“Hmm, I might have to move the exam up a day by how quickly you catch on. If you’re uncomfortable, we can go.”

Valeria wouldn’t say she’s comfortable. Eddie is familiar and feels the most trustworthy. But Valeria is distinctly not comfortable in this town. Jason looks like the beers have caught up with him at the same time as age as too. He doesn’t look out of shape, as it seems more likely his cheeks are just full and the bend in his waist from his seat is a result of bad posture and the lack of a court to run up and down. Jason looks like a man who wasn’t ready to let go of something, so he doesn’t. She imagines the letterman jacket he might’ve worn like armor. The replacement, a bomber jacket, holds a familiar silhouette for him most likely.

“I don’t want to go unless he makes a direct threat,” Valeria returns.

“As long as you’re sure,” Eddie insists. “I do have backups. Aren’t many but there are some.”

“Let’s just…give him some space,” Valeria suggests.

“Absolutely.”

He leads the two of them to a booth right out of Jason’s line of sight. “Wings are the best thing about this place. Besides, my rockstar alum status. That okay? Two basket of fries?”

Valeria nods, shrugging out of her jacket. “I could go for some wings.”

“What about your drink? Whiskey straight? Hurricane? Beer?”

“Cider please.”

Tossing his jacket into the booth, Eddie nods. “Consider it done. I’ll be right back.”

In the absence of Eddie’s presence, Valeria slips out her phone. She hadn’t called Tamara to let her know about her need to stay in the town until now. No doubt to the worry of Tamara, but she hadn’t managed to have the nerves until now. It’s an easy dial once Valeria as she presses and hold the number 3 on her keypad. The line rings only twice and then shouts are filling the line. “Val, that you?”

“Yeah, Tammie it’s me.”

“Where are you? The car fixed yet?”

“It’s the transmission. Friday is the earliest the parts can come in. Eddie expedited it.”

“Shit, so you’re just stuck in that podunk town,” Tammie sighs.

“Until the car is fixed, yeah.”

“You okay? In a hotel?”

That’s the question Valeria doesn’t want to have to answer. “I’m okay.”

“Is it going to cost an arm and a leg?”

“Add a kidney in there too,” Valeria laughs.

Tammie’s laughter cuts in through the sounds of her children in the background. “Maybe a spare lung.”

Valeria looks up to Eddie, one foot resting on the foot rest of an empty bar stool. “It’s not…all bad though.” Out of the overalls, it’s clear Eddie’s built. It’s not like he’s cut to tear down houses nor does it look like he’s trying to win a body-building competition. But the lines in his back are visible beneath the t-shirt. He looks strong, and soft. It’s clear he likes a beer or two from time to time. He’s aged, his body gives that away, but he’s done so gracefully.

“So who is it? Who’s caught your eye?”

Valeria travels the length of his body back up, work boots still decorating his feet to the long tresses. He tied back half his hair, but left the other half from about the top of his ears down loose. “I don’t even know if Eddie goes for Black girls, let alone girls at all.”

Tammie cackles at the retort. “You could be his first.”

“I-I don’t want to imagine that. He is letting stay with him for free, best to not make it awkward,” Valeria states, still half distracted by the ink of Eddie’s arms.

“You’re what?” The screech pierces hard and fast in Valeria’s skull as it leaves Tamara’s throat.

Valeria closes her eyes, head dropping. “Shit.”

“You weren’t going to tell me! You were going to stay with this man who could be a serial killer for all we know and you weren’t going to say anything to me!”

“We were just discussing the possibility of me sleeping with him so I’m not sure how that’s somehow any better.”

“Yeah, sleep with him and then frolic off to your hotel room or a motel or something. But you’re staying with him! There'll be no paper trail of you being in the town!”

Checking into a motel would definitely have a hard trail for anyone to follow. “He’s…Tammie, I can’t afford to fix this car and pay for an unknown number of nights for a room. The least I can do is take the free room. And there’s a mall out here supposedly. I’ll make sure to make a purchase there or something.”

“Use your credit card, please!”

“Yes, Mom, I will.”

“You feel safe around this Eddie?”

At the mention of his name, Valeria looks back up to notice Eddie turning with their drinks in his hand. “Safe enough,” Valeria answers. “I’ll call you later, okay?”

“Are you about to make a move on this man? Oh, he’s not going to make it if you do.”

“I’m out with him, getting some dinner. Trying not to be rude, Tammie,” Valeria whispers. “Later, okay? And a purchase on my credit card tomorrow. I know, I know.”

“Love you, Val. Please call later, okay?”

“I will, Tammie. Love you too.”

The call ends with a distinct beep. Their ‘Love-you’s’ are punctuations to any conversations. Even if they argue, they still must confess their love. Because it is only and ever love that fuels any of their conversations.

Valeria slips the phone into the front pocket of her sweatshirt and reaches up for the bottle Eddie holds out to her. He sets his glass bottle down, a silver bottle opener also in his hands. He motions to her bottle, like he’s asking for permission and Valeria can only nod. Eddie then pops the top her drink, the fizz giving the cider just a small head of foam and then quickly settling. “Wanted to ensure you knew there was no funny business,” he confesses, a lopsided grin on his face settles into the cracked red cushions of the booth.

“Thanks, Eddie. Next round is on me if you’re up for it of course.”

“Let’s worry about that bridge when we get there, yeah.”

“So you used to play here?” Valeria asks, taking in the stage that doesn't look like it’s been used in years. There’s tables in the middle between the sides of the booths. She tries to imagine what it might be like to have a crowd of teenagers in on the middle of the week.

“Every Tuesday. Didn’t have much of a crowd most of the time, but it was nice to play.”

“No one is coming to see you play? Were you bad?” Valeria jokes. She wants to deliver with more flatness, but her smile betrays her.

Eddie snorts, raising the bottle to his lips. After he gets his sip down, he leans a bit more into the table. “I’m a metalhead. Corroded Coffin never caught flight. But enough about me. I’m old and boring.”

“Eddie, you are not old. If you’re old, god, I don’t want to think about myself.”

“No, you are the opposite of old, that is absolutely apparent. You’ve got nails like claws, which are actually really cool by the way.”

Valeria ducks her head. “Thanks. I-” She curls her hands into fists as best as she can before resting her palms around the sweating glass bottle. “I’m realizing how much I definitely stand out. Sorry.”

Eddie reaches, only just a shuffle of his hand over the wooden table, towards her. “You’re in good company then. I’m out of place here too and I fucking grew up here.”

Valeria looks up from underneath her lashes, but nods. His smile is still soft and still makes the dimples on his cheeks stand out. “I think I went to college to get away,” Valeria admits. “That’s why I didn’t really care what I studied or where I landed. Just wanted to get away.”

“Small hometown?” Eddie asks.

Valeria shakes her head. “Not-not like this. When my parents were still alive, we had a small house--single story, it was nice. Parents were sort of treading water with debt so my grandmother sold that house to help out and I moved in with her. She lived in the inner city. Wasn’t terrible like we weren’t on the verge of having lights turned off, but Gma worked her ass off to make sure of it. Just wasn’t great. Sort of grew up dealing with a lot of people on our block succumbing to drugs really. Wasn’t anything for me to see people shooting dice or shooting up on the walk to friends house. One of the dealers on the block had a thing for me but I was just trying to keep my head down. I had a temper.”

Eddie hums around his sip. “A temper?”

“I got into fights a lot,” Valeria admits, spinning the bottle. She’s not gone in for anymore over her initial sip. But her knuckles throb for a moment before she speaks, “Broke one girl’s nose. Gave a couple people some black eyes. Nearly broke a guy’s ribs. I never needed a good reason, just a reason.”

Eddie whistles. “Before or after your parents’ accident?”

“After. Lost them in 6th grade. All throughout high school and the remainder of middle school, I just didn’t know what to do with what I felt. I was pissed they died. My grief was rage.”

“Understandably so. Really are preaching to the choir, so.”

“Softball saved me. I couldn’t let my grades slip and I couldn’t get into trouble--sort of forced me to face things head on.”

“You mean you couldn’t get into fights,” Eddie corrects.

Valeria huffs her laugh, taking down her second sip to math Eddie’s fourth, maybe even sixth sip. “I couldn’t get into trouble,” Valeria returns firmly. “I got into a lot of physical fights but I was quick with a slick mouth too.”

Eddie grins at the quip. “If you can almost break a rib, I’d hate to hear the damage you can do.”

Valeria rests her elbows into the table, showing off her nails. “Why do you think I keep my nails done? They’re too expensive now to break in a fight.”

Eddie takes one of her hands, holding mostly on the tips of her fingers to get a closer look at the details. He runs a thumbs over the faux pearls. “Do you keep them decorated for all major holidays?”

“I’ll be skipping on Saint Patrick’s Day if that’s what you’re asking.”

Eddie shakes his head. His smile turns into something more flirtatious. “No, wondering if I can put in a request.”

“You say it like you’ll end up seeing the fruits of the labor.”

“I don’t assume anything.”

“Then what’s your request?” Valeria hums. Right from her periphery, she notices a person approaching with a tray. Eddie doesn’t let go of her hands even though she’s sitting back to accommodate their food.

“I get to see how they feel. And if I can get a visit between Thanksgiving and Christmas, I wouldn’t be mad either.”

Valeria knows a flirt when she sees one and Eddie is the biggest fucking flirt Valeria has ever seen in her life. “How long have you been waiting to use that line?”

“That one I whipped up fresh just for you,” Eddie laughs. He lifts her hand, arms going with the action and the food slips in right underneath. They give their gratitude to the server as Eddie lowers her elbows back down to the table on either side of their spread. “There’s buffalo sauce on the side and ranch, and I’m absolutely biased so I had them put barbeque on the side too. But I hope that’s alright.”

Valeria nods. “Yeah, that’s alright.” Eddie’s grasps on her hand loosens and with a rush, a surge that overrides all logic, Valeria grapes his forearms, fingers bent mostly at the first knuckle to let the nail tips rest against his skin. Why not give him exactly what he wants? Well, he could be a serial killer. But something tells me he’s not.

They hang in the moment, frozen like stars on cloudy skies, not exactly seen but known. They both know. “Is it curiosity?” Valeria asks. What’s really behind that is: Are you interested in me because you think I’m attractive or because I’m Black? She’s not sure Eddie will truly pick up on the nuisance. He’s lived here, in this town, his entire life probably. Possible escapades to the city and sure Eddie’s not once been rude to her--call it Midwest Manners-- but Valeria has to know before she does something reckless on a whole other level if it’s going to bite her in the ass.

“About you specifically, yes. I may be a small town guy, but my eyes still work.”

“Eighty percent of the time,” Valeria teases, drawing her hands back, nails dragging lightly down his forearms, then down his palms and over the calluses and tips of his fingers.

