#tagging so you can mute it

[sleepiestslooth]

i just know the shit talking after that stream was immaculate

[ducktracy]

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!TICKETS ARE ON SALE FOR THE DAY THE EARTH BLEW UP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! RELEASE DATE MARCH 14TH!!!!!

as the self appointed, officially unofficial Pig & Duck Embassador, it is my duty to let you know that TICKETS ARE ON SALE!!!!! GOOOOOO GO GO GO GO SEE THIS MOVIE AND DRAG YOUR FRIENDS WITH YOU!! go see it twice, thrice, four times!! i'm going to be really obnoxious about this movie and expect you to do the same!! let's out-obnoxious each other, and start by yelling at your friends to GO SEE THIS FILM!!

[heyimkana]

i'm reading the solo leveling LN again to see how the jinhae moments are portrayed in the novel. this is gonna be animated in the first episode of season 3 i think.

adding commentaries cause i need to YAP about how cute this scene is.

“Hunter Cha, one moment please.” “Hmm?” “You don’t have to go that way.” “…?” Cha Haein stared at Jinwoo with a puzzled look. There was only one door to the meeting room. Surely he couldn’t be thinking of jumping out of the window. Jinwoo closely approached Cha Haein, who stood still, “There’s an easier way to get to that place.” “Huh?” “I’ll have to be a bit close to you. I hope you don't mind?” “Ah…” Cha Haein recalled Baek Yoonho’s retelling of that day’s events. When Korea’s attack team was in its most dire situation, Hunter Sung Jinwoo appeared out of nowhere behind Baek Yoonho. ‘Is he going to show me that?’ Jinwoo was up close, more than she had expected. Cha Haein stared at Jinwoo’s face which was now right infront of hers and gulped, “Excuse me.” Jinwoo pulled her into a light hug. He didn’t think much of the gesture. After all, he had carried her all over the place when she was unconscious in the ant hive. However, Cha Haein’s face turned bright red in an instant, yet she managed to remain still. ‘…He smells nice.’

GIRLLLLL STAND UP IM CRYINNGGGG okay real talk tho i know that man smells nice i know he smells like aftershave and pine trees and soap and everything that smells CLEAN

jinwoo saying "excuse me" and asking her for her permission before he touches her... i know that's bare minimum but that's a MAN right there!!!!

Even as her face turned beet red, Jinwoo carefully held her as to not lose her. ‘Alright.’ He wanted to see if this would work, thinking that he wouldn’t get a chance like this again anytime soon.” “You might get a little dizzy.” He recalled his first time activating this skill. Cha Haein put her hands on Jinwoo’s waist and let out a soft and almost whisper-like, “Okay.” Facing forward, Jinwoo triggered the skill by focusing mentally, ‘Exchange.' The pair fell into the shadow on the floor without a sound. With a heavy mechanical sound, the rows of lights overhead came to life one after another. The room’s automatic sensors had detected the pair’s magic power and began to illuminate the chamber. Cha Haein still had her eyes closed, but opened them once she sensed the brightness. “How…!?” Her eyes were opened wide, unable to contain her surprise. In a blink they had been transported from Jinwoo’s Guild office to this familiar location. ‘Is this even possible?’ As far as Cha Haein could recall, there had been no documented Hunter ability even remotely close to this. She stared at Jinwoo with a mixture of disbelief and awe. “You…” Cha Haein paused. She wanted to know everything about this enigmatic Hunter, but found herself unable to speak. One reason for this was that she had too many questions and didn’t know where to start. The other reason for this was that Jinwoo’s face was mere centimeters away from hers. “Um… It’s okay now.” Gently, Jinwoo touched her hand. Cha Haein could feel the temperature of her cheeks rising as he peeled her arms off from around his waist. “You don’t have to hold onto me anymore.” Breathlessly, Cha Haein nodded as she stroked the spot on her hand where Jinwoo had touched her.

