#stranger asks

[ask-bad-end-sunny]

STRANGER!! IS IT TRUTHING TIME UP IN HERE!?

{"I am not sure why you would phrase it that way, but, yes."}

{"Sunny has to face the Truth, even now. He had been so close to doing so before..."}

{"But of course his evil form got in the way. There is still a chance to fix things...even if it's a small chance."}

[0aurelion-sol0]

What do you want or expect Will's arc to be?

Well, again I'm sorry but this is something I cannot go over too extensively as I will talk about it in future posts at some point but regardless I will try to give an answer to your ask.

I am going to elaborate on what I think The Duffers will do first and what I want/think should happen after that.

We know from that Variety article that released back in August 2023 that Will is going to take center stage again in season 5 and that I quote “This emotional arc for him is what we feel is going to hopefully tie the whole series together. Will is used to being the young one, the introverted one, the one that’s being protected. So part of his journey, it’s not just sexuality — it’s Will coming into his own as a young man.” says Ross Duffer.

Now what I think is important to take from that quote and that part of the article is the part where they say that they hope his emotional arc is what is going to tie the whole story together which means they value, in some way, that Will's story as a whole, not just his sexuality, is going to be what gives the conclusion to the story of Stranger Things. They did not say [one of the things], they said [the thing] *wink wink*. Now between what The Duffers say and what they actually do, there is a gap but I do think that is a bold statement when you're about to enter your final season.

Because sure, I do think Will is more important than the series has led us to think but at it's core, it remains an ensemble type of show and is what was really happening during Season 1 & Season 2. Yes, there are stronger characters driving the story (and become way too present over others as the story progresses) & was first sold as the Winona Ryder show and after that the El show but it remained at it's core an ensemble show.

So for the Duffers to use Will, the character with the most inconsistent spotlight of the entire show apart from his brother, as the thing that ties the whole series together, that is bold cause as I said theories and biases aside, this is going to be a challenge and it is still a show that relies heavily on it's cast & characters to tell it's story. Now the way they do it and how well they do it is definitely up for debate but still.

There are for me, 4 main important parts of Will's character that are essential to his arc and for it to conclude well.

His homosexuality, what happened to him on November 6th, 1983, his connection to the Upside Down and his past.

Out of the 4 that I see The Duffers be very focused on for this final season, it's the two that are connected, his disappearance & his spider-sense because they have become very plot-focused as the series went on; they are going to have to explore his homosexuality, I don't see them doing something surprising or extremely developped with it anymore but they have kept that around and they are probably going to give a conclusion to it that's going to benefit the first two.

His past isn't going to be that explored much apart things linked to the first two and homosexuality but even then probably more in terms of vague mentions than anything really concrete. And it's because The Duffers, unless they pull something magnificent, have as of now and after everything they showed for the past two seasons have other priorities for want they want to explore which I don't think is the best choice for again, an ensemble show but it is what it is, and we need to be prepared for it.

I AM EAGER to be proven absolutely wrong but so far nothing has changed my mind about it, nothing has really alarmed me either which there's that at least.

So now what I want or think should happen...

About his homosexuality, his gayness, his rainbow-colored-emotional-state, his reddit is always scared of this debate, it's been there forever, it's obvious, I think if you're still in doubt about it, you need to go take a media literacy class, that boy is gay, that boy loves Mike Wheeler, let's end the debate. I'm sick of this fandom always turning endlessly on this subject, let's move on.

Now what do with it now, well the coming out, it's on everybody's lips these days, obviously, it's going to go to Joyce, Jonathan and the Party (mostly Mike, Dustin and Lucas). We are not going to talk about Byler, that's not the subject of today's post. I think overall, I don't see, for me, anything about Will's relationship with his sexuality that stops him from being out, at least to his close ones if not the world. The events that he went through outside and because of it, already ostracizes him from everyone else, including the ones he loves, that is just a fact and I think Will knows this & I don't think it's him being gay that is problematic for him, it's his very strong feelings for Mike that will probably be understood now by everyone and that will change the "nature" of them now but also acknowledging the lost innocence and naivity he experienced very very young even before the Upside Down stuff.

Because when Will comes out, it is not just him being gay that will come out, it's everything he went through because of it & he's going to start, in a way, healing from all it & that is sometimes just as tough as going through the trauma. And in a way, he kinda already started that process back in Season 4 so I think it would make sense for him to continue that path. It's going to be emotional, it would make sense and needs to be that way but to me the coming out definitely needs to be Joyce, Jonathan and as I said, Mike, Dustin & Lucas.

And I would like to be very clear, though I don't think it will be that much because ST & The Duffers have lost that touch for me, but I would like it to be very clear for him & the others and us, that he is gay, he likes boys and doesn't like girls, don't have to say it that direct but in a similar way because that's what a lot of queer people have to go through I think & it's actually verbalizing the fact that they are queer. Because we are going to have too much dumbasses still telling us he is not & it's important again for the representation be properly done in a satisfying way.

Next, his past, I think it would be essential to explore Will's trauma again because of his sexuality but also other elements of his character like the love he has for the arts, D&D, relationship he has with Lonnie & also violence because that is also important but I'll discuss that in another post. Because it would help us understand more about he & The Byers function as a whole but give us more depth & element to feel a satisfying conclusion to characters that have been left on the bench for quite some time now because if you talk about Will's past and issues, you will need to talk about Joyce's and Jonathan's past & issues and all the abuse they went through, which has become quite an important element to the plot now that hasn't been that well developed for all the characters and it would be nice if it starts being well developed.

