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chirpsythismorning · 11 months

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There isn't much discourse about how Mike went from saying that El was a weapon in s1, even encouraging the others to use El's powers when she was still recuperating after finding Will in the void, to then in s3 accusing the others of being reckless with her powers, saying she's risking her life for no reason.

Now, I want to make clear that I'm not bashing Mike here, this has less to do with what he's doing being right or wrong. What this is about is how Mike went from doing something himself, to calling out other people for doing it, without acknowledging that fact and why the writers chose to frame it all this way.

You might think it's insignificant, but these two following scenes are clearly being paralleled to each other. And so the fact that Mike himself is acknowledging this as something to be critical of, makes me wonder what exactly is going on in his mind...

I want to preface this scene from s1 by saying that Mike is giving very off vibes here. I know that I certainly viewed this scene as romantic the first time I saw it, but since rewatching it recently, I was getting completely different vibes.

They literally make a point to focus on Mike being distracted, on the verge of impatience. Then, the way El reacts upon Mike getting up abruptly, gives this feeling of uncertainty about Mike's consideration for her in this moment, as she's clearly not what's on the top of his mind right now. And it just makes you wonder, are we truly supposed to be feeling peak romance rn?

I never realized how out of place this scene was until now (or is it...). It's just such an odd choice to have El resting her head on Mike's shoulder for comfort, only for Mike to cut it short with him being distracted, and with Dustin and El looking awkwardly at Mike like "Okay?...", then followed by a scene where he's trying to convince the others to use El's powers to help.

Here we have s1 Mike displaying behavior that s3 Mike was calling out the others for displaying:

Here we have Lucas, who was very, very critical of El being dangerous ALL of s1, and yet now in complete contrast to that, he is showing more consideration and common sense for El's well being than Mike, the supposed love (at first sight) interest ...

'That's the most important thing, remember?'

A question, followed by Mike just standing there in silence, like he's only just now really thinking about El being safe as their main priority... This is something that combined with everything else unfolding over the course of this season and the seasons after, that makes Mike's behavior a whole lot easier to understand.

I'll have to make several other posts about this, because there are a lot of aspects to it, but for now I'm just going to focus on these two parallels.

Here we have what happens in s3, with Mike being critical of the others doing something he himself literally did in s1:

In fact, how careless all of you are.

THIS. When Mike makes it a big deal to call out everyone for doing something he himself has already done, he's outright admitting that it's something that he believes is wrong, and by not even slightly acknowledging his role in doing something similar in the past, it's very likely that he feels guilty about it.

This was probably his way of trying to make it right, by standing up for El in a way that he didn't before because he was treating her like some superhero and not a real person back then.

It's just that the word love slipped out, in the heat of the moment. And El, upon overhearing this, is seeing this development of Mike herself, with s1 Mike going from, yes being more kind and considerate than the other 2 boys in the beginning, but still sort of expecting stuff from her without her being able to verbally agree to it, to now having developed and changed to saying that one of his big priorities is her safety.

El is taking this as being evidence he went from not loving her, to loving her. Another reason why it's pretty obvious El didn't believe Mike's monologue, bc she herself witnessed Mike develop his apparent romantic feelings for her over time, and so him saying it was love at first sight, was probably the catalyst that made it abundantly clear to her that he wasn't being truthful, bc she knows it's not the truth. She's not stupid.

Again this isn't about Mike doing this back then or even the others doing it now as being bad vs. good, this is about the writers going about it this way, sending a message that Mike feels guilt, enough to try to make things right, but is apparently not ready to unpack the actual guilt that is beneath the surface which lead him to this point.

And then there's this scene, which... it's actually terrifying how obvious it is they instructed Sadie and Caleb to lean out of that shot with Will and Mike reacting to El entering the room... Like... It's SOO obvious when you watch it now what they're trying to hint at without saying it.

Not only are they hinting at Will's feelings, because that is part of it, they're also hinting at Mike's internal struggle. Will is always on the back of his mind whether he's willing to address it or not. And all while that is happening, he is feeling unaddressed guilt about how he treated El when they first met and spent that one week together helping her run away from the bad guys while also looking for Will, something Mike viewed as being worthy of El using her powers...

