#The Rest of the byler tag However

[dilemmaed]

the party does not hate mike or make jokes acting like they do (aside from max) jonathan does not hate mike Mike Is Not Entirely Responsible For The Hurt People Experience mike's hurt also matters and doesn't mean less because you don't like him mike is not stupid he is quite smart I am crushing all of you into a fine pulp!!!!!!! some of you should never be allowed to speak on fictional characters ever especially when they have a tiny bit of complexity

[light-lanterne]

took a break from writing a twisted little story and suddenly remembered the book "perfume", so i can't help but byler-fy it.

tw // mcd; graphic depictions of violence, murder and gore; obsession; mentioned cannibalism - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ☽ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - an offering, @catboy-cabin, @conanssummerchild, @cosmobrain00, @fluffyfangirl, @foodiewithdahoodie, @hyperfixationcentralsvoid, @holyvirgilscriptures, @lucasvenkman, @rotisseries, @yearninginblue. only tagging those i know who are enthusiastic about this type of story; forgive me if i've overstepped x.x

for those who don't know the story, please picture this: perfume maker mike who is incredibly sensitive to smell. he constantly creates the most intricate and delicate perfumes and he is great at it, but he soon bores of the scent of herbs, flowers and fruits and thus, he begins the quest to create something else.

something interesting and unique that's never been done before; a fragrance so wonderful no one will ever be able to resist it.

so he begins experimenting. uses the most bizarre extracts; creates some rather odd-yet-delicious odours that are hard to describe as anything other than exquisite,,, but it's not quite enough. he still finds his perfumes menial and uninteresting and no one around him seems to understand what he's searching for, so he grows more and more frustrated every day.

that is, of course, until he crosses paths with will: a pretty little artist who's come back to his hometown for inspiration and a break from the stress of the big city. an artist who mike used to know when they were children —before mike developed his bizarre senses—, who he hadn't thought much about in a long time

and for most people, there's nothing too special about will: he is rather handsome and nothing short of a true gentleman; he is kind and soft-spoken, and his art shows a remarkable talent and dexterity one wouldn't expect from someone so young.

but he is, ultimately, just a normal young man.

except,,, well, mike might've been a little infatuated with will back in the day so he's already fond of will's presence.

more than that, however, mike has a keen sense of smell and thus, he knows there's much more to will than what meets the eye. more specifically, mike knows that will's scent is the perfect aroma he'd been searching for all along and so, he must do absolutely everything in his power to bottle it up and keep it safe for the rest of eternity.

so he tries to replicate it. he mixes every oil and extract he owns and creates yet more wondrous concoctions everyone loves,,, but everything pales when compared to the original, which leaves mike with only one choice.

he kills his first victim in the middle of the night, shortly after the local bars have closed their doors for the day.

the next one perishes in the middle of the forest, their screams unheard as mike drives them deeper and deeper into the woods.

the next, mike lures into his shop under the pretence of a simple one-day summer job, the youth's blood staining the dark stone tiles where mike's been conducting his research.

over and over, mike kills people of all sizes and ages as he searches for a way to extract all their scents, each method more complex than the last, until he's finally refined his technique enough to dare try with his true target: will, who mike's spent all this time reconnecting with, becoming best friends with again, and even courting in an effort to satisfy his twisted needs.

on one hand, he wants to know exactly who he's planning to kill, becoming more and more obsessed and deranged with each passing day as his feelings for will grow.

on the other, and much higher on his list of priorities, he wants to spend as much time as possible smelling that delicious elixir he's hoping to acquire at some point.

and finally, after several months, the time's come: mike lures the unsuspecting will into his house and swiftly, with ease, stabs him to death until the gleam in those lovely olive eyes vanishes and gets replaced with a now-familiar white fogginess. then, mike proceeds to gather his supplies, all of which he cleaned and polished the previous night in preparation for this most crucial moment in his life.

and then he gets to chopping.

then, to distilling.

then, to bottling it all up.

he works efficiently and methodically as he prepares the perfume and, once his magnus opus is ready, he stares at it for a long while. just leaves the bottle there, on the table, gawking at it with as much fervour and reverence as he used to stare into will's charming hazel eyes.

once he's done just admiring what he's created, mike decides to test the cologne; sprays the tiniest bit on an illustration will had gifted him a week earlier, takes a deep breath in and smiles.

then, he walks from room to room and sprays just a little more fragrance on all fabrics and surfaces so that his house smells like will.

then, he walks over to will's carcass —which has acquired a certain different smell by now— and reinstates what once was by covering will with the mist of the pure, better version of his natural smell, so lovingly and thoroughly extracted by mike.

and last, of course, mike sprays a little perfume on himself, feeling it envelop him like a warm hug he can't escape from, all tender and lovely and absolutely perfect.

so he relishes in his success. spends the entire day breathing in the intoxicating smell and, after spraying another round of perfume on himself —the very last of it—, he steps outside his house to show the world what he's created, finding the entire population of hawkins at a town assembly arranged to discuss the recent disappearances and killings that have shaken the town to its very core.

so he steps in, bloodied hands and clothing making his nightly affairs evident to everyone in the room, crazed eyes and mad smile leaving no room for doubt about his insanity and murderous acts.

but it doesn't matter. will's enrapturing scent was too faint to be picked up by anyone but mike and his advanced sense of smell, but now that it's been distilled and concentrated, everyone is able to feel just how special it is. how delicious and mouth-watering it is.

so mike is attacked; tackled to the ground as everyone tries to get a little part of his clothes or his flesh, and it's not long before someone decides to take a bite to determine whether or not the fragrance tastes as good as it smells. and truth be told, mike can't blame them for it even as he perishes.

because, if he were amidst the ravenous crowd, he would be doing the exact same thing.

- the end -

(sorry for the unhappy ending, that's just how the book ends x.x also, i am now just realising that wanting to “wear” your "loved" one feels a lot like cannibalism as a metaphor for desire, does it not ? so in the end, this isn't anything i haven't explored before x.x)

[zannolin]

tagged by the wonderful @blusandbirds thanks bestie!!

rules: go into your ao3 and find the following:

1. what rating do you write most of your fics under?

teen & up, almost exclusively for language. the rest are gen, and i have one (1) not rated that i do not even know why it's not rated but i can't be bothered to go in and edit it at this point. i'd only go up to mature or explicit for like. body horror reasons. i do not do smut i can barely even figure out kissing, man.

2. what are your top three fandoms?

shazam! movies, bnha (STILL) and stranger things recently claimed third place by breaking out of the three-fic purgatorial state of most of my ao3.

3. what is the top character you write about?

i am not counting the minor characters tag which means *drumroll* FREDDY FREEMAN BABY! shocked he actually came in first over billy but also, like, not. that's my son with whom i am well pleased. god i really miss him, actually....

