#and so they also can't imagine mike ending up with will

[castlebyersthoughts]

Top 3 Byler proofs (to me)

These are the 3 reasons why I can't imagine a season 5 where Byler doesn't happen, I always come back to these so I wanted to write them down. Here we go!

1. The fact that there is no other love interest for Will

I always say this but I'll say it again: there is no way that Will is the only character who doesn't get to experience a romantic relationship. The Duffers are obsessed with giving every character a love interest (even Argyle!), and when characters experience unrequited love (like Dustin or Robin) they immediately get a new love interest in the next season. There is absolutely no way that they would let Will, one of the (if not the) main characters, suffer for 4 seasons and not give him the love he so desperately craves in his coming-of-age season where he takes center stage. I remember when everyone was expecting there to be a new boy for Will in season 4, picking apart every casting leak (at one point people thought Eddie would be Will's boyfriend, there was also some Fernando guy? lmao) and every shot from the teasers (like the guy in pink in the Cali teaser). Well, to everyone's surprise, it turned out the Duffers didn't do that, and instead made Mike Will's only love interest in season 4. And now, years later, we have the S5 cast list, and still no possible love interest for Will. I don't believe for a second that the Duffers would be satisfied with giving Will a random boyfriend in the epilogue and call it a day when they spent 4 seasons building up his love for Mike. No. Way. This is the biggest proof to me, not because of the story, but because of the Duffers' history with romantic storylines.

2. The "best friends" scene

This scene alone is proof that Byler is romantic, and most importantly requited. The way it's written and filmed? The fact that Mike is the one giving this whole (romantic!) speech to Will, not the other way around? The music? ("On the bus" which was used for a Lumax scene before they got together) "It's Hawkins, it's not the same without you"? Mike saying he doesn't know what's gonna happen next but he knows he wants to be with Will for all of it? Those are some classic romantic tropes. You can't look at this scene and think the feelings are unrequited and Mike just sees Will as a friend. They're acting the same way here, they're on the same page, having a mutual understanding, and both jump when "the intimate moment is shattered". Show this scene to anyone who doesn't watch the show and they would definitely pick up on the romantic undertones, from Mike's side specifically. You just don't write and shoot a scene like this for an unrequited love storyline.

3. The painting plot

Once again, romantic tropes 101. The writers could've had Will give the painting to Mike as a friendship gift and his advice as a best friend, but they did not do that. Oh no. They had Will confess his own romantic feelings for Mike pretending that they were El's. Like, you don't come back from that. Mike and El are 100% doomed after this. Not to mention that Mike felt understood enough and loved enough to finally be able to say the words "I love you" for the first time. Will did that, not El, his supposed "soulmate". Classic Cyrano trope. And the fact that Will quietly sacrificed himself to push Mike and El together because he thinks that's what would make Mike happy? Yeah, when one option of the love triangle does that, it's usually the one that ends up getting the guy at the end of the story. Mike has to find out the truth about the painting in season 5, and this can't not change things between Mike, El and Will. Otherwise, the whole thing would just be pointless and that's just not how storytelling works.

So, there you have it! The biggest reasons why Byler is endgame to me. Feel free to share what your top 3 is!

[ziggystardustmybeloved]

How byler doubt made me believe in byler even more

Some time ago I had a byler doubt and I you know the milkvan argument that "Will having a crush on Mike is there only to show that Will is gay" so I started wondering

Is there any other way to show that Will is gay?

And of course there is

They could have given him a love interest in California. This actually could be a cool storyline - Mike struggles to say "I love you" to El bc of his upbringing (or whatever) and Will is not able to say "I love you" to the guy he's in love with bc he's gay and it's 80s. Will understands how precious the relationship between Mike and El is and convinces Mike that keeping feelings to yourself is pointless ect ect. It would work even better if Mike and El were broken up by the end of season 3 but still can't stop writing to each other bc they actually care. And the lying part would make much more sense since they both try to get over each other and fail. They could even fit Will's coming out there, where Mike asks Will about his love life bc he has heard about it from El's letters (and he collects them bc he's in love) and Will explains that he has been pushing Mike to express his feelings bc he can't bc the person he's in love with is a boy... now, in s5 the boy could visit Will in Hawkins or he could go there as a volunteer to help people after the tragedy (and imagine the akward airport hug with Will and that boy here). Well, I think it wouldn't be a terrible storyline, it's still angsty and sad, but we don't torture Will without a reason. And the best thing about it is that... a lot of people came up with similar ideas. It wasn't that hard to think of. Duffers could have done that. But they didn't. FOR A REASON.

Now the second, funny part. I was thinking about Dawson's Creek (which Duffers are fans of). I haven't watched the whole Jack's storyline but I know he's gay and that he dates joey at the begining. He was also the one to initiate their first kiss. So, how about giving Will a girlfriend in s3? It could go like in Dawson's Creek. He could have a girlfriend at first but e.g. he wouldn't be able to express his love for her, bc he's not actually in love. He might have problems with saying "i love you" to her.... and then I was like "oh. OH"

[hawkins-batman]

With all this Bychance drama going on in the Byler tag lately what’s your honest opinion on Bychance?

I think it's utterly harmless.

It's a crack ship that's fun to engage with. It has 0 chances of being canon, but I'm kind of annoyed with some of the discourse around it recently. For one, crack ships are a bedrock of fandom. It's okay to dislike one, but I'd just mute or scroll at that point.

Secondly, I really resent this notion that Will Byers is only capable of loving or being loved by Mike Wheeler. That's just so dehumanizing. What, Mike can have a girlfriend and continuously be homophobic and hurtful to Will, and Will is just supposed to wait around on his hands and knees for Mike to figure himself out?

Will is deserving of love and affection. He doesn't deserve to grovel after someone. Canonically, I really want Byler endgame to be a thing. I want Will to get his happy ending and Mike to figure his shit out and resolve it. I think it's the logical conclusion of what has been written.

But outside of the canon narrative, I not only enjoy Will being shipped with other male characters his age, I actively support and encourage it. I love fics where Will figures himself out and finds a way to internal happiness on his own, and only gets with Mike later, after he has figured himself out and earns his way back into Will's affections.

Sometimes, I think some people are more interested in Mike ending up happy than they are about Will, and I think discourse around shipping Will with other characters is what reveals that. Why can't he be attracted to other people? Why can't he enjoy their affections and want to date them? Why does he have to constantly wait around for Mike and get hurt over and over and over again, just so he can pet Mike's hair and babygirl him when Mike finally decides he wants something? Hasn't he been through enough pain? And no one was ever around to defend him, or pet his hair, or tell him everything was going to be okay. They abandoned him again and again.

So, at least in the realm of fandom—fan art and fan fics—let Will stans enjoy imagining him happy. We all want him with Mike canonically and in the end because we know that will make him happy; but we also know that it's not harmful for him to explore his sexuality and find other small flames and loves along the way.

/rant

((I do want to be clear after all of that that there is no ill-will intended towards people who just don't fuck with Bychance. That's valid, you don't have to like it, but I needed to get all of that off my chest lmao))

[mozzarella-stickz]

something about being abby's cool, girly babysitter (and eventually mike's gf hehe) is just so personal to me

idk just like imagine mike hires you, sheepishly telling you he can't really pay you yet, and you just smile and tell him not to worry. you can always pick up shifts at your dad's office if you need.

you show up your first day in low rise baggy jeans, a bedazzled tank top, leather jacket, and chunky sneakers. your nails are done in french tips, you have lip gloss slathered on your lips, and silver hoops dangling from your ears. abby is immediately drawn to how cool you look, and mike is lovestruck.

from then on you nearly become abby's big sister. she loves spending time with you. you'll take her for drives, playing 90s hip hop and britney and even some hole and alanis morrisette. sometimes when mike works late, he comes home to find you asleep on the couch, abby and you snuggled up, watching the end of a disney movie. it warms his heart. you also sometimes let abby try your sparkly lipgloss, but never letting her overdo it. you tell her she's too young for it, but you do give in and buy her a couple lip smackers tubes and roll-on flavored lipgloss.

mike loves how much you take care of abby, but feels guilty he can't pay you the way he should. you don't mind. you love hanging out with abby.

she does, however, feel slightly betrayed when she walks into mike's room in the morning, you asleep on his bed, asking why she wasn't invited to their slumber party and demanding they have one that night too.

[m1lkywaywritey]

Designated driver

Relationship: Mikey way x afab reader (written with this ^ mikey era in mind but nothing is explicitly said so you can imagine whatever :))

Tags: drunk sex, drunk confessions, alcohol consumption, partying, car sex, riding, vaginal sex, happy ending

Summary: Mikey way always takes such good care of the reader even if it means giving up his night of drinking just to drive her home. He knows that he shouldn't fuck her when she's drunk but when it comes to it can he hold himself back (he cannot btw) - AFAB reader, use of y/n

A/N: Heyy I had food poisoning while writing this so I was quite literally, writing a paragraph, vomiting then writing another and vomiting again. Therefore if any of this doesn't make sense that'll be why lol.

