"look i'm  —— i'm sorry   if i  was  ever  rude  to  you before , like  in  the past .  .  . okay ? " eyes blinked , a little more than usual . his face mirroring a look of sincerity . "i just . . . didn't want anyone to forget about her . to forget about el . " eyes fixated on her once more before continuing , " we can start over , be friends . is that cool ? " @madmaxtm

stranger things s4 starters / accepting ( @madmaxtm ).

HER SOUL HAS BEEN AT SEA SO LONG it has forgotten the feeling of land. to watch her drown is to drown himself, saltwater pervading his lungs in a roar — but only she can be her own compass. he knows that, knows that now, has learned and understood the deepest recesses of her being with an intrinsic certainty. he will not let her wander in vain.

❛ people become lost when they're alone, max. you're in no danger of that. ❜ his smile is tentative, the pathways of their interactions familiar but barren of traversal, grassy with misuse. he misses those walks. ❛ you've got us, okay ? you've got me. ❜ when his hand presses to his chest, he can feel his heart beating a steady tattoo underneath — he is scared, of course he is, can only imagine himself in her shoes and assuage the looming omen of her own death as best he can. can words ever truly be enough ?

he stoops to catch her eye, presses the gravity of his sentence into the palm of her hand like a well - kept secret, one for her to hold close at night and lock up tight.

[𝐌𝐄𝐌𝐄 𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐊]:  CONVERSATIONAL  SENTENCE  STARTERS [𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐓𝐔𝐒]: accepting [𝐅𝐑𝐎𝐌]: @madmaxtm​ [𝐌𝐄𝐌𝐄]:  ❝  I’m not really the advice type,  but I am damn good at coming up with distractions to forget the bullshit for a while.  ❞

There is no reason not to like this girl, Will thinks, wondering how Mike doesn’t really want her into their group. Is he just worried that she is going to replace El? It’s quite unfair because from what he has heard at least, they are nothing alike. Maybe Mike will get over it, eventually. Hopefully, because Max not only seems like a badass but apparently she is really nice too.

@madmaxtm​​  sent :    ‘i’ll just come and wait in the car.’

horror writing prompts / 64. horror in broad daylight.

THE DAY WAS BLISTERING WITH OMNIPRESENT HEAT. their only solace was to seek shelter in the alcoves of tree canopies ahead, avoiding the sun's unforgiving gaze. he'd already produced from his bag ( ever full of supplies ) the trusty sun lotion, lathered it generously over his shoulders and even more generously over max's before they'd gotten ice cream. summer was ripe and filled with sweetness, their skin dappled with rays splintering between overhead leaves. the raspberry slush of his ice pop stains his lips ; when he grins you can see it on his teeth. these are the lovely days.

❛ don't say i never give ya nothin' ! ❜

he gestures at the frozen treat of her choice ( no doubt an apologetic gift for some previous comment void of tact - but the air is cleared and fresh and summery ! ) and laughs with reckless abandon, not a care in the world. a splotch of red drips from his pop, the molten sugar cold and sticky on his thumb. he swipes at it, not a single bit wasted - another splotch drops. this one is warm, darker. thicker.

he feels at the rivulet marring his hand, hot and viscous between his fingertips. another falls past him, making him blink with surprise as he realises its direction. the red drips are falling from overhead. slowly, dread tensing his nerves, lucas looks up . . . the remnants of his ice cream fall to the earthy ground beneath them, his hands slack and shaking.

❛ max . . . don't . . . move. ❜

his voice is but a murmur, eyes transfixed on the creature feasting above them. a carcass hangs limp in the branches, seeping crimson and steaming with the sun as its witness. its captor is large, skin pulled tight over an unnatural frame, claws like sickles reaping the crops of its meal, mowing through meat as smoothly as if it were butter. it ( it can only be an it, a thing, a cruel anomaly not of this world ) pauses its ministrations, tendons hanging like bunting from its teeth . . . and looks right at them.

@madmaxtm : ‘  so i should be thanking you then?  ’ // STRANGER THINGS: THE GATE STARTERS - ACCEPTING

billy scoffs ; that´s the last thing he wants out of her. they don´t thank each other for anything - it´s how it´s always worked. he doesn´t thank her for telling him nowadays whenever she goes out and she doesn´t thank him for driving her around town like her own damn personal taxi service. like a mutual agreement. works just fine for him, so well in fact that he has no problem applying that attitude to anything involving max. that way he gets to pretend he doesn´t have to say sorry either, like that´s part of the deal.

he pretends like he doesn´t have to apologize for pushing her around, for shouting at her, threatening her, breaking her things, breaking her stupid hick friends - and she doesn´t apologize for sticking a needle in his neck and pumping him full of god knows what ; for slamming a nailed bat between his legs ; for being so much braver than he ever has been. (as if his red ledger doesnt by far outweigh hers) no thanks, no apologies - that´s how they work, that´s how its always been. nothing has changed, the hot rush of shame colors the back of his neck and he sucks in a sharp breath ; grips the steering wheel so hard the leather creaks underneath his fingers.

he pointedly doesn´t look at max, at the new skateboard in her lap and doesn´t acknowledge the dent in his wallet. it´s not an apology.

nothing has changed.

IT SEEMED THAT wherever steve had a job, the kids always gravitated towards him.  he didn’t get why everywhere he worked turned into a place that the party wound up hanging out at.  sometimes it was a curse.  others, it was a blessing.  this time he hadn’t quite figured out.   he was at the counter, sorting out vhs tapes to go back to the shelves when max had walked in, tapes in hand for return, probably so she can rent some different ones.

❝  because.  ❞      he places more tapes onto a cart.      ❝  then you might be stuck with some peabrained moron who thinks you’re being genuine.  then you’re stuck with some creep following you around.  ❞      he pauses, looking at her.

❝  you don’t want that.  trust me.  ❞

the   last   thing   steve   wanted   to   do   was   get   involved   with   BILLY   HARGROVE.   .   .      but   when   it   came   to   that   fight   at   the   byers   house,   his   mindset   had   changed   for   the   better.   “ 𝐈'𝐌 𝐍𝐎𝐓 𝐒𝐔𝐑𝐄 𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐓𝐒 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐁𝐄𝐒𝐓 ― ”   a sigh.    “   where   the   hell   do   i   sign   up   ?   ”   he   paused.   “   but   if   i   lose   any   teeth   -   it’s   on   you,   kid.”