BYERS,

* 𝕾𝐎𝐍 AND 𝕳ᴱ͟ᴵ͟ᴿ OF ⸻ NOTHING IN PARTICULAR.

[snpshots-a]

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I GUESS I'D RATHER OBSERVE PEOPLE … an independent, private and low activity writing blog for jonathan byers from netflix's stranger things. this is a sideblog to jane ives. please do not follow unless we interact over there. ⤷゛ DIVERGENCES. STUDY. PROMPTS. PINTEREST.

heyyyy guys..... how ya'll doing..... two sideblogs in two days is genuinely insane behaviour from me, i know. but i 100% blame light and her ability to get me plotting so hard that i just need a solo space to talk about jonathan. he was my first ever muse i wrote in the strpc, did u know!!! i love him with my whole entire heart and i am so excited to get back into his character.

THIS BLOG IS EXCLUSIVE WITH LIGHT'S NANCY WHEELER @gnshots, AND IS HEAVILY AFFILIATED WITH THEIR JOYCE BYERS @atmelvalds !

DO NOT FOLLOW UNLESS YOU ARE FOLLOWING MY JANE IVES. this is a sideblog for my main, and i'm not interested in dynamics here with people who aren't following her. i also won't be writing with any jane blogs.

rules can be found on @shadowedvales. but i don't think anyone here really needs those. you all know what i'm about!

i have a lottt of thoughts about jonathan, so i'll be utilising links and putting everything of importance in my pinned post so this blog can be easily navigated. i am really really keeping up with a low maintence vibe here. i wanna write and that's it! no fancy docs or carrds or anything will be found. just pure chaos.

re season four and five! honestly... i am not interested at all in writing anything from season five unless it's heavily plotted. i only wound up writing a verse for jane in that era because i was inspired by plotting. if that happens for jon, great! but i'm not going out of my way for it. i kind of feel the same about season four, but i am more open to a verse in that season. (honestly considering following that idea i saw on tik tok a while ago, of jonathan being the "hunt the freak / eddie" character... no shade to eddie whatsoever but this idea was amazing. and me and a friend lowkey came up with something along those lines a long, long time ago. but i would have to write up a whole verse and idk if i can be bothered lmao.) all i do know, is that the byers stay in hawkins. so either way, jonathan will be a more active player in that timeline wherever i decide to place him. for now, consider all interactions season 1-3 based by default!

in regards to jonathan taking pictures of nancy... i am retconning that tyvm. i do not excuse his behaviour of taking pictures of the group by the pool (because that alone was weird), but there's a drastic line between making a mistake / doing something a little weird, to literal sexual harassment. because that's what it was. the story would have moved along just fine without it. nancy still would have found the photograph of barb without being subjected to that. jonathan has never been portrayed as the kind of person who would cross that line. not once has his character even hinted at being the type, before or since that incident. but with everything coming out about the d*ffers, i can't say i'm really surprised. it feels like a little self insert thing. like women have to go through some kind of sexual trauma to grow. we know how misogynistic they are. i also believe no woman in her right mind would ever enter a romantic relationship with a boy who would do something like that to her, and then back it up with such a poor excuse. so, in regards to my canon: jonathan takes the photos of the group, and one of nancy at the window. but when she begins changing, he stops, and focuses back on barb.

but also fuck the d*ffers just in general because in what world would jonathan "i'm a fan of thumper" byers, go through his girlfriends wardrobe and donate something he doesn't like. and the reason being is that it's pink? that's some weird macho-man behaviour, to which jonathan has never, ever exhibited. (random point to make i know, i just had to get it here because that pisses me off so much. he would NEVER. but it's fine, it's fine, that's why i'm here now. to fix everything!)

i really don't have much else to say at the moment! can u already tell how laid back this blog is gonna be? lmao. anyway will keep updating things as i deem necessary but for now, hey! thanks for making it over here. <3

