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conflictofthemind · 2 months

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TL;DR: HNL was studying how to give human subjects electromagnetic, most specifically visible light based, powers in order to bend space-time for their needs.

I’m going to try and condense this as much as I can because considering electromagnetism as a major force in ST (pun intended) opens up so many potential areas of analysis that can only be a brief cover of without turning into multiple essays.

Let’s go over the electromagnetic spectrum:

I hope you might already be recognizing some symbols we see often in Stranger Things, especially if you’ve been following the BTS and some location and set leaks from Season 5.

The electromagnetic spectrum encompasses the different frequencies of electromagnetic radiation - waves of energy that travel at the speed of light (and produce visible light to us at certain frequencies). You’ve probably heard of most of these, including cancer-causing gamma rays and x-rays, the visible light spectrum (the rainbow), microwaves, and radio waves.

In S5, we have the radio station as a main location for the characters. They’re also driving around in the radio station’s van, which has an image of a hawk emitting a rainbow (visible light radiation). Steve’s car also has a massive antenna on top of it. My first thoughts were that the team was trying to keep in contact with Max in hopes of her being able to hear them in her coma, considering she has a radio near her bedside. While that still may be a reason, I think the characters may have come to realize how important electromagnetic fields could be in their fight against Vecna (this where leader of the AV Club also focused on electromagnetic objects Scott Clarke may make his triumphant return).

Now to pivot onto why electromagnetism is so important to the lore of ST:

What the scientists in Hawkins Lab are likely studying is a way for human brains to produce or manipulate certain types of electromagnetic waves through telepathy. Most obviously this is seen by them having the kids try to manipulate and turn on a circle of light bulbs. Our brains actually already produce electromagnetic waves, but at a very slow frequency. The scientists are constantly measuring brain waves while conducting these experiments. We even get full shots of El’s brain waves during NINA, for example. We also see similar shots in S2 while Will is in the HNL.

You can also observe that the Hawkins National Laboratory has absolutely massive satellite dishes on it’s rooftop; ones that do not exist on the real life building but are added in post because they pose some sort of significance. Nudge, it’s because they are transmitting and receiving massive amounts of electromagnetic waves.

Why are they studying electromagnetic waves then?

They are studying electromagnetic waves because they are a method in which time travel can theoretically be achieved - the focus of the Montauk Project in which Stranger Things is based on. The military likely is investigating time travel as another war tactic against Russia.

Let us take a look at the first chapter of the Montauk Project: Experiments in Time book (they are seriously plagiarizing the living hell out of this thing):

Also, did you catch the whole 'attaching a massive antenna on the hood of my car to pick up a secret signal' thing? That's suspiciously similar to the state of Steve's car! Anyway...

The story of Stranger Things starts chronologically, as does Montauk, with the disappearance of the USS Eldridge and Project Rainbow (named after the bending of the visible light spectrum). Brenner’s father was revealed to have captained the boat in TFS, which disappeared for 12 hours into Dimension X and when it came back, the crew was killed or driven mad (except for Brenner Sr). This inspires Brenner to continue onto the Nevada project, and eventually, Hawkins National Lab’s studies. The USS Eldridge / Philadelphia Project conspiracy from real life went as follows:

They were studying electromagnetism, specifically the bending of light, to make objects invisible. This was only the first step in the experiments. Once Henry got involved and came back from his trip to Dimension X with powers, Brenner must have realized he could potentially use human subjects to manipulate electromagnetic fields themselves. Human subjects didn’t require machinery or set up and could bend space-time wherever they pleased, as long as they were able to learn the ability.

The more conspiratiorial side of Theoretical Physics proposes using circulating light beams to warp time-space, creating a wormhole in which one can literally walk through time. This is pop-science, likely not true but interesting for fiction purposes. This method of time travel being used is heavily implied due to the fact that the USS Eldridge was already able to disappear into another dimension by the bending of light.

This is how it worked in the Montauk Project book (absolutely ridiculous how much they took from this honestly):

My guess is that in the Stranger Things universe, they have not yet managed to time travel, only to create portals into this alien Dimension X. Previously, said portals were only made twice by highly advanced technological equipment. El demonstrated that she was able to open a portal all by herself - another step to achieving time travel with singular human subjects. Season five is when we will see the beginning of the time travel plot line, though it like in Montauk is likely already in a loop.

That’s where we get the name for the Rainbow Room, named after this Project Rainbow. The rainbow represents the full spectrum of visible light, and the goals of the project to bend said light into portals and eventually time travel wormholes.

Implications?:

-Well, first of all it seems very obvious by this point that we are going for a time travel plot line, and this is how it will be achieved.

-Will is heavily connected to light in general, the sun, and of course… the rainbow. He is also implied be the one involved in the time travel plot line. This will be very relevant going forward and deserves it’s own post. Potential funniness of defeating Vecna with the power of the rainbow afoot.

-Coma patients are known to have odd, barely detectable brain waves. The kids will be able to communicate with Max in her coma using the electromagnetic spectrum somehow, probably through the radio waves.

-On the farthest end of the spectrum, we have ionizing gamma ray radiation, which is known to cause cancer in humans. Expect Hopper’s daughter Sara to connect to this plot line (and perhaps Sam Owens’ dead son). There is a whole theory on this site already called radiationgate. I have not managed to look into it yet but I think they are probably onto something there. The original al pitch mentions the UD leakage into the real world causing cancer as well.

#stranger things #dr brenner #will byers #max mayfield #byler #<- fuck it intended audience #el hopper #st theory #electromagnetismgate #:)#tagging them for the exposure cause idk who is going to see this #time travel

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hawkinsindiana · 11 months

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i’m not gonna leave you here

ALMOST PARADISE: PART FOUR - CHAPTER NINE OF NINE

pairing: steve harrington x henderson!reader

word count: 4.8k

a/n: i have returned from the dead to drop this lil nugget of a final chapter. literally bat shit to think i have been writing this shit for FOUR YEARS! thank you to those of you who have continued to support my writing even through all the droughts. i definitely needed time to step back from tumblr so also a quick kiss to the few that sent me sweet asks checking up on me ily ily!!! writing this story has truly brought me such immense joy i feel ridiculously grateful to the ones that have decided to READ THE WHOLE FRICKING THING!!!! anyways..... thank you thank you thank you and i hope to see you for s5 >:)

masterlist

“What are you thinking about?”

Your voice filters into Steve’s mind, reaching him through the anxious worries he’s been so focused on beneath the reporter’s drawl on the television. The back of your index finger glides gently across the line of his jaw, helping to coax him away from what made him cast his gaze down towards his socks. His skin is smooth under your own, freshly shaved and moisturized to perfection.

Steve’s eyes shift to you, who’s comfortably tucked under the weight of his arm. Your irises are as warm and inviting as ever, quietly beckoning him to divulge. He grins lightly as the answer reaches the tip of his tongue.

“You.”

The only reason he’s so blunt is because he wants to see your reaction — a brilliant smile that fades into awe and pure love. He feels your body melt further against him as you try to play it off with a rather endearing roll of your eyes. Steve’s sure that some joke about him being a sap rattles around inside your pretty head, but it never comes to fruition. It must be the look on his face that keeps words from escaping you because once again, your gentle eyes silently plead with him.

He bites down on his lip before anxiously darting his gaze across the room; this is the last topic of conversation he wants to bring up, but it keeps shouting at him from the depths of his mind. Before Steve gets the chance to speak, you reach over to take his free hand between yours, lightly massaging his tired knuckles. The crease in his brow softens.

“When are you going back to the city? I know you weren’t supposed to leave for another week but…”

Steve pauses like he’s carefully choosing his words. His hand, which you’ve dragged to your lap, shifts to intertwine a few of your fingers together. He swallows harshly, “I don’t know, maybe that’s… changed. I wouldn’t blame you if you wanted to go sooner.”

It was this morning that Steve remembered what the initial plans for Spring Break were. Just over a week ago, you two had been excitedly swapping ideas about what to do with all of your free time. But now, he can barely remember what any of them were. The only thing that crosses his mind is the intense and gut-wrenching desire to keep you close, but simultaneously out of harm’s way.

You blink in surprise as a deep inhale is pulled into your lungs. In the wake of all the destruction your actions have caused, it’s hard to imagine leaving Hawkins without attempting to rectify what you’ve done. In comparison, your education seems like the least important thing in the world right now. But then again, who knows how long it could take to hunt down Vecna once more?

He’s still out there… you can sense it, burrowed deep in your soul. It’s the same feeling that told you the Russian code was more than a transmission — a feeling that’s grown into more than intuition or anxiety, but rather the upsetting truth that you know intimately how the Upside Down works. There’s more to come and soon; when it does, you want it to be the last time.

You’re tired. You want to rest. You feel like every ounce of courage you once had has left your body. You’re terrified to plan anything that could backfire again. But you want your family safe. You want Steve to be safe. These horrors have plagued you long enough. They’ve stolen so much of your life from you.

You’re angry.

It scares you, but you know that there won’t be a sense of closure until you watch the life leave Henry’s eyes — whether by your hand or someone else’s, you don’t particularly care.

Are you willing to see this through to the very end? To do what it takes to get the life you crave?

“I don’t… I don’t think I can go, Steve,” You mutter, “At least not until this is over.”

Confirmation washes over Steve’s face — the slight lift of his brow and the sigh he expels says it all. As he cards his free hand through his hair, he speaks.

“Yeah, I was afraid you were gonna say that.”

Suddenly, you realize his reaction was not one of reassurance and relief, but rather disappointment.

Steve’s arm slides to the back of the couch as you sit up straighter. Your voice is a bit more stern, straddling the line between genuine confusion and vexation, “What, you’d rather have me leave?”

“No, no,” Steve replies immediately as his anger suddenly begins to churn. It’s not directed at you, no, but at the mere thought of having to watch you drive away from him. Selfishly, he wants you by his side at all times. He wants to turn to you for support whenever he needs or offer you his shoulder to cry on at a moment's notice. Whether it’s healthy or not, Steve cannot imagine himself without you. He needs you now.

But hurt is starting to cloud over your irises; the slightly cold and calculating look Steve knows will impale him through the heart if he doesn’t act fast to clear this up. Maybe a different approach would be best considering you both are so high strung at the moment. He shouldn’t have assumed that you’d want to leave right now — that much is clear.

Steve has begged you to leave Hawkins more than once; now it feels more like a matter of life and death.

He sighs and re-adjusts, moving from a laid-back posture to one of thought and concern. He wants to lean in closer even though you’ve shifted away, but decides to reach for one of your hands instead — you don’t recoil from his touch. Your gaze stays locked on his face, analyzing every micro expression so you can attempt to understand.

“God, of course I don’t want you to go, baby. I never want to be away from you ever again,” Steve begins softly, gently holding your hand between both of his, “I just…”

He stops again, recognizing that your face has slightly relaxed due to his tone and touch. Something in him withers knowing that his instinctual reaction and initial question prepared you for a fight he never wanted.

And then that image and sensation flash through his mind again.

Your cold skin. The whites of your eyes. The weight of your limp body in his arms. Overwhelming grief — the kind he’s only read about in your books. Emptiness. Fear. Longing. Pure, unfiltered anger.

All of that was real. Steve didn’t know he could feel something so strongly. He never wants to experience anything as intense as those feelings for the rest of his life, unless it’s his love for you. That’s an exception he’s willing to overlook.

“I can’t do… that again.”

You see it too; the pain in his eyes that’s lingered since returning home. You’ve noticed it every time he looks at you, as if it’s the last time he’ll see your gentle smile. He’s touched your bare skin with such intention it’s addicting and branded kisses onto everywhere he can reach. The most beautiful words have fallen from his lips — how excited he is for all of this to be behind you, how lucky he feels to be a part of your future.

You did this to him. Even if it couldn’t be helped, you still damaged him. For the first time, Steve Harrington has felt truly desired. You want him for more than just his body or his parents’ money. With you, he finally has a life in front of him; one that promises fulfillment and unabashed happiness.

You understand his fear perfectly. You sigh too, your hard exterior cracking instantaneously.

Defeated, you nearly pout as you murmur, “And I’m not gonna leave you here, Stevie. I don’t care how long it takes.”

