DON'T YOU DARE PATRONIZE ME!

welcome to punchbxck, an independent joyce byers // stranger things blog, canon && oc friendly mun’s name is wini, 30+ - she/her pronouns - central/US timezone - d.iscord available to mutuals ;) medium-sporadic activity. mutuals only. themes here will include triggering topics like blood, death, violence, crime etc. ] THIS BLOG IS NOW AN ARCHIVE - NEW POSTS & THREADS WILL BE OVER @punchbxck​

       “    please tell me you’ve seen my keys.   “   donald was going to fire her for sure if she was late to open again. not that anyone, even the most elderly citizen of hawkins, would be waiting at the gated doors for her. still, she’d been given a small bump in pay && a set of keys to be there to throw open the doors to the coveted 6 a.m aspirin && toilet paper. joyce removed the fingers that were pushed against her brow with a sigh, the lack of pressure did little to alleviate her anxiety but at least she could see through two eyes to look again.

       “   that. is. not. what. i. meant.   ”  the rest of her words were bitten off through the grit of her teeth. jesus, between him && hop she thought four ears would’ve heard what she was trying to say but joyce’s scowled deepened as she hunched her shoulders into the fading golden couch cushions.    men,   she thought with an audible huff to herself.   what was the point?   her gaze was boring holes into faded blue jeans at her knees. she didn’t like meeting anyone’s eyes when she was mad. it felt so...demeaning && she couldn’t explain why. just that she hated being stared at when she couldn’t find the words that made her sound less intense, less crazy.   “   just...nevermind.   “

so i waited to until i could give this a proper response besides ‘awww *hearteyes*’ because that 100% applies :) and yet, i really think behind the scenes joyce trusts && respects steve for all the things he does with/for the kids. considering her & hopp are the only parents who know what’s really been going on it said a lot to me in the battle of starcourt that he was the one with dustin & erica. they weren’t her kids but she still feels responsible for all of them && would've been the one who had to answer to their parents if anything happened. and in s1 after meeting jane for a whole minute she made sure she was comfortable with contacting will in the upside down so i have no doubt she listens to them about steve && knows exactly how much trust they have in him.

       a slow, unstoppable but small grin spread across her face. his words like an echo of herself at his age. granted it was an over simplification of everything that had happened since the night will went missing && it wasn’t just about what happened to her family but every family had been altered somehow. barb, bob, jane && the list went on.   it was fucked up.   simple && as honest as that. part of her wondered if as a mom she should reach for some muddied half truth, half fairytale words to respond with.   a parental little white lie if you will.   but she flung the thought away from her with the butt of her finished smoke.   “   i couldn’t have said it better myself.   “

       “   of course honey.   “    the tired corners of her mouth lifted when she saw the small figure hovering between the darkness && the faded yellowing light coming from the bulb above the brunette disarray that was her hair. she was still wearing her blue work smock despite the clock having ticked its way further past midnight as she had sat there in silence. she finished with a wide smile, hoping to erase fatigue && restless thoughts from the rest of her face. try as she might to keep people, especially the boys, from reading her emotions, joyce could still feel the cracks showing. open && branching out even when she slept.

one hand lifted to her cheek as if to rub away whatever she didn’t want him to see && work some color back in her skin after another long, dinnerless shift. not that it was hunger eating at her && keeping her company tonight.   “   but what do you say for the byer’s patented midnight snack deluxe?   “