4. what are the top three pairings you write about?

complicated question. we have another large tie situation going on, but top spot in overall, including gen, going to freddy & billy, taking the lead with 6/43. then there's a four-way tie of 3/43 each for byler, klance, jupeter and tododeku. so if we're talking in terms of just romance, those four i guess. however the phrasing of this question being in the present tense makes me break out in hives in association with klance and tododeku being on that list (even jupeter, really, though we had a mutual parting of the ways and not a dramatic breakup) because it's been 84 years since i posted anything about them, i just have a tendency to write like 1 or 2 fics for a fandom and ride away into the sunset. you know.

5. what are your top three additional tags?

hurt/comfort (23), post-canon (15), canon compliant (15). beautiful. i love writing in canonverse can you tell.

6. did any of this surprise you?

no lol. i know myself. well, it was surprising to see that shit like klance still ranks high in my stats i guess, but other than that. i am very well aware of the contents of my ao3.

tagging @beautyofsorrow @bizzybee429 @amadeusevenstar !!

[bylerschmyler]

So I was scrolling through tumblr and saw a pic of Mike and Will at Halloween in the basement in front off this poster.

The poster is in the basement in S1 and S2 and El got in her room in S3 and S4.

I know that some people already analyzed this thing so I might just be repeating stuff for some off you.

But the interesting thing about this is the fact that the basketball game in S4 is between the Hawkins High Tigers and the Jordan High Falcons

So I got hooked up again and took a look at falcons and their meaning.

Falcons embody victory, rulership, and overcoming. However, like other birds, falcons can also represent a connection to the spirit world

(Source: https://a-z-animals.com/blog/falcon-spirit-animal-symbolism-meaning/)

It's interesting that the byler/mlvn love triangle is visualized with the falcon poster. If falcons embody victory it seems likely that El, Mike and Will as trio are crucial for their victory against Vecna. Obviously we already now that Els powers are important and that Will have an important role in S5 but it also points out that Mike's role in S5 is significant. Seeing how the plan off the Hawkins Gang failed and knowing how Mike already talked about how you can't shoot the UD-monsters and don't win if you just burn them it is very obvious that the plan would have been different if Mike had been there.

The Overcoming part in the symbolism is also very interesting. I wonder what the might overcome (Gay Love saves the day).

Positive characteristics of the falcon : 

Ambitious

Outgoing

Natural Leader

Strategic

Decision Maker

Visionary

Problem Solver

Thrives under Pressure

Mike represents basically all of the positive characteristics of the falcon.

Negative characteristics of the falcon:

Impatient

Prone to taking risks

Impulsive

Easily distracted

Hot-headed

Aggressive behavior

Obsession with power and control

Unforgiving

Self-centeredness

Superiority complex

Most off the negative characteristics are also very Mike-Like. Easily distracted, Aggressive behavior and Superiority complex are not very fitting but the rest is right on the money.

If you see a falcon, it means you’re approaching a new chapter in your life — an opportunity to soar to new heights. The falcon is a reminder to look ahead and focus on the future. Don’t let your past experiences hold you back; use them as stepping stones to success.

The falcon also represents wisdom, so it’s a sign that you should trust your intuition and make decisions wisely. Take time to reflect upon your choices before making them. This animal guide is caring and wise beyond your years. Reflecting on choices with a falcon outlook will help you avoid emotional obstacles.

The falcon is often a reminder to stay free with your mind and body and be brave. This could mean trying new things, even if you need to improve immediately.

Let the falcon encourage you to play! Dance in public, play a new sport, and tag with friends. Be free with how you move and walk. The way you move matters. Express yourself without holding back.

Falcons don’t worry about how they look, and neither should you! You’re perfect just as you are, and you deserve to feel good.

Falcon sightings can represent freedom, intuition, protection, and vision. When you call upon this spirit animal for guidance and understanding, it will help you soar to new heights and open your eyes to a new world of possibilities.

So the falcon sighting is basically a step Mike has to take. He has to trust his intuition (which will draw him to Will) and he has to express himself without holding back (talking about his trauma) so he can finally overcome the things that take him down (Internalized homophobia).

The falcon symbolizes freedom, intuition, and bravery. Falcons have a keen eye for detail and never miss an opportunity. Listen to your intuition and trust your gut instinct.

Falcons are also associated with victory, guardianship, and protection. When you have the falcon as your spirit animal, you are a warrior defending what’s important to you. You will fight for justice and protect those around you from harm, even if it means putting yourself in danger. 

Mike Wheeler -> Falcon

(The newspaper article is actually pretty funny if you read through it)

[etchedstars]

hi! when did you start shipping byler? what’s your favorite moment of theirs? and what’s your favorite part about being here on byler tumblr? have a good day ❣️

oh !!!! okay !!!!!!! :)

SO . back in the old days of like. july, i watched st1 and finally started understanding the posts my mutual tumblr user @parkitaco (hi parker <3 this ones on you /j) had been reblogging . and i had seen these gifsets and analysis and went "hmm interesting !! wonder if ill be able to convince my parents to let me watch" (which i did . so hello)

and upon understanding these posts i was like. hm okay that makes sense WAIT SHIT im not supposed to SEE THAT bc SPOILERS. so i blocked the stranger things tag . as one does.

then the following series of event happened: i watched s2ep1 (the arcade part). i was like . "... oh ??" . watched s2ep2 . "yeah i see it" . unblocked the tag. UNDERSTOOD. the rest is history

my favorite moment of theirs ,,,, oh fuck probably like. all of s2 , ,, the crazy together scene makes me like bounce in my seat whenever i watch it and same with the hand holding scene. MOMENT however just like. every time they sit close to each other at all throughout the series why are they sitting so close hm hmmmmm

my favorite part of byler tumblr is probably all the content ???? there is so MUCH of it and its all SO GOOD why are you on tumblr dot com and ao3 writing full length novels w amazing plot beautiful prose fantastic characterization about two traumatized gay 80s boys i love you do you need a hug

[mike-wheeler-faggotry]

I posted 2,920 times in 2022

That's 2,832 more posts than 2021!

296 posts created (10%)

2,624 posts reblogged (90%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@aemiron-main

@laozuspo

@tsugarubecker

@will80sbyers

@messrsbyler

I tagged 2,918 of my posts in 2022

#reblog - 2,604 posts

#mike - 1,438 posts

#byler - 919 posts

#will - 767 posts

#analysis - 489 posts

#posting about the prick - 259 posts

#byler tumblr - 243 posts

#art - 240 posts

#gay mike wheeler - 223 posts

#st4 spoilers - 201 posts

Longest Tag: 139 characters

#we can keep the flowers! mike giving jane flowers just because she's a friend who likes them and not because of a crumbling relationship>>>

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

Will: H-

Mike: Omg I'm not gay! I'm normal and straight! El is my girlfriend! Why are you acting like that, you're being an asshole???

256 notes - Posted June 13, 2022

#4

Billy, in show, is heavily sexualized. That, when added to his lack of non-sexual happy times on screen, and contextualized by his trauma, paints a rather bleak picture.