You don’t have to say anymore for him to accept this fate. If you’re willing to give up your education over this, something you and Steve have been discussing for years, then he knows you’re set in your choice. He understood how much it meant to you to leave Hawkins then, but now you’ve made the decision to stay and fight.

How could he have asked you to leave in the first place? It would hurt you just as much. With the phones still down, there’s no telling when he would get word to you about his or your brother’s safety. If there’s one thing Steve doesn’t want, it’s for you to be living with uncertainty as cruel as that.

“I know, I’m sorry,” He frowns as you shuffle closer again and relish in the warmth of his palm against your cheek, his fingers deftly tucking a few stray hairs behind your ear. How fortunate is he to have someone who’s unwilling to leave his side?

He continues as you turn your head to kiss his wrist, “I shouldn’t have said anything.”

You tut softly with forgiveness, despising the feeling of a disagreement no matter how small it is, “No, I understand why you did. I mean, all of this has been so…”

No other words come to mind, so you chuckle in disbelief instead; you’re relieved Steve’s frown quirks up at the sound, his hand dropping to clasp both of yours now. He loves the varying texture of your skin; he could get lost for hours exploring it, even though it’s already committed to memory.

“It makes sense why you’d want me to go, even if you don’t want me to.”

You’re glad Steve’s arms open up for you when you worm in closer still, now awkwardly pinned to his side; when you press your cheek to his shoulder, you can practically feel his love for you radiating like his warmth. The soft fabric of his sweater against your skin is an added comfort you can’t quite describe. How lucky are you to have someone as dedicated to your safety as Steve?

A smirk crawls across your lips as all four wandering hands finally settle somewhere in this embrace, “What a shame I feel much safer when I’m with you, hmm?”

It’s half-hearted sarcasm, of course; a playful jest that has Steve’s chest rumbling a bit in soft laughter, “Yeah, what a shame.”

He’s more uneasy than he was before.

—

If it weren’t for the plumes of smoke billowing up into the clouds, this would be the most gorgeous day of the year. Selfishly, a part of you wonders if there’s still a chance you and Steve could sneak off to the lake and drown in sunlight. On second thought, given your previous visit, maybe you aren’t willing to go swimming anytime soon.

It’s hard to confront the consequences of your failure. For many, this cataclysmic event was the final straw — dozens, if not hundreds, of families have continued to flee. As Steve drives through the suburbs, you watch a father frantically loading the trunk while the mother lifts their toddler into the car seat. On your street, there was a home left abandoned with the front door wide open.

Continuing into town, the destruction grows more severe. The flames from a gas station have finally been contained. The diner you and Steve used to frequent has been reduced to crumbles, the neon sign shattered against the pavement. Your eyes linger on it a bit too long, heart aching that you’ll never get to return; Steve’s grip on your hand tightens.

As gut-wrenching and upsetting it is to see the carnage, nothing prepares you for what washes over you upon entering that hospital room.

A different type of guilt pools in your stomach — nausea that you’ve grown used to over the past few months. It’s unmistakable as the sight of sterile white plaster and bruised skin floods your vision.

“The doctors said it’s… pretty much a miracle that she survived,” Lucas says, continuing his explanation of that fateful night as he returns to Max’s side. His hands remove a book from his chair before sitting down — he must have been reading to her. More pain echoes in your chest.

You wish you could’ve visited sooner. When you received his call on the radio this morning, another wave of emotion made itself known. After everything, you didn’t make sure Lucas and Erica were safe. You didn’t bother to check on the others. All that mattered to you was if Steve was okay, if Dustin was. They’re not the only family you have in this fight anymore.

As Lucas goes into more detail about the events at Creel House, your brain grows cloudy from thought. The older they’ve gotten, the similarities between Lucas and Steve have made themselves more apparent; they’re fiercely loyal, unapologetically kind, gentle, and compassionate. But a striking similarity is their willingness to get bloodied and blue to protect the one they love.

Lucas has come to you many times over the course of the last couple years seeking advice over Max. Not only does he trust you and your opinion, but you and her also share many similarities. You both can be incredibly stand-off-ish and suspicious of others, but those that prove their worth are given a plethora of love and care in return. If Lucas asked you for help with his love life, he knew you’d never steer him wrong because you understand the one he’s tried to woo — whatever you worked worked every time. Well, except for the last time.

Steve knows it’s the reason why Max’s involvement in all of this chaos has been weighing so heavily on your conscience. In your mind, if you had done more to help her, Vecna never would’ve seen her as a viable target. He hates to think of the alternative, that the fourth victim might have been you instead, with guilt loud enough to beckon that monster closer. But one way or another, Steve nearly lost you. He doesn’t think he’ll ever be able to come to terms with that fact.

You can’t help but reflect on how close you were to a similar outcome. If Steve hadn’t reacted as quickly as he did, maybe you’d be in another room in this hospital, your love wrought with worry and fused to your side until you woke. Maybe your body would be enclosed in a wooden box and buried beneath a willow tree, an abundance of flowers curling around your headstone — peonies, probably.

Your love is mirrored in theirs. But made clear is the fact that you and Steve have gotten lucky. You never thought you’d look at your life and consider any part of it to be more fortunate than someone else’s — a flaw you understand to be incredibly selfish and blind. You still have your twin flame, burning brightly in this room with you and a kind of warmth felt even with a lack of touch.

The other pair has dimmed, one of them too weak to fight anymore.

You want to help again. You need to help again.

“Can you…” You whisper, wrapping your fingers around Steve’s arm as you pull yourself closer to him. You glance back to the Sinclair boy, noticing the desperate way he clutches the redhead’s hand.

“Can you gimme a minute alone with him? Please?”

Concern immediately blossoms in Steve’s chest with your request. Knowing that your last attempt to support Lucas was ultimately in vain and a heavy burden on you, he’s not super keen at the idea. But Steve also knows you. You’ll find some way to help the boy either way, and he’d rather it be here in this room than during a moment of danger and desperation. Whatever it was you said to Max seemed to have helped her — maybe this will be different. Steve nods, remaining silent as he answers.

Clearing his throat, Steve turns to Erica and Dustin and gestures to the hall, pulling a couple of loose dollar bills from his pocket. He mutters something about the nearby vending machines and ushers the two of them out of the room, closing the door while flashing you a brief look. You’re not quite sure what he’s feeling, but you can’t imagine you’re particularly easy to read right now either. Between the pair of you, there’s enough compartmentalization happening to last a lifetime. But keeping a straight face in front of the others isn’t quieting the raging thoughts as well as you thought. Instead, you can feel them building — your fault your fault your fault.

As you sit in the chair beside Lucas, you can’t figure out where to begin. He doesn’t seem to blame this on you; if anything, he’s being too hard on himself. There wasn’t much more he could’ve done to try and keep Max safe, but you’re confident that’s not what he needs to hear right now.

“I, um… I almost didn’t make it back the other day.”

It takes a moment for Lucas to register your words. His eyes drift to you upon the realization, but you quiet his concerns before they ever make it out of his mouth, lips parting to speak.

“I’m fine,” You mutter. A lie, of course. The skin of your throat is still tender to the touch and there’s a roughness in your voice that hasn’t faded. If you think too hard, it feels like the tendrils have returned, crushing your esophagus more and more with each second. The fear kicks in again, until the face of your rescuer greets you out of the darkness.

“But Steve, he…” You pause, forcing yourself to avert your gaze from the boy because you see too much of your love in him. A younger version perhaps, a soft reflection in Lucas’ bruised eyes, but enough that your heart grows heavy once more. You shake your head gently, a wobbly breath falling from your lips.

“I’m only here because of him. I wouldn’t have survived if it weren’t for Steve. I don’t know what-”

You immediately stop yourself, refusing to consider the alternate outcome any further. You shove it away deep into the recesses of your mind. When you finally look to Lucas again, you don’t have to say anything else for him to understand what it is you’re trying to tell him.

For a while now, Lucas has wanted what you and Steve have. Everything about the two of you… seems perfect. Even though he knows you haven’t always had good times, that doesn’t matter to him. He had hoped maybe Max would want that too.

But now?

Lucas nods silently, fully embracing the support you offer. There’s still hope. The road may be difficult, but he can’t let this be the end for them.

“She said she wasn’t ready.”

“Hm?”

“Max,” He clarifies sadly, his demeanor rapidly shifting to one of sorrow, “She said she wasn’t ready to die.”

Immeasurable grief swarms you. The air is drawn from your lungs as the hefty weight of his words burrows deeply into your soul. It’s the final nail in the coffin that solidifies your shame and remorse. You feel numb.

—

There’s a steady stream of people that filter into the school from the parking lot; it seems that you’re not the only group in Hawkins that felt inclined to help those affected by this disaster. Numerous boxes packed with all manner of clothing, toiletries, and other necessities line the walls and coat the tables. Resources are passed around to those who need them while the rest is organized to be distributed around town to multiple relief sites. Those that were displaced and can’t afford to leave rest on the various cots sprinkled throughout the gymnasium. It’s a bit overwhelming to say the least.

After Steve’s recruited to fold donated clothes, one of the volunteers leads you away.

“How do you feel about being around kids?”

“I think I could handle that, yeah,” You say, forcing a somewhat warm smile to pull at your lips. She gestures towards a young girl, no older than six, fiercely clutching a well-loved stuffed elephant between her soot stained fingers.

“Her house was destroyed, just torn right down the middle. We’re trying to find her parents,” The woman whispers, her hand touching your shoulder gently in gratitude, “But still nothing.”

You sigh, feeling your throat tighten, now able to put a face to all the destruction you and your friends weren’t able to stop. You approach the girl by asking if you can sit with her, to which she eventually nods at you with tired and exhausted eyes. When you introduce yourself and ask her for her name, she shifts a bit, “Erica.”

“Erica, huh?” You smile again, “I have a friend with that name. She’s pretty tough and strong.”

With your comment, the girl turns her head toward you; her skin’s coated with dirt and dust, hair a touch matted up. There’s a bit of blood on her forehead too.

“Is she like She-Ra?”

You can’t help but laugh a little at her reference. You pretend to think about it for a moment, even bringing your finger up to your chin to sell it further, “I think she’s more like Firefly. You know, from My Little Pony?”

Your answer brings a slight grin to her face; it simultaneously warms and breaks your heart. You put your hands down onto your knees, trying to remain as casual and maternal as possible, “What do you say we get you cleaned up? Would you like that?”

Erica nods before she grabs your now extended hand and uncurls herself from the plastic chair. As you start to walk forward, one hand wrapped up in yours and the other still tightly around her stuffed animal, she freezes unexpectedly. Her eyes are darting between the seas of people milling around, anxiously unable to focus on anything. You crouch down, meeting her eye line once again.

“I get nervous around a lot of people sometimes, too. I can hold you… if you want.”

Erica nods quickly, reaching her arms up for you to lift her. It takes a bit of effort ao you don’t anger your back, but you manage to settle her onto your left hip.

The added closeness seems to comfort her as you continue forward, taking a moment to grab a spare plastic bag. She’s a bit harder to carry than you expected, but now’s not the time for you to complain. You wander through the tables, picking out anything that you might need to get her freshened up. The longer you walk, the more she begins to speak, telling you to grab certain items that she likes — a butterfly hair clip, some berry scented chapstick. You even make time to stop by the snacks to grab her something to eat; Vickie makes her a strawberry jam sandwich when Erica tells you she’s allergic to peanuts. She gobbles it up quickly, smearing some of the jelly onto her cheek, which you wipe it off with the back of your sleeve. Your smile grows more genuine the longer you spend with her.

Steve thinks he nearly has a heart attack when you eventually stride up to the clothing table, this small child latched tightly to your side. You look so at ease with her head resting against your chest, whispering little comments that manage to engage her amidst all the chaos. At a quick glance, this child could be your daughter. Her eyes have a similar hue to yours — even your noses are similar. His brain starts to go quite fuzzy the longer he spends watching the two of you together.

“What’s your favorite color?” You ask Erica as Steve hands you the small pair of folded sweatpants, underwear, and socks you point to. The girl hums for a second, adjusting her grip on her elephant, “Green.”