Word count: 2204

Fic under cut - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

You were far beyond tipsy as you downed your sixth shot of the night - not counting the three strong drinks you'd had between.

The party you were at was completely packed and you'd hate to be the host in the morning. You were feeling great - singing karaoke and dancing around with everyone. Mikey however was not enjoying himself. He drew the short straw and was crowned designated driver for the night.

You spotted him lurking in the corner of the room, diet coke in hand, looking miserable as ever. You danced your way over, a drunken smile spread over your face that seemed to infect him as he looked up to see you.

"WHATS UP MIKESSS" you shouted over the music.

"Nothing much, are you having fun?" he replied at a normal volume, showing you that you infact didn't need to yell.

"Yeah tons!!! What's got you down in the dumps?"

"I am not "down in the dumps" for your information" he said defensively with air quotes around the phrase you'd used.

"I don't knowww... looks like it to me" you said, perhaps getting a little too close to him for comfort - you were far to drunk to care. You were also far too drunk to notice the blush across Mikeys face as you had your hand on his arm.

"Shut up" he chuckled, laughing of his awkwardness. You grabbed onto his wrist and started weaving him through the party, "Y/n where are we going?"

You neglected to reply until finally you were in the kitchen, rummaging around the makeshift bar on the counter. "Pouring myself another shot obviously dummy" you stuttered and slurred over your words slightly and this didn't slip past Mikey.

"Do you really think you need another shot?" He laughed like he was joking but you could sense a hint of worry.

"Okay Mr judgemental, are you sore because you're not drinking tonight"

"No, I'm sore because someone doesn't know their limits. I think we should take you home"

"Aww come on mikes, wheres the fun in thattt" you whined, giggling at your own defiance.

"Walk over to me in a straight line right now"

"I am NOT doing that"

"What because you can't?" He said shrugging sarcastically. No matter how badly you wanted to wipe that shit eating grin of his face and prove him wrong, it didn't stop you from stumbling into the kitchen counter (twice) then almost to the floor. That would be if Mikey wasn't there for you to fall into. As he caught you he guided your arm up over his shoulder and placed his hand around your waist. "I fuckin told you so-"

"Shut up" you said, trying to sound serious but ending up laughing with him about how drunk you were.

He walked you out to his car, carefully placing you in the passenger seat before walking around to the drivers side. You couldn't help but watch him as you thought about how good he was to you. He gave up a night of partying to make sure you got home safe, took care of you, drove you there and back, made you laugh, made you confident, was always there when you needed a shoulder to cry on and he was so damn good looking.

Your daydreaming and crushing was abruptly interrupted "What are you thinkin about?" He asked accusitorially.

"Nothing!" You blurted out - maybe a tad too quickly, not helping your case at all.

"Sure" he said, clearly not believing you.

Silence lingered in the air after that. You were embarrassed that you were caught daydreaming about him and he was wracking his brain for what you possibly could've been thinking about. *Could she've been thinking about me? No way, and even if she was she's totally drunk, wake up man you've got no chance*

As you pulled up to your drive, neither of you dared to break the silence you'd built. Right as you were about to speak after building up enough courage...

"I-"/"I-" you both started at the same time.

"Sorry" mikey said laughing it off, "You first."

"I..." you tried to get your words out as Mikey waited patiently, looking into your eyes intently, "I just-" your head was almost spinning from nerves (and probably the alcohol too)

*Fuck it* you thought as you grabbed his shirt and pulled him in for a sloppy kiss. You felt so much relief when he began to kiss you back but this was short lived as he pulled away.

The alcohol on your breath had snapped him straight back into reality. "Y/n you're not thinking clearly, let me take you inside." You could understand why he felt like this - of course he didn't know how long you'd been pining over him.

"Don't you want me?" You said, you knew that was a cruel thing to say in the moment but you knew what you wanted and you were set on getting it.

"Of course I- Its just- You're drunk I don't wanna-" with every excuse he attempted to make you inched closer to his face, your eyes flicking between his lips and his eyes. By the time you had reached his lips, the excuses were few and far between, coming out in mumbles when you paused to take a breath. "We shouldnt- Are you sure-"

It's like his logic and body were fighting, still trying to reason as he pulled you over into the drivers seat to straddle his lap. He let out a muffled moan into your mouth - that's when you knew his body had won the fight. You pushed your body up against him, all your senses were heightened due to your intoxication. He leaned forward, one arm around your waist and the other reaching under the seat, pulling the lever to slide the chair all the way back.

With your newfound room, his logic and reasoning out of the window and you on top of him, he let his hand roam your body. Palming your boobs from under your top, and your ass through your jeans. You noticed his hands liked to rest on your waist, occasionally pulling you down to grind on him - desperate for some friction on his cock.

You continued to let out sweet whines as you felt his hardness grow between his legs. "Fuck- Do you- mmm- do you have a condom" you managed to get out between kisses.

"Glovebox" he replied, you clearly weren't in your right mind because instead of teasing him for having condoms you knew he'd never need, you turned around and reached for them without hesitation. While grabbing them mikey undid your jeans for you and started to shuffle them down your legs.

Once they were pooled ar your ankles you kicked them off and worked on undoing mikeys belt and trousers while he ripped open the condom wrapper with his teeth. Your stomach did a little flip at the sight of him doing it. And it did an even bigger flip when he pulled out his aching dick - already leaking slightly with precum - and rolling the condom down over it, wincing at the contact.

"Fuck" you whispered staring down at it - jaw slack. It wasn't huge but it was definitely bigger than you had expected. Mikey smirked a little, quietly proud of your reaction to his size. He reached down to your underwear, pulling it to the side, so you lifted your hips to hover over him - letting him guide himself into you as you sunk down. Both your faces contorted with pleasure as he pushed all the way in - staying still for a moment as you tried to get used to the overwhelming sensations.

When you were ready, you lifted up your hips before plopping back down onto him - both of you groaning as you did. Gradually speeding up, the sound of flesh slapping filled the car and you could tell you were shaking the car at this point. God forbid someone walk past but you were to drunk (from alcohol but also on Mikey) to dwell on the thought for long.

Yours and Mikey's moans and whimpers grew louder as you picked up the pace. Mikey's hand roughly gripping your waist and fucking up into you - meeting you half way as you sunk down allowing him to access a whole new spot inside of you. Locked in a passionate kiss you cried out into his mouth in pleasure.

"Oh my god-" he mumbled almost growling. It was a voice you'd never heard mikey use before - gritty like he had just woken up but much more raw and needy. "Youre so fucking tight- Feels so good baby-" you could get used to this new voice.

"Please, Mikes-" you whined out "Don't fucking stop-" You were so fucked by this point you let him take the lead - thrusting into you while you writhed against him weakly, letting the pleasure overtake you.

You leaned your head against his for a moment of support and caught a glimpse of his blown pupils and lust filled eyes. The look of desire he had pulling you closer to the edge. "Fuck- Right there baby- I'm gonna-" you managed to get these few words out before you began to see stars, throwing your head back in pleasure, letting your orgasm wash over you.

The way you spasmed around him during your climax, threw mikey over the edge with you letting out grunts, whimpers and whispers of your name as he shot his load into the condom - silently wishing he could cum inside of you instead.

Your heavy breathing pattered out and you lifted yourself off him, still sat in his lap, leaning back on the steering wheel. A smile plastered across your face, giggling as you felt on top of the world.

Mikey, however, didn't share this joy. He just felt overcome with guilt - like he had taken advantage of you in some way. He sat ashamed with his head in his hands before he decided he still needed to take care of you properly. He tied up the condom and chucked it in the makeshift bin bag he had in the back of the car. He did his trousers and belt back up and peppered gentle kisses along your jaw and neck and whispered "I'm so sorry..."

"Hey Mikes don't worry about it I wanted this for ages" you said trying to lighten the mood - not realising how bad he felt. "Don't worry, I love y-"

"Don't say that Y/n... please not right now" you were confused by his response but you decided not to argue with him because you were far too tired now. He lifted you back over to the passenger seat and helped you get your jeans back on before walking around to help you out of the car. You fumbled to find your keys and passed them to mikey so he could unlock the door. He walked you upstairs to your room and helped you change into your pyjamas. You could only think about how gentle, patient and loving he was being.

He got you into bed then got up to leave, "I'm sorry Y/n" you grabbed his wrist to stop him. "Mikey please stay the night"

"I- Y/n I don't know if that's a good idea..."

"Please" you persisted.

"I- okay" he huffed, giving in. I mean he couldn't feel any worse than he already did about the whole thing, what's an innocent sleepover going to change. He got out of his jeans to get comfortable, leaving his top and boxer shorts, and crawled into bed with you. He tried to keep his distance - however realised it didn't quite work when he woke up in the morning entangled in your arms.

