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Okay, that explains a lot. We see you, Mike Queerler 💜

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Are you kidding me? Mike’s hair looks great, or at least way better than that weird «DIY haircut» from the first leaked photos. Plus, it totally looks like Finn’s hair.

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instead of just asking “is byler endgame?” ask something like:

“why do you think mike dodged wills hug at the airport? will his strange (haha) behavior towards will be addressed in season 5?”

“how do you think queer fans will feel after watching the final season? do you think the queer characters arcs will be satisfying?”

“who does your character have the most heart to hearts/ meaningful conversations with this season?”

“do you think your character is heavily misunderstood by the general audience?”

“what are some songs you would use to describe your characters journey this season?”

“how would you describe your character’s relationship with conformity?”

“have you lied in interviews/panels in the past to prevent spoilers?”

“will the cliff scene be addressed? do the other characters, who weren’t there, know about it?”

“what do you think your character would be doing in 2025? would they still have the same connections with the other characters?”

“will we get more of mikes pov this season?”

“how do you relate to your character the most?”

“what do you think causes mike to repeat words/ sentences?”

“do you have a favorite parallel with your character in the show?”

be subtle guys. they aren’t gonna be able to answer questions like “who does your character end up with?” or “will they kiss on the mouth?” don’t waste your question !!

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It's okay, Finn, we know what you were trying to say, message received, don't worry 💙💛

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A bad and unprofessional analysis of Being Different, aka the love of my life

So obviously this score plays during the van scene. Here’s the entire video from where the score starts for reference (as if you haven’t seen it enough)

There are three main sections I’m breaking this up into. 1) the Mike Monologue, 2) The Heart, and 3) The First I love You

1) At the beginning of Mike’s self deprecative spiral (when he says “I keep telling myself that”) the music cuts from Argyle’s radio to Being Different. This part of the score sounds dramatically different than the rest. Now I don’t know any fancy technical terms, but I DO know that it sounds sad. The notes are long and simple— it’s uncomplicated. Will is putting his full attention into listening to what Mike has to say, and it makes him sad that Mike sees himself that way.

2) This section starts right at the moment Mike opens the painting. There’s an obvious shift in tone (the swell, and then the little happy beeps). And then comes the really interesting part: as soon as Will opens his mouth, another layer is added. I’m going to try to explain this as scientifically as possible— so if you listen very closely, you can hear sort of a wa WA, wa WA, wa WA. You know what that sound reminds me of? A heartbeat. A HEARTBEAT starts playing at the same time that Will explains how Mike is the heart of the party. Not only that, but in the original score (https://www.tumblr.com/gaysforbyler/765278990711898112/wawa-wa-waa-wa-wa), the heart starts beating out of rhythm. THEY’RE NERVOUS. Will was nervous to give his speech, and Mike was nervous to receive it.

Also, this section of the score is HAPPY. Will is happy to be doing this for Mike. Just isolating the soundtrack, it doesn’t feel like some big heartbreaking moment. Maybe it’s meant to be showing Mike’s POV here, but I feel like Will is just glad to be helping. Will’s love makes him happy

3) Many people know that the ending (when Will says “she’s so different from other people”) of Being Different uses the same motif as The First I love You and The First Lie, but it’s simplified down into four notes rather than eight. The First I love You plays for Mike and El, and Robin and Steve, while The First Lie plays during Jancy’s first kiss. This is Will’s first lie to Mike, and also his first confession.

What people DONT talk about is how different Will’s version is (clearly). For one, it sounds almost drowned out, like it’s playing from underwater. It’s being muffled. Will is literally covering up his feelings and trying to push them down so Mike can’t hear them. It sounds like the music crying. His love confession is sad, and raw, and distorted. That’s clearly shown through the score

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Omg he’s so adorable 😭♥️

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he ran out of canvases

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"i can't imagine what it's like for you, all that's going on with will [...] you can talk to me. you don't have to hide anything from me."

[is hiding a girl in a closet]

"you are the most important thing to me in the world."

[is arguing with same girl in a closet]

"i love you too."

