#season 3 mike isn't canon fuck that

[sacredindigos]

byler is getting the same type of build up that lumax and jancy and jopper got. like all of those parallels byler has to the other couples don't exist for no reason. byler follows the same basic and general steps and guidelines that the duffers have been using to build up the romances between the other couples for the entire show. so byler IS obvious. it is obvious to anyone who possesses basic media literacy and who isn't heteronormative or homophobic. but sadly, A LOT of the ga/casual viewers are heteronormative. severely heteronormative. OR homophobic. OR both. and 99% of them also lack basic media literacy and comprehension.

the duffers are just building and crafting a romance like they usually do. they are using the same rules and steps for byler that they have been using for the straight couples. it's not their fault that a large portion of their audience is heteronormative and can't pick up on that. it's not their fault that people need queer romances explicitly spelled out for them or they'll miss it. the duffers shouldn't have to spoon feed byler to people and slap flashing neon signs on mike and will's foreheads that say "WE ARE IN LOVE !!" in order for people to pick up on it. the duffers are not obligated to change how they write romance and dumb down the build up of byler to a kindergarten level and hold people's hands and walk them through it and explain every little detail just so some heteronormative people can finally acknowledge byler's existence and treat it as an actual possibility and as an actual romance.

like at this point, if people wanna ignore all of the romantic tropes and cliches used for byler and want to ignore the fact that byler is very similar to canon couples on the show and ignore the build up for byler that has been unfolding for the past 3-4 seasons and they want to sit in their little heteronormative bubbles and claim byler isn't obvious and it would come out of nowhere and the duffers wrote byler poorly ... then fucking let them. let them say and do all of that. but at the end of the day it won't make it true !!

[lesbianrobin]

i would just like to say that byler is boring as hell. like all other ships in st have soul they have energy, they have angst even some of the non canonical ones (well written stoncy/ steddie loml). but byler is just, damsel in distress x depressed hero. maybe it's cause the fandom has completely watered down both will and Mike to that stereotype when they aren't that to fit them in heterosexual gender norms of relationships, but idk I get bored about byler

my personal issue with will is honestly like 90% just the fact that he doesn't feel like a super fleshed-out character to me so i'm not very invested in him. mike felt the same in s4 to be fair but like. will wasn't even There in s1 and was possessed for almost all of s2 and barely did anything in s3 and s4. which wouldn't even necessarily be a problem yknow eddie's only in one season robin's only in two but the problem is that noah schnapp is not that good at acting and you can Tell that he's absolutely phoning it in whenever he isn't like the focus of a scene. usually if you watch a character like eddie or robin in any given scene even if they're just hanging out in the background they're still in character and they're interacting with other characters/the environment and reacting to whatever's going on but noah literally doesn't even bother like if you try watching him in any big group scene he's usually just. there. noah's allergy to acting seems to have spread somehow to finn in s4 so all of their scenes together just do not hit for me personally they all feel very. high school play quality acting. sorry finn.

which brings me to the issue with byler which is that their most impactful moments occur when will is either in the upside down or not fully himself. mike's devotion to will in s1 and s2 pretty much forms the entire basis for the ship yknow because by the time will is actually Around mike is dating el and generally more concerned with her than he is with will, and the moments they Do have aren't as effective as things like the will possession scenes. i don't read any byler ship content so idk how they write the little fellas so i won't speak on that but it wouldn't surprise me if that damsel/hero dynamic is popular because that's like. what the best canon byler content (s1/2) Is.

now that will is actually around they tend to argue and the arguments are literally always because will feels like mike is leaving him behind and he's upset that mike and el are dating. which i don't even object to as a storyline actually but my point is that the crux of the conflict between their characters is literally that will has feelings for mike that mike does not return. so if you're approaching byler as a ship where mike Does return will's feelings, you kinda have to just. invent a whole new dynamic for them bc you've lost a lot of their s3/4 canon dynamic. and a lot of people aren't great at coming up with interesting dynamics and new conflicts between characters to keep things engaging.

also all of that said: i want to be clear that i know a lot of byler fans are kids and i am not trying to bully fifteen year olds who see something valuable in some fifteen year old characters and write fics about them. i'm sure a lot of people write wonderful fics about their little guys and have fun and find fulfillment in it and i'm never gonna hate on that. i'm just explaining my own perspective here and all of my negative byler energies are 100% directed toward the weirdo adults who are obsessed with the ship and insist it's going canon and get angry and send hate to people that disagree with them. also toward the ones who say weird ableist and misogynistic things about el those people can go fuck themselves.

anyway yeah <3

[bylertruther]

Thank you Denise for acknowledging the (dark) material. We need to have more conversations about Will and Henry's relationship and connection. Will deserves to have closure and justice by defeating his abuser and knowing the reasons behind it. And Joyce, Jonathan, Mike, Lucas and Dustin deserve to know who took Will away from them, too.

aw shucks. <3 no need to thank me! you're absolutely right: these conversations are necessary.

the entire story of stranger things, the show as we know it, starts because of what one man did to will byers and the lengths his loved ones went to save him. to not talk about it, to not even acknowledge it, is doing him, the show, and those who have gone through similar experiences a great disservice. if you close your eyes to it and pretend that it's anything other than what it is, then you're just not going to understand will as a character. point blank.

people misattrubute every negative thing in will's life to his sexuality, and it's, like... (mike voice) that's just not true?! they showed us what happened, who did it, and how everyone treated him differently for it afterward. in season two, will says that everyone coddling him makes him feel like even more of a freak. we even have the phineas gage reference made for will. these things aren't because he's gay or because of lonnie, it's because of what happened to him.

we literally!! see it!! we have to watch hopper pull the slug vine thing out of will, where it's lodged deep and doesn't want to come out!! we watched the mind flayer enter will through his every orifice!! we watch him break down in sobs as he says that he tried to make it stop, that he felt it everywhere, and that he still feels it everywhere!! and we see how the adults react to it!! we hear will talk about why he feels like a freak and like he won't be understood!! we hear other characters say that talking about what happened to him upsets him!! we hear the man that did it literally confess to it and shape the tool that he used to do it!!

we watched all of that happen. these weren't blink and you miss it scenes either. so, why act like it's not real? you sat there and watched that shit with your own eyes. you know what happened. so, why act like you don't? like that's not real? like they didn't spend an entire season telling you that's what changed will, separates him from the rest, and makes him feel like a freak? why twist a canon thing that's already tragic enough as it is into something else? if you do that, then you just don't fucking get him. the metaphors and references (tentacle, the field scene, possession, fear of baths, will covering up whenever henry is active again, the scene where he tells joyce what happened on the field, him not being believed, everyone thinking that it was another man that got him and it literally was, etc etc) are abundant and clear as day if you're familiar with this. it's not a hidden thing that you have to make reaches or misconstrue canon to find. it's right there on your screen.