From his first introduction being girls staring at his ass, to the middle aged women in season 3 ogling him despite being a to-be senior in high school, Billy has been sexualized from day one. However... what else is he associated with? Basketball? Drinking? Surfing? Weightlifting? Typical "hot male" things. Being a swim coach? Average straight teen guy's fantasy. Everything he's associated with has to do with his sexualization... or his trauma.

Neil being abusive to Billy his whole life, and his mother abandoning him as a child, are the other main pieces of his character. We see this in how he fights, and how he doesn't fight. Someone mentioned the parallel of Billy hitting Steve with a plate when backed into a corner and the memory of Billy's mom hitting Neil with a plate. And we all know Max's words when threatening him with the bat are word-for-word what Niel says when abusing Billy.

With all this in mind, when do we ever see Billy really happy? Not prideful, not sexual, but really truly happy? The only real time he's happy is when we see the memory of him at the beach with his mom, and... that's it. After that, his emotions always involve anger, fear, or sexuality.

Interestingly, there are only a few scenes where he's actively being flirtatious. One is the homoerotic game-and-postgame-showers with Steve, and the other are the scenes with Karen. And only in the first one does he initiate the flirtation; Karen is the one initiating the flirting in the scenes. Which is. Rather concerning.

I don't have much tying this together. However, I find the fact that his only somewhat positive times during canon involve being sexual or angry, with the sexuality often not even being started by him, rather worrying.

Tag list:

@queenjayrogue @aliens-took-my-iwa-chan

291 notes - Posted August 18, 2022

#3

"Robin was dumbed down this season" "Robin is so annoying" she's autistic you ableist fucks.

299 notes - Posted May 30, 2022

#2

Volume 2 spoilers, also kinda long.

The "confession" monologue wasn't what it seems. Although at first glance it seems that it really is a loss for byler, I'd argue that it's actually a win. Reason? The monologue is weird and ooc if it's a confession to Jane. But it makes more sense if it's a confession to Will disguised as a confession to Jane. Let's break down the scene.

It starts with Jane struggling against Henry Creel. The rest of cali crew are trying to save her, but it isn't working. Will then says, "Mike, don't stop, okay you're the heart, okay remember that, you're the heart!"

So Will tells Mike he's the heart, so he has to let his heart out. But obviously what's in his heart isn't romantic love for Jane. It's platonic love, strong platonic love, but platonic love that isn't what he think she wants. So he has to give her romantic love. I think, he's been sort of realizing that he's gotten his feelings for Will and Jane mixed up over this season. But no way is he going to say he doesn't love Jane romantically now. So, he says his feelings for Will and says them like they're feelings for Jane.

He starts off by reassuring Jane that he's there with her. And then, after a sort of pause, he blurts out he loves her. In a... rather forced way. Trust me, this isn't "I have a hard time saying I love you", this is "I have to say I love you but it's making me feel wrong." Trust me, I know the second very very well.

"I love you, I'm sorry I don't say it more, it's not because I'm scared of you, I'm not, I've never felt that way, never. But I am scared that one day you'll realize you don't need me anymore, and I thought that if I said how I felt it would somehow make that day, hurt more. But the truth is, El, I don't know how to live without you."

Did anyone else catch the glance to the side before he said "hurt more"? From where he was looking, he would have glanced at... Will. He has to look at Will to get out a confession to Jane? Hmm. And let's rephrase this part a little.

"I love you, I'm sorry I don't say it more, it's not because I'm scared of you don't love you, I'm not do, I've never always felt that way, never. But I am scared that one day you'll realize you don't need me anymore, and I thought that if I said how I felt it would somehow make that day, hurt more. But the truth is, El, I don't know how to live without you."

Just removing the obvious allusion to the milkvan fight and one or 2 other parts makes this more romantic. I.e., milkvan doesn't really fit this confession well. But also, this verson also fits byler well. The disconnect right now is that they both think the other loves someone else. And Mike doesn't know why Will is becoming more and more distant, but he's scared. He knows Will has relied on him in the past, but he's not doing that anymore, and that hurts.

And, well, this is the 80s, if a miracle happens and Will does love him back, being in a relationship would put them at more risk against homophobes. And if Mike confessed, and Will didn't love him back, there would be a chance of Mike being hated. (This wouldnt happen, but Mike doesn't know that for certain). And losing Will would be the most painful thing. So honestly, in his situation, without the foresight of us viewers, the safest thing is to lie and ignore how he loves Will.

Now, onto the very very inflammatory line, "My life started the day i met you in the woods." Now, in context of Milkvan's first meeting, yeah that wouldn't be a very good day. But if your life started the day you met someone, wouldn't saying hello, or asking to be their friend, be the best thing you've ever done. Mike's life started when he met the one he loves. But it wasn't Jane who started his life, it was Will. He's trying to say his feelings for Will and disguise them as feelings for Jane, and in the moment he's. Not really thinking about how the first meeting situations were different.

Let's ignore the shirt remark for now. "And I knew right then and there, in that moment, I loved you. And I've loved you every day since. I love you on your good days, I love you on your bad days, I love you with your powers, I love you without your powers, I love you for exactly who you are. You're my superhero! And, I can't lose you!"

Interesting word choice here. You love her without her powers, yet she's your "superhero". Once again, we have him idealizing her for her powers, regardless of what else he is saying. And actually, has he always loved her every day since? Did he love her when Will's fake body was found and he yelled at her "What's wrong with you?" twice? Did he love her when he called her a weapon to fight against the monsters? Did he love her in season 3 when he wasn't upset about the breakup, just offended?

However, if we ignore the bits about powers, this does hold true about Will. He loves Will so much he does everything in his power to save him from the monsters again and again. He loves Will when they're playing D&D together, he loves Will when he's upset over Mike's bullshit, he loves Will so much he refuses to believe he's dead when he has pretty much no evidence he's alive, he loves Will so much he can't lose him. He loves Will for exactly who he is, and is only able to "be in love" with Jane when he puts her on a pedestal.

"You can do anything! You can fly, you can move mountains, I really believe that, I really do! But right now, you just have to fight, okay?" More superhero, and the heart of the confession. He needs her to fight on and keep living, he's saying what he has to to keep her alive and fighting.

Now, this is all well and good, but where is the proof this is the angle we should be looking at? Because this isn't the first scene byler has been hidden by mileven. When Will showed the painting, he confessed his own feelings to Mike but pretended it was Jane's feelings. Who says that Mike can't be confessing to Will, but pretending he's confessing to Jane? This only adds to the numerous times in past seasons Mike has, in a way, used Jane as a surrogate for Will. And I'm not saying that's a good thing, but it's what's been happening.

Essentially, while the confession may appear to be pro mileven, it's actually pro byler. Do not lose hope everyone!

369 notes - Posted July 2, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

Hot take but s3-s4 mike isn't different from s1-s2 mike. Y'all just ignored the signs of mental illness until it started affecting people other then himself. He threw himself into the quarry fully expecting to die in season 1, he was explicitly self-destructing in season 2 with the breaking rules, he just went the natural progression of that behavior with breaking his relationships in seasons 3-4.

