Reddingjay

The first Sunday after Eddie dies he decides to go to church with his mom to try to find some kind of comfort in the childhood habit but he isn’t welcome anymore he gets death stares and the preacher makes some pointed comments about the devil taking hold of the town and members spend the whole time making snide comment about him, about Eddie. He doesn’t try again

He tries to visit max at the hospital but the receptionist was at the town hall and thinks that max was the last ‘Munson victim’ so when she recognises him she refuses saying it’s for her ‘safety’. Lucas argues for him but Dustin tells him that it’s not worth it back then he was too tired but if it had of been later then he would’ve fought back more.

Dustin is failing class but at first it isn’t because he stopped trying, the teachers at Hawkins high all knew chrissy, Patrick, Fred or max and while some pity him thinking he was strung along by a cult others take their anger out in small ways (not clarifying what they mean if he needs help, grading slightly harsher, yelling at him for smaller and smaller things). It becomes his hell so eventually he gives up.

He has to spend most of his time hiding out in WSQK not speaking to anyone- not that anyone including steve would even know how to talk to him like this- because he’s harassed in the streets (kind of like Jonathon in s1 is but more intense because it’s a small town and almost everyone knew someone at least adjacent to those kids)

The funeral wasn’t supposed to be big anyway (just Dustin, Wayne, Mike, Lucas and the half of corroded coffin which weren’t too scared to show up) but the protestors watching the entire time screaming at them ruins any closure it would’ve brought.

He can’t get a summer job to help his single mother pay the rent because nobody would hire him even if they didn’t think he mudered those kids, the customers would and it wouldn’t be a good look.

The reason he’s now the resident tech guy of the group is because the only relief he can get is when he can feel useful hidden away in his bedroom soldering and building little things to help out so he doesn’t have to face the world because despite telling himself he doesn’t care what people think like Eddie, it gets to him. Constantly.

Hobbits are supposed to wear their hair short and most definitely not carry elven and dwarven weapons or wear chainmail coats from the kingdoms of men. They have been called dwarves more times than they can remember despite the obvious lack of beards, Frodo is somehow constantly mistaken for an elf despite the obvious height difference.

One time an elf was certain that Gimli was just a very short man because what kind of self respecting dwarf would ever speak elvish or wear what was almost definitely a custom gondorian cloak.

Legolas is never mistaken for another race so much as it’s assumed he’s some kind of other group that no one has seen before because he picked up a truly unintelligible accent which is a mix of gimli’s and weirdly Sam’s. No one likes it and he had to vocal coach himself back to normal after but he still slips into it sometimes when irritated, only the fellowship can understand what the hell he’s saying.

Well there’s no way he knew how to publish that so in my mind he gave it to merry and pippin to do so since they both come from money. they likely had scholars or authors in the family who could help and they do end up getting it published but not without a few additions to the text.

The entirety of Gondor now knows that their beloved king used to refuse to bathe much like a disgruntled cat and how the smell of his cooking was once mistaken for that of a dead body (his abilities extend only to ‘practical’ meals that became regurgitated immediately upon hobbit consumption).

Gimli now has it known that he thought Legolas was a woman for almost a full month of travel until it was clarified by Gandalf and how he got into a tree climbing competition in lothlorian with Legolas just to faceplant after a few branches. It was his most notable injury during the entire ring war. He had to get elvish healing for his awful concussion.

Legolas passed out babbling an utter nonsense mix of languages during the Rohan post-battle for helms deep party because he didn’t really recognise the feeling of getting drunk and after 10 straight hours of drinking he finally reached his limit and now everyone in Mirkwood knows it. He also snores like a motherfucker.

Gandalf’s reputation as a wise, somewhat respectable advisor in the kingdoms of men, elves and dwarves alike is ruined when it is revealed that he was baked as hell for most of the initial travel.

