#please read and rb

[wlwinry]

mads updates hunger games au after eight months of thinking she hit the pt 6 series curse. anyways enjoy some gukgak reunion

Riz Gukgak, the Victor of the Seventy-Third Hunger Games, is pretty sure that he died after breaking the barrier during the Quarter Quell. He's not sure anyone could survive that, really. Not with how seriously the Capitol takes treason, and conspiring to ruin the Games by surviving certainly counts. Riz Gukgak, sixteen years old, just wants to see his dad again. ... Riz wakes up on the hovercraft after the Quell, and things are okay for a little while. Only for a little while, though.

please comment i'm truly not above begging. this goes for every fic ive posted recently actually. thanks for reading yall i hope you like it

[honehonn3honey]

Birthday boy 🎂

[storm-of-feathers]

[hornetvoid]

let me take it all away (wip)

[venacoeurva]

You know when you’re falling asleep and a random image or meme blips into your vision? Yeah

-Please do not reupload/edit/use without proper credit and linking back. Ask first.-

[rubberduckyrye]

Okay in all seriousness. There's something that I REALLY want to talk about as an open discussion with the fandom, but. This is not going to be a very nice thing to hear/talk about.

It's about how Gonta is treated by the fandom.

As a fan of all the V3 characters now, and as someone who has always been a fan of Gonta, and as someone who has many mental disabilities and two diagnosed neurodivergancies... I'm tired of playing nice about it.

You all need to stop being ableist towards Gonta.

I've mentioned in the past that I don't like shitting on personal interpretations. I don't like saying something is or is not canon because narration is just a big web of text that you try to decipher with your own personal biases, experiences, and thoughts. That's why two literary analysts analyzing the same text with the same literary criticism rules can come to wildly different conclusions--why people develop different headcanons from the same canonical information.

But one of the things that challenged my integrity is just how many people view Gonta as this innocent, naive, ignorant, baby boy who can do no harm/never has a complicated/dirty/violent/sexual thought in his life ever.

This incredibly ableist interpretation of the character bothered me for, well, obvious reasons (See: It's fucking ableist, need I say more?) but I never challenged it as harshly as I am now because to be frank, it's not my place to tell people how to HC a character. It still isn't. But I've pretty much given up on my integrity on the subject and have decided to go all in on discussing why this interpretation of Gonta is just. Really bad.

First of all, not to promote my own analyses here or anything, but I think this analysis I did of Gonta explains a LOT in regards to the ableism the cast gives him in canon. I also think that this subtle ableism is why the fandom is so bad with Gonta's characterization in headcanons and fanfic--because they've seen how the cast treats him, and they think it's normal. They don't see the microaggressions, they don't see the subtle ableism in the cast--they just see this big giant idiot who speaks like Tarzan in the English version (which... I don't actually know why people assume Tarzan (Thinking of Disney's version) is stupid. Like as a boy he had to reinvent the spear with no one to guide him on how to do it. He was able to strategize and outsmart "civilized" men in the final showdown. Still I digress) and don't see the literal genius behind his social awkwardness.

There is also another very important point I'm going to make in addition to this, and it's going to be very uncomfortable to Gonta fans who insist he's nothing but a sweet baby who only has pure thoughts. Especially to the fans who insist he "can't be sexual" or think it's weird to ship him with his peers.

Sorry to burst your bubble, but... Gonta blatantly has sexual desire and gets horny right in canon.

This is further clarified here:

It wasn't a matter of Gonta didn't want to touch her because touching someone in their underwear was inappropriate, or being flustered because she was in her underwear which is inappropriate...

It was literally a "weird feeling" that made him unable to approach her or touch her. A "weird feeling" that Miu makes pretty obvious as to what it was--sexual arousal.

He literally was sexually attracted to and felt sexual arousal from looking at Miu in her underwear. He had sexual feelings and thoughts about Miu. Why?

Because Gonta is a young man.

Gonta is a brilliant, talented young man who has normal human thoughts for someone his age--sexual desires, upsetting thoughts, complicated thoughts, ectect. He is not a child, he is not mentally stunted (I've been informed that people have literally said this on Ao3 for the NSFW Gonta fics, please for the love of god stop that)

I think the reason why Gonta fans typically want to keep him as a "pure baby child who can do no wrong" is because treating him like the young adult that he is makes it harder for them to justify Chapter 4. Every time I've seen a Gonta fan that hates Kokichi, it's always followed by the sentiment of "Kokichi manipulated and abused Gonta into killing Miu, so it's all Kokichi's fault." They're afraid of nuance and liking a character with the grey morality of genuinely thinking Mercy Killing the cast is a viable option, because it challenges their own morals about the character they adore.

