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whenever I’m alone with you

you make me feel like I am home again

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HES JUST A BOY HES JUST A BOY HES JUST A BOY HES JUST A BOY

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byler/byler tumblr as the office moments ✨

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byler s5 core

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when they ask me what my biggest fear is and it's the "painting? what painting?" confrontation scene not happening and the painting never being brought up again but i can’t say that so i just say it's heights

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It's honestly fitting that I came into Byler now as opposed to the last times I had watched Stranger Things. Not only had I not even seen most of S1 or any of S2 (which would have confirmed it for me back then, had I seen it), but I had, like many people, gotten lost in the sauce of waning media literacy.

I easily picked up on Will's homosexuality in S4, who couldn't? But the reason it's fitting now, as I said, is actually because I regained this media literacy by being utterly obsessed with the Soulsborne genre of video games.

For those who don't know, Soulsborne is the genre of games pioneered by FromSoftware beginning with Demon's Souls and culminating in one of my all time favorites: Elden Ring. These games actually have a culture around them that is similar to a show like Stranger Things. Over the years, the games had increasing appeal to a larger General Audience (ER sold 25 million copies, more than just about all their souls titles combined), while at the same time becoming more and more complex, nuanced, and plain weird with their lore.

Yes, ST had a massive start so that's not a similarity. It comes from both media having the perspectives of a GA and what amounts to hardcore lore nerds. The Soulsborne lore community is the most amazing, wild, deep, complex, and interconnected band of weirdos I've ever seen. And in joining that community I began to learn how to scrutinize the fine details, analyzing environmental storytelling, picking apart NPC dialogue, the list goes on and on. One of the most prolific lore nerds is named Tarnished Archaeologist on youtube, who uses their background in said field to peel back the layers of Elden Ring's history.

And like Byler, the lore and history of these games, their very stories too, are told through the unspoken. Environment, unreliable narrators and item descriptions, the designs of weapons and armor. Things you have to examine closely which, throughout the games' history, has divided the fan base. The games' GA firmly state that the story is bland or plainly doesn't exist because it is so obtuse.

And yet, through my practice with Dark Souls 3 and Bloodborne (I have a feeling the duffers may have played BB), I came into Elden Ring and left it with a pretty decent understanding of a layered and inspire story that requires you to look beyond what you simply hear and read.

This has gone on longer than I thought, but hey bylers, if you've played any souls games then I think you know what I'm talking about. These games rekindled my love for storytelling, and inspired me to use their methods of what to show and what to conceal behind strangeness and the unspoken

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ah yes my favorite endgame couple that directly parallels el’s abusive father figure

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Season 5 Byler Season-Episode Parallels Prediction

A mouthful of a title, I know. But basically, I want to throw out my ideas for a crucial Byler moment next season supported by this parallel that I have yet to lose sight of:

The season-episode parallels. Mike and Will have had crucial moments in their relationship during s1e1, s2e2, s3e3, and s4e4. Following the chains of logic between these moments, I want to lay down a bunch of ideas and predictions for season 5, starting with…

1. Byler will have a key moment in season 5 episode 5.

I have no other explanation for this other than it’s in the parallel: the season and episode match numbers, which they have always had something important happen between them during each matching season-episode. I imagine the moment could be an important conversation as the previous moments all involve Mike and Will talking. Seems obvious enough as a premise, but I think it’s hopeful to predict that we as the audience will get to hear their thoughts in this moment rather than only see it.

2. Mike and Will will maintain their physical orientation.

Mike on the left, Will on the right, tried and true. I think their orientation could be an easily detectable indication of the moment happening. Another thing I never considered is that in all of these moments, Mike and Will are stationary. They’re not walking and talking, not biking and talking, no distractions. Just them. I think this might carry over to season 5.

3. Mike and Will are going to be cast in darkness.

It’s hard to see with this photo as they are all rather enhanced, but the moment in s1 is rather dark, s2 relatively lit, s3 very dark upon their faces, and s4 probably the brightest moment yet. I think that therefore, within a dark-to-light A-B-A-B format, Mike and Will could be in the dark next season. Which I think would absolutely work as Hawkins grows more apocalyptic, and there are several options for the location. I hope it’s the Upside Down, full circle in Mike’s garage, in Mike’s basement, or maybe on a swing set at night.

4. Mike and Will will share a common childlike word conveying their emotions.

Seems specific, but look at what Mike and Will say to each other during these scenes, and save for season 1, they share, respectively, “crazy,” “stupid,” and “cool.” Simple but heartfelt words that display their trust, anger, and hope. I would love to see the use of “yeah,” for season 5 to further this parallel as well as flip the script on the once bitter “yeah?” “yeah.” of season 4 and the van scene.

5. Their clothing will reflect their understanding in each other.

We all love the revelation that Mike is blue and Will is yellow, but this has been done before. Twice, in fact. I think it would be lovely if they were in their respective colors, but I think a poignant change, much like s2s2 in the “crazy together” scene, they will share a color next season. And what other than green, a blend of their usual colors as well as a large marker of connection and unity throughout the show. Think of Joyce wearing green in s1 as she fought to bridge the gap between worlds and bring Will home. Think of the Hawkins school system and one of their school colors being green. Think of Dustin wearing that green shirt in s3 as he returned home, finally reuniting the whole Party. Byler could exhibit the epitome of that color.

Mark my words. These will all happen. (Me when I'm overconfident)

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Okay, here's the video!! You can clearly see they are doing the same movements lol and they stopped the feed for one moment and then picked it up again but they weren't even filming here! You can see Finn turning his head in the zoom!!

I'm glad that bylers are not the only ones with kiss hallucinations 😭

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punished by love

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Byler + TV girl

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byler having sex could be extremely important to will's coming of age as a gay man.

hear me out.

(also - before anyone comes at me for sexualizing minors - i'm not saying i want an explicit sex scene. i don't! something like jancy's s2 fade to black would be more than enough for me.)

now back to the point:

will has heard his whole life how being gay is this disgusting, dirty, vile thing - from his father & from bullies at school. likely other adults around the town, as well, considering we hear troy referencing what his dad said about will being killed by "some other queer" in season 1. not to mention this story is set in the midst of the aids epidemic. i mean, he's from a small town in bumfuck indiana, he's no doubt heard his share of casual and overt homophobia throughout the years. (and then there's the alan turing poster in s4...) long story short, he's only heard negative things about being gay. about loving other boys and wanting other boys and desiring other boys.

but then there's mike. his best friend. the one person that makes him feel like he's not a mistake for being different. for being gay.

mike & will having sex, being intimate and together in a way will was always taught was gross and wrong, and learning that it isn't any of those things - will learning that loving mike and wanting mike and desiring mike is beautiful, and wonderful, and right - and having mike want him back, desire him back, learning that it's okay, it's good, continuing that arc of mike making him feel like he's not a mistake, that he's better for being different because he gets to have this with mike - he deserves that moment, i think. and mike does, too.

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I’m struggling with my art style 🥲 but I kinda like how this turned out ✨

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🌸 To be heroes together

Clip Studio Paint | Sept 8, 2024

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The 3rd illustration was actually part of this idea!! But since I finished it first and liked it so much I posted it separated 🥰

As for their conversation at the beginning, I think we could say it's around ch. 429, when Bakugou asks Deku how the embers are doing. He answered in front of everyone, but he was a little more honest in private later 😕

I cried sm while drawing it and listening to Birds of a Feather haha

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For the rest of our lives <3

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bkdk virtual boyfriends!!