#stranger things ship wars?

[eddiezpaghetti]

Okay, I’ve noticed a little bit of a pattern I kind of want to talk about. (Bit of a long-winded observation under the cut.)

So I’m new to the Stranger Things fandom. I watched, like, a season and four episodes during the quarantine of 2020, decided it wasn’t really for me, and got pulled back in this year because of Eddie. (I, too, am a gay, nerdy, metalhead loser with a shitty life.)

Eddie was my entry point, and now I like the show as a whole. And I’m very much on the “Byler is going to be canon” train. Like, I’m not even nervous about it and kind of laugh when I see people overcompensating by looking way too deep into nitty gritty details like the triangle on Mike’s shirt. Why are we looking at set design when the story says everything we need to know, right? It’s pretty fucking obvious that’s where the story’s going.

Point is, I’ve spent about as much time looking at Byler stuff as I have looking at Steddie stuff. And I’ve noticed this weird fuckin’ phenomenon that I’ve never seen in any other fandom. And that’s a one-sided ship war.

Sure, I’ve seen a couple of Steddies make some general statements that indirectly hit Byler, like...shall we say the uninformed nonsensically saying that shipping Steddie is more moral than shipping any of the younger characters despite the fact that minors have kissed canonically in the show. Like, yeah, teenagers have crushes. Teenagers get into relationships. Steve and Nancy had a goddamn sex scene when they were still teenagers. If you’re someone who thinks that having an opinion on which teenage characters make the cutest couples makes a person a creep, you need to sit down.

But those Steddies are few and far between. Most of the Steddies I’ve seen love Byler.

And yet, it seems like every other Byler blog I check out is super defensive when it comes to Steddie. And I can’t figure out why. I’ve seen people say things like “Don’t pay any attention to that ask. The person who said it ships Steddie.��� I’ve seen memes attacking Steddie shippers because Steddie isn’t canon-compliant enough. I’ve seen so many people outright attack Eddie’s popularity, or pitting him against other characters they like more.

Like... I understand the Mileven-Byler rivalry. I understand the Steddie-HellCheer rivalry. Those ships align with my understanding of ship wars. They’re mutually exclusive unless you like poly ships. That makes sense to me.

I don’t understand the pattern I’ve seen from Byler shippers being angry that Steddie shippers...exist, though. Like, you gotta know we love you guys and your ship, right? I’ve got, like, a sizeable chunk of Byler scenes in my ongoing Steddie fic. I’m just trying to figure out what the anger is about.

Is it that Steddie has the highest number of fics on AO3? Like, is it a numbers game? Is it because Steddie fans like Byler enough that they keep putting it in their Steddie fics and the Byler tag has too many Steddie fics with Byler as a side ship and you feel like they’re encroaching on your territory? Is it just because it’s not canon and it’s a superiority thing because Byler is going to be canon?

Of course, it’s not all Byler shippers, and once again, I’m not saying all Steddie shippers are entirely innocent. It’s just a pattern I’ve observed. Hell, maybe I’ve just been unlucky and I’ve just happened to run into a lot of argumentative Byler shippers. I’m just one person. Part of the scientific method is being able to repeat something and, well, if I get a bunch of replies on this going “What the hell are you talking about?” I’ll know it’s just a coincidence.

But I’m just trying to find out why we’re not friends. Feels like we should be friends.

[letsplaythermalnuclearwar]

Which best describes the ship you're currently most obsessed with?

it doesn't have to accurately describe the ship, just the descriptor you think is the most fitting. all gendered language is there to preserve the meme and should be read as gender neutral. please reblog for a greater sample size. if you are equally obsessed with multiple ships or currently not obsessed with any, just pick a ship you enjoy (if you don't like any ships, the dynamic you think sounds the most entertaining)

edit: if multiple fit perfectly, chose the aspect you like best about the ship

[kathrahender]

X random person: Calm down, it's just a show/ship. Me: No, no. You don't understand. These things here are my reason to live.

[kebbopulos]

I FINALLY DID IT

After hours of work I have compiled a chart of Tumblr's top 100 ships according to Tumblr's "Year in Review 2022" ships and organized them by fandom.

So! Here's how much of the top 100 each Fandom takes up!

[littlelostbirdy]

Back at it again folks, does anyone have any "I kissed you when I said goodbye like that's normal for us and didn't even realise I did that" fics??

Or I'll take some "I said 'bye love you' like that's something we do and now I'm freaking out because we're not dating and you didn't know about my feelings" ??

Just the subconscious love coming to the surface in everyday actions - there's no tag I can filter for that in ao3 please I Am Begging

[scroofy-was-here]

the realization that all of us byler tumblrs could invade the stranger things subreddit all at once, spam the anti-byler posts with byler comments, and turn it into a byler dominated area.

we are so powerful omg

[faramirsonofgondor]

My favorite MLM ships right now

[faelorelia]

Everyone is allowed to have a favorite character they care about more than the others. Everyone is allowed to ship the characters they want to see together. Everyone is allowed to have their own tastes, preferences, and opinions.