To those people who read this and are upset: You can and should like Gonta! Gonta is a magnificent character who showcases the subtle way microaggressions can manifest and hurt people, he's a good-hearted person and a literal genius, he cares deeply for his friends and loves everyone with upmost sincerity.

But.

You need to re-evaluate your stance on Gonta if you think he's a stupid, naive fool who Kokichi manipulated. You need to re-evaluate why you think those thoughts, why you think Gonta being shipped with anyone is "Kinda weird" or "has weird consent problems" or "give you the ick." You have to challenge yourself and ask yourself uncomfortable questions in regards to why you treat Gonta like a child when canon has proven otherwise, why you think he cannot have violent or sexual thoughts, why he can't think mercy killing his class is the only way to save them.

This isn't an attack on you--but understand that these specific takes on Gonta? They are ableist in nature. They belittle and dismiss him, they treat him like a child, an idiot who can't think for himself--and you have to come to terms with the fact that Gonta is a far more complex character with complicated thoughts and feelings who is a young adult. Not a child. A young adult.

So again, ask yourself this: Why are you treating this young adult like he's a toddler?

[xxplastic-cubexx]

if i said i picked up this issue for anything but drunk erik i fear i'd be lying

(Wolverine (2020) #3)

[bri-cheeses]

personally I think that all queer books should have a “special edition” with a subtle cover (and a code name if it’s necessary) for all of the people in homophobic areas

[pomegranateteeth]

Something I’ve been thinking about a lot lately. How much do you guys use the library??? In this poll I’m including the the use of stuff like Kanopy, Overdrive, and Libby etc. to count as utilizing your library. I’m forgetting a bunch of services and apps, but basically if you use ANY service you need a library card for, how often do you do that?

[makiswirl]

jolyne..... but LITTLE

[ringleaderising]

In The Wake of Beasts || The Godfall

Time passes, worshippers lose faith and move on, or are destroyed in the aftermath of a clash with another, greater god's flock. Whatever the reason, The only thing separating the spirits inhabiting The Host and any other dragon is the mysterious control they express over others- and the grand stores of magical energy contained within.

Encore has lost the former, and thusly, Godfall approaches. In Light territory, eager vultures gather to fight and scavenge for the latter- and among them, a pair of deathly harlequins and their young.

[Encore, Pig, Runt, Sow, Whelp, Tooth, Claw, Riot, Ravager, and Rot]

Content Warnings: light gore mentions and I think that's it?

"Any eyes on Runt?"

"No, Papa."

"Mmh. Nothin' we can do for it. Thank you, darlin'. Sow!" The Hewn City is alive with activity, perhaps for the first time in centuries. Simple canvas tents and caravans dot shade-gripped ruins, hundreds of colorful furred, scaled, and feathered bodies populating the campsites and bogged down with armor, weapons- and thousands of empty glass vials strapped across chests of various sizes in thick leather bandoliers. Pig takes a deep breath as he exits the well-worn canvas flaps of the circus tent his family calls home- It's been crowded, lately, seven guardian hatchlings would have filled the space more than capably themselves, but Pig's daughters were hardly babies now, and as the moment they would seek clans of their own rapidly approached- as adolescence faded in eager, red eyes for hardened adulthood, it was maybe coincidence or serendipity that a Godfall would be so soon, and so close to the day Pig had already intended to gift his children their cleavers.

"I am busy." Declared flatly. Sow and Pig were never fond of each other in the way many mated pairs were- in honesty, it was miraculous in itself that they stayed blades long enough to rear children- but the scar-nicked hide of Pig's oft bared chest and the chipped, battered bones of Sow's armor indicated they likely just tended to clash out of earshot while the little ones slept. "Whatever it is you need-"

"Nothin' in the other camps about Runt, just sent Riot to check."

"I will send Dethrone on another fly-"

"You will not. We need your damned bird taking point on this, I've seen too many airborne combatants and not enough herding crews-we're going against a bunch of green hunters with a bunch of green hunters. If I see that banescale leave the path of the fall, I'm having roast bird for dinner." Sow rolls her eyes, glancing over at Dethrone nearby, the banescale growling and snapping at the sisters giggling and biting at his tail.

