#which means Mike is indeed in love with Will

[hawkinsschoolcounselor]

Mike declaring his "love" for El is what Henry has been waiting for.

Will, the well-intentioned selfless idiot that he is, has accidentally set in motion Henry's best chance to finally achieve his goals of...world domination? What exactly is he after, anyway?

El was on her way to becoming a stronger person. She faced her demons. She accepted her past mistakes that led to Henry's massacre, confronted Dr. Brenner and rejected his manipulations once and for all, and stopped seeing herself as Mike's idealized superhero girlfriend. It seemed that she was set to move past all of her biggest insecurities, which would allow her to face Henry without any mental weaknesses for him to exploit.

Then Will saw Mike moping about El. He couldn't handle Mike talking badly about himself. He wanted to let Mike know how he sees him, but, of course, he felt it wouldn't mean anything coming from him. So, he put El's name on everything, not even noticing how Mike's initial excited reaction at seeing the painting was dulled at Will crediting El with it. Nevertheless, Mike was overcome with emotion at someone seeing him exactly the way he always wished he would be seen. And, because of Will, he thinks it's how El sees him.

It remains curious that Mike and El never had an emotional conversation after they reunited. Yes, there was initially no time for that since they had to get back on the road to escape Sullivan. However, even with their need to plan what they needed to do to save Max, they could have talked. They were in that van fairly long considering it was daytime when El was rescued and night when they reached Surfer Boy Pizza. Perhaps they didn't want to talk in front of everyone else, though that didn't stop Will. They didn't really get a chance at that until everyone else was preparing for El's saltwater bath.

What may well have been a gentle breakup or, at the very least, an honest conversation about their relationship issues, instead was interrupted by Argyle. Indeed, Mike seemed eager to goof off with his blackout glasses and then seemed nervous when El took his hands with that "we need to talk" look. That conversation was their only chance to have a real talk, but they had no chance, and El was soon in the pizza freezer trying to save Max.

This brings us to the second part of Will's well-intentioned mistake. El is in danger. Henry managed to get the upper hand. El appeared to be dying. In an effort to give her strength, Will prompts Mike to talk to her. He's the heart. Mike had been hesitating, but he tells her he loves her. It's a bit unclear just what sort of effect this had on El, whether it helped or distracted her. However, she does eventually steel herself and, seeing that Max was about to be killed, summons the strength to fight back. Max is partially saved, but we never see Mike and El talk afterwards.

El is naturally rattled by Max's fate. She lost, and Max suffered for it. However, she makes no apparent attempts to find comfort or reassurance in Mike. Aside from the hospital room, she was quiet, going off on her own. The strong, determined, self-assured young woman she was growing into has fallen back into insecurity.

Meanwhile, Will has sacrificed his greatest desire for what he thinks will give Mike and El happiness. That will be Henry's opportunity.

Make no mistake: Henry knows that Will loves Mike. He had Will integrated into the hive mind. Brain scans showed that Will's mind was almost entirely taken over. He knows Will's every secret, and he also knows that Mike was the one who finally broke through to him in the shed. Mike trusts Will completely, and Will is able to sense Henry's presence.

Mike is the fly in the ointment, the spanner in the works. He's been far more of a problem for Henry than he even realizes. Mike is a problem for him. Will is a problem for him. Mike and Will together would be an even bigger problem.

In order to win, Henry needs three things to happen. First, isolate El. She is the only one who is capable of facing him one-on-one. She is stronger when she has something to fight for, something driving her to overcome the odds. If she doubts herself, he has a chance. He needs to take away her support system by either killing them or separating her from them.

Second, Mike needs to be taken out of the picture. Will was right. Mike is the leader, the heart. He knows how to rally an group of ordinary kids, now teens, to do things that should be well out of their abilities. Mike is caring, brave, and intelligent, but also very insecure. If he can get Mike doubting himself, then he won't be able to support El, Will, or anyone else.

Finally, Will has always been special to Henry. We don't yet know why, exactly, but Henry targeted Will from the start. Even after Will was rescued, Henry tried again a year later to bring Will into his control. It could be that he hates losing that much, or it could be that Will has some yet to be revealed asset that Henry needs. Their mental connection, at the very least, is a huge liability for Henry, but it has also been an asset for him in the past.

It seems to reason that any plan of Henry's needs to address these three, and I think it fits with what we know so far.

El seems to largely be isolated. She's apparently in hiding, which is likely since she's essentially a fugitive from the government. This would eventually take its toll on anyone, but El is also a teenager with a lifetime of trauma. She saw her best friend die. She has to hide from hostile forces while trying to protect the world from literal monsters. Over time, the stress could make her snap. Henry just has to keep her busy and away from the others.

We know that Holly is targeted by Henry, and Karen may end up in the hospital with severe injuries. This could very well be a calculated plan by Henry to get Mike out of the way. Killing Mike would probably enrage El to the point of her becoming too big of a threat, and it would also make it difficult to bring Will back under his control. Instead, he can target Mike's family to sow enough doubt in him to force him out of the picture. At the very least, he can distract Mike from being able to support the others if he's worried about his family, instead.

This would leave Will vulnerable, as well. We have reason to believe that Will has flashbacks/visions, possibly right away in episode 1. It's reasonable to think that the others could worry about Will being a spy for Henry again. Mike would trust him, but the others might think it'd be safer for Will to be away from the action, so Henry would be unable to use him. Rejection is a fear of Will's, not only from Mike, but in general. He wouldn't take it well if his friends saw him as a tool of the enemy. If Mike were to be too caught up in his own head to reassure Will, or, worse, start to see reason to doubt Will, himself, then Will could fall into a downward spiral. Will loves Mike. Needs him. Any rejection from Mike is painful to him. He may try to pretend that he's moved on, but feelings like those don't just go away. This would give Henry an opportunity to tempt him or outright possess him again.

Of course, we know that Henry will ultimately lose. This is all just how I feel he will try to attack what I see as his biggest obstacles to victory. Any thoughts?

[booksandpaperss]

Listen I understand why some bylers still have doubts, but for me personally, I’m so 100% sure and it’s honestly thanks to Finn Wolfhard.

Like. He literally would not be playing Mike as in love with Will if Mike isn’t in love with Will lmao. I don’t even need to say anything else, like I just gotta trust common sense and acting 101, we’re in the clear guys 🫡

[greenfiend]

Will already has powers…

And I think I figured out exactly what they are.

This is a long theory post. Get some popcorn, get comfortable and be prepared to have some common fandom perspectives get flipped upside down. Nothing is as it seems.

(Trigger warning for some serious subject matters such as: homophobia, SI, m*rder, and CSA.)

Before we begin, let me remind you of what’s seen behind our boy in the photo above.

This post will, indeed, open that curtain. As Murray states, revealing what’s behind the curtain will cause some to feel unease. The unease may be caused by distaste of the theory overall or discomfort of the serious subject matters. So proceed with caution…

To begin, who is Will Byers?

A young boy who doesn’t fit in with the 1980s norms. A boy who escapes through fantasy.

In fantasy he’s a wizard… a cleric…

Outside of fantasy he’s an artist… a creator…

He’s a boy who’s different. He stands out from the rest, yet he manages to remain hidden for the most part. He’s “good at hiding”.

He is a part of a small loving family of three. His mother Joyce and his older brother Jonathan. His biological dad is estranged (more on him later).

Will has a few friends when we begin the show: Lucas, Dustin, and Mike. Mike and Will have a bond that’s different from the others (more on them later).

Will is a young boy who has experienced a lot of trauma, from bullying peers and an abusive parent to being victimized by supernatural forces. There’s a lot going on for him both internally and externally. These also happen to correlate with each other quite frequently. Suspiciously frequently in fact. Which leads me to this conclusion:

Will’s powers involve shaping the world around him based on his warped views of himself, his sexuality, and his mental health. He’s literally “reshaping the [external] world” to match his internal world; “remake it however [he] sees fit.”

Wow okay slow down there, you may be thinking. You’re really saying he has God like abilities? Well, sort of- but he lacks the insight or control over his own abilities at this point. Just bare with me here and keep an open mind as things will get stranger…

Moving away from the deeper aspects of his character, let’s look at something superficial: his name.

William “Will” Byers

The name William means “Determined” or “Resolute Protector” or “Strong Helmet”. Okay.

Byers means someone who lives by a cattle-shed. Hm. Okay.

But wait… let’s go back. What does the name “Will” mean?

Well… there’s multiple meanings but let’s focus on the highlighted one.

“Mental powers” you say? A name that literally means the ability to make others do things or make things occur? To bend things to one’s will…

When did he get these powers?

I’m not confident in the answer to this but I think he may have always had the powers. Just like his sexuality, he was born this way.

It’s very likely that he was specifically targeted back in the first episode because of this, then was possessed afterwards for the same reason.

I mean… for a villain who wants to “reshape the world”- why wouldn’t he want the powers of a boy with this ability?

As I believe his powers are intertwined with his sexuality, they began manifesting much more once puberty hit. Will likely has used his powers in seasons 1 and 2 but very subtly. In season 3, they become more obvious but still in the shadows (and unbeknownst to him…he suppresses it). They emerge in correlation with his blooming sexuality.