I'll have to make the other posts regarding this soon, because it all starts to click what's going on with Mike when you look at all of these things together.

While Mike is just a kid like pretty much everyone else in this story, and while he didn't mean any harm by asking El to help them find Will (none of them did), I think that's kind of the whole point?

I think that he got lucky superman landed on his doorstep, who just so happened to be in danger herself, giving him his own purpose to help her too, with her needing him as well, and so it became a situation where they both needed each other.

But because El could literally not speak, it's not like she could really voice her feelings about things they were doing, beyond yes and no. She had Lucas sort of being critical of her, with Mike encouraging El to do things that would make the others see her as being worthy of sticking around so they can find Will. It goes without saying she felt obligated to do these things, even if they didn't outright tell her she had to or else. We literally see almost all of these scenes with her doing stuff for the others being instantly juxtaposed with scenes of Brenner doing the same. It's not the same scale of severity, but it is an acknowledgment that although she is outside of the lab, she still feels like her powers are what define her and it's all people want from her.

I think what it comes down to, is that in that moment when she is sacrificing herself to the demogorgan at the end of s1, we are seeing in real time Mike realizing what he and the other's have been asking of her this whole time, without outright asking her.

And you can literally see the retaliation and devastation hit him all at once. The instant regret, where he's backtracking and El stops him from even trying.

'Goodbye Mike' singles him out, because while he was the one out of the three that showed her the most kindness from the start, he was also the one who at the end of it all, was still expecting her to risk her life for them...

And that just makes it hit so much harder when you think about how that made Mike feel in that moment.

And then in s2 how that impacts Mike and his journey going forward.

His breakdown at the end of s2 upon her return.

His behavior in s3-4, in relation to him juggling his relationship with Will and El, now that they are both in his life at the same time.

It all starts to make sense.

I won't go too much into it because those other posts are bound to be long with a bunch of pictures too!

But on that note, there's at least one thing Mike isn't acknowledging, and it's literally what led up to the unintentional love confession that then led us to 10 more episodes of miscommunication because of it...

It's going to be important for him to address this guilt for him to fulfill his arc and to also close off his expectations that he has to have a romantic relationship with El in order to keep her in his life at all.

The audience themselves seeing this and being forced to face it is also going to make it a lot easier for them understand why Mike did what he did, not only because he's a queer kid in the 80's who has every reason to doubt and repress, but also because he understandably feels sort of indebted to El after everything.

It's more complex than him just falling out of love with her and falling in love with Will because of XYZ.

I think there is a lot of guilt and shame and trauma connected to their meeting and the events that followed. And addressing that is going to give a lot of closure to the ending of the story and also the beginning.

#byler #stranger things #mike wheeler #i feel like mikes arc always comes off as convoluted to most viewers bc they’re missing the whole picture #like this is literally canon #Mike went from doing something to saying other people doing it was wrong without acknowledging his role in that from the beginning #and so ppl using that development as aww he loves her now…#doesn’t even work when apparently he loved her since the moment he saw her…#not being willing to pay attention to how they are building up mikes arc #dancing around all of his actions with #everyone makes mistakes bc they’re children and that’s okay #and just leave it at that…#bc yes obviously all of the characters should be able to make mistakes and be forgiven #but were ignoring the elephant in the room here #it’s canon Mike feels guilt for how he treated el in s1 yet he hasn’t acknowledged it…#instead of acknowledging his history of doing something similar #he’s pointed out everyone else doing it as if they’re doing something wrong he himself would never do…#as if he doesn’t have first hand experience #they could have actually made this moment romantic and genuine IF they wanted to #they could have had mike open up about how he used to do that #but after getting to know el and realize she is her own person #it made him think differently and he wants to do better by her #then maybe when she confronted him in front of everyone he could have said it again or asked to be alone to say it to her directly #and to apologize for how he acted in the past by expecting stuff of her #and THATS why he is extra cautious now #and then got her reaction #instead they give fans the impression Mike is the ideal male love interest #who is perfect for el #with this moment being one of their top reasons #and it’s a scene where he avoids confronting series long built up guilt…