SHE WAS WRAPPING HER ARMS AROUND HIS WAIST??? THAT WAS NOT IN THE MANHWA BRO

also I wishhhhh they included the last part in the manhwa cause it would have looked SO MUCH CUTERRRR RAAAAHH I can imagine jinwoo looking down at her, she looks so small in his arms, and he's so tall and awkward and they're staring at each other, their faces are so close, and he's like “uhhh you can let go now” and cha blushing MADLY while stroking the spot he'd touched her????? SHUT UP THAT'S SO CUTE THEY'RE SO EMBARRASSING

Jinwoo walked away from the corner where his shadow soldier was hiding and made his way towards the center of the gym. “So, let’s get started.” “Okay.” Cha Haein started after Jinwoo, but paused suddenly. She suddenly remembered that she had left her sword back in her car, thinking that it would be rude to be armed while visiting someone else’s office. “I left my weapon in my car…” “Oh, your pickaxe?” “Huh?” “The weapon you were holding in the high orc Dungeon was a pickaxe, right?” Cha Haein felt the blood rush to her face a second time as she recalled that embarrassing encounter. “No, my weapon is—” Jinwoo was fighting hard not to laugh. Seeing his expression, Cha Haein realized that he was teasing her. “…” Cha Haein flushed an even deeper shade of red. Mercifully, Jinwoo held up his hand. “Just kidding.”

HELPPPPP HE'S JUST AS ANNOYING AS HE IS IN THE MANHWA but in the LN it plays out more naturally so it really feels like he's just a normal guy teasing his crush???? i didn't know jinhae was peak romance in the LN bro

It was Igris, the strongest swordsman of his Shadow Army. ‘The strongest swordsman, yes. But not the strongest overall…’ Jinwoo decided that it would be overkill to call upon Beru. Afterall, he already knew that Beru’s original form had easily overwhelmed the entire Korean S-rank team and left Cha Haein in mortal danger. Even though the shadow retained a fraction of its original’s power, Jinwoo was cautious of the psychological toil that the ant king might impose on her. Similarly, calling upon Tusk was out of the question, as Jinwoo could not count on the high orc sorcerer to avoid damaging the Association’s property. In the end, Jinwoo decided on Igris. “Are you sure? It might be difficult to use a weapon that you’re not used to.” Cha Haein shook her head dismissively. “It is not the tools we use that make us good, but rather how we employ them. Besides, if I was fighting a magic beast, they wouldn’t wait for me to fetch my usual weapon.” Jinwoo nodded in agreement. Cha Haein’s sentiment was admirable and he found himself warming up to the female Hunter.

the way he was worried about her, not wanting her to get PTSD... but he also acknowledges her strength and he admires her... god this man

also love how cha acts throughout the chapter, she's cute but also a baddie at the same time

Even though the sword was a common, average-level magic weapon, it looked incredibly formidable in that moment, gripped confidently in Cha Haein’s hands as she stood ready for combat. ‘She truly is strong.' 'Hold on…she said that she doesn’t care about what weapons are used, right?’ A wry smile formed on Jinwoo’s face as he decided to use Cha Haein’s words against her. “Um…could you turn around for a sec?” “…?” Cha Haein tilted her head in puzzlement but did as he requested. Once her back was turned, Jinwoo promptly called up his inventory and pulled out the Demon King’s Longsword. ‘Use this.’ He placed the weapon in Igris’s hand. If a magic beast doesn’t care about their opponent’s weapon, then logic dictates that a Hunter shouldn’t either. Igris bowed his head in deep gratitude and began to bend the knee as well, but Jinwoo stopped him. ‘Hey, I told you already that you don’t have to be so formal with me.’ Jinwoo sighed. If only he could take half of Igris’s chivalrous personality and give it to Iron. Having completed his preparations, he called out to Cha Haein. “Okay, you can turn back around now.” When Cha Haein faced her opponent again, she noticed that the knight held a new sword. Electricity coursed through the blade with bright flashes, lighting up the area around them with its eerie blue glow. “…” Jinwoo avoided eye contact with her and shuffled his feet, feigning ignorance. “Ready to get started?” “…okay.” Cha Haein realized that she had no room to complain, given her words about weapons earlier. Still, she could not help but let the discontent show on her face. Jinwoo felt slightly guilty, but it was too late to change his mind now. “Begin!” Igris moved immediately at the start signal, sweeping the Demon King’s Longsword in a large arc and activating its ability. With a blinding flash, a bright bolt of lightning streaked across the room towards Cha Haein. The brightness stunned the woman for just a moment before her combat experience kicked in. With cat-like grace, she bent backwards to let the lightning sail harmlessly over her body. The attack struck the far wall of the gymnasium with a thunderous crash, leaving the wall charred and smoldering. Cha Haein recovered her stance and shot a dark look in Jinwoo’s direction. However, the newly-appointed S-ranker avoided eye contact once more. Instead, he appeared to be intensely focused on checking the length of his fingernails. ‘…’ Rather than complaining, Cha Haein grasped her sword with both hands. Jinwoo subtly signalled to Igris to avoid using the lightning strike.