"Dethrone! I need eyes in the sky. God's dropping from out toward the wake, get some eyes on Luminax, will you? If they're too close when it falls we're going to be fighting with a lot more than just one measly lesser God."

"Yes, yes, of course, anything to get me away from these little menaces you had the great misfortune of laying and your charming better half." he takes a brief running leap, and a detour to make a rude gesture at Pig before he's airborne, black flame trailing behind him until he crests the inky darkness of the sky over the ruins- a handful of similarly sized dragons built for flight joining him a moment later, the sky alight with twisting flame and trailing smoke peeling from the bodies that hosted it within.

"No matter the coverage we have in the air, we're flying blind." It's insisted absently- Whelp polishing the blade of her cleaver and laid nearby outside the family's tent. She'd left home sooner, born alongside Runt earlier than their siblings. "Without any sort of information we-"

"I've hunted dozens of Godfalls without a leg up Whelp, it wasn't the norm, before." Sow insists, sighing as Pig brushes past to ready his bandolier- and several more. "Alright, alright, lecture quickly... You and your tinkering..."

"Hey now, me and my tinkerin' is gonna give the girls that leg up Whelp was worrin' about. C'mere, pups." It's exciting, the promise of the ability to shed the blood of other dragons and things higher above the way their parents do- something promised in combat training when they were barely tall enough to reach Pig's hip. There was always this moment, looming on the horizon, a handmade gift from their father, a wicked, mangling weapon built for slaughter- and the Cleaversworn's art has always been brutality blended with innovation- his own cleaver has seen thousands of iterations and improvements- though it's biting edge remains the very one that called him to kill in the first place.

"You'll load vials like this- don't get greedy, don't overfill 'em- too much raw power drawn in and they'll explode." Skilled claws lock brass wound glass into the divot of a cleaver handle- it sits empty, still unfilled with the magic starting to build in the air around them. "Remember, we're only here to fill up what we've got on hand- not a one of you is to try for any sort of glory or accolades- not on your first fall, and not with The Shatterpack and them freaks from out in Lightnin' running alongside us today, understood? You play it safe, you clash with folk who come after you first, and ride the legs and tail- whatever's spilling through the cracks is gonna be big, slow, and likely won't give half a shit about the little things hackin' away at it, so long as it can't see you. Now, you girls remember what I told ya. Trust nobody out there- even family will turncoat on ya that close to that kind of power- and should any of you elect to do just that, you best be prepared to fight me to the death- got it?"

"Aw, come on papa. You think that little of us?" Tooth questions, eagerly loading bandoliers underneath heavy leather belts and stripped, white bone with vials and checking her stock of smaller knives- never easy to tell when she might need to wake someone up after all.

"If we were going to kill you, old man, we'd have done it as a group while you were napping." Claw insists as she ties up draping jewelry and gold, Riot laughing over her shoulder. "Riiight after lunch, but just before you got so comfortable you covered your soft bits, of course."

"A little dagger between the scales and you wouldn't have even known we'd been there, really." Rot grins- mask quickly tugged into place to cover it once more Pig lets out a dramatic groan, rolling his eyes as Sow hides her laughter beneath brown-cast bone pulled over white-painted features. "We've got your belongings all divided up and everything, too, It'd be clumsy to kill you now."

"Oh, look at them scheming to commit patricide, you are my children... darling girls." Sow coos, fondly leaning to set a kiss against six separate temples, straightening leather straps and twisted weaponry against the girls' frames with the mindful, attentive hands of perhaps a mother far softer and less monstrous than the Stringcutter herself. There was a love among the harlequins, bloodied as it may have been and forged in viscera, there was a knowledge in them all that any one might lay their life down for the others, if the need arose. Pig would spend today ensuring there wouldn't be.

But today was not the fall of a lesser god.

The rumbling of earth and the crack in the darkness cast sky that twinkled like oil in water was common enough, the heralds of the incoming collapse, a funerary service attended only by things desperate to feed.

"THE GODFALL APPROACHES!" It is unclear who bellows it first, across the sea of bodies, hundreds gnawing at the bit to scavenge what would spill through for its parts, for its power. It should open, split open to the remnants of a thing barely clinging to life, the sixteen officiants stood on ruins high above the rest of them, each loyal to a different spirit of The Host should give the signal, that those in attendance are free to pursue their prey- a swath of blackened fire to paint a path through the Hewn City spewed by Dethrone and his fellows to keep the stumbling, dying beast under control.