414 notes - Posted July 4, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[solskd]

My friend brought my attention to a post under the byler tag, that basically says, "Why are people attacking Mike for saying meeting El is when his life began and not when Mike said meeting Will was the best thing he's ever done?"

I'll let you guys read the post (I've blocked out the username for the sake of privacy):

Let me explain why this is so: Meeting someone and spending time with them and getting to know them for YEARS, never getting tired of them, sticking with them, building a deep emotional bond- i think that warrants enough for Mike's judgment of meeting Will beingthe best thing he's ever done. HOWEVER, just because he believes it's the best, DOES NOT automatically deny his love for El and the other members of the party. They come as an addition to meeting Will since he was first.. Hell, and if you're really delusional you could say that that quote works in favor of mileven too 💀 because without Will he wouldn't have met El on that one rainy day. The reason they met was because he and his friends were out looking for WILL. But still- this is about the quotes at surface value.

"Meeting you = best thing I've done" : Cherishing the time spent together and the additions to the group after along with said person. All the memories, the laughs, the inside jokes, getting to know that person for who they are-

"My Life Truly Started When I met you" : Admitting your life was dull and boring with no purpose, ignoring the fact that your best friend was at your side the whole time, and even the rest of your party (the group of people that stuck by your side through thick and thin and who you were once even willing to JUMP OFF A FREAKING CLIFF FOR) ignoring your most cherished memories from them ....WHICH IS A LOT to be saying for someone who was 12 at the time, with very little life experience.

So yeah!! In my opinion those two quotes hold completely different meaning!!

I hope this made sense and I hope I didn't come off as rude. I'm just tired of seeing all these attacks against byler,,,

Word of advice, if you're reading this (OP) please censor the word byler to avoid crosstagging and spreading negativity on this tag, thank you!! (Unless that was your intention then wtf :((( )

I hope whoever else is reading this has a wonderful evening! :)

[wakeupthemembersofbylernation]

These redit posts are making me so irrevocably sad!

Like these folks are going through our tags, our TikTok video analyses, Twitter threads, our Google docs etc just to make fun of us

It honestly makes me want to be a “passive” fan ... like not comment on anything or post or reblog

It feels defeating 😓

Thanks for this message! I really relate and connect to what you’re saying. And I understand the feelings of discouragement- that was honestly my first reaction to reading those Reddit comments because they were so overwhelming and intense and filled with venom. And yeah, it’s just all so sad. To see that so many people are filled with such hatred in their hearts, and they feel so casual about being open with it. This is to say nothing of all the vile anonymous messages that have been spreading around Byler Tumblr the last week. Plus, you’re so right- the fact that many are actually looking through our analysis and hovering over our posts just to make fun of us… why? Why would you do that?

However, I want to encourage you! They may be ignorant, they may be closed-minded, they may be homophobic… and I guess some may not be all of those things, they just might not have the eyes to see what we see yet. But that doesn’t mean anything. Haters are gonna hate. And if they want to have a shallow understanding of the show, that’s on them, not us. The evidence is on our side. We have a beautiful, vibrant community here, full of kind, thoughtful, and compassionate people. And it’s only growing (as well as growing on other platforms) by the day. They want to intimidate us and silence us, but I say we shine brighter! Because even if we’re ultimately wrong, we did absolutely nothing wrong in the process. It’s not wrong to care about storytelling, to care about characters you’ve loved since 2016, and to wish for the best possible resolution to their arcs. It’s not wrong to love so deeply.

But I also understand if you need to take a step back, if you need to take a break. Please drink water, and get some rest, and go for a walk. Draw, or listen to music, or read a book, or do whatever invigorates your soul. It will all be okay.

Crazy together.

[wackywriterwhowriteswhenever]

COMING SOON

Hey y’all!

So let me preface this by saying I enjoyed Vol. 1 of Season 4 immensely! I think it was brilliant of them to split the characters into different arcs, and I’m thoroughly enjoying the story so far. Episode 7 truly mindfucked me and I can’t wait to see what happens next! I’m also still full-on shipping Byler of course and I’m excited to see where Mike and Will go next!

July is a little more than a month away, which means Camp NaNoWriMo for July is just about a month away. This month, I will once again be soliciting ideas from readers (look for a separate post later) of one-shots to write.

However, there are four stories in my head (one of which will be published tonight as a birthday gift for a friend) that I have largely planned out that I will write during July as well.

Here’s a look at some Byler fics I have coming soon!

1. Forgive Me (Being published tonight at 11 p.m. Central Time): A story that follows Mike going to the Byers home three weeks after the Battle of Starcourt to apologize to Will for his behavior during S3. The story is inspired by and has lines from the Evanescence song, Forgive Me. I’ll link the song to the story when I post it.

2. Upside Down Comics, Inc. (To be written in July, a long-form story): Artist! Will joins Upside Down Comics as its new artist. Writer! Mike writes the story for the comics, the latest of which will feature the plot of the show, which Will is hired to draw. Mike and Will bond while making the comic alongside the rest of the Party, and Will is later shocked to hear about Mike’s childhood.

3. The Interview (To be written in July, a one-shot): This will probably be my most unique fic in that it will be a written question and answer form of Mike being interviewed. The backstory will be The Party was a band that has recently announced a reunion tour. Back in the band’s heyday, Mike left in the middle of a tour, which became international news, especially when he announced he was not going to pursue a solo career in music. Think Geri leaving the Spice Girls, but more dramatic. Mike grants an interview with an entertainment reporter to talk about why he left the band (to do with his feelings for Will, among other reasons) and why the band is ready for a reunion.

4. Glasses (To be written in July, a one-shot): Inspired by the photos of Noah Schnapp getting glasses a few years ago, Will discovers he needs glasses and is nervous about his first day wearing them at school. He is bullied for his new look, but the rest of The Party, especially Mike, stand up for him. Later at home, Will refuses to wear his glasses, until Mike comes along and is able to help change Will’s mind.

I’m so excited to share these and other stories with you during July! I’m also so excited for Vol. 2 of Stranger Things 4, and I’m also thrilled for the future of the show (sad there is only one more season after this, though)! 

Look for another post later today where I solicit ideas for one-shots from readers!

Tagging some Byler friends: @willthecleric @william-byers @jesper-faheyss @poweredbycreativityandcake @general-kj @byliever

[zenon-karr]

So I promise I won’t bring up other ships like destiel or johnlock (I wasn’t destiel but I was TJLC) This isn’t negativity! I promise! But I’m going to just say the biggest glaring difference between them and byler if anyone is worried about delusions or whatever is that we knew Will is gay from character description. From the get go you had Moffiss denying and having writers deny Dean is bi. Sadly. Part of losing in johnlock was having to admit I was wrong. It’s helped me heal and now I just enjoy them for fun instead of being hurt but neither here or there - but with Byler it is different.