“The other…twenty percent of you is only slightly fuzzy.”

The click of a boot on the floors is easy to ignore, but the tan pants and black belt are hard to not see when a body settles at the edge of their table. It only takes the small glint of the gold badge on the hip for Valeria to snatch her hands back to her side of the table, as if she weren’t already on the way to it. Eddie raises a brow at the action, eyes morphing from something hot to something tender. The core melts as he considers her. “It’s just Harrington, honey,” Eddie explains. As if that’s supposed to take the edge off. “He can be a bit of a ball buster,” he continues on, flicking his gaze up. “Mostly bark, very little bite.”

Valeria follows the line of Eddie’s sight and there’s an easy grin on the man’s face. There’s something soft in his gaze down to Eddie, behind with the graying gray--longer than Valeria might’ve imagined for a small town cop. His jaw is sharp, long nose in the middle of a face that Valeria can imagine was the subject of many potential heartbreaks of this very town. He’s bigger than Eddie, muscle packed on with care and even with all his best efforts, there’s the distinct squish around his waist. Time, too, has settled gracefully on the man.

But he holds the buckle of his belt in a way that sets Valeria’s nerves on fire. More than once she’s wound up in lock up because of a fight. More than once as an officer shined the buckle of his belt in her face, caressed it like it’s supposed to be something else. Like it’s laying in wait.

“Wanted to say hi to the new face making buzz in town,” Harrington offers before sliding his gaze over to Valeria. “I’m Steve,” he comments, hand extended out.

Valeria watches it, hand raising but body rigid. “Valeria Browns, sir,” she returns.

“Ouch, no, no need for the sir,” Steve laughs, hands settling into his pockets now. “Just Steve. Is Munson treating you right? If he’s not, you like me know. A wanted man in many respects,” Steve tacks on.

“All you’d have to do is call, sweetheart,” Eddie retorts, resting his chin on the flat of his knuckles. His smile is sickly sweet and he adds a bat of his lashes to top it off.

These two definitely fucked, Valeria thinks to herself. Their laughter is easy and Steve throws a weak punch to Eddie’s shoulder. He singles Eddie out with a finger. “Just treat her right. I don’t want any complaints about you.”

Steve turns to Valeria. “If you need anything, don’t hesitate to come down by the station, we’ll be happy to help.”

“Thank you, s-Steve.”

“Anytime, Valeria.”

Steve reaches down into the basket of fries on Eddie’s side of the table and steals a couple. Eddie only smiles at the action. “Someone ought to be feeding you better. Fruits and veggies,” Eddie returns. Steve only shrugs at the jest and as he takes a step back, winks. He throws Valeria another polite wave before carrying himself back towards the front of the bar. Eddie takes in the lines of her shoulders--rigid and hard--under Valeria’s sweatshirt. “Take it you don’t like cops.”

She shakes her head. Her throat quakes for just a moment. As easy as the taunts were between them there’s still the burn under her skin that Valeria knows will last for hours. “Haven’t had too many good encounters.”

“Steve’s a teddy bear, really. He took over after Hopper retired. The two of them are close, but really, you don’t have to worry. Steve’s—he’s a good guy. Truly he is.”

Valeria’s sure Eddie’s words may be true, but she can only stare down at the basket of wings and fries in front of her. The glint of the badge, the grasps of the buckle are burned into her retinas. She blinks and they’re still there. She blinks again, I’m her grandmother. You think I’d lie about that? Valeria blinks again, You’re lucky they’re not pressing charges. Another blink, Keep coming back here and I might start to think you like it. Blink. Only thing you're good for is opening your legs in the long run. Blink. Blink. Blink.

Nothing had happened, but it still feels like everything had happened. Valeria reaches, hand shaking for a fry. “You two seem like you go way back,” she offers. Her voice cracks a little. Eyes threatening to spill tears. But they don’t.

“Hey, no, are you okay?”

It’s thick—the concern in Eddie’s voice is thick and it falls between them slowly. Valeria is so far from okay but she doesn’t want to focus on that. “Please don’t. It’s messy and not sexy. I’ll be fine. Just please answer the question.”

Eddie can’t help the snort. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost if not more and you’re worried that you somehow can make your trauma appear alluring. I may be many things—a freak, a troublemaker, devilishly handsome. But I don’t care if it’s sexy or not. I want to make sure you’re okay. The last thing I’m going to do is ignore the fact that you don’t seem to be doing well.”

Her chest cracks. The tears are slipping and she doesn’t care to stop them. Not now. Not when she’s being told it’s safe to crack. Eddie grabs some napkins, slipping them into her turned up palm. It’s not a sob building. It’s more like the pressuring she’d been swallowing back now marches up her chest. Her exhale is heavy and she feels like she should cough. But still she withholds and works instead to inhale and exhale again.“Damn you, Eddie Munson.”

He grins—the boyish one that’s a little shy but really it’s hiding all his secrets and desires. It’s the kind of shyness that makes Valeria know he is not so innocent. When she doesn’t move to wipe her tears, Eddie does, dabbing and holding the napkin along her eyes. Her mascara is probably already staining her cheeks. “As long as I get to meet you in the underworld, Valeria Browns. As far as Steve and I—he’s part of the group Dustin was close too who found me in the forest just outside the trailer park that night. Or rather that morning really. He and I, we had our time. I think if this town were a little bit different and he and I were just a little bit different it could’ve worked out, maybe.”

“Town freak, ex-drug dealer, metal head. Wannabe a rockstar and let me guess Steve was what swim captain. Jock. All American but inverse to dear old Carver. A real Wild West love story. Cops and robbers type of situations.”

Eddie laughs, taking another napkin to dab off what he can of the black lines. “Steve even has a cowboy hat to match. But yeah, he was swim captain and basketball captain before Carver. He graduated a year before I did finally.”

“I assume people sort of suspected?”

Eddie shrugs. “Maybe they did. But that’s all in the past, really.”

“It looks more present to me,” Valeria teases.

Eddie shakes his head, but wears an amused smirk. “You’re always stirring the pot. We had what we had. We have what remains. That’s all, really. So, this,” he starts gesturing between him and Valeria, “is much more present to me. And that’s okay, right?” Eddie says in a whisper. Like he doesn’t want to scare her off or break the spell. Valeria nods but looks back down to her food. Eddie continues on. Like he can’t help himself. The words fall rushed and stumble into each other. “You can say no. I know it’s strange but we can leave it here. I’ll show you around, we’ll go back home, and I’ll give you 6 feet at all times.”

“I believe you, Eddie.”

He deflates, shoulders rounding down and he nods. It’s adjacent to relief, if not relief itself that paints his face. “Just let me know. But eat, yeah? Still have an appetite?”

“I can try. That’s for certain.” Because if Valeria’s had anything she’s always had in her to try. She may not succeed but that’s never been the goal. She just needs to try.

By the time they finish their food, the night’s gotten even colder. Valeria can feel it cutting across her face, but she walks alongside Eddie, listening to him regal tales of a not so distant past. The cold ease the fire on her face, the heat of fear and some embarrassment strong, but not stronger than the cold. She takes a long glance at the old theater sign in front of her. Eddie’s voice rings out about the time he had his almost first kiss here. Where Steve got into a fight with Jonathan over Nancy, where Steve had someone else graffiti vile stuff about Nancy and then cleaned it off himself when he realized how wrong he was about it, where now dust settles on the inside. If Valeria breathes in deep enough she can smell the popcorn that might’ve been popping during all these events.

“Tell me--what’s your favorite M&M? And you have to say the red ones,” Eddie adds on.

“Green Skittles,” Valeria returns.

“Yeah, okay, those are good. But that’s not the question.”

“Green Skittles,” Valeria hums, bumping Eddie’s arm with her own. “I’m mildly allergic to chocolate.”

“You’re what?” Eddie screeches, the offense pouring from his face. “How-you haven’t even lived if you haven’t had chocolate.”

“I steal Hershey kisses occasionally.”

Eddie grins, hand reaching out for hers. She gives into the silent question with ease, slipping her fingers through his. The rings now are cold too. “I knew I liked you. The candy shop is still standing if you want to browse.”

“Sure. Just no chocolate. I don’t feel like adding an ER visit to this trip.”

“Oh, you’ll just miss Buckley then.”

“Who?”

“Robin. Pediatric nurse. Friend. Ex band geek. Steve’s literal other half in platonic form. She’s kind of amazing, but you can’t tell her I said that.”

“I’m 32,” Valeria returns.

Eddie grins before leaning down just a little. He whispers, what Valeria knows shouldn’t be a secret, but he treats it like one, “Buckley’s got all the best candy in the hospital though.”

“I can fake it,” Valeria deadpans, pulling to a hard stop on the sidewalk. She throws her thumb over her shoulder. “Which way to the hospital?”

Eddie barks out a laugh, turning to face Valeria now. His body breaks a gust of wind. “Technically, that way,” Eddie nods his head over his left shoulder. He swings their joined hands in the direction too. “I think she’s looking to get out soon, from nursing. So we probably should get to her sooner rather than later. But I’m sure I can give her a ring tonight and set something more adult up.”

“Oh, I don’t want to be a bother,” Valeria states.

“You are not a bother. She might even be able to take you up to the mall so you’re not hiking it if she’s not got another shift. She admittedly hates shopping but she’s good company.”

“If she’s Steve’s platonic soulmate, I’m probably going to get a shovel talk.”

Eddie nods, a small grimace taking over his face. “Hmm, that is the down side. She’d kill for that boy and now by a long extension me.”

“You do that a lot.”

Eddie’s brows furrow at Valeria’s statement. “Do what?”

“You dismiss yourself. Like you somehow matter less or not the same as everyone else.”

“One day. One day and you think you have me figured all the way out?” There’s not a lot of heat behind Eddie’s words. But there’s a sternness that lets Valeria know she’s too close.

“I cried into chicken wings forty-five minutes ago in case you forgot. You cleaned my mascara off too. You can tell me if I’m dancing too close to the fire, but you don’t get to undercut me.” The words fall with an arch brow. Like she’s daring Eddie to say something else back out of line. Valeria’s not afraid of fight--that’s something she’s always known.

“To be fair, I’m mostly impressed. Took a lot of people I’m close to a lot longer to call me out on it. Wayne doesn’t really count, since he raised me and all.”

Valeria watches the lines of Eddie’s face and the tick of his jaw. There is genuine awe mixed with a clear tell. “Too close to the fire, aren’t I?”

“Maybe just a little.” Edde uses the forefinger and thumb on his free hand to press together just how close Valeria is to the nerve. The pads of his fingers don’t touch, but they are so close they might as well be. He laughs, which hopefully means he doesn’t hate her guts. Her actions may have warranted it, but she likes the ease with Eddie.

