#making everything about byler

[thepladinsheart]

Mike's "Will Voice". - An Essay by me.

If you’re a byler you know about the “Will Voice '' . But if you somehow don’t or you’re new, the “Will Voice" is the voice that Mike uses when he is talking to Will and ONLY Will. Normally Mike is a little abrasive and defensive to most people when he is talking to them. But when talking to Will, his voice is soft and quiet, just above a whisper, gentle. 

Before we get into it, I think you should just know that the “Will voice” isn’t just something Byler’s made up! The directors tell Finn (the actor that plays Mike) to use a “special voice” when talking to Noah (The actor that plays Will) when filming.

DISCLAIMER - i actually didnt think this was going to be this long so sorry in advance but here are my thought i hope you enjoy! i love you!

“It was a seven, the Demogorgon. It got me.” - Season 1

One of the VERY FIRST SCENES in the show is Mike using his “Mike voice” Even if he really doesn't have to say anything at all. After Karen tells everybody to leave and all of the boys are hopping on their bikes to go home, Will is the only one left behind with Mike. Will admits to Mike that in the campaign they're playing, the Demogorgon got to him and killed him. 

Something about this scene is just so…. The look of understanding, the nod. Mike is just more gentle with will than anyone else. 

Right before this he was just arguing with Dustin about wether his sister is cool or not but with Will it’s different. 

Unfortunately, since Will really isn’t in the whole rest of the season, because yknow he’s in a whole other dimension there aren't a lot of other scenes where Mike is using his “Will voice” However, Mike was the person who wanted to find will the most behind maybe Joyce. Saying that he “was the only one who cared about Will”, so that is something. 

“Crazy together.” - Season 2 

In my opinion, season 2 is like beak soft byler. The first season 2 byler moment was..

The Arcade Scene

As soon as Mike snaps Will out of his trance, his vision, whatever you want to call it, he goes right back to Will's comforting voice and tries to make him feel better and distracts him with a game of dig dug. 

In the next episode, it's Halloween. And we ALL know what happened on Halloween night of 1987.

Will’s episode on halloween 

When Will has a bad vision, who is the first name he calls? Mike. Not Lucas, Not Dustin, not even Max. Mike. Not anyone else but Mike. And who was the first one to find Will and the first one to comfort him? Micheal Fucking Wheeler. And he was using the same soft voice he always does when talking to Will, barley over a whisper. Not to mention that Mike wouldn't let anyone touch Will but himself after Will snapped out of his episode. 

Talk in Mike’s Basement Scene

After Will had this awful episode, Mike takes Will and only Will back to his house. Will rambles and rants about how he feels stuck and Mike? He is attentive, sweet, listening, letting him get all of his words out. I’ve noticed with other people Mike can come off like he’s abrasive and harsh but with Will he is nothing close to that. 

This conversation also consists of Mike helping Will express his feeling by finishing his sentences for him when he just can’t get his words out. In the few times Mike does speak, he does not break out of the gentle voice and literally never breaks his gaze from Will, not once. 

EVEN WHEN MIKE TALKS ABOUT EL HE TALKS IN HIS WILL VOICE. AND THE ONLY REASON MIKE BROUGHT UP EL WAS FOR WILL’S BENEFIT. 

And then the most iconic Byler line in Stranger Things history, “If we’re both going crazy, we’ll go crazy together, right?” “Yeah, crazy together.” So gentle, so sweet, so wholesome.

The hallway scene 

Mike immediately notices something off with Will and has to make sure everything is okay. 

Side note: even when Will isn't with Mike and the party, Mike will literally do anything he can to help Will. That’s his only priority at the moment. 

Will’s bedroom scene

Even when Will is talking about “Him” Mike still reminds him that Will is a good person, calling him a “super spy”. Mike is doing absolutely anything he can to comfort Will and make him feel any better. (P.s. this moment is so wholesome I love it.)

And then the “yeah, yeah I really do” The PRIME example of “Will Voice”. The gentleness, the voice, the look, the nod, the reassurance, AND THEN THE REACH FOR THE HAND. 

Hospital Scene (Will wakes up)

Will wakes up and Mike is obviously right there (‘cause he slept in the chair next to the bed, WHICH IS LIKE MY FAVORITE BYLER MOMENT OF ALL TIME) and asks if Will is “hurting again”, Mike keeps his eyes steady on Will. His only focus is Will right now. He keeps his voice soft and he asks Will things to make sure he understands and that he is hearing what Will is going through right now. 

Mike recalling how they met 

Even though the poor boys voice is shaky because he is literally trying (and failing) to hold back tears, it’s still soft and reassuring. 

“It’s not my fault you don't like girls!” -Season 3 

The movie theater scene

This scene is one of my favs from Season 3. Mike is the first and only person to realize something is off with Will and say something to make sure he’s okay. The "you okay?” and “you sure?” are so gentle and soft. It reminds me a lot of someone jumping at a scary part in a movie and their partner wrapping their arm around them and asking if they’re okay. 

NOT TO MENTION THE NOT SO SUBTLE LIP GLANCES. 