Jinwoo: “Summoning Tusk will just end up damaging the Association’s property with his fire magic.”

also jinwoo: gives the demon monarch's sword that can cast LIGHTNING BOLTS to igris

sdfasdfds HE'S A MENACE IN THE LN HE'S SO MISCHIEVOUS

NOT HIM AVOIDING EYE CONTACT AND SHUFFLING ON HIS FEET AFTER IGRIS THREW A FUCKING LIGHTNING BOLT AT HER LMFAOOOOASJFOASKD TRYING TO ACT ALL INNOCENT WHEN CHA WAS LOWKEY GLARING AT HIM HELPPPP THIS IS LITERALLY THEM

ALSO NOT JINWOO LOOKING AT HIS FINGERNAILS WHEN IGRIS KEPT SPAMMING LIGHTNING STRIKES AND PISSING HER THE FUCK OFF HE'S REALLY LIKE mm-mm i didn't see that i don't know what you're glaring at me for girl that wasn't my doing

okay but when he actually felt guilty in the end and silently told igris to stop with the lightning attacks... this is my husband!jinwoo omg he's sweet but also so annoyinggggg

also it's sweet that igris still bends his knees for him and jinwoo stopping him like "bro come on we're friends now" while also throwing shades at iron LMFAOOOOAJSFOSD

[coral-canary]

HAPPY WTWG ON ENG DAY

[flea-palace]

let's get manic depressive and hallucinate with mama

[kidovna]

omg do some of you actually have notifications on for me over here 😭

[pleaktale]

There's like.. two specific blogs on the arcane critical tag that WON'T STOP REPLYING TO PEOPLE WITH "bad faith criticism" like LMAO!? Are you being paid or something? And then the post is literally talking about how they tossed a My Little Pony ending on it (which is true) and they're like BAD FAITH 🫵 YOU GUYS NEED TO SEE THE THIRD MUSCLE OF THIS PERSON'S EYE TO UNDERSTAND 🫵

[iizuumi]

If you thought my ship taste couldn't get weirder you were wrong Yes all 5 of them are dating goodbye

[birdiemcnally]

whatever. go my mcnally

[juunipupu]

i love your art of the knights!

do you use references for the poses? if so, where do you get them?

Thank you so much! Yes and no - I find it hard to get creative if I reference a pose in itself, so I make sketches and start painting without one in most cases. If I'm stuck on a part I don't know how to draw (especially elbows and backs) I'll look at strongman pictures for my knight so I'll see how soft muscle works in different angles. For hands I often take a picture of my own if I need to see a ref so i can get the exact pose I have in mind!

[acidgreendog]

A Kaz Playlist

Exploring that untouched ground between when Kaz discovers he's been used and left out of BB's plans and when he finally settles as Master Miller, I've been thinking a lot about that anger and betrayal he must have felt to get him to walk away from everything he had been building. The personal anger he felt against BB himself was my main focus for a lot of these songs, as well as the feelings of turning his back on him in retaliation. I'm also enjoying thinking about how that bitterness and anger would spiral into a cycle of abuse that may have got taken out on his students, especially david snake, later down the line. This is basically like the world's edgiest break up playlist.

Genres: industrial metal, nu-metal, hard rock, grunge, alt rock.

Run time: 1hr 41 mins

Thumbnail art (by me)

Tracklist

(to be played in no particular order) and lyrics excerpts to show a little bit of why I picked each song:

The Big Come Down -Nine Inch Nails

"the big come down, isn't that what you wanted? // find a place with the failed and forgotten"

Twenty Four Hours -The Twilight Sad (cover)

"just for one moment, thought I'd found my way // destiny unfolded, watched it slip away"

Last Time -Fuel

"this is the last time now // I'll bleed for you"

Change My Mind -Puddle Of Mud

"how could I ever believe anything you've ever said? // I'm on the bottom of your shoes, a little piece, a piece of shit"

A New Way To Bleed -Evanescence

"but it's my // my heart // my life // that you're calling a lie // I've played this game before // and I can't take anymore"