You hummed waking up around the same time and looked up at him through your lashes - only to find he was already smiling down at you. He quickly averted his gaze, scared to look like a staring creep, but you found it quite endearing. "Hi Mikes." you muttered in a sleepy voice.

"Hey, how are you feeling?" He responded, sounding equally tired.

"Got a headache but I'm alright."

"Do you want me to go get you some water?"

"No I just wanna stay here for a while" you said letting out a sigh and relaxing your head further into his chest. It felt so right, it was perfect. The two of you stayed cuddling for a little while after that until Mikeys guilty conscience got the better of him and he had to break the silence.

"Listen Y/n, about last night-"

"Hey hey, listen I don't regret anything Mikey I promise you"

"But it was wrong of me to- yknow and I just-"

"Mikey look at me" you lifted your head to level with him, "I meant what I did and I meant what I said"

"Everything you said?" He asked nervously.

"Everything."

"Even-"

"Everything." You said reassuringly, planting a gentle kiss on his cheek before returning to your previous resting position. A comfortable silence filled the air as you focused on the rhythm of his heart beat. It sped up slightly just before he whispered "I love you too..."

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

A/N: I don't really like this - I fear I didn't eat with this one chat, anyway thanks for reading!

[ifistayitwillbedouble]

Finn said the Duffers planned the monologue since the near beggining and later he said he prefers mileven because it started at the beggining.

Ur ship is never gonna happen sweetie

hey!!!!! my first hate(?) anon, how's it goin'?

Y'know what, weirdly enough those things actually give me more hope that mileven was written to break up (and consequently have byler happen).

If the monologue was planned for that long and the Duffers were really building up to it to be this big, amazing love confession, they kinda fumbled the bag ngl. It ended up being full of all kinds of cliches (love at first sight like the writers have said they don't believe in on their twitter) and lacked any sort of romantic chemistry (Will had to push Mike to say ily in the first place).

It was just pretty disappointing all around. If I wanted mileven to happen, I would've been pissed. El deserved to hear much more than cliches and how about all the stuff she could do with her powers all over again. Why couldn't they just be more like lumax? Plenty of viewers are convinced of how much lumax care about each other and they didn't even need a big love confession. But so many viewers have stopped seeing the depth in Mike and El's relationship and don't care for it anymore. It kinda sucks because it was easy to agree in the first two seasons that they had this deep bond and love for each other, but not with these last two seasons when they start properly dating :/

And since this monologue was planned from the beginning like you said and I have more faith in the Duffer brothers as writers, that convinces me it was intentional for it to be like that. And if it was intentional, I can't imagine why other than to show Mike and El's relationship deteriorating. That mileven wasn't meant to last. The monologue wasn't meant to work and so it didn't in the show (they lost the battle for Hawkins) or for the audience at large.

As for what Finn said, I honestly don't care too much for what the actors say. I know David Harbour, who plays Hopper, literally said Hop was dead just for him to come back a season later. I would also never in a million years expect Finn to say he preferred byler just because that would give it away right then and there. But with him saying mileven, it could still go either way. It's also interesting to me that he added that "because of the beginning" part because that was really unnecessary. Why didn't he just say he liked mileven overall? Their relationship has changed so much from the beginning that he talked about that it makes me suspicious that he specified it like that.

And ultimately if byler doesn't happen, although all the writing decisions (especially in s4) seem to be headed that way, it won't be the end of the world. Byler could be a hugely historical moment in queer media history or it could not be. It's just a ship with a lot of potential at the end of the day. It's unecessary to come onto somebody else's byler blog and be condescending about it, you really don't need to be doing all that lmao. You can just go ahead and block me or the tags. I try to tag my posts as best as I can (with #byler or like #anti mileven) so people can enjoy mileven if they want to because that's totally fine. You stay out of my space and I'll stay out of yours so we can both enjoy the fandom, yeah?

Anyways, thanks for giving me the opportunity to talk about this and strengthen my byler confidence :) it's nice to spell out all my thoughts every once in a while like this. And even though we definitely disagree on this topic, I genuinely hope you have a good day and end up enjoying s5 once it finally drops

[miwiheroes]

Dropping Byler evidence Every Day Until Season 5

. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁ Day 15: Will's 'Love interest' . ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁

Obviously, as bylers, we have all seen many many people out there constantly saying that Will deserves better, or that Will should have a different love interest, and will have a getting over Mike arc in S5. There are many reasons why these things are not true.

I could easily go on and on and on about this for ages, talking about arcs and why the narrative has not built this up at all but instead here are some simple reasons that don't need much thought on why this would make no sense:

Will is taking 'centre stage' in season 5. Creating a new love interest for this season where he's the main character is stupid, because that means if they want that relationship to be well written, they would need to have A LOT of focus on his love interest too. I understood doing this with Robin (where Vickie is a new character), because she is not one of the main characters and will not have as much impact as Will in S5. No new important characters have been spotted with Will.

Will did not get a love interest in S4. Instead of introducing a new character for Will to fall in love with, they establish that he's in love with Mike instead! In the penultimate season of a show! So that the audience can already have this view that Will may never get the thing that he wants! Just for them to be wrong in the final season after years of waiting, subverting the audience's expectations, which the writers love to do anyways.

Will being in love with Mike has been planned from the beginning. This does not suddenly get dropped after no pay-off. If he is taking centre stage and having his coming of age arc in S5, why would this mean that he gets over Mike? His whole arc is realising that he should be loved instead of settling for being alone???? And he's been planned to be in love with Mike since S1??? So,,,,

They did not have to make Will be in love with Mike. Some people may think that Will's arc only surrounds him being gay and getting acceptance for that. That would make sense! Honestly, that would be a good arc. If he wasn't in love with Mike, when that is clearly a choice that the writers have made. They did not have to make him in love with a boy for years to make it believable that he's got internalised homophobia that he needs to overcome. The writers did not give themselves the easy way out.

Will has stated that he will never stop loving Mike. Will has stated multiple times that he wants to spend the rest of his life with Mike. In the garage in S3 and in the van in S4. This is TWICE and the actors have pointed this out to the viewers to show that Will loves Mike (see Finn and David in that one interview thing pre S4). This seems like enough evidence, but there's still more! He also says he'll never join another party, which, if you don't understand subtext, means that he'll never love someone else. Will then, in the big climax of his arc in S4, states that, in a sign of resignation, he will ALWAYS need Mike no matter what. Is that the face of a man who will suddenly stop loving the guy who he has just sacrificed everything for?

Will has been set up to have his happy ending. We have been shown countless times that Will is selfless. It is an integral part of his character that affects his actions constantly, sometimes hurting himself and other characters in the process. He has also dealt with a lot of pain. Why would a character that feels like he will never fall in love with someone else, whilst still sacrificing himself at every turn, be right about feeling worthless in the end? What? Imagine the message of Will's arc, in a show about outcasts where the theme is that love overpowers hate and that cycles of abuse should be broken, become 'we all need to admit that sometimes we can't have everything we want'.

Will does not 'deserve better'. Hear me out on this one okay? I can't imagine saying that Will deserves better than to have Mike love him back. Mike has been presented as someone that Will loves because Mike is the only one that understands him, the only one that protects him, the only one that doesn't make him feel like a freak, the one who says that making friends with him was the best thing he ever did. Also, also, S5 is definitely going to make Mike seem more likeable to the GA again. It's basically been confirmed at this point, and so, I can't imagine making Mike very lovable all for Will to suddenly deserve better than him again and date someone else.

Will's happy ending is only with Mike. It has been stated many times in interviews that The Duffers are apparently weaving this thread of a storyline where everyone's arcs get completed perfectly and everyone gets their perfect ending. In what universe do people really think that after all this, after Will being selfless and self-sacrificing for years, after Will believing he's a mistake that doesn't deserve love, after Will saying he's going to be in love with Mike forever, he will get a random guy's phone number in a bar or some shit? And that will be his amazing happy ending? That lazy ending will happen to a guy where the whole season will be centred on him? l can't with people on twitter. Take a moment to think.

[ven0moir]

S4 Mike was playing a risky game - PART I

You choose how much of this to ✨ Believe ✨

At the conclusion of this exercise I will be trying to piece together what the hell Mike's thoughts were in the van scene, how much he picked up on and what his 'next move' might be following the show's context clues and ideas.

One of the first things we see this season is kids playing games in a rainbow room. This is one of the first show themes the writers want us to stay with.

Next we see El's room. We see her Mike shrine, etc. No games.

When we see Will, we see games + we also learn that he's been painting a lot and El says it is for a girl that he likes because he's been acting "weird." This is the exact information that Mike has.

Then it cuts to Mike and we see games in his room as well.

The objective of Yahtzee is to roll dice ( luck ) to get the highest total score & to get the right combination. Whereas a jigsaw puzzle is based on observation + trying out the placement of each piece to put together the bigger picture.

