[Lucas] "I wanted to know if you had my back." [Mike] "Yeah, I have your back."
styofa doing anything

Discoholic đŞŠ

noise dept.

oozey mess

â
TVSTRANGERTHINGS
hello vonnie

blake kathryn
art blog(derogatory)
Sweet Seals For You, Always
i don't do bad sauce passes

pixel skylines


JBB: An Artblog!

shark vs the universe
DEAR READER
I'd rather be in outer space đ¸
Aqua Utopiaď˝ćľˇăŽĺşă§č¨ćśăç´Ąă

#extradirty

seen from TĂźrkiye
seen from Angola

seen from United States

seen from Singapore

seen from Iraq

seen from Iraq

seen from Iraq
seen from Argentina

seen from United States
seen from Germany
seen from United States

seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from TĂźrkiye
seen from United States
seen from United States

seen from United States

seen from United States
seen from United States

seen from United States
@dustinoutofrange
[Lucas] "I wanted to know if you had my back." [Mike] "Yeah, I have your back."

Anya is live and ready to show you everything. Watch her strip, dance, and perform exclusive shows just for you. Interact in real-time and make your fantasies come true.
Free to watch ⢠No registration required ⢠HD streaming
She stared at him, then at the pay phone, then at the card in his hand. There was one thing on her mind. She didn't want to go home. She wanted to stay with this strange boy, Dustin, who was very enthusiastic. Tessa shook her head and pointed towards the park. Then poked his forehead again. Then the park. Then his forehead again, before using her sleeve to wipe away something from her nose, looking down to see blood. She held it up to show it to Dustin. He seemed aware of weird things like blood.
dustin followed the sequence with the intense concentration of someone trying to decode enemy transmissions.
park. forehead. park. forehead. blood.
he squinted at her sleeve, then at her face, then at the park behind her like it might suddenly provide subtitles.
âokay,â he said slowly, holding one hand up. âso either you want me to go to the park and think really hard⌠or the park made your nose bleed with its mind, which, frankly, in hawkins? not impossible.â
he glanced at the blood again. âlemme see.â he gestured toward her nose, waiting a second to make sure she wouldnât bolt or poke him again before leaning just a little closer. just looking.
âokay, still bleeding, but not, like, horror-movie bleeding.â he nodded more to himself than to her. âthatâs⌠manageable.â
he took one of the tissues and demonstrated, dabbing under his own nose like a very, very dorky nurse.
âgentle pressure, no dramatic sleeve murder scene.â
then he tapped his own forehead, mirroring her, and pointed toward the park.
âyou want me,â tap, âto go there?â point.
he repeated it slower, eyebrows raised, giving her room to confirm or reject.
âokay,â he said. âyou donât wanna call them yet. i get that.â he turned his body a little toward the park, not walking yet, just making it clear he was taking her seriously.
âso. we can do park first. but if you pass out, throw up, or start seeing double, iâm overruling the mysterious silent vibe and dragging you to help, okay?â
đ'đĽđĽ đđđŻđđŤ đđđ đđ¨đŽ đđ¨âľ
(đđĽđ¨đŹđđ đ°đŤđ˘đđ˘đ§đ đŹ đ°/ @dustinoutofrange)
đđ¸đťđŽđżđŽđť đđ¸đžđˇđ° đ đđŞđˇđ˝ đ˝đ¸ đŤđŽ đŻđ¸đťđŽđżđŽđť đđ¸đžđˇđ° đđ¸ đđ¸đž đťđŽđŞđľđľđ đđŞđˇđ˝ đ˝đ¸ đľđ˛đżđŽ đŻđ¸đťđŽđżđŽđť.ᣠđđ¸đťđŽđżđŽđť đŞđˇđ đŽđżđŽđť...
The day was enjoyable, as Ollie took Dustin to the arcade to blow off some steam. It had been days since Ollie stood in Dustinâs home, crying and trying not to fall apart because of everything that was happeningâthe things with Eddie and Billy, the echoes, and all that came with it. Plus, the Upside Down seemed to lurk in every shadow. Her powers were getting stronger each day she used them. It had gotten to a point where her nose didnât bleed and she didnât pass out. It was like Ollie was becoming immune to it all, like nothing was going to slow her downânot one bit. As they made their way to the arcade, Ollie opened the door for Dustin. When they stepped inside, she immediately felt that something was off. They were the only ones there. The only sounds were the games and the music softly playing in the background. But for some reason, she kept hearing the faint ticking of a clock somewhere in the distance. HenryâVecna. He was trying to reach her. If not in the real world, then in her mind. He had a way of getting into her head, of making her want to obey his every word. Ollie shook her head and looked at Dustin, forcing a smile, pretending everything was okay. But the look on his face told her he didnât believe herâthat he knew things werenât fine. The neon lights illuminated her features as they stood there. Ollieâs vision began to shiftâher present surroundings blending with memories of the lab. A bad memory surfaced, tangled with Vecnaâs torment and fixation on her. There had been a time when Henry loved Ollie, and Ollie loved Henry. But when she left him at the lab, everything changed. Ollie felt like Henry had become just like her dadâsomeone who left when things got hard, who never came back for her, even though he said he would go to the ends of the earth for her.