Valeria returns the sentiment with her free hand held in surrender. “I’m sorry.”

“No harm, no foul. Our outs or strikes. C’mon, there’s candy to browse.” The two resume their walk. It’s a short distance but even in the few steps the tension starts to melt.

“Steve would be disappointed,” Valeria points out. “I’m sure he’s tried hard to teach you about sports.”

Eddie holds open the door to the shop, allowing Valeria to enter first. “I’ve learned a lot. It’s funnier to be a little shit.”

The shop has redwood and red decor up the walls. It’s not quite like stepping into a time machine. The registers are all modern, but there’s something historic about the decor. It feels borrowed, comfortable in a way that lets Valeria that it’s been well lived in, but still is not hers. “What’s your favorite color of M&Ms?” Valeria asks.

“The green ones.”

“So why did I have to say red?”

“It would complete the set,” Eddie returns.

He says it like it’s obvious. Like Valeria’s supposed to know what it means. But she doesn’t. She watches Eddie walk over to the side wall, where rows of clear containers sit. You can build your own bag of candy, it appears from the way there are plastic bags on the side and scoops in each clear container. He takes a bag and scoops inside peach rings. Then he gets another bag stowing away red hots inside of it. Eddie goes on until he has a dozen bags. They’re all tied off after they’re about a third the way full. Valeria grabs half for him when it’s clear he’s done.

“I got ‘em,” Eddie returns, piling his portion on his forearm pressed up against his stomach, using his torso now as a shelf to leave the bags

“I can help. For friends?”

Eddie nods. “Bit of a tradition.”

“Is there where Robin gets her stash?”

“Possibly,” Eddie laughs, one hand still extending to take the remaining bags. “But I’ll never tell.”

Valeria turns, still holding six bags in her arms. She gravitates to the candy apples. She can’t remember the last time she had a candy apple, but the sight of the display is enough to seal the deal. There are some in caramel with nuts and some dipped in the red candy covering. She eyes the displays to see if she can determine the base apple flavor beneath and spots a green apple in red candy covering that she wants. The tower has no glass so she reaches in and plucks the one she wants off the tray.

Before she can get it fully in her grasps, a hand comes in over her shoulder and picks up the handle. Valeria turns to find Eddie already making his way to the register. “You coming or getting left?” he calls out of his shoulder.

“You’re insufferable,” Valeria mutters to herself but comes at the call. Eddie’s focused on a display--Valeria’s doesn’t pay attention to what. She’s fishing her wallet out from her pocket and slides her card across the counter as she notices the cashier finishing up. The young girl takes it, red hair pulled back from her face, and she looks bored. Not that Valeria blames her.

“Got ID?” The girl asks. Valeria holds it out for her to see and only at the question does Eddie’s attention snap away from the glass counter.

“What are you doing?” he asks, reaching up to swat her card away. But the cashier is faster and swipes Valeria’s card after verifying the name on it and the name of the ID. “Max, you know better!”

Max, the cashier only shrugs, fishing out a pen from the cup for Valeria to sign the receipt. “I don’t really give a shit.”

Valeria hands over the signed receipt and gets her car back into her wallet. The purchase would at the very least solidify her time in the town and it would piss off Eddie: two birds, one stone. “Since you paid for dinner,” Valeria returns. “Thank you.”

Eddie sighs, with a nod. “If you pay for anything else though,” he threatens, but doesn’t finish.

“You’re going to do what?” Valeria goads.

“Not in front of the children,” he answers, tucking two fingers under Valeria’s chin to tilt her head back.

It’s only an arch of her brow. There’s no word. But the facial tic is enough to communicate everything to Eddie and his eyes darken just a little in the dim light of the candy store. There he is, Valeria notes to herself.

“I’m taking my Swedish fish now, by the way, Eddie,” Max interrupts, clearly on purpose as she gnashes her teeth into the tough gelatin.

Eddie’s gaze never leaves Valeria’s. “Enjoy, Red.” His fingers slowly leave Valeria’s chin, one single digit signaling her out. “You’re dangerous, very dangerous,” Eddie laughs.

Tagging: @munsonology

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dontfeeltoohot · 2 years

Note

Hi! I hope recovery is going well!

If you’re up to it, I’ve come to request a S/T fic where maybe Steve catches wind from Dustin that Eddie is out sick. Cue Steve showing up at the trailer after class to find Eddie with like the worst cold ever.

I don’t know how well we think Eddie takes care of himself, but however Steve attempts to help him feel better is up to you!!

He picks Dustin up from school, that's what starts it all. He tries to be nice and this is what happens. The second the kid gets in his car, the whining starts, and doesn't stop until they get to the Henderson household.

"-ut we can't play without him, he's the dungeon master!"

"Dude, I get it. Munson is sick so DnD can't happen. That sucks, but what're you gonna do, go to his place and make him play? Just wait till next week."

"Oh, we don't play at his place, usually it's at Mikes. He lives in a tiny trailer across from Max, waaay too small to fit us all in there. And no, I want him to get better, it just sucks ass."

"Hey! Don't say that kind of shit," Steve gripes. "Look, maybe he'll be fine tomorrow and you guys can do it then. Maybe he just doesn't wanna deal with all you twerps, needs some time alone, and he's fine. Don't get your panties in a twist."

"No, you didn't hear him this morning, he sounded like death Steve, literal death."

Steve rolls his eyes, knowing how easy it is to fake a sick voice and a few coughs. It's what got him out a week in ninth grade.

"Yeah yeah, whatever Henderson. I've got a date, so get your ass moving," the older of the two leans over and pushes open the passenger door.

"Wait, with who?"

"None of your business. Now go."

"I bet it's that Allie girl fr-"

"Go."

Steve's on his way home when he sees the pharmacy on main street. It's neon sign seems especially bright today, even though it's sunny. He's about to drive past it when Henderson's dumb voice floats through his head.

"He sounded like death Steve, literal death."

Hitting his steering wheel and huffing, Steve hangs a right as quickly as he can, pulling into an open parking spot. He sits in his car, debating if he should even care, but then Eddie's big brown eyes float into his memory, the way he'd looked at him with such attention, like no body else mattered, when they'd talked in the upside down. He thinks back to Eddie looking at him in the RV, how he'd teased him. God damn Eddie Munson and his ability to be cute, hot, and a menace all at the same time.

Entering the small store, Steve looks around, giving a smile to the woman at the counter, before going to hunt around. He realizes as he stares at the plethora of medicine in front of him, that he should have asked Dustin exactly what was wrong with the guy. Having only 'sounded like death' to go off of isn't very helpful. Did he have a stomach thing and was throwing up? Was he coughing? Why did this all have to be so complicated, why wasn't there just a cure all for everything?!

Knowing he still has a date in an hour and a half, Steve grabs Tylenol in case he has a fever, then grabs DayCare, that says it's good for coughing and sneezing and congestion and sore throats. Sounds like pretty much everything to him. He picks up a box of tissues, and then, on a whim, he grabs two cokes and a box of honeycomb cereal- should he get him real food? Probably. But he doesn't have that kind of time, and he knows Eddie likes the cereal. He ignores the odd look the cashier gives him and takes his paper bag, jogging back out to his car so he'll still have time to freshen up before his date with Allie.

Remembering that Dustin had said Munson lives across from Max, he pulls into the trailer park and looks around. There's one diagonal from her that looks promising once he sees the old van parked next to it. Parking behind it, Steve gets out, grabbing the bag at the last second, almost forgetting it. Shoving one hand into his Members Only jacket, he uses the other to knock on the door, shivering. Late autumn in Hawkins is cold, and he can practically see his breath as he stands there. When no one comes to the door, Steve knocks harder and longer. Still no answer. Sighing, the nineteen year old turns to go but stops when he hears the door open behind him. Flipping back around, he winces at the sight in front of him.

Eddie Munson, in all his rock and roll, long haired glory is standing in front of him and while Dustin had said he sounded like death, Steve can't help but think he looks like death too. He's wearing sweatpants and an old looking Iron Maiden shirt. His skin is pale and the dark circles under his eyes look like something that could rival a raccoon. His long curls are messy and not as bouncy as usual, but what really stands out is his nose. The tip and underside are a flushed pink, and his nostrils are bright like they've been rubbed raw.

"Harri'gton?"

Even just that one word makes Steve frown. His voice is thoroughly congested, to the point it almost sounds fake. It's lowered half an octave too, subtly raspy. Without the congestion, Steve might even categorize it as hot. Which...yeah okay, he's been trying desperately to push those feelings down, but that voice is just...too good.

"What're you doi'g here?"

Looking at the man again, Steve notices that he's half leaning into the door way, so he holds up the paper bag, hoping it'll help. Before he can say more and explain, a quiet sound escapes Eddie, something between a gasp and whimper, and then he turns away, raising his arm up over his mouth and nose.

"h'Gkt! ihKT! h'ighkt'uh!"

Aimed into his arm and covered courteously, Eddie sneezes. They sound tired and like they hurt. The sniffle he gives after makes Steve want to urge him to blow his nose, which, right, he has tissues in the bag too.

"Bless you, uh...you should probably close the door, you're gonna make yourself worse with how cold it is."

Big brown eyes dull and tired, Eddie blinks and then nods, but only continues to stand and stare at Steve.

"Can I come inside? It's freezing and I have stuff to give you." The words seem to jolt Eddie back into reality enough to nod, letting him in.

Steve's never actually been inside a trailer before. Eddie's isn't what he'd imagined, but it's not bad. There's just....a lot of things. Everywhere. After taking everything in quickly, he looks back to the curly haired man next to him, who's now sitting on the couch, where a nest of blankets are, along with a small trashcan that's overflowing with tissues.

"I got you medicine."

Eddie's brows knit together and he looks at Steve like he's trying to figure out if he's joking, so Steve takes the medicine, tissues, drinks and cereal out. At the cereal, Eddie's eyes brighten a bit.

"Tha'gk you," he snuffles into a new tissue and holds it tightly against his mouth and nose, turning away. "ihngXt! h'GKt'uh! ihkTSCH!"

"I uh, I hope that's what you need, I wasn't really sure what you were sick with...sounds like a cold from hell thought."

Eddie laughs a little, which turns into a wheezy cough that seems to drag on forever. Steve manages to find a cup that looks mostly clean, fills it with tap water, then hands it to Eddie, who takes it gratefully.

"S-Sorry," he mumbles, looking far too sleepy for his own good, and far too soft.

"It's fine Munson, you're sick. I'll let you get back to sleeping, but uh. Take the meds okay? It'll help."

Eddie does while Steve is still watching him, then lays back in his blanket nest, nose running. Steve almost leans down to press a kiss to his head, but instead heads out, trying not to think of big brown eyes and curly hair while he looks at Allie in the seat next to him an hour later.

