#elmike lighting

[gayofthefae]

A classic, old stand by. Mike and El consistently kiss and have romantic moments at night.

And their platonic

Or negative moments are in the morning

Whereas Mike and Will consistently have positive or romantic moments in the morning

With their only night ones being either negative for their relationship or goodbyes/something final (knowing or unknowing)

Also shoutout to the shed scene which I just realized is done at night despite being romantic because it is their last moment like that before El gets back!

Also makes me wonder about the ily2 scene, which takes place in the morning, and if that is, rather, emphasizing the fact that it's the first scene in the plotline of Mike's inability to say he loves her. That would make sense as, though it's played as romantic, we now know that it is starting a big plotline for the following season.

(If you're confused, mornings = new beginnings, night = endings is one of the oldest tricks in the book. So mornings is what will be their future and nights is what is/needs to come to a close. It's near universal, if not universal)

A great, direct example of this is also simply Mike saying goodbye to El at night and then staying up at the hospital to say hello to Will in the morning in 1x08. Establishes this really clearly for the audience.

Also, of course, can't talk about lighting without bringing up...

In general, seasons are typically ended in the morning with hints and lead-ins to the future seasons - with Mike, this is consistently El. The one time it ends with El, the season ends at night.

[gayofthefae]

I knew the closet but the lack of SYMMETRY to achieve it. Good catch.

i recently mentioned how the stranger things directors are freaks about symmetry and centering here, and i'm gonna bring up another example of when something isn't centered

i posted this picture recently specifically about how there is light imagery above mikes head, a literal yellow lightbulb going off in his head as he doesn't close his eyes or kiss her back. but as i was looking at this i noticed something else that has probably been talked about before, ive just never seen it.

the screen gets progressively darker from left to right. and mike is on the dark side. why would mike be in the dark if the love of his life is saying she loves him? and why is he framed perfectly inside will's closet?

what really got me is that there's a window right there with light flowing into the room, and it's in frame, almost teasing you. if this is a huge happy moment for mike and el, why aren't they in the light, centered in front of the window?? it's RIGHT THERE!! and it would've looked way better than this shot!! this shot is messy, there's so much going on. it's dark on half the screen, the walls and closet and window make it look like there's five different sections on the screen, and the light above mike's head is distracting too.

and anti bylers reading this might be thinking, "okay well so what?"

i'll tell you exactly what.

this is the scene that plays RIGHT before the mlvn scene:

centered. symmetric. couple in the light, in front of the window. no messy design distracting you from jonathan and nancy. because this is just about them. no hidden feelings or hidden messages the directors are sending you.

RIGHT. BEFORE. THE MLVN SCENE. RIGHT BEFORE IT. and right after the byler scene

and to make it even worse, they remind you of both windows in wills room (yes, WILL'S ROOM)

but in the big moment, no window. in fact, they block it at some points. and to be clear, jancy are not blocking the window, they are standing in front of it.

blocking VS standing in front of

meanwhile in bylerland...

they are endgame.

[sollody]

Byler and Mitski <3

Fun fact: I'm so basic sometimes and don't even care. :D

[justcameheretobyler]

As a writer, I really doubt they won’t make Byler endgame.

I’m not that good with the cinematography hints or some other details like clothes or lighting.

But, the subtle way the characters interact, the lines they say, I always use that for foreshadowing and to imply a feeling the character is not able to express (or is not totally aware of it yet)

So, in this perspective, I was glad when I got introduced to Byler cuz Mike is my favorite in narrative speaking and some things from s3 and s4 were kind of off even knowing he’s a 16 years old kid and that could explain his flaws while growing up.

But the reason I liked Mike is for his awareness in moments of crisis his loved ones have and the leadership nature in him, also the fact he’s always a step ahead of any situation, specially when he needed to reassure Will or El how important they are for him and that they’ll be okay.

He also reassured Dustin he’s his best friend too.

That’s Michael.

So, why a character that cares so much for how his people are feeling, even with the trauma and his explosive reactions at times, how that kind of character would be so inconsistent with the two people he cares the most?

He needs to have a reason.

Mike is the heart of the party. I do think he’s a very important character for the writers.

So it cannot just be a coincidence or them trying to make him dirty.

He’s struggling, he’s suffering, so he’s messing up things that he can’t handle anymore.

He’s hiding something the audience could know if they pay attention, but the idea of a writer is that you don’t know it.

If you don’t know it, that’s better.

It makes me so happy when a reader comes to me like: omg I didn’t see that coming! But it makes sense!!

That’s what a writer wants, that’s what we’re looking for.