Season 3 is associated with possession, and the concept of free will is a frequent theme. The characters discuss how to look out for people acting out of the ordinary, out of character if you will. Any characters that come to mind?

Hopper was noticeably different this season. Coincidentally, the same season Will desperately held onto his childhood innocence, Hopper acted suspiciously immature.

Will wants El and Mike to break up. Hopper wants El and Mike to break up.

Mike explains to Lucas that Hopper “threatened” him while we immediately cut to Will. What’s Will doing here? He is moving DnD characters on a board. He is manipulating the characters here… playing dollhouse… being a puppet master. This little guy was so jealous of Mike and El that he influenced Hopper to try and break them up!

We are shown other little incidences of Hopper acting Will-like too. He suddenly buys a shirt that’s different than his usual wardrobe- “that’s a lot of color chef”. Will is known for wearing colourful clothes, that’s highlighted as a reason he is seen as “different” and is bullied for it. Hopper has trouble pronouncing an alcoholic beverage, saying “cheeanti” when he is well acquainted with alcohol. While Will is dressed up as Will the Wise, Lucas asks Will for permission to shower- then we cut to Hopper showering. Hopper acts very immature in his jealousy, just as Will does. Both Hopper and Will have big fights with Joyce and Mike in episode 3 of season 3. When El asks “how do we know when someone’s a host?” the scene immediately ends and we are shown Hopper. Will is using Hopper as a host! There’s even more evidence than this but we shall move on from here.

So wait, Will possessed Hopper? Well, not exactly. Hopper was under the influence of Will. Remember what Will said about the mindflayer: “He likes to hide. He only used me when he needed me.”

There was another character acting out of the ordinary this season…

That’s right! Mike.

I’ll come back to him more later but in the meantime, let me offer you this theory:

The rain scene. Now what if I said that Will was the one projecting onto Mike? What I mean is: Will’s internal thoughts “it’s not his fault I don’t like girls!” becoming a reality. Mike never meant to say this- it was all Will’s doing. His internalized homophobia became externalized. It’s oddly fitting too that in the episode with Will’s emotional breakdown, it’s raining.

The devastating depth of Will’s trauma

Within the show, we know our boy has experienced a lot of suffering, but subtext tells us it’s much worse than we see on the surface.

Will’s father is a homophobic and abusive asshole yes, but he’s more than that.

There’s an alarming amount of evidence that this man was not only emotionally and physically abusive but also sexually abusive to both Will and his older brother.

He likely was especially homophobic towards Will because he projected his actual perverse sexuality unto him. He likely dealt with his shame by blaming his innocent young son.

This leads us to: November 6th, 1983. Originally, I do believe that Will died by the hands of his own cruel father. His father likely picked him up from his bike ride home (his bike left behind), ended his life by strangulation, put him in the back of his trunk, and dumped him into Sattlers Quarry (where his fake body was found).

I believe somehow someone was able to reverse this (more on this later). The clock turned back and a new timeline was created. Will was then abducted and brought to the upside down. Instead of heaven or hell, he was in purgatory. Time came to an abrupt halt in the upside down… the exact same time his life ended in the original timeline. This is where timelines diverge.

Now Will’s purgatory is also his internal world, his own mind. The upside down manifests itself as this. It’s dark, cold, scary, lonely, and unsettling. He’s trapped in his own head, where he relives some of his most traumatic memories. We see him being victimized by the Demogorgon (an alternate title for Demogorgon is “The Deep Father” x ) and we also see him being assaulted (in a sexual manner) by vines.

By the time Will is rescued, he is struggling with suicidal thoughts (the song “When It’s Cold I’d Like to Die” tells us this). Poor boy has been in a deep dark depressive state. In season 2, his possession is a real manifestation of his PTSD.

The monsters represent how he views himself- he’s a monster. I’d argue his internalized homophobia is a lot worse than we actually think. It’s not just the homophobic environment around him, it’s also the ongoing rhetoric that the victim will inevitably become a perpetrator. As we see the common occurrence of toxic cycles continuing: he fears he has no agency and will become his own father.

Jonathan can relate, but because he’s solely attracted to women and thus more “normal”, it’s not as bad for him. But Steve really pushed his buttons when he implied that Jonathan is a creep like his father.

So yes, Will sees himself as a monster because of his attraction to men. Thus, he manifests the monsters in the monster show.

Speaking of his attraction to men…

Mike

Will loves Mike, he’s hopelessly devoted to him. Mike feels the exact same way. In the original timeline, Mike ultimately decides to jump into Sattlers Quarry to reunite with his love in death.

Will “jumps”, Mike jumps too. Luckily, a new timeline was created, giving both of them a second chance at life and love.

In the alternate timeline (the show), season 1 sees Mike leave no stones unturned in his search for his best friend. In season 2, we see how Mike normally is with Will. He’s so devoted! He’s always by Will’s side throughout everything. It’s beautiful! This is the authentic Mike.

So. What happened in season 3? Mike’s internalized homophobia?

Well partially I’m sure, but in this post I’m offering an alternate theory: Mike’s behavior is explained by Will’s internalized homophobia.

What do I mean by this?

Well as I said, Will reshapes the external world in the image of his internal world. He doesn’t believe he deserves Mike’s love. He’s scared. He’s been “inventing things” so he can push Mike away.

He obviously wants nothing more than to be with Mike, but due to his insecure attachment style and his internalized homophobia, he’s been the one pushing him away this entire time with his powers.

How has he been pushing Mike away exactly?

He’s been pushing Mike towards El.

Wait, didn’t he help break them up through Hopper?

Well, yes, but the sweet sensitive boy that he is likely felt bad, he regretted his actions after their rain fight fallout and wanted to give his “olive branch” and make amends.

Will believes the best way to do so is to push Mike and El back together. Like Lucas, Will gives Mike guidance by, essentially, being the master to his puppet.

(Above is actually Will’s apology to Mike.)

In Will’s mind, Mike is straight. He would never reciprocate Will’s feelings. So, Will believes that Mike should be happy with El then.

Will literally is putting words in Mike’s mouth here. Look how focused Will is in this scene, and how often Mike turns to him. It’s as though Will is mouthing to Mike exactly what words he (thinks) he should say.

Here Will is at it again! But Mike is resisting. The words aren’t able to come out. Will’s signal is poor, Mike couldn’t fully understand him.

So Will, as misguided but well intended as he is, attempts to bring Mike and El back together.

No wonder Mike couldn’t exactly remember his words…

He’s genuinely confused here!

This leads me to…

This foreshadowing shot tells us that Will is the director here. He fed Mike the script he had to read. So yes, I’m saying that Will did not just push Mike to say those words to El, he forced him to. Mike did not have any agency here.

Now, like me, you may be concerned about this. Will is bending Mike to his will? Won’t the audience then assume Will forced Mike to be gay with him? Pushing that toxic homophobic narrative?

Well that’s the thing- Will is not forcing a straight man to be gay. Will is trying to make a gay man straight! Ahhh trope subversion.

El

So I’m not going to delve too much into El in this post, because El and Will deserve their own post. But I do strongly believe they are much more connected than we think.

Vecna

Where does Vecna fit into this theory? Well for starters, I don’t believe Vecna himself is Will, he is definitely a separate entity. The major difference between Will and Vecna is that Will will no longer be restrained by his shadow, he will be able to differentiate himself from his shadow. Vecna has chosen to become one with the shadow.

Also, like Mike, Vecna is heavily associated with time. Vecna takes time away from others but Mike gives time. I do agree with the Wheeler and Creel being connected theories.

Time

Time is a major theme within the show. As I mentioned previously, Will possesses powers where he can manipulate his environment, his space. Will is space, but he is lacking the 4th dimension.

The upside down is frozen in time, essentially lacking time. It needs time, and it always will! That’s right- Mike is time.

That boy is frequently associated with it. Running late at the beginning of each season, mentions of “turning back the clock”, etc.

Mike “turned back the clock” and saved Will from his original fate. Similar to the scene where Mike jumps off the cliff and is saved by El, Mike reverses his fall by rewinding time. He went all the way back to the night of November 6th, 1983. Preventing the original timeline from occurring.

Mike gave Will the greatest gift of all- time.

Remember time heals all wounds. Wounds being the gates.

Together, Mike and Will are spacetime. Which is beautiful because not only does this mean they are equals in every way but they can literally create their own fantasy world together.

Conclusion

This show has a lot of layers. I tried to really dig deep but still I feel like I just scratched the surface. I will say this though: I am utterly confident that everything leads back to Will. He is the center of the entire show, like it or not. Without Will, there is no Stranger Things. Now of course this is not “the Byler show” but their relationship is incredibly important. Mike’s unconditional love and devotion to Will is a key aspect of the solution to the conflict. He makes Will “feel better for being different”. His love, along with his other friends and family, will inevitably lead to the upside down (Will’s mind) becoming a beautiful place. Instead of rot and decay, there will be blooming flowers and sunlight.

If you’d like to discuss any aspect of these theories with me, feel free! Like I said, I’m only scratching the surface here. Let me know your thoughts.