Guess he was too busy playing the villain to care how she felt. She knew he wasnât the same person anymore. He was completely different from the boy she had once known. Thatâs when the lights started to flicker. Her heart began to race. She closed her eyes for a momentâand everything went black. She was in the void. Henry was there, taking control. Ollie felt her body jerk forward as she fell to her knees. Her vision flickered between the void and the arcade, between Henry and Dustin. Why was he here, of all places? Was Henry finally coming back for her? It seemed he was a little too late. Ollie had stopped waiting a long time ago. Her vision went black again, completely consumed by the void. She didnât know if the echoes were playing tricks on her, but deep down, she knew this was real. Everything inside her screamed at her to run, to find a way outâbut she knew it wouldnât help.
In the real world, her body collapsed to the floor in front of Dustin with a thud. She began convulsing as she lay there. But in the void, she stood still in the darkness. It felt like it was calling to herâalmost like a friend. Then she saw him. Henry was walking toward her slowly. Her heart raced faster with each step he took. The sound of that damn clock echoed louder and louder in her mind, ticking endlessly. âOliviaâŚ!â Henry called out as he stopped in front of her. But he wasnât the same. He looked like himselfâbut wasnât, if that made any sense. Ollie froze, unsure of what to do. Should she run into his arms⌠or scream at him? All she could do was stand there. Stand there as he moved closer, until he finally reached her, extending his hand as if offering it to herâas if she would take it. And Ollie⌠She let the void take her. She let the darkness consume every part of her. And this time, she didnât fight it.
âollie? ollie, heyâcut it out, you're freaking me out. this isn't funny!â
dustin had been mid-sentence, rambling about the high score he was going to reclaim on dig dug, when the air in the arcade turned thick and cold. the neon glow of the cabinets suddenly felt sickly, pulsating like a failing heart. one second ollie was there, and the next, her eyes rolled back into her head, and she hit the linoleum with a sound that made dustinâs stomach do a sickening somersault.
âollie!â
he scrambled to the floor, his knees barking against the hard tile. it wasn't like her usual power usageâthere was no nosebleed, no familiar strain. this was different. her body was rigid, convulsing in a way that looked like she was being pulled by invisible wires.
dustin screamed, his voice cracking into a desperate, jagged sob. he looked around wildly. the arcade was empty, the machines whirring and chirping as if nothing was wrong, but the lights were flickering in a rhythmic, menacing pattern.
tick. tick. tick.
âollie, look at me! stay here, okay? stay in the arcade!â he reached out, his hands hovering over her, afraid to touch her but unable to pull away. he grabbed her shoulders, shaking her gently at first, then with more urgency. âdon't go into the dark! whatever you see, it's not real! itâs a trick, ollie! Itâs a projection!â
he could see her eyes moving rapidly under her lidsâshe was seeing something else. somewhere else. dustinâs mind raced through every bit of lore they had gathered on vecna, on the mind flayer, on the lab. He knew that trance look. he knew the signs of someone being hunted.
âi'm right here!â he yelled, his face inches from hers, hot tears blurring his vision. âyou aren't alone! whatever he's telling you, he's a liar! heâs just aâa multidimensional parasite, ollie! don't listen to him!â
the flickering lights grew more intense, a bulb overhead shattering and raining glass down a few feet away. dustin didn't flinch. he gripped her hands, his knuckles white.
âollie, please! come back! don't let him take you!â
but as her body went limp and the convulsing stopped, replaced by a terrifying, hollow stillness, dustin felt a cold dread sink into his bones. she felt miles away, even though he was holding her.
âollie?â he whispered, his voice trembling. âollie, talk to me...â
Tessa didn't reply. Instead, she just stared at the tissues before looking back up at Dustin. She stood up. The first thing she noticed she was slightly taller than him. Tessa didn't bother to wipe her nose. She poked Dustin's chest. Then his forehead. She reached into her bag to pull out the card her parents had given her in case someone tried to speak with her. Hi! My name is Tessa Quinn. I am 17 years old, and I cannot speak. If you find me, call: 1 260-562-1799. My parents will come pick me up. She handed it to Dustin.
dustin blinked once at the poke to his chest.
then again at the forehead poke.
then he took the card, eyes scanning it at top speed. and immediately his whole expression changed.
âoh,â he said softly, all the rapid-fire chaos in him dropping down a few notches. âokay. okay, got it.â
he looked back up at her, then at the bleeding nose, then back to the card. âtessa,â he said carefully, âyou couldâve opened with the forehead poke thing, honestly. very effective communication strategy.â