Instead, the Flamebearer's Priest drops dead the moment the Beholders present finish their opening ceremony declaration. One moment the aberration is stood with grand, flaming scales about their neck, the next, they lie dead, flames snuffed as if all the oxygen surrounding them was sucked away in the time it took them to hit the ground.

It starts as a murmur, the young guardians stopping their preparation to watch the scene with baited breath alongside their parents- Pig's usually capable confidence giving way to confusion- Sow's pensive expression becoming one of wild glee. Eventually, the murmuring among the attendants becomes a low roar, a consensus being made even before the crack in the sky opens completely.

"One of the Sixteen falls today!" "The Flamebearer rots!" "The Eternal Flame lives no more!" "A true God to feed upon!"

"Daddy?" It's Ravager, carefully straightening her locket around her neck and turning her gaze to Pig's own. "What's happening?"

"When the gap in the sky opens, you girls prepare for war." In their time with Pig, they've learned a handful of things, chief among them, that their father doesn't exaggerate.

And as dim, shadowy blue opens in the sky above, the massive form of a Guardian explodes from inside with a great roar- like a parasite clawing its way from within a host and as big as Luminax some distance away, bound in glittering, golden chains. Great braziers hung on massive wings spill ash and dust as they spread wide- and the flames within snuff suddenly- the already darkened streets of the Hewn City below now cast in inky, magical blackness.

"AERIAL CREWS, LIGHT HIM UP!" The command comes quickly from someone in another crew, grand swaths of magical fire suddenly spilling from the sky above, painting the ground below into a runway- Dethrone's pitch-black blaze streaking alongside neon blues, purples, greens and reds- corralling a blind, suffering God into the path of the waiting Thronebreakers.

Encore wails in pain, his power stripping away in waves as he trudges ceaselessly forward- the mirrors of Shatterpack already racing at his heels and tearing away at scales.

"By the Eyeless One..." it's Sow who invokes Pig's goddess at the scene, and he can't even find it in him to be smug about it, because this was not the plan- the girls are not ready for this kind of magical fallout, this kind of entity to fall in their presence.

"Maybe we should-" He's cut off by a wild whoop from behind him- Rot leading the charge of her sisters into the fray ahead with wings outstretched and cleaver primed to steal whatever it might pull from the bodies of opportunistic thronebreakers or the god who's path they now dwelled within. "Rot! Get back here-" His demand falls on deaf ears, they are their father's daughters, after all, and the call of the slaughter would perhaps always outweigh listening to their father. "Lady of the Graves be with me..." He growls, taking up his cleaver and quickly loading a vial.

"You cannot seriously intend to-"

"And let them die, or worse, outdo me? Sow that is one of the Sixteen- we may die before another comes down, am I to simply ignore the opportunity t' put him in a grave?"

"That kind of magic-"

"We did tell them they'd leave their first Godfall changed." Pig reminds, wings unfurling from behind himself, cigarette snuffed under one heavy foot- he pauses- a glimpse of a familiar, tiny form running at the heels of the fallen god. "Besides. We should probably go get our son."

"Our so- RUNT." Sow scowls, loading her own cleaver and pulling her hood over her head. "That boy is going to send me to an early grave..."

"Don't tempt me with a good time, darlin... RUNT!!! That's a big one! Get your sisters some cover, yeah!?" Pig and Sow bear down quickly, surprisingly agile given their large size and statures, Runt glancing up and saluting before whirling on his heels and racing back toward the oncoming horde of Mirrors.

"You need to stop encouraging him to do that, Pig."

"And miss out on the way they scatter? absolutely not." He falls into lockstep with the trudging beast above them- as a chorus of terrified wails and screams spills from Shatterpack behind them, a squall of circus-striped tentacles greedily gathering those slower in their grasp and dragging them back toward the gaping, rotten maw of something that surely once resembled a guardian hatchling, now split into little more than a mouth and twisted claws. "That's my boy!"

"Nobody likes a show off!" one of the sisters bellows as Encore continues his death march- with no sign of slowing- the chase may go on for days, no food or water, simply the hunt and peals of heady, thick magic to sustain those in the God's path.

For some, it's a calling, for others, an addiction. For the young Harlequins, it is their first- and it will change parts of them, completely.