[harveysweakness]

hi! do you think you could make a story where harvey’s wife gets really sick at work after working on a case non stop and he has to take care of her? i loooove a good domestic harvey story :))

A/N: i love domestic fics and i loved this request!!!!! I’ll write more in the future I’m sure :) also the gif didn’t load before i chose it so we’ll see what random one we get

You cleared your throat, signing the final documents for the case you’d just won. You’d been working non-stop and everyone in the office knew it. This case was personal, meaning you hadn’t trusted your personal associate with it. And that had meant you were the one working without sleep.

A knock at your glass door caught your attention.

“Congratulations are in order,” Jessica smiled.

“Thank you.”

Her eyes narrowed. “You worked yourself into the ground, didn’t you?”

“I’m fine.”

She laughed lightly. “Harvey won’t let that go like I will.”

“Well, he can suck my-“

“Feel better, Y/N,” Jessica interrupted, laughing. “And congratulations, again.”

You sighed after she left. The annoying need to sniffle every five seconds from your running nose and the constant itch in your throat was a sure sign that you had indeed run yourself into the ground.

———————

A few hours later you were freezing, one of your comfy blankets wrapped around you while you focused on finishing up last minute little jobs you hadn’t done due to preparing for trial.

“Someone told me you weren’t feeling well.”

You looked up from your computer, unable to stop the smile that formed, the same smile anytime you saw your husband.

“I’m fine,” you murmured, watching him walk around your desk to sit on the edge right next to your chair. You kept your face neutral while he analyzed you.

“You’re flushed, I can feel the heat radiating off of you, I can hear your breathing which means you have a stuffy nose, and your voice sounds hoarse.”

“So?” You retorted, crossing your arms. He rolled his eyes.

“So, you’re coming with me and I’m taking you home.”

“No.”

“Don’t argue with me, Y/N. You won your trial and now you need to rest.”

“Harvey-“

“Sweetheart, please.”

You sighed, giving in. You muffled a cough into your blanket, your husband brushing his hand across your forehead before tucking fallen hair behind your ear.

“What about your work?” You asked.

“I’m taking the rest of the day off,” he shrugged. “Mike can handle it.”

Your heart warmed. It wasn’t often your husband took a day off of work, especially not for something as simple as this.

“Thank you.”

“You don’t need to thank me,” he replied, shaking his head, before he stood. “Come on, let’s get your coat.”

You stood, shrugging off your cozy blanket and moving right into your wool coat Harvey had open and ready for you. He grabbed your scarf, wrapping it snugly around your neck. He pressed a kiss to your cheek and grabbed your bag, letting his hand rest on your lower back as he guided you out of your office and down the hall towards the elevators.

Donna caught up with you on the way, giving your arm a brief squeeze, mouthing ‘feel better.’

“Donna, canc-“

“All of your meetings for the day are canceled, Mike has been made aware, and he asked me to pass along ‘feel better and congrats on the trial.”

Harvey nodded his approval.

“Thanks, Donna,” you smiled. She winked before moving to stand directly in front of Harvey, stopping you both effectively in your tracks.

“If you don’t nurse her back to full health, I will personally make sure Louis ends up alone in your office and touches all of your records.”

Harvey gave a pointed look. “I swear to you, Donna, I will make sure she gets back to full health.”

“That’s what I needed to hear.” With that, she left.

“Ever since you came to this firm, people suddenly prefer you to me,” your husband wondered aloud.

“Can you really blame them?” You teased.

“No, I can’t,” Harvey answered simply, hitting the elevator button.

—————

“What is that smell?” You questioned, wandering into the kitchen.

“I’m surprised you can smell at all,” Harvey replied. “It’s soup.”

“I can smell a little bit, and that is one good-smelling soup.” You sat down at one of the counter stools, watching your husband stirring the large pot on the stove, his laptop open on the counter next to him.

“Harvey, if you have work, you don’t need to stay here and take care of me.”

He turned, wiping his hands on the towel next to the sink. “It’s just the recipe.”

He turned to remove the pot from the hot burner before coming over to you.

“You’re not as flushed,” - his hand came to rest on your forehead- “and you’re fever is down.”

“So why do I feel worse?” You asked quietly. His brow furrowed before he moved closer, his arms circling around you, letting you burrow your face into his chest.

It wasn’t easy for either of you to show vulnerability, something you were both trying to work on since you both cared so much about the other.

“Why don’t I get you a bowl of soup and then we can cuddle in bed and watch whatever show you want.”

You nodded, hesitantly pulling away from him. Before he went back to the stove he hooked a finger under your jaw and lifted your chin up, leaning down. You put a hand on his chest, stopping him.

“You’ll get sick.”

“I don’t care.” He closed the gap easily, your hand moving from his chest up to his neck. His lips met yours for a moment before moving to your cheek and your forehead and your nose.

“I love you, Harvey Specter.”

“I love you, Y/N Specter.”

[0daylighthours0]

My Mother's Unbiased Byler + Milkvan Opinions - Viewing ST for the 1st Time!

(UPDATE)

My Mama has now witnessed Stranger Things in its entirety. Her favourite season was the third, her favourite characters Hopper and Joyce, her favourite pairing would be those guys too, and her most disliked pairing? Can only assume.

I wanted to write out her thoughts on the second to last episode previously, as she'd held many, but before I knew it we'd finished the whole show and I was forced to an income of NEW opinions which ruled out my memory of any old ones. Shucks. But boy did this lady have much to say. The only way I can break it down is by providing a sample of quotes she'd delivered, in order, a day after having finished the series.

All are just things she said about milkvan and byler, as they're this post's main focus. There's simply much to say about these relationships too, being so up in the air over where they ought be expected to turn out. These are all direct quotes too (as I typed as she talked, unkown to her) so you'll have to excuse the natural way in which some lines come off as unfocused, being written after real time conversations. Let's get into it:

Ok I really don't know whether she likes Mike very much. She actively disliked the guy earlier on, and now her feelings appear to be more mixed. A lot of her discussion was solely around this guy's actions.

"It's almost like he's [Mike] forcing himself like- ok Hopper he was kind of very passionate and kissing, you know he sort of instantly- with Mike, from being obsessed and spending so much time with her [El], suddenly he starts cooling off more and more and suddenly- they even separated right? I mean yeah that was out of his control but he, but he didn't really seem like he missed her you know it's like he just got on with it."

This point caught me off guard. I don't know how much I agree with my mother on this. It made me realize that during Mike and El's separation, there weren't many quiet Mike moments in which he expressed worry for her, beyond a couple that blend into him simply having breakup concerns. Any time Mike mentions distress for her whilst she's away, his talk evolves into him simply anxious over the state of their relationship. As a group, everyone in our Cali gang clearly wanted to save Eleven, but Mike really should have gotten more heartfelt moments in solitude (that means without Will you suffer bros) in which it is demonstrated to the audience that he really does miss her, as someone who is in love. Her being away shouldn't simply come off as a writing excuse for him to vent to Will. There wasn't enough of that tenderness milkvan desperately needs, and if anything I watched was an attempt then it really wasn't translated well - never trumping everyone else's familial or close frienship-like fret for El, never showcasing his concern to come from a more personal place. I mean how hard is it to have him in her room, staring longingly at a photo of hers, with a background composed of soft music. Then literally leaving it at that. I mean that is it. No Will rushing in there to insist, "you can tell her that thing when you see her k? It'll all work out trust me ight, you're the heart you're the HEART!" que affectionate gazes, constructs a byler scene for no reason I guess .

"I mean how do we know that he missed Will? He articulated it. Why didn't he articulate this the same way to El?"

True. I mean the fact that I can't remember a moment after they find El in which milkvan ask oneanother how they are, and communicate how much they missed eachother, does indeed say something. They shared a hug and touch when they first reunited, which was gladly interrupted by Will. That pineapple + pizza thing was not long enough, or sensitive enough, to be their moment. There was clear bonding, but it didn't breach a level of romance and chemistry nearly decently. It's good that they got at least that, I mean we need to know that these guys are at LEAST really close friends. And then the camera just felt like panning over to Will about to burst into tears in a corner. Like huh? Bruv you've now made it so that milkvan's pizza bit leaves a bad taste in our mouths. If I were a milkvan I'd be furious.

"You know what, I think it's done purposefully to create that sort of cold, distant, confused, you know they wanted to make people say he's [Mike] bisexual. For people to question. They want to get people to think that."

My Mama believes writers intentionally soured milkvan for viewers to "confuse" audiences, build up anticipation, make them question milkvan's relationship and wonder if our main man will spin to Will. I agree. They want that good ol' triangle comeuppance.

"They really are trying to bring that across- so that people start thinking Mike, you know he doesn't love El, he loves Will. They're really trying to, make people think that. Giving them [milkvan] a really nitty gritty relationship."

Yup.

"When you're gay. Coming out like that it's- it's terrifying. You have to be very careful. And Will could, he could tell. You know when someone is attracted to you. I think, things became sort of- sort of complicated. And Will sensed, he could feel that Mike is attracted to him. And that's why he could open up like that. Because you can always tell. You know, you just know, so that's why Will was able to confess these things to him [she sees painting scene as a confession, whether Mike realized it or not, and so do I]."