henry's abuse is what changed everything for will, and everything goes back to him and what he's done. not lonnie, not troy, but henry, because it was his kidnapping and violation that changed him and the way that those around him treated him. it all goes back to that, because will has spent years since that week psychically connected to henry. you literally just cannot divorce that from his character, because who he is post-henry is the only will that we know. will is will and henry, because he’s still cursed. i don't know how much more clear i or the shown has to make it tbh lol.

like, you don't have to harp on it obviously, but that's a HUGE part of his character and that is LITERALLY what starts this story. henry thought that he could kidnap and use will, because, on paper, he appears to be a nobody: he gets bullied for being a nerd, freak, poor, because people think he's gay, and his family is looked down on. he should be a nobody, but he isn't, because there are people who love him fiercely and refuse to let him disappear. because just because he's different doesn't mean that he's less than. they go to impossible lengths to save him time and time again. and his story is one of perseverance, hope, and light even in times of seemingly insurmountable darkness. he isn't fanon's "waaaah sad boy is sad bc he is gay and that is the one and only struggle he has". that's just... i mean, not only does it ignore 75% of canon, but it's just a fucking gross oversimplification and watering down of an incredibly layered and nuanced plot.

the show starts because of what henry did to will. will changes because of what henry did. he gains powers (true sight) and a curse (the psychic connection) because of it. he gets violated by henry twice, we watch it happen twice, we hear other characters avoid talking about it so as to not upset him, we watch him become upset and lash out because he hates that and literally says so, and then... fandom does the same thing? without blinking an eye or noting the irony? give me a fucking break. you can't talk about stranger things without talking about abuse, because that's where the story starts. you can't talk about will without acknowledging what happened to him, because his story on this show starts with abuse, too.

sorry for going on a tangent, but i just have So Many Feelings about this lol. so many people misunderstand these characters precisely because they refuse to acknowledge this and everything they've seen and heard on the show. it's supposed to make you uncomfortable, because it is! that's the point of horror. you cannot divorce will from this if you wish to speak about him in a canon context.

[most-canon-non-canon-ship-poll]

literally hoping they break up in the last season

Why Mileven is shit - a submission-based essay, part 2/3

Mileven - a currently canon het ship from the Stranger Things fandom between Michael (Mike) Wheeler and Jane (Eleven) Ives/Hopper/Byers/IDK

they NEED to breakup (AGAIN) in the final season let's start w their character arcs rn. el was born in a lab and was raised VERY strict to be a weapon and shit. she escapes and now her whole arc is finding herself and being who she is separate to what people tell her she is. mike comes from a lowkey conservative family with parents who are married only to fit into the normal, not because they love each other. his arc, similar to his sisters' struggle in earlier seasons, is to not fall into conformity just because you feel like you should. both of these stories line up with the main moral of the show: be who you are even if it isn't "normal" ot whatever now how does mileven go against this? mike, and a bunch of ppl around el, in the earlier seasons keeps telling el what she should do/be. even in the later seasons we see mike refering to el as a "superhero" (which she doesn't like). neither of them feel free to be themselves around the other (shown by el lying to mike and mike being WAY out of character around el, etc). mike literally can't tell el he loves her while not under pressure. mileven sometimes parallels mike's parents' and sta.cy (a failed conformity relationship) and other bad relationships ANYWAYS it also reallyyyy pains will byers (who's been canonically in love with mike for like years, and mike's best friend) to see this. also, milevens keep harassing will/mike shippers on anon even months after the last season. like they have a hate discord server just for it. anyways i love mike and el but ohhh my god there is still SO much i haven't mentioned about how bad they are together (and how bad shippers often are, sometimes being violently homophobic and calling bylers delusional and shit)

OOOH IT FUCKING SUCKS THEY ARE SOOOOOO BAD FOR EACH OTHER JESUS THEY DON'T COMMUNICATE LIKE EVER THEY ARE BOTH CLEARLY IN IT BECAUSE OF THE EXPECTATION OF A ROMANTIC RELATIONSHIP MORE THAN ANYTHING ELSE THEY CAN'T CONFIDE IN EACH OTHER THEY DON'T SHARE ANY INTERESTS THEY'RE HAVING CONFLICT MORE OFTEN THAN NOT THANK *GOD* I AM UTTERLY CONVINCED THEY ARE HEADING FOR A CANONICAL PERMANENT BREAKUP. NOT TO MENTION THEY ARE BOTH GAY AS HELL TO ME. YOU SEEN THAT "THIS SHIP IS SO CANON AND IT'S A LESBIAN AND A GAY MAN" TWEET? YEAH. FUCK THIS STUPID FUCKING SHIP NOT TO MENTION THE SHIPPERS ARE FREQUENTLY OPENLY HOMOPHOBIC. UGHHHHHHH KILLING BITING (this is my fave btw)

they have no chemistry or buildup unlike the other st couples. they kissed season 1 right after she asked if he would be her brother. hes very obviously compensating for something. i think i gagged when they made out in season 3. speaking of. thats all they do. make out. they dont really have meaningful conversations. this also comes from the fact that when mike met her she was fresh out the lab that abused her for like 11 years. she was not socially ready to understand the bounds of a platonic relationship let alone a romantic one. anyway mileven break up s5 will happen i believe it. if nothing else. cross ur fingers gamers

the sheer homophobia and general toxicity that the fans of this ship create is absolutely insane when their perfect (read: mischaracterized) straight (read: homosexually-coded) couple is judged for having toxic or incompatible elements is insane. the only good romantic aspect between these two characters is in a cringefail "wow this really doesn't work at all" i-want-to-put-this-dynamic-under-a-microscope-and-study-it-because-it's-an-absolute-trainwreck" kind of way. el has been abused and cut off from society her whole life and at 12 years old she immediately gets together with this guy at whose earth shattered after his best friend went missing who then has surviors guilt after she almost does which is misconstrued as romantic rather than unhealthy obsession and trauma. and so on and so forth.. there's just so much wrong they lie to each other So Fucking Much despite truthfulness being very important to them and they ignore their friends to make out (which is filmed in a way that is meant to feel uncomfortable btw lmao) and el doesn't understand mike's trauma from bullying and he doesn't understand how she doesn't want to be built up into being a superhero etc etc. and it's just so increasingly bad I want to rub my temples just thinking about them. they're just so bad for each other and their relationship has done nothing but make them worse in general but for some reason their ship is viewed as fluffy or cute or whatever the hell. anyway mike is so heavily coded to be fucking gay and in love with his best friend (and el can be interpreted to be lesbian coded) and I just need to get them out of there amen