Plus it leads to one of the reasons why he was taken AND not killed in 1983 which leads us to what is his connection to the UD now... and before. 👀

Because if the emotional arc of Will is important to tie the whole series together, it's important for the supernatural arc too & that opens interesting threads that I can't get into this post now.

After that, I think the climate of Season 5 needs to show us a more hardened Will, one that'll force Will to get his hands dirty to survive and to protect the group as well, while also fighting against things from his past that may be quite important for him with how he perceives and react to violence or danger. I would like to see a Will that's not always and has wants & needs that don't align for everyone & goes against the bigger geopolitical groups that are fighting including the supernatural ones. OH YES! I am going there!

Him being a villain would not make sense and would be a no no for me, but sometimes falling on the grey sides of things would make sense and would be so enjoyable for me. Especially against the threat that's looming on everyone in Season 5.

Also possibly drawing a parallel to what he experienced in 1983, because he survived in some way and we're going to need to explore that in the present. Will might likely be the most useful person to have in a UD infested environment. And him realising that he is useful is going to force him to go back to what happened and why that happened to help the best way he can, because if there's anything that boy knows how to do better than anyone else on this, it's self-sabotaging for the greater good.

Again, it's a snowball effect, if you do one thing you're going to have to do and explore another, to me, they are linked. Are the Duffers going to do that ? I'm unsure. But that's what makes sense to me.

So here's your answer, sorry if it's a bit vague but I will be exploring this in many different posts in the future.

[ronance-romance]

send me asks! :)

[str4ng3rdanger]

I was looking at your blorbo bingo for chuckerboose and for a mmont I was like “oh. Why does Caboose have daddy issues?” And I ENTIRELY forgot Caboose has a dead dad because NO ONE brings it up how come NO ONE brings it up???

i only headcanon'd this but decided to go fact check it on the wiki right

^^^ me rn cause i didn't find that i found like so much more (unless it is just implication that his father is dead because he isn't mentioned whatsoever out of the rest of caboose's huge family) but like

this right here is fucking wild im going to go sob now goodbye /hyp

[thebasilbuffet]

(Oh wait shit- I sent the spray bottle one to the wrong basil-)

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHSHSHSHSGSGXGAD GODDAMMIT STRANGER LMAO

[soaring-kite]

Prompt?

Assassination classroom & Katekyo Hitman Reborn.

Nagisa and Tsuna are cousins.

Post-canon AC; pre-canon KHR

Tsuna had, until the previous day when his mother had dropped the bombshell on him during dinner, been unaware he’d had a cousin. In his defence, Nana had never even mentioned a sibling before.

“Hey,” Shiota Nagisa said, stretching out a hand. “You must be Tsunayoshi.”

Tsuna blinked, then gave a soft little shriek as he scrambled to shake the other boy’s — man’s — hand. Because Shiota was nineteen and in college as he studied to become a teacher. He was so far away from Tsuna that it was almost funny in a sick sort of way. At least in Tsuna’s opinion.

“Yes! Hello, hi. Um, just Tsuna is okay.”

Nana tittered from her corner of the room, smiling softly.

“You know, why don’t you ask Nagisa to help you with your homework, Tsu-kun?” She turned to Nagisa, who smiled back at her awkwardly. “Tsu-kun’s grades have always been horrible, it’s so disheartening! Maybe you could help pick it up…?”

With every word Nana spoke, Tsuna could feel his shoulder sink further, his spine bend lower. Then a small hand fell on his head, sinking past the layer of hair and shaking him gently.

Tsuna froze. He looked up. Shiota wasn’t looking at him, but for some reason, when he spoke, it was almost as if it was directed to Tsuna.

“I wasn’t the best at studying either when I was in Tsuna-kun’s grade either, auntie. I’m sure he’ll catch up in no time with the right teacher. Until someone steps in, of course I’ll help.”

Shiota looked down and caught Tsuna’s eye. He winked.

“I’m sure it’s just a matter of time.”

.

.

.

A year after Shiota left, Reborn arrived and Tsuna couldn’t help the chill that crawled down his spine as he remembered those words.

[ask-bad-end-sunny]

Stranger, don't let him get to Sunny! Also maybe keep him silent! Ahhh good luckk

(TW: Implied gore/blood)

"...S...Stranger, please, you don't have to fight like this...neither of you do...! I...I'll go back to White Space with Omori...!"

{"...You do not want to do that, Sunny, I know that you are only speaking out of fear."}

{"This evil creation has caused you so much pain...I believe that he deserves it back in return, and I will gladly give it to him."}

{"As the saying goes...'an eye for an eye'."}

[ "If you are going to attack, then do so now, shadow." ]

[ "But, I would advise you to instead step aside. The DREAMER just told you that he will come back with me." ]

[ "And besides, as if you have any chan--" ]

[ "...!!" ]

"S...Stranger! No!"

"O...Omori!?"

"...W...wait...o-oh no..."

{"..."}

[ "..." ]

[ "...AS IF YOU HAVE ANY CHANCE OF ACTUALLY KILLING ME." ]

[ask-bad-end-sunny]

stranger, use your vines on the puppet body! stab! Even if cant sucumb make them wish they could!

{"...!!"}

[ "...This is my last warning to you, shadow." ]

[ "Step. Aside." ]

[ "Unless you wish to be added to the other meaningless corpses that lay rotting in this place." ]

Hisssss....

{"...No. I will not."}

"..."