Bowling, which we see underneath, is about aim & precision ...

Yikes. Important to note that he got so caught up reading El's letter that he lost track of time.

Does he hope the painting is for him? 100%. Does he genuinely believe it is? This is Mr.

We're talking about here. The Worst Assumption, the Worst Case Scenario for Mike is: there's someone that Will likes, and it's A Girl. Will is Straight.

But he can't acquire more knowledge until he is in California, so meanwhile he's probably wrecking his brain re-reading El's letter to see if he can make any new 'connections' that could reveal to him if it's him or not. ( That Dungeon Master strategic brain working overtime when you have a crush and things are out of your immediate control huh, he's so me )

The episode progresses with Mike being moody downstairs because he's currently wrecked with doubt ( talk about meta ) and then Ted says this to the audience ( Karen ).

Ironic, considering Mike saying in S3 that 'women act on emotion, not logic' so his dad hinting he's not being reasonable = Mike is acting weird.

The scene continues. Suzie is using her smarts to help Dustin change his grades, which is something that later wracks her with guilt.

Next we have Robin and Steve, and the conversation is literally them talking about Vickie's queercoding, which according to Steve she 100% is but Robin refuses to believe because she has to be cautious and cannot take a risk unless there's some sort of textual evidence. The comment she makes connects back to Mike through the labyrinth poster in his room, right above his head when he bends down.

Mike, like Robin, can't just act on their feelings because they don't know if they'd be confessing to the 'wrong' person.

Why does this not fit Will? Because Will is deciding to give Mike a painting with a heart on his shield. He's confident enough to make that move. At the start of the season, Will is optimistic that the thing with Mike might be real, whereas Mike is pessimistic that the thing with Will might've been a figment of his imagination.

Anyway, let's continue. I'll summarize what happens next with 'Mike is moping all day at Hawkins High'. Of course, other things he cares about happen that add to this mood, like Lucas ditching him and Dustin to play at the basketball game.

Speaking of games, we have that sequence of the DnD game vs the basketball game. Both games end in victory so we know in the end the good guys will win. But it also means that Mike and Will are going to, inevitably, get together.

Here's the formula their romance follows according to my Byler Master Doc that I'll finish & post one day lmao:

With this in mind, let's go back to Mike ...

PART I CONCLUSION:

Mike starts off the season assuming the worst: that Will is painting for someone he likes that isn't him because he's straight. But a small part of him deep down is hoping it is for him. He decides to acquire more information before deciding how to proceed but at the airport, he was trying too hard to be indifferent when the truth was that he cared a little too much, and self-sabotaged by discouraging Will from giving him the painting.

He succeeded in making Will believe he didn't care. But at what cost?

He failed to acquire the item he needed/wanted: the painting.

Now in Part II we will explore what happened that gave Mike ✨ Hope ✨

[princess-glassred]

Imagine the losers club having to do an anti bullying PSA for school. Richie and Bev play the bullies, Eddie is the victim, Stan is the narrator, Bill writes it, Ben directs/edits it, and even though Mike doesn't go to school with them they let him hold the boom mic. Also Georgie begs Bill to let him help out too so he begrudgingly lets him be an extra.

Richie is late to set and nobody can get a hold of him until he saunters onto set in a shitty Henry Bowers cosplay, complete with awful mullet wig that is really just two wigs his mom sewed together for him. Bro walked up to set looking like It the musical Henry.

Everyone's acting is really stitled and bad since they're literal children, Bev is the only one who knows how to emote. It's got all the typical 1980's cheesy video effects and music cues you'd expect. Bill keeps rewriting the ending because he can't decide how to give Richie and Bev's characters comeuppance for picking on Eddie. When they finally do get a good take the camera dies so they gotta do it all over again.

It only gets worse when Henry drops by to be an asshole for no reason and he's so confused by Richie's costume that he just stares at him and abruptly leaves.

[dysfunctionalupsidedown]

Mike Wheeler: Trauma, Insecurity, and "STurn" (Analysis)

In "From the Hair Chair: Finn Wolfhard | Stranger Things", which is available on the official Stranger Things YouTube channel, Finn Wolfhard addresses the question, "What's going on with Mike Wheeler in Season 4?"

Mike Wheeler’s behavior in S4 has confused many, especially general audiences. However, if you look at the bigger picture, his progression (or regression) into the Mike Wheeler we know from S4 does make sense. To get a clear idea of what’s going on with him, we must look at the four seasons sequentially and with a more subtextual eye. We have a few physical puzzle pieces, and for now, we need to fill in the rest with our imagination based on evidence. A Mike point of view isn’t particularly needed to fully understand this, although it would be helpful for the GA and is something I want from S5.

In relation to this particular interview, I’ll examine Stranger Things (2016) for the past and present and “STurn” for the possible future. “STurn” actually does tell us a bit about how Mike’s self-identity arc will potentially continue in S5 and wrap up.

Also, I understand that “STurn” isn’t factual and is not even confirmed to be related to ST5. Though I don’t believe this entire analysis is instantly negated by my use of the playlist, as its only purpose here is to assume a hypothetical future. Aside from the Finn interview, everything else comes straight from the show and holds a reasonable explanation for Mike’s behavior up until the end of S4.

Remember, this post is for fun and speculation, and "STurn" is the best we have right now. Just keep in mind that I’m going into this analysis assuming it’s related to Mike Wheeler in S5. I could be entirely incorrect. Similarly, this interview isn’t wholly factual either, as it’s not what’s in the show, but it relates enough to what we’ve been shown of Mike for me to comment on.

This might be a lengthier post. Be warned.

If you’re still here and interested, I’ll get right into it.

Trauma

Finn first addresses how each of the characters are dealing with their past trauma, and that is a perfect way to describe Mike’s behavior in S4. I think a lot of people, especially the general audience, forget that, yes, while these are all characters, trauma does have the ability to affect them and change their behavior. There was an entire “Your original character before trauma vs. after trauma” trend on TikTok a minute back, and that wasn’t for nothing. 

Mike, just in S1, witnessed one of his best friends go missing, watched this best friend turn up apparently dead (as well as see his “body”), went to his funeral, jumped off of a ledge, saw his other newfound friend disappear, and so much more. Don't even get me started on the following seasons.

Mike is afraid of losing. That’s what happened to him in S1. He lost. First Will, then El. 

His fear of loss and determination to keep things in his life are significant parts of his character and have been since S1. That’s why he was so intent on finding Will. That's why he checked his walkie for El every night. That’s why he acts out in S3-S4. This isn’t an excuse for his behavior, but an explanation. It’s part of his trauma, and we see this in S4 with his fear of losing Will and El again: “Maybe I feel like I lost you or something,” and “I can't lose you,” respectively. I theorize that he fears being out of control regarding these things.

A lack of control also explains why he was so volatile to Will and El during and after Rink-O-Mania. For Will, Mike addresses this directly to him when he apologizes. It’s made evident to the audience that he acted cold in part because he thought Will was slipping away, but truthfully, he wasn’t aloof. He noticed everything about Will’s behavior and even managed to make the tragedy of that day about their friendship. Now, back to the apology, “About the last few days… You didn’t deserve anything… The truth is, the last year has been weird… Maybe I was worrying too much about El… And, I don’t know, maybe I feel like I lost you or something.” His defensiveness during the argument at the rink seems more like a trauma response than straight-up disinterest, which some people apparently think.

For El, I think this translates into him wanting her to need him. If El needs him, then there’s no way he can lose her, right? We know from the show that she doesn’t need him anymore. Mike also acknowledges this multiple times, and that thought terrifies him. In the last episode, he explains this to her, “... The truth is, El, I don’t know how to live without you… I can’t lose you, okay?”

Before Will shows Mike the painting in the van, Mike explains his dilemma. Will tries reassuring Mike, telling him that El will be fine, and Mike says he understands that. Mike then explains his true concern, “But what if after all this is over, she doesn’t need me anymore?... The truth is, when I stumbled on her in the woods, she just needed someone. It’s not fate, it’s not destiny, it’s just simple dumb luck. And one day, she's gonna realize that I’m just some random nerd that got lucky that Superman landed on his doorstep. I mean, at least Lois Lane is an ace reporter for The Daily Planet.” 

Will continues to comfort him, focusing more on the loss aspect of Mike’s trauma, which is made evident here. But those lines also make it clear that Mike is afraid El will realize his inferiority to her and abandon him. This is a good transition into Mike’s insecurity.

Insecurity

I’ve seen people argue against what Finn says here because Mike is part of the somewhat “outcast” group at school. I don’t think trying to argue that takes away from the fact that Mike did, does, and will continue to try and lead a “normal” lifestyle. He’s a teenage boy with a girlfriend and a friend group he fits into. That’s normal. He’s trying to get by. 

It was the same in S3. Mike was a kid with friends, a girlfriend, and a new want for maturity. It’s not unrealistic that the character is aging out of or into specific behaviors, especially ones that he’s previously exhibited. That leads us to his insecurity. 