The Line Begins To Blur -Nine Inch Nails

"there are things that I said I would never do // there are fears that I cannot believe have come true"

Hangnail -Nickleback

"my hopes just fell // and I can't see // the reason why // why there is blood on my sleeve // and all this time, I thought it mine // but it's not, it's yours"

Mudshovel -Staind

"all the promises you made to me you made in vain"

Made Of Stone -Evanescence

"I'll numb the pain 'till I am made to // tear out my heart for the way it makes me feel // I will still remember when you've long forgotten me"

September Rain -Cassyette

"my pain clouding my brain // I pray I will find me again"

Somewhat Damaged -Nine Inch Nails

"how could I ever think, it's funny how // everything you swore would never change is different now"

Somebody Someone -Korn

"I can't stand to let you win // I'm just watching you // and I don't know what to do // feeling like a fool inside"

Point #1 -Chevelle

"rebuke, don't choke on this twisted dream"

Home -Staind

"I can't accept this all // because of you I've had to walk away from everything"

Massive -Linkin Park

"I heard the screaming in my dreaming every night // I awake and I'm still mistaking you for right"

You Walk Away -Filter

"I can't live hate // I just won't hate // I just want a life of my own"

Thoughtless -Korn

"all my hate cannot be found // I will not be drowned // by your thoughtless scheming"

Wish -Nine Inch Nails

"I built it up, now I take it apart // climbed up real high, now fall down real far// no need for me to stay"

Alone I Break -Korn

"Now I see the times they change // leaving doesn't seem so strange // I am hoping I can find // where to leave my hurt behind"

Head Like A Hole -Nine Inch Nails

"head like a hole // black as your soul // I'd rather die than give you control"

And One (Hybrid Theory EP) -Linkin Park

"angers a gift, then I guess I've been blessed"

Prison Sex -Tool

"do unto you now, what has been done to me // do unto you now, what has been done" -not necessarily to be taken at the face value the song communicates, more so about a cycle of abuse among male power dynamics

Blue Monday - Orgy (cover)

"how does it feel, to treat me like you do? // When you've laid your hands upon me // and told me who you are"

Hating -Korn

"been hating all this time, before I crawled inside // been hating all the faces of everything I could find"

[ceilidho]

I need to be euthanized !!! she’s so hot 😭😭😭

[royalarchivist]

Quackity: Oh, it's gonna be so cool to see how this develops. I'm excited, I'm gonna try my best. I'm not the greatest at Minecraft whatsoever, I did nerf Green Team a little bit by accident on the second day. My bad! But, you know, I'm so ready to just grind out and see what we can do, and I just–

I wish everyone saw it with the same amount of, like, kind of enthusiasm. I think all of this and all the development and all the potential arcs, that's going to fcking allow for something absolutely incredible.

And if anyone ends up clipping any of this, something I do want to say is I implore people to view everything with a lot of enthusiasm. No stress, no anxiety, just a lot of enthusiasm. Because, again, this is going to allow for a lot of cool things in the server. Not just now, but in the future, too.

[theoriginalbylergod]

Mike Wheeler is important and there's nothing wrong with analyzing him

Since y'all wanna be insufferable bitches about it I'm gonna explain to you why he's important, why Will loves him, why his struggles should be acknowledged, and why his character depth is pivotal to byler endgame being a satisfying conclusion for both Mike AND Will. Deal with it!

We are not seeing smoke where there isn't a flame. We are seeing smoke where there is a literal fucking forest fire.

Starting off with something a lot of people aren't ready for but I've seen more people talking about: Mike is the main character of s1 at the very least. He is the character that brings us into the world of stranger things. He is the character that the writers chose for this. Mike is the main character of s1 and it was an instant hit. The writers love Mike. Contrary to popular belief, giving a character an arc where they are struggling and their behavior changes from what is normal for the character we know and love does NOT mean the writers hate that character. It means they deliberately chose to give that character complexity and depth. Your inability to like characters that do anything wrong ever is not the fault of the writers. Your decision to act as if a character is not important is not reflective of the actual narrative because it in fact is in direct opposition to the narrative. So just to be clear, if you genuinely believe that Mike isn't important, or that the writers hate him, or don't care about him, or that his story "takes away" from any other character's - ESPECIALLY WILL'S - you are simply wrong.