Well damn Mama. And there you have it folks. My.. I'm not gonna call her the h word but.. my- notabigfanofgaythingsandwouldbehappytopretendtheydon'texist mother, perceives Mike as a homosexual kid, and just that. Well bloomin heck that's all the confirmation I need.

I didn't expect this as a turnout, I mean so particularly. My Mama actually didn't like byler - I think. Well. Bloomin heck. She actually enjoyed Vickie x Robin, and this shocked me to my core. I don't know whether this is simply due to her being a fan of Vickie's actress (recognizing her from Anne With an 'E'), but I do know that my mother has a bias in gay relationships and sees ones involving females as more "pure" than that of two males. So her language when describing Will has changed since her realization that he loves Mike for sure (which became undeniable in the van scene). She describes him as being 'obsessed' with Mike, and says writers really wanted to get that obsession across. I agree with Will having been one note during season 4, him hopefully having more time to shine in the approaching season, but I thoroughly disagree with him coming off as obsessive. I suppose our camera man displayed the guy's little glances at Mike so often that my Mama felt it was overdone, and unable to be ignored. I also think she's just avoiding use of the word 'love' when describing anything homosexual.

She still doesn't think Mike demonstrates how much he loves El enough to leave no room for debate. According to her, his moments with her seem surface level. Just as a reminder she does not know my thoughts. She watched that entire 'I love you' thing and still isn't secure in any genuineness of the guy. I believe she supposes that we're intended to acknowledge milkvan's romance, but also probe it.

I now wonder whether my Mama was good enough representation for the average audience, because she actually does own a bias - this being that she usually actively dislikes gay things. So I puzzle over whether her brain overanalyzed any of the boys' highlights, wanting to "expose" their homo intentions. At first things were up in the air, but it became clear that Mike did not pass her gaydar, he was simply too intimate with Will to make that pass. And this wasn't the case in other seasons, she never questioned their friendship til now. She also hasn't acknowledged any supposedly queer relationships besides rickie (vobin?) and byler, meaning that other fan favourites such as elmax, steddie, ronance and such else didn't stand out as gay to her. This doesn't signify those other relationships to not have a chance, I'm elmax's personal cheersquad, it's plainly clear that my mother didn't have a tendency to point at every same sex relationship and yell suspicious. Byler was purely undeniable. You can thank Will's love being canoned for this, otherwise noone would have a need to read into Mike.

I don't know whether she supposes byler to have a chance moreso than the milk in the van, even with Mike's ambiguity. It would seem that as of right now her guess is that watchers are intended to second guess both relationships in order to build up interest. However, she doesn't know how unlikely Will's love life is to turn out negatively seeing as those damn writers manipulated crowds into consistently sympathizing for him. Dunno about the rest of you but that sounds like good news to me.

I have no idea how to close this analysis. Is it an analysis? There's much more I want to say, much more she said, but I fear this to be too jam-packed and aimless as is. I'm writing a third part to my most recent milkthevan failing relationship deep dive, and that'll possibly consist of thoughts I wish to input after gathering so much data from my mother.

[mikefrawley]

We Are Worthy

Greetings my friends, and yes that is the old poet in living color. I hope everyone is well today. I was thinking about my be good to yourself posts from two or three months ago, and decided I needed to remind myself how good life actually is and how blessed we all truly are. After making some growth producing changes, you could accurately state that I was indeed comfortably perched atop my own personal pink cloud, which is a 12 step phrase generally describing the emotional state of someone who just turned their lives around one way or another. Well I must admit that was quite a wonderful feeling, and I truly enjoyed sharing positive thoughts and words with my friends here and at work, but then life seemed to throw in a monkey wrench as life is ofttimes wont to do. May came along and after almost 42 years as a computer programmer it was obviously time to retire, even though I probably wouldn't have made the decision on my own, my company graciously assisted me by kicking my butt out the door. For the first couple of weeks I was pretty shook up. I mean, I've never been retired before. What was I supposed to do? Miracously it turned out to be a blessing in disguise by forcing me to keep both my mind and body busy. I've taken care of some admittedly confusing yet necessary financial updates, and with all the time on my hands, I've been taking several walks a day, meditating, and watching Thich Nhat Hanh and Plum Village Videos on my computer. That was a good start, but I still had too much time on my hands and needed to take action. I first started by checking my Medicare Provider and found out that they would pay for a gym membership. I went over the next mornning and got a full membership, and I have really enjoyed it for about three weeks now. I had been trying to find a place for Buddhist Meditation or a Temple with very little luck, and by coincidence (if you happen to believe in such things, which I do not), I found a martial arts school which teaches Tai Chi. After a little more digging I discovered the teacher was from the same Chinese Boxing Lineage that I had studied with over 30 years ago. It's a small world indeed, but wait, it gets even better. I found out that my insurance would pay for the Tai Chi Class as well, and yes I signed up immediately. I apologize if this post is selfish, but it felt good to write, and maybe there is a small moral to the story. Yes everything is going surprisingly well for me, and while I'm very grateful to God, Love, Grace or whatever you wish to call it, I'm partially in this very enjoyable position because I've done what I needed to do. Admittedly I haven't always done very well with that part of it, but maybe I am deserving of my best, aren't you deserving of your best? That's about all for now, but please remember, you are indeed worthy of good things. Love to all, Mike 🩷

[geonwooz]

♡ DATING HEADCANONS — KIM GUNWOO

bf!gunwoo x reader | wc : 0.7k words | content : possible grammar and spelling mistakes, lowercase intended, domestic fluff, established relationship, swearing | request — hello👋 if it's not a bother for you can i pls request dating and jealousy headcanons for geonwoo and woojin? it's alright if you don't. thank you anyways

gunwoo is such a soft boy like he’s so taylor swift song coded

not even a specific song, like if all her pretty love songs were made into a person; it’d be kim gunwoo

even though gunwoo is literally an almost six-foot muscle man built like mike tyson, when you first met him, the urge to protect him was saur bad

like you two would be the epitome of that hyper gf x calm bf meme pic

even if you are the biggest introvert ever, being with gunwoo makes you tap into that 1% extrovert in you which makes him so happy because it means you comfortable with him and that makes him so 🥺😭🥺😭

when you first starting dating, he was so pleasantly surprised by everything because this was a new territory for him

his lifestyle before you was just eat, train, sleep, and repeat — so this man had the shock of his life when dating you

the “good morning” and “good night” texts and the texts informing him what you were doing throughout the day + texts asking him what he was doing

he loved the way you’d always text him, even if it was like just a shower thought off the top of your head

literally everyone around him knew he was dating because bro kept using every free second of his to use his phone and the nonstop smiling at his phone like an idiot was a big giveaway

gunwoo is a selfless guy, meaning he’s always putting his loved ones before himself — and while you loved that for him, you always made sure to let him know when he needed to take care of himself

or you’d just take care of him yourself because you loved doing that

if he gave you flowers, you’d do the same after a couple of days, just wordlessly letting him know you loved him just as much as he loved you

even when you did something for him, he’d return the gesture, acknowledging your love for him and showing his love for you

as i said earlier, you are the hyper gf to his calm bf so one agenda i would like to touch on is how at one point you’d definitely be his curse dispenser of sorts

we know how gunwoo is a respectable gentleman who treats people with respect even in circumstances he doesn’t necessarily need to

so that’s where you come in, adding swear words between his sentences to make his words sound fiercer even tho manz probably has his polite smile on his face the entire time

“listen here-” “-you fucking asshole.” “just tell us what kim myeonggil is upto or-” “-we’ll shove your head so far up your ass, you’ll be able to eat your own shit.”

ok so maybe sometimes you have a little too much fun, which results in both your boyfriend and his woojin-hyung just staring at you, completely concerned

but they both love you, so a win is a win

honestly, gunwoo’s mama absolutely adores you and woojin feels the same, both of them just glad that gunwoo now has someone to take care of him and love him just like he takes care of others and loves them

you are always spending whatever free time you have with gunwoo’s mum and it warms his heart to see you two getting along together because honestly that’s all he needs in his life

if his loved ones adored you as much as you adored him, then that was it; he was indeed the happiest person in the world

it doesn’t take you long into the relationship for you to be comfortable with gunwoo, and he absolutely feels like he’s on cloud nine every time you mention how comfortable you are with him

like you can behave like an absolute madman, and he’d just love you harder — i don’t make the rules, it is what it is

so you best bet you sometimes leave your manz so bamboozlingly confuzzled by the most out of pocket questions you ask him because you have a curious mind

“why are buildings called buildings if they are already built?” “jagiya, please, it’s two in the morning.”

you two are a force to be reckoned with, i swear i feel bad for woojin already

sorrows sorrows prayers

TAGLIST :: @missscarlettangel (TO BE ADDED, PLEASE COMMENT, SEND AN ASK OR DM!)

[bylrlve]

Warning! Potential spoilers for Stranger Things 5!

To recap, Alex received this dm on 13/2/23, seemingly confirming mileven breakup

She received this message on that day, which states that mileven are still together and happy. However it’s also instantly debunkable bc they’re absolutely not going to do the Hopper-Mike feud bs again. That is beyond clear.

On this past Tuesday, 20/2/23, she received a second message outright stating Mileven breakup.