We’ve had hints of it starting as far back as S1E3, when Troy injures Mike, and he initially lies about it to El so that he doesn’t seem like a loser. Similarly, these themes pick up with Will in S3E3 during their fight in the rain, “...We’re not kids anymore. I mean, what did you think, really? That we were never gonna get girlfriends? That we were just gonna sit in my basement all day and play games for the rest of our lives?”

Curiously, Mike is shown to be especially “normal” in California. He dresses differently than he does in Hawkins and acts more aloof. As Argyle says, “It’s a shitty knock-off.” Skipping forward to the “... She's gonna realize that I’m just some random nerd that got lucky that Superman landed on his doorstep… at least Lois Lane is an ace reporter for The Daily Planet” line, and we have a good enough view of Mike’s internal conflict.

He is deeply insecure, and it seems particularly so around El. I don’t know if this was addressed in the show, and I wish we had seen some of Mike’s letters, but does El even know about the Hellfire Club? I don’t believe we’re given any indication that she does, which could imply that Mike kept it hidden from her. It wouldn’t be surprising, considering his complete attitude change in California. Also keeping in mind that Mike stopped playing D&D when he was with her in S3 and only continued to play in S4 while El was away.

Mike also displays this insecurity by choosing to distance Will. For what reason, I can’t say for sure, but it’s probably something “abnormal.” 

Regardless, his insecurity ties into his fear of loss. The more normal he is, the more things he can maintain in life and the less he has to lose. Especially when it comes to El. It all stems back to his fear, not genuine malintent, and I see too many viewers misunderstand this. 

It also works the opposite way, to a different and lesser extent. If he’s out of Hellfire Club, he loses his “normal teenage clique.” Aside from losing El completely as someone he profoundly cares about, if he loses El as a partner, he loses his girlfriend. That’s a blow to his normality. 

Will is confusing to me. If he “loses” Will, just like he felt he did at the beginning of S4, he falls more into the pattern of trying to be normal. There’s no impact on his normality. By keeping Will at arms-length, Mike gravitated more towards his “shitty knock-off” version of himself. Something about Will brings out what Mike feels is abnormal in him, so by distancing himself, he could avoid it altogether. That’s likely in part what caused such a conflict at the beginning of S4: Mike’s inability to be “normal” while fully keeping Will in his life and vice versa, his inability to lose Will just to maintain normalcy.

"STurn"

We’ve focused on trauma and insecurity. Now, it’s time for self-identity. I think that's a theme in store for the future. I'll refer back to the “STurn” analysis I previously did.

Many of the songs on this playlist contain themes of a false identity. I’ll start with “Angst In My Pants” first. To quote my "STurn" analysis:

This song is about a person attempting to be someone they're not, suppressing who they really are, and it ultimately leading to dissatisfaction. The lyrics, "You can dress nautical / Learn to tie knots / Take lots of Dramamine / Out on your yacht" describe a faux lifestyle one lives that only serves to hurt them in the end: The idea of putting on a self-harming persona. This could be what Mike is going through in S5.

Next, we have "Substitute":

This track is about an idealized version of someone being put in place of their true self. The narrator describes a scenario in which their partner sees a version of them, "I'm a substitute for another guy / I look pretty tall but my heels are high / The simple things you see are all complicated / I look bloody young, but I'm just back-dated, yeah", that is unrealistic and put on, as seen in the lyrics "Substitute your lies for fact / I see right through your plastic mac / I look all white, but my dad was black / My fine-looking suit is really made out of sack"... The concept of a guise applies well to Mike, as referenced in Angst In My Pants. A recurring theme of hiding oneself really makes me think Mike is going to completely abandon his interests for a different lifestyle. I believe Finn has also mentioned that Mike wants to be as "normal" as possible, so I can't wait to see [how far] they take that idea. It could also be him realizing how he's been acting, and admitting that this "romanticized" version isn't true to him.

Finally, "The Rebel Kind":

Like The Better Side, I couldn't find any lyrics, so I'm doing it by ear. Though, I'm happy to say that this song is about a desire to embrace differences and rebellion. "We'll be free to run with the rebel kind" and "It's not easy, but I don't mind / I just want to run with the rebel kind" establish that. The track appears to tie into Mike's insecurity struggles throughout the playlist. It could be the narrator's struggle to keep up with societal norms before finally giving in to their truth instead of trying to conform, read as "they call us rebels but don't get how hard it is to for us to keep up." On the other hand, it could be the narrator commenting on how society doesn't understand people like them, and, by embracing their true selves, it proves more about who they are than conforming ever would; read as, "you think we're the rebellious ones, but you don't understand that we're more self-secure and strong than you'll ever be." I can see both of these interpretations working for Mike and his connection to the Party. The progression of insecurity in Angst In My Pants and potential realization of this guise in Substitute is wrapped up by Mike's self-acceptance here. I really hope this is how it plays out in S5.

Conclusion

Mike's brewing insecurity, paired with his trauma of loss, seems like it may boil over in S5. I theorize that he’ll drift even more into his “shitty knock-off” self, even if just on the surface, and do whatever he can to maintain normalcy in his life. Whether this leads to more conflict with Will, we’ll have to wait and see.

Besides that, Mike might eventually accept his "differences." He also may be willing to cope with loss for what it is, even if it’s the loss of the normalcy he tries so hard to maintain in certain situations. I can see Mike having a heavy emphasis on self-identity in S5, and as I said earlier, I can’t wait to see where they take that.

Thank you for reading; I hope you enjoyed!

As is customary with all my posts, if anything here is incorrect or you believe there’s something I should add, feel free to let me know. I’d love to have more conversations about Mike and read all the predictions for S5 I can.

[wordpress-blaze-236166112]

Human Equity: The Polymath Premium

For a few years, I have trusted a young man. He screams into the void on X, formerly known as Twitter. The Komrade Kommander is quite a character. His thoughts are some of the rawest, most profound things I’ve read on social media. As well as laughed hysterically at his quick wit. I adore him, even though we have never met. I think this is common for millennials. To connect across space and time. Through him, I’ve found and subscribed to the work of incredible minds like Dr. Julie Gurner. Just to name a favorite. There’s a value in these connections; how to give it a proper valuation is hard to say. Every relationship has a cost. Ask your friend with a truck if you don’t know what I mean. If I were to place a value on these connections, I would not be capable of them. I could not afford the ones I have already had. Even at the rate our society goes into debt, there’s not enough money to justify human capital. All of this to get my bias out there before continuing.

I am more of an early adopter of AI. I understand how it will cause great disruption. It will bring pain to humans made obsolete by its automation. Keep in mind there were strikes at farm equipment, machinery, even the earliest projectors. They were all going to 'take our jobs.' But we still have farmers, machinists, engineers, and teachers. You can't replace human equity. There's no substitute for our spirit. There is no need to fear the future, even though there are oligarchs and autocrats. We do need to be aware of our current situation.

Human Equity is the new premium in a world of AI.

Adaptive Authenticity: The New Capital

There’s no doubt the world is rapidly terraforming into something different. Automation, AI, and a borderless digital ethos propel this change. The individual struggles to navigate a fourth industrial revolution. There is opportunity awaiting us. We are entering an era where human authenticity becomes both a strategy and currency. This currency has yet to be counted.

My mentor always reminds me of a reality. The answer to 9/10 questions is money. It even applies to 999/1000 questions.

This is because in a fickle and fiat system, money is essentially worthless. Not hard, tested, and proven. Compound our devaluation with capital assets which eventually depreciate or are dismissed by market disruption.

If you’re the innovator capturing the market, this is good.

But if you’re sauntering your way to retirement, you may not reach it.

There is, of course, one answer that is more powerful, more important, more meaningful. But that, in part, is due to its rarity in the purest of forms. If money was scarce and as hard as love, the world would be better off. -A concerned Capitalist.

This is to say, if AI can replace you, it will. Doesn’t matter if we refrain from using, regulate, and resist adopting, or carefully respect the powerful thing that it is. We will employ it and embrace its existence. That debate was over before it started. For each of us, it may be time to get curious instead of staying so comfortable.

I was reminded of this during a podcast recently about AI. A topic which was close to home to the owner and host. Just weeks before, I was asking our IT which tasks AI can handle from my many responsibilities. I was curious about what it could do for me and others. The host of this podcast works as a copywriter and brand strategist. So, you can see how AI isn’t as exciting for her. But I think she’s already on track to keep thriving. As she hit the nail on the head when she mentioned adaptability. That’s the secret sauce of sustainably, no matter what industry you are in. I’ve found those who keep finding ways to make progress. They consistently bring value. These are the ones who survive the storms.

Another hard truth is we aren’t paid for our time, even if that’s what it costs us. It’s not the experience, with its diminishing returns, thanks again to time. No, we are paid for the value we bring to the marketplace. But Lindsay mentioned something that stuck out. "If we are known by name and have brand loyalty, we are unstoppable."