[wlwinry]

woooo zinejam everyone say woo zinejam woo!!!!! i finally get to share the princess diaries thistlecaster au oneshot and i am. so happy. anyways go check out the bundle its great. its so cool so many amazing people worked on so many amazing projects and we're donating to the United Nations' Occupied Palestinian Territory Humanitarian Fund this year! highly recommend y'all explore some amazing fanwork this fine monday evening

Crown Prince of Dunefort Gorgug Thistlespring has a lot to worry about before his coronation as king: his upcoming wedding to someone that he's not in love with, the constant attempts of the council to prove that he isn't ready for the throne, the weight of Roz's expectations and the overbearing presence of his adoptive parents. Right now, though, the main threat to all of that is his total inability to shoot an arrow through a hoop. The guy he absolutely, one hundred percent should not be in love with has some helpful advice. ... It's the archery scene from the Princess Diaries 2, but with thistlecaster!

please read and comment also bc i am. starved for comments and positive feedback <3 ily all

[mspainttaz]

hi! I would really appreciate some help paying rent this month, I know Everyone Is Struggling right now but if you have a dollar to spare/if you could reblog it would mean a lot

I've been unemployed since June when I found out my name change process got Messed Up Badly and I legally! still haven't been able to apply anywhere. My emergency savings are pretty much gone at this point which is scary and stressful. Thank you so much if you help<3 I'm literally just trying to get through this month alive

cashapp / venmo

[johnslittlespoon]

tas gale calling john “baby” makes my knees go weak

i giggled bc same. but also i hope ur knees are okay after ch7 <33

[fuutaprotectionsquad]

Am I the only one who doesn't think Shidou's gonna snap at Amane? Like ive seen so many people taking his "it's my job as an adult to teach you that throwing a temper tantrum isn’t going to make everything go your way" line as indication that he's going to hurt her in some way and like?? What, is he not allowed to be annoyed that she's literally threatening him? That doesn't mean he's gonna beat her up. He literally follows this by saying "If it’s a test of endurance you want, I’m happy to oblige." Aka "I'll continue as I have been." I don't think he's going to do anything to her. In fact, it'd be more in character if he let her kill him. Which, with the way he's making sure theres someone else to handle Mahiru + the kids if he's not there (Yuno / Kazui), it's totally possible he's preparing to die or be gravely injured by her.

I've seen a few people dismiss Amane's threats towards him because "if he can't defend himself against a child, thats on him" and I- Firstly, the victim blaming mentality on that one is baffling. Secondly, has Milgram taught you nothing about underestimating children?? And finally, Shidou still sees Amane as a kid, he's not gonna fight back. Do you know how hard a fight is when you're trying not to hurt the other person, who has a weapon and also will not hold back like you are? I'd imagine it's pretty difficult.

The Shidou hate has gotten so unreal its almost funny. Like the people saying he doesn't actually care about / value the opinions of children. As though he doesn't go out of his way to ask Muu how Haruka (a child) is doing because he's worried about him. As though he doesn't have two timeline conversations about how he believes children are hope for the future. As though he doesn't admit to being upset that Amane doesn't like him, and then proceed to get sentimental on her birthday. Not to mention that he says he specifically wants a child like Es to tell him he's guilty, instead of the law.

And people saying he doesn't care about Mahiru / is being forced to help her. Meanwhile he's literally risking his life to do so, and has no reason to listen to anyone telling him to if he didn't genuinely want to. Someone said something about his smoke break with Kazui showing that he didn't value Mahiru's health because he was... taking a break?? And that if she was in such dire health that he couldn't handle much else in the prison, he shouldn't be taking that break. Even though we've seen that Mahiru doesn't need to be monitored 24/7, and has Yuno to help even if she did. Because news flash, people need to take breaks in order to function? That's the point of the timeline, Kazui telling him to rest and not overwork himself.

I just. take psychic damage every time someone grabs a random Shidou line/action and twists it to make him seems like a selfish asshole. Like by all means, you can hate Shidou, I don't particularly care for him myself. But at least hate him for reasons that are actually canon to his character.

Its likely something will happen with Shidou in T3 that makes him seem more guilty. Thats just how Milgram is, he seems really innocent now so they'll sprinkle in a lil guilty to keep it balanced. But Milgram also doesn't switch up characters out of the blue, every new reveal is led up to. I'll be genuinely surprised and probably kinda annoyed if he ends up hurting Amane or Mahiru purposefully.