“Good choice. I like green too,” You answer, focused intently on her as you shift your arm to hoist her further up your side. Steve watches you with this kind of dumbly adoring look, lips pulled back in a small but optimistic smile as he gets lost in a daydream.

He sees flashes of you, curled up on the couch wrapped in blankets with your children — your children. Yours and his. He sees the smile that spreads over your face on their birthdays, the sadness in your eyes when one of them gets sick, the anger you feel when they mention they’ve been bullied at school.

He sees the road-trip summers with your baby girl — little Marcie Harrington, maybe a younger sister too. He nearly swoons at the thought of your family taking in the sights at Mount Rushmore, the redwood forests, even the Finger Lakes. He imagines you wrangling your daughters in front of the Moab arches while he tries to figure out the damn timer on the camera; he ends up accidentally taking three pictures of himself before finally getting it to work. Then the two of you are splayed out in the sand on some beach while your children nap in the RV — you’re clad in that stupid red bikini you keep taunting him with, your warm and exposed skin practically irresistible. Steve looks at you fondly before leaning over to give you a big kiss under the Californian sun, so incredibly thankful for the life you’ve been able to build together.

“You got any green, Stevie?”

He blinks once, then once more; the first for snapping him back to reality and the second for the nickname. He clears his throat, trying desperately to forget about the blood that rises in his neck. He looks around for a moment, forcing the dream from his mind as he searches for something small enough to fit the girl in your arms. You watch him almost knowingly, like you could picture the same images behind your eyes.

Eventually, he finds a couple of options and holds them up for the girl to pick from; she’s made up her mind from the first one he shows her. Erica gasps, hand immediately shooting outwards to grab the small tie-dyed tee with wide eyes. The pink and green gradient twists and turns across the fabric, clearly enthralling to a child her age.

Her enthusiasm takes you by surprise but it’s a welcome one; you chuckle a bit before speaking, “Oh, that’s a nice one. Good choice.”

As she puts the clothes into the bag, you smile across the table at Steve, effectively punching the air out of his lungs. You casually address him, “Thanks, baby.”

Trying to regain some of his composure, he winks at you as he starts refolding the other shirts, “Any time, ladies.”

Before you get a chance to reply, Erica’s desperately trying to wiggle free from your grasp. The moment she touches down onto the ground, she takes off in a full sprint and gets scooped up into the arms of a couple — you instantly understand this to be her mother and father. The girl looks like a perfect mixture of her parents, maybe more like her dad. It’s hard not to let their reunion warm your veins, the relief in all of their joyful sobs making your eyes a bit misty. You don’t particularly care that she left without any thanks, knowing that her and her family are back together is more than enough.

“You’re good at that.”

Your gaze moves back to Steve. In this light, his eyes are as soft and warm as liquid caramel. He rests a sweater on his shoulder — a gentle smile curls his lips. A bashful expression washes over your face as you feel blood pool in your cheeks, the underlying meaning of his words bringing back a hint of hope inside your chest. You can see your family too.

A flash of red breaks you from the comfort Steve’s attention brings; both of your faces drastically warp as you glance out the window, a very familiar feeling washing away any source of happiness. You find yourself frozen as you stare up at a rapidly moving cloud of smoke. It spreads, expanding large enough to cover the expanse of blue sky until none of it remains. Crowds begin to flock to windows, watching in awe while you and Steve join them, soon joined by Robin and Vickie. White particles begin to gently fall, earning a few shocked noises from the onlookers. You sigh as Steve’s hand finds yours, a silent solace; you both know what this is.

“An earthquake and snow in two days?” Vickie says in a moment of innocent disbelief.

The worst kind of dread rolls over you, the kind where you know that this is only the beginning. Everything that’s been happening has been building to this. You hate to spoil her childlike wonder, but as another bolt of red lightning cracks through the sky, you can’t help it.

“That’s not snow.”

—

#steve harrington x reader #steve harrington x henderson!reader #steve harrington x you #steve harrington imagine #stranger things fanfiction #steve harrington fanfiction #almost paradise

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thegayhimbo · 7 months

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Stranger Things Rewatch: "The Vanishing of Will Byers" (Part 1 of 2)

Disclaimer: This is NOT a traditional review/analysis, but a collection of observations, brief commentary, favorite moments, and so on that I'm noting as I go through these episodes. All of these are just my opinions and/or theories, and can be subjected to change as the rewatch continues.

Observations:

Happy Stranger Things Day! :) As of today, this took place 40 years ago.

Love how reminiscent this opening scene is to the climax of Ridley Scott's Alien when Ellen Ripley is escaping the USCSS Nostromo as the alarms go off. I wouldn't be surprised if this homage turned out to be intentional on the Duffer Brother's part:

When we're introduced to Mike's campaign, The Party is in the middle of being attacked by an army of Troglodytes. This is the image I found when I looked them up:

It's probably just a fun D&D moment, but since the Duffer Brothers have named a lot of their monsters (Demogorgon, Mind Flayer, Vecna) after D&D creatures, it makes me wonder if there's some kind of animal like a troglodyte in the Upside Down. It's unlikely we've seen all the monsters from that dimension, and they might introduce new ones in S5 that the Party hasn't encountered yet and will inevitably fight.

They do a good job with the establishing character moments for both Dustin and Lucas in Mike's D&D campaign: Dustin telling Will to use caution and cast a protective spell while Lucas insists Will fireballs the Demogorgon while he has the chance. Lucas's strategy is to go on the offense while Dustin's is to go on the defense. Specifically with Lucas, he uses that strategy in other situations he's in: Like when Lucas kicks Billy in the groin in S2 after being pinned to the wall by him, or gets an axe to chop at the Meat Flayer's tendril to save El in S3, or even how Lucas is the one who later convinces everyone to take the fireworks from the store to use as ammunition (which helps turn the tide at the Battle of Starcourt). By contrast, Dustin prioritizes the safety of the Party, from pointing out to Mike and Lucas that they might be walking into the same danger Will encountered when they later look for him in the woods, to telling Mike NOT to jump off a cliff when Troy threatens Dustin, to enlisting Steve's help in S2 because he knows Steve will be able to protect them due to his size and skill with the bat, to rescuing Steve and Robin from the Russians in S3.

This isn't to say that Lucas is wrong and Dustin is right, or even that Dustin is wrong and Lucas is right. It's merely noting they have opposite approaches. Each situation they encounter is different, and sometimes (just like with Will's dice role) it's really up to chance.

Also (as noted later in the episode by Mike), Will took Lucas's advice and used fireball as a means of protecting the Party instead of trying to save himself. He puts other people's safety before his own. The comic book "The Other Side" (which focuses on Will's perspective during the events of S1 while trapped in the UD) expands on this aspect of his personality by including several moments of him coming to the aid of others (including Nancy) while in the UD, despite knowing it would put him in danger.

Also, regardless of Lucas insisting the role doesn't count because Mike didn't see it, Will still chooses to be honest with Mike. He knows there are situations you can't cheat your way out of, or pretend didn't happen (as he's about to find out with the real Demogorgon).

The lights flash at Mike's house just as Will leaves. I'm assuming Vecna and the Demogorgon he was controlling were already beginning to track Will's movements here.

I've talked about this before in my review of "The Other Side" (and I know for a fact I'm not the only fan who's speculated on this), but I don't buy that Will's kidnapping by the Demogorgon was random. Given the revelations in S4, I'm inclined to believe Vecna deliberately targeted Will and used the Demogrogon under his control to bring Will alive to the Upside Down. I also would argue it was Vecna who used telekinesis to unlock the door to Will's house:

I know several episodes from now, Jonathan talks to Nancy about how his dad took him hunting when he was 10 and forced him to kill a rabbit, so I'm assuming Lonnie also taught Will about loading and shooting a gun. It's possible Jonathan could have, but considering how traumatized he was over what his dad made him do, IDK if I see Jonathan teaching Will how to use a gun.

I've said this before, but I don't buy Vecna wanted Will to just impregnate him with the larva's that would grow into future Demodogs/Demogorgons. He could have easily used the Demogorgon to kidnap other residents of Hawkins for that purpose if he wanted to. He didn't need Will specifically for that.

Still one of my favorite openings for any TV show I've seen:

I missed the drawing Sara did of her family the first time I saw this. Nice foreshadowing about Hopper's past life!

To this day, I still don't understand why Troy and James got their own graphic novel. Out of all the side characters they could have focused on, why did they choose these two? Was there some kind of demand from the fandom to bring them back that I'm unaware of?

I know Caleb McLaughlin gave an interview after season 4 aired where he expressed frustration over how certain fans have been dismissive of any racial trauma Lucas has gone through, and this goes all the way back to season 1. Both Troy and James's bullying of Lucas was racially motivated, and the graphic novel Zombie Boys also highlights this:

On a related note, Troy and James making fun of Dustin for having cleidocranial dysplasia is disgusting.

I've seen this discussion before in the fandom about Barb's attitude towards Nancy dating Steve, and this idea that Barb was jealous of the idea of Nancy possibly becoming popular, which.................is not an interpretation I've ever understood. I never once took Barb to be some kind of social climber. When she's talking with Nancy in her first scene, she sounds genuinely excited for Nancy about Steve calling her, as well as cheekily acknowledging that both Nancy and Steve are into each other.

On top of that, Barb knows Nancy well enough that she wouldn't discard her as a friend, even if she became popular. The way she talks with Nancy in this scene, she doesn't seem worried or upset with her. If anything, Barb is amused during this conversation (including when she sees the note Steve left for Nancy in her locker). There's also the way they both talk about Tommy and Carol, indicating they both have low opinions of them, and that Barb is aware that Nancy doesn't like them and isn't going to abandon her for them.

@will80sbyers pointed this out in a recent post, and I thought I'd note it here since it's a good observation: The first scene we see of Steve and Nancy's relationship is in a restroom..........and their breakup in S2 happens in a restroom as well. That's how things come full-circle for these two:

It's notable that the two times Steve and Nancy meet in this episode, it's in an area that's supposed to be private (the school restroom, Nancy's bedroom) but there's always the risk of someone (a high school student/teacher, Nancy's parents) walking in on them while they're making out (not that Steve seems to care). Both times involve Nancy interrupting to tell Steve she needs to study for a test, and while Steve initially tries to make it all fun-and-games between them, he eventually concedes when he realizes she's serious about her schoolwork and agrees to help her.

This still remains one of my favorite quotes from the show (and is literally what weekday mornings are like for me before I have to clock in for work):

This has been pointed out by others, but there's an interesting parallel between Joyce calling Will "sensitive" vs. Victor Creel calling his son Henry "sensitive."

Notably, when Joyce talks about Will being sensitive, it has more to do with him being aware of other people's feelings, as well as the way other people look at him and judge him. Meanwhile, I'm skeptical of that being the case with Henry. Maybe Victor thought Henry was sensitive because of his inability to "fit in" with the other kids (as well as being labeled "broken" by teachers and doctors), but considering how insulted Henry is at the idea that he was broken, as well as how he didn't care about torturing and killing animals before murdering his mom and sister in cold-blood (and letting his dad take the blame for it), I doubt Henry gave a damn about what others thought of him. His behavior indicates he doesn't feel empathy for anyone the same way Will does. Henry's "sensitivity" likely had more to do with the abilities he had locked inside of him, or even possibly being able to feel the presence of the Upside Down before he was banished there by El 20 years later. Maybe they'll expand on this in "The First Shadow" when it comes out.

They foreshadowed pretty early on that Will was secretly gay. I remember this was discussed by fans way back when season 1 first came out.

Yes Hopper, he is.

There's a dark irony in how Hopper's been working as Chief of Hawkins for 4 years, and claims that nothing awful has happened during his tenure. 4 years ago would have been in 1979, the same year Henry/One/Vecna slaughtered the special kids (and most of the staff) at the lab before El banished him to the Upside Down. I know Hopper wasn't aware of any of this when it happened, and none of that was his fault or responsibility, but still.........