dustin folded the card and kept it visible in his hand instead of pocketing it. he gave a small nod, like theyâd successfully established diplomatic relations.
âokay. so. new plan. we call your parents, because that is what the official tessa quinn emergency instructions say to do, and i am a rule follower in exactly this one scenario.â
he fished in his pocket for change and a few random objects that absolutely were not useful, then grimaced.
âunless, of course, you have opinions about that.â he paused, then corrected himself. âwhichâobviously you do. i just meanâŚâ he gestured vaguely. âyou can point. or nod. or poke me in the forehead again, i guess. that seems to be one of your things.â
he glanced toward the nearest pay phone, then back at her, staying put so she wouldnât think he was just going to drag her off somewhere.
âyou hit your head too? or just your face? because if itâs the head thing, iâm gonna have to upgrade this from âawkward park incidentâ to âmild medical emergency.ââ
The two of them were definitely getting more ridiculous by the minute, completely overdoing it now. And Lucas loved it. âHenderson, youâre so arrogant!â he shot back, pretending to be offended. âYou seriously underestimate me. I would totally destroy you! You wouldnât even see it coming!â He lifted his chin like a dramatic diva. His eyes were watering from trying not to laugh, but he ended up bursting out laughing anyway.
The whole future Dustin was painting for them so vividly sounded absolutely amazing. Lucas let out a happy, satisfied sigh. âThatâs it!â he shouted enthusiastically. âThatâs exactly how itâs gonna go! Weâve suffered long enough, waited long enough, put up with everything and now itâs our time. This is the moment we rise into our new, glorious future!â He puffed out his chest again, looking at Dustin like it was some grand ceremony.
The more they hyped themselves up, the less they could let that poster ruin the mood again. âWe should still keep those horrible attempts though,â Lucas said, nodding toward the poster. âOnce weâre famous, someoneâs gonna buy that and hang it in a museum as high art. Just because we made it, even that ugly crap is gonna get celebrated!â He grinned like a total maniac, still laughing at their terrible drawings.
Lucasâs eyes were practically glowing. âYes, yes, yes!â he shouted at Dustinâs ideas about how exactly to bring Will and Mike into it. âThatâs exactly what weâll do! The four of us are gonna rule the entire entertainment industry. Every possible medium!â
When Dustin jumped up all dramatically, Lucas did the same, fired up. He nodded along with total conviction, raising his fist in the air. âThe core four, the Party, Starpath forever!â he yelled. Honestly, this was such a perfect distraction from everything else going on. Theyâd always been good at escaping into their own worlds, but this right here, this moment with Dustin, felt especially good. Lucas felt genuinely happy, full, and completely hyped and motivated.
dustin shot to his feet so fast his chair screeched backward across the floor like it, too, had been swept up in the movement.
âYES!â he barked, pointing at lucas like a televangelist whoâd just found religion. âthatâs the spirit! that is the exact level of insane confidence required to build an empire from a school assignment and a half-functional computer!â
âand iâm not arrogant, sinclair. arrogance implies overestimation. this is just accuracy. i know my worth, i know your worth. combined weâre basically a national threat.â
lucasâs museum comment hit him like a divine revelation. dustin gasped. he clutched the ugly poster to his chest with sudden dramatic reverence. âooooh my god,â he whispered. âyouâre right.â
he held it out between them like it was sacred, instead of a visual hate crime.
âthis,â he said solemnly, âis not garbage. this is early work. this is pre-fame henderson-sinclair original material. the kind of thing rich people will stare at in a museum and pretend to understand.â
he pointed at his lumpy planet. âtheyâll call this âa raw meditation on isolation and desire.ââ then at lucasâs tragic excuse for a hero. âthat? âa bold rejection of conventional masculinity through fractured line work.ââ and finally the nightmare princess. dustin had to pause because he was already starting to laugh again.
âthat,â he wheezed, âis âthe inherent terror of longing.ââ he completely lost it, laughing so hard he had to bend in half and grab the edge of the desk to steady himself.
when he looked back up, his eyes were practically sparkling. lucas was standing there with his fist up, just as fired up, and for one weird, shining second dustin felt like they were not two teenage dorks in a school project spiral but the beginning of something huge.
he slammed his own fist into the air.
âTHE CORE FOUR!â he shouted back. âthe party, starpath, total media domination! we make the games, will makes them beautiful, mike makes them dramatic, and then we all get disgustingly rich and buy our teachers houses just so we can evict them!â
he paced once in a tight, excited little circle, too keyed up to stay still.
âno, waitâbetter. we buy the school. we rename it starpath academy. whitmore has to teach under a giant mural of our faces.â