[oceanic-sunsets]

Mike around El and his very obvious Not-Crush

I want to start this off with a disclaimer: I interpret Mike as gay, so this analysis and the points I’ll bring up were written with this in mind. Now, let’s begin! 

Since my first watch, I always thought it was kind of weird-funny how Mike never showed any kind of shyness towards El, unlike the other boys, who the audience and characters in-universe never think of as having a crush on El. 

So they know El is a girl pretty early on, so when she first goes home with Mike and he lends her dry clothes, everyone freaks out when she tries to change right there in front of them. Pretty normal reaction for anyone, especially 12 year old boys! So, even in the middle of their freak out, Mike remains as the most well composed of the boys.

He doesn’t turn around, instead, is quick to stop her, even reaching out towards her arms, and explain she should change in the bathroom, because, well, privacy. 

He even guides El towards the bathroom door, and we know that he tries to close it but El stops him. So, he understands, she’s still scared, and again, explains she can keep it mostly closed, leaving a small gap open so she feels safer. 

And then Mike goes to talk with Lucas and Dustin, who are still freaking out and talking about how she’s crazy, Lucas remarks “She tried to get naked” and Dustin makes the same hand gesture three times to really drive his point across. 

And Mike? remains calm, really, his head is elsewhere, not stuck on the fact that a random, weird girl tried to change her clothes in front of them. Instead, his gears are turning, he’s already coming up with a plan so they can stay out of trouble, so she can be safe, and they can keep looking for Will: El has to stay the night, which Dustin finds insane.

So, I first interpreted these kind of scenes as Mike being the more mature one of the boys. He NEVER goes “but she’s a girl!” the other characters are the ones who keep pointing that out to him. But really, Mike just treats her like a human being (and then he discovers she has superpowers). 

And really, it’s funny how fascinating they keep finding this, but not surprising. Again, this is a normal reaction! that’s why I thought Mike was just the logical, more mature one. But that’s not really why: he just never made a distinction or a big fuss to separate THEM, boys, and El, a GIRL, until later on when people kept bringing that up. For Mike, El was just another kid just like them, he shows her his house, his TV, his toys, and has no issue getting close and just treating her like another friend. 

There’s another reason that points to the Duffers being aware of what they’re trying to do. It’s subtle if you’re not looking for it, and really, it just flies under most people’s radars, including our own! 

So we all know this scene, right?  

The first instance of Mike being directly told he has to have a crush on her, because… he is nice to her, and she’s a girl. So, clearly. And then the bullies arrive, call Will homophobic slurs and Mike gets hurt, we know how that one goes. But you know the scene that plays directly before this one? 

It’s Nancy. They’re making fun of her/shaming her because she hooked up with Steve, and we know how this plot goes too: the girl is slut-shamed and the boy is praised/admired for “getting” her. Nancy is worried because she left Barb alone and the next thing she knows, her friend is missing too. And she doesn’t feel guilty just because she dismissed Barb, she feels shame, and the kind of comment she’s receiving just adds to the guilt. 

And all this? it’s part of heteronormativity too, and all its social standards of what’s expected of people based on their gender and sexuality. Nancy? A slut for hooking up with Steve. Will? probably killed for being gay! The boys? get bullied just as Lucas is hugging Mike, even if it’s part of a joke. Mike? must like El, because he is a boy who is nice to her, and she’s a girl! See where I’m going? 

Next scene I’m going to talk about is this one: 

And… It’s a great scene, really. But nothing about it is romantic. The boys help El dress up, and Mike even does her makeup and doesn’t mind! and, I’m sorry, but what 12 year old with a crush is NOT nervous to be that close? he’s just 100% concentrated in what he’s doing.

And then El comes out, full makeover, and Mike’s reaction is just very sweet and genuine. Dustin hesitates: “She looks…” and Mike immediately goes “pretty”. Now, some people interpret this scene as Mike finally Realizing El is Actually a Girl. I both agree and disagree. 

I agree because that’s how it probably goes for Mike, just now in the sense most people expect. We should keep in mind the previous scenes: Mike is now aware of what other people think/what is expected of him. So he goes “pretty”, and oh, no, she’s a Girl, I can’t say that! they’re going to think I have a crush on her! “...pretty good” saved it:) but wait. That just makes it look even more like a crush! So maybe it is a crush, right? So, I think of this scene as the moment of Mike deciding that yeah, it must be a crush, making now a distinction between “friend” and “girl”.