I'm gonna make a list bc the reasons are many: 1) their first casual interaction they get together but in the same conversation she asks him if she can be like a sister to him 2) all their "cute moments" are them making out in the 3rd season with still absolutely no chemistry 3) their only actual cute scene is them dancing at the snowball yet in the same scene they portray the same way two couples that are not romantic 4) mike becomes a terrible person when he's with eleven 5) eleven literally GOT OUT OF A LAB SHE WAS RAISED IN and this is the first guy she dated 6) she can't even say he's a good kisser 7) mike can't tell her that he loves her (bc he doesn't) and the only time he does he makes this whole ugly ass speech up about how she's his "superhero" even though she doesn't want to be seen only for her superpowers 8) in said speech, while listing the things that he loves about her, he only names her superpowers + he lies multiple times 9) EVEN AFTER SAID SPEECH she is still mad at him and won't talk to him (probably bc she saw right through his bs) 10) she spent a whole 6 months lying to him about all of her life 11) mike is clearly gay and is meant to be with his childhood best friend will 12) mike idolizes her and doesn't see her as an actual person 13) eleven needs to be her own person (ffs she just got out of a lab) 14) the ship sucks and even the authors and actors say so

they have NO chemistry. they kissed after one week of knowing each other when they were 12 and eleven didn't even know what a romantic relationship was at the time, given the fact that right before mike kisses her she says "will you be like my brother?". they spent the entirety of season 2 apart with mike calling el on his walkie and el watching romantic movies on the tv for a year (then will is in trouble and mike says 'fuck it' and goes full protective boyfriend mode but this isn't about byler so i digress) and start dating soon after they meet again even though they haven't had a SINGLE conversation and are barely friends. season 3 comes along and the writers do their utmost best to show us how incompatible they are. their makeout scenes are uncomfortable, they break up at the beginning of the season and neither one of them seems particularly bothered that their first relationship is over. in fact, the happiest we see el in the entire series is during the time they're broken up, when she gets close to max (who she actually has chemistry with, by the way) and finally experiences freedom, being a teenage girl and etc since mike had been "keeping her all to himself" for like, a year. aside from that, he doesn't go after her at all after she dumps his ass (literally) but when he and will have a fight, he bikes across town in the rain just to apologize, that boy is GAY. finally, the theme of season 4 is lies and once again, mike and el spend the season apart (once again, mike spends the season with WILL) and right before they part ways, they have a big fight about mike being unable to so much as WRITE "love, mike" on his letters to el, let alone say it, and he bullshits his way through it and refuses to say the actual reason until vol. 2, when he apparently "confesses" that he's afraid he'll lose her if he says it (okay, amigo, you're gonna lose your girlfriend who was literally begging you to say 'i love you' not even a week ago, aham, totally valid excuse). conclusion: they don't know each other and they don't act like themselves when they're together. mike hides his nerdy nature, el feels like she has to be the amazing superhero he's always viewed her as or else he'll lose interest and it just feels like they're both grasping at straws because this relationship has been dragged on for too long that they don't know how to break up permanently. they are afraid of losing each other, but not romantically, as mike was el's first semblance of family after escaping the lab and mike feels like it's his duty to protect and care for el. also, mike is gay. in other words, FREE THEM.

[ur-mom-64209]

Would you mind giving a detailed description of your thoughts about Billy Hargrove? I've been trying to get a lot of information from both ends of the argument on this topic. If not I one hundred percent understand!

yeah sure

i'll start with the easiest thing i can, he's racist. canonically racist. he specifically targeted lucas. he said "people like him" (if it's not word for word oh well) when referring to lucas. you can't really defend that.

why does this matter to me? i'm not black, but it still matters. i'm mexican and have been told i have the darkest skin out of everyone in my family. i've experienced racism in many forms.

1. casual

jokes about my skin color, jokes about my culture, shit like that. usually followed up with "it's just a joke"

2. passive aggressive

more silent racism, like the stereotypical white woman clutching her purse as i walk by. like you just know they want to call you some shit but they don't

3. flat out aggressive

slurs, trying to fight me (idk why though)

4. miscellaneous (idk what section to add these to)

people saying they "don't see my color", denial of their racism, saying white privilege doesn't exist, sexualization, cultural appropriation, tokenism

so i am pretty sure i can confidently say i have seen and experienced racism, so i know what it looks like.

and obviously i know racism will look a bit or very different when applied to different races.

examples: i have never been called the n word, that's something black people experience. i have never had comments made on my eyes/had them been made fun of, that's something mainly asian people experience (same with stereotypes on food).

i have a lot of people of color in my friend group, and we have all discussed what racism we've experienced. and guess what, billy has done what some of my friends have described. crazy how that happens.

yes yes, i know he's fictional. but does that automatically mean i'm going to throw away my morals at the sight of fiction? no.

another thing is SOME of his fans have god awful takes.

example 1. saying that 12 year old mike wheeler was more racist than billy was.

yes what mike said in season 2 was racist. but racism is racism. mike had one situation of my knowledge. billy did what i previously said, and acted violently. if you say him grabbing and pinning 12-13 year old lucas against that dish cabinet or whatever the fuck that was, wasn't violent or attacking, reevaluate why you think it isn't.

then obviously there is him trying to run the party off the road, he saw lucas in the group and only have a shit max was hanging out with lucas.

he didn't care that dustin had obvious feelings for max, billy only cared about lucas being around max.

example 2. he was possessed by the mind flayer, he had no control.

that was in season 3, not season 2. yes he was possessed in season 3, but in season 2 he didn't even know about the upside down, so that argument is entirely irrelevant when discussing season 2 billy.

and yes i know he was abused, and that's tragic that he's relatable. i would never wish what he and a noticeable part of his fan base have experienced.

i also know his abuse traumatized him into commiting the actions that he did. i think it's pretty unfair when people who are anti billy say things that can quite literally mean "just get over it". but i also think it's incredibly unfair when people who are pro billy just ignore the negative impact he left.

i had some difficultly rewatching some of his scenes that he was in, because of his racism. again, i experience racism daily. so i'll say it again, i can't just throw away my morals for fiction, i'm sorry, i just can't.

[landslided]

okay inspired by the daniel birthday posts. question that haunts me. how old is daniel supposed to be. because i see so many different age references and isn't his birthday, like right before/after the tournament that he sort of inherently has to be UNDER 18 to compete in, which would mean that he's fifteen for most of kk1 to turn 16 right before the tournament so that he can turn seventeen right before the kk3 tournament but that doesn't seem right, like, at all, but i also see references to him being 19 in kk3 which would mean he's 17 for most of kk1 and then eighteen for the tournament which like surely they wouldn't let someone NOT under 18 TWICE compete in an under-18 karate tournament right. right??? so i feel like the timeline that makes the most sense to me is sixteen-turning seventeen for kk1 and then seventeen-turning-eighteen for kk3 where they overlook the rules because silver's $ or where it's 18 AND under not UNDER 18 (even though it's pretty clearly called the all valley under 18. but you know do words even matter. in this economy. this economy being regan's 1980s america. of course.)

no but you're so real because it literally makes me crazy when writing fics. im always saying this. how old are these people fr. same for the cobra kai kids, but anyway ck writers hate us, you know the drill.

so i think the timeline has never been officially confirmed? but from what i understand, daniel is sixteen turning seventeen in the first karate kid. he's seventeen in karate kid 2 and has just turned eighteen in karate kid 3 which is why it's dodgy/"unfair" that he gets to compete in the all-valley under 18 BUT the explanation is like you said that silver paid to get daniel in the competition which is maybe canon in the movie? i don't remember but i do remember that they mention it in season 4 when daniel and johnny are at a bar and daniel is like so here is the story of who terry silver is and johnny is like yeah yeah sure whatever what do you mean you got to compete after your turned eighteen and only had to fight mike barnes you little cheating shit and daniel is, obviously, offended because that is so very not the point of the story and that's why they do the lawrusso fight 2.0 <3

i'll reply to this on public so everyone who is also losing their fucking mind because of the miyagi-verse timeline can maybe get some sort of answer.

i hate you miyagi-verse timeline. you haunt me.

