♡EntropyAtropa♡

Wayne Munson's six year old menace of a nephew asks over Hopper's right shoulder, hovering so close that the kneeling man can smell the pond water on the kid.

Hopper ignores it.

He focuses on the sniffling five year old in front of him with the wood splintered in his hand. He doesn't point out that this is exactly why he tells him not to climb trees. Instead, Hopper breathes in, readjusts the tweezers in his hand, and then breathe out slowly, "You ready, kid."?"

Steve sniffles. He nods.

"You have a bird on your shirt," Eddie points out as Hopper starts the painful process. "You must really like birds."

"I do," Steve says, painful tears in his voice as he tries hard not to cry. "I-it's a pelican. Grandpa Otis got it for me in Florida."

"That's cool!"

"Uh-huh," Steve nods. "My favorite animal is a monkey 'cause they have hands and - and they hug each other, and eat fruit with their feet and they live in trees."

"You're kinda like a monkey."

"I know," He rubs his eyes. "I-I wish I was a monkey right now. They don't get splinters."

"You know a lot about monkeys," Eddie says. "Do you know a bunch of stuff about a bunch of animals?"

"Yeah," Steve nods. "I watch tv shows about animals and I remember what they say sometimes, and - and sometimes I go to the library. They got a lot of books about animals and I look at them. Sometimes Miss Sophie - she works there - helps me read the books."

"That's cool," Eddie says. "I’m older than you so I read my own books. I know some facts about animals, wanna hear them?"

"Yeah."

"Do you know why flamingos lift one leg in the air?"

Steve shakes his head.

"It's 'cause if they lift both, they'd fall down."

Eddie grins in the following silence and then grins more when Steve starts giggling. He's got another joke but-

"There you go."

Steve looks down at his now bandaged hand in surprise, at Hopper, and then back at Eddie, "You distracted me!"

Steve and Jonathan are finally not at each other throats all the time- friendly even - and then here Robin. Walking into the room, sniffling the air, and looking Jonathan in the eyes before saying, “Ew, smells like little bitch in here.”

Jonathan is confused. Steve is amused but a little baffled because like, “Robin, that’s the third time you’ve done that. What’s the deal with you and Jonathan? Did he do something?”

“Why do you think I did something?” Jonathan asks.

“You’re my best friend, Steve,” Robin explains. “My platonic with a capital P soulmate. My other half. My twin sep-“

“Okay.”

“And he beat you up and stole your girlfriend,” She adds. “It’s my goddamn given right not to forgive him on your behalf and since you’re not going to be bitch to him anymore than-“

In my head I think about it in terms of DnD stats. They all have high Dex by virtue of being hobbits, but they differ in their other highest stat.

Frodo likely has Wis as his other high stat. He is an Elf-friend, shares a close friendship with Gandalf, and tends to have a good vibe check on most people (Sméagol being his blind spot).

Sam has Con. Dude manages to continue on, carrying Frodo on his back despite how much he’s already been through. Stout hearted and brave!

Merry is obviously Int. Studying the maps in Rivendell, piecing together Frodo’s plan to leave the Shire. Writing his own books later on!

Steve has been trying to keep his and Eddie's growing relationship lowkey. He remembers how frustrated Dustin was when Mike was so wrapped up in his relationship with El that he was flaking out on group plans. He doesn't want Dustin to think that's what's going to happen here. As if either of them would forget about Dustin.

So when Dustin says he needs a second and steps out of the room, Steve's heart sinks. He's already been feeling that Dustin is starting to become closer to Eddie than him because they have more hobbies in common, so he's fully expecting Dustin to accuse him of stealing his new friend. However, when Dustin comes back in, his stern look is fixed on Eddie.

"Eddie, I'm only going to say this once. I know Steve can handle himself, but he's family and he's been through a lot. So, I like being your friend, but if you ever hurt him, I'll spend every day making your life a living nightmare until you make it right," Dustin warns him to Steve's absolute shock. "And if I ever see him cry because of something you've said or done and they're not happy tears, I'm throwing your favourite guitar into the quarry. Am I clear?"

Steve is oddly touched because he's never had someone give a shovel talk on his behalf before. Eddie looks half impressed and half horrified as he nods his agreement. Dustin's expression goes right back to normal as soon as he's sure he's got the message across.

sibling drawing lesson

His manager keeps scheduling these little Q&A events with fans which is fine. It’s fine! Great even.