Anya is live and ready to show you everything. Watch her strip, dance, and perform exclusive shows just for you. Interact in real-time and make your fantasies come true.
Free to watch ⢠No registration required ⢠HD streaming
#From strangers to brothers
Willâs absence from Hawkins really solidified how much he missed his friends. Not just playing D&D and hanging out in a group, but the one on one interactions too. Dustin had made a point to write to him, and heâd written back. Heâd even worked on a poster for the science fair that Dustin had done solo, knowing that despite all of his other talents, the visual arts tended to elude him.
Will could be fairly certain that the two of them were still the kind of friends that could simply show up at one anotherâs house without calling in advance. Sure, maybe Dustin wouldnât be home, but then he could just try Lucas or Mikeâs.
Alternatively, he could hang out with Mona if Dustin was busy. Maybe it was odd to hang out with Dustinâs cousin without him, but heâd liked their chat when she came over and brought him a burger. He liked to be the kind of person that could make a person feel less alone. He knew he couldnât solve her problem of the creepy man lingering outside of her window, but he could at least check in on her.
Will left his bike on the grass, adjusting the shoulder straps on the backpack that he took with him just about everywhere. Then he approached the front door and knocked. He thought he heard something, but to be completely sure, he opened the door just to double check. The cat was quick to investigate the new arrival to the Henderson home, and Will grinned as the little buddy rubbed against his ankles. âHi,â he said softly, reaching down to give the cat a few pets before straightening and shutting the door behind him.
His attention was immediately diverted by Dustin yelling in a way that he only did when he was flustered or something wasnât going according to plan. The directions were conflicting, but theyâre best friends. Whatever Dustinâs all hyped up over isnât something thatâs going to deter him from helping somehow.
When Will stepped into the living room, he saw the last thing he could have possibly imagined. His eyes widened, taking in the bra hanging off the antenna and the horrified expression on Dustinâs face. An honest to god wheeze escaped him. It quickly devolved into an uncharacteristically loud cacophony of cackles. âDustââ He managed to get himself to the arm of a chair before he ended up on the floor. âDustiââ
If Will hadnât already completely lost it, the âscienceâ bit sealed the deal. He roared, tears pricking at the corners of his eyes for a finally non-depressing reason. âWhat dâyouâ what dâyou meanââ He flopped fully into the chair sideways, still thoroughly overtaken by a fit of the giggles.
dustin whipped around at the sound of the front door, already halfway through a frantic explanation about how this was not what it looked likeâwhen he saw will standing there.
in his living room. grinning. laughing.
dustinâs brain shortâcircuited. his face went through three distinct phases in two seconds: shock, horror, then nuclearâlevel embarrassment that turned him approximately the color of a fire truck.
âWILL?!â he yelped, voice cracking like a dropped cassette tape. âwhat are youâhow did youâWHY?!â
he lunged for the bra like it was a live grenade, yanking it off the antenna with full force. âthis isnâtâthis wasâi wasââ he froze, bra dangling from his hand like damning evidence, staring at will who was now wheezing in the chair like a malfunctioning accordion.
he shoved the bra behind his back, cheeks burning, voice climbing into defensive panic. âSTOP LAUGHING,â dustin hissed, brandishing the bra like a weapon. âthis is a SCIENTIFIC EMERGENCYâIT WAS SCIENCE.â
willâs cackles didnât stop, and dustinâs shoulders slumped in defeat. he knew that laugh. that was the laugh of someone whoâd witnessed his downfall and was never, ever letting him live it down.
âfine,â he groaned, tossing the bra onto the couch. âlaugh it up, byers.â he sighed dramatically. dustin pointed at will from across the living room, still red in the face, clutching onto whatever scraps of dignity he had left. âyou are never telling anyone about this,â he informed him, voice wobbling between outrage and laughter. âthis goes to the grave. if mike hears about it, iâm done.â
the laughing fit continued, and for maybe the first time, dustin didnât actually mind. because that soundâwill laughing like that, loud and realâhit something in him harder than the humiliation did. it had been too long. too many letters, too many almost-conversations on paper. way too much time missing somebody in this quiet way that snuck up on you when you reached for the phone or had a joke you knew only theyâd get.
the frantic energy went out of him, leaving something tender behind. he looked at the familiar way will curled into the chair when he laughed, at mews settling into his lap like she remembered him too.
he moved closer before dropping into the chair across from will with a crooked, sheepish little shrug. âyeah, okay,â he muttered, quieter now. âitâs dumb.â dustin looked down at his hands, then back up. âi missed you, you know.â it came out more simply than he meant it to. no jokes or his usual dramatic flourish. just the truth.
his fingers picked at the edge of a cushion. âit was weird without you here.â his voice dropped a little. âlouder in all the wrong ways.â that got a tiny smile out of him, but it faded quickly into something more honest. âiâm really glad youâre here, will.â
Tessa could be seen as creepy. She was always alone. And she went missing for 3 months before she was found again wandering around the forest. Often her thoughts were empty. It wasn't that she was stupid or anything; she just didn't really need to think. It was a Tuesday afternoon. She was wandering around Hawkins as she usually did after her therapist appointment, when she was walking past the park, tripped over a rock, and fell, right on her face. She got up right away and touched her nose to see blood. Then she saw someone staring at her.
//OPEN// @sterpstarters
dustin froze mid-step, one sneaker half off the curb, staring at the girl who had just face-planted in spectacular silence.
for one terrible second, he didnât know what to do.
then his entire body snapped into motion.
âwhoaâhey, hey, donât move too fast,â he said, hurrying over with his hands half raised. his eyes immediately locked onto the blood. âokayâthat's blood. that is definitely more blood than we want coming out of a nose on a tuesday.â
he fumbled in his jacket pocket and after much digging, produced a crumpled wad of tissues. he held them out awkwardly. âhere.â
he crouched a little so he wasnât looming, his expression tight with concern and curiosity in equal measure.
âyou good?â he asked, then immediately winced. âno, wait, dumb question. obviously not good.â
his eyes flicked over her face, checking if she looked dizzy, too pale, too out of it.
âcan you breathe okay? do you feel weird?â
then, because he was dustin and incapable of letting a moment breathe without over-explaining, âiâm only asking because concussions are a thing, and also this town has a statistically alarming relationship with unexplained injuries.â
he shifted his weight, still holding the tissues out.
âiâm dustin, by the way. resident genius, occasional medic, witness to whatever that was.â
Ollie felt tears fall from her eyes. She was just a girlâa girl who kept all her feelings inside until she couldnât anymore. It was like a dam breaking during a storm, the storm destroying whatever it could. She was the storm. She was the one breaking. She heard Dustin start talking about how it wasnât her fault and that she was strongâwhich she really was. She had gone through so much already. She sniffled, trying not to cry, but she couldnât hold it in. As tears fell, she started to speak through soft sobs.