[thepladinsheart]

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!

[antisociallilbrat]

Anon here: I feel like IT having three different versions of canon that allow you to find at least something for literally every pairing contributes a lot to the variety and acceptance of ships in the fandom. Meanwhile Stranger Things has one canon and also has had the cast constantly splitting up into separate groups that hardly ever interact until the end of the season for the last 3 seasons: Will and Mike were separated from everyone in season 2, Dustin was separate from everyone for the whole of season 3 and Will, Mike, and Lucas were separated from El and Max for a good chunk of time, and then Will and Mike were separated from Max, Dustin, and Lucas and also El was on her own as well. So the canon has kind of pigeonholed the fandom into these specific dynamics because these characters are the ones who actually get to interact with each other and create moments for people to latch onto. This also is related to a problem with ST that I have which is that the writers seem allergic to developing character dynamics. Like, Will almost only ever interacts with Mike and El. Max almost only with Lucas and El. Dustin with Steve, Robin, and Lucas etc.

This is a very good point that I didn't think of, thank you for bringing this to light for me!

The canon It media does have a good mix of interactions across the board when it comes to the Losers engaging with each other in different pairings or groups. This is because this was important to the directors and presumably King too, but he was also high when writing It so who knows.

I feel like the Duffers on the other hand just see two characters who work well together, who market St well together, and go like!! That's it!! These characters don't need to interact with anyone else! Don't fix what's not broken!

Even Finn Wolfhard has said he wishes Mike has had more scenes with Dustin because he felt like they've barely interacted since season one. He said this as a joke but,,,he's not wrong.

I can see where this adds into the shipping wars. Also it makes minor or niche ships nearly non-existant in the fandom. Which!! I think there should be more of solely because it's fun.

Even platonic relationships in the St canon is pushed to the backburn, fuck I don't even know how Will and Max interact together because we haven't seen it. God forbid a character in St interact with another character that isn't a father figure or a potential love interest.

I happy you added to this anon, it got my brain worms wiggling.

[two-sides-samecoin]

People who think El would be a cheerleader for B/ler or be okay with it don't know my girl at all. She spent a large amount of time in s4 being upset that Mike didn't show her enough love, like she does with him. She writes him for months, ending her letters with Love El. She clearly loves him and the fact that Mike can't say it destroys her emotionally. To say she never truly loved Mike is insane, not when he is the person she always calls out for help first when she's in danger (s2/s3).

El is also super jealous, in s2 she saw a glimpse of Max interacting with Mike and proceeded to throw her off the skateboard. I'm not saying El was right but she wouldn't be a doormat and stand by when the guy who she loves doesn't love her or worse gets with her brother. For El that would mean utter betrayal and she would argue with Will about that. And that doesn't mean El would be homophobic, like ppl think when an outside character isn't happy for a queer ship. I saw again a take that Steve would be homophobic for not being okay with r/nance and I'm just so done with this fandom. If Robin were a guy and would date Nancy Steve would still not be okay with that, it has nothing to do with them being a lesbian couple, it has something to do that Nancy is his ex he still has feelings for and his bff decides to date her.

LITERALLY THEY DO NOT KNOW EL! el canonically is so upset and devasted that mike doesn’t love her and that he sees her as this monster. like girl would need time to actually process this break up - also it’s insufferable how some people are like ‘she barely showed emotion when she broke up with mike in season 3’ like she most likely was going to go back to him anyway, el never actually acted like that breakup was permanent. YES YES EXACTLY! honestly the breakup would be very hard for her and then to have to hear that her boyfriend is with someone that she considers a brother like she would actually be shattered and this would confirm a lot of el’s fears. not saying that the breakup would totally shatter her but also like the fact that mike would move on so quickly with someone that is her brother el WOULD NOT be a cheerleader for them.

god everything you said about el being jealous and etc. el has gotten better with the jealousy thing i believe but why do people canonically take away what she does then. and exactly this wouldn’t mean el’s homophobic - it would just mean that she has emotions which the fan base is apparently allergic to. okay seeing that sentence about steve actually broke my mind cuz WHAT?!? steve who accepts robin for her and who pushes for her to talk to her crushes and deem whether certain people are safe is somehow homophobic if he has one negative reaction to ronance?!? anyone who has a take like that needs to touch grass or just not speak cuz what the fuck?!? YES WITH THOSE LAST SENTENCES !

[carolingarts]

Man okay. Imma talk about the new lore drop because hooooly shit what cool fucking lore. Evil imagineer/magician guy turned scientist?? Or (and this hit me) what if this guy legit was just a scientist guy taking *advantage* of Henry? Like then he's like "I could make shit too but he's better" so I'm like. Amazing. Showstopper. Let's gooo.

As I'm observing the discourse however I'm like...why is it the internet tendency to just *instantly* jump to the "let's just focus on the worst things" and I think like...

I have the weirdest relationship with fandom. The last time I had a fandom like this I super cared about I went full "bad guy can do no wrong (even tho bad guy was legit the *worst*) and like. I was in a bad place IRL and those threats hit me in a deeply bad way.

Like a bad way.

Like in the kind of way that stuff happened.

Now. This is fandom and honestly I got a lot of help and I'm better now. And I tried to find other fandoms put together I'm transgender but then y'know both the shows I got into got cancelled after one season so I'm like, fuck it maybe I just need to make my own thing or write about it.

The thing is that like. That's exhausting. Writers deserve a lot cause it's fucking hard sometimes and I have stuff that I can look at dealing with that but LOL round 2 and I'm observing the same stuff.

I'm legit serious. Evil bad guy scientist dude who is most definitely evil who uses what amounts to like themepark tech to murder ppl? Amazing. Better than HN. So fucking cool. I'm into it.

So...I am forced to ask, why am I triggered by this discourse and after an evening of being upset and mild panic attack I have come the following conclusions.

1) for a generation and fandom full of people who care about mental health 1- there's gonna be a lot of people who are hurt over this and I hope y'all talk to those people and talk about people sending death threats and maybe like. Make safe spaces for people who are systems and fictives. Encourage them to talk so they can like...process it. Y'all did it for bl*eycapsules. Or just remember (and I have seen this) that like this new thing is canon but your au is valid keep up with- your au.

