#i personally hc mike as demi(romantic/sexual)

[alex-the-bringer-of-chaos]

Ok, since there's been a lot of infighting (for some fucking reason) over Mike's sexuality, allow me to state something: Who cares? As long as that bitch isn't straight and ends up with El there will be a satisfying story with good narrative being told.

Please finish reading before getting pissed off :D.

I understand that people want to see themselves represented (bitch I'm aroace and agender, I get it), but we don't need to fight over it. Make your analysis and why you think a certain way, but no need to attack one each other.

Now I gotta say something else: I don't care what Mike's sexuality is, as long as he ends up with Will. The reason for that, you ask? Well simple:

Independent el and byler endgame is the only happy and right ending - I've said that numerous times and the narrative agrees with it.

I'm saying this not because I think that his sexuality is irrelevant or cause I don't care about his character arch, quite the contrary. I think that, regardless of him being gay, bi, pan, queer or unlabeled, Mike will have a satisfying storyline and character arch. A good one, that will make sense with the narrative of the show. And we will get to analyze it. A thing that won't happen if he's straight and milkvan is endgame - cause that would be a shit story due to garbage narrative.

Now obviously some people have their reasons for preferring and believing in one outcome over the other, and that's okay, as long as your not a pussy and a little bitch about it. That's all. Thanks for reading folks. Please don't come at me with pitchforks if you wanna hate, just block me.

[starsarefire824]

Heeey moot! Just woke up! Even though I'm late, I just wanted to say that you deserve to write whatever tf you want and I'm sorry some peeps were harassing you about The Pact. I don't think folks know how hard it is to not only write, but then to post it for others to see. So, for them to criticize you when it's just a fun fic that they can ignore or filter out (tags on ao3 are meant to be used geez) its wild to me. You're doing something very unique with the characters and including a lot of different subgroups of the queer community splendidly while keeping them flawed like real teens - all in 1 fic. As a demi ace myself, I was so happy to see you incorporate that in your fic respectively and a lot of my queer Sex Ed came from detailed, researched fics bc even though my parents and school system talked to me about sex, there was nothing for the queer kids, let alone ace kids to get guidance on. So, for fic readers/writers like me, using fics to explore sexuality was a godsend.

Can't help but also think it's the biphobia kicking in again, specifically for characters like Mike. No one has a problem hc Max as bi even though it seems like lumax is clearly endgame over elmax or elumax, but when it comes to Mike being bi it's like the world is ending despite it clearly being byler endgame. I personally ship all hcs of Mike's sexuality cuz only Robin and Will have been confirmed queer. Everyone else in ST to me is undisclosed until stated straight or queer. But again that's me.

Also love your poly rep cuz my sib is poly and so were some of my grandma's cousins from 1950s-now. So, again, all or most sexualities explored in fics is a must, regardless if you ship it. I've always been a polypartycule shipper and enjoy how you include all party members and mention Duzie sometimes cuz too many times I found fics/hcs excluding the fact Dustin has a stable relationship with Suzie in favor of just highlighting byler and elumax as the romantic ones of the party.

Sorry for the rant but I had to let it out. I hated scrolling through my feed and seeing that post you made of folks getting heated over fiction like you're gonna convince the Duffers to change the whole script. Anyways I hope my support is felt. This is still me typing in a sleep daze and yeah. I'll continue reading your work cuz I enjoy good writers first and foremost and omg lol you made it having some harrassers cuz the greatest books were on the banned book list. Not saying you deserve the irrational hate, but that's how I'm framing it - this is giving "banned book energy" just cuz The Pact is exploring romantic madwheeler when no one cares about byclair or henderhop or henclair (despite folks labeling El as a lesbian). Anyways, you do you moot be blessed out here

Hello deer moot!!!! <33

Thanks so much for the positive vibes!!! I truly appreciate it. I guess I was just feeling a little let down that a select few people made it so far into a fic and then were angry about the way things were going and/or felt the need for me to tell them the ending. At first it didn't bother me, but after answering the same questions 1,000 times and trying to sort of reassure everyone it got to a point of being exhausting! I want to talk about the fic, but I don't really want to have to defend my writing/story/ship choices every chapter. It's kind of exhausting and was bringing me down a little bit. But anyway, enough about that.

I am SO GLAD that you are like...really vibing with some of the choices in that story? Especially with your unique pov being demi ace and having poly family. I think that fanfiction can be a very important tool for a lot of teen when it comes to exploring sex, especially if it's not a cis het-normative type or even just....dealing with sex from a young person's pov and all of the obstacles that everyone faces in that regard. Also, I think it can just open up a conversation or make a person think about things that maybe they might not of before etc etc. Or! They can just enjoy those scenes for the writing/good time. I'm here for all of it.

I'm not sure if it's a biphobia thing? It honestly hadn't occurred to me, but you may possibly be right. I know a lot of people headcanon Mike as gay, which I fully support. I wouldn't be surprised if that is the case. I think if Byler happens in canon, he'll be unlabeled. BUT I do like to write Mike as bi, I personally think that there were feelings for El at some point. I personally headcanon him as a bi-romantic, and sexually leaning towards men. But that's just me....

