
JVL
KIROKAZE
Sweet Seals For You, Always

Product Placement
đŞź
I'd rather be in outer space đ¸

⣠Chile in a Photography âŁ
almost home
noise dept.
$LAYYYTER
Stranger Things

Andulka
PUT YOUR BEARD IN MY MOUTH
taylor price
Peter Solarz
let's talk about Bridgerton tea, my ask is open

izzy's playlists!
Not today Justin

JBB: An Artblog!
Jules of Nature
seen from United States

seen from United States
seen from Germany
seen from Spain

seen from United Kingdom
seen from United States
seen from United Arab Emirates
seen from Germany

seen from United States
seen from Spain
seen from Singapore

seen from United States

seen from Bangladesh
seen from United States
seen from Philippines

seen from South Africa
seen from United States
seen from T1
seen from France
seen from United States
@hazardworld
judy and bj yuri, you say?
ah yes judy and bj a highly toxic bisexual x enby couple well of course
Dustin's a Damn Good Ally (Original) Pt. 6
Chapter 6â Scars and Black Sweatshirts
Ao3 Link
Originally Posted 1.1.23/Edited 9.2.23
Summary: Dustin's turn! I've tagged him as queer only because I didn't want to ruin the surprise. When this is a series, his actual label will be in future fics. (fyi i had one in the words but as of now I'm using part of it for Monster Town S2E4 so...yeah)
(Queer author saying queer is used both positive and negative here)
âââ
Eddie was taken aback at how accepting Dustin was.
It was clear he didnât care about sexualities, even if he was straight. That was metal as fuck in its own right, but even more interesting was how the kid seemed to have an innate sense of gaydar in him.
As good as if he was gay himself.
Either way, Eddie found himself having a movie night with Steve and his adopted siblings/children, fully able to kiss and hand-hold and love his boyfriend, without judgement from the other two in between them (aka the only reason Steve and Eddie werenât cuddling: the redhead on Eddieâs right, next to the brunet on Steveâs left)
Eddie had found himself a family full of love, and for fuckâs sake, he was happy.
The movie in question was the Breakfast Club, something everyone found comforting and sweet, and hopefully not inducing nightmares from trauma Eddie wasnât technically supposed to know about but forced all three to tell him after everyone had screaming nightmare after screaming nightmare.
Besides, Eddie thought it was similar to their dynamic: found family from all walks of life, not to mention is was secretly a personal favorite of his.
About an hour in, Dustin went to go get popcorn, but the movie was quickly stopped as Steve gently pushed him back down into his seat.
âŚok?
Eddie looked up in confusion as Max and Steve put on determined looks, and Dustinâs confused face quickly turned into a panicked one.
Eddie pretended not to see (or be hurt by) the way Dustin's fearful eyes kept going back and forth, mostly directed at him.
"Max, you know where the sweatshirt is, yeah?" She nodded and ran upstairs, while Steve ran into the kitchen, Eddie mentally agreeing to follow behind.
"Steve, whatâs going on? Is Dustin ok?" Steve gave a little huff, and started looking through cabinets.
"Babe, I love you, but itâs something Dustin needs to tell you. Not my place." Steve grinned as he spotted and swiped a large bottle of hydrogen peroxide. "Grab the paper towels on your way. Câmon." Eddie grabbed the roll, trailing behind like a lost puppy.
By now, Max had returned, and was helping a crying Dustin tie a black sweatshirt around his waist, and Eddie saw the dark red stain on the Harringtonâs pristine couch.
Oh.
That madeâŚso much sense.
Eddie remembered coming out to Wayne: the day after his middle school graduation, saying that he was Eddie, and thatâs who heâd be in high school.
How scared heâd been that someone who he trusted and loved could turn on him so easily, just for saying who he was.
How kind Wayne had been, saying Eddie was his boy, and how tightly they hugged afterwards.
Now, the roles were reversed: Wayneâs job now his.
So, Eddie did the best thing he could, and tore off his shirt.
Well, he didnât literally tear it off, but he threw it over his head so fast it was almost like tearing it.
Either way, it had exactly the effect intended, because the second Dustin caught sight of his bare chest, he gasped.
Under Eddieâs chest were two long, slightly mangled scars of the breast reduction surgery that had "gone too far."
News flash, it hadnât.
And the scars that reminded Eddie of what had once been now brought one of his favorite kids joy, because Eddie was just like him.
"Eddie?" Eddie grinned and nodded, and Dustin just crashed into him, into a hug.
"I thoughtâŚI thought youâd hate meâŚbeing gay is one thingâŚ" Eddie gently shushed him and pulled him in tighter.
"Donât worry kiddo, I could never hate you for being trans. Itâd be kinda hypocritical, no?" Dustin giggled in his arms. Eddie caught the wide grin from Steve and the approving smileâthe equivalent to Steveâs wide grinâfrom Max, and he smiled warmly.
Max snatched the paper towels from his hand, making it clear his job today was comfort, as she and Steve got to work on the stain.
Eddie stayed shirtless the rest of the night, pretending not to see the little glances Dustin gave the scars as the movie continued.
âââ
And that's a wrap!
A few bits that may be integrated later, idk: - Dustin knows Steve's safe because he got his first period at Steve's house (spring '85) - Eddie gives Dustin a few of his own black sweatshirts after the fact - Dustin (plus Nancy and Lucas) can sew, and he makes his own binders out of sports bras
Special thanks to a few of my friends who beta read (aka I just read this aloud to you at some point), especially "the Dipper to my Mabel" (I don't think they have an ao3/tumblr acct) and @octopiys.
Please PLEASE read the new version. Yes, it may have the same plotline, but I've added a bunch of fun details that give the story more character.
Chapter 5/6
Dustin's a Damn Good Ally (Original) Pt. 5
CONTAINS DESCRIPTION OF *POTENTIAL* SEXY STUFF (NOTHING ACTUALLY HAPPENS). READ AT OWN RISK (OF WHICH THERE ISN'T MUCH TBH)
Chapter 5â Regret (followed by not-regret)
Ao3 Link
Originally Posted 1.1.23/Edited 9.2.23
Summary: This was a bad plan. It ended in a good thing! Still a bad plan.
(Queer author saying queer is used both positive and negative here)
âââ
Steve was off his game.
Obviously, Robin was off the list after October â85, but that didnât mean he couldnât still pick up hot babes from behind the counter of Family Video.
Right?
Right.
Obviously, Dustin teased him about it, as a little brother would, because when you see your older brother falling into a slump of what he once was, you grow equally concerned and mocking.
The problem was, Steve didnât even seem all that interested himself!
Throughout that summer and even into October, Dustin would hear endless complaints about how he couldnât get a single girl, but November rolled around, and then nothing!
Dustin came to one conclusion: Steve Harrington had given up.
Well, he came to a lot of conclusions, but that one seemed the most plausible.
One of his conclusions involved a convoluted plot about Steveâs secret flirty love affair with Eddie Munson, but not only was that too good to be true, but it was obviously not plausible: Steve was the straightest guy in Hawkins!
Right?
Right.
Well, maybe Jason Carver was straighter, but he was an asshole who liked to harass Eddie, so Jason could burn in hell for all Dustin cared.
And there was also that telltale way Steve flustered up at Eddieâs flirting, or the quick little touches Eddie gave him, or the quick tensing when Eddie would sit or even exist near Steve.
It was mid-November when Dustin had been in Family Video, Steve and Robin behind the counter, him long forgotten in the aisles of tapes as Eddie strutted in, and Dustin overheard the weirdest conversation heâd ever had.
"Munson? Fancy seeing you here, what brings you in?" Steveâs voice, sultry. Like how heâd welcome a girl into Scoops the previous summer.
"MmmâŚyou, maybe? Or is that not in stock?" Eddieâs voice, also flirtatious, though that wasnât abnormal. This was followed by a gag, probably from Robin, and a laugh from Steve.
"Sorry Munson, but we have a bit of a shortage right now, youâll have to swing by later. Letâs say, 11?"