I have always had general awareness concerning the importance of ‘name’ as the ancients understood it. Name was who you were. Your attributes, your family, and even the actions of the past. Reputation is sacred; that’s why integrity is so important for the individual and the organization. Honesty and proximity are mutually inclusive to true integrity. It’s behaviorally found in that human element. One formed through thousands of years of our tribe that trust is built on. Here is our ticket to safety.

The Authentic Advantage: Valuing the Versatile

The modern era’s experience is largely fabricated. We each have an algorithmic feed that filters the information we consume. Additionally, we must sift through synthetic personas and connections. You can easily find brand management posts and articles from nearly a decade ago advocating for authenticity in professional settings. Some I’ve recently rediscovered discuss how authenticity directly leads to higher ratings, making it a powerful marketing strategy. When authenticity transcends tribalism, it encompasses values and core beliefs. It then becomes a willingness to pay more, which is highly valuable.

The next generation will need to be more life literate than my millennial generation. We did a good job keeping the childhood curiosity that connects us all. Those who come after will need to be cross-domain fluent. People who are versed in pivoting as only a polymath can.

The rise of those able to connect the dots that are seemingly unrelated has already begun. This world has been busy while we slept. We struggle to understand all the interconnected systems and communities. A global issue. There’s a great need for those who can holistically diagnose and solve problems before the scaffolding crashes down around us.

The new systems will no longer wait around for us to board. In this landscape of automation, curated identities, and echo chambers, only the polymath’s unique voice offers clarity and credibility.

There’s a premium on human equity but only for the adaptable, authentic individual. It is not knowing everything. But rather a willingness to learn anything that matters most.

Source: Human Equity: The Polymath Premium

[castlebyersthoughts]

Bringing this back because this was such a crazy line to write, honestly. Mike saw it in El's eyes that she doesn't need him. It's not even a question of being afraid or unsure of how she might feel, he looked right into her eyes and he just saw it. He just knew, like it's an objective truth. She's beginning to understand that she doesn't need him, she's forming her own opinion and it's leading her away from him. Exactly what he was also afraid of during season 3, by the way.

Would they really write this and then be like "just kidding, Mike was just imagining things after all, I guess"? If that's the case, that means Mike can't even know how El feels when she's looking right at him, so it's pretty bad for them either way.

It doesn't matter if this didn't end up making the cut, you just don't write that line for the "main couple" of your show who are supposed to be "soulmates". That's just not a thing that happens.

Also, the conclusion of this whole thing being that Mike is scared of losing her. This doesn't say much about love. You can form an attachment to all kinds of things, some good, some bad, and eventually be scared of change, of having to let go. He's not scared of El being hurt or in danger or even unhappy. He's not even wondering whether she would be happy with him, what would be best for her. This is about himself, and the unhealthy attachment he has to her. This is not real selfless love, this is not true love. Unlike Will's love that is so selfless that he is willing to lose Mike if that means that Mike can be happy and have everything he wants. I wonder which kind of love we're supposed to be rooting for here... 🤔

[regainingparadise]

As all TMA fans do eventually, I have deeply contemplated which Entity I'd most likely end up an avatar of

Now there are several broad categories of Avatar:

Those who are super enthusiastic about their patron (Simon, Peter, Manuela, Jude, the Gravedigger guy)

Those who DGAF, they just work here (Oliver)

Those who fear/hate the entity as much as they love it (Jon, Martin, Jane Prentiss, arguably Mary Keay, Michael Shelley, Helen)

Those who aligned themselves with one entity to avoid others (Mike, maybe Gerry, kind of Jon)

I vibe with #3 of those the most. I can't imagine consciously choosing to serve one the way, say, Simon does. But the path from "I'm a victim of this horror --> I'm terrified -> there's a way to have agency within the horrors-> ok sure" is immensely compelling and very human. #4 can be similarly compelling

My top powers under consideration were the corruption, the lonely, the desolation, the web, and the buried.

The Lonely: Definitely some of the encounter's in Martin's domain resonated, but it's not an existential fear. I've got a vague anxiety about isolation, and it's the fear I'd be the most "comfortable" in--similar to Martin--but there's not enough proper terror, I don't think

The Corruption: I actually consider the Corruption something of the Lonely's direct opposite, because of the metaphysical way it's framed. I definitely have a fear of being loved to the point of being consumed, while there is also a safety in being assured of love (love that consumes and destroys, but love that needs). I adore Jane Prentiss's statement. But being an avatar of the corruption feels like a lot of work.

The Desolation: I've been terrified of fire since I was a kid. The idea of burning to death or having my home with everything in it burn is The Worst. So there's the appropriate terror, but I don't think I could make it as an avatar--I hate it too much, I could never move past just being a victim of the Desolation.

The Web: I hate feeling out of control of myself, and anxiety sometimes causes me to want to be in control of All Things. But also I hate being in control because then I Have To Do Shit otherwise if things go wrong It's My Fault. I would not be good at being Annabelle Cane

The Buried: I get claustrophobic if I can't move freely, especially if I can't move my arms or legs. Physical aspect of the fear is covered. And the metaphysical aspect? Y'all, some of Hezekiah Wakely's letters resonated more than is reasonable. In a world where everything is varying degrees of shitty and oppressive, where trying to do good feels like an unending battle, the idea of the Buried as the ultimate rest from work, from constant striving is horribly tempting. Under the right (horrible, inconceivable) circumstances, the Buried could lure me in with the promise of rest

[finalgirlwillbyers]

I feel like it's because people are actually insecure over Bler as a ship, and that's why they don't want to imagine Will potentially liking someone else, because let's be honest, Will is the one carrying Bler. Without Will's involvement, Bler doesn't even exist since Mike's side of the things have been unexplored and not even really shown, and that most of the stuff regarding both Bler and Mike depend on fandom inventions or interpretations rather than textual evidence so far.

Yes, that's why I said, "The rest feel threatened over the slim possibility [of] Will not ending up with Mike, since Will is carrying the ship"! Peoples responses are founded on insecurity about Mike, about the show's writing, about the ship's execution. There's also a sense of possessiveness over both characters, especially Mike due to the damage rendered to him during Stranger Things 4.

You and I agree that Will is the one who has legitimized the pairing, since his feelings are confirmed within the show's text. Therefore, he's valuable in a way that Mike can't be. It's ironic how, because Will's romantic feelings and sexuality are now canon, people often downplay his significance until the ship's status is threatened.

The sub-fandom's favorite topics are how deeply in love Will is with Mike, how much gayer Mike is than Will, and how dumb the audience is for not perceiving this ship. The crack ship's existence, promotion, and popularity inside the fandom disrupts the status quo. And, you know how stringent this sub-fandom is about "the ideology". You need to comply, otherwise you're sowing doubt (which doesn't take much).

This fandom is ship-centric with a favoritism towards Mike (see HERE). It's understood Mike needs considerable development in order to realize the pairing. Because not only does he have a show-long love story with El, who's now Will's sister, but he's lacking audience goodwill.

More often than not, post-Stranger Things 4, Will is perceived as a means to articulate Mike's desirability, or a lens to view him more sympathetically. Much of the sub-fandom's understanding of both characters is informed by shipping, not as individuals. Shocking /s.

It's hilariously shortsighted, blatantly prejudiced and, quite frankly, stupid to insist Willstans created Chance as anti-Mike propaganda. It's not like people need to create an OC to do that when the show has produced enough for him to be widely disliked. My god, fans just want to explore Will as a character outside Mike!

Even in all the fan-fiction I've seen of Will-Chance (and there's Mike-Chance now too...), Will ends up with Mike. So, what is the problem? People are fighting shadows--and it's their own. Embarrassing.

[thecarnivorousmuffinmeta]

If a version of Midnight Sun existed for each following instalment of the Twilight series (New Moon, Eclipse, Breaking Dawn), what do you think they’d be called/what would you call them and what (new) scenes would be in them?

Anon, you speak my greatest dream. I want this in my life. If no one else does, then I am the sole person who does. If there is not one person who wants this, it means that I have died.

I need this.

But for now, I can only imagine (and no doubt fail miserably to what it would be in actuality).

New Moon

The thing is that Meyer would also want to call this New Moon for the reason that she called it New Moon for Bella: this is a book about hopelessness. Edward leaves, Bella's soulmate, she literally cannot survive without him and this book is her discovering "oh, yeah, I literally cannot survive without him" (and making friends with Jacob but let's be real Meyer was never that into that).

It's a book where the moon, the light, is gone.

For Edward, we have the same narrative, he tries to leave Bella for her own good, fails, has a miserable time, and comes crawling back only to find that he's made everything worse.

But because Edward is more dramatic, and to thematically work with Midnight Sun (named thus as Bella is the unexpected sunlight in what should be the darkest of Edward's nights) we have Polar Night which is the phenomenon opposite of Midnight Sun where instead of the sun never setting at all we have the night never ending.