[snpshots-a]

jonathan's mind and body shatters awake in a single, violent action. the darkness that held him, whispered and coiled through every inch of his skull, tore abruptly apart as if struck by a force too bright to endure. his chest heaves, burning with the thrill of denied air. the world snaps into focus in jagged fragments: posters, a record player, soft blankets beneath him, crutches in the corner of the room⸺ his room. disorientation clings like a vice, and his gaze darts wildly as he moves to sit up, scanning the landscape for absent shadows, for the red, pulsing atmosphere of the upside down.

but there's no time to climb to his feet, to rush and pound and look for the next exit in the labyrinth of his subconscious, for a tremendous warmth reaches him, SO REAL IT MAKES HIS HEART ACHE WITH SOME PROFOUND LOSS. familiar hands are suddenly there, cupping his cheeks with careful urgency, tilting his chin slightly, brushing the sweat and tears stuck to his skin. (is this his awaited rescue, or the cruelest mirage? a sweet poison woven by the haunted void he narrowly escaped…) the memories⸺ endless corridors filled with already lived horrors, the oppressive company of monsters… it's thick in his lungs, bitter in his throat. yet those hands remain, impossibly earnest; the touch spreads within him like sunlight piercing frost.

it's me, you're okay, i'm here. @atmelvalds

now it's his turn to reach out, shakily recognising his unyielding protector, despite festering doubts. "mom?" her eyes, wide with fear and love, hold him in a trance so penetrating it's like she's trying to expel the very shadow living inside him. "OH GOD⸺ MOM." (i was scared. i was so scared.) the tension in his shoulders loosen as her words seep in, liquid and luminous, washing away the tendrils of suspicion. (she is here.) at last, jonathan lets himself fall⸺ not into a dream, nor illusion, but into the unshakable, radiant truth of her realness. long arms envelope her tiny frame before she has a chance to realise he's moving; a son mounted upon his mother without a lick of warning, pulling her close, rather than the other way around.

jonathan remains still for a great, suspended moment, letting joyce's steady presence press into him, letting the rhythm of her heartbeat anchor the scattered pieces of his own. BUT THEN REALITY REASSERTS ITSELF, SHARP AND INSISTENT. he retreats backwards, and begins mirroring her previous actions: shaken fingers touching her face, gripping her chin, looking her over; what's happened in his absence? how long was he gone? "are you okay? you're... you're not hurt? is will okay? jane?"

[clefts-a]

unsorted dialogue from various sources. ㅤ ...ㅤ adjust wording and pronouns as needed.

please help me.

i never said i would help you.

you think i got a chance?

aim straight.

no point in discussing names. we'll all be dead soon anyway.

hold your fire.

oh, i'm sorry, did i hit a fucking nerve?

everything was fine until you showed up.

not exactly the subtle type, are you?

there is blood everywhere.

how long do you think it's been there?

i'd say we got a week tops.

it wasn't technically a lie.

i'll go help them. you stay put.

t'is just a scratch.

you're bleeding buckets.

when's the last time you slept?

when's the last time you ate?

i'm right behind you.

let me see it, no use in hiding it.

i can't see!

i can't see you, where are you?

you got eyes on the target?

i'm catching up to the target.

i'm a nobody.

thanks for saving me.

get up, you're still in one piece.

you're not fooling me.

hand it over.

i won't ask again.

don't look at me like that.

drop it.

i have to try.

move out of my way.

i can't let you.

make them bleed for me.

i'll kill them.

kill them all.

it is my medical opinion that that could have gone better.

does this mean we're friends now?

nice catch.

good eye.

i have my moments.

let go.

i can't give up. not yet, not ever.

you need to rest.

take a break.

don't leave.

come with me.

you're a handful.

don't do anything stupid.

don't do anything i wouldn't do.

do as i say, not as i do.

i'm fine, relax.

don't baby me.

if you think this is bad, you should see the other guy.

i've dealt with worse.

i know it hurts. you'll be okay.

did you see that?

you're not alone.

i like to keep people on their toes.

i won't leave you alone.

what happened to you?

what the fuck happened?

you look like shit.

you clean up nice.

you look ... alright.

you look ... beautiful/handsome.

i have no idea how uncomfortable i am right now.

what did you do?

looks like i can't leave you alone for one minute before you start doing stupid shit.

what can i say?