2- would it fucking kill y'all to use tone indicators even if it's an actual joke and seems obvious completely omitting me like. There might be people who don't get it haagha edgy humor. I mean. This guy's a shithead *should be obvious* but speaking just...as me. An old asshole. People miss shit.

(I am actually a really really big proponent of "hey listen this canon version sucks *ass* why not make your own thing then change the names and make a comic about it and y'know you could add your own flare like maybe it all turns out to be the backrooms or something. Enjoy the slasher-killer but if you connected to the dude be like 'fuck you Scott and canon I'm gonna do my own thing and it's gonna be better.'

That's one of the things I love about this fandom. It *was* sandbox-like and Scott seemed to like and encourage that. Don't ask for star wars. Ask for something super cool that you can make your own even if nobody listens.

3- final note. Gonna not get personal but maybe a little bit? Idk how this might be read. So this is a warning. I'm in my 30s and I'm old. Take that into account reading this pls.

I'm trans and this space is aligned with all my special interests (themeparks, creepy entertainment companies) and I wanna be here but Scott could maybe we have another adult who...isn't a villain and isn't Vanessa?

Hear me out. I love Vanessa but I'm on a gender struggle bus. I'm old and trans and I love her but I'd like a cool...idk. just another person.

The world: Kyle! But what about Mike Afton-

Im...old. and Mike means a lot to a lot of other people and maybe this is my neurodivergency but like he and Jeremy just belong to so many people in warm and fuzzy levels...I'm old. I don't go here.

The world: ok but the animatronics-

It just doesn't work for me. Sorry. Believe me I've tried. believe me.

Anyway. Dear Scott and Steel Wool are the only like decent human beings your 2 throwaway cops in the novels and a bunch of parents who have no names and Vanessa? I know this is a kids game and it feels weird to ask but could we have grownups who are masc presenting who aren't Mike Afton and aren't y'know. Creeps like Luis?

I know it sounds stupid but it really is my neurodivergency and it is so hard to explain like. Mike and Jeremy etc belong to so many other people and what's cool about this is idk I feel like I could share that and maybe not feel like a weirdo

Anyway. Those are my thoughts. I'm just getting it out there.

[mike-wheeler-faggotry]

I posted 2,920 times in 2022

That's 2,832 more posts than 2021!

296 posts created (10%)

2,624 posts reblogged (90%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@aemiron-main

@laozuspo

@tsugarubecker

@will80sbyers

@messrsbyler

I tagged 2,918 of my posts in 2022

#reblog - 2,604 posts

#mike - 1,438 posts

#byler - 919 posts

#will - 767 posts

#analysis - 489 posts

#posting about the prick - 259 posts

#byler tumblr - 243 posts

#art - 240 posts

#gay mike wheeler - 223 posts

#st4 spoilers - 201 posts

Longest Tag: 139 characters

#we can keep the flowers! mike giving jane flowers just because she's a friend who likes them and not because of a crumbling relationship>>>

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

Will: H-

Mike: Omg I'm not gay! I'm normal and straight! El is my girlfriend! Why are you acting like that, you're being an asshole???

256 notes - Posted June 13, 2022

#4

Billy, in show, is heavily sexualized. That, when added to his lack of non-sexual happy times on screen, and contextualized by his trauma, paints a rather bleak picture.

From his first introduction being girls staring at his ass, to the middle aged women in season 3 ogling him despite being a to-be senior in high school, Billy has been sexualized from day one. However... what else is he associated with? Basketball? Drinking? Surfing? Weightlifting? Typical "hot male" things. Being a swim coach? Average straight teen guy's fantasy. Everything he's associated with has to do with his sexualization... or his trauma.

Neil being abusive to Billy his whole life, and his mother abandoning him as a child, are the other main pieces of his character. We see this in how he fights, and how he doesn't fight. Someone mentioned the parallel of Billy hitting Steve with a plate when backed into a corner and the memory of Billy's mom hitting Neil with a plate. And we all know Max's words when threatening him with the bat are word-for-word what Niel says when abusing Billy.

With all this in mind, when do we ever see Billy really happy? Not prideful, not sexual, but really truly happy? The only real time he's happy is when we see the memory of him at the beach with his mom, and... that's it. After that, his emotions always involve anger, fear, or sexuality.

Interestingly, there are only a few scenes where he's actively being flirtatious. One is the homoerotic game-and-postgame-showers with Steve, and the other are the scenes with Karen. And only in the first one does he initiate the flirtation; Karen is the one initiating the flirting in the scenes. Which is. Rather concerning.

I don't have much tying this together. However, I find the fact that his only somewhat positive times during canon involve being sexual or angry, with the sexuality often not even being started by him, rather worrying.

Tag list:

@queenjayrogue @aliens-took-my-iwa-chan

291 notes - Posted August 18, 2022

#3

"Robin was dumbed down this season" "Robin is so annoying" she's autistic you ableist fucks.

299 notes - Posted May 30, 2022

#2

Volume 2 spoilers, also kinda long.

The "confession" monologue wasn't what it seems. Although at first glance it seems that it really is a loss for byler, I'd argue that it's actually a win. Reason? The monologue is weird and ooc if it's a confession to Jane. But it makes more sense if it's a confession to Will disguised as a confession to Jane. Let's break down the scene.

It starts with Jane struggling against Henry Creel. The rest of cali crew are trying to save her, but it isn't working. Will then says, "Mike, don't stop, okay you're the heart, okay remember that, you're the heart!"

So Will tells Mike he's the heart, so he has to let his heart out. But obviously what's in his heart isn't romantic love for Jane. It's platonic love, strong platonic love, but platonic love that isn't what he think she wants. So he has to give her romantic love. I think, he's been sort of realizing that he's gotten his feelings for Will and Jane mixed up over this season. But no way is he going to say he doesn't love Jane romantically now. So, he says his feelings for Will and says them like they're feelings for Jane.

He starts off by reassuring Jane that he's there with her. And then, after a sort of pause, he blurts out he loves her. In a... rather forced way. Trust me, this isn't "I have a hard time saying I love you", this is "I have to say I love you but it's making me feel wrong." Trust me, I know the second very very well.

"I love you, I'm sorry I don't say it more, it's not because I'm scared of you, I'm not, I've never felt that way, never. But I am scared that one day you'll realize you don't need me anymore, and I thought that if I said how I felt it would somehow make that day, hurt more. But the truth is, El, I don't know how to live without you."

Did anyone else catch the glance to the side before he said "hurt more"? From where he was looking, he would have glanced at... Will. He has to look at Will to get out a confession to Jane? Hmm. And let's rephrase this part a little.

"I love you, I'm sorry I don't say it more, it's not because I'm scared of you don't love you, I'm not do, I've never always felt that way, never. But I am scared that one day you'll realize you don't need me anymore, and I thought that if I said how I felt it would somehow make that day, hurt more. But the truth is, El, I don't know how to live without you."