"Perfect. Catch you later, Harrington, Buckley." Eddie walked out of the store, and Dustin had to think:
Okay.
What in the actual fuck was that exchange??
Eddie flirting with Steve was one thing, but Steve flirting back???
Maybe Steve wasnât the second straightest guy in Hawkins after all.
Dustin still doesnât know how he made it out the store without getting spotted, but he did, and he didnât really think about it too much. He had a mission, and that involved pedaling as fast as possible back home, because Ma only let him sleep over places if he was already there, or if he asked before 7, and according to his watch, it was already 6:30.
His thighs burned, but he made it back in time, and quickly connected the last strings of his plan as he packed his overnight bag.
First step was requesting everyone off walkie channel 9, which he did from his house.
Second was biking over, and filling Max in, because sheâd love every part of this convoluted scheme as much as him.
Step number 3? Making sure to place a constantly on walkie on channel 9 in the living room, so by the time Steve got home, Dustin and Max would be able to hear when and if Eddie came over, and possibly, kisses and love confessions.
Easy peasy lemon squeezy!
Steps 1 and 2 went fine, but step three was the kicker, because Steve noticed the damn walkie, and turned it all the way off, which forced Max and Dustin to actually go downstairs and see for themselves the kissing and cuddling and love confessions.
Yeah, turns out they were doing a little more than kissing.
Max and Dustin screamed when they fully got a glimpse of Eddie half pinned down onto the kitchen island by Steve, pants strewn to the side, and both in boxers.
They both looked at the pair with equally wide eyes and equally crimson blushes, but whether that was from theirâŚactionsâŚor from embarrassment, neither freshman wanted to know.
"Dustin, Max, go back up to your room, please." Steve said cooly, not changing his position, "Me and Eds are putting on pants, and then weâre having a talk." Both teens nodded vigorously, and ran back up to their room, and promptly had a freak out, until Steve and Eddie knocked and came in a few minutes later.
"Ok. So. You walked in on us." Steve said simply, no malice, but no joy, either. Both he and Eddie stood in front and in between the two twin bedsâjade green on one side for Dustin, sky blue on the other for Max. "Why."
"Dustinâs idea!" Max quickly pointed to Dustin, who scoffed and raised his hands.
"Itâs not my fault Steve shut off the walkie!" Steve raised an eyebrow.Â
"What were you going to do with the walkie, Dustin?" Dustin dramatically crossed his arms.
"The plan was for me and Max to listen in on you kiss and confess your undying love or whatever. You turned off the walkie, though, and after awhile we wanted to see if anything happened." Steve blinked, and pinched the bridge of his nose, while Eddie slowly started to nod, seemingly impressed.
"You obviously werenât just kissing, thoughâŚ" Max muttered, though loud enough to hear.
"No shit, guys." Eddie chuckled, "How did you even know about tonight?"
"I heard you both flirting in Family Video." At that, Steve and Eddie went beet red. "I wanted to see if it was real or fake, and I knew Max would, too."
"I thought youâd already left!" Steve exclaimed, and Dustin shook his head.
"I was back in the shelves, Steve-o." Steve quickly muttered 'fuck' under his breath, and Eddie laughed.
"Look, Iâm glad itâs you two who found out first, after Robin, of course. Besides, itâs not like itâd stay a secret for long, since all three of us would be here so often." Steve sighed, calming at Eddieâs words, and also by how Eddieâs hand had looped into Steveâs, giving it a squeeze.
"Yeah, but next time, please just ask before you walk in on us. Itâs not like youâre going to judge, but itâd be nice to have some privacy?" Max and Dustin looked at each other and giggled, nodding. The young adults smiled, looking at the kids, and then each other, and then bid the two goodnight.
Before they left though, Max made sure to ask a question:
"Steve, whatâŚare you?" Steve blinked, and smiled.
"Bisexual." Max grinned.
"Me too."
âââ
And now you see why the fic has a Mature rating.
Also, Steddie are switches. Eddie prefers dom and Steve prefers sub, but they're def switches.
Chapter 4/6âââChapter 6/6
Dustin's a Damn Good Ally (Original) Pt. 4
Chapter 4â Dungeons and Dragons and Dick mentors (oh my)
Ao3 Link
Originally Posted 1.1.23/Edited 9.2.23
Summary: Eddie chose this life. Now he's gotta live with the repercussions.
(Queer author saying queer is used both positive and negative here)
âââ
Eddie Munson was fucking awesome.
That was something all four boys could easily decide on the moment they found out what Hellfire Club was and joined their first session zero.
First of all, Will definitely had a crush, that was obvious, and theyâd gossip later.
The rest of them all had gender envy, because holy shit, Eddie Munson was a badass with no qualms about himself, no shits to give when people were assholes, and by god, was he a killer DM.
So what if he had to go through senior year a few times? Being smart didnât just mean getting good grades and doing assignments, Dustin knew Steve could tell you that one.
Eddie Munson was a fucking enigma, and Dustin Henderson wanted to know more.
It wasnât until Dustin accidentally caught Eddie between classes, and watched him get shoved into his locker, getting called words Dustin only knew from his father, that he hesitated.
âŚwas Eddie queer?
Of course, Dustin didnât give two shits if he was, butâŚwas he?
The punk and metal scenes (from what Dustin knew) were usually utilized by gays and straights alike, so while that could be a good point of reasoning, still, Eddie could just as easily be straight and be called those words for being in the scene.
He did love to flirt with Steve before and after Hellfire sessions, but Dustin couldnât tell if it was platonic asshole friend flirting, or if Eddie had genuine interest (though Steve always seemed to get flustered, but that was a topic for later).
Right before Halloween, the Byers and El moved to California, which hurt like a bitch.
Not only did Dustin and Will lose their fun semi-weekly gossip sessions, but that meant an entire shift in the dynamic of the Super Six (Dustin had been calling them all that and it started to catch on).
First of all, Max hadnât owned up to her bisexual polyamory dream yet. She broke up with Lucas, since even though he didnât know, she felt like it was unfair to be able to date one and not the other.
Furthermore, Mike hated not being able to see his girlfriend every day anymore.
And lastly, they had lost their best fucking wizard ever.
Suspiciously, Eddie also looked pretty forlorn from the news, so one day a week or so later, Dustin, as he did these days, popped into the trailer to a begrudging Eddie, with an itch to ask questions.
"Eddie, whyâre you upset over Will leaving?" Dustin plopped down on his couch unprompted, "You seemed so forlorn at our last session." Eddieâs brow furrowed as he closed the front door of the trailer.
"What? Henderson, youâre gonna have to be more specific."
"At our last session, you seemed a little sadder than normal with Will being gone. I donât think anyone else noticed it, but I did." Eddie paused, and sighed, plopping down on the opposite end of the couch.
"Yeah, wellâŚnumber one, I had no clue you were that good with body language Henderson, what the fuck, and twoâŚ" Eddie paused, obviously trying to think about something, "Iâd become kindaâŚa mentor to him, so to speak." Dustin raised an eyebrow.
What could Eddie possibly be a mentor to Will about?
Obviously, of course, a DM mentor, but then why was Eddie being so secretive and specific about it?
What did Will do that was secretive and specific?
Oh!
So the assholes in the hall were, technically, right.
"Youâre gay." Dustin really had to stop blurting that out at people, because Eddieâs face immediately went to shock, eyes blown wide, and a blush of embarrassment coated his cheeks.
"Henderson, how in the fuck did you know that?" Dustin shrugged.
"You could be a mentor for Will for a few things. I donât think heâd outright go to you for painting or art advice, which meant either you helped him be a better DM, or you helped him with being gay, and you wouldâve just said you were mentoring him in DM-ing, if you were." Dustin paused briefly, and Eddie only blinked, so he continued.
"Also, I heard people in the hall call you aâŚnasty things, and I got suspicious from there, soâŚ" he shrugged again, indicating the end of his monologue. Eddie blinked again and shook his head, pinching the bridge of his nose.