you owe me for this.

i owe you, big time.

so we're even?

it runs in the family, doesn't it?

they drive me nuts, but they're family.

you wouldn't get it.

don't pretend like you understand.

i think you're the only one who gets it.

take it easy.

breathe.

i may have fucked up.

did you hear that?

can we go now?

i don't like this.

run!

this is no joking matter.

do you ever take anything seriously?

i'm not leaving without you.

i'm going to get you out of here.

leave without me. i'll just slow you down.

i'll catch up. go!

i thought you were dead.

peekaboo.

i know you're there, [name].

it takes a lot more than that to kill me.

we both know we can't do this without each other's help. so grow up and help me.

i hate you.

i love you.

i know you love me.

you love me, don't lie.

care to join me?

we are never speaking of this.

don't tell anyone about this.

why did you leave me?

the enemy of my enemy is my friend.

shut the fuck up.

i'm fucking livid.

your wish is my ... strong recommendation.

i'm calling it right here. this world can officially bite my ass.

take a picture, it'll last longer.

it's nothing.

leave me alone.

you're like family.

don't talk to me.

i know you missed me. i missed you too, you know.

i'm tired of pretending.

stop pretending you care.

we're safe, i think.

i only wanted to help.

you don't scare me.

try me.

what are they here for?

why are they after you?

whose blood is that?

do you love me?

you're not a bad person.

what are you hiding?

you're safe with me.

did you have fun?

feels weird seeing you again.

just like old times.

someone was here before us.

you're not as bad as everyone says you are.

are you always so serious?

you look like you've see a ghost.

i don't think i want to find out.

don't fucking touch me.

do you mind if i smoke?

over my dead body.

got a light?

forget you saw anything.

i'm too old for this shit.

i'll see myself out.

don't call me that.

i won't say anything.

did you come alone?

i want you to run, okay? run and don't look back.

you're all right. you're safe. it's over.

you're not acting like yourself, are you okay?

what's in it for me?

ladies/guys/people love me.

get behind me.

follow me if you want to live.

oh, fuck you.

i'll take care of you.

maybe you should stick around for a while.

i don't believe you don't care.

let me carry you.

look at me.

i'm this close to losing my shit.

i can tell when you're lying to me.

you're staring.

this is for your own good.

i don't need your pity.

can you walk?

i can explain.

they deserved it.

am i dead?

takes one to know one.

i don't owe you shit.

kill me if you're not a coward.

this better not be in vain.

are we getting paid for this?

you are one lucky son of a bitch.

please go. i can't look at you right now.

it takes two to tango.

do it, pussy. you won't.

let them go.

let me go.

let it go.

where are you taking them?

there you are.

it's me, you're okay, i'm here.

don't look.

do you care about anyone but yourself?

you got a weapon?

allow me to show you how it's done.

i can't believe i actually killed them.

i can't believe you actually killed them.

i don't like this anymore than you do.

you can trust me.

i know you're just dying to say something to me.

i can protect you.

you've been awfully quiet.

don't.

don't say another word, you hear me?

ha! i knew i could make you smile.

ha! i knew i could make you laugh.

you're going to hell, you know that, right?

we're going to hell, aren't we?

i got you.

you mumble in your sleep.

don't miss.

get a fucking grip.

pretty sure that's illegal.

i didn't ask for this.

no one's coming to help us.

we're fucked.

i think god hates me.

i think god hates us.

it's never been easy.

i was worried about you.

i'll drink to that.

you're joking, right?

i'll do the talking.

lady luck smiles on me today.

didn't take you as a softie.

don't go soft on me, now.

the quiet type, eh?

don't remind me.

i'm just messing with you.

that's an order.

come on, don't be shy.

i know someone that could help us out.

don't go too far.

don't lie to me.

i'd prefer to get out of this in one piece.

well, that was a waste.

let me do it.

they've got us surrounded.

stop lying to me.

time changes you.

come on, lie down.

i wish i was like you.

look at you.

are you proud of yourself?

we're almost there.

you should look away now.

i'm glad i checked up on you.

don't get mad.

watch your language.

because i love you.

keep that shit to yourself.

keep it up.

where do you think you're going?

it's ok to cry.

that's my boy/girl.

stay safe.

i need to tell you something.

can't sleep?

you can take the bed. or the couch, if you want.

listen to me.

i dare you.

snap out of it.

promise me.

i'm not scared of death.

you know i'd do anything for you, right?

this isn't your fault.