#my fic #st #strthi #em #sh #this is vaguely angsty i guess #in the smallest way possible #asks #answered

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rae-is-typing · 4 years

Text

Sick Day

Notes: This was requested by a lovely anon, and it was inspired by my past few days. Enjoy :)

Original request from anon: Can you write an Avenger imagine, where the reader is the youngest of the cast and gets sick/has an accident on set?

Description: You get sick. That’s it. That’s the fic.

Characters: reader, original female and male characters (manager named Masha, assistant named Alis, an EMT named Esme, trainer named Nick), RDJ, Chris Evans, Anthony Mackie, Sebastian Stan, Scarlett Johanson, Elizabeth Olson, the Russos

Warnings: Swearing sickness, vomiting, mention of pepto bismol (that shit’s NASTY), swearing, homework

Word count: 2.9k

You don’t get sick.

You don’t have time to get sick, so you don’t. Between filming, training, and school, sickness is absolutely not an option Simple as that, right?

Well, your body didn’t get the memo.

Your body is racked with chills, but you’re sweating profusely. You chalk it up yo the intense scene you’re filming; your character and Robert’s character just got into a massive screaming match over your character’s secret identity being revealed. But in the middle of the second take, your words dissolve into coughs.

"No, Tony! It's not okay!" You shout, whipping around to face a very pissed looking RDJ. "I-" A cough disrupts your words. "I don't-" This time you break down into a fit of uncontrollable coughing, even going as far as doubling over.

"Cut!" Robert rushes over to you, placing a hand on your back. He makes you stand up fully. He speaks up when you finally stop coughing. “You alright, kid?" You nod your head, rubbing at your throat.

"Yeah, I'm good. I'm sorry, I have no idea where that came from." A smile tugs at his lips. "Don't apologize, Y/N. It happens."

Alis, an assistant, comes over with a bottle of cold water, placing it on your hands with a curt not. You thank her and open the water, taking a few slow sips as the Russos offer feedback on what you managed to get through.

"That was are best take until the coughing. Whatever you did before, do that again." You try not to beat yourself up over the coughing; it's show business, it happens.

Getting back into position, you two manage to finish the scene with minimal interruptions. During your yelling match, your head begins to pound. It's not the light pounding you get when you didn't get enough sleep or you're dehydrated, it's the kind where you're sure that your old band director is leading the entire drum line on your brain tissue, or something is punching your skull with little pistons.

The second "Cut!" rings out through the set. You deflate, rolling your shoulders and rubbing your head. You trudge over to a small bench near the set and plop down, stretching your now aching limbs in the process.

Being the (mother hen) good mentor and costar he is, Robert realizes something is wrong very quickly. You're usually very bubbly after scenes end, the adrenaline still coursing through you. He can only think of one time he saw you like this, and that was right after you took the SATs. He calls over Alis again, asking her to get some green hibiscus tea with honey and acetaminophen. Alis is back within five minutes. He walks over to you and sits by you.

"Here, take these." You frown at the to-go cup and the small container in his hands, but ]take them anyways.

"What is it?"

"Tea, and tylenol. They'll help with your headache and cough." He says, matter-of-factly.

"Oh, thanks, Robert."

"Course, gotta help my favorite kid." He says, pushing himself off of the bench. "Now, I don't know about you, but I am starving. What do you say we get a bite with the others?" He extends a hand for you to take

"Sure," You say without thinking. Any time with the cast is great, even if you're extra tired and achy. You let him pull you up. The cast orders sandwiches from a little shop in downtown Atlanta, very close to the set.

You're gathered in a larger, mostly empty save for a few couches and chairs part of the set where you often meet. Everyone is talking. They're either going over that days work and characterization, recent events in the news, and their weekend plans. Your sandwich is a little off. It smells fine, it's exactly what you ordered, but it tastes... off. Something in it is making your stomach churn and grumble. You place the sandwich back in the wrapping it came in, fold it up, and throw it away.

That's enough for tonight, You decide. "I have school stuff that I need to get done." You say.

"Aw, okay. See you tomorrow!"

"Fuck school,"

"Language!"

"Shut the hell up, man."

You smile as you walk to your trailer. You do have school, you always have school, and it sucks major ass. The suckiest thing you have to complete is a seven page, MLA format, argumentative research paper about birth control in the developing world. And, oh my god, you would rather be hung upside down by your toe hair than write that fucking paper.

But you write it anyway.

Why? Because it's due in two days and you haven't started it yet. So you buckle down, ignoring the headache you have and your churning stomach, and do the damn thing.

You get three pages in before you decide that being tired isn't worth this paper. Getting up at 5:30 in the morning each day to train for two hours is definitely not your favorite part of your job, but it is some of the only alone time you’re able to get, so you'll take it. You stand up from your desk and immediately regret moving. Dizziness overcomes you. You flop back onto your office chair and press a hand to your forehead.

Taking a few deep breaths, you get back under control and stand up much slower. This time, you're able to walk to your small bedroom area with an attached bathroom. You wash your face, being extra careful as to not make yourself pass out from dizziness. You do the same when brushing your teeth.

During the night, you get all of two and a half hours of sleep. You toss and turn all night, unable to ignore the churning in your stomach for long enough. And the fact that you're hot one second and then freezing the next. it is impossible for you to sleep for more than a half hour at a time. But you eventually do.

Assuming that's the end of it, you sleep deeply until cramping in your stomach forces you out of bed. you make yourself sit up. A wave a nausea comes over you like a tidal wave. You hobble to the bathroom and lean over the toilet just in time.

Bile and your half-eaten sandwich forces its way from your stomach, up your throat, and into the toilet. It's gross. It smells vile, its chunky and the strain makes tears come to your eyes. You dry heave and cough until you're sure everything is out. Feebly, you flush the toilet and leaned back against the wall across from it, deep breathing until you stop crying.

Unaware of the time, you stay there until you feel strong enough to get up and brush your teeth. You hobble back to your bed, and lay back down. This time, falling asleep again.

A knocking on your door pulls you out of your slumber.

"Y/N? You need to get up." The smooth voice of your manager, Masha, floats through your door.

You jolt awake, now remembering that you have to train. "Shit, what time is it?"

"Six AM. I'm opening the door," Masha says, while opening the door. You wince as the light seeps in, covering your eyes.

"Whoa, what happened to you?" She asks. "Are you feeling okay?"

"Yeah, yeah yeah yeah, I'm good. Shit Nick is waiting. I'll get ready, gimme like two seconds," You ramble, stumbling out of bed.

"Whoa, Whoa, Whoa, hold on." Masha says, putting both hands on your shoulders, steadying you. Huh, you didn't realize you were wavering.

"You're burning up, Y/N." She observes, pressing the back of her hand on your forehead. "I think you're sick. Tell me what's going on."

"Nothing."

"Have you thrown up or anything? Headaches? Lie to me, and it won’t be pretty."

“I threw up,” You croak, flopping back on the bed.

"Alright, I'm going to get Esme, stay here, lay down." Masha speaks quickly, pulling out her phone.

Esme is the lead EMT on set. She was an RN for years before transferring to emergency medical services. The stunt doubles and the actors take major precautions before stunting. However, some things can't be avoided, hence the EMTs.

Esme comes into your room in no time, followed closely by a worried Masha.

"Alright, Y/N. What's wrong?"

"I'm a little sick right now."

"Alright. Symptoms?"

"Chills, headaches, I uh threw up a few hours ago..." You hate admitting it. That means you won't be able to do much today. It's apart of your contract. If you get sick, you have to take at least two days off because you're a huge liability for Marvel. Being a minor kinda sucks.

She nods. "Alright hon, follow my directions." Esme checks you out thoroughly. After telling her about your weird sandwich, she nods knowingly.

"It looks like a fever, and that sandwich made you throw up. Get some pepto bismol and tylenol. Make sure to drink a lot of water and other clear liquids. Eat the BRAT diet, and you'll be good to go in a few days. I suggest making a doctor's appointment today, though. I can’t diagnose you."

"Alright, thanks Esme." Masha says as Esme leaves. She turns to you, sighing. "I'm sorry, N/N. I'll get what you need from a store, let the Russos know, and make the appointment. I think you should go back to sleep if you can."

"Thanks, Mash. You're the best."

She smiles gently before leaving. You turn on your side and pull the blanket over your head, eventually dozing off.

The veil of sleep is slowly lifted as you blink your eyes open. Thanks to some great blackout curtains you have, no light seeps into the trailer. This time, you don't feel nauseous. However, an inkling of dizziness is still there. You stay in your position for a few minutes until you reach for your phone. A ton of notifications appear on your lockscreen.

3 missed calls from Masha the Manager

Messages from Masha the Manager

Y/N, Nick is waiting. Where are you? Sent: 5:30

Get up now, Y/N. Sent: 5:30

Y/N. You're scaring me. You're never late. Sent: 5:43

Everything you need is on the counter. Read the note first though. Sent: 7:00

Message from evans

Hey Y/N. Heard you weren't feeling well. Lemme know if I can help, okay? Sent: 7:15 AM

Message from Romanian Bitch™

Masha told us you're sick. Feel better we need you! Sent: 7:19 AM

Message from Stanky Stark

Get better soon okay? Sent 7:19

Messages to No Boys Allowed!!!

ScarJo: get well soon babe. let us know if you need anything 7:20

Scarlet Bitch: aw, feel better N/N Sent: 7:21

It warms your heart knowing that they care so much about you. You send a simple thank you to each one of them and close your eyes again.It only takes a few seconds for you to remember all the homework you have to do. Your eyes snap open and you groan.

You do not want to do homework. But you have two whole days with no training and no work, so why wouldn't you? That thought is all you need to get out of bed. You don't bother changing. You migrate to the small living area, and go to the counter where Masha had set all the stuff. You found the note quickly, and read Masha's half print, half cursive writing.

Y/N,

Take two doses of pepto and two things of tylenol, but read the instructions!!! Eat some applesauce or toast, and call me if you get any worse.

-Masha

You unpack the canvas bag and quickly take your medicine. After that, you take all the food with you to the couch. You plant yourself on the soft sofa and dive into your work.

Being interrupted every few minutes with coughing is not the ideal space for productivity, especially because your throat is becoming increasingly raw. You put your phone in a drawer in your desk so you aren't distracted. Like most teens, you have a bad habit of prioritizing your phone.

A knock on the trailer door pulls you out of your focus. "Y/N, it's us!"

"Come in!" You say, still typing. You cringe at how sore you sound. Scarlett and Lizzie come in, still in costume.

"We can't stay for long," Scarlett starts, looking very apologetic. "We have a five minute break and we wanted to check on you."