"Jesus, Henderson, now I get why Harrington calls you the little shit genius kid." Eddie looked back up at him, a frown with his eyebrows raised, "Since Will trusted you Iâm assuming we can keep this under wraps?" Dustin nodded, grinning.
"Absolutely. Your secret is safe with me, Eddie." Eddie gave him a soft smile, something Dustin hadnât entirely seen during his usual school hours.
"Thanks, kid. Means a lot." Dustin returned the soft smile.
"I know."
Eddie was still equally intimidating to Dustin, to be fair, but for him, it was nice to know Eddie was as accepting as he was, even if Dustin himself was straight.
âââ
Dick mentors' just means Eddie was helping out Will with liking dick. I couldn't think of anything else that funny. Please don't take it out of context.
(Though, if Mike started dressing more like Eddie, Will wouldn't complain)
Also, 3 months after July is October, and assuming they start school in mid-ish August (according to current Indiana schools), that means Will and El were at Hawkins high for at least a month or two! Eddie met them! He might not remember, but he did meet them!
Chapter 3/6âââChapter 5/6
Dustin's a Damn Good Ally (Original) Pt. 3
Chapter 3â Boobs on Shoes (and other tall tales)
Ao3 Link
Originally Posted 1.1.23/Edited 9.1.23
Summary: Robin thought she was being secretive
(Queer author saying queer is used both positive and negative here)
âââ
Dustin was pissed Steve wouldnât date Robin. She was right there, witty and charismatic, pretty as shit, already trauma bonded, close with Steve, and yet, Steve grimaced every damn time him dating her was brought up.
So of course, Dustin, being the 'little shit genius kid' he was (Steve had given him that moniker) made sure to closely watch all Robinâs interactions when they were together.
So maybe that meant browsing Family Video more often than not.
His only result from that was Steve scolding him for coming in so often, and nothing that said "I like Steve" from Robin, other than a playful push on his shoulder. Yet, this could easily be a move between friends: Dustin and Lucas did that all the time to each other.
Dustin was honestly perplexed, until one day, they all had a movie night at Steveâs place. Knowing Steveâs infamous love of cleanliness, everyone had to slip their shoes off at the door.
Dustin didnât think too much on it, until the end of the movie, when Robin asked Steve to go grab her shoes.
Now, Dustin was a good kid, and Steve was nowhere near the front door, so instead, Dustin picked up the red Converse high-tops, walking over to the older girl to hand them over.
Thatâs when he noticed a small sharpied script on the rubber:
I wonât go down in history, but I will go down on your sister.
And oh shit, it clicked into place.
If Steve didnât want to date her, though, because she was totally his type, that meant he probably knew, too.
To be honest, lesbians were one of Dustinâs first introductions to gay culture. His mom, even when they were living in Minnesota, told him he was loved no matter who he was or who he liked. He was definitely straight, but it was comforting to have someone in his life who explicitly supported him, especially at an early age. He knew not everyone had that resource.
After they left, his mom came out to him, to which Dustin responded by supporting her and criticizing her taste in beards (as any good son would do).
So yeah, he liked lesbians, and it kicked ass to know he had more in his life.
In the end, Dustin held his tongue, knowing there were other members of the Party around, but he smiled warmly as he handed back the shoes.
He knew her secret.
A week later, he stumbled into Family Video again, to be greeted by Steve and Robin, who had obviously been in a heated conversation Dustin had interrupted.
Dustin couldâve backed out, but when did interrupting ever stop him before?
Besides, Steve knew what he was about to disclose into the (Dustin looked around) very empty store, so what did it matter?
"Youâre lesbian." Yeah, he probably couldâve eased into that easier, based on her panicked reaction, but too late now! "Thatâs why you guys wonât date, because you both like girls and you," he pointed to Robin, "donât like guys,"
(Dustin had no clue Steve was bisexual or that heâd even implied that fact, when the two behind the counter had ironically just been conversing about it before heâd burst in)
Robin went bright red as Dustin smiled sweetly, looking about to sputter something out. Instead, Steve quickly put a hand on her shoulder, giving Dustin a firm look.
"Dustin, you canât just out people like that, you know this."
"I checked the store to make sure no one was here!" He put up his hands in defense, "Besides, I knew if you didnât want to date her, you had to know something, and even if you didnât itâs not like I did it in hateful company!" Steve groaned and put his head in his hands.
"HowâHow did you even figure it out?" Robin asked, and Dustin shrugged.
"Your shoes, last movie night. I saw the history-sister thing. Kinda pieced together from there." Robin blinked.
"AndâŚand youâre cool with it?" Dustin frowned.
"Steve never tells you anything, does he?" She shot him a confused look, and Dustin sighed. "Yeah, Iâm definitely cool with it. I wouldnât have just burst in here like that if I wasnât, trust me. I know how I work." Steve nodded from the side.
"Yeah, heâd make up some convoluted bullshit to forcibly out you or something. Do you have any purpose for this visit other than to out my friend?" Dustin grinned, shaking his head.
"Nope! Iâll be off now. Bye!" Dustin ran out the doors excitedly, hopping back on his bike.
If he noticed Robin staring at Nancy Wheeler instead of the screen that next movie night, that was between him and his own thoughts (and eventually him and Steve during gossip sessions).
âââ
It's canon that Robin has a lot of fun stuff on her converse ;) ;).
Again, Dustin has absolutely no grasp on social cues.
Chapter 2/6âââChapter 4/6
Dustin's a Damn Good Ally (Original) Pt. 2
Chapter 2â Twins and Poly-nailery
Ao3 Link
Originally Posted 1.1.23/Edited 9.1.23
Summary: Max has a lot of shit going on in her life
(Queer author saying queer is used both positive and negative here)
âââ
Dustin met Mad Max when she moved to Hawkins in 8th grade. Why her parents (or mom and stepdad) chose to move from fancy California to bum-fuck-nowhere Indiana beat him, but alas, they had, and it had brought Dustin one of his best, closest friends.
Originally, Dustin believed he had a crush on her. Soon, he realized that feeling of jealousy, of passion to prove himself, and burning loveâŚwasnât exactly romantic. It was 100% familial, and after the Snow Ball fiasco and the second (and hopefully last) edition of traumatic bullshit that was the Upside Down, Dustin, Max, and Steve became a little unit of melancholy daddy issue holders.
So, Max and Dustin got really damn close. Close enough that Dustin started to learn her quirks and mannerisms, how to tell if she was nervous or excited, and how to tell if she liked you or if she was just flat-out annoyed.
In the summer of 1985, Dustin noticed her becoming closer with El, and close in a way Max had only been before she started dating Lucas.
So that was something.
More and more, on his off time from dealing with the Russians and contacting Suzie, heâd see the two together, easily brush off-able as besties or bffs, but Dustin knew Max better than that.
So he did his research, because he wanted to support his sister as much as possible. Even if she didnât know what she was feeling, he wanted to make sure she knew he loved her for it.
In 1976, David Bowie came out as bisexual.
Perfect.
Bisexuality meant she could like both Lucas and El, boys and girls.
However, that was a long shot. Maybe Max was completely over Lucas, or maybe she wanted to try something new, or maybe she didnât even catch how her feelings were absolutely more than platonic.
So, all Dustin had to do was confront her about it, orâŚconfront really wasnât the right word, it made it all seem threatening and angry; Max already got enough of that in her life.
He wasâŚtalkingâŚto her about it.
Talking worked!
Yeah.
Dustin had no idea what would happen with Billy, though.
He couldnât predict the grief that would strike her for weeks, making her unattainable. He could understand, though, and knew to give her space. A sexuality crisis could wait until after a grief one.
It was well into September, now, a few weeks after their first day of high school, when Dustin and Max found themselves alone (or, semi-alone, Steve was downstairs in the kitchen) in Maxâs new designated bedroom in the Harrington mansion.
Dustin was jealous as hell for that, side note. He knew the reason why she got it, and knew it wasnât a great reason by any means, but he was still mad as hell Max now got to live with Steve and he didnât. (Though heâd spend enough time there in the next few weeks for it to become their room, but he didnât know that yet).