We knew Will is gay before Byler was analyzed. It’s always been open to interpretation at the very least. So I will say that I truthed since season 2 but because I was on the look out on how Will was going to be represented as gay. When the hand touch happened I was very shocked. I just noticed it. I wouldn’t have thought much of it if Will wasn’t supposed to be a gay character. I don’t know if anyone else has this experience. But this was mine. People just noticed this in an academic way or from Doylist POV. However MOST people flocked to Byler AFTER s4. And this for non Bylers since people weren’t here is most Byler truthing and the following from AFTER Will is confirmed canonically in love with Mike. The following is coming from their own canon. Not our interpretations of canon. It’s coming from the fact no matter what anti Bylers will say - there’s a chance since they did not shut it down either outside or inside the show. There are many possibilities such as Mike loving two people at the same time. That’s very simple? It doesn’t have to be gay Mike or whatever - it can be. There’s also nothing wrong with that: he can be confused between them! There’s so much hostility against this like we are delusional when it’s not really a stretch to say it can be canon. There’s not what you would call a ‘conspiracy’ amongst lying cast members. They all say ‘I don’t know’, I hope so or positive things. The other two on the other hand the writers and show runners didn’t even support queer readings on those characters. I mean it sucks I don’t mean as derogatory but with byler they never shut it down. FYI I don’t mean conspiracy theory derogatory I was tjlc! I understand. However this much different I didn’t really ship it first I kinda just truthed it and when I truthed it I shipped it? If that makes sense? I was like oh OH? when the hand touch happened in Dig Dug. In fact I shipped mileven first (then they got annoying and I didn’t like they had Mike give up his interest or it felt like he wasn’t acting himself) this all being said I support whatever y’all want to ship even if I don’t ship it!! Even if you also like mileven that’s cool with me. I just don’t care for homophobia and being antagonistic. 💚💚💚✨🫶🏻 much love from an OG Byler to the new fandom!

I’m just thinking of this post with the inevitable we’re the new destiels when we pass the ship so I feel like I should say something now. Coz I know we aren’t this or TJLC (these came before anything was even canonized) I just feel like it will be inevitable to see these posts if or when we pass the tag and I’m sorta not looking forward to it 😬 but we knew Will is gay before we even saw Byler so we all were looking for what is the way he will so we knew at the very least he would be gay which gave us a heads up to look out for them when they touched hands. It’s just different from the rest of the group and that is especially canon now. Don’t let people tell you you’re crazy and antagonize you! Sorry for the long post but I felt it it tonight and while I love this ship is HUGE now I fear people will be toxic and compare. I hope I’m wrong but there are some facts in here but it boils down to people believed in these when they said no (not anything wrong w that) whereas people are truthing because they’re canonized at least on Will’s part and there’s no delusion on that. It just doesn’t seem likely they will build something up since s1 for it to be unrequited and just for Will to end up with someone else that they coulda just had him be in love with this season and to build up to for s5. I know people will say they won’t do that to mileven they’ve been building up but I don’t know why they’d build this up to go up against a couple like them if they’re endgame. It just doesn’t add up. Why set it up for queer fans to be humiliated this way because of their canon drawing people here - not us. The Duffers sent most of you here because of what they wrote. We didn’t just make up Will loves Mike and it’s not even canon. They wrote this! It’s canon - it happened! It’s not taking some ambiguous things and saying it’s canon. Will is in love with Mike and the show did not tell you how Mike feels about that! Mike loving El is a separate point entirely and doesn’t disprove Mike loves Will. My point is we have reasons to believe it’s gonna happen and it’s requited. Sorry for the rambly long post I hope I made sense and didn’t seem rude or derogatory. But I just worry we could get flooded with these comment when or if we pass the destiel tag on followers. I hope we can just block them if so and not get discouraged or fight them. Let’s be different to other fandoms. This isn’t anti destiel or johnlock obviously. Anyway happy shipping 🫶🏻✨💚💚💚

[erectionsandtea]

Roller rink skate date headcanons! (poly party) insp. by this post, for @mike-wheeler-is-gay (I know you wanted byler specifically and I usually write poly party, but I tried to stick some extra byler in here for you, I hope I did it justice and that you like it!)

So many paragraphs this should really just be a fic, I'm sorry

- Mike is super tall and gangly is absolutely the worst skater in the party (tied only with Lucas, who put on his very first pair of skates and promptly fell on his face and they weren't even on the rink yet, they were still on the carpet area)

- the moment Mike steps into the actual skating floor, he falls bc he's tall gangly uncoordinated Mike, and Will is just standing there rolling his eyes, like "babe, you're a mess" but he doesn't mind bc it means he gets to hold Mike's hand (and hold Mike in general) while he helps his bf balance and skate

- and Mike is like "I don't deserve you, why are you even with me, I'm so awkward" (poor self deprecating bby), and you know Will would respond with "are you kidding, you're amazing, why are YOU with ME?" (also a self deprecating bby), but then he falls and pulls Will down with him (aka on top of him lol)

- and they laugh, and just as their lips touch, the moment is ruined by Max zooming in their direction screaming "get up before you get run over!!" And she manages to avoid them (being the zoomer that she is) but Lucas has to swerve and falls the fuck over ofc (luckily the rink isn't super crowded that day so nobody's in any real danger)

- and Dustin is looking at byler like "this isn't even that hard guys, come on, are you even trying??"

- El and Will have totally been going to the rink (sibling bonding yo) and everyone realizes that's how they got so good bc El is totally the best skater in the group

- except for Suzie who is a skating queen

- El and Suzie totally having races from one end of the rink to the other

- Max totally joining them and they let her win, just once

- Dustin joining them and after he wins twice in a row (pure luck), Max and El pretend cross his path and bump into him, totally fucking him up, and Dustin's just like "are you shitting me?" (but it's all in good fun, everyone knows that)

- El and Max holding hands as El helps her get better at skating, bc Max is decent on skates but better on her skateboard (bc how do you wheels on both feet separately ??) (like skiing vs snowboarding)

- byler doing that thing where holding hands facing each other, and Mike learning how to actually move his feet and skate forward, and that's propelling Will backward (and Will constantly throwing praise at him and Mike grinning so big bc he's doing it! lol)

- Will and Mike holding hands as they slowly skate around the edge of the rink

- Mike needing to stop a moment and grab the wall to keep himself up and steady, and Will coming around in front of him, his hands over Mike's,and they stand there all adorable and then kisses (except Mike has to duck down bc Will cannot stand on his tippy-toes in skates)

- eventually Mike is like "I need a break" (from falling and stuff, tho he has gotten better) and he goes to sit down

- and then El comes over to join him bc "you looked lonely" (he isn't really lonely, he just kind of has a resting bitch face sometimes, tell me I'm wrong, am I actually wrong tho ??)

- they sit together in silence, watching the rest of the group playing some weird skate-tag game (rules at the bottom)

- Mike is watching Will with a smile on his face, laughing and having fun, and he says to nobody, really "what did I ever do to deserve him?"