Pippin is not saved either as merry adds in (among other stories) how his tower guard armour (worn to all of his appearances as the kings advisor in Gondor) is actually faramirs baby clothes

Merry is embarrassed as it is mentioned that the reason he grew out his hair longer after the battle of pelenor fields was to look more like eowyn. (She looked too cool delivering that final blow with her majestic hair flowing in the wind).

Will AND el are Frodo since i refuse to leave either out and they both fit this character too well to take any other role for obvious reasons. Instead on the one ring it’s two bracelets that would be worn by the mind flayer/sauron with one on each wrist but when Joyce (bilbo) left them all of her belongings after travelling to Rivendell they took one each so that’s how it’s stays since it’s also safer to divide the burden. (Ik this goes against the whole point of Sam but I will get there)

Mike takes the role of merry because as much as I would love to put him as sam he’s wayy to much of a selfish prick to even be compared to samwise gamgee the brave (I say this with love) plus this means that he gets to stab the witch king of agmar with max (eowyn) and him actually getting to be a knight is a bonus.

Lucas however I deem worthy to be Sam in this au though I literally cannot imagine Lucas being good at cooking for life of me, I CAN imagine him following Will and el to literal hell and back without being tempted by the ring (or bracelets lol) for love.

Dustin is pippin because they have very similar arcs about the loss of innocence and guilt over a brother figures sacrifice for them. They are also both singers! (If you haven’t watched Lotr in a while pleaseee rewatch pippins song in return of the king on YouTube it’s so goood) it helps that I imagined the scene where the fellowship find merry and pipping high as fuck after Isengard gets flooded in this au with Dustin and Mike and laughed way too hard.

Legolas and gimli legally have to be Steve and Robin in this au. Their whole feud is so funny and I can imagine Steve trying to smuggle Robin into the undying lands because he will NOT leave her behind. I also picture robins coming out scene to be just before the battle of helms deep. I also refuse to not have Dustin and Steve’s friendship in any of my aus so ig here they accidentally met when Steve was travelling to Rivendell when Dustin was a kid and ventured to far out (I mean we do see elves close to the shire) but just never thought to mention it until he sees him at the council of Elrond (or Owens here maybe) size

Aragorn is Nancy. I originally had her as eowyn because of how similar Nancys s3 arc is to hers but I sort of prefer her here since she has a very strong sense of responsibility and honour. In this au she’s a mentor figure to max(eowyn) and is a demonstration that it is possible to earn a legacy as a woman though that kind of thing still isn’t all that it’s cracked up to be. I’m debating doing ronance for this au or Barb being Arwen either works in my mind. Steve and Jonathon both still have crushes on her at different times but they aren’t as big of a deal like in the show.

That brings me to faramir and boromir which are reaaaally annoying since all of the younger siblings are hobbits. I considered max and billy for a bit but Billy getting along with Dustin and Mike left a bad taste in my mouth so I’ve settled on Jonathon as faramir (the daddy issues plus never feeling like enough to be loved as equally as his sibling thing I mean it was meant to beee) plus Eddie as boromir. It’s annoying to shove them as siblings but maybe here they used to be friends until they were both taken on as apprentices by the steward of Gondor and grew apart because of his differing treatment of them though they both agree he sucks.

Gandalf is also annoying to place because hopper simply lacks the whimsy even though he takes on that same mentor role (and beard) so there is also the option of mr Clarke or maybe even Murray but those just lack the same development so I’ll decide for certain when after I do some sketches.

To finish off:

Mindflayer=sauron

Henry/Vecna=sauraman

Rdr2 leaves you with a sort of mix of both where sure maybe he used to adore Arthur and tried for some absolution of the part he played in his death by killing Micah but it’s also plausible that in that moment it wasnt the memory of his ‘son’ that spurred him to action but the memory of how he told Dutch that he was being manipulated and made a fool of by Micah and that hurt his ego to much to let it slide even years after or maybe he didn’t call Micah to that mountain with the intention of killing him. As the player you feel just as confused as the characters about if Dutch cares at all and that’s the way it should remain