You smile, setting your computer to the side. "Thanks guys. I appreciate it."

"How are you feeling?" Lizzie asks.

You shrug. "I'm okay, I guess."

"What were you doing?" Scarlett asks, spotting the half finished essay on your laptop. "You're supposed to be resting."

You sigh. "Yeah, but I should just get it done..."

The three of you talk about how shooting is going, and the production of the film in general. It's going smoothly. Nothing is going wrong. Soon, though, they have to leave. You're left to your own devices for another few hours.

Now that you’re revising the paper, your eyes ache, your left hand is cramping up, and you're positive you gave yourself carpal tunnel.

Another knock on the door reverberates through the trailer.

"Open up, kiddo!"

"It's unlocked." You snap back, not unkindly. Anthony and Sebastian walk in. You stop typing for a second to smile at them. "Hey,"

"Hey, N/N." Sebastian smiles back. "We brought you soup."

Your face twists up. "Is it from the sandwich shop?"

"Nah, Masha told us that made you sick. This is from the high-end shop across the street," Anthony says, handing you a warm styrofoam bowl and a spoon. he also takes your laptop. "What are you writing an essay for? You’re sick! And a kid! Kids don’t do school when they’re sick.”

“What do you know about kids?” You smile, leaning forward to reach for your laptop.

"Nuh uh, no no no. You're going to relax while we're here, okay? And for your information, I have three children."

You cock an eyebrow. "Uh huuuuhhhh," you draw out.

He rolls his eyes, saves your essay, and turns on the television that you rarely use. "Alright, N/N. Netflix or Hulu?"

"My essay."

"Hey siri, does netflix or hulu have a show called 'My essay'?" You shove his shoulder lightly with a scowl. Sebastian is having a grand time laughing at you while eating his own soup.

"Alright, alright. We'll watch The Office, it's one of your favorites." Anthony chuckles.

You huff, leaning back on the couch and pulling off the cover to your soup. "Fine."

"Michael Scott is such a bad boss." Sebastian remarks.

"How dare you!" You gasp, your voice cracking severely.

"I can't take you seriously when you sound like a twelve year old boy." He retorts.

"You're being mean,"

"Mmm sorry sweetheart," He chuckles.

The three of you watch a couple episodes before they have to leave. You thank them for their time and the soup profusely. They wave you off, saying something along the lines of 'No problem, kiddo'.

After they leave, you snatch up your laptop and make the final revisions on your essay. There, finished in two days, and all it took was eating a bad sandwich. You should totally do that more often. (No you shouldn't. Never doing that again.)

You opt for more Michael Scott and some ginger ale mixed with Gatorade. You fall asleep on the couch huddled under a fleece blanket you retrieved from your room area two more episodes in, and wake up to gentle knocking and someone calling your name.

"Y/N? You there?"

"Yeah." You call, voice thick with sleep.

"Can we come in?"

"Sure?" You say, burrowing under the blanket. The door opens revealing Chris Evans and Robert, both looking tired after a long day of filming.

"Did we wake you up?" Chris asks.

"Yeah, it's fine though," You yawn, sitting up slowly.

"Oh, sorry 'bout that kiddo,"

You shrug. "What's up?"

Robert gives you a dad smile. "We just wanted to come see how you're doing. Feeling any better?"

"Yeah, I guess. Don't feel pukey anymore."

"That's good. Anthony said you were doing homework all day?" Chris asks, tone not too far from accusatory.

"I had an essay to do." You defend.

Robert clicks his tongue. "You're supposed to be resting, Y/N, not doing homework."

You pout. "I still had to get it done..."

"Alright, no school stuff tomorrow, okay?" Robert orders. "Rest only."

"Rest only." You repeat.

"Alright, now go to bed. You look exhausted."

"Okay. Thanks for checking on me," You stand up slowly, paying close attention to how you feel. You give each of them a hug before going to your room.

You check your phone, again giving in to those bad habits.

Message from Masha the Manager

Doc appointment at 1 pm tomorrow. He's gonna make a house call.

Sent 7:28 PM

You shoot back a quick 'K' before turning it off and laying down for the night.

#avengers cast x teen!reader #avengers cast x reader #avengers cast #avengers x reader #avengers x teen!reader #avengers sickfic #marvel sickfic #sickfic #teen!reader #tw: throw up #illness #mcu #rpf #marvel rpf #sick day

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luckycheesefoodie321 · 5 years

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I’m about to unleash a LONG review of HTTYD3: The Hidden World RIDDLED with spoilers sooooo... (this is probably trash, it’s been several days since i started this so idk the flow and my thought process was a mess but i better post this now before i forget)

Spoiler free review: 9/10, I did cry, personally felt it was on par with HTTYD2 butttt I like it in a different way to HTTYD2... the animation? ferguckin’ gorgeous, there are fracking LEVELS to the beauty of the Hidden World (the actual place and the movie)...and Astrid’s hair??? mmmm yeah goals

OK SPOILERS UNDER THE CUT (and it looooong yall)

Ok so time to explain the 1/10:

the flow wasn’t as smooth?? as it could have been... it all made sense why things happened and where the motivations came from but...the transitions from sequence to sequence seemed...a little disjointed??? there were parts (maybe it was because i had a kid with me so I got distracted in like two parts) where I was like “oh wait something is happening?? oh wait no yeah I get it sure...so it took me second to realise how one scene got to the other (but again that might’ve been because i was distracted.)...and as a result of the slightly jarred flow, the pace seemed a little disrupted??? maybe it’s just me wanting more, but it felt like things could’ve been a bit...meatier??

also, this was a very Hiccup and Toothless film (I mean obviously, and this isn’t necessarily a bad thing, and I intend to discuss how great it is later), and so it sorta left little fulfilment or finality for the side characters...they all had their moments sure, and somewhat of an end, but i feel like just a minute here and there more to give them a more satisfying character ending would’ve been nice...

NOW ONTO THE 9/10, and since we’re here already, let’s talk side characters

OUR DRAGON SQUAD

Tuffnut finally got a chance to shine for more than a second of screentime, and while he remained the comedic relief he’s always been (in the films, haven’t seen the shows or short films), it was fun to see him branch out and engage with Hiccup directly...the continuous through-line of him and his beard and trying to impart wisdom on Hiccup was great... Ruffnut also got some solid screentime and she finally made her choice of man (when really she didn’t have any for reasons I will explain later) and “accepted” Fishlegs...but idk didn’t care about that, her scene when she was “captured” by Grimmel was fantastic...Kristen Wiig delivered perfectly from intonation to comedic timing, loved her work!

Snotlout...I literally had to pause a few seconds just now after typing his name bc *sigh*...we all know Snotlout’s has mild braggadocio...he spitting words with no follow through...annnd that doesn’t much change??? He’s still trying to front and compete with Hiccup and then Eret, and that was originally his charm point...but I would’ve liked to see him find validation in himself rather than an intentional compliment from Valka...and speaking of Valka??? Snotlout just latching onto the closest woman likkkkeeee Snotlout calm down you’re like 40 years younger than her??? maybe not 40 but point is Valka is a badass dragon momma who really isn’t going your way...I just wanted Snotlout to have his moment...

Fishlegs...yeah he was all dragon daddy carrying his baby Gronkle around and also enjoying his baby Gronkle and that big dragon’s friendship...also Ruffnut has claimed him...bc Snotlout is chasing Valka...so there’s no real option for her (she moved on from Eret and her self-confidence is kinda dope)

HOMIE ADULTS

Eret, son of Eret...I wanted more of him...he just hanging around making passing comments and being the knowledgeable other about Grimmel...and then he had a little something something implied with Gobber??? they had some scenes that had me side-eyeing hardcore... Gobber basically has the same relationship he had with Stoick, but with Hiccup...general calling him out, questioning his lack of planning...just sorta done with everything...true sassy queen...and also yeah him and Eret??? suss

Valka, my queen, my dragon wizard lord who floats through the clouds... maintains her badassery and voice of wisdom role but again steps back to make way for Hiccup and Toothless...and she encouraged Snotlout, for which I am not down...like sure support him but ugh you know he’s into you so just...just...no

MAIN CHARACTERS

Grimmel...definitely a more fleshed out villain than the Red Death and Drago...not necessarily a complex villain, but he was a lot smarter and impacted Hiccup in a way the other two didn’t...rather than using blood and fire to cut to Hiccup’s core, he lured Toothless away and forced Hiccup into a sobering reality that he and Toothless can’t always be together...that said, his “death” was kinda lame...could’ve had more of a bang than probably drowning

The Light Fury was used in an interesting way...she’d already been captured and was used as bait, not just stumbled upon in the wilderness as I had assumed from the trailers...I enjoyed how she was so clearly a wild dragon...from the way she responded to Toothless and his attempts at flirting, spurred him to tap into his true potential and abilities that Valka had alluded to in HTTYD2, to how she always trying to get him to come away into the sky and away from the humans...that said I love how she gradually warmed up to Hiccup...not in the way Toothless did, but in a way where you knew she acknowledged that Hiccup was someone who was important to Toothless, and had no desire to harm her or other dragons and the fact she was the one who saved both Toothless and Hiccup at the end was great...

Astrid, once again, is the only one (aside from Valka, and apparently Eret) with any real sense, both common and fighting...she’s kept to her roots as a skilled fighter in her own right, as opposed to the others relying heavily on their dragons...her chemistry with Hiccup continued to be adorable and flirtatious and pure and wholesome and with all the mad banter...her being so firm against being married so quickly bouncing off Hiccup’s clearly apparent willingness to tie the knot was an adorable under-plot...her character was probably the most consistent of all the characters imo...and she got a fulfilling ending...plus once again, her hair, ESPECIALLY IN THE WEDDING SCENE WAS SO FRIGGEN GORGEOUS AND BEATS ALL ANIMATED HAIR EVER

And now the boys of the hour, Hiccup and Toothless

This was a Hiccup and Toothless film. No side story about his mom and dad, no arbitrary villain just there to cause conflict. This was a film about two best friends in an increasingly complicated world realising that in order to tackle that world? They’d have to separate. It’s the same feeling as realising that the people you grew up with or the friends you made in school won’t be able to stay by your side anymore. You each have a path to take and it’s not one that can be shared...maybe run parallel at times but not the whole way. This is what our boys had to face.

I love love LOVED that there were sooo many parallels to the first movie...ugh to have that footage so I can count and display all the moments that just brought you back to all the charm and things you fell in love with in the first movie, but with more meaning, more stories to tell...it’s like when I saw Miley Cyrus sing The Climb again many many years after the Hannah Montana movie...there was suddenly more depth to her performance...this was the vibe I got..and it was obviously intentional in bringing so many parallels to the first movie...bringing the story full circle and all that, and of course it culminated in the most perfect moment, the moment that started us all on this journey...