Finally, on Wednesday, 21/2/23, she received this message full of pretty plausible statements, with mileven breakup included as fact. Interesting.

This person claims it’s all fake, with no rationale or alt info - what, is Will not important now?

Worth noting: Millie is currently doing promo for Damsels, so she’ll be out of commission re: filming for a few weeks. Early March is probably when she’ll come back, but Finn will be be busy with his Ghosbusters 2 promo.

Two conclusions:

1.) there will be no mileven scenes filmed for a few weeks. Filming schedules are very tightly planned to accommodate other actor commitments, so it doesn’t seem like this posed a massive issue. Hm.

2,) Millie will likely be doing any scenes she has with Sadie and Caleb, aka Max and Lucas, when she gets back. As this message says.

This person is probably just smart and well-informed enough to figure this out, but it’s interesting.

There has been some very intriguing activity on a stranger things set a few days ago - red UD ligthing, castle Byers.., and Will Byers. Will’s plotline for season 5 seriously looks like everything us Will stans have been dreaming of in terms of plot relevance, emotional catharsis, etc. This pic dropped yesterday, and the spoiler acc seems to have confirmed it’s Will:

Lastly,this also dropped today:

(Credit to @1987byler on twt)

Very strange framework, here. If the goal is to set up Will being rejected gently by Mike, but understood and accepted, why not focus on that? Why not have Vecna say ‘you’re afraid he’ll be disgusted by you. You’re afraid he’ll see you as the disgusting, broken boy you are’ or something like that? Elsewhere in the game, it’s being reported by players that Will is being taunted about how his friends are all ignoring him, and how Max fits into the group better than he does. This is canonically a sore spot for him - not so much the Max part, but the general point. So why not emphasise his fear of Mike’s rejection, rather than his hurt at Mike picking El over him?

Maybe because, if this is carried into s5 and we get scenes of Vecna taunting Will about Mike choosing El, it’ll be certain that Mike will indeed pick Will. Maybe this is a means of hinting that?

(Side note: at this point in the time line, El was really just a concept to Will. The one time he met her, it was for barely a minute as a delirious, dying child. By s4, it’s very clear that they’re close and loving. I’ll hear no critique of him for apparently not wanting her to come back - it’s very obviously Vecna twisting things, as he did with Max in s4 to make it seem like she actively wanted to murder Billy.)

Also worth noting: the best Mike can say about the girl he supposedly loved at first sight, after a whole week with her, is that she’s ‘cool’, ‘different’, ‘awesome’. Very lacklustre. Compare to how Lucas would describe the comatose max to a newcomer in s4.

Finally: Will quite literally utilises a never-seen memory of Mike and him in Castle Byers as his happy menory, his safe place. You know,like the Snow Ball and those other memories of good times with Lucas that Max clung to in s4?

Credit to @will80sbyers

This post by @nebulousfishgills reports Vecna saying that Will is ‘the key’, manipulating Will’s memories, and directly saying “You’ll finally matter to someone, Will.” Byler kind of has to be endgame, right? For this to make any sense as a narrative? ‘We can still be friends’ won’t cut it, not if, as the messages Alex is getting make out, Will is still so achingly in love post-time jump that he’s staying by Mike’s hospital bed after everyone else leaves and kissing his forehead (a). Not if they’re still emphasising that Mike is his safe place, his home, his light, in (technically) pre-season five promotional material.

All of this is… interesting, to say the least.

I’ll leave off by sharing the posts made by the wonderful @solgmorell on the set leak (x) and the VR byler stuff (x, y).

(a)

ETA: two of the previous dms Alex has gotten state that Will struggles with his friendships with the other party member this season due to being closeted. This game touches heavily on Will’s feeling disconnected from his friends, at least partly bc of his sexuality…. One is above, the other is here:

[sunbun-fnaf]

‘They didn’t give Afton a motive!’

Honey it took until the 5th game for him to even give him a name.

All we first knew is he was a guy that killed some kids and nothing else about him

Then all we knew was he dismantled the animatronics in the second games mini games

We didn’t even have a name in the game we saw his corpse and know how he died in the third

Nothing for the fourth like at most we saw him putting the s Bonnie head on some other employees head

Then we got a name and learned he inadvertently killed his own daughter through one of his own creations

The books might be considered separate continuity

But they have indeed given William Afton motive, multiple actually and seeing as the creator wrote said books

It could easily be considered just the character in generals motives

It’s only the first movie

They aren’t going to give us everything in the first movie

We barely got any mention let alone see Afton in the movie

They were focusing on the incident and Mike trying to find out who took garret for like a majority of the fuckin movie

We didn’t have a motive

Because it barely gave him any attention he got what 2 scenes that were only a few minutes long before the ending?

Like Cmon man give it time wait until a sequel for it

The games gave us nothing for YEARS

NO. THIS. LITERALLY THIS. ANON YOU ARE ON POINT

ITS SO SO SO FRUSTRATING TO ME WHEN PEOPLE JUST. EXPECT. THINGS.

I get how in a movie, you want to know as much as you can- ESPECIALLY when you have no prior knowledge.

The issue is when you think that this information is owed. You are not owed ANY information beyond what the basics of the universe are, which is explained by Vanessa. You know exactly what you're getting into- even if some of the specifics are left out. A motive is not by ANY MEANS owed to you. in ANY movie. A motive does not automatically make a character better. William Afton did not, by any means, need a clear and distinct motive as to why he killed the kids. The only motive we get- if you can even call it that- is seeing that Afton is a smug bastard who always wants the last laugh and to cut up loose ends which is something that only fits him trying to kill Mike.

And that is ALL that we needed for this movie. It is so so so SO frustrating when even FNAF veterans complain about how we don't know jack shit about William Afton. its like they completely forgot how slow we were to get ANY information on him. People really tend to forget that William wasn't even a real character until sister location, the second to last mainline scott era game.

Do I think Afton was handled well? not at all. He clearly needed more screentime, but I'm okay with what we got because as you mentioned there will be other movies. It is so obviously clear that even from the concept of the movie being fnaf 1 based that William Afton would have had very, very little to do with it.

Of course that SUCKS because I love william afton a lot and really wish that he could have gotten more time- but it's not like its a huge issue. This is not his story. It is Mikes. This is Mike's movie. That is all that it is and people need to calm down and find something they could actually critique about the movie

[chirpsythismorning]

I'm sorry but, I really don't know how anyone can still believe with full confidence that Mike is straight after the airport scene.

It's arguably the most blatant, yet overlooked scene between these three characters, specifically Mike's dynamic with El vs. Mike's dynamic with Will.

Although Mike shows up in sunglasses, I highly doubt he wore them the entire flight. This means Mike probably put on the sunglasses to go from the plane, through the Passenger Boarding Bridge, and directly to the gate entrance where they were waiting for him, all of which are indoors.

Yes, it's sunny in California, and that's what makes this such a good excuse (alibi) for Mike.

Now could this just be a coincidence? Yes, it definitely could!

Now, does Mike ever wear his sunglasses again? No..

Not even for sun purposes in sunny California? No.

(At least not technically until the end of s4... but that's a whole other blatant metaphor about 'eyes being windows into the souls' for another time.)

It's only after him and El have kissed and hugged that Mike finally takes off the sunglasses... How convenient.

But you want to know what Mike did in this scene right before this, that's just... there's really no excuse for it.?

If I was a hardcore milkvan fan at this point, THIS is what would've ended that era for me. Like, I just can't think of anything other than one obvious reason for why Mike did this...

Picture it.

You're Mike, reuniting with your girlfriend with whom you haven't seen in about six months. You were even kind enough to get her a gift, flowers, which you, *reads notes*, quickly put in between you and your girlfriend moments before she embraced you, with you almost instantly shouting CAREFUL, CAREFUL YOUR SQUISHING YOUR PRESENT, so that she had no choice but to separate...

How... sweet?

Nope. I'm sorry, but no. Nothing excuses this at all.

Dude literally risked ruining the present he got for her, by using it as a shield. He literally used the present he got for her as an excuse for why they had to separate sooner than later...

Like, this is repressed gay behavior of epic proportions, especially considering what follows.

Notice how when Mike approached El, he's decked out with hat/sunglasses, his hands full with the flowers and his duffel bag?

Well, notice how in contrast, when Mike approaches Will right afterwards, as he's going in for a hug, Mike switches his duffel bag from his right to his left hand (now empty after giving el the flowers) so that he can go in for a better hug with Will, with his dominant arm, only to immediately backtrack and settle for a shoulder bump...

We also get a shot of Mike looking Will up and down, no sunglasses to hide his reaction this time.

So.. basically, Mike's instinct here with El was to not make it so obvious he's not in love with her, while his instinct with Will was to not make it so obvious that he's in love with him (and boy did he fail)...

Mike addressing Will's painting, assuming it's indeed for some girl, only to never attempt to find out anything else whatsoever, for the rest of the season, about said girl his best friend is in love with?

Argyle calling Mike's shirt a knock-off, essentially calling Mike a knock-off?

Mike looking offended at Will's mention of Angela???

Like, this scene is just all around Mike being an absolute gay disaster, and the fact that 99% of audience doesn't realize this, is downright hilarious.