But anyway, as that pertains to madwheeler, I also really enjoy the bi for bi Max and Mike dynamic, specifically because it's fun to write, and secondly it's another thing to add to their already similar personalities. And yea. I agree... unless a character's sexuality is specifically stated like El and Will's, there is room for exploration for most characters and that's what fanfic and art is for.

I do think there is this strange thought process regarding bi characters, that if they have a relationship with a person of the opposite sex it's like they're not "queer enough" for other people. Like it's somehow lesser than if Mike has a relationship with a woman, even though he already, in canon, is well, with a woman. And that people tend to forget that people are still bi, still queer, even if they are in the most outwardly straight presenting relationship, cause let's face it....you can't really help who you're attracted to and who you fall in love with. it just is.

And when it comes to the madwheeler in this fic, I am fully aware it is one of the least popular ships out there, but again, that is one of the reasons I wanted to explore it. And a a bi, poly person my self it was really interesting putting these characters in a dynamic where they were both involved with people of differing genders and orientations. It gives you a lot to work with when it comes to having things to write about! シ

And as you said, it also allows for some messy, realistic teenage angst! Which I am always a fan of! ;)

Anyway, thank you for the rant. I appreciate it so much, and am honestly still blown away by the positive responses to this story. Even if it's not everyone's cup of tea!

[terraether]

for the last 6 years ever since the legend of korra series finale aired in which Bryke chastised the audience for watching the show thru “hetero lenses” I have exclusively lived my life and consumed media thru HOMO lenses (has nothing to do with the fact I am gay and enjoy queer media analysis 👀). So, here’s a ranking of the st4 characters according to how difficult it was for me to analyze them thru these “hetero lenses”:

1. Max & Lucas - not at all difficult

These two are the easiest for me to read as not gay. Obviously being in a m/f relationship does not negate queerness altogether but for the sake of mainstream media as big as stranger things, it all but does. I -1/10 relate to them which is how I know, they are hetero, and it takes no effort for me to believe it. I used to read max as queer I guess due to her tomboy attitude but after seeing her in Taylor swift atw video I cannot unsee her as straight idk why this is just my brain

2. Dustin - not at all difficult

Dustin is a straight boy. He could possibly be hc as ace or demi if I think about it, but it takes more effort for me to think about a queer hc than accepting him as straight which is why he ranks this high up. I love 1 (one) straight boy

3. Jonathan - not very difficult

Jargyle is awesome and I love it. But also jonathan has the energy of the difficult alt guy that lands the popular girl and he just is never quite the same without her. They’ll part ways maybe for a while, but in the end he never searched for another love. They find their way back to each other and marry. He says, “I’ve only ever been with you.” It’s said as romantic, it reads a little creepy. She blushes. The end. So yeah outside of his alt boy “I don’t fit in” personality and his possible stoner make out sessions with his 1 true bro argyle it is not hard to see the hetero.

4. Joyce & Hopper - somewhat difficult

I ship jopper so hard BUT! Winona Ryder gives off so much queer lesbian energy that it does take me some time to push aside my gay lenses to accept that Joyce loves men (especially after s1 Joyce’s hair and outfit…). But they are, in the end, believably straight and the gays support them!!

5. Jane / El - pretty difficult

The early seasons she read so queer, I related to her so much. She didn’t understand gender norms and she didn’t look conventionally feminine and she just rocked all these cool outfits and looks and it was a vibe. However, by s4 it is clear to me she is a typical cis teen girl. The only reason she ranks #5 is bc it is pretty difficult for me to believe she is straight. I very strongly hc her as pansexual, she just seems like she has a lot of love to give and that gender would not be a barrier for her feelings (tho society would.)

6. Nancy - pretty difficult

I saw the excitement over ronance on this site after the trailers but I did not get it, Nancy is Straight TM and there was no proof they’d even get along let alone be gfs but Um, these scenes from s4 are making it harder for me to blindly look thru hetero lenses. She’s giving bi energy and it’d be so cute to see her flirt with Robin and be all bashful about it.

7. Steve - difficult

I have read steve as bi since s2? I think? And then when he accepted Robin after she came out I thought hm it’s the perfect opportunity for steve to explore his own sexuality! And s4 just strengthens my beliefs. He can’t get a gf?? Well to me that’s clearly bc he is discovering his interest in men and a gf just isn’t what he wants rn. However, I recently realized that steve has probably become the duffer’s self insert character so I am able to read him as straight and see thru the hetero lenses that his gf troubles probably root in I guess lingering feelings for *cringe* nancy 😩

8. Mike - very difficult

Mike is in the same boat as steve in my eyes. His actions just read gaygaygay panic to me. His interactions with will seem to give a hope to will that could only mean “omg my best friend also has a gay crush on me!!” However because this is a huge heteronormative show I am reluctantly able to see thru the hetero lenses that mike is probably just an idiot boy who is struggling with ~feelings~ and communication with his long distance gf, as well as just missing the closeness of his lifelong best friend. (But then I remember the scenes again and I’m like wait??? No way, it’s gotta all be gay!!)