BUT IN THE MOTHERFRACKING REVERSE!!! this was the moment that let those tears slip...I had gone in expecting to cry, but had far and away found myself having more fun and slowly accepting that maybe...maybe I wouldn’t cry in this movie...we got to the big goodbye, and I embodied my inner Jake Peralta and was like cool cool cool no tears yet, I can make it through and then BAM! they did the reverse hand touch and tears were spilled, and my friends were just watching me with unbridled glee in the dark as I got emotional...I’d been watching with increasing suspicion as moment after moment echoed the first movie, but somehow I didn’t realise they would do the reverse hand thing...maybe it’s because the hand thing had been embedded in every moment that Hiccup and the dragon riders encountered new dragons that I did not expect he would ever have to do it to Toothless again?? but in reverse???? because he was letting GO?!?!?!?!?! god it hit me hard...

But then a downside: they started to overuse it in the prologue-y sorta bit with the kids and meeting Toothless again...liiikkkeeee we already had that major impactful, emotional moment...why overuse it??? i would’ve much rathered they just gazed at each other for a bit before Toothless suddenly gives his signature toothless grin...or he swoops in and grabs Hiccup by the pegleg into the air, freaks everyone out, only to do the upside down grin thing- that would’ve been great...I mean they had that moment with the Light Fury but I wouldn’t have minded if they used that one again...

my mind is wandering and this probs doesn’t make any sense at this point sooo: the separation thing! good they established the over-reliance on the dragons and Hiccup’s thinking he can’t do well without Toothless, and Astrid, my QUEEN, coming in and telling him what’s what...and also not marrying him until he was more certain of himself because she knew if he wasn’t ready to face the world alone, he wasn’t ready to face the world with her (at least that’s my interpretation and again idk where I’m going with this thought process)...also love that Hiccup was lowkey jealous of the Light Fury...also also glad she never got a name...keeps her wild, as she should be...

I think this was definitely an incredible ending to an incredible trilogy of films...maybe not Toy Story perfect, but it was full of heart and emotion and continuously brought you back to all the wonder of the first film. Literally, there were so many parallels to the first film it was insane...while I talked about disjointed flow earlier, this incorporation of these callbacks was so well embedded, becoming just a natural proceeding of events...

I’m coming back to this review after several days so idk where I was going with this soooo just gonna wrap this up:

ASTRID’S WEDDING HAIR WAS GOALS. THE END.

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bethels93 · 5 years

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Yesterday, I was finally able to see Mary Poppins Returns! For most movies, Japan has slightly later release dates so I had to wait for a bit. But I wanted to put my thoughts into a post while the movie is still fresh in my mind 😁 This will be over two posts, so it’s not one long stream of rambling 🤣

None of the GIFs or pictures posted belong to me. Credit to the makers of them 💗

Mary Poppins would like to inform you that there will be spoilers for Mary Poppins Returns so, if you haven’t seen it and wish to remain unspoiled, please do not read this post!!

🚨 SPOILER ALERT 🚨

Let talk about the characters:

I liked how the eldest kids (John and Annabel) are the opposites of Jane and Michael from the first movie. Here we have two children who have had to grow up quickly due to the loss of their mother and they become surrogate parents to the wild Georgie. Mary Poppins has not only returned to help Jane and Michael; she’s there to look after ALL of the Banks children and help John and Annabel be children again. Georgie has no problems being a child and his innocent remarks throughout the film are some of the best comedic moments.

Upon seeing the trailer, I thought Jack was just going to be a Bert 2.0 and, in a way, he is. Most of the characters are the 2.0 versions from the first Mary Poppins. While we didn’t know too much about Bert’s story, we know quite a bit about Jack. He’s a lamplighter (a leerie) who was apprenticed under Bert and met Mary Poppins when he was younger. Rather than flirting with Mary Poppins, he acts like a nephew whose favourite aunt has come into town. The world of lamplighting has it’s own magic and Lin Manuel Miranda does an amazing job of bringing Jack and that magic to life. He definitely does a better Cockney accent than Dick Van Dyke as well 🤣

Michael has been through a lot in the last 25 years. He’s lost his wife and he’s struggling to keep it together but does so for the children. He finds himself turning into his father after the bank (the same bank his father was a senior partner and where Michael now works) is threatening to take the house. I thought Ben Whishaw played him beautifully. The first film never really portrayed George Banks in a sympathetic light, so this film differs slightly in that Michaels behaviour and outbursts are the result of tragedy. On the other hand, Jane definitely has been taking after her mother. She’s campaigning on behalf of the underpaid workers, working at soup kitchens and taking part in labour rallies. Emily Mortimer retains the sweet nature which Karen Dotrice brought to the role whilst adding her own flare. One aspect that’s been a bit controversial amongst tumblr users is the relationship between Jack and Jane. With her political attitudes and her wardrobe, Jane has been taken by some to be a part of the LGBTQ+ community. However, one of the films subplots is a budding romance between Jack and Jane. In my opinion, I loved the romance. It was pure, sweet and a genuine joy to watch. However, I know some people took their interactions as platonic. I just think it’s a testament to Mortimer’s and Miranda’s acting that fans can interpret the character and the relationship in different ways. I think no one is correct: we can each have opinions on the character and it prompts for interesting discussion as a whole.

I’ll just briefly touch on the other characters before the main attraction. Colin Firth is particularly good as the primary antagonist; William “Weatherall” Wilkins is the nephew of Mr. Dawes Jr (portrayed by Arthur Malet in Mary Poppins). Brits always do well at portraying villains and Firth is no exception. Julie Walters takes on the role of Ellen (portrayed by Hermione Baddeley in Mary Poppins). She’s delightful for a bit of comedy relief and ties nicely to the first film.

Now, he’s where I’m a bit conflicted. Meryl Streep plays Topsy; Mary Poppins’ Russian cousin who owns a fix-it-all shop. She’s essentially Uncle Albert 2.0 except, rather than floating on the ceiling, her entire shop turns upside down (literally) every second Wednesday. I don’t know how to feel about her role in the story. The gang go to Topsy to fix a bowl which the children plan to sell to help save their house. The whole segment she’s in teaches the children to look at things from a different point of view and they then decide to not proceed with selling the bowl. I felt it was a bit of an unnecessary part of the movie and would have rathered they had maybe Jane or Ellen teaching them the lesson, rather then try to get their money’s worth with Meryl.

Ahh, the cameos! The biggest one is, of course, Dick Van Dyke as Mr. Dawes Jr. It’s a great moment and really brings together the two films. Karen Dotrice (Jane in MP) makes a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it cameo when she bumps into Jack and Jane and asks for directions. The best surprise was Angela Lansbury (Mrs. Potts from the animated Beauty and the Beast) as the Balloon Lady; this movie’s version of the Bird Lady. She was just a delightful and warm character.

... and finally, the reason we’re all here. I was exceptionally worried going into this because I loved Julie Andrews’ character so much. The one thing Emily Blunt does spectacularly is she doesn’t try to be Julie Andrews. She uses some of her lines and is a firm nanny, but she really makes the character her own. In the first Mary Poppins, we see a break in her tough shell at the end when she’s leaving the children. In this film, her facade breaks quite a few times but I think it shows character development. This is the second time, that we know of, Mary Poppins has visited and helped the Banks Family so she’s as much a member of it as the children are. Her emotions are much more on her sleeve in this film as much as the character tries to hide them. At the moment, I think of them as two separate characters which I don’t think is a bad thing. Both Dame Julie Andrews and Emily Blunt have taken a remarkable character and portrayed her to a high standard with just the right amount of wit, magic and British stiff upper lip.

I’m going to finish there for this post 😴 Let me know what you thought about the film and whether you agree or disagree with anything I’ve said. Always up for a discussion 😊

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anotheruserwithnoname · 5 years

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Thoughts on Mary Poppins Returns

I’ve fallen behind on my current-movie viewing due to a number of factors (the only cinema screenings I’ve been to in the last 6 months in fact have been Aquaman at Christmas and twice to see Alita Battle Angel a few weeks ago), but I’m getting caught up as the blu-rays come out. I saw Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse last night and will comment about it later (the tl;dr - good movie, a treasure trove for fans of pop culture, but looks awful on Blu-ray due to the textures used and I still think Incredibles 2 was more deserving of the Best Animated Feature Oscar), but since I actually invoked Mary Poppins Returns in a post I did about Alita yesterday, I thought I’d give some thoughts on this one first.

A spoiler/length break first as I get a bit wordy. I also do touch on some mild spoilers.

The Good

* Emily Blunt. Being unfamiliar with her other musical work, I was not prepared for how good a singer she is. Whether she stacks up to Julie Andrews is in the ear of the beholder, but I thought she was great. She wisely didn’t base her Mary on Julie, in the process giving us a slightly more cynical, world-weary Mary appropriate for someone with a quarter century more life experiences and adventures. I heard some reviewers call her a sexier Mary than Julie’s. I say nonsense to that - they’re equal (the only difference being Emily having a bit more innuendo in one of her songs, which I’ll mention later). One other comment is that when she played Mary, Julie Andrews was not an experienced film actress with only a few TV and film credits prior to Poppins - she was more a stage actress (her lack of screen experience was one of the reasons why Audrey Hepburn got the role of Eliza Doolittle for the My Fair Lady movie instead of Julie); Emily, by contrast, has been making movies and TV shows since 2003, so she has a level of screen-confidence that adds contrast to her performance.

* Lin-Manuel Miranda. Not being overly interested in Hamilton, Miranda has never been on my radar, so I came into this with a clear slate. He is a terrific addition to the film, he commands the screen (even stealing a couple of scenes from Emily, much as Dick van Dyke did from Julie), and director Rob Marshall wisely gives him a couple of Broadway show-like sequences and lets him go wild. This wasn’t his first film role - he has a number of movie and TV credits - but this is his first lead in a major film, and it won’t be his last.

* The kids. The three child actors chosen come off like 25 year olds who have been transplanted into pre-teen brains. Amazing. If they ever decide to remake Harry Potter, they could do worse than consider these three.

* Nackvid Keyd. Although this person’s cameo was I think intended to be a surprise, the trailers and other promotions give it away. Nonetheless, I’m going to keep it spoiler-free for those who haven’t seen it, by using the actor’s pseudonym here. He’s only on screen for about 3 minutes but it’s an amazing 180 seconds - and to both his and the director’s credit, "Mr. Keyd” actually doesn’t upstage the current cast. And his inclusion - as well as a cameo by another veteran of the original film - shows respect to the original film.