[snpshots-a]

CANON DIVERGENCE. #ONE. re. jonathan's injuries after the attack in the hospital.

we all know how stupidly unrealistic stranger things became, (even for a show about inter-dimensional monsters and worlds…) but ever since the flayed aired in 2019, i remember thinking… what the fuck… when jonathan was just fine after what happened to him in the hospital. there is no way he would have been physically okay after what he went through. so… here's my canon divergences regarding that incident. 🖤

after being attacked by a flayed tom and bruce, and in his desperate attempt to get to nancy— jonathan's body works on pure adrenaline, sheer fight or flight mode. his destroyed back, his achy limbs, his now crooked spine is pushed to the wayside momentarily as the only thing that matters is surviving, and making sure his friends, his girlfriend, are okay. adrenaline is a very powerful thing. jonathan has felt it before: in the times he defended his mother against a drunken father; during altercations that left his knuckles bloody and bruised… but never to this extent. alongside pumping adrenaline, he's left in shock over what's physically happened to him, and does not have time to process it; alarming symptoms also do not properly display themselves until later.

over the next few days, jonathan experiences some odd tingling in his hands and feet which he just puts up to nerves, and fear, regarding everything going on. the same goes for a constant numbness in the back of his neck— that, too, he pushes away. he's still working on that adrenaline and does not have a moment to stop, to think about how much pain he's actually in. season three continues normally, and nothing changes insofar as jonathan's contributions to the group.

he suffers from a delayed onset, which is when "symptoms may not appear until minutes, hours, or even days later as bleeding or inflammation increases around the spinal cord." as well as adrenaline masking: "immediately after an accident, shock and adrenaline can temporarily block pain, making it difficult to realise you've been injured."

it's not until three days later, july the seventh, that his injuries fully reveal themselves. it's a simple enough incident, almost in keeping with jonathan's entire persona. it's soft, quiet— no fuss is made. he's in the kitchen, making lunch for himself and joyce, something he's done a thousand times, when all of a sudden his legs fall out from beneath him. the pressure in his neck comes to the foreground again; for a few minutes he just sits there, slumped on the floor, leaning against the kitchen cabinets. when he realises something is seriously wrong, when he realises he can't get up, he calls out for his mother. when she arrives, he quietly says, i think something is wrong. panic hasn't set in yet.

when joyce realises the severity of what's going on, she calls for an ambulance. at the hospital, after scans and tests, it's discovered jonathan is suffering from a central cord syndrome incomplete spinal cord injury, and a grade one concussion. (doctor sam owens is notified of jonathan's situation almost immediately, set to be flagged when any byers' or hopper's are admitted.)

jonathan spends three nights in hawkins memorial, where his doctor's (led by owens) assess the best route of recovery and how to tackle these severe injuries. already, jonathan grows irritated by the fact that he's not home, that his mother and brother have to make do without him. he's never been away from them this long.

hawkins memorial doesn't have the equipment or facilities required to deal with jonathan's needs, nor the staff. but without wanting to cause an uproot to the byers' already turbulent life, sam manages to pull some strings, and pay people off in order to accommodate for the space, as well as trained specialists. it takes just over a week to get everything in order. (he's paying the hospital handsomely to accommodate for just one boy, as well as a new team of doctors. it's a little sketchy but hey... sam owens is the goat.)

jonathan spends ten days in the public ward while his doctor's work to stabilise his spine, manage swelling, and address any more immediate medical complications. surgery is contemplated, but ultimately dismissed in favour for ongoing rehabilitation. he is then moved to a private room, which becomes his home for the next five months. all medical bills are covered by sam.