âYou donât understand⌠or maybe you do⌠but this is too much. I canât risk seeing everyone I love get caught in this. Itâs not fair! Itâs not fair to Eddie, and itâs not fair to you!â Ollie said, wiping tears from her eyes with her sleeve.
Things were getting bad, and she knew it. Even though it hurt, she would do all she could to remain strongâto do what she should do. Right now, she didnât know what else she could say or do. It was all confusing to her.
âI know I have you, and that Iâm not alone. But with so many people in my life, I still feel so alone. And Iâm scared Iâll end up alone with the echoes consuming me further⌠I know Iâm strong, but itâs not enoughâŚâ
Ollie said this as she let go of his hand and crossed her arms. A shiver ran down her spine. She had broken apart right in front of someone she viewed as a younger brother. It wasnât weaknessâit was more strength to let go of everything than to just bottle it up like she always did. Dustin knew that about Ollie. No matter how much she swallowed down her feelings, he knew she would eventually spill them. She looked at the ground, kicking the floor softly with the tip of her boot. Then Ollie looked up at Dustin, her glossy green eyes as if tears were ready to fall again.
dustin didnât say anything at first because he knew ollie needed the silence more than words.
he watched her and saw the storm raging behind her eyes. then he stepped closer, just to reinforce the idea that he was there for her. always. when he spoke, his voice was quiet. the voice you use when someoneâs breaking but you know theyâre strong enough to rebuild.
âollie,â he said, âlisten at me.â he didnât flinch at the tears. âyouâre not gonna end up alone. you hear me? not. gonna. happen.â
he held up one finger. âfirst ânobodyâs getting âcaughtâ in anything. eddie? heâd punch anyone who tried to make him leave. me? iâm glued to you. literally. youâre not shaking me.â
two fingers. âsecondâyouâre not weak for crying. youâre strong for not exploding the entire house when you feel like it. do you know how many people wouldâve already flipped a car by now? youâre holding it together, thatâs strength.â
three fingers. âand thirdââ he stepped closer, whispering. âthe echoes? they donât get to win, not against you. youâve got powers. youâve got a family that would fight literal monsters for you. and youâve got meâthe guy who once turned a radio into a demobat detector.â
âyouâre not alone. and if the echoes try to consume you, then weâll consume them first.â
he tilted his head, giving her a small, crooked grin.
âbesides⌠if you think iâm letting you face this solo, you clearly forgot who youâre talking to. iâm a henderson. i donât do solo missions.â
Lucas laughed even louder, but at the same time shot Dustin an offended look. âDude, I could totally handle you,â he claimed, clutching his chest in fake heartbreak. âYouâre breaking my heart, man!â He snickered again, watching Dustinâs fingers fly across the keyboard, typing out the glorious code. âYeah, man! Only the best for my sweetheart,â he added, lifting his chin and wiggling his eyebrows, âthatâs how Iâd still win you over!â
They started imagining an even more exaggarated future full of wealth and fame, and Lucasâs eyes kept getting bigger, practically sparkling with excitement as he pictured it all in his head. He loved this shared sense of over-the-top ambition. âExactly!â he agreed enthusiastically. âAll of a sudden everyone wants to be our friend and wants to know us, but weâre so far above all those losers that we canât even see them from up there! Everyone who didnât respect us now is gonna regret it!â It really felt like a huge, memorable, important moment. The game was making seriously good progress, and Lucas genuinely believed it was going to be amazing. âI seriously canât wait until we can show it to our friends and they freak out over the game and about us. About how brilliant we are,â he beamed.
The poster, though, was still the downside of the whole thing. Their drawings were so unbelievably bad that both boys were doubled over laughing. Tears streamed down Lucasâs face, and he could barely talk because he was laughing so hard. Between fits of laughter, he somehow managed to get a sentence out. âEven the dragon would run away if it saw this princess,â he said, laughing, âthe hero would probably have to save the dragon from the princess!â
It was pretty obvious they needed Will, because without him, there was no way theyâd pull this off. Lucas finally stopped laughing and nodded seriously at Dustinâs ideas. âJust imagine how awesome itâd be if Will drew a whole comic about our Starpath stories!â he said, getting lost in the thought for a second. But before any of that could happen, they had to deal with the poster for Whitmore first. âGood thing Will would never say no to us,â Lucas stated confidently. âHeâll help us and make sure our genius project doesnât crash before it even really gets off the ground. And then, the three of us will be totally unstoppable. He can basically stay our creative director forever! Weâre definitely gonna need visuals many times in the future!â
Lucas said all of this completely seriously now, like they were 100% going to build some huge business or empire together. Thatâs exactly what it felt like to him, too. Way more than just a school project. âMaybe we can find something for Mike to do too?â he added. âI mean, how cool would it be if all four of us were part of the Starpath legend?â
dustin threw his head back and cackled like a mad scientist achieving breakthrough. lucasâs fake heartbreak and eyebrow wiggles sent him into absolute orbit. he slapped the desk so hard his soda wobbled dangerously close to the keyboard.
âhandle me?!â dustin wheezed, clutching his sides. âsinclair, you couldnât handle me if you came with a user manual and training wheels! iâd have you begging for mercy in a few seconds.â
but the laughter faded into manic glee as lucas matched his wild visions of the future. dustinâs eyes practically glowed.
he leaned in, voice dropping to a conspiratorial hiss. âYES. theyâll be crawling to us on their knees. âplease, mr. henderson, mr. sinclair, sign my lunchbox!â and weâll be like, âsorry, peasant, we donât do autographs below CEO level.ââ
he mimed flipping his hair like a rockstar. âour families?  loaded. your sister erica? sheâll have her own wing in the mansion. mike? heâll be our unpaid intern. forever!â
the code beepedâ another successful loop. dustin whooped, fistâpumping like heâd just launched a rocket. âBRILLIANT. theyâre gonna lose their MINDS!â
but the posterâoh god, the poster.
dustin was still giggling, wiping tears as he stared at their artistic massacre. âthe dragon would refuse to fight that heroâitâs a war crime!â
then lucas mentioned will, and dustinâs brain lit up like a christmas tree on steroids. he grabbed lucasâs arm, shaking him with excitement. âA COMIC?! comic series! will draws the graphic novel, we code the games, we license it to spielbergâBOOM. hollywood box office. weâre talking starpath: the movie. with practical effects! and pyrotechnics!â
he was practically vibrating now. âcreative director for life. YES. and mikeââ his eyes narrowed, scheming. âmike gets marketing. heâs got that âtortured artist who secretly loves attentionâ vibe. perfect for press tours. âyes, yes, weâre geniuses, now buy the merchandise.ââ
dustin slapped the desk again, standing up like a general rallying troops. âthe core four! henderson, sinclair, byers, wheeler. unstoppable. unbeatable. weâll own gaming. movies. EVERYTHING. whitmore will frame this poster in the hall of fame.â
he grinned, wild and unstoppable. âoperation starpath empire starts NOW!!â

