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STRANGER THINGS LADIES APPRECIATION WEEK: day 1: favorite character + Erika's 1.5k celebration: 💐 + MAX MAYFIELD + red for @jamietarrt

top ten stranger things characters (as voted by my followers) →

Max Mayfield in Stranger Things 3

MAX MAYFIELD in STRANGER THINGS 3.02 | Chapter Two: The Mall Rats

Max with her girlfriend and her boyfriend

So, we all know that Billy’s and Max’s deaths are almost identical parallels of each other.

The color blue, Lucas and Max’s reactions (her calling Billy’s name while he is being killed by the mind Flayer while Lucas is calling hers when seeing her limbs break)

This is obviously a nod to Max’s favorite song, running up that hill, specifically the line “if I only could, I would make a deal with god and I’d get him to swap our places.”, but I think these similarities could have an even greater significance plot-wise. Especially if we think about Max’s arc in season 5.

But how?

First of all, we know that before dying Billy manages to break free from the mindFlayer (and Vecna’s) control thanks to El, coming back to himself for the short amount of time that is used by him to make the decision to sacrifice himself and say “I’m sorry” to max as his last words. Many thought that him coming back to his senses in his last moments would mean that he was no longer connected to Vecna or The MindFlayer (therefore his mind dying alongside his body) but how could that be, when the same thing happened to Max?

In the first scene, before being saved by El (once again, another parallel between Max and Billy), Vecna is sucking her consciousness inside his mind, so that she becomes a part of him.

But then he is interrupted. By El. Who manages to interfere with his plans by driving him away from max. Sounds familiar?

She does the same thing with Billy, snatching him from vecna by reminding him of his mom.

Now, let’s come back to Max for a minute.

“Lucas I can’t feel or see anything… I’m scared… I’m so scared… I don’t wanna die, I’m not ready. I don’t wanna go please I don’t wanna go.”

Max is saying all of this AFTER Vecna managed to take her soul/consciousness. She is dying, just like Billy. And yet she is still aware of who Lucas is, just as Billy was aware of who Max was (once again, “I’m sorry”) right before exhaling his last breath.

Then, after this brief amount of time, Max dies. Then she is resurrected by El, but her mind is gone, as we saw. She is nowhere to be found.

And I think the same happened to Billy’s mind when he died. Vecna managed to take them both, and yet… there is a great difference between The Cali siblings and all his other victims. Which is this:

No other vecna victim was conscious right before dying. Patrick, Chrissy, Fred and Heather had never an Eleven who could help them break free from Vecna’s control.

That makes Billy and Max unfinished jobs. And that means that inside Vecna’s mind they will also have the most power, because they will not be totally controlled.

I could go on and on about how already Billy in season 4 proved this theory right, but I will limit myself to the tear and the fact that Max was not supposed to enter vecna’s sanctuary right after the Billy monologue.

“What are you doing here, Maxine?” This is what he says to her, like he is surprised to see her there.

Where am I going with all of this? Well, I just think that all these clues line up to the cali siblings beating Vecna’s ass from the inside. The only heartbreaking difference netween their fates at the end would be that Max will manage to return to her body. Billy would not, because he hasn’t gotten one. But a proper goodbye, after them teaming up against vecna, would give them both the closure they deserve.

Maybe, if all of this is true, they will get to try again.

For the last time.

In conclusion, thanks for taking the time to read this long crazy ass post, let me know if you want other theories in the future <3 I have so much fun making them, regardless of them being true in the end

got a crushing Max realization for ya.

in the 4x9 mind lair, she woke up like this:

a minute ago, El had somehow magically appeared to rescue her and it seemed too good to be true, to the degree that she expressed some doubt as to whether El was real.

but then Max saw El getting her ass kicked so bad that she felt the need to step in and try to stab Vecna to save her. at which point she got knocked out. that's the last thing she would remember.

the next thing she knows, she's tied up in the mind lair with Vecna all up in her face. and she knows that the (1) escape tactic in her arsenal isn't working.

El is literally her only hope. but Max doesn't call out to her. why not?

Max was unconscious throughout Vecna and El's chat. and at no point after regaining consciousness does Max look anywhere except straight ahead at Vecna. she never looks over and sees El.

she has no idea El is there with her.

El does call out Max's name once when Vecna is putting his hand over her face, but Max gives zero indication that she registers it. she's pretty preoccupied.

so Max most likely died thinking she was alone in the mind lair again, and unsure which scenario it was due to:

:)

A late happy international women’s day to all! :)

…but especially these girlbosses :

something something kindergarten teacher! steve who is so tired of going on bad dates. kindergarten teacher! robin who doesn't want him to give up.

“Really? The date went that bad?” Robin asks again. 

“Yes,” Steve drones. “I swear she looked like she’d rather be at the dentist than on a date with me.”

Robin makes a sad face at him. Steve continues to sort the paint jugs and throw out any that have been mixed with other colors. Robin finishes putting toys back into cubbies and sanitizing the fake food. 

“Okay so,” Robin starts. 

Steve immediately holds up a hand. “Don’t say ‘maybe she’s not the one but someone is’. I’m sick of this, Rob. I feel like I’m just better off alone.”

“Not true,” Robin argues. “You’re a catch. You’re attractive and good with kids. You make me laugh so hard my ribs shake. You’re a great listener and you make amazing cocktails. Great helmet of hair. Who wouldn’t want to date that?” 

Steve’s heard it all before. He loves Robin, he does, but it doesn’t seem to matter what she thinks of him because no one in this town wants to make it to date two with him.

