#maybe the duffer brothers should just write about friendship

[asterdust]

i think the reason why for me, eddie's "death" is too personal, it's because he's one of us. yep every single nerds here. who defies social norms and who's only ever felt comfortable in their own skins once they're in their comfort zones. comfort zones that society usually treats as less important (art, music, stories).

and i havent even gotten to the headcanon of him as queer part because that would rip so many wounds each of us try to hide. hunt the freak, right?

we have a character who has a lot of potential to be explored more. but seeing him die with barely any acknowledgements from people who had been with him in his final moments (only Dustin. what the fuck. to be honest i was expecting robin, nancy, and steve would come back to the gate in the trailer park and see what happened. at least), it's sick as fuck.

anyway im probably rambling but ive never been so disappointed with a show i truly love since it came out because it made me feel seen. like hey it's a show about these group of nerds fighting interdimensional monsters!!

but then we'll never know, we didn't see the body being buried. we'll never know.

#maybe the duffer brothers should just write about friendship #they dont know shit about romance #stranger things #sorry the writing is so shitty and rushed vol 2 #eddie gets so much hyped and for what #eddie munson #i miss u already it hasn't even five hours #pls come home :( #stranger things spoiler #personal rant

[stoprobbersfic]

F: Share a snippet from one of your favourite dialogue scenes you've written and explain why you're proud of it.

Uh. What if I told you the answer to this actually involved Jonathan and... Steve?

I'm gonna pull out these 2 bits from Armistice:

“You know, I never got to apologize.”

That’s not what he’s expecting to hear. “What?”

“When I came to your house, last year, I wasn't… I wasn’t looking for Nancy. I was coming to apologize. Because I said a bunch of really fucked up shit about your family, while your brother was missing. That’s not me. I’m really sorry, Jonathan.”

Steve never uses his first name. He looks at the older boy steadily until Steve finally meets his gaze. Jonathan is surprised to see something like fear in his eyes.

“Apology accepted,” he says simply, thinks for a second. “I don’t regret punching you.”

“I don’t regret punching you either.”

And then just a little further down:

“And did either of you think about me?”

The hurt is plain in Steve’s voice, and there’s a weight on Jonathan’s chest.

“No. Or, I didn’t. You’d have to ask Nancy if she did. I wouldn’t be surprised, but we also didn’t talk about it.”

“Not even once?”

He sighs, feels himself deflate.

“Maybe we would have. We definitely should have. But after the… things happened, when we got back, there were drawings all over the house and Mom and Will and Mike were all gone and, well, you know the rest.”

Steve does know the rest. He knows about both times, was there both times. Helped save his brother, his mother, both times.

“I never thanked you,” Jonathan says. Steve’s eyes had drifted off past him to the middle distance but now they snap back to his. “For coming back the first time, helping us trap the demogorgon. For protecting the kids this time, for setting the vines on fire. For helping save my family, twice. Thank you, Steve.”

One side of Steve’s mouth tips up.

“You’re welcome, Byers.”

I think what I like about this is that they're saying real, valid things that need to be said to each other: "I'm sorry I said that shit about your family while your brother was missing/the whole town thought he was dead" and "Thank you for coming back to fight a monster, which was definitely about to eat me when you came back in the door."

I maintain and will continue to maintain that Steve and Jonathan should have been friends for years by now. I understand the complications with Nancy but I also understand that saving each other from monsters sorta trumps love triangles by A LOT, and i think the two have a lot they could learn from each other. I even think their personalities are more compatible than they think, and we should have been given the opportunity to see by now. (I also know we are NEVER gonna get this in canon now, there's no more time, so i will keep writing it until my face and fingers turn blue because fuck you duffers that's why.)

And I think in this scene (which, these two quotes are part of one big long scene) gets to tease out the foundation of mutual appreciation and mutual respect that this friendship could have had. Would have had, if they let me write the show ;)

And I'm really proud of that, because I think I did it well.

#this was not the answer i was expecting to give but there you have it #fic asks

[viewmasterfeeling]

Wait...

Will and Mike aren’t really referred to as “friends”. It comes up a few times, but not enough to be a significant thing. They don’t call each other their best friend-- not when talking to others, not when talking to each other.