A lot of things in a piece of media can be interpreted in many different ways. It’s wrong to claim that only your interpretation is valid. Let people have their own interpretations and headcanons. We could all have so much fun together if no one attacked others for their opinions. It’s not that serious.

[bebx]

people making “hot takes” about fictional villains and/or other problematic fictional things and then going deep in details into analyzing why this fictional villain is bad and why liking them makes you a bad person in real life, or why shipping x and y together makes you a walking red flag, and then thinking they did something and that their post made such Cultural Impact will never not make me laugh because my brother in christ, they are Not Real. it’s fine if some people don’t like this thing. and it’s fine if some other people do like said thing. there’s nothing to analyze about because the entire existence of the topic you’re crying over is fictional and shouldn’t be used to determine and measure someone’s moral compass. people can be a hardcore fan of slasher movies, in which fictional characters got cut to pieces in the most brutal way, and be a total sweetheart who’s against violence in real life. also this is the same as blaming video games and horror movies for bad things that happen in the real world and, as a result, completely dismissing the actual roots of the problem by blaming it on something that’s fictional (because it’s easier to blame video games and horror movies than to discuss the real problem and its actual roots that aren’t video games or horror movies).

so your “hot take” isn’t actually a hot take but a cry for attention and validation from your fandom at best, a pathetic excuse and a means to stir drama out of nothing just so you could harass other real people over something fictional in the name of being “morally superior” at worst. the only person you’re exposing with these hot takes of yours is really just yourself. cheers!

[curiositysavesthecat]

*this poll was submitted to us and we simply posted it so people could vote and discuss their opinions on the matter. if you’d like for us to ask the internet a question for you, feel free to drop the poll of your choice in our inbox and we’ll post them anonymously (for more info, please check our pinned post)

[fourormore]

[Image description: A polyam flag with the words “four or more bingo” on it. End description.]

FOUR OR MORE 2024 BINGO

AO3 COLLECTION | SQUIDGEWORLD COLLECTION

You thought I would stop at a ficathon? Hell no, I have a vision: a world where we can read about polycules and complicated relationships with four or more people until our eyes hurt and our hearts can't take it anymore.

Let me introduce to you: the 2024 Four or More Bingo!

This is a low-stakes, personal challenge. There's no penalty for not finishing or running late.

Cards will be given from October 20th to December 31st. Fills can be posted to AO3, SQWA or tumblr forever.

GUIDELINES

Any medium! Any rating! As long as your work focuses on a relationship with 4 or more people, it's allowed!

All works must be your own and not previously posted. AI generated works will be deleted from the collections.

You may combine these with other events, as long as the other event allows it (examples are @polyamships ' polyartober, lyricaltitles ' bingo, etc)

Small fandoms welcome!

Don't forget to comply with the community guidelines.

MEDIUM SPECIFIC GUIDELINES

Minimum wordcount for fics is 100 words. There is no maximum

Minimum for art is a sketch on unlined paper (figure sticks allowed!). There is no limit to the quality or effort you want to put in your fills.

Minimum for moodboards is a 3x3 grid (9 images individually or edited in one image). Maximum is given by the place where you decide to post. On tumblr, the maximum is 20 images, but on AO3, you're free!

Minimum for podfic is a 100-word fic. There is no restriction on maximum length or effects.

Minimum for fanvids is 30 seconds. There is no maximum.

Other mediums don't have a minimum. Do you want to make an in-universe magazine for your ship? A cross stich pattern? A sculpture? Go ahead and do it! I look forward to all the things you can create.

Prompts, FAQ and more below the cut!

PROMPTS

The following are the prompts that the bingo card will be generated from. Send us an ask if you want a card, and if you want any prompts specifically excluded from it (you can exclude up to 5 prompts). Feel free to request a new card at any time through December 2024, even if you've already received one. If these prompts seem familiar, it's because most of them come from the ficathon! I've chosen some of the most frequent prompts + some new prompts for added spice.

Hide and seek

Growing old together

Getting high together

Moving in together

"It's complicated"

Long distance

Going to a music event together

Medical AU

1920s AU

1950s AU

1980s AU

Y2K AU

Apocalypse AU

Cyberpunk AU

Meeting the parents

"Because I'm heartbroken"

Kink negotiation

Didn't know they were dating

Truth or dare

Skinny-dipping

Aromantic character

Coffee date

Pacific Rim AU

Gamer AU

Game night becomes an orgy

Stargazing

Trust issues

"My turn"

Omegaverse AU

Sedoretu

Sharing a bed

Wedding

Introspection

Dirty talk

Birthday sex

Coming home

Case fic

Morning after

"Don't look at me, this wasn't my idea"

Royalty AU

Combat training

Dancing

Confessions

Experimenting

Redemption

"Let me/us help"

Enemies to lovers

Friends to lovers

"Why me?"