[gets uncomfortable by a kiss from same girl, in front of a closet with a light on]

"love, el"

[is reading a love letter from same girl with a closet with a light on perfectly lined up in shot. same closet also has a one way road sign pointed towards it]

"we're friends, we're friends [...] i don't know, maybe you should've reached out more [...] let's just find her."

[is arguing with his best friend who ruined his day by ignoring him while same girl is hiding in a closet, with a song called "in the closet" playing in the background]

"hawkins isn't the same without you [...] i felt like i lost you [...] let's be friends... 👀 best friends."

[is having a heart-to-heart with his best friend, who is front of a closet]

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Victoria draws Byler angst!?! Unheard of.

I seriously have never drawn Byler angst before so this was a bit of a challenge for me 😭

so basically Will is being vecnaed (obvi) but he doesn’t have his headphones and mike is frantically trying to save him but nothing is working and when Will starts floating he kisses him out of desperation. I’m thinking this is after they’ve had a confession of some sort because I don’t think Mike would kiss Will without knowing it was okay. But the whole art piece is up to y’all’s interpretation!

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early mornings

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it was a seven. come on, you’re up on dig dug. will, what’s wrong?! i couldn’t find you, are you hurt?!? yeah, crazy together. it was the best thing i’ve ever done. you can’t leave, it’s raining! it’s not my fault you don’t like girls!!! i’m sorry man, alright? i was being a total asshole! yeah, but what if you wanna join another party? not possible. we’re friends, we’re friends!!! looks like it’s gonna be up to us again. max and lucas and dustin, they’re… they’re great… they’re great, it’s just… it’s hawkins, it’s not the same without you. friends, best friends. cool. cool. sometimes, i think it’s just scary to open up like that, to say how you really feel. because, i mean, without heart… we’d all fall apart! but you make her feel like she’s not a mistake at all, like she’s better for being different. yeah? yeah. you’re the heart, okay? remember that. you’re the heart!!! we will. we will.

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yall ever think about how will said "that's what holds this whole party together, heart. because witnout heart, we'd all fall apart"

and vecna started his attacks the day mike left hawkins . hawkins fell as soon as mike wasn't there

"the silver cat feeds when blue meets yellow in the west"

was he waiting for mike to leave? because mike holds everything together?

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Excuse me but aren’t you too old to be in the ST fandom? I mean, you’re literally 30… Here we are all teenagers.

Oh my god, you're right!!! Now that I know that I'm almost 30 and shouldn't have any interest in life I will be deleting this blog in 5 minutes and immediately go to the bank to ask for a loan ❤️

Thank you for opening my eyes with your beautiful intellect and saving the world 🙌🥹

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It's an unspoken rule in the party that Mike has to be right next to Will. When they're all walking, or standing, or having a sleepover with sleeping bags, or posing for photos - Mike and Will must be shoulder to shoulder.

One time Lucas took a photo with him in the middle and Mike whined about for months. Dustin once took the last open seat next to Will during lunch and Mike stared at him creepily until Dustin got the message and traded seats.

Even the Wheelers know that when Karen lets the boys come eat dinner with them, that Mike and Will are to sit together at the table cuz the last time she tried to switch things up and try something new, Mike lectured to her how "no one else passes the salad bowl or bread rolls as perfectly to Will like he does blah blah blah"

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could you imagine all the byler related promotional material after season five releases? the duffers getting asked about byler and explaining how they’ve planned it since day one, finn and noah discussing what it means for their characters and how they feel about it, costume designers revealing what stuff means, I’m so excited

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I can’t wait for Season 5, but I’m just dying for the new music we’ll hear there. We all have to admit, the music in Stranger Things is something else, unreal, like it’s its own living character.

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Can’t wait till foah do press and they are sat close and giggling over their characters happy ending, and noah mentions finn’s a good kisser to vindicate him

I'm genuinely expecting the conclusion of the finn kissing chaos 😂 it makes sense to me noah would be asked it whether during his own lie test or an interviewer bringing it up! it's perfect buzz and promo

can't wait either! 🥹 I want that documentaryyy