[friendsdontlieokay]

Jancy is my home alright? No question about it, but STANCY OH STANCY, not exaggerating it, not even kidding but the emotions I feel towards them cannot be described by words at all! All that I can say is they're my guilty pleasure, and I'd love them even if I tried not to, and even if I tried to hate them (I'm talking about the couple, not the individuals just to be clear, I'll forever love Steve and I'll forever love Nancy from the bottomest core of my heart).

And to be honest I did, I did try to dislike them together, because I used to think in order to love Jancy I needed to hate Stancy, or rather because subconsciously I felt like I was choosing Jonathan over Steve and I never wanna compare them, I love them both differently, but I had a small epiphany, which is I don't think characters define by their romantic relationships, and I think that sense somehow helped me to understand that I love both the ships, even though for me, Jancy is slightly on top.

But here's the twist, which is why I don't know if I ever liked stancy during stancy. Well during the period, when stancy was actually a thing, when Steve and Nancy were in a relationship.

Now don't get me wrong, Steve loved, in fact loves Nancy more than anyone and anything (Robin and Dustin are exceptions), and honestly I think he loves her more than Jonathan does, he always gave her the princess treatment that most girls ask for, he was the "perfect boyfriend" and yes duh, Nancy loved him a lot too, but her life got so crumbled up before she could even realize that he loved her so much, that he indeed was the perfect boyfriend, If not to anyone else than at least to her.

To her, barb died because of her, because she slept with a boy and left her alone, and even if she doesn't want to she'd subconsciously blame Steve too eventually, right? And despite Steve being that perfect boyfriend, he wouldn't be able to understand her fully, not as much as Jonathan did, because they were going through the same thing at the same time, and of course, the shared trauma, as a bald eagle once said.

Now here comes the point, when Nancy finally got to "bury" Barb, and her life finally came to an equilibrium, well not really, things were never really balanced she just learnt to deal with it, so yeah when she finally learnt to deal with it and befriended Steve again, a lot of things became crystal clear to her which were once blurred with trauma and sadness, to sum it all up, she finally got to understand how amazing of a person Steve really is and how much he looks out, loves and cares for the people he cares about and oh- who's topping the list of all the people he cares about? Yeah right that's her!

And this is the exact reason why season 4 stancy means the world to me, the chemistry is equal from both sides, and to be honest it's kinda hilarious to me, because I didn't like stancy when stancy but I liked stancy when they weren't a thing, and it's not a joke, and yes I know I'm insane and irrational and out of touch but can you save your lecture because I really don't give a shit right now I just- I need to tell you a little something more, about Mileven! Which is, this whole thing that I wrote is kinda familiar to a way I view Mileven because to me it's kinda hilarious too that Mike can't say or even write "I love you" to his girlfriend, but if they break up, he can finally say "I love you" to his ex girlfriend because whether they're in a relationship or not, they're soulmates and absolute best friends. Period!

[thefirstlioveyou]

the entire s4 and the build up of byler relationship really convinced me that mike is queer but what bothers me is mike saying he loves el and he can’t lose her again in s3 in front of everyone else what do u think abt that confession scene cuz that scene also convinced me he was indeed in love with el

i feel someone else might be better articulated about this but heres how i feel about that.

when he said that, it was coming from a place of trauma.

mike suffers from survivors guilt from the events of season 1. when el faints in the last episode, her power being [almost] used up, mike realizes he messed up. he realizes he had seen her as some sort of tool for him to use. as the season closes off, we see him realize how in danger el is, and how she needs help. mike naturally being caring and responsible for others (hence ‘the heart’ title), feels this overwhelming guilt once el sacrifices herself for her friends and gets taken away, disappearing in front of his eyes.

because of who he is a person, it’s easy for him to connect certain things, thinking if he had treated her differently then maybe she’d be okay. once she finally comes back in s2, and we enter s3, he begins to become controlling over how and when she uses her powers because he still carries unresolved guilt from the ending of s1.

the thing is though, in reality, it wasn’t her passing out that caused her to disappear. it was el who made the choice to sacrifice herself. but because of who mike is as a person, it’s easy for his brain to connect the wrong things. almost like, “oh i worked her too hard, she ended up disappearing and i lost her, it’s my fault. if i hadn’t done that, she would’ve been here.“ in s2, he believed she could’ve been dead. “she wouldn’t be dead if i had just treated her like a normal person.”

guilt can be so strong that it makes you connect things that just aren’t.. connected.

in the scene you are referring to, he is arguing with max, who believes she knows her own limits and has the right to choose when to and when not use her powers - which, honestly, i agree with her for the most part.

however, i still understand mike. he’s coming from a place of guilt. “i can’t lose her again.” he’s suffering trauma. her simply using her powers doesn’t mean she will magically disappear, but due to past events, that is exactly what it means to mike. he just isn’t communicating that and instead projecting it onto max and the others.

so… why does he say “i love her.” ?

remember, s3 is him trying to be as normal as possible, getting a girlfriend and liking girls and pushing away the things that make you happy - because to him that’s what growing up is about (it’s not, he’s just a repressed homosexual).

this is when things get a bit messy, and the part i have a hard time explaining…. so please bare with me 😭

he remains with el because of the guilt - this relationship is what makes her happy and a place where he can make sure she is safe. he almost feels as if he’s obligated to stay from losing her the first time. he wants to be useful, needed - typical for the type of trauma he’s facing.

because of the ‘normal’ and heteronormative small town and era they live in, and the fact this is the first girl that isn’t repulsed by him, it’s easy for him to confuse all these messy feelings for romantic love. he’s quite literally trying to convince himself it is in s3, and realizes this may not be for him in the end of the season.

so essentially, all these things he’s going through are blurring.

despite realizing how he actually feels, he continues forward in the relationship, despite being unhappy and unfulfilled… sounds familar, huh? (the wheelers need therapy). in the s4 monologue scene, this is where he decides to lie in the hole he dug himself in, lying to el saying he loves her.

mike believes lying about this is the best for the both of them - somewhere where they’re most comfortable. el is happy and safe under his supervision, mike stays away from confronting his trauma and accepting his sexuality.

he’s internalized this mindset. this is his s3-self understanding of love.

so when he says “i love her,” it’s coming from a place of unresolved trauma. the trauma, societal expectation, his own parents’ relationship - it’s all so internalized that his brain has confused this hurt for love.

that’s why in the end of the season he explains it was “heat of the moment stuff.” it wasn’t coming from a place of romantic love, it was coming from a place of hurt. but el understood it as otherwise, kissing him as mike stands there conflicted, unable to move, realizing the situation he’s put himself in.

as i said, there’s probably someone wayy more articulated about this. but thank you for the question! i still liked thinking about this anyway! :D

[bibylers]

Before I start, I’d like to thank you all for all the likes on my first posts, It means a lot! 💓💓

Also, I decided just to point a few things out before starting. I have been having a very hard time for the past few months, and I won’t be able to post as often as I have (aka once per day). Hope you understand. :)

Today I will be going through one of my FAVOURITE theories ever.

✨ FLICKERGATE ✨

Now, I know that there’s a big possibility that Flickergate won’t happen, but I still really like the concept!

So, Flickergate is really focused on the theories of:

1. Byler in the upside down

2. Will having electricity powers

3. David Bowie, Heroes theory

4. Lettergate

(If you don’t know about the David Bowie, Heroes theory, the Will having electricity powers theory or the Lettergate theory, you can search about it on tumblr, since I won’t be explaining it in this post.)

Flickergate goes all the way back to S1, when Will admits to Mike that he rolled a 7, and that the Demogorgon got him, since he can’t lie to Mike.

After Will bikes away, it’s shown that the lights flicker outside of Mikes garage. Now, some people think it was probably just the Demogorgon in the upside down, or something else that made the lights flicker, but in Flickergate, it’s about something else happening in the upside down.

So, back to S4. During the end of the last episode, we get this intimate moment between Mike and Will in Hoppers cabin.

Now, do you realise how the couch is upside down? This has made people question, if it’s foreshadowing to S5, Byler in the upside down.

This is where the theory basically started.

The theory goes:

Mike and Will get a paralleled fight (to the s3 byler fight) in the upside down, in Mikes garage. Now, during this fight, Will brings up the fact that Mike hasn’t written to him at all during his time in California, which leads the Mike admitting that he did indeed write to him, but never got the courage to send his letters. This would make their fight end up with Mike and Will FINALLY having a kiss. During this kiss, Heroes by David Bowie would play. And these lyrics will be played:

Now, since in this theory Will has electricity powers, which makes the lights flicker outside of the garage because of the “love electricity”, which is also mentioned in s2, when Steve and Dustin talk about love.

But, why do the lights flicker in s1, isn’t this about s5?

Well, remember in s4 when Nancy, Eddie, Steve and Robin are in the upside down, and realise that the upside down is STUCK IN TIME, to THE DAY WILL WENT MISSING?

This could make it possible for Will to make the lights flicker in s1, even though this happens in s5.

Also, a little detail to this:

In s3, byler fight, Will leaves.

In s4, byler fight, Mike leaves.

In s5, byler fight, no one leaves.