Dustin knew this was probably a good time to bring up the conversation heâd been putting off for about a month and a half, now, when the two of them were calm, sitting on Maxâs big comfy bed. They were listening to music from an old record player, Max painting his nails a pretty purple (Eddie, the new DM at school, wore nail polish, and it was so cool).
"Hey, Max, I have a question." She looked up from his hands, eyebrows raised, and made questioning 'hmm' sound. "YouâŚyou know itâs ok if you like, girls, right?" He saw the panic immediately form on her face, "I donât judge you, love is loveâŚI think the saying is. Not sure." She blinked.
"IâmâIâm not gay!" So she didnât know what bisexual meant, ok. Dustin could work with that!
"You can like guys and girls, Max. Iâve seen the way you look at Lucas and El, and itâs the same," Maxâs cheeks flushed red, and her freaked gaze started to soften.
"You canâŚdo that?" Dustin nodded, smiling slightly.
"David Bowieâs bisexual, so yeah, I think you can." Max blinked again, brow furrowing.
"Bisexual?"
"Bi, two, sexual, sexually attracted to." Dustin shrugged, "Thatâs the word he used to describe it, anyway." Max slowly closed the polish bottle, curling her knees to her chest in front of Dustin.
"I was so confused, I thought there was something wrong with me!" Dustin grinned.
"Thereâs nothing wrong with you, Max,"
"I like Lucas, and I knew I liked El, but I didnât know if that meant if I was gay orâŚwell, I guess you can see how that turned out, huh." They both laughed, but Dustin paused.
"You still like Lucas?" Max nodded.
"Yeah, uh, itâs weird butâŚI like them both? And I donât want to have to choose, because theyâre both amazingâ"
"Polyamory." Max froze, eyes wide, jaw slightly dropped, "You have two hands, Max." Dustin grinned, slightly maliciously.
"Is thatâŚthereâs a term for feeling like that?" Dustin shrugged.
"I think thatâs it. My mom taught it to me on the way back from camp, something about Suzie and Mormons and standards," He waved his hand, disregarding the topic, "Dunno. Either way, I think you should love whoever the fuck you want, and if itâs Lucas and El?" He shrugged nonchalantly. "Just donât do it in the bed, man. Iâm not sleeping over again if you do!" Max made a disgusted sound, and the two of them laughed.
"Iâd hug you right now if your hands werenât still drying, asshole," Dustin snickered, then his eyes widened.
"Also? Steveâs safe. Canât really explain why, butâŚhe wonât judge. He may be a little confused, though." Max nodded. "Wanted you to know since youâre staying here, now."
"Thanks," Dustin grinned.
"Anytime, sis."
âââ
Your honor, these are twins. No, I will not defend myself: this is a fact.
I've seen so many "Dustin is Steve's child" and "Max is Steve's child" to which I say "they are the trio of melancholy daddy issue holders and they are all siblings and Claudia is their Ma.
Chapter 1/6âââChapter 3/6
Hey Tumblr friends! One of my Ao3 fics âDustinâs a Damn Good Ally,â got somewhat popular. However, every time I read it, I canât help but note all the grammatical/spelling errors, the simplicity of text, and sheer lack of description.
I donât want to completely change and destroy it though, because even with all its faults, it did make people happy.
Therefore, Iâve decided to preserve it before I edit it. On here, Iâll be posting the ORIGINAL chapter-by-chapter, with a link to the EDITED one on Ao3 (when it goes up).
âââ
Chapter 1â Confessions by the Dumpsters
Ao3 Link
Originally Posted 1.1.23/Edited 9.1.23
Summary: Dustin's dad sucks, and Will is heartbroken
(Queer author saying queer is used both positive and negative here)
âââ
On Dustinâs first day of 6th grade, he was called 'toothless.' That was a generic, appearance-based insult, something similar to insults heâd gotten in the past. It didnât hurt him, he knew it was just a name.
The same people who called him toothless called Will 'a queer.'
Dustin knew what that meant.
When he was 7, his dad had called him 'a queer' and other words he wouldnât repeat, and he and his mother had quickly left their small Minnesotan town for Hawkins, Indiana.
Dustin knew the effect that word had on people.
So, he kept defending Will. It didnât matter if will was actually gay or not, the word still hurt, and he made sure the other two in their squadron of 4 knew how bad of an insult it truly was. Mike didnât really get it.
That school year, he kept Will under close watch, making sure to always have a snack and some tissues on hand, keeping an eye on his emotions and the people around him.
Thatâs when Dustin noticed something interesting: Willâs body language always showed shyness around Mike, and Dustin wouldâve been damned if he didnât catch the small smiles and pinked cheeks Will got when talking to the other boy.
So maybe Will was queer, after all.
Not that that was a bad thing!
Obviously!
Duh.
But obviously, that insult had merit to it. Merit confirmed the night of the Snow Ball, when Dustin watched as his good friend forlornly watched Mike slow dance with their new friend El, and decided to make his way over, linking his arms with the other 8th grader.
"Dustin? Whatâ"
"ShhhhâŚ" Dustin put a silent finger to his lips, "Wanna head outside and talk for a bit? Itâs not like any of us are getting the dates we want," Willâs brow furrowed, obviously confused at Dustinâs specific wording, but he nodded, and Dustin led the way to the back parking lot, where he knew no one would be there to listen.
"SoâŚ" Will said after the door closed, "Whatâs up? Here to complain aboutâŚgirls?" Dustin smiled warmly, sitting on the concrete steps below, patting down a space next to him. Will sat.
"Will, I want to ask you something, and I need an honest answer, ok? No judgement." Willâs eyes went wide with panic, as if he knew the question Dustin was about to ask. He probably did, if Dustin was gonna be honest.
"IâmâIâm gay," He whispered the term hurriedly, tears starting to form on his cheeks, "if thatâs what youâre asking." Dustin grinned.
"I was gonna ask if you like Mike, but sure, yeah, that works too." Suddenly, Will just started sobbing, and Dustin pressed him into a deep hug, not realizing that he was starting to cry softly, too.
"Fuck, Dustin, I like him and he only likes her and it hurts!" Dustin used his hand to rub Willâs back in circles, something Ma did for him whenever he needed a good cry.
"Well, Will, Mikeâs kinda a douche, ok? Heâs a well-meaning douche, but a douche.â He felt Will nod beside him, and he kept rubbing his back. Suddenly, Will drew away from Dustin, putting his hands on the older preteenâs shoulders.
âSo you donât hate me for beingâŚâa queerâ?â Will whispered the term, and off of instinct, Dustin grimaced. This instantly sent the wrong message, as Will backed away quickly, panic streaking across both boysâ faces.
âShit, Will, oh my god, I didnât mean that like that!â Willâs face still reeked of fear, but now with the added dose of confusion, âI could never hate you for being queer dude, thatâs a dick move!â Dustin watched Will sigh in relief, the confusion still there.
âSo thenâŚwhyâd you make that face?â Dustin sighed, looking down.
âI dunno. Just the way you said thatâŚdidnât hit right for me. Felt like you were hurting yourself. Itâs stupid, sorry,â Will grinned, pulling Dustin in for another brief hug.
âDonât be. Itâs cool. Thanks forâŚbeing cool with all this.â Dustin grinned, âI havenât exactly come out to anyone yet, but I think my mom and brother know.â Dustin nodded. He wouldnât say how or why, but he knew they did, and that they were safe. Really, thatâs all that mattered.
âSoâŚenough talking about my shitty love life, howâs yours?â Will grinned, and Dustin rolled his eyes.
âDude, Steve taught me all his popular jock boy tricks and none of them are working!â Will laughed, âI thought Iâd be a chick magnet tonight, but here I am with you talking about unrequited love.â He groaned lightly, pinching his hand to the bridge of his nose, and Will patted him on the back.
"Shitty love lives together, eh?"
They chatted back there until Lucas grabbed them 20 minutes later, saying Steve was there to pick them all up.
Later, Dustin realized he became Willâs crush confidante: he was the only person who explicitly knew, so Will would come to him or walkie him asking for advice, or to rant, or to even just ponder.