Of course, you might be thinking, “well obviously, no normal friends do that!” But you’re forgetting that this is a TV show. Things are different. There are certain things that writers have to emphasize when writing platonic relationships so that the audience doesn’t get the wrong impression. If the writers didn’t want us to ship Will and Mike (and instead just see them as a friendship), it feels like they should have cleared it up by now. They know that Byler shippers exist. (and I’m pretty damn sure they knew that there are some romantic vibes in there.) So, why not just clear it up in S2 or S3? Simply having Mike call Will his friend would probably clear things up. But does it happen? n o

YES, it’s important for boys to have strong friendships. See: Mike and Lucas! I’d say that’s a pretty strong, platonic bond right there. And with Mike and Lucas, there are no moments that could be interpreted as romantic (like there are with Byler.) So, there’s not much need to clear things up.

Here are some scenes I can think of that signify platonic ships:

(about Lucas)

Dustin: “The point is that he is your best friend.” . . .

Mike: “I mean he is, but so are you. And so is Will.”

Dustin: “Can’t have more than one best friend.” . . .

Mike: “Well, I call bull on your logic. Cuz you’re my best friend, too.”

(again, the emphasis is that Dustin and Lucas are Mike’s best friends)

(about elmax)

Mike: “I’m glad you and Max are friends now.” (then again, it’s perfectly valid to see El and Max as more than friends.)

(about Stobin)

Steve: denies any interest in Robin when Dustin keeps pressing on. (and it doesn’t seem like he’s lying)

And later

Robin: “We’re just friends”

(about Mileven)

Mike: She’s my uh…”

Lucas: “Cousin!”

Dustin: “Second cousin!”

(Later)

El: “Will you be like my brother?”

(about Jancy, but a twist)

They say that they’re friends, but they were LYING and it turns out to be romantic. The fact that they’re lying is made obvious with the acting and other film aspects

Here’s what I have on Byler:

Mike: (Gives a long speech about how befriending Will was the best thing he’s ever done.)

BUT… he doesn’t call will his friend. He just recalls them meeting and becoming friends. (There’s reason to think that the feelings could have evolved beyond friendship at this point.)

“I asked if you wanted to be my friend. . . it was the best thing I’ve ever done.”

ASKING was the best thing he’s ever done. Will coming into his life was the best thing that’s ever happened. But he never says in the speech anything about their “friendship” or anything about them being (just) friends NOW in the PRESENT.

He doesn’t say “being friends is the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”

Hmm.. wouldn’t an emotional speech like that be the perfect time to clarify things like that?

(I guess you COULD say that the Duffers threw in the word “friend”... but it was brushed over and not focused on.)

TL;DR: Mike and Will have moments that are OBVIOUSLY romantic. They’re relationship is rarely referred to as platonic. Therefore, it’s valid to see them as a romantic pair, and not much evidence suggesting it’s JUST platonic. If the writers wanted us to only brOTP them, they would have/should have cleared it up by now.

(sorry if this is incoherent and kind of a stretch but... idk, maybe someone can add onto this with a better explanation)

#byler meta #byler #byeler #byeler meta #byler theory #byeler theory

[skullrock]

Are there any characters apart from Dustin and Robin that you want to see steve interacting with in S4? Preferably some new dynamics with people who he has never shared screentime with before, or old pairings that haven't been given much focus?

most excellent question, anon!

This will get long and I apologize, but here is my list:

Mike - I want to see Steve and Mike scenes!! So bad!! We only really got the one where Steve has the dish towel on his shoulder, and then when he lets Mike and the kids into the theater. I want to see the SASS, the sarcasm, the glares, I WANT IT ALL. Man, I really hope they give us something with these two in S4. 

El - Steve and El would be SO precious. I think it would have been so cute to see Steve teaching El how to read or write, or something. She’s so soft and quiet where he is abrasive and loud and I think their friendship would have been so cute and wholesome. and also again she could paint his nails and I would die

Max - I agree with everyone else that Steve should become Max’s unofficial older brother. I want to see him stand up to the plate and protect her/give her life advice (that isn’t shitty!!!!!)/be there for her. They both have had each other’s backs in the past (mainly season 2) and I want more of that!! They could be the second most sarcastic friendship, after Robin and Steve. 

Will - I think that Will would be intimidated by Steve because Steve is very “cool” and loud, and Will is the exact opposite. Similarly with Steve and El, I think they could have a friendship that is very soft and caring, and I want to see it, god dammit!!!!

Lucas - In my eyes, Lucas 100% looks up to Steve. It would be fun to see Lucas going to Steve for advice in general, maybe about how to be cool and suave, and Steve giving him all these pointers. Like, Steve gives Lucas pretty much a makeover and sends him off to high school, like, “Thats my boy!!” and being very elated when Lucas excels. 