Sorry if I explained this in a confusing way, or misspelled any words. I’m not the best at explaining nor pronunciation. 💗

[mywingsareonwheels]

I was thinking about the whole... what's more progressive debate out of m/m romance representation and actually close and tender (as opposed to buddyish) m&m friendships. And how utterly futile and insulting to the need for more of both a debate it is when we need infinitely more of both and a lot of other things.

Fundamentally, between the lingering after-effects of the Hays Code and the extremist end of Christianity (not that those two are unconnected) and the patriarchy (ditto) and militarism and capitalism... in mainstream Western story media we still struggle to get *any* genuine emotional intimacy that isn't:-

romance between a different-gender couple who are both cishet, and which if it's happy will lead to marriage (but hasn't yet).

marriage between ditto, but only if they haven't been together very long (after they have for a few years they're supposed to bicker all the time).

at an extreme pinch, fond closeness between blood relatives, especially if at least one of them is a woman.

Friendships between men and between women are okay so long as there's a... distancing of rivalry and teasing. If you can imagine one of them tucking the other in or stroking their hair (especially if they're both men) or being utterly and wholly in solidarity with each other (especially if they're both women)... hm, no.

And that's... it. We're still at a point in mainstream western media where anything that deviates from, especially to the extent of serious warmth and trust and confidence and understanding between the characters, that feels at least a little transgressive, especially in e.g. a blockbuster movie. We're still at a point where everything else is under-represented. Less and less so, thank everything, but still.

I'm thinking of some of my favourite relationships in fiction at the moment and how they fuck with those stereotypes and do better things (and always as part of awesome stories, because as always, good rep is important but it should never be treated as everything). :-) This is inevitably a v personal list, I'm not claiming that anything here is The Purest And Least Problematic Thing Ever, and this is very much just a, "this is what's enthusing me right now" thing. :D

yes they're a het couple and both cis, but: Mike and Alison Cooper in Ghosts. They have been married for a few years now, and they actually like each other. They're best friends as well as lovers, and I know that some critics have actually had a problem with this and regard it as unrealistic. [facepalm] I adore so much that they're not a stereotypical sitcom married couple, nothing like. In a quiet way they are utterly defiant and fuck completely with the genre.

Donna Noble & the Doctor in Doctor Who. I mean, do I need to say much more? :D Close, glorious platonic friendship between a woman and... the Doctor. Some of the most beautiful platonic love in any fiction ever and it's so tender and gorgeous and fun. Adore it. <3

Red, White, and Royal Blue is a silly film but omg I adore it and part of it is seeing all of those standard romance beats between two men. And with a lot more true closeness than a lot of het romcoms manage. We're getting more and more of this (we need more between women too, and indeed other queer romances of many and various kinds!!!). <3 <3 <3

yes, they're shit at expressing their love for each other most of the time, but I still stubbornly add: E Morse & Fred Thursday in Endeavour. The fact that they're inhabiting the 1960s-70s and there is no framework for their mutual affection and devotion is of course part of why things get so hard for them both. They don't know what to do with it or where to place each other in their priorities, but the loyalty and the tenderness is there, and some remarkable emotional intimacy at times considering who they both are. We watch and interpret it as father-son or as romantic or as fraternal or as an intense and wonderful (and complicated and difficult) friendship. But it defies easy definition and... and oh goodness well anyone who's been following me for any length of time knows how I can go on about them, apologies. ;-)

the entire Fellowship of the Ring, but especially Frodo and Sam. And whatever my mixed feelings on the PJ films of The Lord of the Rings, my Gods am I endlessly glad and grateful that they retained warmth and intensity and devotion and intimacy. I worry that it wouldn't have been if made now, with a more stereotypical masculinity so much in the ascendant in mainstream film-making (we really are in the midst of a patriarchal/homophobic/transphobic reaction :( ). As with Morse and Thursday, you can absolutely interpret some of the connections there as romantic (and we know that Tolkien was remarkably non-homophobic for a man of his generation and religion), or as platonic. Either way, what matters is that there's serious love there between male characters and that goes right back to the books. Tolkien could be problematic af, but I love him so much for how he writes masculinity and love between men. <3

Heartstopper, not just for Nick/Charlie and Tara/Darcy, but also because of Charlie's friendships with Elle, Isaac, and (especially, actually) Tau.

everything with Found Family, and especially everything with Found Family where there is no easy equivalence to a "nuclear" family to map the characters on to.

Honestly I could go on. Hooray for all of these! But also: we are still in a position where these all feel subversive and make a lot of the more bigoted critics spectacularly uncomfortable (even when there is no actual queer rep). We're still in a position where mainstream film series and some tv shows struggles with anything like this, and/or will sabotage a friendship between men and even an entire character arc because it's got too close and intimate and there's a desperate need to "no homo" everything (*coughs* Steve Rogers *coughs*). We're still in a position where romance between women and any romance involving trans people of any gender is dramatically under-everythinged (but that between cis men is also still not exactly even a fraction of where it should be). We're still in a position where honestly even the representation of romance between cishet characters is most often weirdly distant and lacks real closeness or mutual liking between them (often, let's face it, because the writers struggle to write women as people). I snarked a bit at first about the debate as to which is more important and under-represented between m/m romance and really open and loving m&m friendship, but honestly the main problem with that debate is that dividing up the exact same problem: we aren't going to get more open and loving representations of m&m friendship until the media get less afraid of the relationship being interpreted as romantic whether or not it is, by both fans and haters. (I.e. don't blame the shippers when a production company loses their nerve and trashes a friendship between men so that it's not seen as romantic! Blame homophobia. I mean, to put it on its simplest real-life terms, it's consistently my experience in the UK at least that het male allies are in general vastly more comfortable hugging each other than homophobes are.)

[wayliparker-co]

PARKER WHAT THE HELL 😭 your mike pov’s never fail to make me feel like someone’s poking my heart with a million tiny forks 😔✊

I still feel like this fic was specifically made for me and my algorithm because the present timeline is the windows of this love in a different font (aka The Breakupfic™️ which I’ve read multiple times and also shoved down my friend’s throat so I could rant about it 🤭) and the past timeline is a fake dating trope which scratches my brain every single time somehow it’s so fun (for me, usually not for Will) 🕺💃

Anyway I have some quotes that i thought were important enough to copy and paste into my notes app:

“Barring that one time, which Mike tries very hard not to think about too hard just so that he doesn’t go crazy, it’s been radio silence on Will’s end, which should have been enough.” ME WHEN REFERENCES TO THE PAST I KNOW NOTHING ABOUT 👀👀 my current theories are ✍️drunk text✍️ or ✍️post mental breakdown call✍️ but we’ll see we’ll see (I’m so calm and normal)

“If it’s any consolation , Mike thinks as he gives up on strumming and pulls the guitar to his chest, just on the off chance Will can somehow hear him, I didn’t mean to break it. To break us.” Might as well physically punch me in the gut. Insanity. Not okay. I would say ‘phone on the table’ but I’m too excited about the next chapters so I guess I’ll let it slide.

ANYWAY I loved this chapter and I’m very excited to read wayli’s chapter in a few weeks 🕺💃 my exams are coming up (they’re haunting me) so I might not have time to read BUT that hopefully means more chapters will be up by the time I return 🤭 OKAY BYE I LOVE Y’ALL MWAH 🫶🫶

HIIIII im so glad u enjoyed mwahahaha <33 youre so right present timeline Does have so many of the same elements of twotl which i loveeee bc messy breakups are literally so fun to write and i esp like this premise bc unlike twotl like. they genuinely never believed they'd see each other again/get back together. which is a different type of pain and is SO FUNNN i love them <33 and YES fake dating is also so fun and i love getting to use two vastly different tropes in the same fic esp bc wayli is nailing the fake dating vibes fr fr.

and YESS US WHEN REFERENCES TO THE PAST YOU KNOW NOTHING ABOUT !!!!!!!!!! that line was my fav little easter egg and will indeed be revealed in due time. love reading ur theories hehe

anyway TYSMMM and gl with your exams i hope they go so so well mwah <33

[the-milk-monarch]

OK, before I completely go away from this account, I had it all written out, won't ever finish it but to the one person who requested this - here you go you nasty creature. No beta read. Um yeah

BEWARE: NSFW ALPHABET (MIKE)

【 🔞 NSFW Alphabet - Mike】

☢︎ gn!reader

☢︎ Total Drama (Mike)

Aftercare (what they’re like after sex)

He's gonna make sure you're okay after everything. Lots of cuddles afterwards, this boy thrives on affection. If it's your first time he's probably gonna be way more shy about it though.

If you made a mess, he's gonna bring you a towel or some napkins, not wanting you to get out of bed, he's gonna bring them to you .

"Oh, no, you don't have to get up, please, I got it"

He would also melt if you reassured him with some kisses and 'I love you's after the act, so he wouldn't have to feel so dirty about doing such an intimate thing with you.

Body part (their favorite body part of theirs and also their partner’s)

His favorite body part of yours would probably be the arms, hands.

Cum (anything to do with cum, basically)

Mike's a bit of a coy boy when it comes to it. He's not truly disgusted by his own body function, but will be anxious about your opinion on it. Because, what if you think he's disgusting?

He will immediately apologize the first time he happens to get his cum on you. Of course he gets more comfortable with time, as you reassure him that it is indeed fine for him - it is what you want, after all.