* Angela Lansbury. Her cameo (which I don’t think was intended to be quite the same level of surprise as Mr. Keyd’s) was amazing. This was a woman who made her screen debut in the 1944 Ingrid Bergman film Gaslight. Here, she plays a character equivalent to the first movie’s bird woman (though a little more sprightly). It’s widely believed this part was originally meant to be played by Julie Andrews, but Julie, to her credit, reportedly felt appearing in the film would take away from Emily Blunt (similar to how an alleged plan to have Sean Connery appear in Daniel Craig’s Bond film Skyfall as the groundskeeper was wisely dropped in favour of bringing Albert Finney in for the role. Soon as Sean appeared on screen, Daniel would have been done).

* Replicating the look of the original film. There are some scenes where this doesn’t apply, in particular the use of actual locations in London (the original film was all shot on soundstages in Hollywood), but the attention to detail in replicating iconic locations like Cherry Tree Lane, the Banks’ home, etc., is amazing, even allowing for it not being 100% the same - which is understandable since, after 25 years, you would expect a room to get a fresh coat of paint. There’s a touching featurette on the Blu-ray where “Nackvid Keyd” visits the Cherry Tree Lane set and is amazed at the detail.

The meh...

1. The music. Despite my praise for the cast, I was less impressed by the music (even though I bought the CD). Granted, the original score has had more than 50 years to become iconic, and there are a few songs here that could rise to the same level in a half-century. But, at least for me, they never delivered another “Feed the Birds” or “Chim Chim Cheree”. In fact, some of the songs felt almost like pastiches of the Sherman Brother’s originals. The closest to something that felt brand-new was a rap-like song performed by Miranda during the animated sequence, “Cover is Not the Book” (it actually works, while actually referencing something similar that Dick Van Dyke did in the original.)

The not so good

1. They call it a sequel, but, really, it’s more a remake. I’m not alone in noting that the film duplicates the original almost beat for beat. The order of events is similar, the types of songs are similar. Some of the songs sound similar to the earlier versions, even. Instead of acrobatic chimney sweeps, we have acrobatic leeries who go around lighting street lamps. Instead of Uncle Albert who floats when he laughs, we have Aunt Topsy who, for whatever reason, has a condition where her entire world turns upside down once every two weeks. George Banks becomes dejected over apparently losing his job at the bank; Michael Banks becomes dejected over apparently losing his house due to the bank - and both have epiphanies thanks to someone singing them songs. Both films have big production numbers set in animated alternate universes and another involving airbourne objects in the park. Etc. The only really original thing here plotwise is while the original film actually had no villain (George Banks comes the closest to being an antagonist, but even then he barely qualifies), here there is an actual clearly defined villain, as well as a scene or two of actual jeopardy which we never saw in the original. More on this momentarily.

2. The tone is all over the place ... and too much of it is kinda depressing. We know a film set in the height of the Great Depression isn’t going to be all goodness and light, and the ironic tone of the opening number, “Underneath the Lovely London Sky” sets that out clearly (and quite effectively - it’s one of the best scenes in the film). When Mary arrives, Jane and Michael assume she’s out of work and destitute so they take her in out of kindness. And the whole film revolves around Michael possibly losing his family home. Yet ... I thought too much of it was downright sad. Ben Whishaw - another actor I had no idea could sing - gives an amazing performance of “A Conversation” in which Michael talks to his dead wife. But as that description suggests, this isn’t “I Love to Laugh Redux”. In fact it’s such a sad sequence that it takes you right out of the film - which is a bad thing considering the song is performed only about 10 minutes in. They might have been better off saving it for later.

3. There are also aspects of the film that I think violate the spirit of the original Mary Poppins - and possibly PL Travers’ books too. The “Cover is Not the Book” sequence, which is great and probably the closest to a truly memorable original song (I’d have chosen it for the Oscar nomination over “Place Where the Lost Things Go” which was an attempt at replicating “Feed the Birds”), contains some off-colour jokes delivered by both Mary and Jack that really felt out of place. I’m not being prudish on this, and the off-colour bit is mild, but this being Mary Poppins it was still jarring. And a chase sequence, although well done and exciting - and for fans of the original film providing a dark bookend to 1964′s steeplechase sequence - likewise felt like it belonged in another movie. It was almost as if Disney - in a stark contrast to the days when the reverse was true - refused to release a G-rated movie so they had to add a few bits to get the PG. Sort of like how an F-bomb will sometimes pop up in scripts to ensure a movie gets bumped from PG to PG-13 (which famously allows for one F-word before triggering an R rating). Because no one is possibly interested in watching a G-rated movie in the late 2010s, apparently.

So, I guess, I am rather critical of Mary Poppins Returns. I feel not enough was made of the opportunity to create something new, rather than a rehash of the original.

But - don’t get me wrong, it is still a quality film and I’m glad I have the Blu-ray. The cast does a fantastic job, the music isn’t bad (I just felt they didn’t come up with anything as instantly iconic as the songs back in 1964), and once you get past some of the depressing bits it’s a fun film. So I’d still give it a solid 7 out of 10 and I do recommend it. Just maybe don’t watch it right after the original.

#mary poppins returns #armchair movie criticism

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kansascityhappenings · 5 years

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Survivor recounts pulling wife to safety during an EF3 tornado in Oklahoma

EL RENO, Okla. – An El Reno man tells a harrowing and heroic tale of survival after Saturday night’s EF3 tornado hit his trailer park.

“The rain was coming sideways real hard against our mobile home, the doors flew off the hinges – out of nowhere just blew off, then all of our windows busted in our whole trailer,” said Preston Black

Black recounted the moments leading up to the storm hitting his mobile home with his parents, wife, and 6 children inside.

“All my children were grouped around me and I covered them up. The trailer turned upside down. We got in the air and it felt like we were just floating for a few seconds, and then everything just exploded… the trailer just flew apart,” said Black.

Preston Black said he fell back to earth, his face hitting the ground first.

“It felt like I was being buried alive… my legs were stuck, everything was pitch black, and everything was just on me it was heavy – I couldn’t lift nothing off of me, I was trapped.”

Preston says he later learned a washer/dryer, a refrigerator and two layers of walls were on top of him, but his focus was on his family.

“I love my wife, we have been married. This year will be 14 years and she is laying there unconscious… she was getting crushed and, ugh, and I rolled over next to her.”

With severe pain in his chest and shoulders, Preston says he worked on pure adrenaline to lift the mountain of debris enough for his family to pull his wife to safety.

“When I let go, everything just collapsed back on top of me,” said Black.

Preston said other friends and family worked to get him free of the trailer.

“When I kinda came to I was in total shock and I looked around and our whole trailer is gone. Our home was disintegrated – there was nothing there but just pieces- all you can hear is just little kids screaming all over the place,” said Black.

“My mom was standing there and I say ‘where’s my kids, where’s my kids?’ I was ready to go look for them and miraculously they were all standing there – scraped faces and bruises but that`s it,” said Black

In excruciating pain and becoming short of breath, Preston says his best friend lifted him into his car and drove him to an El Reno hospital. In the emergency room, doctors told him he had a collapsed lung, both shoulders were dislocated, he had a broken shoulder blade, four broken ribs, and a dislocated collar bone, but his focus remained.

“All I’m asking for is my kids and my wife, I didn’t know where they were and that’s a horrible feeling,” said Black.

Preston was eventually transported to OU Medical in Oklahoma City. He was put in a room just 5 doors down from Lena, his wife, who was suffering from a fractured pelvis, a broken shoulder, a fractured collar bone, and nine broken ribs.

The next day, Preston saw his kids.

“I got up on my own two feet and I walked down the hallway and I went to see my wife. It was hard to see her like that. I told her we are going to make it through this. I’m not going to give up we are both going to walk out of this hospital,” said Black.

Preston and his wife Lena are both still at OU Medical Center.

Black says he is very thankful for all the help from his Cheyenne Arapaho tribal friends along with the community of El Reno.

They have a GoFundMe page to help out and donate.

from FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports https://fox4kc.com/2019/05/29/survivor-pulled-his-wife-to-safety-during-an-ef3-tornado-in-oklahoma/

from Kansas City Happenings https://kansascityhappenings.wordpress.com/2019/05/29/survivor-recounts-pulling-wife-to-safety-during-an-ef3-tornado-in-oklahoma/

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withanaccent · 5 years

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I fell in love with Stranger Things in the traditional way: a three-day binge of the first two seasons and then incessantly talking about it in the family group chat afterwards. After enjoying the 2017 remake of IT, it was hard not to enjoy these plucky pre-teens as they battled the strange monsters that came from the land known as “The Upside Down.” So, of course, I was wildly excited when the new trailer for the show dropped on March 20th.

When we last left them, the kids had just come off their defeat of the Mind-Flayer, a terrifying entity that possessed Will Byers (Noah Schapp), the younger brother of Jonathan (Charlie Heaton) and son of Joyce (Winona Ryder). The second season ended with the kids enjoying the Snow Ball dance, unaware that the shadow monster is still in the Upside Down, towering over the school.

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I mean…The hair. The clothes. The Who. Everything about this trailer is deliciously 80s, and the fact that the kids all seem to be having so much fun is just the icing on the cake. Or at least, until the monster from another dimension tries to eat them again. But we take the good where we can get it, right?

Here’s what we know:

Mike (Finn Wolfhard) and Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) are a couple, as are Max (Sadie Sink) and Lucas (Caleb McLaughlin)

Per last season, Eleven has been formally adopted by police chief Jim Hopper (David Harbour), and is now known as Jane Hopper

The older kids have graduated; Jonathan will be working at a newspaper, Steve (Joe Keery) will be working at an ice-cream parlour, and Billy (Dacre Montgomery) will be working as a lifeguard

There’s going to be a time jump

Eleven’s sister Kali (Linnea Berthelsen) might be back, as well as the other “numbers”

The Mind-Flayer will be back, and the season will be much more brutal than the others

There will be a host of new characters, an exciting new set where most of the action takes place, and lots of plot-threads left dangling from the previous season will pick back up

So, what am I looking forward to? Other than the promise of more monsters, more mysteries, and more of that glorious 80s hair? Well, the friendship between Max and Eleven, for one. While I was ecstatic that another girl had joined the cast, I was frustrated that Eleven seemed to hate Max almost on sight because she thought that the new girl might like Mike. The trope of girls becoming enemies over a boy is so eye-rollingly stereotypical that I couldn’t help but be disappointed in a show that had never let me down thus far – and I knew I wasn’t the only one. Thankfully, the Duffer brothers seemed to have listened, because Max and Eleven are shown to be hanging out in several parts of the trailer.

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Billy with his new lifeguard friend, who DEFINITELY won’t get got by the monster or anything.

Steve Harrington with fans *heart eyes*

Hopper and Joyce, clearly trying to have a good time but feeling attacked.