Something I always found frustrating with the show (and even supplementary materials) is they never really explain how the chain-of-command works when it comes to government officials on this show. They establish Dr. Brenner as the head of Hawkins Lab (and later that role gets transferred to Dr. Owens in S2), but they never truly say which higher-ups Brenner answers to. Then there's the introduction of Colonel Sullivan in S4 (despite him never being hinted at or mentioned in the previous 3 seasons): Judging by the conversations he has with Dr. Owens, as well as how Dr. Owens got fired for the Russian infiltration of Hawkins in S3, I assumed Sullivan was Owen's superior. Does that mean that Brenner also answered to Sullivan during this time? Or was Sullivan just part of a different faction of the government (i.e. the same faction Ellen Stinson warns Mike about in S4) who was opposed to what Brenner was doing from the beginning, and only recently got involved?

In any case, I'm assuming the men pictured above who are meeting with Brenner are either government agents sent to investigate the opening of the gate, or Brenner's superiors who want to know what happened the previous night.

I wonder if there will be a twist in S5 that Upside Down itself is one whole Lovecraftian-like monster, and stuff like the Demogorgons and other creatures are just extensions of it. Just the way that gate breathes, and how it looks like you're traveling through someone's insides.............

I missed Scott Clarke in S4, and I hope he comes back for S5 to give more scientific advice to the main characters (assuming he didn't leave Hawkins). Who knows? It may prove helpful against the upcoming fight against Vecna.

Since Stranger Things loves referencing Lord of the Rings (and The Hobbit), with the show even drawing parallels to the books (like the Upside Down being similar to Mordor, or even Hopper's fake death in S3 and return in S4 having similarities to Gandalf's apparent death in Moria and his later return), I am looking at the books as one possible blueprint to predict how Season 5 will go. That's just me though.

Also, Will disappearing near Mirkwood, which in The Hobbit is where Bilbo encounters the spiders that try to eat him and his companions, and Vecna has a creepy obsession with spiders and shaped the Mind Flayer into a spider, and the Mind Flayer later attacks Will..................

I'm sure there's somewhere I'm trying to go with this, but I can't articulate it in a way that makes sense.

SIDE NOTE: This particular scene with Dustin and Lucas fighting while Mike sits in the middle looking irritated is hilarious. 😂

Come to think of it, this scene is a perfect representation of the dynamic the kids have this episode: Dustin and Lucas argue (whether it's over D&D strategies, how to find Will, etc) and Mike is caught in the middle. This changes later once El is introduced where it's Mike and Lucas fighting, and Dustin is trying to act as the peacemaker.

To be continued in Part 2..........

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shippingfangirl013 · 1 year

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Twelvegate Theory: Drowning in the Quarry and Will & El (Part 1)

I found some interesting information while analyzing Stranger Things and taking note of the movies that we are shown in the show. In particular, I was mainly focusing on any scenes including Will, El, Joyce, Jonathan, and Hopper. . . because I think something bigger is going on that the writers want you to catch onto, but we don't get the full account of what truly happened (and probably won't!) until S5. The colors are so I know which character I'm talking about, and so this format can also be used later with my other twelvegate theories.

First off. . . there are only three characters directly associated with the quarry (in terms of scenes happening standing on the edge of the quarry).

Mike, Will, and Hopper.

Mike, because he steps off of the ledge and falls (then El saves him) and Will because we find his (fake) body there. Hopper, because he and Callahan are on the edge of the Quarry looking down while searching for Will.

The other direct association with characters to the quarry would be the night that the body was found.

State Troopers found the body. State Trooper, David O'Banon, found Will's body, and Hopper later interrogates him at Hideaway, the bar. Mike, Dustin, Lucas, and El are there on the shore as they pull the fake body out of the lake. Mike gets mad at El because she couldn't find Will, alive. (This is the only direct association we have of El and Will being at the quarry at the "same time" and "one body was found 'drowned'," in the quarry.)

But there are some characters that are associated with the quarry indirectly as well. . . Like Lonnie blaming Sattler's Quarry for what happened to Will. Joyce and Hopper talk about the police and the working theory on how Will fell into the quarry. El watches Frankenstein, alone, in S2 on Halloween night. The young girl in the film, Maria, is talking to Frankenstein's Monster. It isn't shown on screen for long, but after looking up the movie, I learned that Maria drowned in a lake after asking the Monster to play with her.

So, now that we have the direct and indirect associations out of the way. . . we can get to the more interesting connections and parallels that I found!

Okay... So, there's this establishment of the Upside Down/ The Mind Flayer/Henry/Vecna/001's presence as being cold. . . and Will feels scared [frozen] because of it. I find it interesting that the line "I've felt it before," from S3 is actually panned on El and Will, but the focus is on El. Brenner makes the association that El's mother was sick, very sick. Lonnie makes the association that Joyce is sick to Jonathan, as well.

And then, we have the other freezing references.

Lonnie's "Your Mom was half frozen to death when I got here." after Joyce sees Will in the wall, and the Demogoron comes back.

Hopper's "I'm gonna freeze to death out here." after his fight with El, because he wouldn't let her see Mike in person.

The initial connection that I was focusing on, was the parallel of Joyce freezing to Hopper freezing in the scenes above.

Now, this is where it gets interesting:

In 1983, when Will goes missing, there's this shot while Ted and Karen are watching the news on the night of November 7th.

We don't hear much of what the reporter says, but what he says is crucial information.

"Byers' body was found in the water of this quarry by state police earlier this evening. It was discovered by State Trooper, David O'Bannon, just after dark. The state police are mounting an investigation to determine Byers' cause of death, but an initial inquiry. . . [indistinct]. . . Byers isn't the first person to drown in Sattler's Quarry. You'll recall only seven years ago. . . [news reporter cuts out],"

1983 - 7 years is 1976.

(I'll come back to this! )

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In 1984, on Halloween, we see that El is watching Frankenstein.

This is one of the shots that we see of the movie Frankenstein (1931).

Look familiar?

In the 1931 version of Frankenstein, Maria drowns in a lake after attempting to play with Frankenstein’s Monster. The monster misinterprets the rules of a game, and Maria dies by drowning in a lake.

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We know that "El" is short for "Eleven". . . Mike gave El that nickname. . . and we assume that Terry Ives is El's mother.

We also know that El is known as "Jane" by Terry in season 2. . .but I truly don't think that El is Terry Ives' daughter. . . (I'll come back to this! part 2.0)

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Now, I noticed something in Season 1 that made me think of the year 1976 a little differently. . .

1976 is the year that Will and El turned five years old.

1976 is the year that Will would have gone into kindergarten at the age of five. 1976 is also the year that Mike meets Will on the swingset, and there is an emphasis on the fact that Will is alone on the swings, but Mike felt less scared because Will was alone on the swings too.

Mike is Will's first friend. . . and Mike is also El's first friend. . .

Mike gave Eleven her nickname of "El". . . so is it really that much of a stretch to assume Mike gave Twelve a nickname of "Will" because "Well" wouldn't work as a name? (Obviously this would need some explaining, and the timeline would be off. . . But the timeline that we’re told is already askew…)

In season 2, in 1984, when El goes off on her own to find Mike at the school, she ends up at a house where a woman and her daughter are playing on a swing-set. One swing is left alone, while she flips the other over the top of the swing-set.

Now, I didn't think anything of this, until I paired it with what Mike said about meeting Will on the swings. And then, I thought of this scene of Will and Joyce:

So. . . what happened to Will when he was five years old to scare him enough that he had nightmares for a week?

Maybe he saw a "monster"? Maybe he met a monster that tried to take him (and/or someone he was very close with) somewhere against his/or their will?

I think El was the first "drowning" [read: kidnapping] victim in 1976 in Hawkins. . . and I think Will might have gotten away (at least for 2 years).

In season 4, there's this association of Brenner with the word "Monster". And this only shows up in the titles of two Stranger Things episodes. . .

In Season 1, we assume the "Monster" is the Demogorgon. . . and by Season 4, we learn that the real "monster" is Dr. Brenner. . .

Joyce and Hopper visit Terry Ives in S1 Episode 6 (The Monster). . . Terry has two books on how to care for Bonsai trees. . .

In the opening of S4, Brenner is trimming his Juniper Bonsai tree. . .

Then, we have this shot of El searching for her "mother" in S2:

El finds a photo of Terry walking with Brenner almost as if they are equals. . . But Terry was accusing this man of kidnapping her daughter by the accounts of almost every newspaper Hopper found?

Hmmm . . . that's very suspicious if you ask me.

I think Terry is "Mama" to Brenner's "Papa".

Because in S4, we get this from El's "memory":

Brenner (at one point) told El that her mother died giving birth, but we know that wasn't true.

I think that Terry and Brenner might have managed to kidnap a set of twins from their parents. . . within a two year span. I think El was taken first, in 1976. . . and Will was taken second, maybe in 1978. Maybe something didn't go according to plan, and Brenner finds himself with a mess on his hands. Either way, we find that Brenner electrocuted Terry Ives in 1978. And we find that Hopper's daughter Sarah died in the hospital in 1978 at seven years old from cancer.

(Keep in mind, the hospital we are shown from Hopper's memories, looks eerily similar to the "hospital" section of Hawkins lab.)

We also learn in S4, that Brenner and Owens aren't showing El the full memory from The Hawkins Lab Massacre, because we get these scenes as well:

What secret would Brenner and Owens have the answer to that could compromise the whole of the NINA project? That could - as Brenner puts it - "Risk everything?"

There's an emphasis on fail safes in season 4 as well. . . Max's letters acting as a fail safe, Nancy and her plan to kill Vecna -> the thought that Vecna can't hurt anyone else if they kill him (but her plan fails and there was no back up plan). . .

When Owens tells El that she is the cure, he says "I wouldn't be here if I didn't think this was the only way. If I didn't think that you were the only one who might have a shot to hit this thing so hard that it can't get back up."

His use of the phrase "the only one" implies that there might be another person that could help take Vecna down, but they aren't ready yet. . .

So. . . Will might be the fail safe, but Brenner and Owens don't want El to know the truth? That she has a [twin] brother? Because they know that she would refuse to have him put in harm's way?

(I am making a part 2, because this it a bit long, and part 2 is detailing more on Will.)

(again, i'm not 100% certain on this, there's a lot to explain in terms of plot holes, but it's a theory, so just roll with it)

#twelvegate #the wonder twins #wondertwins #willel #byers-hopper siblings #will byers #mike wheeler #el hopper #jonathan byers #joyce byers #Jim hopper

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mlchaelwheeler · 2 years

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Ok so after reading this post by @wibble-wobbegong it got me thinking about how the Duffers said S5 would be returning to the "group dynamics of S1," as well as the fact that Will is going to be central to the plot, similar to S1, except he won't be offscreen for most the season.

Looking at the kids' dynamic from S1, they were trying to save Will (using El) while Joyce and Hopper went into the actual Upside Down to do so. Within the kids' group, there was a lot of tension between Mike and Lucas early on, as they disagreed on the best course of action to find Will: Lucas thought they should go straight to the gate to get Will back, while Mike thought they needed to follow El's lead in order to stand a chance at surviving the dangers between the party and Will ("we're no use to Will if we're dead-- she's a dangerous weapon!").

If we apply this same dynamic to their group in S5, it kind of still works. Except this time, Max is in Will's place, as she's "missing"-- her mind/soul is trapped in Vecna's mindscape. El would be in the place of Joyce/Hopper from S1, since she's the only one (so far) with the ability to enter Vecna's mindscape and find Max to physically bring her back. If Mike, Lucas, and Dustin stay in their original roles from the S1 dynamic, that puts Will in El's role from S1. He has the connection to Vecna/the Upside Down, so even though he isn't able to physically go get Max back (like El can), he can use his connection to distract Vecna from Hawkins, buying time for El to get in and fight Max (like what the older teens did with the demogorgan in S1).

Like S1, I could see this leading to a lot of tension between Mike and Lucas again, with Will in the middle this time. Lucas will argue that they need to go straight to a gate (and maybe even into the Upside Down) to get Max back. He loves her so much, so obviously he's going to stop at nothing to get her back. However, Mike knows the depth of Will's connection with Vecna, and he might be more on the cautious side (less confrontational) this season. Like S1 with El, Mike may be focused more on helping Will first before rushing into a plan to help Max.