Just removing the obvious allusion to the milkvan fight and one or 2 other parts makes this more romantic. I.e., milkvan doesn't really fit this confession well. But also, this verson also fits byler well. The disconnect right now is that they both think the other loves someone else. And Mike doesn't know why Will is becoming more and more distant, but he's scared. He knows Will has relied on him in the past, but he's not doing that anymore, and that hurts.

And, well, this is the 80s, if a miracle happens and Will does love him back, being in a relationship would put them at more risk against homophobes. And if Mike confessed, and Will didn't love him back, there would be a chance of Mike being hated. (This wouldnt happen, but Mike doesn't know that for certain). And losing Will would be the most painful thing. So honestly, in his situation, without the foresight of us viewers, the safest thing is to lie and ignore how he loves Will.

Now, onto the very very inflammatory line, "My life started the day i met you in the woods." Now, in context of Milkvan's first meeting, yeah that wouldn't be a very good day. But if your life started the day you met someone, wouldn't saying hello, or asking to be their friend, be the best thing you've ever done. Mike's life started when he met the one he loves. But it wasn't Jane who started his life, it was Will. He's trying to say his feelings for Will and disguise them as feelings for Jane, and in the moment he's. Not really thinking about how the first meeting situations were different.

Let's ignore the shirt remark for now. "And I knew right then and there, in that moment, I loved you. And I've loved you every day since. I love you on your good days, I love you on your bad days, I love you with your powers, I love you without your powers, I love you for exactly who you are. You're my superhero! And, I can't lose you!"

Interesting word choice here. You love her without her powers, yet she's your "superhero". Once again, we have him idealizing her for her powers, regardless of what else he is saying. And actually, has he always loved her every day since? Did he love her when Will's fake body was found and he yelled at her "What's wrong with you?" twice? Did he love her when he called her a weapon to fight against the monsters? Did he love her in season 3 when he wasn't upset about the breakup, just offended?

However, if we ignore the bits about powers, this does hold true about Will. He loves Will so much he does everything in his power to save him from the monsters again and again. He loves Will when they're playing D&D together, he loves Will when he's upset over Mike's bullshit, he loves Will so much he refuses to believe he's dead when he has pretty much no evidence he's alive, he loves Will so much he can't lose him. He loves Will for exactly who he is, and is only able to "be in love" with Jane when he puts her on a pedestal.

"You can do anything! You can fly, you can move mountains, I really believe that, I really do! But right now, you just have to fight, okay?" More superhero, and the heart of the confession. He needs her to fight on and keep living, he's saying what he has to to keep her alive and fighting.

Now, this is all well and good, but where is the proof this is the angle we should be looking at? Because this isn't the first scene byler has been hidden by mileven. When Will showed the painting, he confessed his own feelings to Mike but pretended it was Jane's feelings. Who says that Mike can't be confessing to Will, but pretending he's confessing to Jane? This only adds to the numerous times in past seasons Mike has, in a way, used Jane as a surrogate for Will. And I'm not saying that's a good thing, but it's what's been happening.

Essentially, while the confession may appear to be pro mileven, it's actually pro byler. Do not lose hope everyone!

369 notes - Posted July 2, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

Hot take but s3-s4 mike isn't different from s1-s2 mike. Y'all just ignored the signs of mental illness until it started affecting people other then himself. He threw himself into the quarry fully expecting to die in season 1, he was explicitly self-destructing in season 2 with the breaking rules, he just went the natural progression of that behavior with breaking his relationships in seasons 3-4.

414 notes - Posted July 4, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[clownwzrd]

i hope will gets an actual apology from mike (: maybe a liddl kiss but he needs an actual apology season 3 mike aint it

[inutaffy]

If m!leven was healthy (in which i compare cobra kai 5 to stranger things 3)

sam = el & miguel = mike

so in cobra kai, it's basically all about karate but also interpersonal relationships and things like bullying and trauma (and how people react or deal with the trauma)

similar to stranger things which is about supernatural things happening to people in a small town, it also deals with interpersonal relationships and trauma

so little backstory: miguel left for mexico at the end of season 4, and he came back at like season 5 episode ... 2 or 3 maybe. this put a strain on his relationship with sam

miguel's friends' hawk/eli and demitri tell him he needs to get an apology gift for sam

sound familiar ?

now okay, miguel is 17 and obviously has money compared to mike who is 13 and is apparently broke (ik karen give him an allowance he lying 🙄) but he could have gotten SOMETHING, anything honestly, lucas would have helped pay for a fucking bracelet in her fav color or something. anyway

here is the necklace miguel got. orginially miguel was like.. it's perfect (the octopus is a symbol for their relationship because he bought her a octopus on their first date) but he then said "but i'm probably not going to be able to afford it ..." then employee said "actually it's been reduced" (and though it was still expensive ... it was like 182) but he bought it for her! HE WAS ACCOMMODATED ? it's almost like the writers wanted him to show his affection for her? ??? at all costs???

and then the bear charm.... which was extremely expensive (definitely played up for comedy) i think i was like 300 something? correct me if i'm wrong, mike was sneered at after he gave a big smile to the employee, and stormed out of the store "i should have shoved that bear right up his-" and cut off. there's a distinct difference here. the bear doesn't really mean much to their relationship (but i think it's canon that el likes bears idk ?) or to mike actually, and he walks out of the store literallt empty handed....... nothing to show for lying to her..... or his feelings (a bit reductive bear w me . yes im making puns)

okay so, all of season 3 it was lucas giving mike advice. well miguel went to sensei lawrence for some advice

this entire time he's very drained and sad about him and his girlfriend maybe breaking up, "I have a feeling she's still mad at me and i want to fix it but we haven't spoken in awhile and honestly i'm not sure what i'm supposed to say." "i've been there. how about the truth?"

it's a very enlightening scene for miguel, that he just needs to be honest and see how it works out. due to his age hes more mature than mike is at the time, but mileven's entire relationship is used for jokes a lot of the time.

here he says "she knows i'm lying she KNOWS i'm LYING" (he was mostly lying because of hopper, but he doesn't say that until EPISODES later. how about the truth mike?) lucas insists on getting her a present etc etc they end up at the mall. this isn't played off as the cute teen montage with el and max. mike is frustrated and irritated like... the entire time. and lucas is so exasperated and will doesn't even know why he's here (mike doesn't acknowledge his existence unless will speaks up) the boys' montage is just cringe fail losers im so deadass😭 and elmax's is #LiveLaughLove. like i said. empty handed. nothing to show for his feelings.