It was nice to have that relationship: partner work was almost always Dustin-Lucas and Will-Mike, so it was great getting closer to another member of the party he didn't spend as much time with. Will was kind and thoughtful, and also a real snark when he got into it.
Truly, Dustin thought it was all pretty bitchin'.
âââ
It is my firm belief Dustin is the first one to clock Will at the Snow Ball, and everyone's better for it.
Also, the kid has absolutely no social cues. This will be a reoccurring theme.
Chapter 2/6
In honor of barbenheimer day, hereâs what the party would do for each movie
Max, El, Will: went to see Barbie together, and dressed in full pink.
Mike, Lucas: went to see Oppenheimer together. Lucas later regretted not seeing Barbie, too.
Dustin, Erica: Oppenheimer, then Barbie. They went home for lunch and to change in between. (I hc Ericaâs bday as July 21, so sheâs gotta live it up.)
Steve, Robin: went to Barbie with Max, El, and Will.
Eddie, Nancy: Barbie, then Oppenheimer. Eddie went as Barbie and Nancy went as Oppenheimer.
Johnathan, Argyle: Someone had a showing of Oppenheimer with Barbie subtitles, so there had to be a Barbie with Oppenheimer subtitles. Thatâs the showing Johnathan and Argyle went to. They didnât question it (they were too high obvs).
To add to this, I made a set of comics to post on my new art insta (@hazardworld_).
I have speed drive stuck in my head and itâs pissing me off.
(Itâs such a good soundtrack tho)
In honor of barbenheimer day, hereâs what the party would do for each movie
Max, El, Will: went to see Barbie together, and dressed in full pink.
Mike, Lucas: went to see Oppenheimer together. Lucas later regretted not seeing Barbie, too.
Dustin, Erica: Oppenheimer, then Barbie. They went home for lunch and to change in between. (I hc Ericaâs bday as July 21, so sheâs gotta live it up.)
Steve, Robin: went to Barbie with Max, El, and Will.
Eddie, Nancy: Barbie, then Oppenheimer. Eddie went as Barbie and Nancy went as Oppenheimer.
Johnathan, Argyle: Someone had a showing of Oppenheimer with Barbie subtitles, so there had to be a Barbie with Oppenheimer subtitles. Thatâs the showing Johnathan and Argyle went to. They didnât question it (they were too high obvs).
no bc actually. Dustin and Will are THE duo. mr. âdustin âi cant wait to tell will about thisâ while giggling at willâs funeralâ henderson and mr. william ââweâre going to talk to dustinâs girlfriend đââ byers are literally the best friends of all time we need more of them
Monster town S2, P2!
A note: Parts 1, 2, and 3 happen simultaneously. Parts 4 and 5 (possibly 6) happen simultaneously.
Worldbuilding: 1â2â3
Season 1: 1â2â3â4â5â6â7â8
Season 2: 1â2
This is what happens when two intellectuals get together to solve problems. If the story sounds weird, sorry, never really been smart before.
(You ever heard of She-Ra?)
ââââ
Nancy wrapped a bag of ice in a dish towel, before walking back into the main area. The bodies of the basketball players were still up against the walls, hopefully only asleep. There were about 8 of them, with an average of two per wall.
Steve had fallen fast asleep on the couch, to the point where he had started snoring. Both Nancy and Dustin knew Steve snoring loudly was highly unusualâobviously it meant whatever magic heâd used earlier was massively exhaustive. Therefore, they both made it a goal to try and be as quiet as possible so they wouldnât wake him.
In theory, thatâd mean moving rooms in order to provide him more silence while they talked and strategized.
The main issue with that was what if any of the basketball players woke up? It would leave Steve completely defenseless. Not to mention Dustin, either, whoâd completely refused to leave his side once everyone left. Nancy assumed it was some sort of werewolf pack thing, since it was very clear by the way he had positioned Steveâs arm over his torso: he needed sensory comfort.
She handed the ice pack over to the kid, before sitting herself in front of him criss-crossed.
That was another thing, too. When Dustin was pushed down, he was pushed down on his bad ankle. By Nancyâs suggestion (requirement) he was sitting and icing it for 20-30 minutes.
âI donât need this,â Dustin raised an eyebrow, trying to give the ice pack back. Nancy shook her head and shoved it back to him.
âI donât care,â
âI have super healing!â Nancy rolled her eyes.
âAnd I still want you healing the tried-and-true human way. Steve would agree with me if he was awake,â she raised an eyebrow, and Dustin sighed.
He couldnât fight her on that one, and she knew it.
âWhat do you think happened with Steve?â Dustin asked, âI have my ideas but I want to know yours,â
Nancy shook her head. She wasnât on any research teams, only the main theorizing one.
âI understand itâs probably related to being a siren. You saw how he re-shifted when the wind picked up, right?â
Dustin nodded. âYup. I was reading earlier; MĂŠlusine descendants have wind powers. I wonder if heâs powerful enough that he just canât control it.â
"That would make sense, especially since his line is direct. Could Eddie teach him anything to help midigate any future outbursts?â
Dustin shrugged. âNo clue. Plus, Steveâs response indicated this has all happened before. He wasnât even shocked!â
Nancy nodded wildly. Sheâd noticed that too, how nonchalant Steveâs response to the whole ordeal was. If that had happened before though, who had that happened to? Had anyone gotten hurt in the process?
âHe wasnât. If he hadnât explained why he stopped using sirenspeak, I wouldâve thought maybe that stopped him from using magic,â
Dustin frowned, looking as if he was processing through an idea.
âWhat ifâŚhe did? What if he had more magic, but whatever he did changed him, and from then on he only ventured so far as to sirenspeak people?â
Nancyâs eyes widened.
âThen when the demogorgon happened, he bottled up the last parts of him left, and this was the first time heâd let anything go,â
Dustinâs eyes widened in tandem, and they both panned their gaze to Steve, still sound asleep.
There was a brief pause.
âHow many books did you collectively check from the library again?â Nancy asked, attempting to see if there was anything she could scrap to find a historical narrative there. Maybe there was something in one of the books that said why Steve was so powerful, or alluded to how or when Steve had his first outburst.
âYouâre not gonna find what you need, not many books actually go in depth with siren magic, much less siren anatomy,â Dustin shook his head, âThat being said, Steveâs dad has a good collection of books in his office. Maybe one of those could help?â
Nancy nodded and started getting up.
âBe right back,â she said, but Dustin stopped her before she walked away.
âWait, one thing before you go, did you hear that song?â
Nancy frowned, looking at Dustin.
âWhat song?â
âOkay, that answers my question. Itâs the song that played in the air while Steve was doing his whole,â he made large wind movements with his hands, and Nancy understood.
âNope. Remember, if thereâs anyone in the group who could hear as well as you, itâs a Sinclair,â
âOne secâyou stay with Steve,â Dustin got up, bolting (with his limp) to Steveâs basement. Nancy tried to protest, but he pretended not to hear her.
Stubborn dick.
10 minutes later, Dustin came out holding an electric keyboard over his shoulder. He set it up near the couch, turning it on. It seemed like he was trying to play the melody heâd heard, but he kept screwing up whatever note he was playing.
âBbâŚGbâno, AbâŚEâno, Fâno, EbâŚâ
Nancy walked away, since that was something Dustin could manage on his own. She walked towards Steveâs dadâs officeâwhich Steve had never allowed her into beforeâopening the door to the most sad, beige room sheâd ever seen.
The most important thing about it was the large shelves covering the right wall, all completely filed with books on books.
The first book that caught Nancyâs eye was something in the runic script from Steveâs book. She had no clue what the title was or what any of it said, but something in her gut told her it was something she needed.
The second book that caught her eye had no title or cover, but when Nancy looked inside seemed to be a diary of sorts in English. She put both books on the desk as she looked for a third bookâthe same gut feeling said she had only one more book to look for.
The book in question was large and red, coated in copper runes, and completely bound by a bright, tight red ribbon. As she analyzed it further, it almost looked likeâ
âNANCY WHEELER,â
ââââ
Iâd like to know: any suspicions on who the last voice is? Itâs not Dustin, but still someone very important to the plot.