But it was too much deceiving, the GA couldn’t see it at all, so they had to literally say Will was in love with Mike. Cuz Will was the harder to read.

Even with the van scene people still can’t read the room.

So Noah had to literally say it out loud: WILL IS SO GAY AND IN LOVE WITH MIKE.

The writes know what they’re doing. They know the GA is convinced on the ElMike thing so the plotwist coming from Mike is easier and more interesting.

So, as a writer I just cannot see ElMike “happy ending” they got too messy and they don’t even try to show chemistry anymore (talking about their acting and dialogues). Which is not the same with Mike and Will scenes. You can say they take a good care of their lines and everything else.

I could talk about Will and El side, but I have seen enough posts about those two.

May be later.

[miwiheroes]

Dropping Byler Evidence Every Day Until Season 5

. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁ Day 21: Elmike Breakup vs. Byler Fight Scene . ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁

Hi guys sorry I haven't done one of these in a couple days, I've been really sick and gross and super gross <3 yeah, but I'm back to give my mediocre analysis again today

DONT READ THIS POST IF U HATE LONG ESSAYS ABOUT BYLER HEEHEE

Today I wanted to talk about the parallels, or, as I like to call them, perpendiculars, between the mil*ven breakup scene and the byler garage fight in S3. The contrast between the two scenes shows the attitude that the writers take towards the two ships, and it honestly super obviously shows the difference between Mike's attitudes towards either relationship. This analysis won't just delve into the breakup scenes themselves as well, also the aftermaths, which are very telling.

The Breakup

The Lighting and Tone: for a scene that's supposed to be a breakup scene, the lighting is extremely bright here. It's supposed to be a sunny day, and the lighting is extremely even on everyone's faces. Things are bright, there's not upsetting music in the background. In fact, the music that plays after El breaks up with Mike is literally supposed to be funny because it's instantly: "she's as cold as ice". The lines have little meaning to them, for example, saying "i dump your ass" is played off as a joke or some kind of comeuppance, because it was what Max had said earlier.

Also, Lucas, Max and Will are also included in these scenes, making the tone less upsetting due to it being so busy, along with other mallgoers. This is very different to the tone in the garage scene, where no one is around, it's just Mike and Will, making it more intimate. This is in spite of the fact LUCAS was literally involved in the argument.

Also another thing about the lighting which I've not really seen many talk about. Everyone says that the day is a really sunny day, but honestly, it's not. It's super overcast and the clouds are grey, but here's the thing, this foreshadows the storm later on. This shows that something worse is coming for Mike. I.e. the garage fight in which the storm actually is happening.

Mike's Facial Expressions: I call this succession panicked, confused and annoyed. Because that's all he is. It's pretty much another case of the directors playing this scene off as a huge joke, rather than a serious scene that should cause any upset to the characters. It's just a transition scene from one side of the season to the other, aka from one side of El's arc to another. El being in a relationship with Mike feels like an incomplete part of her arc.

Okay I got a bit off track there, but I wanted to talk about Mike's faces he makes when El says: "You lie. Why do you lie?". I think the question here is supposed to be as if El is speaking for the audience. The audience is supposed to question the truth of why Mike is really lying, which, judging by this look is actually more than just Hopper telling him not to tell her the truth. If he was really that desperate to keep her, he would sacrifice having to go through with Hopper, but he doesn't see her as worth it. And, as you can see from Mike's face here, he really, truly doesn't know why he feels this urge to keep lying to her, to hide that something is wrong. He eventually does realise tho (at the end so S3 ofc heehee)

Then there are his faces when El finally dumps him, which did not have to be so confused and annoyed looking. Imagine watching him look annoyed and confused with sadder music over the top, it would be extremely jarring and wouldn't fit the tone. However, the music kind of matches his attitude, which is that he's kind of confused and doesn't take this seriously. Aka, the audience aren't supposed to feel upset that they're broken up. This is extremely different than when the byler argument scene happens, which you will see.

How It Makes the Audience Feel: Everyone in the GA talks about how S3 ruined Mike's character and the fact they no longer root for him. Well, well, well, maybe that's because you're not supposed to root for him. Especially not in this scene. The writers aren't stupid, they didn't just accidentally write a breakup scene where you're supposed to want the break up to happen. El looks extremely happy, and the previous scene is all about her finding herself and what makes her happy, so the breakup is the perfect ending for this scene of hers. So basically, in other words, breaking up with Mike makes El feel more 'her'. Which we are supposed to want. Ultimately, we see that Mike got what he deserved.