- El replies "probably whatever I did to deserve you" and they look at each other and smile and then cute lil Mileven kiss

- their hands reach over (cos they are sitting like RIGHT next to each other, no space)

- they continue to sit there, hands clasped, her head on his shoulder, watching the group and sometimes making comments to each other and laughing

- after a while Will comes over to check on his bf and sis) ("I don't know which is more bruised, my knees or my ego" -> Mike, "you're doing really well!" -> El), which is actually kind of nice for El bc she wants to go skate some more but she doesn't want to leave Mike by himself

- before she leaves tho, she wants a kiss, so still holding Mike's hand she gets up and wheels around to face him and grabs his other hand and is like "I want a kiss" bc she's just blunt like that (it's a good thing)

- and mike laughs at her bluntness bc SO CUTE, and so Mike gives her one of those super cute kisses where he puts his hands on the sides of her face, you know? And she has to balance herself by putting her hands on his knees (Sorry, I just had to get a Mileven kiss in here)

(so much detail in those moments ^ I'm...sorry?)

- so Will sits there with Mike, and they hold hands and share kisses and say cute sweet things to each other, and honestly they spend more time looking at each other than anyone/thing else

- Will goes and buys them one giant drink to share bc boys gotta stay hydrated (can someone please draw this or maybe ALL of this idk ??)

- the rest of the group annoys them (but not really) by hanging over the wall and saying "AWWW" super loud and making kissy faces

- and then El comes back over later and says "okay, that's enough sitting down, we're going back skating, come on" and she grabs Mike's hand and Will's hand and tries to pull them up but it's hard bc wheels (like she's about to slip and the boys have to grab her arms to catch her), but the boys comply and go back to the rink floor

- Dustin and Suzie can totally do skate-dancing, whatever that is (and they totally get applause)

- Max skating by everyone so many times and being like "zoomer!" and everyone is like "pls stop, we get it"

- Dustin trying to tell help Lucas how to skate by actually explaining how the skates and the rubber stoppers work, and Lucas not getting it and just being like "can you explain in English please??" And Dustin throws his hands up like "I fucking give up, you're hopeless"

- Max learns how to skate in a small circle (basically just turning around without stepping) and she's super fucking proud of herself and does it constantly

- Max eventually needs to be stopped by El and Lucas bc "babe, you're gonna get so dizzy" (you can decide who says that 😊) but it's too late bc she's already dizzy

- Lucas and El lead Max off the rink floor and she just immediately falls down to sit on the carpet bc so dizzy and El falls down next to her bc hand holding (she gets pulled), and Lucas sits down too

- the girls can't stop laughing and Lucas is looking at them like "tf is wrong with you guys?" (but not really), also he's just smiling at them and laughing with them bc goddamn they are so cute, his girlfriend is the most beautiful girl in the world and seeing her as she is right now just inflates his heart

- eventually Max can't stay upright so she lies back and El follows her and they are just lying there together (Max on her back, El on her side facing Max, no space), giggling so hard, they can't stop laughing for some reason (I think it's bc when one laughs, it makes the other laugh too)

- Max is like "you, boyfriend, kiss" and so Lucas complies

- an employee has to come over and say "you can't lie down here, it's a safety hazard" and Lucas is like "we're sorry, sir" and he's like "babe, we gotta move"

- so he gets the girls up and they bring max to a bench where she can sit, instead of sitting tho, she lies down again, on the bench with her head in El's lap, and then elmax kisses as El plays with her hair

- El and Max basically take over the bench that Mike and Will were sitting on, and they also steal the boys' giant drink (barely a quarter empty) cos hydration

- Will and Mike trying to kiss while not holding the wall, but fucking down AnD having his eyes closed throws Mike way off balance bc what a klutz, and then he falls and Will is fuckin laughing and he feels bad but also it's funny

- so then Will gets down too (more gracefully but lbr, anyone can be more graceful than Mike, without even trying) and is like "it's okay, we can do this here" and then sitting kisses

- El trying to help Mike but she's having too much fun and ends up just speeding around while Mike tries to catch up with her, and she has to keep going back for him

- Mike feeling kind of embarrassed bc his gf is amazing while his own skating is questionable, and he confides this to her and is like "why are you with me, I'm so clumsy and awkward" (self deprecating again), but El makes him feel better by telling him that she's with him bc she loves him and actually she thinks it's kind of cute that he's not that good at skating and she likes being the one who helps him for once (bc he's helped her for so long with so much)

- and then Mike gives her one of his lil mike-smiles (you know the one I mean, like the one right after he kisses her for the very first time, in season 1)

- and then a Mileven kiss, but Mike almost loses his balance again like he did with the byler kiss, but El can sense it's about to happen and has to break their kiss to hold him up (she's holding both his hands, fingers intertwined), but it's okay, they just smile at each other share a little laugh at the situation and how uncoordinated he is, and they scoot their skates really close together in a sort-of huh type thing

- arcade games after!! (But I'll put that in its own separate post 😄)

- rules to the weird skate-tag game: 1) the wall is the safe zone, but you can only stay there for 10 seconds at a time 2) you cannot untouch the wall for one second and then go back to touching it for 10 seconds, you have to actually leave the wall and skate (HOWEVER you can try to skate from the wall on one end of the rink to the wall at the other end) 3) you are allowed to skate around the edge while touching the wall, as long as you only do so for no more than 10 seconds 4) whoever is 'it' cannot hover around those on the wall 5) crashing into someone does not count as tagging them 6) no tag backs

~

I tried to get equal parts of all the ships in this one but I know I failed miserably, I'm so sorry lol (clearly you can tell who I ship the most)

If you want to add more (I will if I think of any), send me ideas, or request anything, please feel free! 😀👍🏻

[azaleadynasty]

why is that most m*leven shippers are trying to push the “m*leven is the most popular ship the duffers won’t get rid of it” and “mike is straight, he’s with el” and bla bla bla.

like i don’t know whether byler is fr gna happen, but you can’t ignore the blatant queercoding of both characters! also the idea that because mike is with el he’s straight(i personally think he’s gay) when it was very common for, in this context, gay men to have a so-called “beard” in an attempt to potray heterosexual.

another thing that rlly annoys me with most m*leven is that they don’t actually analysis the show and then go around claiming their ship is endgame without any other evidence besides “they’re popular” or “they’re relationship has been built up throught s1-3,” the latter even being wrong!

s1 - will goes missing, mike proposes that him & the party go out looking for them, they come across some random girl in the woods, who throughout s1 is mention as appearing “boy-ish” and similar to will. mike calls her a “weapon” to the party, and sees as a chance of finding will, so he is nice to her. when the idea of will being dead occurs, once his “body” was found, he immediately lashed out at her, however, as soon as el gave him back the hope that will was alive, he goes back to being nice to her! of course we have the m*leven kiss, but again we have the connotations of el being similar to a “boy” and “will”, she’s also not considered attractive to the rest of the party bar mike, and we know both karen & nancy wheeler thought mike was acting strange because will, also to point where we had karen basically tell mike that she supports no matter what (because she thinks he likes will!!) when will is saved and is in the hospital, mike is the only one in the party to stay awake to wait for will to wake, and when he does he is immediately up and running to give him a great hug! ( i may have missed something but oh well) basically it was always about will, not el!!