This could lead to a lot of tender byler moments, in which Mike checks up on Will, making sure he's ok, despite the fact that they're all in danger. Bonus points if Will gets separated from the party in some way, only to return and save Mike from near death, just like El did at the quarry in S1. This could be the big emotional reunion™️ of the season, where they both finally break down and admit their feelings. The brief time in which Will is separated from the group could also be when Lucas and Dustin begin to notice Mike's feelings-- because if we're being honest, Mike's feelings are blatantly obvious to everyone except himself.

Anyways, returning to S1 dynamics but having Will as the focus (and onscreen for the entire season this time!) will likely lead to scenes with the whole original party for a lot of the season, but this time, Mike and Will are both going to be very obviously pining for each other.

#i feel like i cracked the code for s5 idkkk 🧍🏼‍♂️#but... it all makes sense #byler #the party #will byers #s5 theory #sarah.txt

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aemiron-main · 2 years

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HUGE MIKE REALIZATION HES SO SCREWED IN S5 OH MY GOD

OHHHHHH FUCK. EVERYTHING IVE BEEN TALKING ABT LATELY WITH HOW MIKE’S QUEERNESS IS TIED TO HIS GUILT OVER PEOPLES’ DEATHS/LOSING THEM?? SUCH AS IN THIS POST?? well not only does it tie to eddie and tie to el like i just talked abt in the replies of this post with @heroesbyler but it also ties to bob. to be extremely clear i am not saying that mike ever had romantic feelings for bob because he didn’t. what i AM saying is that mike may feel guilt for bob’s death that are tied to his queerness via mike’s gay feelings for will.

like think about it. mike was desperately trying to warn those soldiers that it was a trap. MIKE is the one who will told about his murder plan first. Mike actually prompted Will to talk, going “what’s wrong? are you hurting again?” and then Will says “I saw something,” and mike goes “in your now memories?”. He’s the one prompting Will, in mike’s mind, he might have been responsible for giving will the idea to look at his now memories. He was trying to help Will, he saw that Will was just sort of sitting there in a daze and was trying to HELP, calling will’s name and trying to see what’s happening, make sure he’s okay, asking him what’s wrong. But in mike’s mind, his attempts to help just ended up hurting, just like how his feelings for people end up getting them killed/hurting them. Mike, thinking that if maybe he wasn’t so blinded by his feelings for will/queerness, he could’ve looked at will more critically and realized what was going on. Mike is the one who realized that will is the spy, but he feels like he’s the one who failed to realize it. He’s the one who came up with the idea to sedate Will, but he may also feel responsible for the fact that Will has to be sedated in the first place, that he was too blinded by his own feelings for Will and trust in Will to see what was going on- and not only did this result in the soliders and Bob getting hurt/dying, but it also resulted in WILL getting hurt, in WILL almost dying (he would’ve died if they closed the gate). Maybe if they didn’t need to sedate Will, maybe if Mike had noticed sooner, before possessed!Will could get away with his plan, maybe if Mike hadn’t literally prompted Will to talk about his plan, then maybe the demodogs wouldn’t have been called to the surface, and Bob wouldn’t have been killed by them. Maybe if Mike hadn’t been so happy that Will recognized him, then he would’ve been more focused on being concerned about will *not* recognizing other people. Maybe if Mike had been able to figure out Will’s map of drawings at the Byers house, Bob wouldn’t have needed to be involved, maybe if Mike was just a little bit smarter, had paid a little bit more attention in class or looked a little bit closer at a map of Hawkins once. So now mike also feels responsible for will’s guilt and will being in danger/almost dying and the soldiers’ deaths AND bob’s death and that feeling of responsibility/guilt is tied to his queerness AGAIN. Plus, the shed scene: the shed was Mike’s idea. And it helped! It worked, initially! But then because they were in the shed, Will could hear the phone ringing. Mike, seeing it not as a success for himself, but a failure, because maybe if he hadn’t suggested the shed, maybe if they took Will somewhere else, he wouldn’t have known where they were, because he wouldn’t have heard the phone ring. Mike’s intelligence and love for the people around him SAVES them constantly, but he sees it as hurting them. He only sees the way that he hurts people. And vecna is going to use this against him in s5. Mike doesn’t have one big moment of guilt or one main person who died/got hurt because of him and his queerness. He has this huge, layared amalgamation of many, of all of those moments, of El and Eddie and Will and Bob and the soliders and everyone. It’s death by a thousand cuts and Henry’s going to deliver the final one in s5. Hell, these are just a few examples of this sort of thing with mike, there’s SO many more examples of how his queerness, in his mind, intertwines with peoples’ deaths. Remember that scene of Mike staring at Will’s lips while quietly telling max to stay away from the door when Billy’s in the sauna? I didn’t really understand at first why they chose to write that scene the way that they did except to hammer home that mike is gay/distracted by his feelings for Will, but why not just show that at another time? Why show it in such a high-stakes situation to the point where it almost becomes comical? Because it links mike’s queerness to other people getting killed/hurt. Mike is so busy staring at Will that he doesn’t warn Max loudly or fast enough. And then everyone is put in danger once Billy breaks out. Mike, thinking about how maybe if he hadn’t been so distracted, if he’d been faster or louder, maybe Billy wouldn’t have broken out, if he’d been stronger when standing up against Billy, maybe he could’ve stopped him. This also gets MIKE hurt though, but mike doesn’t CARE about that, doesn’t care to the point where he doesn’t even register it. Mike gets his head bashed against a pipe by Billy, but that doesn’t matter to him, he only sees how his queerness is hurting other people, he doesn’t see or care how people are hurting him. But how do i know that Mike is making these connections in his brain? That he’s connecting himself in all of these ways that i’ve mentioned? You might be thinking “well em you’re just assuming that mike’s brain works like that. how can you demonstrate it?” How can I demonstrate that this is how Mike’s brain works/that he is likely to make these connections to himself and how his queerness intertwines with getting people hurt/killed? Well, let’s look at the Wheeler family dynamic. t’s summed up best by Ted: “What did i do?” The wheeler family fucking sucks at communication. They don’t tell their kids or eachother what they’ve done wrong and what they can do to make it right. They’re passive agressive, they give cold shoulders and silent glares. Instead, Mike and Ted are both left wondering what they’ve done. Which forces Mike to try and figure it out instead of people telling him. Which pushes his brain towards making all of those connections. And no wonder Mike acts out so much: he’s hoping that somebody will finally get mad enough at him to just TELL HIM what he’s doing wrong! We see this at rink o mania too! He literally ASKS will “why is this on me? why am i the bad guy?” He’s ASKING HE WANTS TO KNOW WHAT HE DID WRONG. USUALLY HE JUST TRIES TO FIGURE IT OUT AND EVENTUALLY FINDS A REASON FOR IT TO BE HIS FAULT BUT THIS TIME?? HE CANT FIND ONE HE HAS TO ASK. He doesn’t even fucking clap back at will and say that it was will’s fault, he doesn’t defend himself and say that he ISN’T the bad guy, he ASKS WHY HE IS. JESUS CHRIST MICHAEL DO YOU HAVE NO SELF ESTEEM OR SENSE OF SELF WORTH?? HE JUST ASSUMES THAT ITS HIS FAULT BUT HE AT LEAST WANTS TO KNOW WHY BECAUSE EVEN HIS SELF LOATHING BRAIN CANT FIGURE OUT A WAY TO MAKE IT HIS FAULT THIS TIME BECAUSE HE DID CALL HE CALLED SO MANY TIMES. “Do you see what happens, Michael?” “What happens when what? Again, Mike is forced to answer the question himself, the wheeler family dynamic literally fosters that guilt and personal responsibility spiral. It’s also a personal representation of the individualistic nature of capitalism and how capitalism fosters a sense of individualism which leads to a sense of personal responsibility for things that aren’t a single person’s fault + purposefully stifles organized change and cooperation. Mike is forced to wonder what Ted meant, and it’s no surprise that after that dinner scene, we get a scene of Mike in the basement saying to Lucas that he’s worried about Will: because mike has been ruminating about what happened to Will, about what ted meant, trying to figure out what ‘what’ isnt, figure out the answer to ‘do you see what happens,’ trying to figure out WHAT HAPPENED, trying to figure out ‘what happens when what?’. And Mike has such a deep sense of personal responsbility for things and also a deep sense of justice and wanting to make things right: he doesn’t like to lie, he wants to resolve the conflict with lucas in s1. But then he starts feeling like he can’t make things right, ESPECIALLY in s4. He DOESN’T resolve things with lucas and hellfire. He DOESN’T properly resolve things with El or with Will, there’s still that tension with both of them. He still WANTS to make things right even though he’s failing at it and feels like he CANT, just because he isn’t doing it doesn’t mean he doesn’t WANT to anymore.

So he’s desperate when it comes to making things right. Especially since he feels like it’s his fault that it’s wrong. Mike stands up against injustice that isn’t even his fault (see: the bullies making fun of will, it’s not mike’s fault that will’s gay (smthn smthn ‘its not my fault that you dont like girls’ smthn smthn mikes sense of personal responsibility and guilt is REALLY starting to beat his ass in s3), so when the injustice IS his fault/he feels like it is, it really hurts him, he REALLY wants to make it right, which gets even more terrifying for him with the fact that again, he feels responsibility for things that aren’t even his fault. And desperate times call for desperate measures. And sacrificing himself in s5? That’s a desperate measure. Mike feels as if he’s hurt so many people so any times, like i said, its an amalgamation of things, not just one event. And so, he KNOWS that he can’t make up for every single one of them individually, can’t make up for those deaths or those moments of hurt. So he has to make up for all of them at once. And it’s going to kill him- scratch that, him dying is going to be HOW he makes up for it. He’s going to die to save others, which in his mind, not only HELPS them by saving them, but also prevents them from experiencing further harm as a result of him and his queerness specifically. I’m also looking fucking DIRECTLY at “war” by frankie goes to hollywood on mike’s playlist. holy FUCK. The queercoding is something i’ve talked about before, with how ‘frankie goes to hollywood,’ was a band known for gay music videos and who had two gay men in it. But look at the lyrics in addition to the queercoding. These lyrics often aren’t listed because it’s more of a voiceover in the song (the song has a voiceover on top of the song ‘war’ by edwin star), but this is what it says: “Then, of course, there is revolutionary love. Love of comrades fighting for the people, and love of people. Not an abstract people, but one who one lives and works with. When che guevara talked of love being at the centre of revolutionary endeavour, he meant both. For people like Che, or george jackson, or malcom x, love was the prime mover of their struggle. And love cost them their lives. Love, coupled with immense pride.” This song is literally about sacrificing oneself out of love, and how love saves people but also kills and hurts people. And saving people in your life specifically, not just a general sacrifice for all of hawkins like Eddie’s was, but rather, about Mike saving the people that he ‘lives and works with,’ the people in HIS life, not just the abstract people of hawkins/world as a whole. “love, coupled with immense pride.” IMMENSE PRIDE?? COMING FROM A DEEPLY QUEER BAND?? AND EVERYTHING IVE BEEN SAYING ABOUT HOW MIKES GUILT ISNT JUST TIED TO HIS FEELINGS FOR WILL OR GUILT ABOUT BEING RUDE/HURTFUL TO PEOPLE IN GENERAL BUT TO HIS QUEERNESS SPECIFICALLY?? LOVE COST THEM THEIR LIVES?? QUEER PEOPLE BEING KILLED FOR THEIR LOVE IN ST (HENRY TARGETING WILL AND BARB AND THE FACT THAT WILLS VANISHING WAS THOUGHT TO BE A HATECRIME AND HOW MIKES LOVE IS GOING TO COST HIM HIS LIFE BC HIS GUILT IS TIED TO HIS QUEERNESS) And this song also ties back to what I talked about with the wheeler family’s representation of capitalism and individualism (and god this HAS to tie into the russia arc and communism stuff somehow), because love and pride and collectivism and fighting for a people are something that goes against capitalism, but it costs people their lives. Mike going against that individualism is going to cost him his life, Mike being vulnerable and sacrificing himself and likely getting outed by henry is going to kill him, but it’s going to save other people. Especially maybe if Mike gets outed to stop Will from getting outed, dies so that will’s feelings for mike aren’t revealed. Love and pride are what’s going to kill mike. His love and his queerness will kill him. But it’s also going to save him. It’s going to bring him back, too. AND LOOK AT ‘MAD WORLD’ ON HIS PLAYLIST TOO: “the dreams in which i’m dying are the best i’ve ever had.” It’s a song about feeling out of place in society/going against society but also out of place in one’s interpersonal relationships and how both of those result in death, JUST like how ‘war’ by frankie goes to hollywood is about how people who rebelled against society and died as a result of it. And while the people mentioned in ‘war’ didn’t die at their own hand and sacrificed themselves but still died at another’s hand, ‘mad world,’ is more suicide at one’s own hand, which ties to how Mike sacrificing himself in s5 is going to be tied directly to his suicidality and work as a metaphor for him having killed himself in a non-supernatural/self sacrificing way, as a metaphor for what i’ve talked about before with how mike is invisible gay men who die by suicide vs how will is hypervisible gay men who die by hate crimes. But also look at this excerpt about the song: “This song is about a depressed young person who feels out of place in this world. He sees life as being empty, and looks for ways to escape the pain. The line, "The dreams in which I'm dying are the best I've ever had" suggests thoughts of suicide, and according to Roland Orzabal, who wrote the lyrics, it relates to the psychologist Arthur Janov's idea that our most dramatic dreams release the most tension. So, the guy in the song isn't necessarily looking to die - he wakes up from morbid, lucid dreams feeling better.“