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stellarspecter · 6 months

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okay i don't know if the hyperfixation will hold long enough for me to actually write this but au where everything is the same but the waylon house is just a bit more structurally sound. max doesn't die and is like 'thanks for this guys, is that the whole party or?' and everyone just sort of looks at each other like. well we don't want to anger him so what can we say but yes. and so the nerds and max end up hanging out for a night in the waylon house and the worst thing that happens is grace chastity is tempted to have a beer for the first time (she doesn't though. but with max offering it's very hard for her to refuse. or focus lol) max keeps giving them weird backhanded compliments like 'wow you guys are way cooler than you look, how'd that happen' which is not the best but it's way better than being beat up for daring to be in his line of sight, so they'll take it.

so they all hang out for the night, max is like weirdly chill and friendly, eventually he leaves and they're left standing outside the waylon house like. ?? what the fuck??? did we just befriend max jagerman???? the nerds are still apprehensive considering pete still has a black eye, grace is still boiling with religious zeal and repressed lust, and steph still doesn't really like him, but they can't help but remember how he said that trying to prank him was the nicest thing someone's ever done for him. and that just can't be true, considering he's literally the star quarterback and the main character of hatchetfield high, but.... the fact that he felt like it enough says a lot, doesn't it?

so they decide to leave the prank footage to gather dust and figure this was probably the best outcome they could have hoped for. who knows what they'll walk into at school tomorrow? maybe max will become a friend.

#and he does :)#nerdy prudes must die #npmd spoilers #npmd #i just. the brainworms. they're in me #if anything it would just be a oneshot i'm not trying to rewrite the show or anything #but like yeah max joins the friend group :)#do you ever think about how genuinely touched he was that they basically made him his own haunted house?#that shit was exposure therapy and they didn't even know it #and like dear god 'this is the nicest thing anyone's ever done for me'??? lines to go crazy about forever!!!!#bc like he's popular he's a star everyone knows him but no one's nice to him? do we know anything about his family?#and like obviously he's an asshole so like yeah why would people be nice to him if he's such a dick #but like.... consider this: babygirl #he was really endearing in that minute between being pranked and dying ok?#he was like a totally different person the minute the social pressure was gone #ok ok enough tag rambling. if enough people want this i will actually write it #*speaks

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quirkle2 · 1 year

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Warriors smiles. It's bright and wide and warm, relieved and watery and wobbly, and he feels like his body has just been recreated. The mourning over losing his only family to portals and fate ebbs from his chest, escapes through the laugh he lets out, incredulous and elated, maybe slightly hysterical, but Legend lets one out that sounds much the same, so he feels a bit more justified in it.

Instantly, the present burn in his chest snuffs out, smoke in his lungs and soot on his bones, and the hello, good morning, I love you, wants to pour out of him like water to a rickety dam.

piece to accompany a wip fic of mine, cinnamon

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sincerely-sofie · 16 days

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Does Opal still speak very formally around Team Skull? Because this scenario is playing out in my head and I want you to hear it.

Opal: *says something in an archaic manner, the specifics don't really matter*

Skuntank: "Chaw-haw! Uh, Yeah! Sure I can do that!"

Opal: *content, leaves to go do something*

Skuntank: *leans over to zubat and koffing, sweating* "Do either of you boys know what I just agreed to?

Oh my word.

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mwagneto · 10 months

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i have sooo many thoughts on the absolute failure of detroit become human's message honestly like it's so crazy. kara's entire storyline is negated when alice is revealed to also be an android since not only does the "can a human child view an android as a parent" question completely disappear, suddenly everything you've done so far to "protect the kid" becomes meaningless since kara and alice are essentially the same age. and then the general issue of David Cage failing to make a good enough case as to why androids should be considered human to the point where the worst part about the bad endings is that it makes Hank, the only human main character, sad. and this is only like a fraction of the problems but i find it fascinating how even the main core and theme of the entire story falls apart as soon as you think about it for even a second

#like im not even gonna lie if it wasn't for hank i wouldn't save the androids 😭#like obviously connor is compelling but i genuinely don't see the point in waking up hundreds of thousands of #androids and giving them all consciousness. and i ESPECIALLY dont see the point of #the demand markus makes that they want control of factories so they can make more androids #like brother we have enough of a problem. i could maybe see the case for freeing the ones that #already had existence forced upon them but why would you ever want to make more fr #and im not even gonna touch the . well. yknow. the race thing. bc that's a whole another post #im mainly just rambling coz I've been streaming myself replaying it to the gang and it makes me think things.#dbh #detroit become human #dbh critical #idk the tags.#anti david cage

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parapsychologicalvulpes · 5 months

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Please Help!!

i really hesitate to make this post bc it's the end of the year and everyone is strapped for money but the past several months have just been slowly getting more and more overwhelming for the things we need to fix.