In s1 and s2 Mike is established as an extremely caring person. He's loving, loyal, brave, intelligent, and trying his best. He is also established to be hot headed, someone who speaks without thinking quite often, someone who is capable of hurting his friends despite that being the last thing he wants to do. He is all of these things and more. He is a human. He is a kid. So in s3, when suddenly he is entirely different, it is completely logical to assume that there is a reason for that. He did not just wake up one day and decide he wanted to be an asshole, push Will away, make his friends feel abandoned, and echo the same sentiments their bullies held. Something is happening with him. He has so much going on in his head and it is painfully obvious. He's holding something in, he's hiding from everyone and from himself. We see glimpses of what he's trying to hide after Will calls him out on his behavior. Will gets through to him. Mike is usually unresponsive to tough love, except for when it's coming from Will. After their fight, it is obvious that he's trying to be better. But he still doesn't wanna face certain things, and he doesn't know how to navigate that. Because he's 13 years old.

There is a reason for all of that internal conflict. There is a reason it comes pouring out of him at certain times. He's crumbling. He is quite literally falling apart because he's holding on to too much. It's not a stretch to assume that, it just takes basic media literacy. Why would the writers have Mike act this way if he was just supposed to be a one dimensional character? Why would Finn be directed to portray Mike the way he does if there was nothing more going on? There are times where Mike looks like he's in physical pain because of his internal conflict. There is a reason for that. And acknowledging that DOES NOT mean people are taking away from Will. That's the most idiotic thing I have ever heard. Do y'all seriously not understand that more than one character can have emotionally complex storylines? Genuinely asking, is this a new concept for you?

Will's love for Mike

Will is head over heels in love with Mike. That is very much established. So when you're dismissing the emotional depth of Mike's individual arc because you think acknowledging it "takes away from Will" you are actually diminishing the significance of a huge aspect of Will's emotional arc. By taking away the significance of Mike, you take away from the significance of Will.

Let's do a quick recap of the very significant role Mike has played in Will's entire life:

Mike is Will's first friend.

They have grown up together and it can be assumed that they've reached important milestones together.

Mike has always been a safe person for Will. He's been a constant in Will's very chaotic and unfair life. Until the summer of '85, Mike had always been something good in Will's life. (That's not to say he is no longer something good, but it can be assumed that the summer of '85 is the first time Mike has been a causal factor in Will's unhappiness)

When Will went missing, Mike did not hesitate to search for him. It wasn't even a question of if. The moment he knew Will was missing he knew exactly what he'd be doing that night. He spearheaded the search amongst the party. He was the leader.

When Will came back, Mike was the only person that didn't treat him like he was gonna break. He cared for him, and he was there for him, but he didn't treat him differently; Will tells us as much. Which means we can infer that the way Mike was with Will in s2 - how gentle and loving he was - was nothing new. He had just always been like that.

When Will was possessed, Mike stayed by his side. Even when it was scary, even when it could've gotten him killed, he stayed. Because once again, for him, it wasn't even a question. That's just where he knew he needed to be. He was in the shed when they were trying to get through to Will. He was set apart from Lucas and Dustin, but he also wasn't equated to family. And his retelling of the story of the day they first met was the final push Will needed to find a way to communicate.

After a year of things being "weird" between them, Mike tells Will that he didn't deserve to be treated the way he had been. Mike tells him that he wants them to be okay again, and for the rest of the season he puts in the work.

Things get rough in s3, and at the beginning of s4, and despite all of that, Will confesses his love (albeit veiled). In a moment where Mike is feeling awful about himself, he tells him that he loves him and needs him, and he tells him why. And to him it doesn't matter that he's breaking his own heart to do it, because it's Mike. Mike, who makes him feel like he's not a mistake at all, and that he's better for being different. For Will, there was no other option. The person he loves was hurting and he knew how to help, and so he did.

Mike is the first person Will tells about Vecna still being alive. Because they're back to being a team. He knows he can trust Mike, and Mike seems to be very determined to prove him right.

SO.

These are all real and canon aspects of Mike's presence in Will's life. Will falling in love with Mike isn't something that just happened for no reason. Will fell in love with Mike because of who Mike is. When you acknowledge that, and when you acknowledge the reasons they've set out for why Will loves him - the reasons Will literally told us - you can better understand Will. But when you dismiss all of these things about Mike, you are dismissing a large portion of Will's emotional and romantic arc. You aren't being a Will Warrior. You are erasing so much of him and his feelings and his lived experience. That is not the hill you wanna die on.