The music, the lighting, the facial expressions, the laughter, all of it makes the audience supposed to feel something. And that is happiness. Happiness at the end of a breakup scene? For the show's main couple? Wow. While it may seem like later on, they make the audience want Mike and El to get back together, it almost seems like a confusing journey, something that isn't truly what reflects El's wants and needs that she instinctively discovers here. Her first reaction is excitement.

The Aftermath: So after seeing El happy about breaking up with Mike, the audience who still root for Mileven may want a scene where El expresses some sort of regret or sadness that she just broke up with Mike. However, instead of writing that, the writers decide to make her look at other boys and have fun with Max, making her focus on the supernatural, familial-centered storyline that makes more sense for her arc.

Based on how El talks about Mike with Max, describing him as her "first boyfriend", I'm not sure that we can ever see her here as honestly ever being madly, obsessively in love with Mike. This will be a great contrast to Will literally saying that he thought him and Mike would just spend the rest of their lives together! Yeah, so, I wonder which relationship is supposed to be taken more seriously...

And obviously, we have to talk about the "he'll come crawling back, begging for forgiveness" thing happening in the same episode where El actually finds out what Mike and Lucas and Will are doing. The same episode where Mike chases after Will in the rain to his house across town to talk, banging on his door and apologising.

After El breaks up with Mike, he has no idea what he has done wrong, despite El spelling it out for him with the "why do you lie?" question. This further shows his denial and confusion on who he really is during this season, making his realisation at the end all the more gratifying. It's also interesting that he can easily, easily tell her truth now that they are broken up. The Hopper excuse is no longer valid. Her literally breaking up with him is what Hopper threatened him with if he told the truth. So now that they're broken up, WHY CANT HE JUST TELL HER??? This obviously contrasts with the fact that Mike instantly knows where Mike went wrong with Will, knowing how he needs to apologise and doesn't see himself as the victim in that situation despite Will's multiple insults of El.

Because El is the one to break up with Mike, ending their relationship, he says that she's acting on emotion rather than logic. This shows that Mike doesn't see his relationship through an emotional lens. He views it as the logical thing to do. I've talked at length before about how Mike sees being in a relationship with El and getting over Will as a vital part of growing up. He emulates his parents' loveless relationship, because that's a logical part of life, and to him, El just can't see that. So what does this mean? Does this mean that if Mike acted on his emotions, he would also break up with El?

This scene is also supposed to cast Mike in a bad light. As further emphasised by them not talking this situation seriously at all, resulting in them just doing typical 'boy' behaviour (burping and farting and laughing), rather than caring.

Basically, in this scene we see that Max's promise to El that Mike's hoping that El will take her back and begging for forgiveness, is false. And we see that El's reaction to that, is to laugh. She doesn't care, meaning the audience shouldn't either. The audience is, once again, not intended to root for Mike to get back with El, because a) she deserves better and b) she clearly doesn't care that much.

IN CONCLUSION: We are supposed to be happy that El broke up with Mike, laughing along at the unserious situation. Mike doesn't see where he went wrong, doesn't want to apologise, views his relationship with El as something logical and not emotional, and chooses to continue to lie to her despite not needing to anymore. El is happy and laughs about the situation, describes Mike as her first boyfriend, showing she has no real intention of getting back together with Mike.

The Garage Fight

The Lighting and Tone: Do I really need to say anything about fucking pathetic fallacy here? Is it really not that clear to some people lmao??? The fight happens in a literal storm, in the dark, which represents the feelings of the characters in the scene. This compared with the bright colours and weather of the breakup scene shows that it's supposed to be taken more seriously. Without realising it consciously, the audience are immediately focused on the fight and its impact, because the storm implies that this'll be painful (which it is jesus)

As well as the weather and dark lighting, we can see that Mike and Will are silhouettes in this scene, which are often used to make an image stand out to the viewer, to make it memorable and stick in their heads. The shot of them fighting in profile is shown multiple times, it's supposed to stick in the viewers' heads, it's supposed to create a huge impact for both characters' mental states.

The music is emotional and serious, very much contrasting to the music choice for the breakup which is supposed to be light and humorous. The music chosen for the scene is called "Not Kids Anymore", which begins me talking AGAIN about how Mike's always trying his best to grow up while Will just wants things to stay the same as it's always been.

Mike's Facial Expressions: Throughout this scene, we see frustration, regret and MORE regret! The first regret and the second regret are obviously different however. Overall, though, the facial expressions that both Mike and Will elicit in this scene are extremely painful--especially wills :(-- and this is greatly contrasted with the facial expressions in the break up scene. In the breakup scene we see confusion and annoyance, in this scene we see annoyance, yes, but it's immediately followed up by regret and sadness.