And yes, Dustin is a little choir boy. Because he is a little choir boy and heâs Dustin, that means he definitely is a music theory nerd and knows at least enough piano to get by. Itâs quite literally the math of music.
The correct sequence heâs trying to play is Bb-Ab-Eb-Gb-Rest-Bb-Ab-Eb-Db. For my fellow music people, go and play it! Itâs completely unrelated to the plot but it is a cutesy little Easter egg.
Finally, again, anyone heard of She-Ra?
Tag list: @estrellami-1 @cookies-and-doom @beckkthewreck  @dbquills @impeachy @sassysleeplord @ironydude @bowl-o-queerios @221b-fandom
I saw this on Twitter and thought it would be fun to do here!
1. Create your 70s-80s horror movie look
2. Find out which horror movie stereotype you are
No pressure tags!
@marcspectrr @whatthefishh @campingwiththecharmings @daughterofthequeen @my-secret-shame @raven-rk @rmoonstoner @howaboutcastiel @oidontsaythat @spider-starry and anyone else who wants to play!
Thank you so much @einno-arko â¤ď¸ this is so fun đ
No pressure tags! @madlencen @romanarose @obsessivedaydreamer @villainworshiper @nowritingonthewall
Thank you for the tag @my-secret-shame !! This is so cool!
no pressure tags: @stripesysheaven @naurcissamilfoy @unorthodox-oblivion @tisthedamnseasns @poppy-inmyhair @eponine119
thank you for the tag @obsessivedaydreamer! â¤ď¸ omg that was so cool!
npt: @immercuryinretrograde, @tisthedamnseasns, @astolenkiss, @onlyyseedaylight, @glassdandelion, @dead-endsstreet, @selcouthangel and anyone who wants to join â¤ď¸
thanks for the tag @poppy-inmyhair đĽ°
okay maybe? either that or first one dead
@medusasstory @goodsriddance
@cowboy-like-moony @honorarycallowaysister
@iknowthisisnowhere
and whoever else wants to! npt
Tagging some people in case you want to do this (no pressure of course) @octoberconstellation @theladyinwhite13 @sinephilosophia @yes-i-exist-shutup and of course everyone else should feel welcome to do it as well <3
tHANK YOU FOR THE TAG THIS IS SO COOL
âyou are the guy that just cannot catch a breakâ yeah makes sense
no pressure tags (if weâre mutuals and you want to remove or add your tag please tell me and iâll do it!) @pomegranate-jr3 @yesterdayorcenturiesbefore @thesunandstarss @starsarehere @rosetintedgreyspaces @hershey-the-person and anyone else who wants to join!
thanks for the tag @sinephilosophia <3
npt: @lee-says-things @ketterdam-snack-bar @tears-on-the-letter @cheruib
I LOVE HORROR, TYSM FOR TAGGING ME KAY<3
npt: @veescorneroftheworld @callmecaspurr @slasherhoe87 @swiftie-as-a-coursing-river
Thanks for the tag @lee-says-things đ¤
No pressure tags: @lussiane333 @sketchy-rosewitch @megangovier20 @feralstuf @spookychick78 @bogboyfriendbreadslice @homicidal-slvt @callmecaspurr @holdmyhand @loudtacotidalwave @blurrymango
And anyone else đ
Thanks for the tag @slasherhoe87
LMAO
-
No pressure tags: @southernbluebellereader @random0lover @ghostslillady @deadbranch @a-world-with0ut-dr34ms @a-small-writer-in-a-big-world @kneelingshadowsalome @halfmoth-halfman @siilvan @kioplama @ivymarquis @random-thot-generator @arsonarsonarsonarson
thank you so much for tagging me @homicidal-slvt!!! love you!!! đ
didn't expect to get final girl but i'll take it LOL
np tags: @lunallaa, @uselsshuman, @rors-grvs, @octopiys, @yeyinde, @mvtthewmurdvck, @moriflos
Thank u sm for the tag @halfmoth-halfman
I'm starting to see a bit of a theme with my uquizzes lol...
Anyways np tags: @hazardworld @hurrraaid @cod-dump @mentallyilllittleguy and anyone else :)
Thank you @octopiys for the tag, so much fun!!!
Anyway idk who to tag so np tag to anyone who sees this!
SEASON. TWO. OF. MONSTER. TOWN.
Anyway, you asked, I delivered. Weâre starting out the season with an unconventional (though one of my favorites) point of view, right where we left off.
Chapters will be interspersed, as Iâm currently also writing a big fic on Ao3 about a summer camp for superpowers, which you can find here.
If you havenât read season 1 of Monster Town, feel free to click these links:
WB:Â 1.2.3
Season 1:Â P1.P2.P3.P4.P5.P6.P7.P8
Letâs get into it!
ââââââ
Claudia Henderson stress-cooked.
Being the one 1950s house making lesson her Ma taught her that she deemed legitimately useful, she turned it into a coping mechanism.
It helped that she was naturally good at it, even from the start. With a list of the Machiavelli Pack recipes and her southern Italian taste buds, cooking became chemistry she could eat.
(And of course, she was great at maths and sciences)
What was nice is that something good almost always came out of it, as if some sort of god aligned the planets so her stress coping lead to good karma. For example:
The night before her first SAT in junior year, she made a mostaccoli so dense it forced her to pass out mid-cram. (She wouldnâtâve gotten any sleep otherwise)
She panicked so badly the night before junior prom she made a 7-layer deep dish casserole that completely distracted Pa from the skimpiness of her dress
When she forgot to get Christmas gifts for everyone she baked cookies: those cookies were then hid and scavenged for around the house for weeks
When a 12 year old almost killed her and her friends through their minds, she was able to soothe everyone with homemade pastina (a childhood favorite)
On her 18th birthday (+Pack line ceremony) most of the delicious sandwiches were made by her notion of using her sleepless insomniac night to her advantage.
She baked the best lasagna sheâd ever made before opening her dream college letter: she wanted to open it over a favorite meal
About 30 minutes ago, sheâd received a call from Eddie Munson, saying they apparently had Jason Carver tied up at the Byers house and needed somewhere safe to keep him.
Besides the fact that they apparently had come in contact with Jason Carver and had to tie him upâto keep themselves safe, Claudia knew the kids better than thatâJoy had been over at her house when sheâd gotten the call. They were discussing a death vision she got on the plane from Alaska, one about Jason Carver himself.
Claudia was smart, and so was Joy. They both knew that no matter the circumstance, the moment a banshee got a death vision, their fate was sealed within 24 hours. Otherwise, she wouldâve gotten visions about Will, Max, or any of the kids in the various situations theâd been put through these past yearsâClaudia couldnât really keep track at this point.
Either way, she knew Joyâs dream had to do with Jason being torn up in the Upside Down (or whatever the kids called Henryâs Realm). If that were the case, how was he still walking, talking, and breathing? It wasnât physically possible for that to happen.
Thatâs when sheâd gotten the call.
Joy had run off back to her house to make sure everyone was okay, while Eddie and Argyle drove Jason over to the Henderson house. As she waited, Claudia started stress-cooking.
She started with cookies: easy and delicious to many palates. She took some pre-prepped cookie dough from the fridge and rolled it into balls before putting a tray of 12 into the oven to bake. She calmed slightly from the warm scent of sugar melting.
Claudia jumped when the doorbell rang seconds after. Quickly, she moved to the front room and opened the door to a panicked Eddie and a grinning Argyle, both holding a bound, subdued Jason Carver between them.
Claudia raised an eyebrow.
"Did you sedate him?" She put her hands on her hips, and Eddie and Argyle made awkward eye contact.
"Maybe?" Eddie offered, sheepishly shrugging. Claudia laughed and yanked the ropes binding Jason to himself.
"Good. Itâll be easier to tie him to my chairs that way." When Jason got close to her, she winced at the smell. He smelled like burning, molting fish flesh.
It was awful.
Talk about bad people.