in the meantime, (and following light's canon of the byers not moving away) joyce still sells her house. but she moves up, rather than out. like the ives, owens' sets the byers' family up in a house in loch nora, one equipped to deal with jonathan's new needs, and one that will hopefully allow them a kind of fresh start. away from the lab being right next door, away from the quarry, away from monsters in their walls. joyce is given stability to take care of her boys, though being a prideful woman, doesn't accept anything further from sam. jonathan's medical bills are another story— she would never have been able to afford it, and that would have killed her. she accepts his help towards jonathan, and towards their new house, but nothing more. (he offers to pay for school fees, college fees... she declines, but is grateful. with the money from selling her house, and still working, she's financially comfortable for the first time in her life.)

jonathan spends five months in the hospital, forced to learn basic functions all over again. rehabilitation is extremely tough on him, and his attitude in the beginning doesn't help matters. he's angry at what's happened; frustrated he wasn't strong enough to fight back, to prevent this; sad that he's missing so much time with his family. while they visit every day, it's not the same. after the first month, he realises being so miserable is only going to keep him in longer, so he commits himself to getting better. it's a difficult road, but by the end of the fifth month, mobility has severely improved. he's able to go home, so long as he returns once a week for continued rehabilitation.

in december of 1985, he's officially back home, and finds himself relying on crutches for the first three weeks. walking down pathways is not the same as the streamlined hospital tiles. walking up hills proves too difficult. crutches are soon traded in for a cane, which he is rarely seen without. his entire lifestyle changes. it's not until october of 1986 that he can walk without any kind of mobility aid, and even then, he's not as fast or stable as he once was.

[snpshots-a]

jonathan relies on medicinal marijuana for the pain. he starts taking it in february of 85, and definitely abuses how much he should be taking. it's temporary relief for a permanent problem. it’s not until 1991 that he stops using it all together.

it takes a long time for jonathan to return to photography, as unbalanced, shaky hands are incapable of holding a camera straight. this devastates him at first. but he gets the hang of it again eventually. the first picture he ever takes with steady hands is one of janessa in the backyard, smiling up to him, so big and bright. the picture is a poor one, with the sun gleaming and reflecting harshly off the shot. but it’s a lovely photo, regardless. he figures, if she can find the good after so much bad, he can, too. she becomes his official model for the weeks following; it helps her get better at having her picture taken, while her patience helps him get the control of his passion again.

jonathan applies for his GED in 1988, given he had to drop out of school and never got his senior year. he gets accepted into NYU in 1990, after a very real, very raw application letter, which details his experiences and how despite everything he’s been through, he still wants to fulfil those dreams he’s had since he was six years old. it is not a sob story letter— simply open and honest.

[emziess]

Charlie Heaton as Jonathan Byers Stranger Things

[snpshots-a]

me: probably won’t do anything for jonathan in s5 because i hate s5!

also me: thinking about jonathan getting vecna’d to take him off the board, to get rid of him for a little while because vecna knows that he’s a source of light for will and can only make will stronger in the final battle.

[snpshots-a]

so… how we feelin about jonathan becoming a paramedic… because it’s living in my brain rent free!

[snpshots-a]

CANON DIVERGENCE. #ONE. re. jonathan's injuries after the attack in the hospital.

we all know how stupidly unrealistic stranger things became, (even for a show about inter-dimensional monsters and worlds…) but ever since the flayed aired in 2019, i remember thinking… what the fuck… when jonathan was just fine after what happened to him in the hospital. there is no way he would have been physically okay after what he went through. so… here's my canon divergences regarding that incident. 🖤

after being attacked by a flayed tom and bruce, and in his desperate attempt to get to nancy— jonathan's body works on pure adrenaline, sheer fight or flight mode. his destroyed back, his achy limbs, his now crooked spine is pushed to the wayside momentarily as the only thing that matters is surviving, and making sure his friends, his girlfriend, are okay. adrenaline is a very powerful thing. jonathan has felt it before: in the times he defended his mother against a drunken father; during altercations that left his knuckles bloody and bruised… but never to this extent. alongside pumping adrenaline, he's left in shock over what's physically happened to him, and does not have time to process it; alarming symptoms also do not properly display themselves until later.