This is Mike's own reaction to himself saying the infamous "it's not my fault you don't like girls" line, because he immediately regrets saying it and knows where he went wrong, unlike with the other scene. Am I going to analyse that line? HAHA no no of course not, so many people have done it lololol--

Okay so Will had been talking about Dustin, which was the main focus during the argument, bringing about the topic that Mike never takes their friendship seriously anymore because he's focusing too much on a girl. Mike, despite being all nice to Will beforehand, suddenly goes on the defensive as soon as the legitimacy of his relationship is attacked, projecting his own denial about his sexuality towards Will. He sees Will's comment about El to be about him instead. The reason he regrets saying it so much is because he knows it hurts Will first and foremost, but also because he may realise that Will wasn't questioning Mike's sexuality.

THE SECOND REGRET comes after he mistakenly assumes that Will is going to agree with him that they should just grow up and get girlfriends. Instead, Will tells the truth that Mike is afraid to hear, which is that he did want to spend the rest of his life with him. So, we then see that Mike possibly wanted that as well, and just said that because it's the logical course of life that he's been internalised to believe in.

Another interesting shot to take note of is this one, which is after Will has left:

This is an immediate juxtaposition to the previous shots where Mike and Will are silhouetted together. In case you can't remember, silhouettes are meant to create a memorable image. So seeing this image where Mike is in the exact place he was, but this time without Will, is supposed to make the audience feel his absence in Mike's world. This shot is otherwise completely unnecessary.

How it Makes the Audience Feel: Does this image^ also make you feel deeply pained inside, even if you don't completely relate to Will's struggle in this season? Well, then it's a success for the writers! This scene's intention for the audience's takeaway cannot be more clear if it tried. You're not only supposed to feel terrible for Will, however, you're also supposed to root for the both of them to make up.

This is very unlike the Mileven breakup because the intention there was to root for El to break up with Mike, and feel happy for her once she's done it because Mike deserves it. However, in this scene, the lighting, the tone, the fact that they are both alone (despite Lucas being included in the prev argument), creates this intimately emotional moment that makes the audience feel pain instead of happiness. I mean, can it get any clearer?

The Aftermath: The two different aftermaths of these scenes are very different on both sides. They could not be more different if they tried. While El goes home, has fun, reads a magazine about another boy, calls Mike her 'first boyfriend', Will goes to Castle Byers, cries while reading a comic book and looking at pictures of him and his friends. The picture in particular is of the boys in their halloween costumes, which is the same day that Mike promises that they'll "go crazy together" (which symbolises love, hopefully you know that already). Will calls himself stupid, which is to say that he thinks he's stupid for thinking that those things could be any deeper than he thought they were back then.

Will then destroys Castle Byers, which symbolises him destroying the part of himself that he hates the most. After S4 canonised Will's feelings for Mike, this scene becomes more about his internalised homophobia manifesting itself. This is obviously a heartbreaking scene for so many audience members, and they obviously aren't rooting for Will to feel this pain. This is contrasted to the intention that we are supposed to be rooting for El's happiness without Mike, after seeing her happy with being with Max.

As for Mike, his reaction to the fight is super contrasting to the reaction to breaking up with El. With El, he has no idea where he went wrong. With Will, he instantly regrets what he says and says that he's been a jerk and is willing to apologise. With El, Mike takes the breakup less seriously and makes jokes with Lucas. With Will, he takes it way more seriously and bikes across town in the rain, bringing Lucas with him. Keep in mind this is from the same episode where Max promises El that Mike will come "crawling back to you", which ends up being proven wrong for her, but right for Will.

Throughout the show, we see that Mike has a hard time apologising and seeing where he has gone wrong. In season 1, Dustin has to force Mike to apologise to Lucas, and in s3, Lucas has to be the one to force Mike to apologise to El. With Will, Mike does not need encouraging, he does it on his own.

IN CONCLUSION: We, the audience, are supposed to feel both Mike and Will's pain during this argument. Mike clearly regrets everything he says due to his denial and confusion during S3, showing how much it hurts him to force himself to grow up. Mike sees where he has gone wrong and immediately is able to apologise. Will's reaction is the polar opposite of El's reaction, resulting in a self-destruction (in a metaphorical sense).