âCome on in,â she looked around, hopeful her neighbors werenât looking through windows at the moment. âItâll be easier to talk inside,â
âSo, boys, what was the issue this time?â Eddie and Argyle made eye contact again.
âHe tried to kill Lucas?â Argyle offered.
âHe didnât try to kill Lucas!â Eddie tried to cover, âHe just tried to sirenspeak him!â
âJohn said he did that while pinning Lucas up against the wall, by the neck,â
âWait, shit, seriously?â
âBoys!â She held up her hands in surrender âdoesnât matter. Obviously it was bad enough he needed to be tied up. Now, we need to make sure heâs secure,â
She had Eddie and Argyle help her tie the body to one of her good sturdy kitchen chairs, so sheâd be safe when he woke up.
"Thank you again Mrs. Henâ" Eddie tried to apologize, but she stopped him mid sentence.
"Claudia, dear."
"Thanks, Claudia," Eddie grinned, and started to make his way back to the door.
"Bye! Thanks Mrs. Dustinâs mom!" Argyle grinned and waved, before shutting the door behind them.
Claudia let out a sigh, before looking at the unconscious body at her dining table.
The cookies beeped, breaking her out of her thoughts.
The smell of warm cookies actually evened out and made the dying fish smell worse simultaneously, Claudia noted in disgust. Something seriously had to be wrong with that child for him to smell that bad.
Jason started to wake while she was putting in her second batch. At first, he tried to undo his bondage, then bounce the chair around, and he also tried biting into the rope, but it was all no use.
âThose are extra strength for werewolves, hon. There is no use in trying to escape,â she said while still placing dough balls.
âWhoâŚwho are you?â
It occurred to Claudia they had never formerly met.
âMrs. Henderson,â She replied formally. Sheâd be cordial, of course, but he wasnât one of Dustinâs friends.
âDustinâs MotherâŚâ Jason said slyly. Claudia noted some sort of vocal undertone to his speech, as if it was just slightly warped in some way. His scent took a bit of a sour turn, too.
Claudia turned to the stove, poured herself a large pot of water, and set it to boil. She took out her bag of dry pastina pasta and set it aside for later.
âIs that a problem?â
âYou knew my father,â Claudia snorted.
James Carver? Of course she knew him. Not only was James one of the most popular people in her high school years, but he was also best friends with her arch nemesis, Chris Harrington.
âOf course I did, he went to my high school. He was very popular, you know,â was what she told everyone unaware of her deep hatred for the two.
âAnd you werenât,â Jason said bitterly. Claudia turned to stir the hot water again, in hopes of it boiling faster. âHow would you like to be?â
Some sort of damp scent filled the air, moldy and mildly sour.
âJoin me, Claudia Machiavelli. Tell me what you know.â
Quickly, Claudia caught on to what the scent was, and she smirked.
âIâm great, thanks, Jason. Iâd prefer to keep my secrets, you know?â
She heard a growl from the cornerâstrange behavior for a sirenâas she poured the pasta into the pot.
Small stars cooked fast.
âYouâve been tainted by the other one, havenât you?â Jason spit, and Claudia chuckled.
âHe could haveâŚtainted me, thatâs true, but it wouldnât really matter, now would it?â Claudia strained the pasta, before moving to sit at the table. Jasonâs face was hard to read, but he smelled like a mix of interest and fear. Also, something else familiar that Claudia couldnât quite place.
Claudia actually did know Steve imprinted (or as Jason wanted to say, âtaintedâ) on her, and a while ago at that. She had a masterâs in child and adolescent development, and due to attending a monster-inclusive school, was able to conduct her thesis on how different monsters develop and interact as young. Even if Steve didnât explicitly express signs of imprinting, Claudia could see the nuance.
The most obvious sign (at least to her) was how easy it became for him to call her âMa.â Usually, sirens imprinted first on their parents. Because Steve had Chris Harrington for a father, it wasnât completely unexpected for Steve to have a lack of parental figures in his life.
The second thing Claudia noticed about Steve was how her touch was very calming, almost grounding to him. Her touch meant he physically knew where she was, and that (because she was with him) she was safe.
Besides, as a species, sirens werenât typically touchy-touchy, so anytime Steve made little gesturesâhands on shoulders, noogies, high-fives, even the uncommon hugâit was a clear sign of claim and imprint.
He was also vulnerable with herânot necessarily a trait of imprinting, but it still matteredâwhich meant there was a level of trust there above many other people.
âWhyâwhy would it not matter?â Jason asked, attempting to be confident even though it wasnât working.
âYou understand Iâm a werewolf, correct?â Claudia asked, and Jason nodded. âWell, my father is currently our pack alpha. When he turns 70, he will enter retirement, and Iâhis oldest childâwill take his place. Because of this, at 18, I was cursed to never be magically convinced, so all actions as a pack alpha could be my own. Do you know what that means, Jason?â
Jason shook his head, and Claudia smirked as she stood up to dish out some pastina (sheâd forgotten the egg, but itâd have to do).
âIt means, Jason, that no matter what has made an imprint on me, no one, not even them, can use sirenspeak on me. You will fail every. single. time,â She grinned at him. âNow would you like some food? You look like you havenât eaten in awhile,â
Claudia sat down in front of him with his plate of pasta and a spoon. She fed him a mouthful, which hilariously he didnât reject in the slightest. She was expecting him to be stubborn and her to have to go through a few locomotives, but he immediately dropped his jaw to receive food.
Before she could feed him a second mouthful, she received a phone call from across the room.
ÂŤClaudia?Âť came Jim Hopperâs voice through the receiver.
"Hello? Jim? Is everything okay?"
ÂŤYes. Just letting you know me and officer Callahan are on our way to pick up the Carver kidÂť
âWonderful, thank you so much!â
She hung up the phone and breathed a sigh of relief.
âWhy doesnât the pastina have egg in it?â Came Jasonâs voice from across the room. The distortion in it was slightly stronger now, somehow.
Wait, Jason hadnât ever had pastina before, right? Because he shouldnât know its name, nor the fact that it was always supposed to have scrambled egg.
âWhat?â She asked for clarification.
âPastina, you always made it with scrambled eggs,â Jason frowned.
Claudia had never made pastina for Jason. Even if it was at some sort of school potluck, it was never clear she brought it, and Claudia knew for certain his parents wouldnât have told him even if it was.
Claudia caught a whiff of that eerily familiar scent once more and all the pieces clicked:
Jason didnât know pastina or more specifically, her pastina.
Jasonâs obsession with Steve and finding out her secrets related to him and the party.
Most damningly, the fact that he knew her full maiden name even when she only introduced herself under her married one.
In front of her may have been the shell of Jason Carver, and he may have been calling some of the shots, but this was not Jason Carver.
This was Henry Creel.
ââââ
đ
S2P2!
Anyway, if you caught it, Claudia was involved in the original Vecna-ing with the Creel family. How so? You shall find out!
Also for reference, Claudiaâs the principal of Hawkins Elementary. (Sheâs also heavily neurodivergent but thatâs a topic for later)
(If youâre wondering what pastina is, itâs a dish made with star pasta, scrambled egg, and Parmesan cheese. Itâs SUPER nostalgiac for many Italian Americans)
Tag list: @estrellami-1 @cookies-and-doom @beckkthewreck @dbquills @impeachy @sassysleeplord @ironydude @bowl-o-queerios @221b-fandom
Remember that WIP of the sibling camp? Itâs up on AO3 now, and it features things such as: Florida Man Eddie Munson, Dustin and Steve being absolute dumbasses, Ted Wheeler Slander, Mike setting himself on fire, Superpowers, and many more wonderful things I may or may not have published yet (like how cop Hop has an ally flag on his uniform).