Now i have to compare the break-ups! bro sam literally been fighting her demons 💀 anyways el broke up with mike to be more independent and find stuff she likes right? well sam broke up with miguel to work on herself and find herself as a person outside of karate. sort of similiar ??

the miguel and sam break up had very somber music and TEARS. DO YOU HEAR ME? T E A R S.

here he said he was SORRY. mike didn't apologize until like 2 episodes later...... intyways.... he says the truth and "i wasn't thinking about you. or us." and she said "miguel you don't need to explain-" blah blah. and then "i need a little break. to figure out who i am outside of all that (karate)" here she starts to tear up and miguel goes "when you say break what do you mean...? break from karate? break from me?" to which she replies: "i'm not okay right now-" IS CRYING. "and i don't think i will be until i figure this out for myself" which i think is a lot like el finding herself and style (a lot less teary eyed tho) and miguel says he understands and they HUG

and then he walks away... and starts to cry, and then drops the octopus necklace in her backyard because now they're no longer in a relationship blah blah it hurts ahhh also. losing that symbol of their relationship because they broke up

he didn't get to give it to her !!!

now if we look at mileven, which wasn't alone, which was actually for giggles, and there wasn't a wet eye in the house

there's 3 other people here (albeit know about the situation) who they are airing out their problems and arguments to rn. like she dumps him publically. right in front of a mall. in front of all his friends "i dump your ass😜" is so jarring from "i need a little break (voice crack)" anyways in this screenshot is when mike starts to KEEP LYING?? .... get you a man committed to the bit i guess. i mean he could have said right here "im sorry... hopper threatened me that if i didn't stay away from you well...." blah blah he's fucking insane. like i felt like he was just doing anything to justify it which makes it seem he didn't actually want to be around her? regardless of hopper.... which is .... odd considering how "crazy" he is about her (😉)

here she asks "you lie. why do you lie?" and he just doesn't say anything. like genuinely just stares at her dumbfounded not knowing what to say. SO IF IT WAS REALLY HOPPER THEN WHY ISNT HE SAYING THAT? HE DOESNT EVEN BRING IT UP UNTIL LIKE 2 EPISODES LATER (my timing so off it could be like an episode later tbh) anyways. there's nothing showing for the lies. literally. verbally and physically. he didn't get her anything and he also isn't providing her any answers.

and then she dumps him and he makes this face and "you're as cooolldd as ice" plays and she gets on the bus in her bright clothes and sunny weather and ice cream and hi fives max and she's happy about it!! girl does not gaf!!!! 😎 she's chillin fr.

then mike goes home, eats nacho cheese chips, and complains to lucas while. not doing anything. about it. literally also not caring that much. there's no crying. he "rushes" after he bus after the doors close and they're gone. and he looks confused more than anything but i think that scene was to draw attention to the grey clouds (foreshadowing for byler rain fight.+ grey clouds often symbolism for trouble coming blah blah i wanna be a english major <- fun fact abt me)

this breakup is very very very lighthearted! i giggle watching it! typical middle school behavior honestly 🙄 either way. mike is not torn up about it. el is not torn up about it. (but lucas is about him and max's breakup post season 3)

now let's talk about that first i love you!

sam found the necklace and brings it up after the big fight and everyone's getting literal medical treatment (wodkoajdosncosbxisjdosjdo) anyways. she asks if it's his and he said it was supposed to be a present for her but (she cuts him off) "i broke up with you before you could give it to me" and this sparks the conversation "so you weren't really fine with breaking up?" "well it's not what i wanted but you said you weren't okay. you needed some time and i just seemed like that was more important." she says thank you and it means a lot to her "of course........(extremely long pause but he has a loving glance).... i mean that's what you do when you love someone right?"

"you've never said that before." "well, i do" blah blah "i love you too" HETEROSEXUAL KISSING TW

a mutual kiss here. noticing how both their eyes are closed. 🧐 (this is at the end of the season)

for mike,

there are 5 other people around. he isn't saying it to her. she's not in the room. hes upset and trying to prove hes right and cares about el. (also in the same breath he tells a false statement which to me discredits anything he says (/j) "and i don't want her to die looking for the flayed when obviously they've vanished off the face of the earth" the flayed did not vanish! this is disproven!) i think he loves el and cares abt her just not romantically btw

when el walks in he has a face of regret, not embarrassment or flustered lol he just plays dumb and forcefully says "Nothing. Nothing!" lookijg down and away from her after she asks what's going on and then lucas says "just family stuff" <- lying for his bestie (true ride or die honestly)

and then... the notorious ending scene

he gives her the bear! #MIDLEVEN ENGAME ok im kidding. so here he gave her this bear because she was too short to reach it and she lost her powers (his needless worrying payed off huh) so he reassures her that her powers will come back (they don't. not on their own.) now i think this is different from the octopus because there's no emotional value to them, he didn't buy it, he wasn't giving her a childhood bear, im pretty sure that's will's bear anyways. the bear means nothing. it doesn't symbolize anything for their relationship.

and then they talk, cerebro, thanksgiving christmas, presents, (sorry that made me sound like a 7 yr old) and it's so awkward. they made up in the hospital but that was weird and awkward too. it's really shown they don't talk much due to lack of common interest and el not really caring for mike's interests and it really shows. intyways, el walks away and mike sorta stands there . in front of the open closet (he also sort of . half smiles. relieved? content? but then he shakes it off) and then she turns around and

he actually doesn't understand at first ("your heart") and then when he does he tries to play it off because it doesn't really look like he wants to talk about it... he doesn't seem to like being vulnerable with her! he looks down and away, and asks what he said exactly. and she kisses him, open closet, open eyes,

he doesn't move and it's very stiff and it's not MUTUAL.

and see the season doesn't END there? (duh they're not the main focus) it ends (on mikes part) with

even though miguel and sam are not the main focus (and also the season doesn't end on their kiss also) that's how their arc ends. that's the last scene. the midleven "make up" is overshadowed by byers + el moving away. and probable a realization on mikes part. mikes only gone to his mom for comfort 1 other time and it was because will's body was pulled from the river

OK IM DONE! THIS ACTUALLY JUST TURNED INTO MY SEASON 3 THOUGHTS KINDA! THANK YOU FOR LISTENING

[burgundybmw]

Stranger Things Zodiac Signs: The OG Party

Mike Wheeler // Aries

Okay so Mike's canon birthday is April 7th, so that makes him an Aries. This doesn't surprise me in the slightest. Aries are excitable. impulsive, and are very open to new experiences. When he first met Eleven he was like "yea let's just have this strange bald kid live in my basement." Like that's a totally normal decision one should make in 30 seconds. Aries are quick to change, and Mike flip flops between things nearly every season. Season 1 & 2 besties with Will and the gang and loves to plays DnD, Season 3 DnD? What's DnD? I want to spend all of my time with my gf and totally forget about my friends and just talk about girls, Season 4 DnD is cool again! Like what the fuck Mike? Aries also gravitate towards the enter of action, and Mike is always their front and center when it comes to stuff with Will and Eleven. He charges head first into it. Mike has a bit of a short fuse, we see this with Nancy and how he is quick to blow up at things only to brush them off quickly after the fact, very Aries. Something else about Mike is that even though he has very close knit friends, he's very self involved. He isn't very empathetic, and has to make the effort to understand how someone else is feeling, or someone else has to tell him for him. Aries are very creative and high spirited, and we see this with Mike when he plays DnD. Like Eddie, he used to be a Dungeon Master, and that creativity comes in handy. Overall, Mike is very Aries