As for what would be in it. My friend, my beautiful friend, everything would be in it.

We'd get the scene where Edward bullies his family into leaving, many of them having reservations, and then steals all Bella's photographs and tries and fails to steal the stereo out of her car. We'd get scenes of Edward fantasizing about Bella marrying and holding hands with MiKe NEWtoN and it being entirely too much for him. We get all of the birthday party, period, which from Edward's point of view would no doubt be insane.

We have Edward so fucking depressed that he feels he's bringing the family down and chooses to leave on the vague pretext of catching Victoria. Then he doesn't catch Victoria and loses her in Mexico but is so depressed he just keeps going south until he hits Brazil.

Where he stays, and per what he says to Bella (which is undoubtedly not the entire truth) he was fucking miserable and did nothing for months. Did he have a Hallucination Bella who told him not to eat human food because it'd make him sick? Did he write a rock opera about Bella Swan only to realize it didn't live up to real life and burn it in a fit of despair and anger? What about the family calling to check in? We know that happened, Rosalie could reach Edward and he answered, so did they just call and quietly try to ask if Edward's coming back home or not? You know? Anytime? Edward?

And then of course his pleading for death with the Volturi, being told no, planning his elaborate massacre-suicide before settling on good old suicide without any murder and Bella being alive and that whole debacle from his point of view including "OH NO OTHER MAN MOVED IN" when he realizes Jacob's... kind of... a thing...

Everything would be new in part because we see so little of Edward and given the insanity in Midnight Sun that was never in Twilight I can't even guess to what Edward got up to for months in Rio.

It could be fucking anything.

Eclipse

Or "Edward did a bad thing and is now very nervous" the novel. As for what it's call, this is less clear as we have to go with the sun/moon themes here, and Eclipse is already taken. If we're allowed weather related events maybe "Eye of the Hurricane" as there's a storm out there and this book is about Edward barely holding his shit together. This is his nightmare scenario in every way.

Bella has a new love interest, a friend she believes is platonic who is very interested in her, and worse, Edward actually does admire and is hands down in Edward's opinion the better man for her to be with. Bella's changed when he was gone and is now an adrenaline junky, what else about her has changed? How much did he miss? She's involved in werewolves who all hate Edward, for good reason, and want her to leave him, for good reason. Edward has discovered that he actually can't leave Bella, Alice was right, even though he wants to be that strong desperately. Bella got the family to agree to turn her and they'll do it, Edward's barely gotten her to agree to be turned by him instead, but she's hemming and hawing about marrying and committing to him and she wants him to bang him (which will likely lead to her death)

Edward is straight up not having a good time, bro.

So, we'd get Edward's insane plans to keep Bella and Jacob apart, his meeting Bella in the road after her looking like he'd love nothing more than to pull The Terminator where he chases her car down. We get Edward's increasing nervousness that Bella "wants to be with him forever" but "doesn't want to marry him" (which for Edward, understandably as he doesn't have Bella's background, is something that just doesn't compute). And there's Jacob, kissing Bella, warming her up at night, thinking very dirty things when Edward's sitting right there internally screaming.

And of course, offscreen things with the family, likely venting about the Denali who are leaving them to die because they won't let them kill the children Native Americans, wondering if they're all going to die in this fight, even more of the tent scene with Jacob (which I'm sure, somehow, I'm sure, got very homoerotic in there). Probably sobbing to Alice "I fucked up" and then hating Rosalie BECAUSE THIS IS ALL HER FAULT HISS HISS.

And of course, what we know he sees from Bree and perhaps the discussion with the family that Bella never got to be privy to.

And I imagine a lot of fantasies of Bella pregnant with Jacob's beautiful babies.

Breaking Dawn

I'm going to bow out for this one too, Meyer would want to name it that. Maybe we get "Hailey's Comet" or something, in that Edward has related Bella to a comet streaking across the bleak sky of his life and this is him learning to accept to be happy and perhaps good things are allowed to happen to him.

But anyways.

I mean.

We get Breaking Dawn.

We get Edward gearing himself up for sex and asking the family how to bang a woman. We know he did this. Canonically he confesses to Bella, in the weirdest manner possible, that he asked his entire family how to do it (and it made it clear that Carlisle didn't really approve and was pretty :/ and "don't do it" about all of it). We get the family probably watching Alice like hawks because they're waiting for her to tell them if Bella lived or died through intercourse. We get Edward interrogating the maid in Portuguese and god knows what they even said to one another but it had to be wild.

We get Edward planning Bella's abortion, the betrayal by Rosalie yet again, and then more planning of her forced abortion with Jacob and his opinion on Jacob turning from "respected rival" into "my only friend".

Then we get Edward's complete flip on Renesmee which must have been... I don't even know. But he'd be thinking she's the spawn of Satan before that (in the most Edward manner possible) and then that she's Jesus after that (in the most Edward manner possible).

Then of course there's "my son, Jacob" and honestly probably fantasizing about an adult Renesmee pregnant with Jacob's beautiful babies. Let's be real here. and just...

Look.

I can't predict this.

What we saw of Breaking Dawn was already insane and this would only be more so because it's Edward. There's so much we don't see as Bella pays 0 attention to the other vampires and to the family at large and Edward would just...

I have no idea.

It would just be madness.

TL;DR

I need this.

[manofthepipis]

soooo. pokes fingers together. guess who got really into [[Data Recovering]] right before the chapter 3/4 drops... I love it a lot i think its one of my fav fics oit there :] i love the way you characterize the addisons, grah- something about the way you write blue in particular REALLY makes me feel things. i cant explain it but i think im picking up what youre putting down.

In other news, i saw the note at the end of the most recent chapter.. does anything in chapter 3 make you think youre going to stop updating it? I'd understand completely if you did, I'm just cursjng myself for being so late to the addison party haha

aaaaa this is so cool to hear!! thank you for enjoying my lil fic!! :D tbh while the deltarune ch 3 hype has me in a tight hold rn (as most likely 99.99999999% of other deltarune fans as well) i'd wanna go on a teeny bit of a break before another chapter, but with new revelations and spamton emotions from the latest game chapter, i don't see myself really stopping!

like writing got me through the post deltarune ch 2 wait as i was able to tinker with headcanons and theories and work through them as well as rlly practice character study (and also slide in references to my childhood hyperfixation with 90's commercials). I had such a good time! also there's something about this little puppet man that makes me feel such strong emotions i just have to funnel them out with words lol. However, i thought that with the chapter drop, a lot of, if not most of what i wrote would not age well, and while many of my predictions were wrong (who would have known that '[[Anything you see on tv]]' was another character?? spamton you and your speech quirk amuse me so), a few of them were actually right! So i think it's ok enough in my eyes to stick around as an weird au concept of an au sorta thing :D

besides, i have an ending that's been swimming in my head for the last couple years and i want to get to it. There's bits and pieces of chapter 3 that's even got me thinking so so much about him. i guess read more if u wanna get to the spoilers.

But it means a lot you joined the addison party, even if you got here a bit later than most! In fact, it's the best time to join! There's so much spamton going around and it feels like 2021 again with references to "what the heck is that thing?!" and also a missing canon depiction "Mike" leaving him still in the air for speculation (unless he's in chapter 4 idk i haven't gotten that far lmao)

thank you for taking interest in my writing and i'm glad you like it! <3

as for the chapter 3 spoilers i'm rlly thinking about that interaction with tenna and spamton and how tenna doesnt?? recognize him?? (as funny as it was that he didn't) like maybe we underestimate how uncanny seeing a puppetified version of someone you knew has to be like. Taking also into account spamton's type changes (to puppet/cat), speech changes, literally everything about him got fucked up. I can't imagine what it's like for those addisons :)

also i need to reference swatch's mohawk they had during spamton's big shot era which is now canon. who would have known id wanted this? certainly not me

[chirpsythismorning]

Mike's character regression can be explained in large part by one emotion in particular: guilt

Just want to preface this by saying that, this is not Mike slander. I love this dude. In fact, I think what makes Mike such an interesting character is that a lot of his behavior throughout the series can be explained in part by previous moments, and after really looking at all these moments together, what you end up with is a pretty fucked up story.

So while some might want to take this as Mike slander, these points I'm making are a part of Mike and things he has done and said and whether they were intentionally harmful or not, it's Mike. It's all shaped him and his role in the story. The fact that we're seeing a visible shift in his behavior at all, with plenty of moments from the show to back up what brought us here, makes it compelling enough to talk about.

So, without further ado, back to our roots:

Ah yes, the infamous canon proof disputing Mike's I think my life started that day we found you in the woods, claim during his monologue. Not only that, but in this original scene from 1x02, it turns out Mike actually intended to send her away the next day (all of which El could hear Mike saying from the open bathroom door).