Anyway you should read it is both gay and great (I think)
(The Mature rating is purely because thereâs a lot of big topics I didnât stray away from; thereâs no explicit smut)
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
Romantic Ships: Lumax, Elmax, Byler, Duzie (pan/bi), Ronance (maybe Chronance idk yet), Jargyle (featuring poly Argyle), Steddie
happy pride month from the gayest show đłď¸âđ
Itâs that time again where i havenât posted gay for awhile so all the bots start following me. Conveniently, itâs also WIP Wednesday, so hereâs two WIPs for the world:
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1. Graduation
(As HS class of 23 also I claim the modern au kids as HS class of 23 because none of us returned to school after freshman spring break either)
Dustin groaned awake as his alarm blared in his ear. He scrubbed the sleep out of his eyes and squinted at the bright light of his phone screenâ9:00 amâpressing the stop button.
He sat up and yawned, then reached for his glasses. The world came into focus as he put them on, both physically and mentally.
Today was May 26, 2023.
High School Graduation.
Dustin leapt out of bed, comforter flying. He put on his pajama pants and swept out of his room to the smell of breakfast food, specifically pancakes (or possibly waffles; the hard yet better option).
He was about to make his way out to grab a plate, but an alarm blaring further down the hallway caught his ear.
He made his way down to Maxâs room, careful to open the door quietly. Her alarm was the worst one: the one that sounded like some sort of jail alarm, and it was always at max volume. Dustin plugged his ears (as best he could) and turned it off before shaking Max awake.
âMax, Max get up,â
A groan. Dustin rolled his eyes.
âMax, itâs grad day!!â
No response.
âMax,â Dustin smirked and whispered in her ear, âLucas is wearing a sexy Sailor Moon costume,â he singsonged, and Max jolted awake.
Quickly, Max settled herself back down with a groan, and Dustinâs heart sank.
âFucking fuck,â
âWheelchair?â Dustin asked, resigned. Max had been trying to build up her strength the past few days to maximize the possibility of having an aid-free day. After 2 1/2 years of PT, aid-free days were just as common or crutch or wheelchair days, but planning one was near impossible. It was lucky Max had them in the first place anyway: sheâd been told the day she woke from her coma that sheâd never walk again.
What the doctors hadnât realized was the best place for her to stay (one story, not in the middle of the woods, two people) was the Henderson home, and Henderson blood was some of the most stubborn around. Claudia and Dustin (plus Steve when he still lived with them, and the rest of the Party) all made sure Max got as much practice walking as she could get.
Max nodded solemnly, and Dustin grabbed the chairâthe Party decorated it ahead, just in caseâfrom the corner of the room. As he did so, Max put on her own glasses and re-sat up slowly.
âSo, graduation. You ready?â Max smirked lazily, and Dustin raised his eyebrow.
âWhat do you think?â Max laughed, and seamlessly scooted herself into her chair.
âPush or no push?â Dustin asked.
âIâd take a chauffeur,â Max responded cooly, and Dustin pulled a section of her hair in retaliation. He was not a chauffeur. âHEY! Okay, okay, jeez. I should be fine,â Dustin nodded and walked towards the door so she could change.
ActuallyâŚhe probably should too.
Stained pj pants and no shirt wasnât really a look the school was looking for onstage.
âCall for Ma or me if you need anything,â Max rolled her eyes as she nodded, and Dustin left grinning. He made his way back to his room, shutting and locking the door behind him. He grabbed the dress shirt and pants heâd washed and hung up the previous night from his closet. The dress shirt was a light lavender with small vertical stripes, and was brand new for the occasion. His dress pants were black, and the same dress pants heâd used for choir or any other special event for the past 4 years.
GodâŚ4 years. 4 years at Hawkins High and now it was all over.
His thoughts weee interrupted by a heavy bang-bang-bang on his wall.
Dustin rolled his eyes and grinned, zipping up his fly before going back to Maxâs room.
âPants?â He asked immedeately as he opened the door. Sure enough, Max was in her pink floral blouse and pajama pants, with her own pair of black dress pants laid haphazardly on her bed.
She nodded. âPants.â Dustin nodded in response and shut and locked the door.
When Max had a moderate amount of pain or more, usually it meant she needed help getting her pants on. Sometimes there were days where she needed help with nothing or everything, but if she needed help usually it was just for pants.
Dustin lifted her out of her chair and squinted his eyes shut while holding her sturdy from behind.
âDone!â Came Maxâs voice, and Dustin opened his eyes to help her back into the chair. Dustin snatched her palm gloves from her bedside drawer, and chucked them in her lap.
âThanks, ass,â Max smirked and slipped on the gloves, and wheeled herself out the door Dustin held open for her.
The scent of heavenly fatty food wafted through Dustinâs nose once again as he followed his sister out to the kitchen. Ma had her back turned, frying up somethingâsausage or eggs, probably.
âMa!â Dustin called, before noticing her earbuds in.
âWe should not have introduced her to noise cancellation.â Max commented.
âAgreed. Sheâs deafer than Steve with those things in,â Ma had forced Steve to go see a ear doctor after she noticed him not hearing anything unless he was facing her---something Dustin regretted not noticing sooner. Apparently, all the concussions had lead him to being hard of hearing, which lead to him wearing hearing aids and everyone in the Party learning sign.
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Sibling Summer Camp!
(A modern summer camp au with an inhuman twist. This excerpt is from the first chapter, where everyone is first arriving at camp.)
They parked and got out, walking to their luggage in the back. A few seconds into opening the van door, and another van raced past them, parking close on their right. Whoever was inside was blaring music, and singing along so loud Suzie could hear every word they said.
"Put your hands up and reach for the sky, CRY FOR ABSOLUTIOOOON!"
Rock music wasnât Suzieâs fave, but yikes.
Suzie noticed their Florida license plate as the van shook to the songâs beat.Â
Typical Floridians. Probably.
There were a bunch of various rainbow magnets and bumper stickers, though, so at least the rockers were safe. Their van was maroon and tan, though Suzie could see hints of washed off paint across the side and back. Had it been graffitied?
âHey, Suze, a little help?â Oh, shit. Suzie pulled away from her people watching to help Argyle unload their suitcases. He had taken care of the larger few, but the smaller ones were all the way in the back. They were here for a month, after all, and while they were promised laundry service for their clothes, there were many things neither of them wanted to leave behind.
Suzie shuffled a bag sounding like a bunch of glass bottles, and paused, sighing.
âArgyle, how many bongs did you bring?â Argyle smiled and shrugged.
âI didnât bring my whole collection, if youâre asking.â
She hit him with a glare.
âHow many?âÂ
ââŚ13?â
âYOU BROUGHT 13 BONGS?" Suzie exclaimed, and Argyle shrugged.
"Could be more, could be less, I dunno,"
Just because the two of them got on swimmingly didnât mean they never got into disagreements. Usually, these disagreements had to do with bongs.
"Why are 13 ish bongs something necessary for camp! Iâm sure you wonât even use half of them!â Suzie grumbled angrily. She couldnât expect Argyle to not bring his stash, but an entire bag of 13 bongs??? In a state where recreational weed wasnât even legal??
âI heard 13 bongs,â Suzie looked up, and standing at the mouth of the van was a lanky tall boy with the darkest color palette she had ever seen. Seriously, the black hair, band tank, and jeans were so stark against his pale skin, he almost looked like a vampire.
âWho the heck are you?â and âWanna borrow one?â were said at the exact same time. Unluckily for Suzie, the boy only heard Argyleâs question, and not hers.
"Nah, I packed a few myself, but nice to know Iâll have a smokinâ buddy!" This guyâobviously from Floridaâhad southern slang with a midwest accent. Weird.
"EDDIE! GET YOUR ASS OVER HERE!" Called another voice, and Suzieâs question was answered. "YOU ARENâT LEAVINâ ME TO DO ALL THIS WORK, YOU SLIMY SACK OF DICKS!" This was likely Eddieâs sibling, left to do all the work unloading their things. Argyle and Eddie exchanged goodbyes, and Eddie ran off to his sibling.
"I found a weed guy!" Argyle grinned, and Suzie shook her head while smiling.Â
"Yes Argyle, you found a weed guy,â Suzie panned to the remaining luggage in the back, ânow can we please get the rest of our bags out? Otherwise you wonât be seeing weed guy for a month,â Argyle nodded and started pulling the luggage onto the ground.