s2 - do i really need to explain? the whole season showed byler, probably my fav season so far (maybe s4 will change that 😏) and in comparison to s1 where mike was obsessed with finding will even after his body was found! when he had the suspicion that el was still alive, he ignored it and didn’t look for her. you can probably find more in depth (is that the right way of saying it) explanations and what not but like im not writing all of the stuff that you can find anywhere on the byler tag or even yt. also the “crazy together” scene comparing to the “only love makes you that crazy” with canon ship j*ncy, and then further in s3 we have the m*leven scene in the mall where mike cannot even say it and even says that it is what old people do (in movies & with his parents who aren’t shown to be in love?!?)

s3 - the only season where m*leven are actually in a relationship, which is basically in crumbles throughout the season, the only thing they do together is kiss basically. i do love them together, platonically that is. mike not being able to apologise to eleven the girl he’s with, but being able to easily apologise to will. mikes “because i love her” scene sounding very rehearsed, with a certain lucas sinclair being quite cheerful over it. the mall scene i mentioned before. the m*leven kiss being awkward at the end (all of them really) mike being confused/ shocked because he thought it was over and not being able to reciprocate els feelings of romantic love, whilst he’s stood in wills room, with the closet open and el i believe with wills teddy-thing. the scene with byler abt d&d, where mike is very happy.

more could probably be said, but you’d have to look into others posts(?) abt that. also i didn’t mention a lot of mikes (&wills) queercoding in this besides in s1 where i mentioned elevens appearance. but er oh well, just sorta did this as a slight rant out of annoyance for m*leven stans being annoying on byler posts

[im-not-a-joke]

Here’s a super niche au that only me and @eraseyourbookofstories will appreciate but I couldn’t help myself

The Party but on tumblr things

(This might be confusing, just go with it)

ok so before we get into this here’s my explanation - stranger things exists but the people we’re talking about here aren’t the characters, they just happen to have the same names (and also look and act identical but just go with it)  (queenie feel free to correct me if i’m wrong)

- first lets talk blogs

starting with el (main - waffleiron side - eggosenby11) - she is the biggest show!byler shipper ever and posts really specific (and correct) theories and when they get confirmed shes just like “CALLED IT”

max (madmaxs) is a huuuge show!elmax shipper and also bullies show!mike (and later tumblr!mike) on main 24/7

lucas’ blog (main - only-correct-opinions side - wtfisademogorgon) is mainly analyses of shows and movies that he likes with the occasional meme thrown in there, he personality really shines through in his tags and when he answers asks (but we’ll come back to the ask thing)

will’s (zomboy) celeb crush is finn wolfhard and he runs an it stan account, he’s very gay on main all the time and constantly reblogs those “date a boy who x” things, he is mutuals with el for a long time before this takes place, and they are good friends

dustin’s blog (dustinthewind) starts out as strictly dnd stuff, but his interests take over on now it’s a mess of fandom content and random facts and aesthetic dice

mike (finnwolfhardstolemyface) writes gay fanfic, i don’t make the rules. he makes a lot of memes and his blog is a bright yellow that hurts to look at, it’s titled “your daily dose of shitpost” (he also tends to complain about how they ruined show!mike’s character in s3)

jonathan (just-a-dude-and-his-camera) runs an aesthetic photography account, and occasionally steve shows up in his pictures, his pinned post reads “please stop complimenting the guy in my pictures, i already have to deal with him everyday, and if his head gets any bigger, it’s going to explode”

steve is too cool for tumblr but he likes to post jonathan’s stuff on his insta (he will, however, send jonathan a bunch of anons being cute, he signs them all “- your bf <3″

nancy (purple-roses) posts a lot of feminism and activism stuff and will roast the shit out of bigots that decide to mess with her (it makes robin like her even more)

robin (chasing-dreamcatchers) just kinda vibes, she reblogs whatever she wants, and posts usually about being a lesbian or dumb things steve does or her original poetry

- el is enby and uses she/her and they/them pronouns, they follow a ton of enby positivity blogs and reblog a bunch of positivity posts

- Dustin the trans guy reblogs trans ask games constantly

- el is decently well known in the little gay corner of the st fandom, so the rest of the party follows her

- she is mutuals with only mike and will at first, but she doesn’t really interact with mike

- will introduces her to the concept of show!elmax and she’s all “!!!! gay!!!”

- she proceeds to follow the elmax queen, max

- max is all “wait wait hold up waffleiron followed me w h a t”

- lucas and dustin are mutuals and don’t interact a lot but they do occasionally send each other asks

- max is also mutuals with lucas and dustin and she is a chaotic force in their inboxes

- will follows mike because curiosity and stays because he likes mike’s writing and his personality

- el recommends max’ blog to will and they become mutuals after max sees that el interacts with will’s posts a lot (“if they like him, i probably will too”)

- eventually they all become mutuals and interact in each other’s inboxes a lot and spam asks and have a decent foundation to their friendship

- dustin makes a passing comment about a discord server and theyre all like “!!! yes!!!”

- dustin and lucas start sending each other crush anons

- they also know each other irl so theyre both conflicted

- so dustin makes a discord server for the six of them and it’s chaos

- max starts bullying mike on her blog

- mike starts posting about a mystery boy (its will) on his blog and being a big gay disaster on main

- will is all “why doesn’t he like me :(”

- el comes out by reblogging a gifset of sadie sink and tagging it like “marry me pls”

- everyone is like “what” and theyre like “oh i like girls”

- max panics

- will occasionally will make a post like “friendly reminder that finn wolfhard is very pretty” 

- mike and max are both like “hmmmmmm my crush has a celeb crush on a celeb that looks very similar to me,,,, must be a coincidence”

- they discover that they all live along the east coast so they plan to meet in virginia where lucas and dustin live

- steve, robin, and jonathan all chaperone will

- nancy chaperones mike and is all “excited to see your bf” the whole time

- “hEs NoT mY bOyFrIeNd”

- when they meet, nancy and robin are both like “holy shit she’s prettier in person”

- all the adults exchange phone numbers and have a groupchat because steve doesnt have tumblr or discord

- steve tells embarrassing stories about will and will is all “stop” and mike is in love

- dustin and lucas are like “it’s you!!” and dustin is like “i think i’m the only trans guy named dustin in virginia, it wasn’t exactly a challenge”

- theyre not conflicted now that they know their tumblr crush and irl crush are the same person

- will and el make eye contact for the first time and launch themselves into a bone-crushing hug

- max and el have a moment in the pool in the middle of the night where they end up talking about crushes and describing each other and el is like “i like you” and max is relieved and they become a thing

- they’re all crying at the end of the week when they have to go back and will and mike are messaging the discord constantly because they don’t have to drive, lucas and dustin are there too

- mike and nancy are both gay panicking on the way home and its weirdly silent for most of the ride

[appleofmyowneyes]

Hi, am not new here (incase you think) but have been rolling around this tag since long ago without being noticed.