Anya is live and ready to show you everything. Watch her strip, dance, and perform exclusive shows just for you. Interact in real-time and make your fantasies come true.
Free to watch ⢠No registration required ⢠HD streaming
the feline deigned steve a comfortable enough pillow and curled in his lap as he ate his chips around her.
"thanks," he muttered, popping the tab of the can.
sipping at his drink, he winced when he realized the word vomit that he was about to endure. he should be used to it by now but screw that. the force of a henderson rant was not something to be taken lightly.
"hey, i'm not saying you're wrong, but maybe mike just wants a little moreânormalcy before we all jump back into the upside down shitshow."
there was no denying steve had already taken notice of all the weird and weirder than normal things happening. he wished he could ignore it, but he knew that would only bite him in the ass in the long run.
"gremlins? i didn't know you starred in a movie," he jabbed teasingly before wincing at the mention of demobats. he still had scars around his waist from those winged beasts.
"alright, i'll give it a chance. i think connie tried putting it on in the store once, but i told her i would let her close alone if i didn't get to pick something else," he admitted with a smug grin.
he would never actually be that mean, but it was rare that he won a movie argument between her and robin.
dustin's eyes narrowed to suspicious slits the second steve dared defend mike's quest for normalcy. he set his drink down with a thunk, like a lawyer presenting evidence to a particularly dense jury.
ânormalcy?â he repeated, voice climbing into that patented henderson pitch of outrage. âSTEVE. he spent the last two summers fighting interdimensional slug monsters with his girlfriend who can flip vans with her MIND. whatâs his definition of normalâa book club?!â
he threw his hands up, pacing now, classic dustin rant mode fully engaged. âmike wants ânormalcyâ like i want to join the wrestling team. great in theory, disastrous in execution.â
but then he spun around, pointing triumphantly. âHA! see? even connie knew it was gold! you probably picked some lame slasher where the final girl trips over her own shoelaces. classic steve.â
dustin flopped back onto the couch, snatching the remote. âlucky for you, iâm magnanimous. we start with gremlins. then the thing. maximum paranoia! youâll thank me when youâre hiding behind the couch pillows screaming.â
he grinned, all teeth and mischief, leaning into steveâs space. âand donât pretend youâre not secretly thrilled. you LOVE when iâm right. makes you feel like youâre parenting a genius.â
âmunch your chips, harrington. the masterclass in monster movies begins now.â
#the duffers finally remembered steve isn't just a pretty face
STRANGER THINGS S02E09
Eddie stared at Dustin like the kid had just pulled a knife on him. âOkay, first of allâŚâ he sputtered, hands flying up in immediate, panicked jazzâhands defense, âI donât have tells. I am a mystery wrapped in an enigma wrapped in a denim vest, thank you very much.â But Dustin kept going. And pointing. And narrating. And Eddieâs face went through roughly seventeen stages of emotional collapse. âI DIDNâT SAY HER NAME LIKE SHE WAS A GUIDING STAR,â he protested, voice cracking violently on guiding. âI said it like⌠like a normal person! A normal, casual, platonic, conversational thing!â Eddie deflated. âOkay maybe not normal normal,â he muttered, rubbing the back of his neck so aggressively his rings clicked. âBut I wasnât⌠I didnât⌠it wasnât like that.â Then Dustin quoted him. Confusing and rude. Eddie slapped both hands over his face and groaned into his palms. âI DIDNâT MEAN IT LIKE THAT, JESUS TAPâDANCING CHRIST.â
âStop zooming in on my soul, Henderson,â he hissed, finger jabbing the air. âItâs invasive.â But Dustin kept going. Soup, checking on him, romantic subplot behavior. Eddieâs entire nervous system shortâcircuited. âNO ONE IS IN A SUBPLOT,â he insisted, voice climbing an octave. âThere are no plots! There are no subplots! This is real life, not.. not Spielberg!â Eddie wilted. âOkay, fine, maybe she⌠checks on me,â he admitted, waving a hand like that would make it less damning. âBut not like.. not like that. She just⌠shows up. Sometimes. And asks if Iâm okay. And I lie. Badly. And she sees through it. Every time. Like some kind of.. emotional bloodhound.â
He paused, realizing what heâd just said. âDonât write that down,â he snapped. âAnd I donât look at her weird!â Eddie added quickly. âI look at her like.. like a person! A normal person! With a face! And eyes! And.. and..â He trailed off, staring at the ground. ââŚokay maybe I look at her a little.â Silence. Eddie threw his hands up. âFINE. YES. IâM GLITCHING IN HER DIRECTION. HAPPY?â Eddie pointed at him, wildâeyed. âBUT THAT DOESNâT MEAN ANYTHING.â Eddie paused for a moment and drew in a breath. ââŚokay it might mean something.â He slumped back against the couch, defeated, curls falling into his eyes. âAm I into your cousin?â he repeated, voice barely above a whisper. âI donât know, man. I donâtâ I donât know. Sheâs⌠sheâs Mona. And Iâm me. And thatâs.. thatâs complicated.â He swallowed hard, staring at his hands. âBut I canât stop thinking about her,â he admitted, voice cracking. âAnd thatâs⌠new. And terrifying. And I donât know what to do with it.â He looked up at Dustin, eyes wide and pleading.
dustin watched eddie crumble in complete awe. the bravado melted away until it was replaced by a guy who looked like heâd just failed a saving throw against a level ten charm spell.
dustin stood there, a look of pure triumph plastered across his face. for a split second, the high of being rightâof his intellectual superiority over eddieâs mysteryâovershadowed everything else. he felt like heâd just cracked the russian code again, his chest puffing out with the pride of a master detective who had cornered his suspect.
âHOLYâ I KNEW IT!â he whisperâyelled, fist pumping the air like heâd won the lottery. âI KNEW IT! my emotional radar was SPOT ON! eddie munson, ladies and gentlemen âcaught in the act of FEELINGS!â
but thenâ
the grin froze. slowly, dustinâs eyes widened. with realization.
eddie. mona.
he looked at eddieâdefeated, admitting to thinking about her in a voice that sounded way too fragileâand then he thought about mona. the one who had taught him how to use a compass when he was six and who once helped him hide a broken lamp from his mom. his cousin. and eddie. his mentor. the high wizard of hellfire. the guy who survived the upside down.
the two halves of dustinâs brain slammed into each other like a high-speed train wreck.
he sat on the couch, staring at eddie like he was seeing him for the first time. âthis is⌠real,â he muttered. âlike, actually real. not just me messing with you.â he scrubbed a hand through his curls, processing at lightspeed.
he exhaled, the chaotic energy in his chest dying down. he saw the pleading eyes, and for a second, the protective cousin and the loyal friend had a brief wrestling match in his head. the loyal friend won.