Mike doesn’t want to die persay: he just wants to stop hurting people, he wants to die in the sense that he sees death and self-sacrifice/suicide as the only way for him to stop hurting people AND for him to make up for the hurt he’s caused AND as the only way for him to save/protect people. Mike doesn’t just randomly want to die, just like how the singer of ‘mad world’ doesn’t want to just randomly die- but rather, sees death as a possible solution to the isolation and pain. Mike is going to experience those morbid ‘dreams,’ he’s going to die, but he’s going to come BACK. Plus vecna and all of the dream imagery with him?? the freddy krueger parallels?? the ‘dream a little dream of me’ and ‘california dreaming’ imagery and paralells and how both songs tie to henry and will? ‘the dreams in which im dying are the best ive ever had’? This imagery almost seems to indicate that mike won’t actually die but rather just dream of it, but i disagree: i think the dream imagery ties his death to vecna, that it’s tied to a dream in the sense that henry kills people in their dreams.

“I find it hard to tell you ‘cause I find it hard to take.” Mike has trouble opening up to people because he’s struggling with his guilt and struggling with finding himself/his guilt/queerness ‘hard to take,’ so if he can’t even accept it, in his mind, how can he expect others to accept it? What he doesn’t realize is that other people accepting it is what’s going to help HIM accept himself, like how i talked about in this post with how mike makes will not feel like a mistake but the vice versa is also true and how mike’s ability to accept his own sexuality is intrinsically tied to Will. Mike is fucked. Mike is SO FUCKED. But he’s going to be saved. He’s going to die and come back. Love is going to save him, the very thing that killed him. Just like how mike thinks his actions/his love for people and helping them actually hurt them when in reality it SAVED them. And henry’s whole “tricked you? I saved you.” thing. It’s the opposite for mike, it would be ‘saved you? i ‘tricked’ (hurt) you.”

#st analysis #mike's mental health #mike wheeler analysis #st narrative #mike gets vecna'd #st5 #st music #mike's bassment beats #st dream a little dream of me #st california dreaming #st mad world by tears for fears #st war by frankie goes to hollywood #tw suicide #wheeler family #ted wheeler ref #st bullies #byler

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pholiabanna · 1 year

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what's on your s5 wishlist? the silly, goofy things!!!

I'M SO SORRY FOR ANSWERING THIS SO LATE finals were killing me and I wanted to wait and write a good answer to this.

First of all I'm really excited for the 4 og boys to be together again, because we haven't had one full season of them being in the same storyline yet, which I think is criminal. I really think putting them back together will bring back the season 1 feel that made everyone love this show, and I can't wait!

I'm also so excited about learning more about the upside down. The ships and characters are awesome to analyze, but I love the supernatural part and knowing that we're gonna learn what the Upside Down actually is, and why it's stuck on the day Will went missing, among other things, makes me impatient because I need to know rn.

Now I know those weren't really goofy things but I needed to put them because they are a must for me. Moving on to the silly things:

If the season takes place in 1987, the Duffers have the chance to do the funniest thing ever and include a rickroll in a creative way. C'mon, it has to happen

A lot of people are advocating for byler to get murray'd, Erica's or Jonathan'd, but I actually want them to get Argyle'd. I imagine a scene going like: Mike and Will talk about El and Mike's breakup and the camera switches to Argyle smoking a joint in the background, while he says "Whoa Wheeler you were dating supergirl? And I was here thinking you were with mini Byers this whole time, dude, that's not cool man, that's so not cool!"

I need more Erica and Lucas sibling bickering moments, they're the best

I know this won't happen, but imagine Mike's sexuality is revealed through a conversation about movies where he reveals he finds Fast Times boring af and he "doesn't understand the appeal every man sees in that movie". I mean, at this point Fast Times has become the Duffer's favorite sexuality metaphor

I know Max probably won't wake up early on, but I'd kill to get more Elmax scenes where they just bond like normal teenage girls again. Max already taught El how to stand up for herself and how to know what she actually likes, but I think it'd be so cool to see her find out what her hobbies are. I'd love to see a scene where Max just teaches El how to skate, and El keeps trying to cheat with her powers but Max tells her that's not fair.

I need Lucas and Max to go on that movie date as well, I don't care if it's impractical

Also even though I don't really care about Dustin/Suzie because they aren't a very focused on relationship, I think it'd be cute if there was a scene where they reunite in person

More Joyce, Jonathan and Will scenes together please!!!

They need to go around town riding bikes again, bring back the whole s1 vibe

Please let us see Mr. Clarke's pov, mans probably so confused every time he helped his students the town was destroyed. Also, they can't win without him and that's a fact

Troy has to show up again, only so that they beat him up and this time El breaks his leg

Alternatively, Lonnie comes back and Jonathan beats him up (with the help of Will maybe)

Nancy notices Jonathan's tendency to interrupt byler moments and puts a leash on him

I need a new iconic song tied to another iconic scene I can obsess over. Something that can top even the Running up that hill scene

Someone needs to acknowledge the fact that they are straight up calling 001 Vecna as in one of the Dnd characters, when actually he's just some guy named Henry who would probably be so confused as to why they're calling him Vecna

These are all I could come up with but I'm sure deep in my mind there's many more things I wish for and if the Duffers deliver even one of them I'll be satisfied!

#byler #byler tumblr #stranger things #mike wheeler #will byers

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swtsuna · 2 years

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STRANGER THINGS 5: THEORIES

These theories envolves around Will, Max and Eddie. (I know what is the first stage of grief, thank you very much). Take your time.

Also, this contains spoilers of Stranger Things VOL. 2. If you haven’t watched and don’t want to be aware of what happens, I advice you to stop here.

As we all know, there will be a timeskip from S4-VOL2 to S5. Based on this account (and I’ve seen in other places around Twitter) S5 will take place on 1988, making that a two years timeskip!

If in one week a lot can happen in Hawkins, let alone two years. Based on that, let me start the theories (made by this unhealthy mind of mine).

Max

Our beautiful Kate Bush enthuasiast ended season four in a hospital bed. She died for over a minute but Eleven made her heart beat again. That was really lovely if not for the fact that while in her mind, El couldn’t see a thing. Max is in coma, brain-dead.

On that scene we saw Lucas reading “The Talisman”, book written in 1984 by Stephen King and Peter Straub. Let’s see the plot, shall we?

“Jack Sawyer, twelve years old, sets out from Arcadia Beach, New Hampshire, in a bid to save his mother Lily, who is dying from cancer, by finding a crystal called "the Talisman". Jack's journey takes him simultaneously through the American heartland and "the Territories", a strange fantasy land that is set in a universe parallel to that of Jack's United States. Individuals in the Territories have "twinners", or parallel individuals, in our world. Twinners' births, deaths, and (it is intimated) other major life events are usually paralleled. Twinners can also "flip" or migrate to the other world but only share the body of their alternate universe's analogue.”

Tell me this isn’t similar to what’s happening in our beloved fictional city, Hawkins. I dare you. Do you really think I was finished? There’s more.

“In rare instances (such as Jack's), a person may die in one world but not the other, making the survivor "single-natured", with the ability to switch back and forth, body and mind, between the two worlds.”

The “earthquake” in Hawkins happened when Max was “dead”. Vecna was still in her mind and that’s why I believe she is not dead. Remember season one? When Eleven saw Barb dead? El can see dead people. Max is alive, but she is still trapped to Vecna. And as we know, Vecna can manipulate scenarios, so maybe he did that so Eleven wouldn’t know where she was.

And of course, she can’t switch back and forth with her mind and mostly body. But in two years? There’s likely a chance to her bones be back on the road (not literally lmao)

Therefore, there is a chance to, fully, save Max. Hinting the book and making some parallels: to save our favorite red-haired, someone will have to go to Upside Down and search the “Talisman”. I just don’t know what would be this Talisman. And since Lucas was the one reading... (Lumax endgame, they are my parents I can prove.)

ANOTHER MAX THEORY:

This is Raven Queen, Goddess of Death, from D&D.

“The Raven Queen is trapped by her fascination with the past. She sits in her fortress, amidst all the memories of the world, looking at the ones that please her most as though they were glittering jewels. Many great wizards have attempted to understand her motives, but like a raven she has always remained cryptic, keeping her cache of secrets just out of their reach.” — Alustriel Silverhand

“The whole existence of the Raven Queen was focused on collecting memories and strong emotions, typically associated with loss and tragedy.” (click here to see more).

Technically, it’s impossible to Max be Raven Queen (or sorta), since she’s almost as old as Vecna (in D&D world), but I see some similiarities between them, mostly on the “memories” part. Vecna is also her enemy (lmao who isnt) since he wants her power so he can deal, more properly, with the Realm of Death.

She was never mentioned in Stranger Things so this is basically bullshit but that would be hot because Raven Queen is hot.

Eddie

As I said before: yes I know what is the first stage of grief. I will never accept what the Suffer Brothers did to us. They can run away with US Government but not with small-town people? That sounds weak to me, hallowed be Vecna’s name doing the job for us. Yep, hunt the freak (Hawkins people).

Anyways, let me stop pushing my personal agenda and let’s go with the theory.

Did I say Raven Queen wasn’t mentioned in Stranger Things? Well, at least this character was:

But Vecna lives.

Kas is a vampire knight, known as Vecna’s right hand. Kas was a valiant warrior and it was said that he could enter a battlefield at the most complete disadvantage and still emerge, not only victorious, but also without a single dent in his armor. This skill in battle attracted the attention of none other than Vecna, who invited him to be their general. Kas' years of loyalty and efficiency led Vecna to present him with a mighty sword, which would become known as the Sword of Kas (yes, one of the most famous artifacts in D&D).

Kas and Vecna. (two bros chillin in a hot tub five feet apart cuz theyre not gay lmao i miss vine)

On top of that, there are a lot of explanations on how Kas became vampire, but the 3rd and 4th are most likely on ST universe:

1. Nerull & Battle of Thousand Eyes

During the Battle of Thousand Eyes, Nerull (God of Death) whispered to Kas to betray his master in exchange for a divine favor. Kas, with his lust for power, accepted and attacked Vecna with the sword he had been gifted from his master. That cost Vecna his left hand and one of his eyes (got that eddie "left eye" scene?)

Nerull nevertheless decided to grant Kas a minor favor: his soul was given strength and speed, but accompanied by an insatiable thirst for blood, which would be known as the Vampiric Curse.

2. Sword of Kas

The sword itself whispered to Kas, convincing him to slay his master and usurp his power. The battle destroyed Vecna's Rotting Tower, and cost his left hand and eye. Kas himself was flung across the multiverse to Vecna's Citadel Cavitius on the Plane of Ash. The time he spent so close to the Negative Energy Plane changed him into a vampire.

3. The Silver Mask of Kas

Kas became a vampire with the help of Vecna and through a ritual involving The Silver Mask of Kas. Menadora Zarovan (Vistani fortune teller who knows a lot about Vecna and Kas), claims that any other stories regarding the origin of his vampirism are lies spread by The Cult of Vecna.