Hopper - I want. Cop Steve. So bad. And I know we can’t have it and that’s okay. But FUCK, if they all go to break Hopper out, Steve better have some quality fucking screentime with Hopper. I want Steve to lose his shit when Hopper guns down 10 men in 2 seconds, I want to see him pick up on some of Hopper’s fighting techniques, delivering a swift and solid punch to a Russian soldier to knock him out. And then I want Hopper to pat him on the back and go, “ever thought about joining the force?” and Steve is like “holy shit”. I just! Want it dude

CLAUDIA HENDERSON - willing to bet their relationship is SO cute and wholesome. I bet they quip with each other and I bet Steve compliments her all the time. It probably would annoy Dustin that they get along so well, but they just do, and it would be so glorious. 

Nancy - I want them to bury the hatchet and get back to some good ol’ fashioned sleuthing. I want to see them do some detective work together since Jonathan is away. I also think they could be good friends but the writers really just said “ok they broke up we don’t need to elaborate anymore” and thats WACK! Let them talk!!! let them talk abt their relationship for what it was!! Let them both grow from it!!

Jonathan - pretty much exactly as above! I want to see them burying the metaphoric hatchet or like, Jonathan gives Steve some kind of peace offering (maybe a new bat?) and they both end up being really good friends. I think they could be great together if the Duffers would let them interact!

KEITH - I want to see Keith and Steve SO BAD DUDE. I want them to rag on each other, I want this weird rivalry, I want Steve to save Keith’s ass and Keith STILL be ungrateful and hate him. They could be so funny together imo!!

that’s my list right now but if I think of any more, I will add them!! <3 this was fun to think about, thank you anon!

#answered

[upside-nwod]

TV Series Ask

Thanks @sarah-guardian-of-the-trash for the ask/reply!

I definitely expected the show to be Stranger Things haha but I do watch other stuff if anyone is interested

Send me a tv series and I’ll tell you:

my all-time ultimate fave character: Eleven oh my god. The greatest character of all time. Also can we just take a second to appreciate that Millie Bobby Brown is the perfect Eleven? The entire cast is freaking golden. Imagine if one of the did not exist. We would not have this beautiful show.

a character I didn’t used to like but now do: Karen Wheeler because she is not an absent mother like I originally thought. She is just doing her best.

a character I used to like but now don’t: I don't think there is one. There's definitely characters I don't like but I never liked them to begin with, y’know?

a character I’m indifferent about: James or Officer Powell

a character who deserved better: BENNY AND BARB. Duh.

a ship I’ve never been able to get into: OT3 (Stoncy I think it is)? I can get into the monster hunting trip friendship but not relationship, ya feel? And it's not me being against polyamorous relationships. I don't care. I just, personally, don't dig the ship.

a ship I’ve never been able to get over: MILEVEN. SORRY. IM TRASH.

a cute, low-key ship: Jopper

an unpopular ship but I still enjoyed it: I don't think I have one? Although, I live for Ched discourse if that is a thing.

a ship that was totally wrong and never should have happened: UH in the original pilot script for Montauk, they wrote Mike as having a crush on Jennifer Hayes and I cannot support that. I mean it didn’t happen anyway, but it shouldn’t even have been a thought.

my favourite storyline/moment: Don't do me like this. Literally the last six episodes made me feel things I've never felt for a show before so I'm gonna say the entire bit from when El leaves all the way to the flash forward.

a storyline that never should have been written: EL FUCKING DISAPPEARING??? No, but actually, they had to do it. I'm just said because she's my favorite. I cried. I really did.

my first thoughts on the show: Wait here's how this went down; I was sitting around on campus procrastinating and I didn't wanna watch PLL so I was like "maybe I'll finally start this new series because it is still all over Tumblr" because I have this weird thing about jumping on a bandwagon immediately.

Anyway, I watch like twenty minutes of the first episode before I have to go to class and I found myself fidgeting the whole time just itching to get back to see what happens. And then I watched the whole series within like two days.

my thoughts now: I can't believe a television show has made such an impact on my life. And that may sound silly, but it really has. It has genuinely changed me and has made me reconsider my major because it has re-awoken my writer's block and has reinvigorated my suppressed desire to be a show/film writer/director instead of a teacher. I could actually write an entire essay or master’s thesis analyzing this show and gushing about The Duffer Brothers

#stranger things #ask #working for them is the dream??? #and it's only like a six month old dream? #shut up sam