It was by the end of 2019 my yt thought to surprise me with a recommended video of how mileven isn’t a compatible couple- but was shocked by the mike and will ship video like how they are real. At first i was like pfft - really? Aren’t they like bro bra besties but damn that video was the end of me.

Before i used to ship mil*even and was pretty obsessed with their sweetness (even after s3) however, that damn video completely changed my perspective and i was like WHAT THIS MAKES SO MUCH SENSE byler makes so much sense. Then my journey started as a pro hardcore delusional byler (I didn’t mind being or being called delusional for my byler heart).

I adore them so much i even started reading fanfics. Never in my life i read fanfics before especially about two teen boys - i mean who wanted to invest their time on reading about two fictional characters who aren’t even canon, right? Well i did.

I have no counts how many fics i read and felt giddy at the thought of them being together for real in the series with different made up scenarios in my head.

There was a time I didn’t even care about myself or my life coz it already sucks - only byler made my heart glow and the rest annoyed me as hell like i never thought i would care about two fictional characters more than myself, my health or my friends and family.

There’s was also a time when I stopped lurking in the tag and started joining different fandoms - byler was obviously the portal that opened a new way for my journey as a shipper (can also call me a fujoshi). No matter what book i read or see a movie I would always imagine them in any character and think “what if byler were in the similar situation” gosh the makers seemed to make them look head over heels for some reason - only to end it in despair and disruption.

Perhaps the writing and the direction or the actions of the characters plus the acting by the actors didn’t go hand in hand. But u know what i am still not losing my hope on byler. Would still loved to being a delusional dork for shipping the most amazing duo in my life. I mean look at their faces . I never saw that sincerity in Mike’s face for El, I don’t know why. For some reasons mil*even doesn’t seem to fit the bill for a couple - yeah i know they tried to portray that every couple have got struggles and no one is perfect. But damn when u compare mil*even with byler than of course i feel more connected to byler (btw am a heterosexual woman). They make me fall in love with love. That pure and soft gaze, clarified conversations without embellishing any words, sickening chemistry - i mean i might be wrong but mil*even for some reasons feels off. Maybe the actors- Finn seems to be less involved in the scenes but mbb putting all her efforts and that could be seen in her acting and of course i am not saying Finn is a bad actor but he’s kinda doomed with the ship.

Anyways, sorry for my little rant - but i really for some reasons not losing my hopes on byler, not until the end of s5. Call me delusional but heck yeah i still ship the sweetest, amazing fanon couple.

Why? It’s simple i love them too much to give up on them too soon. I know we all are disappointed by the outcome of v2. Ngl i pretty much expected that coz it was obvious - they were dragging mil*even towards the whole ily fiasco which was pretty obvious. But but u can think you’re in deep deep love with someone without it being romantic. I know they were cute and all and in love - but do u actually think at the mere age of 14 or 15 we completely realise that what the heck love actually is. Of course might be but not ready to go all the way. It was more like a heat of the moment like i never express my love towards my sister or my parents but once when my sister was seriously ill i bursted into tears and said all those sappy things like, I don’t want to lose or i ll die if u die (later sure regretted). My point is they are in love but not in the right love they both might subconsciously needed. Mike needs someone who understands him, tells him the truth, fix him, bear him, who’s into the same stuffs he likes (not necessarily but who knows him more than will) and tells him how great he’s. I bet Mike just took will’s advice a little too far and applied it with his own logic and the scenario. Of course he was scared to lose her and i admit his life literally started the moment he met El (i mean the whole series literally started with that) - she’s like a saviour for him - a superhero- a beautiful human whom he taught about life.

Whereas El needs herself and a family- she needs to control her anger and espouse a normal teenage life. Mike idolised El more than love and he thinks that’s love - it is love, but a different kind of love and bond which is beautiful.

In conclusion i still have faith in byler. I believe the leap in the series will help both El and Mike to figure themselves out and for Will he needs to open up more. I know it’s scary to open up in the 80s but he can with his family and friends - pent up emotions can be detrimental even if i am talking about a fictional character but he means alot to me.

Ps: please excuse my grammar and typos. I love u all and sorry for my unnecessary not needed rant.

[the-angry-pixie]

Not trying to invalidate your feelings or anything like that, but regarding your comment about the 'gay' being heavy-handed in ST4, do you think that it might help to change your perspective a bit? Like, those of us in the byler fandom have all enjoyed the subtle context clues and coding that they used throughout the first two seasons. But if the show really wants to go through with having Will come out, they're going to have to lose a bit of the subtlety for the rest of the general audience-tbc

[I mean, let's face it, Season 3 wasn't even very subtle about it. The whole "you don't like girls" thing was pretty blatant, the look of panic and fear in his face that his best friend of all people had outed him like that. The subsequent scene at Castle Byers. And STILL people were like, "oh, poor Will, he doesn't wanna grow up, he's just not ready for girls yet. Give him time." Like...what? So as much as I love our little corner of the fandom, I think a bit of a firmer hand was sadly needed]

Hi there. Firstly, thanks for the polite way you framed your question. However from what you have said here, I gather that there are two assumptions that you have made about me that I need to clarify and correct.

Assumption 1: That I want or care if Byeler becomes canon or Will comes out on the show.

And assumption 2: That I care whether other Stranger Things fans believe that Will is gay or that Byeler is a worthy or believable ship.

Both of these are not things that I care about. And thats not me saying that other people shouldnt care about them, or that they are wrong if they DO care about them. I'm only speaking for myself here.

I'm guessing you might have only come across my tumblr recently, since I have a long history of not caring whether Byeler goes canon or not on the show. You can see posts I've made about the subject here and here. In fact I've gone as far as to say I hope they don't make Byeler canon, because I can't see how they could do it in a way that I would find satisfying.

And its... proving to be true. Sure we are getting some gay rep through their sloppy heavy-handed hinting at Will's sexuality in S3 and S4. But that doesn't mean I have to like it. In fact I have been very vocal about my dislike of S3. I'm in the camp of if-you-can't-do-it-right-then-dont-do-it-at-all when it comes to Will's sexuality or Byeler.

And as for what you say about the show having to cater to the audience of people who are not on the Byeler ship to convince them that its a worthwhile ship (by making the gayness very obvious)... um nope, I don't really care what the other fans think or whether they share the same opinions as me.

I. Just. Don't. Care.

I'm here for my enjoyment, not other peoples. I'm a ship-and-let-ship sorta gal. I don't really care whats going on in other parts of the fandom or with the wider offline audience. I don't even really care whether other Byeler fans agree with my opinions. I chose to remove myself from the Byeler fandom ages ago.

And believe me, you don't want me in the Byeler fandom anyway. All I would do is moan about the good ol days and harsh everyone's buzz. There are peeps who are still genuinely enjoying the show and good for them. I don't want to rain on anyone's parade.

Which is why I keep my negative opinion posts out of the tags.

Buuuuut... this still be MY BLOG... so imma keep blogging my uncensored thoughts.

And my most recent uncensored thoughts just happen to be about Stranger Things.

¯_(ツ)_/¯