This post was my magnum opus. And broke my tumblr multiple times bc of its length so i hope ur happy with it <3

[gayofthefae]

And curtains associated with Elmike

Closed....then open

Windows associated with byler

Hrrrmmm(mincraft villager)

[human-ithink17]

I love elmike soooooooo much and if anything happened to them I WOULD throw a fit & I wanna take them and hug and then and squeeze them and I like them both individually and as a pair and anything that they do I defended with my whole chest

AND I wanna pour gasoline and then light a match onto mileven

[timetobeaghost]

Stranger Things 5 predictions

I think it's time, before the spoilers hit.

Things I am sure about:

Byler endgame!!!

Elmike drama/breakup/friendship arc very integral to the plot

Will has powers, duh.

Jopper endgame

Happy ending

which necessarily means Jonathan surviving!

and OG party surviving + El

VH1 dying, duh

Things I am pretty sure about:

Mike gets vecna'd

Will is like Henry, not like the lab kids, an OG power kid (his parents are Joyce and Lonnie)

Max survives, cause happy ending, dammit

Steve and Robin and Erica survive. Happy ending.

Lumax endgame!!

Rockie endgame

Things I predict, because I can:

Mike meets Max in the deeper mind lair or something, gets her out, has to stay/doesn't make it out with her

Vesna outs Mike in front of Max, cause another character being there makes it more interesting

Willel teamwork to go get Mike, no simple piggybacking possible because deeper mind lair - different ... time? (wth do I know?)

Flickegate - It doesn't have to be a kiss but timefuckery explaining the flickering with connection to Byler. I SEE THE VISION

Jancy not endgame, I think. Definitely no other Nancy ship tho!

I COULD see Nancy dying. I know I'm the only one, but I'm gonna predict it, It could be devastating without being show ruiningly devastating. It would fit thematically (when Steve for example would just be random cruelty so someone dies)I just have this feeling. Still, she might live and it's a happy ending sweep. If someone important dies, I say her.

Things I wish for:

Argyle

For my beloved Mike/Max plot, I'll add Lucas thinking they are in love now (because Mileven breakup and Max obsessing about that Mike saved her and they need to get him out) and then being so relieved he is gay. Come on, there is always time for romantic hijinks and it would be such a fun thing for Lucas character. He would be all sad and saintly about it, so good.

In the last ep there is a moment that makes the painting prophetic. Mike leading Will and Lucas and Dustin into battle against the big bad.

I do want a moment of darkness from El, a fitting development from that time in S2 when she attacked Max - I do not mean attacking Max again, but maybe attacking Mike or ... something dark and the she has to actively choose the light again.

Kali comes back, proving that she wasn't for nothing.

10 appears! And somehow he is Eddie? 😂

STEVE/KALI the only Steve ship that truly slaps for some reason

Hopefully it will be the best "This only worked out because of everyone's actions" finale ever. Or at least second best since ST1.

[kittykat940]

bestie!!! ❤️ i just woke up and we have a possible coming out scene being shot? im ASCENDING.

bestie! i am so glad your back and yes we do and maybe a milkvan break up we are so getting platonic elmike also that finn pic of him sitting in mikes room on the chair with the yellow curtains in the background with the bright light i think hes looking at the painting we got sm crumbs today bestie im freaking out

[starmanbyler]

hypothetically, how would i tag an edit that is m!leven focused but in a negative light but also n not necessarily just hate. like a sad edit that people would make for sad couples in any media. because the way i see it i find it compelling enough to make edits but then sometimes it doesn’t always have something to do with byler. but id feel bad tagging it as m!leven because people might get mad for cross tagging since it isn’t pro milkvan (although a lot of people do make sad byler edits so 🤷🏻‍♀️🤷🏻‍♀️) . and it’s not just platonic elmike either so idk where to draw the line. my target audience is bylers but it’s not a byler edit if ykwim.

[sagereidxx]

I love making everything about byler and Taylor Swift's "folklore" (my favorite Taylor Swift album) In folklore, there is a love triangle between Betty, James and Augustine. And Taylor herself said that "Betty and James ended up together but he put her though it." But they willelmike love triangle goes a little bit differently.

How the folklore love triangle goes is, Betty and James were together and had a falling out (but didn't break up) Then, he went away for a summer and cheated on Betty with Augustine. And after that summer, James shows up at Betty's party and apoligizes, Betty ends up kissing him on her doorstep (in front of all her stupid friends) and start dating again. Eventually, they "end up together" But. this is where byler and El come in. How I think, Mike is James, Will is Betty and El is Augustine.

The folklore love triangle is a musical parallel to Mike's relationship with El and Mike. This is why:

Will has been with Mike from the start, just like Betty and James. While, yes, Mike and Will have never dated, they've been best friends since kidergarten (i think) and they've been friends the longest out of anyone else is the party. While they have also had several falling outs but Mike has always been the one, at Will's door, apoligizing to him and begging for forgivness.