ELEVEN AND MAX ENJOYING EACH OTHER’S COMPANY AND WARMING MY HEART AT THE SAME TIME.

Next? Mayor Kline of Hawkins, Indiana, played by Cary Elwes, who’s described as a typical 80s politician that’s more concerned with his own image than the people of the town he governs (he’s the one shouting “Happy Fourth of July!” at people in the trailer). While I can’t say I know what effect Mayor Kline will have in a story about the supernaturally-beset town, I have to say I’m excited for all the roadblocks an authority figure could throw up. After all, I can’t imagine it will be easy maintaining your image as Mayor when a bunch of kids keep letting monsters loose at the mall.

Finally, though, I’m just looking forward to seeing everyone again. Stranger Things is known for its compelling plot, great CGI, and expert handling of horror tropes, but above all, for its carefully rendered characters. And it’ll be nice to remember that they’re just normal people trying to live their lives amongst all the crazy.

So, what are you looking forward to the most about Stranger Things season 3? The reappearance of the Mind-Flayer? More of Eleven’s siblings? The return of Steve Harrington, single mother of six and the love of my life? Sound off in the comments below, and in the meantime, enjoy the song “Stranger Things” by The Band Royale, inspired by the show.

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Stranger Things Are Happening Again… I fell in love with Stranger Things in the traditional way: a three-day binge of the first two seasons and then incessantly talking about it in the family group chat afterwards.

#netflix #stranger things

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publisher1977 · 7 years

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Barbara Lawlor, Gilpin County. After 25 years, the Gilpin County Fair organizers finally got the weather right. It was a perfectly warm, partly cloudy, not windy weekend, perfect for putting up vendor tents and inviting thousands of people to spend two days outdoors with food, fun and family.

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There has been many a fair that ended when Rocky Mountain wind gusts have picked up the tents and sent jewelry and hot dogs flying through the air. When the arena and the lanes have turned into mud and puddles and forlorn people huddled under tents watching the rain dribble off the ceiling edges. Food vendors sat glumly in their trailers munching on their own funnel cakes.

But last weekend, the quarter century mark, the fair came out on top and county residents and visitors went home happy and satisfied with their fill of fair for another year.

Beginning at 9 a.m. on Saturday, the Peak to Peak Gymkhana Series presented its final competition in the buckle series event, in which all of the points over the summer are added up and the cumulative high point riders are awarded the coveted belt that will be a reminder for the rest of their lives that in the summer of 2017, they and their horses performed horsemanship and gymkhana events worthy of being the champions in their age group.

In the adult 40 and over, Stuart Schultz was the champion; In the adult 18 and older, Ali Nelson was the champion; in the 13 and over, Allison Hardt-Zeman won the buckle.

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Wielding axes, mountain men and women took on the challenge of splitting logs. The contest was to see who could split the most in five minutes. It was a matter of bragging rights for the men and Pete Morgan of Gilpin defended his title from last year, showing his wrestling team the right way to split a log, starting out with picking a dry one.

Casey Newman and her family have run the dog agility contest for the past 25 years, wowing the audience with the amazing feats that our canine friends are capable of performing. The dogs are asked to, first of all, introduce themselves to the judge, and if needed, offer a bribe.

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Then they begin the course that takes them through the Tunnel of Doom, the river, the rainbow, the teeter-totter, the cat walk and onto the dancing stage. A few of the dogs perform well, some of them are almost perfect, except for the one obstacle that becomes a monster in their head and no amount of persuading will get them to enter. Some of the dogs become more interested in the spectators than the course. Sitting in the audience in the front row were three seasoned competitors whose owners opted out of this year’s contest to give the other younger dogs a chance. The three pros watched the contest with wise and knowing eyes. Steve Starch and Nikki were the winners.

Throughout the day, young boys and girls from all over the state signed up to prove their grit by sticking to the backs of young sheep. Sheep are stubborn critters and once they are let go into the arena, all they want to do is hook up with their homies and they run as fast as they can toward the wooly cluster on the other side.

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It is the duty of the rider to hang on for as long as possible. Each child is given a protective vest and helmet. Saturday’s riders all bit the dust after a few seconds. Most of the kids stood up a bit dazed but grinning at their parents who whooped and hollered. A few of them were slower to get up and bemoaned their bumps and bruises, but every one of the kids received a blue ribbon for being brave enough to conquer their fear and hop onto the sheep’s backs.

All afternoon, the low grumbling of the bulls could be heard, a menacing sound, nothing at all like the friendly mooing of a cow. Behind the chutes, the bronc and bull riders prepared for their rides. They resin their ropes, wax their saddles, shine their spurs, wrap their knees, ankles, elbows, shoulders and wrists, take off their day shirts and don their riding gear. Their chaps are well-worm and colorful, red and purple and green fringe. Most of the cowboys wore white hats.

Brian Larson out of Erie got ready for his last ride, saying he was retiring. He broke his hand and didn’t rodeo as much this past summer as he has in the past. He said he took first place in the Gilpin rodeo in 2015 and second place last year. He said he was going to wear his grey chaps, his white vest and his white hat.

“I don’t wear that helmet because it kept hitting me in the head and knocking me out.”

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His bull was Phantom and he heard that he was good enough to win on. Brian said he usually prayed before he dropped onto the bull’s back.

“I am retiring today. This is my last bull. I have a little three year old boy and I need to fix my marriage.”

Brian didn’t ride out the time, getting knocked out shortly after leaving the chute. He wasn’t alone. None of the bull riders were able to stick for eight seconds.

Eric Myrick, one of the rodeo clowns, sat in the shade, his face painted, moving his lips as he read the papers in his hand. He said he was going over his jokes for the afternoon. He is the guy who does a bunch of talking while he sets inside a barrel in the middle of the arena.

“I’m reading my script so when I get hit and can’t think, I’ll know what to say.”

One after another, the cowboys were thrown off a second or two after leaving the chute. The ranch bronc riders fared better with four of them hanging in there for eight seconds. Max Trelew won first place. After the riders were finished, a special session of bronc riding was given over to the 40 and older bunch who showed the spectators that they still had what it takes to sit tight on a bucking bronco.

During intermission, the rodeo clowns had their moment, driving into the arena in the sorriest looking tricked out truck you ever saw. When it stopped, the front wheels were ejected from the frame which sunk into the soft arena dirt. The problem was how to get the truck out. The clowns jumped into the cab of the truck and then jumped out again when flames spewed from the engine.

They opened the hood and out popped a woman. They got back into the cab and the truck rose up on its hind wheels like a rearing horse and the clowns jumped out from their precarious position in the sky. Eventually, the large back tires were able to push the sad vehicle out of the arena leaving the spectaculars still laughing at the performance.

When the clowns finished their antics, the cowgirl trick riders put on a stunning show, hanging upside down on the side of their horse, standing on their backs at a gallop and all done with grace and precision.

The arena events filled the stands all Saturday afternoon.

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The Timberline Fire Protection District showed the fairgoers what becoming part of the community means. Volunteer firefighters were at the fair all weekend handing out information and red plastic fire helmets. The let kids hold a fire hose hooked up to a hydrant and aim at their practice house in flames. They gave rides in one of the huge Timberline fire engines and in the UTV that was purchased by the High Country Auxiliary, Timberline’s support group.

On Sunday morning, the TFPD and the auxiliary put on the annual pancake breakfast fundraiser that allows the auxiliary to help out with special equipment and feeding the firefighters during a long emergency event. There were red shirts everywhere as the firefighter scrambled eggs and cooked sausage and helped set up and break down.

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The Gilpin Gourmet baking contest is always a fun event because after the ribbons are handed out, the audience gets to bid on the winners and all of the other contestant’s entries, every one of them missing a bite. There is some good-natured rivalry taking place in this contest as Gilpin bakers try to outbake each other each year.

Gilpin County Commissioner Ron Engels and Roxie Morris egged each other on vying into coming up with the better preserve. Roxie entered a bunch of hers only to come in second place to Ron’s orange marmalade which took first place and the best in show for adult jams and jellies.

Ron says his secret is using oranges left over from making chocolate dipped candied orange peels, heaven on a stick, at Christmas. Last year, he won the prize for cherry jam, but this year, due to the heavy snow at the beginning of summer, he had only cherry. His jar of marmalade sold for $25.

The highest bid went to the Adult Dessert winner of first place and Best of Show, Julian Rivera’s red velvet cheesecake. As the boxed cake was passed around, members of the audience took in deep breaths, savoring the rich cake aroma. The bidding was frenzied and the cake ultimately sold for $43.

Casey Newman won first place for her three different flavors of fudge made, she says, with velveeta cheese. As strange as it sounds, Casey swore it is the best fudge she ever tasted and she would throw in the recipe with the candy.

Barbara Hardt won adult first place in the bread category for her cheddar, bacon and beer rolls. Her son Hayden, a sixth grader at Nederland Middle School won first place for his homemade raspberry jam. Aucklynn Sacco, a Gilpin County middle school student won first place for her double dipped chocolate vanilla biscotti.

Announcer Chris King did his usual great job of urging people to bid more. After all, it was for a good cause: the Gilpin County Food Bank.

Food vendors offered just about anything you could ask for except for sushi or a fresh salad, but hey, if you go to a fair, you want fair food. Kono snow cones gave the kids cups of ice and let them pour their own flavored syrup resulting in tie die snow cones. And then there were the french fries with everything on it: cheese and pulled pork, more than one person could handle and the Indian tacos with fry bread that makes the serving special.

Political groups gave away drinks and hot dogs and banners and pamphlets. Tammy Story, candidate for the Senate, was introduced by former senator and Gilpin County resident Jeannie Nicholson. Both Republicans and Democrats had booths set up for spreading their words.

It was the 25th anniversary of the fair and a booth to commemorate the event was filled with memorabilia of the past 25 years, including a quilt made of squares for every year. Kids were thrilled with the free fidget spinners, the rage among people who have a hard time sitting still.

Kid rides were everywhere with at least three different kinds of bouncy houses including individual huge rolling balls that held a person who propelled the balls by throwing their bodies into the walls.

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As usual there was a petting zoo, but on Sunday a camel showed up offering his humpy back for rides. Nine-year old Jericho is seven feet tall and seems to have lumps everywhere as he strolled around the exhibition hall arena in a haughty fashion.

At the end of Sunday, the vendors began shutting down and packing up and the fairgoers straggled to their cars. By this time the kids were tired and fussy and the parents were ready to get them home, but everyone was happy to have spent the weekend at a perfect Gilpin County Fair.

Happy birthday, GCF.

(Originally published in the August 24, 2017 print edition of The Mountain-Ear.)

Gilpin County Fair, fast and furious Barbara Lawlor, Gilpin County. After 25 years, the Gilpin County Fair organizers finally got the weather right.

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