(Also the little gay panic Will has after Mike ask if he’s okay and the blush on Mike’s cheeks before) 

The scene right before the fight scene

Mike immediately notices Will is upset after Mike makes his “joke” and he goes back to his voice that always gets Will and tries to convince him that they (him and Lucas) do really want to finish the campaign. 

The fight scene

Mike IMMEADLEY goes back to his will voice after he drops the bomb shell because he know he fucked up and he did it BIG TIME. The big difference between Mike’s “Will Voice” in Season 2 and Season 3 is that in Season 2 he was really using that voice with Will because he knew that it was comforting to him but now in season 3 he uses it because he knows Will will fall for it. 

(Also you know how Max says to El that Mike will come crawling back to El in no time? The only person he came crawling back to apologizing was Will.) 

“Get away from the door” Scene 

@myname1sca1 brought up a great point! The scene where Max is trying talk to Billy through the door, Will has a feeling that “He’s here” Mike stays turned and looking at Will says "get away from the door" it's in a gentle, quiet, soft voice and when Max doesn't listen, he turns away from Will and starts screaming at her do get away from the door again. He was only using that voice because he was looking at Will and dropped that voice as soon as he looked away. 

The “Not possible” Scene

Toward the end of season 3, Mike realizes that he was being (in his own words) an asshole the whole season and starts caring about Will again. And when Will comes out and puts his box of D&D on the donate box, the thing he has loved since forever, Mike makes sure that he knows he is giving it away. 

Will knows he’ll just use Mike’s when he visits and won’t join another party. That’s not possible.  

(Plus the look on Mikes face after Will says “not possible” is adorable.)

"I didn't say it." "You didn't have to." Season 4, Vol 1.

Will's bedrooms scene

OMFG THIS SCENE

Immediately Mike is relaxed. His voice low and calm and he's lighthearted. The "You didn't have to" AND THE SMILE. This is a COMPLETE contrast to has he is around El in this part of the season. When with her, he is all tense and feels like he can never say the right thing.

Also, the absolute adoration for Will in his voice. When he says "It's Hawkins, it's not the same without you."

You can also really tell that Mike is really confiding in Will and letting his guard down which he never really does with anyone. Including El. Especially with the whole line "I don't know what's going to happen next." And if you know Mike Wheeler he never tells ANYONE that he is wrong or that he doesn't know what's going on. So, the fact that he feels comfortable enough with Will is something.

"But you make her feel better for being different." Season 4, Vol 2

"We have to Kill him." "And we will." Scene

The MOMENT Mike finds out that Will can feel that 001 is there, he jumps back into being his reassuring, gentle self for Will. This scene reminds me a lot of the "Yeah, Yeah i really do" scene for season 2.

OMG WE ARE DONE, if you made it through all of that, I love you so much. If you want to see more things like this PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE let me know because i love writing essays about Byler analysis!

also let me know if there's anything I missed because if i miss enough things i will gather it and but it in an update!

RESOUCES

Stanger Things I The First 8 Minutes - Series Opener [HD] (Still Watching Netflix on YouTube)

Stranger Thing 02x02 - Mike and Will 'Crazy Together' Scene (Raghaua Daroui on Youtube)

Byler compilation (Season 2-3) (GoraculGerard on Youtube)

every byler scene 1080p I Stranger Things Season 4 Vol 1 (longbttms on Youtube)

byler 1080p scene pack I Stranger Things Vol 2 (longbttms on YouTube)

@myname1sca1 's post!

people who wanted to be tagged!

@lebylershipper

@ash-the-wise

@tender-emotional-music

@wallywise

@willbyerswatch

@hearteyes-wheeler

@paloma-ascends-into-hellfire

@hollarious2

[kazswift]

platonic relationships in media are actually so much more important to me than romantic ones. not sorry

[kittykat940]

Byler swingset flashbacks save me 🙏

[mayfield-of-flowers]

[greenfiend]

Keeping El safe is the most important thing, right Mike?

…Mike?

[lighthouseas]

will holding mike's face when they kiss and mike holding will's neck when they kiss. that is all

[chirpsythismorning]

El being *12 hours earlier* than the Cali timeline when she arrives at Nina. Will saying ‘it’s been 9 hrs’ in the scene following his monologue in the van.

We know that at some point their timelines merged when they arrived to save her…

But we don’t know when exactly those alignments took place when they were still apart… which just makes you wonder…

[crxzytogether]

No because how else can their relationship evolve? They were already the best of friends from the beginning, and they were so close that everybody could tell their relationship was special and meant something different to both of them, take that how you will. Point is they already had a really close and special relationship. How do you evolve that when it was already as good as it could be yk? Like all of the drama and angst between them would be completely unnecessary and a waste of screentime if nothing changes with their relationship

[henry-fox-biggest-stan]

Duffers!!! Make Mike get vecna’d, and my life is yours

Say Mike and Max are intentionally similar and paralleled (because of byler/lumax and because they are “same character different font”) and no one bats an eye. Say Mike and Max are intentionally similar and paralleled because they both get vecna’d, and suddenly it’s not fun anymore.