Now it's time to talk about El. Don't get me wrong, I am not one of the bylers that hates El, I love her. BUT, she was and is Augustine. She hasn't been there (with Mike) as long as Will has. She's basically a disraction for Mike in a romantic sense. And, hear me out on this, I think Mike is basically using El as a shelid. To cover up his interilalized homophobia and so he dosen't get picked on, so he isn't a target.

Time for lyrics breakdowns! (I have alot of headcannons about these lyrics but I'll try to keep these as close to canon event as possible)

"i knew you" -cardigan

Like I said, Will has been there from the literal start and he knows Mike better than anyone. a n y o n e.

"a friend to all is a friend to none. chase to girls, lose the one." -cardigan

We all know Mike hates being or feeling alone, espically without Will. (See all of Season 1) And I think he knows that he loves Will (that he's in love with Will) but he's too scared to pursue Will because he might lose El or Will or both of them. Also, I do think Mike needs El but not as much as he needs Will.

"but i'd knew you'd linger like a tattoo kiss. i'd knew you'd haunt all of my what-ifs." -cardigan

(i can't help but sneak a hc in here but idk if it is bc i might be canon already) I think that Will has stayed up late at night, just thinking about why he likes Mike and how he's never going to like him back. Why does Mike have to linger in his thoughts?

"i'd knew you'd miss me wants the thrill expiered and you'd be standing in my front porch light." -cardigan

This lyric reminds me of the aftermath of the rain fight in season 3, where Mike (with Lucas) stood in the pouring rain and basically almost kicked down the door, begging Will for forgivness (and later rain though the dark fucking forest, still in the pouring rain, to find Will and make sure he was okay.)

"cause you were never mine." - august

El has to know about Mike and Will at this point. She isn't dumb. This is highlighted in the "You never say it" scene. She knows that Mike isn't loving her the way she wants/needs to be loved, but she knows that Mike loves Will the way he needs to be loved.

"i remember thinking i had you." -august

While I think El knows, I think this is a new(er) realization. I think this was as nesw as that "you don't say it" and airport scenes. And just a friendly reminder that Mike only said "I love you" to El with Will's encouragment.

"and say, meet me behind the mall. so much for summer love and saying us. 'cause you weren't mine to lose." -august

This entire lyric reminds me of season 3 elmike and the whole "I dump your ass" scene.

"betty, one time i was riding on my skatebaord when i passed your house, it's like i couldn't beathe." -betty

(another hc im sorry) i 1000 percent think that Mike would go back to the Byers' old house after they moved. And everytime he felt like he was gonna cry so hard he would throw up.

"the worst thing that i ever did, was what i did to you." -betty

We all know Mike regretted the whole "it's not my fault you dont like girls" thing. (y'know banging on his door, running though the woods. all the stuff i already brought up.) But he proably also lies awake at night after Will moved away, staring at the celing, thinking about what he said, replaying it in his head, wondering why he was such a bad fucking friend.

"slept next to her but, i dreamt of all sumer long." -betty

I definitly think that Mike realized his liked Will in season 3 but got back together with El and that's when he started using her as a sheild.

I love the folklore love triangle and willelmike. i even write a whole one shot about byler and the song betty. (ill proably post a poll abt that to see if yall wanna read it.) ive been wanting to write this for a while so thank you for reading! and let me know if i missed anything so i can add onto this. i love you! bye!

[gayofthefae]

Never forget how light is truth and it's dark when Mike tells El he loves her but maybe the brightest I've seen this show when Will tells Mike.

Never forget how it's dark in every scene after Mike and Will's fight until they makeup with open windows, sunlight of day streaming in, but it's also streaming in daylight when Mike and El fight.

[ven0moir]

Hiii :)) hope your day is going well

I just wanted to ask you how do you think they're gonna deal with miIeven next season?

And also, if you want ofc, how do you think they could deal with miIeven if they wanted to keep their romantic relationship till the end? With Will's painting and lie and Mike's self esteem issues, how they could make this good, in a way we could see miIeven in a good light and still think that Will had a happy ending, or if you think there's no way to make us (not only bylers but GA since they also don't like miIeven) see it in a good light. (you don't have to answer this one but i think about it a lot and i would like to see other people's opinions)

Hello, Anon! Tysm for the ask, I hope your day is going well too! This turned really long but I added a small TL;DR in the end if you'd rather not go through this all!

I’m going to put a little warning here that I’m no longer sugarcoating my thoughts on Mileven, especially because I feel like the Duffers themselves are anti-mileven. So proceed with caution.