4. Bats.

Bats? Vampire? Hello, there’s a connection! I would say it’s hard to believe (or happen) that the bats-bite turned him into vampire but Bram Stoker would be hella mad at me. And, literally, everything is possible.

Bats, in the Upside Down, can’t kill, as I saw people say. And I’ve seen people have a theory that Eddie actually fainted (since he lost much blood) and found somewhere safe to hide (jesus arms lmao im joking). That’s why his body wasn’t brought up to Hawkins. And, I mean, since he is a wanted by police, hated by his city who see him as a murderer, wouldn’t be easy to just bring his body back and “finish” that?

Also, see that:

“Presumed dead”. Not dead. Presumed. Okay, I might be surviving on crumbs BUT LISTEN: Dustin couldn’t walk properly but what about the others? Nancy, Steve and Robin could’ve brought is body back to Hawkins. And really, that two-days timejump was ridiculous to say at least.

So, they saw Eddie’s body lying there and did nothing? Knowing it would bring “peace” to Hawkins (since he is wanted even tho by something he didnt do)? They saw his body and were like lmaooooo jokes on you metalhead freak how can you be an ozzy fan and die by bats lmao POSER

Vecna is coming back, and stronger than he ever was. And he’s absolutely coming back with an army. Final season? Epic fight between the most powerful people on that show? They need to gather strenght and our 001 needs his right arm on battle. And what is the better place to search if not the Upside Down?

Still, I think if Eddie becomes Kas, would be by a brainwashing made by Vecna, but Dustin would “free” him. I even have the script:

“You said ‘Never change, Henderson’, but you did”. I can see myself crying again. I just want some like void!stiles on Teen Wolf S3. That was hot.

I don’t see Eddie/Kas with a sword, I’d rather see a guitar (LMAO it suits him better). And then, who knows, he can play “The Final Countdown” since people hyped that song on TikTok.

Apparently, “When It’s Cold I’d Like to Die”, song that played during Eddie death scene, is the same song that played when Eleven was trapped in the Upside Down on Season 1.

Will

Last but certainly not least: William Byers. You would’ve loved to meet Eddie, two of the greatest brains in D&D campaigns. But I’m not here for that.

Everything started with Will, so shall everything end with him.

I personally would love to see him becoming the “traitor”/villain along with Vecna. I hate seeing gay people suffer, I like seeing them MAKING OTHERS SUFFER!!! YAYYYYYY!!

He is connected to the Upside Down, to Mind Flayer, to Vecna and it all makes me remind of The Serpent

(you nicknamed my baby after the loch ness monster?????? got that? twilight reference? vampire? bats? eddie- ok.)

“The Serpent is a mysterious and powerful entity associated with the lich-god Vecna, who whispered to him the secrets of power and lichdom. It is believed by some to be a deity of overwhelming other, by others the force of magic itself with a will of its own, and by some a fiction of Vecna's madness.”

"An entity known only as the Serpent speaks directly to Vecna. Others—daring to call themselves wizards, magicians, and sorcerers—manipulate the tiniest aspects of the Serpent and call it magic. But Vecna speaks to the Serpent, and the Serpent speaks back."— Vecna Reborn (1998), p.4

We all know he will be the main character on that last season and that he is connected to Vecna

“He’s a sensitive kid” — Joyce Byers & Victor Creel talking about their respective children

In my opinion, he will be possessed by Vecna (if he can EVEN MORE) somehow during season 5, I’m not sure if Vecna’s physical body “died”/”ended” when Robin, Nancy and Steve were shooting at him and setting in on fire but it would be either him or Max, to be his vessel.

And I rather believe it’s Will, because as I said: Everything started with Will, so shall everything end with him.

(note: lmao thats what happens when a tv show kills off one of your comfort characters and favorite white boy of the month. dont be like me kiddos, sleep well and drink water. also that kas part applies to the 3 of them if you analyze i dont know why i wrote that lmao lemme know your theories)

#stranger things #stranger things s4 #stranger things spoilers #eddie munson #eddie munson x reader #max mayfield #will #will byers #max #stranger things headcanons #stranger things theory #my eyes are burning #eddie ozzy is so disapointed on you #but im not ily #also ily max when are you and lucas getting married

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deanismysavior · 2 years

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I do not know what is up with R3ddit but guys out there literally think the duffers are just going to give Will a background love interest in S5 or something. Do they really think they are going to give their main character a background love interest in S5? when they have introduced a love interest (Vickie) for one of their more minor character (Robin)?

Like, do they even realize how fucking ridiculous it sounds? So they were more encouraged to introduce a new love interest for one of their minor characters than to introduce a new love interest for their main character? Not hating on Robin here but objectively speaking she is not exactly a main character like Will is.

Not to mention the duffers could already have introduced a new love interest for Will in S4 by making him meet with a boy in Cali. Yet they have not.

Like I really am trying to see their point here. Do they think the Duffers would just hate Will so much that they make him suffer, throw him in an unrequited love storyline, and build up Mike's rejection... for what exactly? For ''realism''???? Why would they do that to their main character who is the only canonically confirmed gay boy on the show??? When they wouldn't do that to Robin??

Fuck off with your ''realism'', really. It's not realism you guys want. It's just cruelty and suffering and hate crime you guys want to see.

The Duffers aren't going to introduce a fucking homophobic heartbreak storyline for their main, I'm sorry if you guys want to see that happen but it's not how things work. I'm saying this to Melvins who want and expect this to happen as well, if you are reading this ask. It's not gonna happen. And if it happens, then the Duffers would give their only gay main character the most homophobic storyline for no reason other than suffering tbh, when they could have introduced a new love interest for Will already without involving him in Mike's storyline.

Do you guys really believe the Duffers would be that cruel and write something like this than to believe that they are breaking Melvin up since at least S3 by showing us how their relationship doesn't work because they are not compitable?

To be honest, I think the reason a lot of people, especially Reddit Bros, think this is because they don't view Will as a main character.

I've noticed a trend in which a lot of (mostly guys let's be real) in the GA kind of write Will off as an unimportant character. I think a lot of people are more focused on El and her arc, and are invested in the Vecna storyline, but they really don't view Will to be significant outside of his connection to Vecna.

Basically, they view Will as a plot device and not a character, which is why they're so comfortable with the idea that he ends up sad, alone, or dead, because they're viewing him as a way of getting from point A in the plot to point B,

But this is explicitly NOT how the Duffers have written Will, and they've made that pretty apparent, especially in recent interviews saying that Will is going to be a main focus in season 5, which means that Will's emotions, motivations, and struggles ARE important to the storyline. And that also means that his feelings for Mike WILL get more explicitly addressed.

But because they continually view Will as a side character or as less important to the plot, they couldn't even fathom him actually getting a well-developed arc in which he could potentially have a real love interest.

And yes, I do think homophobia has something to do with the fact that a lot of these dudebros don't really seem to care about Will as a character.

Anyway, Will Byers deserves better and he deserves his mf hero arc and he deserves love and affection from his boyfriend Mike Wheeler.

#byler #byler endgame #byler nation #ask #will byers #will byers my beloved #will byers deserves better #will byers main character #stranger things #st

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thestobingirlie · 1 year

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Hello!! Just wanted to say thank you for your absolutely refreshing takes. It makes me feel like I'm not the only one which is so nice. I love checking your blog and reading through your responses, they're always so insightful!! Especially about Steve, Robin and Nancy

One thing ive been thinking about lately that ive been wondering if you have thoughts on (but no pressure if you dont!) - is Nancy's plan to take down Vecna in s4. She saw the vision , she's ambitious and determined to take Vecna down, but she's also unempathetic, doesn't think about consequences and always needs to be right. She bulldozes over everyone and a part of me wonders how differently it could have gone if they didn't follow her plan. Or adjusted it. I mean, Steve has severe road rash up his whole back and arms, has been bitten, strangled, and is breathing in the toxic Upside Down air - and she still wants to go back into the Upside down relying on him. She dismisses his concerns about the bats and then the bats kill Eddie. A lot of this is probably just the Duffers writing decisions but get this boy some medical attention please oh my god take his injuries seriously. Nancy gets herself another gun even though they don't work on Upside Down creatures.

Sorry this isn't more coherent! Nancy is just so complicated and fucked up and interesting to think about!

thank you so much! i love compliments <3

thanks for calling my responses insightful! i try not to get too lost in what i want for characters and my interpretations and stick to what canon presents us with. obviously my opinions will always seep through, but i’m glad you like them!

i think the thing with nancy’s plan is that the duffers don’t want to make nancy look like an idiot, but her plan was designed to fail.

so everything that goes wrong is kind of outside of her control. there’s an earthquake, and they get caught by vines. eddie chooses to run back into the horde of bats. jason shows up and breaks max’s walkman.

the duffers didn’t want the audience to look at the plan and blame nancy for how it went wrong, because she’s their girlboss.

the thing is, when you look deeper into the plan, it’s just kinda stupid. she has someone majorly injured on the main vecna hunting team (and god someone please help this boy, he’s bled through his bandages nearly the second they’re on), she’s using a gun against an upside down creature when she’s never seen that work (steve has an axe that he just doesn’t use against vecna?), eddie and dustin aren’t given any kind of firepower to defend themselves, and everyone completely forgot that jason was after them.

i think if we’re going within the realm of canon, no plan they came up with was ever going to work because the vecna defeat has to wait for s5.

but within fanon, i do think if they’d waited a little more, if nancy had been a little more willing to listen to the others, planned a little better, this much shit wouldn’t have gone wrong. nancy finds it difficult to consider other people, she can’t always see the big picture when she’s focused on saving people, she’s not super emotionally in tune with others, and as a result the boy that’s seen two people get horrifically killed in the last few days gets put on the suicide mission.

though we also have to remember nancy is traumatised by what vecna showed her, so i don’t know if she ever would’ve been able to think clearly. she’s feeling guilty, and desperate, and so she reasons out max putting herself in danger as for the greater good.

sorry this didn’t end up being more about nancy! nancy is very fun to dive into, and her role in the plan is super interesting, especially because i don’t think she’s a particularly good leader figure, but i think the plan sucked because the duffers needed it to suck. and if the duffers wanted vecna defeated in s4, her plan would’ve worked, and nancy wouldn’t have girlbossed her way too close to the sun.

#nancy wheeler #steve harrington #eddie munson #max mayfield #stranger things #asks #anon

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tdgjyler · 1 year

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We never actually saw Will with the demogorgon...

He thinks that's what kidnapped him into the upside down, and it might well have been, although I'm a 'Vecna took Will' truther.

Obviously it seems to capture Will at the end of 1x07 by breaking into Castle byers, but again, we see never actually see the demogorgon when it does this. And if it was hunting him and found him, then why wasn't he eaten? Instead he was taken back to its feeding ground but not harmed, instead he had a vine down his throat as if he was trying to be either a carrier for more demogorgons, or Vecna was trying to convert him to the upside down the same way the vines seem to sustain him in S4.

In S2, Will himself doesn't view any of the demodogs, only through the hive-mind perception (like in the tunnel scenes we don't see any demo-dogs) and then he's sedated before any of them attack within his eyeline. They're all dead by the time he's himself again. Whatever happened to the one Dustin and Steve stuffed in his fridge, idk, its anyones guess.

In S3, he sees the flesh monster and the possessed people, but not any upside down creatures themselves.

In S4, he's in Cali and doesn't see any upside down creatures there either. Also in S4 the russian guard says the shadow went into the demogorgons and demodogs... So the first assumption is this means it would've been controlling them the same way it did Will at the end of S2. However we didn't see the demogorgons or demodogs acting any differently than they have in previous season's. Still hunting people. The only time we see them actually possessed for any reason Vecna would want, is that Vecna sees Hopper being attacked by the demodog and shows it to Max. Other than that, it only brings about his pain by Murray barbecuing them and it hurting Vecna. So if we're saying the mindflayer isn't entirely controlled by Vecna, then it could've just gone into the creatures so they act as a protective host in a strange new world.