Eddie actually really likes interacting with his fans but… it’s starting to feel like there’s a Tiger everywhere he goes.

And he gets it.

A lot of people left Hawkins after the missing kids, the murders, and the earthquake that cracked the town down the middle. Hell, even Wayne left town after that.

What he doesn’t get is why the former people of Hawkins feel the need to come to his events and let everyone know that they used to know him.

They’re not even fans half the time!

So when a kid in a hat and a Hawkins AV Club sweatshirt approaches the mic, he’s weary.

“Hi. I’m Dustin,” the kid introduces himself. “Big fan.”

“Hi, Dustin. What’s your question?”

“I have a question about the song Royal Straitjacket,” Dustin says. “The song is about wanting to rescue a sad and lonely king from the misery of his court, but instead watching as the king rescue himself.”

“…Right,” Eddie says. “What’s the question?”

“Is the king Steve Harrington?”

Eddie freezes.

Dustin does not.

“It sounds like the king is Steve Harrington,” Dustin continues. “And it sounds like the writer - you - are in love with him so you should ask him out.”

Dustin points and says, “He’s bisexual, single, and over there. He drove me here.”

and while her friends start arguing about comparing each other to nervous dogs erica is thinking very hard about her dear pals who are kinda losers but they stayed behind to let her escape the russians... and she's like hm they're like that nervous dog.... i should do something to help them. because they are such weak little losers obviously.

next day erica walkies steve and is like bring robin to my house NOW. they arrive very worried and she presents them with two little beaded bracelets (way more colorful than these and with little heart and star shaped beads too).

they're like wh. and she's like they're medical alert bracelets. for your russian trauma. and she says this so sincerely and she is so eleven years old that steve and robin make eye contact and they're immediately like erica that's really thoughtful of you thank you SO much.

Hopper gets out of his truck.

He moves through the Christmas shoppers in downtown Hawkins until he gets to a bench. He swipes the snow away and sits down on the cold metal.

He pulls a thermos out of the inner pocket of his coat, unscrews the lid, and pours hot chocolate into the cap. He holds it out and asks, “What’d I tell you about being out in the cold?”

“I’m with my ma,” Steve says, slouched forward with his binoculars pressed to his eyes. He absently points to the store behind him, “She’s in there. We’re getting Dad a watch for Christmas.”

“Pretty hard to do that when you’re sitting out here.”

Steve shrugs.

He clearly had no interest in this conversation so hopper cut to the chase, “Got a call about a kid, spying on people.”

“I’m not spying on people,” Steve says, lowering his binoculars. “I’m spying on one guy.”

“Oh well, if it’s one guy…”

“Yes, one guy,” Steve says, clearly missing the sarcasm. “So go away. You’re going to give me away.”

Because no one is going to notice a kid in a puffy blue coat and a pair of binoculars.

“Warm up,” He tells him, giving the kid the hot chocolate. “You know what the first rule of surveillance is? Not freezing to death.”

“You said that only happens in the woods.”

“I didn’t say that at all. If it’s cold, you can freeze to death. Got it?”

Steve nods and Hopper nods. He waits until the kid drinks the hot chocolate before asking, “Who are you spy-“

“Brian O’Malley,” Steve answers immediately. “He works at that scary building on the hill. He’s evil.”

“The lab?” Hopper asks. “That doesn’t make him evil.”

“It does ‘cause that’s an evil place,” Steve tells him. “I rode my bike up there and a security guard told me to go away. I asked why and he said that he’d make me go away. That’s means kill.”

“No, it doesn’t.”

“They make monsters there.”

“No, they don’t.”

“And killer robots,” Steve says. “And they put all the metal in Wolverine, pretty sure. That hurt him a lot. They’re evil.”

“Okay,” Hopper breathes. “So that’s fiction.”

“Well, they mess up the lights at my house,” He replies. “And Mr O’Malley keeps knocking on my door even though I tell him to go away and not come back.“

“One day,” Steve continues, “I was looking out the window and I saw him in my backyard. He scares me.”

Hopper frowns, “What was he-“

“Damn it, Jim! I’m a kid, not a scientist,” Steve says suddenly and then starts giggling. “Get it? Like Star Trek.”

“No,” He says. “I don’t get it.”

“Oh, it’s ’cause Captain-“

“Stevie,” His mother cuts off, arms laden with bags as she scans the shopping center for him. “Come on, baby. Let’s go.”