To answer your first question, the more I rewatch the show, the more I realize that Mileven seemed to be more a plot device than an actual relationship the Duffers and writers put much depth into. I sincerely see a scenario similar to S2 Stancy happening with Mileven. They naturally drift apart throughout the season, with Mike’s focus being Will and Eleven’s being Max. 

Their break-up scene will probably look similar to S2 Stancy. I do not see why they would stray away from this pattern when they’ve already followed S1 Stancy’s blueprint for S4 Mileven. 

Imho post-S4 Mileven is not relevant at all to either El or Mike’s arcs, and I would even go as far as saying that the relationship never truly took off.

S1 - they meet during the direst circumstances. Mike was kind enough to give her a hand, and then once he realized she could help, his desperation led him to act out in a way that filled him with guilt post S1. Whether or not he actually had a crush on her, or just thought he was responsible for her and had to like her to fit in is up for interpretation. Mike saved her when she needed someone, but it never went beyond that. Mike himself says this to us during the van scene.

S2 - Mike was filled with guilt because of how El died, blaming himself for it and everything. When he’s attempting to reach her, he even says he just needs to know that she’s okay and that he’s not even going to say anything, which implies he won’t try to find her if she doesn’t wish to be found. He legitimately just wanted to know she was okay somewhere and wasn’t expecting to see her again. They meet again in the end and kiss. S3 - THIS was the season to show us how cute Mileven actually was, and how well they worked together as a team and as a couple. Instead, we got some really weird context, such as them doing literally nothing but kissing for 6 months. When she’s with Max, we learn the topic of what Eleven likes never even came up in conversation while she was with Mike. Then he had his weird projection era, and they only seem to make up again after shit hits the fan once more. 

S4 - The first thing they tell us is that El has been lying in her letters to Mike for 185 days. And then more weird context. Honestly assuming that Mike was only nice to Eleven because he was ‘in love with her at first sight’ is such a cringe concept to me that I cannot believe the Duffers were serious for one second.

Mike and Eleven had the most development during S1, which set them up as a ‘savior’ in each other’s lives, and then the show never developed them beyond that. The only development they had was how the relationship makes both characters insecure. I personally don’t even think ‘Elmike’ can be salvaged at this point without some substantial screen time, which the show itself has proven time and time again it rather give that to other dynamics. 

I know some people disagree and think Mileven and Elmike are actually an integral part of the show but I just do not see why the show would prioritize them NOW after setting them up in different paths in S5 with Mike closing the season literally by Will’s side (while setting Will up for his hardest season yet) and El’s priority being Max, alongside reuniting with Hopper after thinking he had died for months. 

I sincerely feel what the Duffers have been building Mileven up to is a break-up. They have not been written as endgame.

As for how they could salvage romantic Mileven … I feel like it’s too late at this point. The absolute most they can do is RETCON Will’s confession by having Eleven have her own. Which depending on how they do it will feel just as cheap as Mike’s monologue. “Yes indeed! Even though Will lied about the painting and I don’t really behave like I love you at all I do feel that way about you.” Absolutely nothing they can do or say redeems Mileven THIS late in the game. ESPECIALLY not after the way they handled Will and the painting plot. Because even if they somehow by some miracle manage to patch up Mileven last minute, where does that leave Will???? If Will’s whole arc with Mike was to just give him a painting and a confession, so then he can move on, WHY DID THEY MAKE SUCH A HUGE DEAL ABOUT HIS PAIN??? 

When Dustin was heartbroken in S2, the show showed his disappointment but then we saw him try to move on by asking other girls to dance. He at least had that option, Will does not. He’s a closeted gay teen in the 80s in love with a best friend he’s been through so much with. We don’t even know how long Will has had feelings for Mike in secret, so using his feelings and painting like that, as “realistic” as some people claim it is, is just unnecessarily cruel. They could’ve had him move on from Mike at the end of S3, and given him some unnamed crush in Lenora. They did NOT need to make him in love with Mike if all that’s coming from it is a rejection in the LAST season. 

So yes, TL;DR: 

Romantic Mileven is beyond saving at this point, and MAYBE at best, we get some nice Elmike scenes to set them up as friends now once the initial sting of the breakup has subsided.

Even if they wanted to do the insanity of keeping Mike and Eleven together, it’s just going to feel like cheap fanservice and Sunk Cost Fallacy-ish. 

[elevenmayfieldz]

2 of these are prompts so feel free to send in prompts! :) also please PLEASE ask me about them !!!!