Other people have mentioned how particular this choice is: why would they have Mike next to El in the mirror? in the same scene where she’s presenting herself as Actually a Girl for the first time, wearing a pink dress, next to Mike, a Boy, who is even wearing blue! I don’t even think this analysis classifies as far-fetched for the same reason I mentioned earlier: the themes of the show are clear since the beginning, and plots like Nancy’s, Will’s, and later on El’s (and Max's) support that. Mike’s, however? it comes across as subtle (because really, it’s not), but it’s always been there, and the way the Wheelers are portrayed as a family confirms that too. 

 I don’t think he consciously makes the choice to pretend, more like it makes sense for him too, and the future events of the show just keep reinforcing this idea: she’s a girl with superpowers, who saves him and his friends many times, and people keep telling him he likes her! why wouldn’t he like her? And then there’s also survivor’s guilt but uhh… Let’s not go there, that’s another whole analysis. 

It’s now time to talk about my least favorite topic: mlvn’s kisses. They have never been portrayed as genuinely romantic to me, even if I did think the snowball one was sweet when I first watched it. But that’s the thing: it’s cute, I guess, but it’s just there like a point you have to mark as done in a checklist. Entirely different to Lucas’ and Max’s scenes: Lucas hesitates when he asks Max to dance, and he’s clearly nervous, exhaling before asking, and their kiss is awkwardly endearing, genuine, and realistic for their age unlike anything in Mike and El’s relationship and… The beginning of s3 is proof of that. It’s almost like they’re kissing to prove a point: El is older now, and Mike is her boyfriend, they kiss like in the soap operas! (for Hopper’s and the audience’s dismay) and for Mike, well, El is his girlfriend, that’s what he’s supposed to do, right? (as he takes her hands off him). 

Going back to the snowball, Mike plays the “date” role too perfectly. He does exactly what he should: he tells El she looks beautiful and asks her to dance, again, no hesitance. They dance and he kisses her… You guessed it, no hesitance. You could argue that it’s because it’s not their first thing, but the thing is… That one was a mess. It was out of nowhere, after talking about being family, as if Mike suddenly thought “yeah I think I should do this” and went for it. And… Did El even know what a kiss was? 

Anyway, back to s3. They break up and all that, supernatural shit happens and oh! Mike tells a whole room of people that he loves El! how can that not be proof that he at least has a crush? well. Because Mike is not lying, just as he wasn’t lying when he called her pretty. He does love her, wants her to be safe because she’s his friend, and feels responsible for her safety (for many reasons). The thing is… Mike is aware of the Implications of the word.

He is being honest. He’s also confusing his feelings for romantic ones, just like he has since mid-s1. What’s the difference between the “ily” plot in s3 and in s4, then? wouldn’t that just be a repeat of the same? 

No. This is a point of debate and I know we have different opinions on “When Did Mike Realize”, but for me, the contrast between this plot in s3 vs s4 is that s3 Mike is unaware, while in S4 he’s IS aware Throughout s3 (and before) he genuinely thinks his feelings are romantic. Until THIS happens

 …and suddenly he’s confused, thinking it makes no sense. I choose to interpret it this way because it’s supported by the S3 script, which portrays Mike as confused and wondering what is wrong with him. This would’ve been a great moment to portray Mike as endearingly nervous/shy: they’ve been broken up and it seems like no one had said anything that hinted at a romantic relationship during that time. If Mike had romantic feelings for El, he should’ve been thrilled, but he doesn’t move, doesn’t close his eyes, doesn’t even smile. But it’s not disgust, it’s confusion. He’s starting to question things. To what degree? we do not know. 

We can, however, infer from the events of S4 that he knows something. 

The airport scene is as sad as it is funny, because this is probably the first instance in the whole show that we see Mike Wheeler acting nervous-shy in the way you would in front of a crush: 

(Exhibit A)

(Exhibit B)

ok, Mike, Will didn’t imply otherwise? are you trying to convince him or yourself? 

(Exhibit C)

(Exhibit D)

This whole conversation is so insane because everyone is so focused noticing Will’s crush that they miss Mike’s behavior? Mike, who during this conversation hesitates a lot, chooses his words carefully, exhales, you can see him swallow and just. He looks more nervous here than in the entirety of ALL his scenes with El on the show.

I could keep going on about s4, really, because there’s a lot to unpack there. But this is getting too long!