âeddie. you're about as mysterious as a neon sign in a blackout... but listen to me. i know mona. she doesn't do pity. if sheâs showing up and being an emotional bloodhound, itâs not because sheâs checking a chore off a list. sheâs doing it because she wants to be there. with you.â
dustin felt a weird weight of responsibilityâhe was the one who had brought these two worlds together, after all.
âi guess it's normal to be terrified,â dustin said. âactually, itâs probably the most here youâve been since you got back. fear is a real world emotion. itâs way better than the cold static.â
he nudged eddieâs knee with his own. âyeah, you're complicated. glitchy. loud. kinda dramatic. but also loyal and brave. and you let people care about you even when it freaks you out.â dustin sat back, crossing his arms triumphantly.
âso. hereâs the thing.â he pointed at eddie. âyouâre not wrong to feel this. youâre just scared. and fairâsheâs intense, sheâs basically a human mixtape of danger and eyeliner. BUT,â he held up a finger. âyouâre also wrong saying it doesnât mean anything. because it does. you donât think about someone that much unless thereâs something.â
but then, a small, mischievous spark returned to dustin's eyes. the chaos was never gone for long.
âif you hurt her iâll kill you myself. best friend or not.â
Lucas snickered when Dustin got completely thrown off his coding for a second. âIf you wanna kiss me, you just gotta say so, man!â he shot back, exaggerating his lips into a dramatic kissy face and blowing Dustin a mock air kiss. He watched him with amusement while Dustin puffed himself up like that, then nodded in agreement. âYeah, man! And no Yoko Ono could ever break us apart!â he said, jumping right into the Beatles comparison. âNothing could. Thatâs why weâre the even more legendary duo! Which also means youâre my perfect date. So relax when I say that and keep coding!â He gave Dustin an encouraging slap on the shoulder, still grinning to himself.
Everything they were imagining right now sounded more than amazing to Lucas. âFor sure!â he jumped in again, way too excited. âPeople are still gonna be talking about us a hundred years from now. Tons of people will try to copy us, but nobody will ever reach our level!â He straightened his shoulders again, already picturing it all in his head: the two of them sitting in ridiculously expensive clothes in fancy restaurants, giving bored, slightly arrogant interviews while everyone still totally worshipped them. âAll the people who ever laughed at us are gonna regret it so bad,â he added firmly. âEveryoneâs gonna wish they were friends with us! And weâre gonna make our families and friends insanely rich and happy too!â Lucas was definitely getting a little ahead of himself now, but dreaming about all this stuff with Dustin was just way too fun. âYes⌠gaming gods,â he repeated with a happy sigh.
The coding was actually going pretty well too, even if the computer took forever to load literally anything. But that was normal. Their future fame and fortune definitely wouldnât fail because of that.The poster, on the other hand might... They were both actually trying. The problem was just that their drawing skills were about on the same level as an ant trying to do breakdance. âShut up!âLucas snorted, swatting at Dustin again after he obviously started making fun of Lucasâs drawing. âYou couldnât even draw a stupid planet! And I told you I canât do this stuffâŚâ Lucas shot him an annoyed look, but the harder Dustin started laughing, the harder it got for Lucas to stay mad. He looked down at the ugly drawings again and immediately burst out laughing too. It was just funny how unbelievably bad they both were at drawing.
After they finally managed to calm down a little, Dustin actually tried drawing the princess. But the more he drew, the harder Lucas started laughing again. âMan, nobodyâs gonna want to rescue that princess!â Lucas said between laughs, clutching his stomach. âJust imagine you beat all those insanely hard levels, survive all the dangers, go through all that just to finally get your dream girl at the end⌠and thatâs what you see!â He wheezed. âThatâs scarier than the final boss!â
By now they were both laughing so hard about how terrible their drawings were and how awful Lucasâs hero and Dustinâs princess looked, that tears were literally running down their faces. âMan, we NEED Will,â Lucas finally said. âHonestly! Iâll talk to him as soon as possible, okay? Iâll tell him everything about Starpath, the story, the game, our future fame, and ask him to join as our creative mastermind. He can be a co-founder too, right? I mean, McCartney and Lennon werenât the only ones either, even if they were the main guys for sure!â
dustin recoiled dramatically, clutching his chest like lucas had just shot him.
âKISS you?! SINCLAIR. i have standards.â he made exaggerated gagging noises, then immediately dissolved into laughter. âyou couldnât handle my romantic prowess anyway. iâm saving myself for suzie.â he shoved lucasâs shoulderâhard enough to jostle him but light enough to keep the vibe.
his fingers flew back to the keyboard, code clicking into place as he talked. âperfect date you say? fine. flattery accepted! but if weâre doing this, youâre buying dinner after weâre rich. caviar, champagne. the works.â
he paused, eyes lighting up at lucasâ visions of the future. âa hundred years? try a thousand! theyâll name asteroids after us. âdustinâlucas 1986.â kids will study us in school. âand then the hendersonâsinclair duo invented gaming and also humility.ââ
dustin snorted. âall those losers who called us nerds? theyâll be working at our video stores, begging for autographs. âremember me? i sat behind you in math?â and weâll be like, ânah, sorry, too busy counting our millions.ââ the delusion was reaching concerning levels at this point.
the screen beepedâPROGRESS, and dustin whooped. âYES! gaming gods confirmed! keep dreaming big, manâthis is how empires start!â
dustin was doubled over, wheezing so hard he could barely breathe. tearsâACTUAL tearsâstreaming down his face. âlucas, iâm gonnaââ he gasped, clutching his stomach. âiâm gonna DIE. look at her FACE. she looks like she ate a bad eggo and then got possessed by a demobat.â
he swiped at his eyes, trying to catch his breath. ânobodyâs saving that princess. the hero would see her and RUN. like, âsorry, maâam, wrong castle, iâll just let the dragon keep you.ââ
but when lucas mentioned will, dustinâs laughter actually stopped. his head snapped up. eyes wide. âYES,â he said, like lucas had just invented fire. âYES. will. we need him! desperately.â
âcoâfounder status? ABSOLUTELY. we make him creative director. he fixes our garbage, we handle the tech genius and marketing empire. itâs perfect.â
he slapped the table, manic with excitement. âthe three of us? unstoppable. lucasâdustinâwill starpath trifecta. people will write BOOKS about us. MOVIES. weâll get our own marvel team up comic!â then he paused, grinning wickedly. âbut first⌠we have to show him this.â he held up the poster like a trophy. âget his honest reaction on camera. blackmail material for life.â
he leaned toward lucas, eyes gleaming. âoperation: recruit will starts tomorrow. you handle the pitch, and iâll bring the visual aids.â he waved the hideous poster. âstarpath just got its holy trinity, man. weâre LEGENDS.â