[paladin-n-cleric]

which one would you prefer;

willel cliff scene resembling anne with e

willel falling to the ud together (they survive though but have a cliff scene talk vibes)

OOH willel cliff scene!!!! bc it parallels awae, it brings to light the severity of the situation, and it comes full circle w the elmike scene

[miwiheroes]

Hi welcome to miwiheroes <3

*australian accent* 'Ello this is Eli, president of miwiheroes club and I realised I never made an intro post, also this is a little masterpost where you can find all the analysis/ byler rambling posts without having to scrolls through my account :D

I'm 19 years old

At university for psychology

he/him

I may look like an aggressively straight man but no one knows i'm actually hyperfixated on shipping two queer guys from a sci-fi netflix show

I'm a capricorn, infp, bisexual and trans ftm

my hyperfixations right now include byler, severance (on appletv+), and dan & phil <3

i'm from england

my spotify is 'figflower' and: Here are my byler playlists!!

i never used to write analysis on film but thx byler tumblr because i've been missing out

if you were wondering, my favourite characters from stranger things are (in this order): will, mike, hopper and el <3 okay see ya

MY ANALYSES:

(i will update these as i make them. my more massive analyses are highlighted in blue)

This theoretical model of relationships + ST couples

Purposeful music choices and music titles

Will's understanding of Mike makes the audience root for Byler

Mike and Will and El cannot be replaced by a different gender - they are tied to a queer narrative w/ @stranger-feathers

All my Airport Scene Analyses

Mike has to be wrong about needing to love El

Elmike breakup vs Byler fight contrast

Phonegate canon or not canon? analysis

Colourgate is completely canon

Mike's bedroom detailed analysis

Will is not getting a new love interest in S5

How Mike treats El's letters vs. Will's art

Season 3 ending scene full analysis

Mike's conversation with El in the grocery store is queer coded

Byler parallels with other canon ships

Answering a mileven ask part 2: electric boogaloo

Answering a mileven ask part 1

Mike's self-sabotaging avoidance to incriminate himself

Silly queer coding jokes

The M&M Scene

Mike Wheeler's Promise

Will's 'I'm not gonna fall in love' is a bigger proof than you think

Confirmation that Mike jumping into the quarry was about Will

Milkvan's conflict, Byler, and the concept of understanding

Byler and the insane amount of Closet Imagery

Season 1 Mike is extremely queer-coded

The most important 'Will Voice' scene

What if Mike's gay from the beginning of S5 like Will in S4?

You're not delusional: What I noticed when I wasn't a byler

Thinking about the monologue…

Mike is clearly thinking about Will in the Snow Ball scene

Light is symbolic for truth = byler endgame

MY FICS:

My AO3 Account: miwiheroes

vibrant days (caution to the breeze) - 15,204 words

Mike and Will's relationship has been secret for 2 months. Neither of them want to bring it up, but things build and build until it becomes more of a burden than just a little mutual understanding. Will's growing up (and getting drunk) and it's impossible for Mike to stay in the same place forever, with words always on the tip of his tongue.

aka mike and will are hiding their relationship and avoid talking about hard subjects

is my timing that flawed? - 14,621 words

In the aftermath of a harrowing escape from the Upside Down, Mike and Will grapple with physical and emotional wounds. Faced with Will's new plan and doubt of what's real and what's not, Mike must confront reality and something that he had never been able to truly control.

aka wound cleaning fic + a devastating cliffhanger + Will not knowing what's real and what's not

it's rotten work (not to me. not if it's you) - 15,919 words

Ten years after everything, and Will hasn't been able to shake a debilitating fear of anything medical-related. So when the only option and smart thing to do is get a blood test from the hospital, Mike is sure to take the time to be there for him.

aka will needs a blood test but has a phobia of needles and mike takes time off work to support him

what you really want - 46,456 words

aka a s5 speculatory mike wheeler-centric fic about his internalised homophobia and a lot of moments where he's not so clever about his feelings with will

our hearts were singing - 13,724 words (incomplete)

aka karen invites mike and will over for christmas, but mike still hasn't told his whole family about his relationship, even after a year of them definitely not-so-platonically living together. maybe it's time.

you can't help but become the sun - 16,267 words

aka mike offers to be will's reference, they talk about mike's self-esteem issues, and more shenanigans with paint ensue

MY BYLER EDIT COMP ON YOUTUBE

Have fun! And if you don't ship byler ur allowed to interact but if you want to hate on it, please don't interact! I'll just delete any hate because I personally think there is no space for homophobia or negativity on my page.

You'll also find 0 byler doubt here. I don't want to worry people. So ily <3