Will loves a person. Not a feeling. Yes, he says that Mike makes him feel like he's not a mistake and that he's better for being different. But that's not why he loves him. He feels that way because he loves him.

Mike is a fully fleshed out character with his own feelings and struggles and fears and traumas and motivations. He's not a plot device. He's not just an accessory to Will's arc. He's not a character that was written only to be Will's love interest. He's Will's love interest because he's Mike.

If Mike didn't matter, and if Mike didn't play a significant role in byler, then they would be able to write in a love interest for Will in s5 and have it be somewhat satisfying. But they can't do that. Will's love for Mike has so much depth because Mike has so much depth. It is genuinely crazy that this has to be stated and that I have to back up this claim because it is simply a canon fact.

So yes, the rain fight affects Mike's character development and his involvement in it is important. Yes, the van scene literally could not exist without Mike and therefore his involvement in it is incredibly important. Yes, every single byler moment has an impact on Mike, and Mike has an impact on it because they are BYLER moments. Yes, Mike will have a lot of significant moments - with Will AND on his own - in s5 because his arc deserves and needs as much attention as Will's in order to execute byler endgame in a satisfying way.

No, none of these facts negate Will's importance or take away from his story. If anything, they add to it because Mike and Will's arcs are corresponding and intertwined.

Mike's struggles

To name a few

Dysfunctional family

Has been bullied his entire life

Extreme self worth issues

Inferiority complex

Hero complex

Lack of self preservation

Suicidal ideation (has been on display since SEASON ONE)

Internalized homophobia

To get this out of the way: Mike's internalized homophobia is allowed to be discussed. Discussion of it is not the dismissal of Will's internalized homophobia. Surprise surprise, two queer kids in the 80s have internalized homophobia! Who'd'a thunk it?! Their internalized homophobia presents in different ways but it is there for both of them. I personally relate to the way Mike's is portrayed way more than I relate to Will's. So why is it that we can't discuss it without being accused of erasing Will's experience? Or without people saying that we're "copy and pasting" Will's story? Because quite frankly, that feels dismissive of my - and likely many others' - real and lived experience. So please for the love of all things that are good just stop with this talking point because it will never hold up.

Moving on

I'm not gonna do a full breakdown of all of Mike's issues. Because contrary to popular belief, there are a lot. And that would be exhausting and I'd get carried away and it's not the point of this post. The point of this post is to defend the acknowledgement and mere existence of them.

If you're a byler that for some reason thinks Mike only exists to be Will's love interest and his trophy as compensation for his trauma, let me ask you this: Have you considered how awful it would be to have a queer character's individuality and emotional depth completely ignored for the sake of focusing on the queer character that "really matters"?

If Mike's own issues, with his queer identity and otherwise, aren't thoroughly explored... What's the point of all this? If Mike really is insignificant in this storyline and his individuality has no effect on it.. where's the emotional payoff? If his perspective doesn't matter... Why have the writers gone to such great lengths to ensure we don't have that piece of the puzzle yet?

Analyzing Mike and understanding Mike is very important to understanding byler. Once again, I think it's crazy that this needs to be said.

I also think it's important to note that characters can have similar struggles. There's no rule against that. Just like real life. Characters having similar struggles is not a bad thing, and acknowledging that their struggles are similar is not dismissive of either character. We're talking about STRANGER THINGS. Jonathan and Nancy's thing is "we've got shared trauma". They have literal matching scars. Shared experiences are some of the main building blocks for this show's romances. Byler has a TON of shared experience, basically their entire lives. We already know that. So wouldn't it be so beautiful for them to learn that they've been struggling with the same thing this whole time? That the entire time they felt alone in what they were going through when really they had each other and they never even knew it? Wouldn't it be so beautiful for Mike's acceptance of Will and Will's love for him was also a step toward accepting himself? Wouldn't it be beautiful for Will to learn that his love makes Mike feel like he's not a mistake? None of that would be in the realm of possibility if Mike didn't have emotional depth and if his individuality wasn't important.

And that leads me to my concluding point...

A satisfying execution of byler endgame hinges on Mike's individual emotional arc being handled well

God I hope this isn't controversial to say. I sincerely hope most people haven't forgotten that.