Anya is live and ready to show you everything. Watch her strip, dance, and perform exclusive shows just for you. Interact in real-time and make your fantasies come true.
Free to watch ⢠No registration required ⢠HD streaming
steve shook his head in amusement at the younger. despite the fact that the kid was a not so tiny anymore, whirlwind of chaos, he always felt the most at peace in dustin's presence.
"of course, good old mews counts," he teased, having a soft spot for the feline. "don't raise the alarms, i'm already used to being robin's personal chauffeur." despite his current complaints, he never minded carting robin or anyone else around town.
digging through a bag of pretzels, he waved off the mention of the freezer incident. snacks were in need of eating, after all.
he chewed carefully and deliberatively on a handful of pretzels as dustin explained the weird happenings he had been experiencing. of course, steve had been experiencing them too, but he was more reluctant to admit it. "yeah, i guess i've heard some things about lights being weird. you talk to mike about it?" he asked, knowing the kid must have raised the bat signal already.
"i'll just take a dr. pepper," he confirmed with a chuckle. "what are we starting with today?" he asked, making himself comfortable on the couch. mews appeared a second later, and he was more than happy to give her some attention as he waited on dustin. "your mom ever think about getting another cat?" he asked as he scratched mews behind her right ear.
dustin snorted so hard he nearly dropped the dr. pepper he was opening. âyeah, mews is a founding member of the party. she has seniority over half our friends.â
he handed steve his soda, then flopped onto the opposite end of the couch, legs tucked under him like he lived there âwhich, to be fair, he basically did.
and then steve asked the killer question.
âdid i talk to mike?â he repeated, eyes widening like steve had just asked if heâd called the pentagon. âSTEVE. i tried. you know what mike said? âmaybe your wiringâs old.â dude. DUDE. when has my wiring ever been old? i literally rewired this entire house when i was fourteen because our outlets sucked.â he gestured broadly at the living room, as if it proved his point.
âand besides, the light thing isnât just flickering, okay? itâs patterned. like⌠like someone knocking from the inside of the wall but with electricity.â
he got up again, pacing, the energy building.
âand youâve seen stuff too, obviously. donât give me that âmaybe a draftâ crap. lamps donât hum morse code because of drafts.â he sighed dramatically and glanced at steve, eyebrow raised.
âno, my mom is NOT getting another cat. you know how she gets... she says sheâs ânot ready,â which is momâspeak for âiâm still emotionally compromised by the loss of a small furry creature.â plus mews would hate it. she barely tolerates us."
right on cue, mews climbed onto steveâs lap like she owned him.
dustin pointed. âsee? thatâs the face of a cat who would commit a felony if another pet walked in here.â he plopped back down beside steve. âokay. drink your dr. pepper. pet the murder cat.â
he took a breath, excitement lighting him up like heâd been waiting for this exact question.
âgremlins,â he said instantly, like it was the most obvious choice in the world. âitâs got everything! cute creatures, explosions, chaos, and a plot twist thatâll make your brain explode.â
he leaned forward, eyes wide and manic. âwe start with the one where itâs funny and horrifying, then we work our way up to the thing for maximum paranoia. gremlins sets the tone. they're are basically demobats with better pr.â
14, 20, 24
a romantic misunderstanding theyâd absolutely cause
âiâd accidentally destroy mike and elâs entire relationship in like eight seconds. easy. iâd say something totally innocent like, âyeah, el was sneaking around outside your house last night,â and forget to clarify she was just dropping off a mixtape.â
âBOOM. mike thinks sheâs spying on him. el thinks mike thinks sheâs spying on him. hopper shows up at my house six hours later like, âHENDERSON, WHY IS MY KID CRYING AND WHY IS WHEELER HIDING IN A BUSH?â and suddenly iâm the villain.â
the person who could break their heart without even trying
ââŚthatâs eddie. obviously eddie. the man could shatter my entire emotional ecosystem by just looking a little too tired. he doesnât even have to TRY. he could say something like, âhey, bud,â but with that postâtrauma voice? ...heart in pieces. henderson on the floor. likeâhe almost died once, okay? ONE nearâdeath experience and now every time he winces iâm like, âwelp, thatâs it, bury me too.ââ
who theyâd want beside them (if the world ended tonight)
âif the world ended tonight? iâm sticking myself right between lucas and mike like a human nerdâsandwich. lucas because he actually thinks before doing things, and mike because he absolutely does NOT think before doing things, and somehow the combo keeps us alive.â
âand will. heâs basically prophetic at this point... and el, because hello, telekinesis is very useful when the world is exploding. basically, i want the whole party around me. strength in numbers, baby! plus if weâre gonna die, weâre dying together, screaming at the apocalypse like idiots.â