Not to mention Vecna lacking a left eye (in d&d, and eddie says so during s4 campaign), and mike having lots of imagery regarding his left eye (when talking about his (fake) headache in s1, you can see him rubbing/covering his left eye, his left eye is also shadowed a lot, specially during s4 (to see more of this, search for posts tagged #possesiongate) which also happened to Will in s2, when he was possessed).

+ the many references to michael myers (to the point where while max is having her Vecna vision at the cementery, there’s a grave that’s says “myers”)

Credits to @givehimthemedicine for the discovery of the “random” scenes parallels

Also having MANY thoughts about this post

[demadogs]

oh my god guys why the fuck would they kill karen lmao

[another-trans-nerd]

I read someone saying that mike dragged Lucas along to will in s3 post rain fight but Lucas seemed just as determined to be there

Mike prolly just went to grab his raincoat to follow and Lucas was like “hell yeah let’s go apologize to our friend” because he adores will too yall and cares about mike (who is known to make impulsive bad decisions + they are collectively haunted) and was like “can’t let this guy bike alone in pouring rain Christ)

[andiwriteordie]

hear it in the silence | 3.2k words 

“Ask me,” Mike says, his voice low and quiet and vulnerable, “what I wished for. For my birthday.”

Will’s hazel eyes widen a little bit more, and he hesitates. Swallows the lump in his throat. Glances down at Mike’s lips again, then back up one more time to Mike’s eyes. “If I ask you,” he murmurs, “and you tell me… it might not come true.”

Right – that is how wishes work, after all. You aren’t supposed to tell anyone what you wish for, what your heart desires, what you put all of your hope and longing towards as you blow the candles out on your birthday cake. That’s a secret for you and you alone.

“But,” Will adds, his own voice raspy and low, “I think I might be able to guess.”

Or:

Mike and Will share a quiet moment together away from Mike's eighteenth birthday party.

—

happy birthday, mike wheeler. i wish i could say i adore you as much as will byers does, but i’d be lying to myself 

[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.

[emily-mooon]

Happy (late) Byler Day!

Since my first piece of fan art I ever posted for ST was my Jancy/Byler Titanic AU, why not make some fan art for another Byler Titanic AU?

I decided to do some sketchs of @cherbearsz Titanic AU designs because I think they are really cool. I did come up with my own idea for Mike’s evening wear based on the red dress Rose wears when she has dinner with Jack and also because I’m a fashion history nerd and had the internal urge to put him in an evening tux (pretend the bow tie and waist coat is red and not blue).

Again, Happy late Byler Day!

[greenfiend]

"You're not thinking fourth dimensionally."

Excuse you, I’ve been doing nothing but thinking of the fourth dimension as a Byler. 🤨

I can’t stop thinking about how a wheel represented time freezing around Will. Likely representing a Wheeler.

[ghostlycleric]

It’s really really interesting that they left El’s feelings to be resolved in season 5.

The last time we hear about El’s feelings towards Mike it’s in her letter: “I have gone to become a superhero again. From, El”. That is quite literally El saying she doesn’t love Mike anymore.

She considers writing love to be the bare minimum. “You can’t even write it, Mike.” She thought Mike not saying or writing it meant he didn’t love her anymore. So, she stopped writing it too. While it wasn’t necessarily a breakup letter, that was her telling Mike that she is done waiting for him.

That would’ve immediately lead to their breakup if it weren’t for Will. (That’s why she doesn’t even try to kiss him during their reunion in the desert.) Will talked Mike into giving that monologue, Will lied about who had his feelings. The same feelings that Mike was reassured by and called back to in his monologue to El. The relationship we’ll see Mike and El in at the beginning of season 5 will be built on a lie.

How long this lie lasts is mainly based on the painting, but also on El herself.

Will’s feelings are solidified. Mike’s seem solidified. El’s are unconfirmed. (But, last we saw it seemed she’d lost feelings.) We never see how she responds to the monologue, but we do know some things about after it.

She’s distant. Will has reason to believe that Mike and El haven’t talked at all since the monologue. He asks Mike, kind of timidly, “has she talked to you at all?” and Mike says “not much”. He then reveals that they talked about the supernatural stuff, about her loss. We don’t hear anything about the state of their relationship.

They choose to have Mike and Will have another heart to heart at the end of the season instead of Mike and El. They choose to have El walk out on that hill independently with Mike staying by Will’s side behind her.

I don’t think they’ll pull an off camera breakup for them. But, we saw from how El acted in the desert reunion that she won’t be hostile to Mike after a mature breakup. In the pizza place right before the monologue, she holds his hands and appears to be trying to gently tell him something. I’ve never gotten anything but breakup vibes from that moment. They get interrupted, then the monologue happens. If they didn’t let it get interrupted, Mike and El would’ve broken up.

They’re set up to start yet another season with a rocky relationship built on a lie and an I love you. We saw from the way seasons 3 and 4 happened, that is a recipe for disaster.

I can’t wait to see how they decide to reveal El’s feelings and the painting. In what order? How? How long do Mike and El stay together? How does Will react? How does Mike react? How does El react? There’s so much volume in this love triangle it’s insane.