Mike outright calling El a weapon, again telling the others they need her because they stand no chance at getting Will back otherwise.

I wont elaborate on this now, because there is way too much to unpack that'll honestly be more worthwhile discussing further on.

For now, this is a secret tool that will help us later.

These next couple scenes right here though, are pretty painful if I'm being completely honest. The way its shot, specifically El's very visible exhaustion, accompanied by the varying priorities of others around her, leaves me feeling pretty unsettled upon rewatches.

I obviously can't remember how I felt when I watched these scenes for the first time, but I imagine I viewed them as this huge romantic moment for Mike and El (I was tricked by heteronormativity, okay?). But, again, upon rewatching them since then, I've realized I get this sort of sad feeling by the end. You'll see what I mean.

El obviously just went through something extremely traumatic. She tried to go find Will and Barb in the void, only to find Barb dead and Will presumably alive, but then slipping through her fingers at the last second (no, literally).

We then got a moment where Joyce held El while the others sat by quietly because she clearly needed a moment of comfort given what she just endured.

Then in this scene shortly after, everyone is leaving to get ready for their final attempt at saving Will.

Now, notice how not only Lucas, but also Dustin make the effort to reach out to El to comfort her affectionately after that traumatic event, with those twos' actions specifically being showcased in sequence?

Lucas, who spent the better part of the season being critical of El, is now ending the season rubbing El's shoulder to warm her up, literally soothing her to make her feel better.

Then there's Dustin, who right after Lucas' gesture makes a gesture of his own, putting his hand on her knee reassuringly, to show her he's there and he's happy she's okay.

And lastly there's Mike, who is so kindly allowing El to rest her head on his shoulder. This placement of Mike and El here is definitely a testament to the fact that Mike has vouched for El this whole time in contrast to the others and so, understandably, she put her head on his shoulder for reassurance, because out of the three of them, he's the one whose been looking out for her the most. (Right?)

Now you might be thinking that this sequence's only purpose was to show Lucas and Dustin's development with El, and that it wasn't intentional that they focused on Lucas and Dustins' priorities in this moment in contrast to Mikes'. And I raise you, this next scene.

Here we have a focus on Mike looking on to where everyone left, while the others beside him are presumably just processing what went down and taking a rest (and boy oh boy do they (El) need one).

Mike on the other-hand decides to take this moment of rest to display the most cliche and universal forms of distracted unrest known to man: he checks his watch.

Mike then stands up abruptly, causing El to fall without his shoulder there for her to rest on anymore, all while her and Dustin are looking on after him, sort of like... Okay?

It's small. It might seem insignificant. But if you actually pay attention to what this scene is trying to make you feel, after really looking at it for what it is, it's kind of sad.

In a moment that chooses to highlight the other boys' acknowledgment of El after what just happened, and not only that, but at the tale end of their final battle of the season, Mike is... distracted?

Mike, who has been presumably looking out for El more than the others in the party this whole time, is conveniently out of commission? And right now when El is looking for his reassurance the most? Mike doesn't even have a moment to say, 'Hey I'll be right back, I just want to check something. Can one of you?--', asking Lucas or Dustin to sit next to her in his place. No. Dude just stands up without even acknowledging her.

If it was any other moment in the show, under less post-traumatic circumstances for El, then I wouldn't even think much of it. But it's at this point in the story when El is essentially at her most exhausted and quite literally seeking out support from others, specifically Mike, that makes his distractedness so eery.

Again, you might still be thinking that this isn't that deep. However, I think based on the events leading up to this, and what follows right here, could quite literally hold the answer to the guilt Mike is still keeping to himself to this day.

So... How are we feeling?

Are we feeling like Mike None of you are thinking about El's wellbeing right now! She could get brain damage from using her powers too much! She's not a weapon!* Wheeler is a little bit of a hypocrite? (I told you that tool would come in handy!)

It's actually quite terrifying how similar this scene is framed to the scene in Hopper's cabin in s3, where Mike pretty much says the exact opposite. In s1 Mike goes from being one of the first people to refer to El as a weapon within the context of them using her powers to find Will, with him being completely un-attuned to the fact that she is exhausted in this moment while the others are saying El's rest and safety is the most important, to then in s3 completely flipping script and saying El was using her powers for nothing, blaming the others for treating her like a weapon and not taking her wellbeing into consideration.

It would be one thing if Mike had a little arc where he acknowledged this script flip. Because that's what it is. It is them having Mike use a word in s1 to describe El, that being weapon, only to say the others are treating her like that with that same word being used. It is them having Mike not agknowledge El's well being after overusing her powers, only to say the others aren't taking her wellbeing into consideration for overusing her powers.

And it would be one thing if Mike had spoke to El or literally anyone about how he felt like he wronged El for planning on sending her away the next day after they found her so that they could go back to looking for Will, or how he said she was a weapon that they needed in order to find Will, essentially being no better than the people she just escaped from, who also used her for her powers. But we don't get that (actually we do.. but it's not acknowledged for what it is aka survivor's guilt. It's instead seen as romantic... another tool for later...)

Now, don't get me wrong, I don't think any of Mike's behavior takes away from what Mike did do for El, because yes he was kind and accepting when the others weren't. But even despite all of that, at the end of the day, he was often at the forefront of expecting El to risk her life for them, even if he wasn't outright asking that of her.

Before you freak out, No. I don't think Mike, a literal child, was capable of fathoming that El was going into these situations risking her life. She's a superhero. El's alternative was literally going back to the lab, running, or staying with Mike. This was her safest option.

After a bunch of rewatches and putting together a lot of these moments as a whole, I've come to a point where I believe that Mike's behavior throughout s1 was him thinking that because of who El was, she's already in danger at all times. That is a constant reality for her. And so why not have her help them find Will, because she is able to, all while he can also help her. And El clearly wanted to help them, because she wanted to help good people and finally do something meaningful with her powers for a change. Unfortunately, she also had to endure PTSD flashbacks almost every single time Mike and the boys had her use her powers to help find Will.

Speaking of Will, he is currently missing and possibly dead. Will also, in contrast to El (for now...), does not have any sort of superpowers.

Mike's concern over the threat of Will's livelihood is much greater than Mike's acknowledgement to the true risks El is exposing herself to each time she uses her powers to help them. That is s1 canon.

Is there times when Mike is focused on El and her well being. Absolutely! But is there also times when Mike is not showing any display of concern to El's well being in the moment, in complete contrast to the other characters around him... Also yes.

And so the events happening the way they did, with Mike himself not fully comprehending the severity of what's been going on during these high stake situations going on around him, makes sense.

And that's what makes it all the more sad that when Mike finally does realize what he's truly been asking of El this whole time, which is to risk her life for them, it's too late.

This whole scene is obviously very emotional. All of the boys are crying, but the focus on Mike calling out for El painfully is heartbreaking.

But what's even more sad to me, is that El has been sort of used to mistreatment her whole life. She's used to having to find any comfort she could get from people in her life, all the while they were using her for her powers. I mean even despite Brenner being who he was and doing what he did, she still showed these signs of wanting to love him despite it. Which is very very fucked up. But knowing what she's gone through, makes sense.

Mike on the other-hand does greatly contrast Brenner because he was one of the first people to actually treat her with genuine kindness right from the start (before he even knew she had powers), making it a lot easier for her to care for him even despite that pesky trait of using her for her powers being almost synonymous with Brenner's very similar trait.

So when she looks back at Mike, and points him out specifically before sacrificing herself, it feels like a few things at once.

It feels like her acknowledging the fact that she appreciated him specifically for taking her in and supporting her more genuinely than anyone has in her entire life.

And yet it also feels like her, either intentionally or unintentionally, acknowledging the unfortunate side affect caused by days of Mike leading the efforts to find Will, with the expectation of her to do things to achieve that, which could have all lead to her demise technically. And so now when it all comes down to it and the stakes are at their highest yet, same as the risk, she's got to a point where she believes there is no other choice but to do just that, risk her life, especially if it means saving them.

While this is happening, Mike is backtracking in real time. He is trying to get El to stop and it's because he doesn't want her to die. Obviously.

But that's the fucked up part isn't it? When he finally realized what he's been asking of her this whole time, it's too late.

Which takes us to S2 Mike Wheeler, known by many for being a boy whose been calling his true love everyday for almost a year now because he's just so in love, but is actually in fact a boy suffering the most intense form of survivors guilt, one that involves a person who genuinely feels responsible for the persons death...

But that will probably take at least another 2,000 words so I'm thinking maybe I better split this into multiple parts.

I will tease that the next part involves one specific detail in particular that I never see anyone talk about, a detail that I think, in combination with what's discussed in this post, is so important to understanding Mike's breakdown for what it truly was at the end of season 2. I will also probably do more posts beyond that for s3-4, to delve into the impacts these moments from the first two seasons have basically put in place a perfect recipe for what is currently going down.

So feel free to stay tuned for those nonsense updates.

Continued