Here's a hypothetical:

Imagine season five has been released. You're watching it, and you notice that Mike has been relegated to just a supporting character for Will. We don't get any of his perspective. We don't get any explanation for his s3 and early s4 behavior. His breakup with El doesn't have any real tangible effect on him, it's really just used for El's character development. We never see him pining for Will like we saw Will pining for him. And then suddenly Mike is learning about the painting and then suddenly he's confessing his love and then suddenly byler is canon and official.

Now wouldn't that just be awful? Wouldn't that be unfair to the audience, to Mike, and to Will? For us to never learn just how much Mike had to go through to even be able to say it out loud? For Mike to never get the chance to prove to himself through word and action that he is the heart? For Will to never get an explanation for why things did get so "weird" between them? It would leave us with one big, nagging question: What was the point of everything Mike has said and done throughout the entire show if his conclusion is that lackluster?

Disregarding Mike for a moment (I know that's incredibly ironic given what the entire point of this is but just bear with me) - how would that be a satisfying conclusion for Will? I mean, Will's s4 arc was basically dedicated to showcasing his struggle with his sexuality and with his love for Mike. We were shown just how deep that love is. We were shown how patient, unselfish, unwavering, and beautiful that love is. So how would it be satisfying for Mike's love for him to not be shown with just as much depth? How would it be satisfying for Mike to just be a one dimensional character whose s5 arc is essentially "break up with girlfriend, wait to find out best friend is in love with him, say he loves him back, then they live happily ever after"? I think Will deserves for his love to be returned with the same intensity at which he gives it. And I think it should be clear to the audience and to Will himself.

Back to Mike!

Mike has been through so much shit. I don't think anyone that is denying that actually believes he hasn't been through shit. Because you'd actually have to watch the show on mute and with your eyes closed to think this kid hasn't had just the worst time. It's so ignorant to act as if this stuff hasn't affected him. There's stuff we've seen but there's stuff we also haven't seen. There are issues he has that date back to his childhood pre-canon. Just like Will, Mike has been a queer kid growing up in 80s smalltown conservative america. Acknowledging the pain he 100% carries because of that is so important. His perspective has been withheld from us, not because it's unimportant, but because it's the final puzzle piece. If we had Mike's perspective in s4, byler wouldn't be a "will they won't they" (even though we all know they will). If we got his perspective in s4, byler would be a "100% certain without a doubt they will". But the thing about his perspective is that it's so much more than just loving Will. It's fear. It's pain. It's insecurity. It's doubt. It's the belief that his happiness just doesn't matter all that much. All of that has to be explored. All of that has to be laid out in the open for us in order for byler endgame to feel earned. Mike's emotional payoff will lead to byler's emotional payoff.

Mike has known he loves Will. In s5 we will see him make a deliberate and active effort to overcome the things keeping him from doing something about it. And then he will do something about it.

And so when it finally happens. When both Mike and Will finally know that their feelings are requited, and when their arcs end with us knowing that they will face whatever life has in store for them together, that will feel earned. That will feel like the logical conclusion for both of them. Not just for Mike. Not just for Will. For both.

And Mike is just as important to that conclusion as Will is.

And one last thing...

Some people are going to talk about Mike more. Some people are going to talk about Will more. Because newsflash, people have preferences. Some people just relate to Mike more, or they find his emotional arc extremely compelling, or they just like him. It isn't an attack on Will or any other character. No one is saying Mike is more important than any other character (I'm sure there are people that say that but they are a vocal minority and they are simply wrong). We are just saying that he is important. If you wanna engage in media analysis, please understand that "main character" or "central character" does not mean "only important character" and "only character that should be analyzed". If you wanna talk about Will and only Will, that's fine. But you don't get to act like people that talk about other characters are doing a disservice to your fave, because that's not how any of this works.

[pawnkyyy]

a quick sketch break with my friends before heading back to our projects! We had fun together on magma.com and i

draw gilbert again. Sorry. My hand went on its own.

It’s him putting on his eyepatch

!! contain a major spoiler from gil’s dramatic route⬇️

Thinking about post this on twitter too

Bye bye🕺🕺

[tellnotalespod]

Alright lads so as you can probably tell from the recent posts, the Tell No Tales brainrot has firmly set back in. Which means that I’m finally going to do it.

I’m finally going to watch Lockwood & Co.

And I’m gonna be really annoying about drawing TNT parallels, sorry about that