If its possible for the mindflayer to enter the creatures, as well as people like it did with Will and everyone in S3, then could that have been what happened in S2 with the demodogs too? Why they attacked El and Hopper on the lift at the end of S2?

Sure, it could've just been them hunting for food, but it seemed like they were trying to stop them from closing the gate and therefore killing everything alive on our side. If the demodogs are the same as demogorgons and primarily just actual on primal urges and only really kill for the thrill of the hunt and food, then it wouldn't really explain why they were doing the mindflayers bidding in S2. If "the shadow went into them" when they were still in the upside down, and they were under its influence as well, then it makes sense. It would also explain why Dart (who grew in our world and wouldn't have had the chance to have "the shadow go into him") was just hanging out on his own, not following the others in the tunnel to stop El and Hop, and focuses on the food Dustin offers him like an actual animal not under someone's mind control would do.

So in ST5 if the upside creatures are coming into our world, our characters will presumably see some of them from up on the hill. Meaning we'll get to see Will actually view one with his own eyes.

And I don't think he's NEVER seen one before. I do think the creature he was hiding from that week in the upside down WAS the demogorgon, so its likely he's seen it up close. But does he know the difference between Vecna's appearance and the demogorgons appearance? When he does see the creatures in S5 and others refer to them as demogorgons, will he be surprised? If we see Vecna again in the pre-S5 time jump, will Will recognise him??

Who knows. I do love that idea though!

#stranger things #theory #byler #< target audience #vecna #mind flayer #will byers

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strangertheories · 2 years

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what is your take on the possibility of will and/or mike getting vecna’d in season 5? i personally think there’s a good chance will is going to be vecna’d but not sure about mike. i want mike to be vecna’d so we can see into his thoughts finally and see his internalized struggles. i think it would be a good way to set up byler without it seeming rushed.

I'm honestly not sure. First of all, will Vecna still do his thing with the psychic connections considering he doesn't need to make portals anymore? And if he does, would they be targeted?

First of all, Will. Vecna and Will have a ton of parallels and Will seems to be linked to the Upside Down. Plus the Duffers mentioned that Will is going to have more supernatural issues in S5 alongside his personal journey. I feel like Vecna would be more likely to want to flay Will or have Will join him. Remember in S2 when Will said he wanted everyone dead except for him? That could serve as foreshadowing. I've spoken before about how I feel as though Vecna could've seen himself in Will, a young bullied kid who's rejected for not conforming to societal norms who also likes drawing and is described as sensitive, like he saw himself in Eleven and maybe that's why Will was targeted in S1 in which case Vecna wouldn't Vecna-ify him.

On the other hand though, this could be even more motivation for him. Vecna is a big fan of psychological manipulation so maybe he uses visions and trances as a way to psychologically manipulate Will into joining him. Maybe it's nothing to do with joining him though. But Vecna knows all about Will's time in the Upside Down and maybe he knows something about it we don't which we could see. As well as that, because Will is linked to Vecna's mind and can feel how he feels, he could be used as a mouth piece like Nancy. Will is a bit of a super spy too so Vecna could use one of these trances to not only mess with him psychologically but to use him to scare the rest of them or feed them false information.

Most likely though, if Will was Vecna'd it would be about his sexuality and feelings for Mike. It's something Will's obviously very insecure about. He even described himself as a mistake (which breaks my heart but anyways) so it wouldn't take much for him to crack. If Vecna continues using fear tactics to scare people like Pennywise and Freddy Krueger (his inspirations), I feel like this was the route he'd want to go down.

In terms of Mike, I'm really not sure. I'm just not convinced Byler's going to happen in S5. They've ruined his character and are really pushing m*leven so I really have my doubts. If he was Vecna'd then it would most likely be about him feeling 'unneeded' or Vecna showing him visions of Eleven being dead or something. But let's consider the possibility that Byler is going to be canon for a minute.

If Mike had a Vecna trance about his sexuality, it would probably be focused at first about him being a bad boyfriend and then develop into his feelings about Will. This could serve as audience confirmation that they both have mutual feelings for each other and put a time bomb for when they're going to get together. But on the other hand, it would also serve as some internal exploration of Mike beyond being Eleven's boyfriend which I'd love. Again, I have my doubts and I don't know if Byler will actually work but if they do go down that route, that would be a brilliant way to introduce the ship. I hope this happens as I just love Byler so much but I don't want anyone to get their hopes up and be disappointed because of me.

Thanks for the ask (:

#stranger things #stranger things four #byler #st4 #stranger things theory #stranger theories #will byers #stranger things analysis #byeler #st4 volume 2 #st5 #st4 spoiler #mike wheeler #will byers is gay

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will80sbyers · 1 year

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thinking about s5 and Max maybe she wakes up on her own but without memories maybe and El and Lucas go to Vecna to find her memories and not her whole mind Idk I also wonder how is Vickie going to be connected with everything and also like what is it about water being kinda important and focused on this season and how is Dustin's trauma going to affect him like what will it make Dustin do, why was it important to make him experience Eddie's death was it only to torment him with Vecna's visions or there is more... is El going to be feeling ready to fight or is she going to feel insecure about her abilities now that she lost Max, is Lucas going to want to go inside Vecna's mind with El if El tires to or what is he going to do... and the adults are staying to fight random monsters in Hawkins and act like generals for an army of the people of Hawkins? but like we can't have the big battle at the start I think? or can we? the portals are said to keep spreading so the gates are going to swallow Hawkins if they don't find a way to close them all and they have to close the gates before the time jump or everybody is going to have to move to other random places but it's not what the Duffers said because they said we are going back to the vibe of s1 so like they should be in Hawkins imo

is Max being saved and waking up going to give El the power to close the 4 gates because she's using love and that makes her superultra powerful

is the big monster attacking immediately or is it something for the final battle in the last episode

and if the real battle with the real monsters happens at the start of s5 does this mean that after 2 years if they do the time skip all the torture and the battle they are going to fight will be mainly in the upside down itself against the mindflayer plus in their minds because it will be mostly or entirely mental

but if El closes up everything then why do they decide to go back to the upside down to finally kill Vecna if he's not dead

what could be a reason? just to finish him? maybe someone gets kidnapped again? or is Will going to start having dreams about Vecna being alive after two years and they get lured to the upside down because Will decides to go there on his own secretly and the party goes after him? in that case maybe Vecna lures Will back to the UD using Jon if he died in the previous battle... maybe Vecna wants him to go because Will has powers even if he doesn't know?

#St5 Jon #ramblings #I don't have clear answers for all of this #St5 ramblings

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seventeenlovesthree · 2 years

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Okay, so, after having binged Stranger Things season 3 and 4 for the past two weeks, I probably should have expected falling into the rabbit hole... And I have thoughts and feelings. I’m usually not into horror and gore at all - but since friends of mine had recommended season 1 to me back then, I caved in. I wasn’t as invested at first and, to this day, the romance plots in this show make me want to jump off a cliff, but I understand that this is all for marketing purposes - writers know the appeal of shipping and what it does to people to get invested.

And that’s where we get to Byler - and where this gets rambly. First of all, I stick with shows when the characters mean something to me - and by God, there are a lot of them who made their way into my heart fairly easily. And then there’s Byler; I am super hyperfocused on the kind of ship Taishirou represents since last year - an unlikely pair, complementing each other wonderfully, becoming friends despite their differences, absolutely adoring and admiring and going through hell and back for each other, but also sucking at communicating their feelings -, so when I realized how Byler played out, I got even more interested.

The thing is, I kinda expected that they wouldn’t end up canon by the end of Season 4, Volume 2. I read the Byler tag in recent days, read a few analysis posts, got excited and HYPED and it all seemed a bit too good to be true, even with all the hinting by the cast and promotional material. I couldn't imagine there would be a way ALL of it would fall into place - I'm not a pessimistic person and the way people speculated and wrote SUCH amazing concepts for them to work out this season, having to face their inner demons/feelings for each other through Vecna, the use of the music (that stuff alone is the kind of storyline I'm such a sucker for, I have used it in several Taishirou scenarios already and it NEVER gets old to me)... But it would have been too easy. They very clearly framed Will to go through all of this suffering, while simultaneously making Mike so... Unstable. All of this, as disappointing as it may be at first glance, had to mean something.

I do believe that all of this REALLY is a false flag and that all of it will pay off in season 5 due to how it was framed. Yes, it WAS painful to see Will tear up like that after OBVIOUSLY making a confession from his own heart, but... I really do have hope that what we initially believed was true, that it's all heterobaiting.

Because El does NOT need - or want - romantic love. It's not what she is about at all and that's rather obvious to me, because none of her bad/sad memories in V1 were about her friends/Mike, anything. (She even said that she missed him at their reunion, but I actually believe he and the others didn’t have much space in her head due to EVERYTHING that was happening.)

I actually wish Hopper had been more visible in her memories, since it IS familial love she needs and wants and should get, being “loved” unconditionally; that’s why the end of season 4 is so heartbreaking and beautiful at once, her love for Hopper, Max, everyone... It’s there and it goes deep, but her arc just isn’t about “romance”. Because romantic love in context with her is a.) overwhelming her and forceful b.) selfishly imposed on her by Mike. Funnily enough, I only just now really realized through v1 what people meant by the internalized homophobia Mike was displaying, but... Yes, it’s there. It feels like they had a Tri-esque writing issue about not being able to get the threads together for all characters, but... As much as I love all the fandom ideas, I do have hope that s5 will provide both more suffer porn and a resolution for this. Mike needs to learn that what he's doing is led by confused intentions. That the love he feels for El is him trying so hard to BE romantic attraction, but judging by the way he couldn’t say it for the longest time, I cannot help but agree that that’s simply not it. And because he's so overly focused on this, he comes off as this ignorant douche, who can't sort out - or even see - his priorities. You can't have a character like Mike, who has been so caring and protective, just turn ignorant like that if it didn't mean anything. Compulsory heterosexuality is a thing, he's been scared, he's been hyperfocusing on El, there's a lot of guilt he's not able to process, hence he's constantly on the edge and not paying attention to things he usually wouldn't overlook (just like the car scene - I understand that the "I'm too scared to act" trope is realistic in several scenarios, but... That's also been overdone at this point. And I say this as a person who successfully cried at work several times without getting noticed).

As for El - I am all for “love” to exist between her and Mike - but I don’t even think El took it as romantic confession at all, but as general declaration of her being valued, which is something she craved for. I also agree with fan theories that it was indeed not his declaration of love that made El snap, but her anger at the overall situation. He obviously means a lot to her - but there’s a reason why the end of Volume 2, AGAIN, hinted at them still not communicating. And it just doesn’t work like that - and might not work out in season 5 either.

I get that this is cheap conflict fuel, I just... Am so tired of mis/noncommunication being a main reason for things being the way they are for several characters; they made us see through Lumax that the characters need to TALK to get better. Heck, even the scene between Will and Jonathan gave us a glimpse of what could have happened if they let the characters be actually honest with each other. That’s why the overall character progression for Mike and Will feels so frustrating here, because despite their attempts of being honest, opening up towards each other - it ended with Will “lying” for Mike’s sake and there was a disruption between them once more. That aside, they also reduced both Mike and Will basically to "non-main-characters", either due to bad writing or because it was meant to shed more light on other characters for now (this season made me and so many others fall so deeply for Lumax and, man, I love Robin SO much, I basically know more about her and Eddie as characters and people by now than about Will due to him being shoven into the back like that, it's sad).

So my theory is - they proooobably chose to put them closer to being “adults” (they'll be close to 15, if I remember correctly) in season 5, before making it more "real", because we know people still have a problem not assigning pedophilia towards young gays and all that stupidity, ESPECIALLY because of the religious focus this season had (+ all the bullying already).

So... My hope for season 5 dies last. There IS a possibility that Will might end up as both enemy and cure at once and I do hope that the latter won’t happen, because that’d make us come full circle circle, making the queer coded character evil and probably killing him off in the end... I really hope it won't turn out to be like this, but that's the vibe the last few scenes gave me. Either way, I’m sure there will be lots of suffer porn - but I do believe that the framing for Will and Mike meant something eventually. That they showed the glances, the tears, the parallels.

Hope dies last.

#byler #my two cents #stranger things spoilers #stranger things season 4 spoilers #meta

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