Something made them do it (sex pollen, fuck water, in heat, etc)

Outsider POV

Wearing each others' clothes

Collection

A fandom you haven't written before

A fandom with canon set before the 20th century

A fandom that's 10+ years old

A fandom that's 20+ years old

A polycule with 5 people

A polycule with 8 people

A polycule with 10+ people FAQ

Q: So how do I get a card? A: Send us an ask, preferrably off anon, but if you prefer to remain anon, leave an emoji to identify you by.

Q: How many fics do I need to write? A: For a bingo, 5 prompts in a line (horizontal, vertical, or diagonal). You can even go for a blackout (all 25 prompts). Q: Why isn't X allowed? A: Just because.

Q: I don’t have a Dreamwidth account. Can I join? A: Of course! You don’t even need an AO3 account if you wish to post only on tumblr.

Q: My work contains [INSERT WARNING HERE]. Can I still participate? A: Yes. This is a CNTW (Choose Not To Warn) space.

Q: I don’t want to see [X] content, can you please remove it? A: No. The only content that will be removed will be that that does not comply with the rules.

COMPLETION POSTS

So, you have a bingo (or a blackout!), what now? Well, to acknowledge the fact that you spent time and effort on at least 5 fics, we'll be receiving bragging posts (also known as completion posts) where you can link all of your fills at once. Please follow this format. You may post on your own blog and @ us, tag #fourormore or submit it to the blog.

If you have any questions, don't hesitate to send a message.

Have fun and bon appetit!

[strawberrybyers]

hi, so awhile ago, or to be more accurate 4 months ago lol, i mentioned that i was working on a 20 minute video that analyzes mileven’s relationship. i gathered clips throughout the seasons that highlight the dynamic between mike and el. this video is byler proof that essentially doesn’t really focus on byler. making this made me realize how much of mike and el’s relationship is just DRAMA lol.

anyways, here it is. please enjoy <3 https://youtu.be/HxqMxztkS1A?si=U7_lxyOfELocpgMl

you guys prob don’t remember but in my initial post about this vid, you guys said you wanted to be tagged. i apologize for the long wait. the amount of times the file corrupted and i had to start over drove me insane 😅 @total-serene560 @kittykat940 @throne-of-crows @upsidedownlurker @byler-invested @mimispams @wanderers-collection

[depressed-cherry11]

we need to talk about the ship war in stranger things

i’m sure no one’s gonna see this but whatever.

stranger things is slowing becoming a pretty toxic fandom because of the mileven vs byler. it’s insane, i mean i’ve seen some super messed up stuff from both sides of the war

like a fandom is a place to have fun and play dollhouse with your fav characters, not attack people

just what the fuck yall

they are fictional characters

chill

[mike-haters-dni]

with peace and love and all the understanding that this is the least serious shit in the world bro what do you meaaaan mike’s love language isn’t words like brooo that boy is a yapperrr he tries desperately like once a season to tell eleven how he feels and is constantly telling her how amazing and important to him she is like his heart is constantly pouring out of his mouth so bad it’s actually a problem for him. he couldn’t say “I love you” because it was too scary and vulnerable because the words mean so so much to him like. cmon.

[dwobbitfromtheshire]

It's sad that a lot of people left Tumblr because they didn't feel safe and all because they were bullied over what they shipped. This site is supposed to be a safe haven, and it makes me sad that a lot of Milevens left because they didn't feel welcomed. Aren't you able to fucking ship Byler without having to constantly harass Milevens? As much as I hate to admit it, Byler is probably going to win, so why do you feel the need to bring others down and make them feel bad for what they ship? And what pisses me off is that it's NOT ALL Bylers, but it's still way too many of them. Why can't you post about your ship and just make it a safe place for Milevens? It's funny how so many of you have claimed to love Mike and Will, but honestly, if they could see you now, they would fucking hate you. You guys don't realize it but you have turned into the very bullies who have bullied Mike, Will, Dustin, and Lucas. You have become the very bullies they hate. Seriously, just stay in your lane and leave Milevens out of your posts. Stop commenting on their posts. Just post about Byler. I may not be a Mileven shipper, but I hope the Duffers make them endgame just to spite some of you assholes. Why do you feel the need to constantly try to validate your ship and, by doing so, bring others down? Your ship is just as valid as Milevens. SHIPPING 👏 IS 👏 SUPPOSED 👏 TO 👏 BE 👏 FUN.

[just-an-enby-lemon]

If you are an "Odysseus deserves to be crying every day in Calypsos island for seven years." fuck you. No he didn't. Yes, Odysseus is a fucked up guy. No he didn't deserve that. Even if he wasn't my babygirl, pet liar, he would not have deserved that. I wouldn't have said that even to Theseus and I hate that bitch so fucking much. No one, no one, deserves to be a victim!