If you're more daring and kinky than he is (which let's face it, ain't hard) and swallow or, god forbid, lick your messy hand, he will literally die from overheating.

As for his opinion on your fluids - he's not really disgusted. He loves all of you, even when you're a bit- sticky.

Dirty secret (pretty self explanatory, a dirty secret of theirs)

His most "dirty secret" is that he's actually sexually repressed. Yeah, no surprise here.

I assume Mike didn't really have appropriate circumstances to learn all about sexual activities in a safe space, so he had to just- wing it by himself. Which made him quite embarrassed about his own needs and desires.

He will usually let you control the situation, focusing on your pleasure before his, and generally will be a soft vanilla.

Even though the boy seems very PG-13, he's still a hormonal man who has his fantasies. He's very shy about even letting you know about them at first, but with time and lots of reassurance from you, he finally let's you know about his "dark side".

Although he's not as vulgar and doesn't swear on regular, he might let himself go if he's really in the zone and feeling safe around you.

You remember the first time he murmured, with a hint of desperation in his voice

"...fuck- please... c-continue-"

and then immediately stopped whatever he was doing to check if you're not off-put by his comment, with anxiety in his eyes - which you thought was adorable. Because, why would you be? Mike's opening up to you!

Experience (how experienced are they? do they know what they’re doing?)

He's not as innocent as one might think, and he probably seen some movies that wouldn't be classified as safe for work. Of course he doesn't mention that often, as he's rather bashful about those things.

He also likely researched some videos that weren't strictly porn and went on those sites that describe how to pleasure your partner, as he'd rather be prepared for anything that the future might bring, even if he'd die out of embarrassment if someone found out.

As for his body count, it's either 1 or a total zero. This boy has no idea what he's doing in practice, but he's determined to make you feel good!

Favorite position (this goes without saying)

Any of those where he can see your face.

He'd like to see you enjoying yourself, that's his main focus.

Goofy (are they more serious in the moment? are they humorous? etc.)

Although Mike's initial anxiety makes him think of the act as very important, he's not as serious when he's actually relaxed around you.

I mean, he's still trying his damn best to make you both feel good, but he's also lighthearted enough to stop and quickly discuss something during the fun times. Like, stopping whatever you're doing to ask something real quick or turning "sexy talk" into a silly remark if it's appropriate to do so.

"...So- should I call you a bunny from now on?" He quietly remarks, a bit flustered by the topic at hand, waiting for your reaction with a goofy smile.

"Mike, I didn't take you for a dirty-talker?" You respond to him amused, him pardoning your slightly hoarse tone.

"I- Bunnies are cute!" He chuckles while explaining himself, with red tinting his cheeks.

If he's comfortable and feeling particularly loving in the moment, he also might give you a few smooches on your face leading to your neck, gaining some giggles from you and a warm smile from him.

Hair (how well groomed are they? does the carpet match the drapes? etc.)

I imagine Mike keeps himself well groomed, for his and your comfort. He doesn't want to be nasty, and usually washes before doing anything with you.

He's not totally shaved up, but he likes to neatly trim himself as a form of keeping good hygiene.

Intimacy (how are they during the moment? the romantic aspect)

Jack off (masturbation headcanon)

Even though you're his partner, he'd be ashamed of thinking of you in that way.

He doesn't wanna treat you like a sexual object, even when it's appropriate and in his own head.

This man tries to be so nice he actually forgets why one jacks off in the first place.

He doesn't have any kinky fantasies about you though, it's mostly just fluff and some passionate and sweet love-making.

But god forbid you learn about that - you could think he's a creep!

It's a bit of a guilty pleasure for him, and once you poke the info outta him, he goes completely red admitting to it.

He feels better once you tell him you think it's very lovely of him to be so considerate and sweet, but he can- let go a bit, yk??

If you jerk him off he will literally melt.

Kink (one or more of their kinks)

Mike surely has a praise kink. Tell him how well he does, how he makes you feel and how sweet he is.

He's not used to receiving compliments in real life, so hearing them during sex only makes him more flustered.

He will blush like crazy, but the guilty-pleasure - for him, at least - will get him even more eager, hearing how much you want him.

Location (favorite places to do the do)

At your or his house. Somewhere safe and private. He's not really the one to be risque in the public.

His favorite place is the bed, but he won't mind being more intimate on the couch, if you're in the mood.

He won't mind you being more adventurous, like using the kitchen counter, but he will not look at this place the same way again for several weeks after that.

Motivation (what turns them on, gets them going)

The words "I want you."

No (something they wouldn’t do, turn offs)

Oral (preference in giving or receiving, skill, etc.)

Pace (are they fast and rough? slow and sensual? etc.)

Quickie (their opinions on quickies, how often, etc.)

Risk (are they game to experiment? do they take risks? etc.)

Mike's rather vanilla, preferring to stay with what he already knows, (which isn't much to be honest) but he won't mind if you suggest something new.

He might be a bit (very) flustered when it happens, though.

His anxieties will also likely flare up, worrying over doing something wrong and forgetting to actually enjoy the experience.

After you notice it and remind him that you want him to have fun as well, he'll try to stop, but some reassurance kisses wouldn't hurt.

Stamina (how many rounds can they go for? how long do they last?)

Toys (do they own toys? do they use them? on a partner or themselves?)

Mike doesn't own any toys himself, nor did he probably touched any IRL.

He might be a bit afraid of the bad boys but he's not immature.

He'll be happy to assist you if you want him to use them on you, and maybe even will let you try some on him.

It takes a lot of courage from him though, but it's just a matter of learning a new thing.

Unfair (how much they like to tease)

Mike isn't the one to tease.

He takes you very seriously, unless you're both in a playful mood and knows you won't mind.

It's more so just lighthearted banter.

If you won't specifically request for him to tease you, (no judgement here) he will be always happy to please, rather the opposite of teasing.

If you do ask him for it though, he might have some hiccups here and there, like not knowing what to say or feeling silly, but he will get the hang of it.

"So, uh- You wanna- You want me to go faster? W-well- I haven't heard any 'please'." He says, trying to put on a confident tone.

" ...did I do that right??"

Volume (how loud they are, what sounds they make, etc.)

Get ready for a lot of mewling and muttering because this boy is vocal.

Just because he's vocal doesn't mean he's not flustered by it, though.

Mike's rather quiet but "talkative".

Like, he won't be loud, but you will be able to hear many of his whimpers and whines as he's loosing himself in the act.

He might mumble your name, trying to communicate, but at the end of the night it'll be indistinguishable from his pants.

+ a lot of stuttering at first

Wild card (a random headcanon for the character)

He definitely tried some experimenting on himself to discover what he likes, then got so embarrassed about it he stopped.

Like, fingering for example. Being a man surrounded with toxic masculinity in the world took a toll on him as well, although not to a degree where he'd be toxic to other people. He's just ashamed of what he likes, but it stems more from his anxiousness about sexual activities.

Reassure him it's okay!!

X-ray (let’s see what’s going on under those clothes)

Average size, probably slightly thinner girth.

He doesn't usually focus on his junk though, I imagine he has more important matters to worry about in his day to day life.

When it does matter however, he would be very self-conscious about you seeing him naked.

He doesn't see himself as totally ugly, but not as a model either.

He's just kinda- there.

He came to a conclusion that his lanky body ain't that attractive though, so he will be slightly bashful about showing himself to you.

After some practice he'll learn to chill out though, only being embarrassed by the massive effect you have on him, not because of his body.

Yearning (how high is their sex drive?)

He's either not thinking about sex at all, or gets insanely horny (well, to a reasonable degree).

Before you two became a couple his sex drive was rather small, as he had other things on his head to do, and it kept him away from feeling any sort of sexual need.

He's also not very open about it, and some could assume he's ace.

He's like the definition of SFW.

But it's just his problems with self image.

After you appear on the scene though, suddenly Mike feels those feelings of need more often.

At first he'd just calm himself down and try to not be weird around you, dealing with it himself once you're gone if needed (with a sprinkle of some guilt after).

But if you're past the initial phase of only you offering sex, he might let himself go a little.

"U-um... Y/N...?" He mutters shyly as his focus jumps from one place to another.

"Yeah?" You casually respond with a calm smile.

"...Would you- Could we- A-are you in the mood currently...?" He finally spits out what he wanted to say, his face and ears fully red.

You blink once. "Oh."

He panics. "W-we don't have to do anything if you don't want to, haha-" He quickly elaborates.

"Oh- No, no, no-" You come closer to him as he shies away, flustered.

"I was hoping you'd finally ask." You show him a smile, with a hint of playful and cheeky smirk.

That managed to turn him all red and mumbly.

You better take the lead though, as he's too busy over explaining himself.

Zzz (how quickly they fall asleep afterwards)

Pretty quickly I'd say.

He will curl up and cling to you like an orphan monkey.

He loves to cuddle after sex, and it's just so cozy-

You might be mid-talk when you suddenly feel him feeling heavier on you.

He tries to stay awake, because he doesn't want to be rude, but you're too much of a good pillow for him to resist your charms.

Bonus: Will almost exclusively sleep in clothes, never naked.