He used to be so good at this. Always had a girl on his arm at football games in high school. Always had a date to prom. Always had some girl to make out with at parties. Even when he realized later on in his twenties that he liked boys too, he still couldn’t find one that took his attraction seriously.

Steve Harrington? Like both? Unheard of, apparently. 

Still, Steve didn’t want to start the first day of school on a bad note. “Thanks, Rob. I might need to lick my wounds for a second but I’ll get back on the horse I promise.”

“Good because our marriage pact could be closing soon,” Robin mumbles with a sly smile. 

Steve’s head whips around. “Are you‒”

“I have a ring picked out,” Robin practically squeals. 

Steve does his best to gently set down the paint jugs and rip off his latex gloves before darting across the room to pick Robin up in a twirling hug. He kisses her head repeatedly until she’s groaning, giggling, and shoving him off. 

“Rob, that’s amazing,” Steve breathes. He squeezes her tightly again. 

“You better keep your mouth shut,” Robin warns with a pointed finger. “It’s so hard to surprise Nancy Wheeler but I think I’m finally going to be able to.” 

Steve’s grinning from ear to ear as he mimes zipping his mouth closed. “Secret’s safe with me.”

The alarm on Steve’s phone breaks them out of their little love fest and suddenly the halls are filled with parents, children, and teachers gabbing to high heaven. Robin gives him a salute before crossing over onto her side of the classroom. Technically, there is a foldable partition between the two rooms but it will be a cold day in Hell if Robin and Steve ever actually separate their classrooms. 

Steve goes to stand by his door and greet his new gaggle of students. He high-fives each of them as they walk through the door and points to their assigned cubby and seat.

Fifteen minutes later, he’s looking around the room and sees that two seats are still empty. Dustin and Max Munson. He didn’t see them at parent-teacher night last week but he knows from their file that they’re fraternal twins from a single, widowed dad. He tries to keep an eye out for them but he knows the other kids are getting restless. 

Then he hears, “Oh, Mr. Munson, you’re actually in Steve’s‒sorry, Mr. Harrington’s class. He’s just right across the way.” 

Steve glances across the room and does a double-take. Across the room is the alleged Mr. Munson, this tall, lanky man with curly brown hair that hits his shoulders with a blank bandana tying down the top of his head, big brown eyes, a leather jacket with pins, a white tank top, and coverall sleeves tied at his waist. He’s positively breathtaking. 

STRANGER THINGS (2016)

♫ songs that defined the seasons ♫

One day, seemingly out of the blue, Max starts calling Steve "Skippy".

No one knows why, no one knows where it comes from. And no matter how many times they all ask her to elaborate, she never does. She never tells them why.

They look to Steve for clarification, but even Steve is confused where it comes from.

Until one day she calls him "Skippy", then pointedly looks between him and Eddie, that mischievous quirk of her lips growing and one eyebrow arching slyly. It clicks then, for Steve, and he sinks back into the couch, blushing and grumbling under his breath about not having any privacy with these kids, jesus christ.

Because.

Max got the nickname from that one night a few weeks ago when she hadn't been able to sleep, so she'd wrapped herself in her blanket and slipped out of her front door to sit on the porch. She found that breathing in the shock of the cool night air helped ground her. Helped give her something else to focus on.

So that night she'd snuck outside, quietly so she didn't wake her mother. The Munson trailer was just a hop, skip, and jump away, and from her perch on her front steps she had the perfect view of it. And of the maroon Beemer parked right out front (as it so often was these days).

And of Eddie and Steve where they stood just outside the door. Where Steve's hands cradled Eddie's face, and Eddie's arms embraced his waist.

Where they were kissing.

It hadn't lasted long, just a short, sweet little thing. But when they two of them broke apart, they'd shared these shy looks, matching smiles curling their mouths. And, though it was too dark for Max to see, matches blushes painting their cheeks too.

They'd shared a bit more conversation that Max couldn't hear either, then one more fleeting kiss before Steve started to back away. He laughed as Eddie stepped forward, following him, and he'd put his hand between them, pressed it against Eddie's chest to stop him. Steve shook his head, and said something else that made Eddie pout, but reluctantly take his own step backwards.

Steve paused at the top of the stairs, watching Eddie retreat back to his front door. Eddie had blindly felt for the knob behind him, so he didn't have to look away from Steve, and when he found it and pushed the door open, he'd slowly slipped back inside. He paused in the archway, hanging onto the door, and had said something else (another goodbye, Max thought), and he'd waved one last time before the door finally closed.

Steve stayed put through it all, watching with stars and hearts alike in his eyes (not that Max could see those either, but if she knew Steve, and she did, they were definitely there). After the door shut, he lingered still, until he finally turned away.

He'd hopped down the stairs, and then, to Max's shock and absolute delight, god damn skipped the entire way to his car.

She'd had to stifle her laughter into her hand so as to not draw his attention.

Thus, "Skippy" was born.

But, after the initial surprise at finding out that Max had been (unintentionally) lurking in the shadows, Steve found that he didn't really mind the silly little nickname. In fact, he kind of loved it.

Because that night had been the night of Steve and Eddie's first kiss. That night had been the start.

A really good start.

And Steve kind of loved the reminder of that.

Something about Steve and Max looking at boys through binoculars is so special to me

Some art pieces I found featuring the Vecna-4. I know it won't happen but imagine how cool it would be if they form some sort of B-Team to fight Vecna from within. I see everyone terrified except Max who's determined, Max and Patrick constantly arguing while Fred and Chrissy just wanna get out, and the group finding a way to resolve their trauma.

All credit goes to @sdelarts, I highly recommend checking her art out. It's really good!