Will Byers // Aries & Pisces Cusp

This is another canon birthday. Will was born on March 22nd, so although that makes him an Aries too, he is on the cusp with Pisces. This is very evident with his character. Aries & Pisces cusps are headstrong, but they long for peace. Will is very upfront with his wants and needs, whether it's for DnD, spending time with his friends, or wanting Eleven to be honest with Mike, that's Aries. However, Will has gone through a TON of shit, and this kid is tired. He wants to just be a kid without all the bullshit happening to him every year. Aries & Pisces Cusps are also known for their keen intellectual powers, and Will is a very smart kid. He was like 12 years old when he was taken into the Upside Down and managed to survive for 10 days. They are also known for their warmth and sympathy, we see this in season 4 with how he interacts with Mike. He offers him reassurance with Mike's relationship with El, and tells him that he is the heart of the group with his painting (Although Mike is totally not the heart of the group, Dustin is. That whole thing was just Will telling Mike that he is Will's heart, and the boy is too dumb to realize his best friend is in love with him.) Will definitely leans more into the Pisces side than the Aries side, but he also isn't one to stifle his fiery nature.

Lucas Sinclair // Gemini

Like Robin, Lucas is a Gemini. This may be a slightly controversial opinion, because I've heard people say he was a Scorpio, or an Aries, or even a Taurus. Nope, Gemini, and this is why. Geminis are very versatile, they like a lot of variety with their interests. Lucas likes to play DnD, basketball, and kick monster ass. Geminis are also known for communication, and we see how good he is at that with his relationship to Max. Lucas often checks in on her and tells her how he's feeling, and wants to talk to her about how she feels as well. Max doesn't always follow along, but that doesn't stop him from trying. He talks Mike through his relationship problems in season 3, and also talks to Will when he notices his friend is upset. He is clear and concise with his language, key attributes for effective communication. Geminis are also known to be persuasive, we see this in season 4 when he tries to sell the idea of him befriending the guys on the basketball team to Mike and Dustin. He tells them how this would benefit the friend group overall as they advance throughout high school. He also persuades Jason and his friends to follow his fake plan to Hopper's cabin, and convinces them to trust him (Gemini's are stereotyped to be two faced, in this case it came in handy for the party). Not only that, he has to be persuasive if he has Erica for a sister, otherwise she'd run all over him.

Dustin Henderson // Cancer

I'm 99% sure the universal opinion is that Dustin is a Cancer. Dustin is imaginative, kind, emotional, with a shrewd inquisitive mind, all traits of a Cancer. Although he is an amazing friend, he can be quick to frustration and becomes crabby. We see this when his friends don't immediately understand his plans or thought process, and often jumps to an attitude. However, his deep emotional depth overrides the crabbiness. For Cancers, people who make them feel secure will earn their undying loyalty. We see this with Dustin's relationships with both Steve and Eddie. Dustin is loyal to a fault, and he immediately latches on to both of them because they fulfill separate needs within him. Steve helped boost Dustin's confidence and help him come out of his shell, while Eddie helped Dustin realize that it's okay to be yourself and that he should be proud of who he is and his interests. Cancers are very nurturing and caring towards the people they care about, and despite what Will says, Dustin is the heart of the group. He's the glue that holds everyone together. Cancers are also very intuitive, quick problem solvers. Who is the biggest problem solver of the group? Dustin. I don't really know what else to say, Dustin is just a cancer.

[sleepy-moron]

I saw some people be like "Will can have a satisfying ending to his personal arc of self acceptance without being in a relationship with Mike" and while that's genuinely something I agree with.......I have a few problems with this. Mostly I think they've accidentally wrote themselves into a corner because basically all of the alternatives have issues.

1)

Assuming that all of the current "canon" ships are endgame (i.e. people who have actually dated in the show not including Steve and Nancy bc Nancy is dating someone else) and going off the idea that there will be no new major characters next season Will and Steve will be the only characters to not get with their love interest....and Steve still got to have parts of his plotline be unrelated to romance in s3 s4. Being sad and gay while pining for Mike was basically Will's major plotline for both seasons. Yes I'm counting his friends ditching him to hang out with their girlfriends as gay induced angst for the sake of this argument. Will has been planned to be gay since the beginning, and unless Robin existing as another gay character has also been planned from the beginning, they were going to have what could have been their only gay character not get a happy ending that includes romance when all the other party members do. Not saying that romance is necessary for happiness but having one of three queer characters in your ensemble show not get a romantic plotline while basically every other major character does is shitty.

2) They should have introduced a love interest for him already if they intend to give him one besides Mike. Vickie was barely in this season but at least she exists and gets some establishing characterization. Since we aren't supposed to get new characters next season that means the new love interest is basically gonna be some cardboard cutout they give Will so people don't accuse them of not giving a gay character a happy ending. Never mind the fact it's blatantly using the new guy as a replacement goldfish for Mike, I just would want one of my main characters to wind up in a relationship with another character that's actually relevant rather than some dude who shows up for 30 seconds. I don't care if it wasn't obvious he was a love interest for Will, I literally just wanted the character to be introduced. Also means that Will actually getting over Mike is more than likely gonna be completely ignored or mentioned like once in the season, or they're going to basically have him still pine for the whole season then have a 180 at the end.

3) Will not getting a happy ending is just straight up shitty writing at this point. The kid has done nothing but suffer for the entire fucking show and for him to just be in unrequited love for the rest of his life, trapped in the upside down forever, or straight up fucking die is not a satisfying conclusion for the character.

At this point assuming byler isn't endgame Will is either going to get a replacement goldfish boyfriend at the last second, be one of like maybe 3 main characters that end the show single, pine for the rest of his life, or wind up dead (or an equivalent depressing ending) they did this to themselves

[blooming-sunrise]

you know what's fucked up? that mike knows how his relationship with eleven is, that she needed him, that she didn't have a lot of options besides being with him... I get that he really cares about her but he is aware of the dynamics and not only that, he is afraid she won't need him anymore because he knows that they are together because she needs him. I don't expect a 15yo to do the right thing and break up, at least until they want each other instead of needing each other but it is very fucked up because of eleven's past... and this isn't even criticism towards mike, that is just bad writing because mike was a whole person with a support system before he met eleven and eleven was all alone and being with mike seemed like the only option which makes for a very toxic dynamic, everything that happened with their relationship in volume 2 was badly written, specially using will's love for mike to further mike's relationship with el and it's one of the things that really bothers me about that finale

I believe byler makes so much more sense and gives for a better story but I was not opposed to mike and el until yesterday

in conclusion, I'm throwing canon mike to the trash and keeping the headcanons I had before volume 2, because mike dealing with internalized homophobia, his feelings for will, and the fact that his feelings for eleven aren't what "they are supposed to be" makes so much more sense with seasons 1, 2, and 3 Mike than whatever happened in season 4, volume 2