9. Eddie - very difficult

Eddie to me is a gay man. I am able to put on the hetero lenses since he’s like a super popular handsome male character in this huge show in our wonderfully heteronormative world, which they certainly designed to appeal to the straight female audience (I think?? LOL) but ultimately I do not know enough about him yet to readily conclude that the writers have even made any conclusions about him. Because of this, it’s hard for me to believe he’s straight since it looks likely that he’ll die before any romantic storyline with him is addressed at all. He’s ~~ambiguous~~

10. Will & Robin - impossible

Soooo Robin is canon lesbian and therefore IMPOSSIBLE to see thru hetero lenses !!! Will is also pretty much canon gay man (I say pretty much because he is written and coded with gay storylines but he himself is only now arriving to conclusions about himself so it can only be canon in words once he is able to speak it. However this does not negate the canon fact that he is a gay character and has been this whole time even before he knew it. That’s just how life is for gay ppl sometimes). Will is impossible for me to view through hetero lenses and idk WHAT I’d do if they somehow pulled a reverse bryke, made will hold hands with a girl and then post series finale chastised us all for watched with our “homo lenses” (LOL COULD YOU IMAGINE?!?)

Bonus: Argyle - file not found

He just has that energy of creed from the office telling how he’d get so fucked up in the 70s on drugs that if gay shit happened then gay shit happened and I think that’s beautiful

[swannholloway]

Until Dawn Sexuality HCs

Went blueberry picking with @theartfuldead for 3 hours, so of course I made headcanons & she added to them (with a bit of help from our friend Jamie). Inspired partly by this.

Ashley: Ashley is bisexual, and her preference (between girls&boys) is split fairly evenly, but her major crush on Chris has stopped her from exploring any other attractions. She was, however, briefly attracted to Jess, which was one of the hints that made her realise she’s bi.

Beth: Beth 👏 is 👏 a 👏 lesbian 👏 and 👏 proud. Her first kiss was with Sam, and that's who she had her first real crush on, but her feelings faded pretty quickly when she pushed them down. She really wants to get into a relationship with a cute girl, but is making the most of being single.

Chris: Chris is asexual (sex neutral) and biromantic. At one point, he wanted something more to happen between him and Josh, but then he met Ashley and it was “one-sided” puppy love. He’s been too nervous to ask anyone out, because he didn’t know how they would react to him being ace. Whenever Josh teases him about taking Ashley to the Bone Zone, he gets a little uncomfortable as he’s not really sure that he wants to. (Maybe the date zone? Not quite as catchy.)

Emily: Emily is asexual and greyromantic, rarely having any attraction to anyone. She did care for Mike and Matt, but not in the way they may have felt about her. She would much rather have a close friend to share her life with than any sort of romantic or sexual partner, and never plans on getting married.

She thought maybe Jess could be her exception and she really tried to have feelings for her (bc everyone loves Jess), but it didn’t work out. They both enjoyed their fling and it made them closer friends (who occasionally have drunken make out sessions when Jess is single).

Hannah: Hannah is the one totally straight friend of the group. They used to have some others, but after the years the weak weeded themselves out. Hannah will protect her queer friends and will fight anyone if they have a problem with them.

Jessica: Jess is pansexual. If you're attractive and can keep up with her at parties, there's a good chance she'll look your way, but when looking for a real relationship, she's a little more picky. While she takes her relationships seriously, she has trouble seeing the person, or less specifically, the gender of the person she'll eventually settle down with.

Josh: Josh thinks he’s straight, but then again, he may be bi… or pan (he’s definitely questioning it). Josh can’t tell how to draw the line between finding someone nice to look at and actually being attracted to them, so he’s not sure on how he wants to identify yet. He finds all of his friends fairly attractive, but would probably only date Sam (and really wants to). HOWEVER, Josh will flirt with anyone, especially if it makes them blush (sometimes Jess joins him).

Matt: Matt identifies as heteroflexible, because he’s only really been into girls, but he’s met a guy that he’d be into dating, and doesn’t feel like he could *only* fall for a woman. He had a very brief thought about what him and Mike would be like, but shut down that train of thought almost immediately.

Mike: Mike is bisexual with a heavy preference towards girls. He struggled with internalized homophobia for a while, but learned to accept himself and now jokes about his sexuality a lot of the time (but only he is allowed to do so). He’s never had a serious relationship with a guy, but he has hooked up with one or two and could see it happening.

Sam: Sam's demisexual polyromantic. In fact, she’s so demi, that she’s only had one big crush (on Josh), and maybe one or two smaller ones (she’s not entirely sure, because feelings are confusing). She’s been attracted to a few others, but whenever she imagines herself getting married and starting a family, it’s only been with one person, even if she hasn’t had a crush on him in a few years.