over the next few days, jonathan experiences some odd tingling in his hands and feet which he just puts up to nerves, and fear, regarding everything going on. the same goes for a constant numbness in the back of his neck— that, too, he pushes away. he's still working on that adrenaline and does not have a moment to stop, to think about how much pain he's actually in. season three continues normally, and nothing changes insofar as jonathan's contributions to the group.

he suffers from a delayed onset, which is when "symptoms may not appear until minutes, hours, or even days later as bleeding or inflammation increases around the spinal cord." as well as adrenaline masking: "immediately after an accident, shock and adrenaline can temporarily block pain, making it difficult to realise you've been injured."

it's not until three days later, july the seventh, that his injuries fully reveal themselves. it's a simple enough incident, almost in keeping with jonathan's entire persona. it's soft, quiet— no fuss is made. he's in the kitchen, making lunch for himself and joyce, something he's done a thousand times, when all of a sudden his legs fall out from beneath him. the pressure in his neck comes to the foreground again; for a few minutes he just sits there, slumped on the floor, leaning against the kitchen cabinets. when he realises something is seriously wrong, when he realises he can't get up, he calls out for his mother. when she arrives, he quietly says, i think something is wrong. panic hasn't set in yet.

when joyce realises the severity of what's going on, she calls for an ambulance. at the hospital, after scans and tests, it's discovered jonathan is suffering from a central cord syndrome incomplete spinal cord injury, and a grade one concussion. (doctor sam owens is notified of jonathan's situation almost immediately, set to be flagged when any byers' or hopper's are admitted.)

jonathan spends three nights in hawkins memorial, where his doctor's (led by owens) assess the best route of recovery and how to tackle these severe injuries. already, jonathan grows irritated by the fact that he's not home, that his mother and brother have to make do without him. he's never been away from them this long.

hawkins memorial doesn't have the equipment or facilities required to deal with jonathan's needs, nor the staff. but without wanting to cause an uproot to the byers' already turbulent life, sam manages to pull some strings, and pay people off in order to accommodate for the space, as well as trained specialists. it takes just over a week to get everything in order. (he's paying the hospital handsomely to accommodate for just one boy, as well as a new team of doctors. it's a little sketchy but hey... sam owens is the goat.)

jonathan spends ten days in the public ward while his doctor's work to stabilise his spine, manage swelling, and address any more immediate medical complications. surgery is contemplated, but ultimately dismissed in favour for ongoing rehabilitation. he is then moved to a private room, which becomes his home for the next five months. all medical bills are covered by sam.

in the meantime, (and following light's canon of the byers not moving away) joyce still sells her house. but she moves up, rather than out. like the ives, owens' sets the byers' family up in a house in loch nora, one equipped to deal with jonathan's new needs, and one that will hopefully allow them a kind of fresh start. away from the lab being right next door, away from the quarry, away from monsters in their walls. joyce is given stability to take care of her boys, though being a prideful woman, doesn't accept anything further from sam. jonathan's medical bills are another story— she would never have been able to afford it, and that would have killed her. she accepts his help towards jonathan, and towards their new house, but nothing more. (he offers to pay for school fees, college fees... she declines, but is grateful. with the money from selling her house, and still working, she's financially comfortable for the first time in her life.)

jonathan spends five months in the hospital, forced to learn basic functions all over again. rehabilitation is extremely tough on him, and his attitude in the beginning doesn't help matters. he's angry at what's happened; frustrated he wasn't strong enough to fight back, to prevent this; sad that he's missing so much time with his family. while they visit every day, it's not the same. after the first month, he realises being so miserable is only going to keep him in longer, so he commits himself to getting better. it's a difficult road, but by the end of the fifth month, mobility has severely improved. he's able to go home, so long as he returns once a week for continued rehabilitation.

in december of 1985, he's officially back home, and finds himself relying on crutches for the first three weeks. walking down pathways is not the same as the streamlined hospital tiles. walking up hills proves too difficult. crutches are soon traded in for a cane, which he is rarely seen without. his entire lifestyle changes. it's not until october of 1986 that he can walk without any kind of mobility aid, and even then, he's not as fast or stable as he once was.