We've been driving around in a car with the back windows we can't even roll up (one is held up by duct tape and the other is now slipped off the track that we can't even pull it up at this point) and trying to save up money to fix the windows, and a small oil leak.

Two months ago we had to turn off the water to the kitchen sink bc underneath is rusted through and it needs replaced. We're doing dishes in the bathtub with a hair catcher because we can't use the dishwasher.

A few days ago, one of the back tires went flat because the wall has rotted and we have no spare. I need to go to work, but bc of my disability, I have a job that only has me work maybe twice a month. I get *maybe* 200$ a month and I don't currently have government assistance. It's been impossible for us to save anything to fix anything and it keeps snowballing. At this point we are worried how to even get food.

I'm stressed. My wife is stressed. If anyone could spare even a couple dollars so we can replace the back two tires on the car so I could go to work, I would be eternally grateful.

Reblogs are deeply appreciated.

paypal.me/kabegami

#im really sorry to have to make this post but im genuinely at my wits end #i cant afford (physically) to get another job to save money even tho i want to #please only donate if you can afford it obviously #the car is the biggest issue rn but the sink is really wearing on our mental health #the literal broken window of the house is like the least of a priority bc theres just. so much rn.#2/3 of the sinks in the house aren't functioning and one of them we have to park a radiator in front of in the winter #two years ago the furnace died and the pipes burst and completely eradicated all savings we had #we just. need a little break. just a little help #donation post #signal boost #please please just reblog if nothing else

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the-sage-libriomancer · 4 months

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i think it'd be really funny to write a crossover specifically between the latest three TMNT series bc the ingenuity and bold new directions of Rise and Mutant Mayhem leave 2012 - the one that's most faithful to the previous lore - looking like the odd one out.

because, like:

-Rise and MM both have the turtles explicitly call Splinter "dad", while 2012 sticks with the traditional "Master Splinter."

-Rise and MM both have a Splinter character who is neither an ex-martial arts master or Japanese, and in fact barely knows how to do martial arts in general, whereas 2012's Splinter follows the comic origins (a native Japanese man and trained martial artist).

-2012's Splinter also features a backstory element the Rise and MM versions don't: being explicitly related to Shredder.

-Rise and MM both have black/poc Aprils who are fairly similar in both personality and vibes, which makes 2012's April (who's the traditional redheaded version with the same basic "action girl who hangs out with the turtles" template but whose character traits are notably different) stick out uncomfortably in comparison.

-Rise and MM both show Raph as an easily excitable tank, while 2012's Raph is deeply rooted in the cynical guy with a temper from earlier incarnations.

-2012 gives the turtles genuine beef with each other (most notably Leo and Raph fighting over the leadership position). Rise and MM completely handwave that and all of their turtles are chill with each other outside of typical brotherly scrimmages.

-Rise and MM both portray the turtles as unusually skilled novices who win most of their battles by fucking around and finding out, while 2012's turtles are trained fighters with child soldier undertones and the mindsets to match.

i'm not saying there's a sharp divide between 2012 and the other two (there isn't) or that 2012 doesn't share anything with the other two shows (it does), but if you put all three casts of characters together and had them compare their own lore, i think the 2012 characters would seem like weirdos/odd ducks compared to the Rise and MM, which is very funny to think about bc they're the only one of the three who are actually like. recognizably drawing on the characters and concepts of its predecessors.

#i mean - imagine what rise and mm's splinters would say to 2012 splinter #now imagine 2012!april meeting the other two aprils and immediately seeing the obvious diverge point lmao #or 2012!raph not really vibing with rise and mm's raphs bc they don't struggle with genuine anger issues the way he does #and obviously they'd have no way of knowing that there's a “traditional” tmnt format #so all they see is that this universe is pointedly different from the other two #i think rise and mm would look at 2012 and be like “where did you go wrong” ashahjdhasjhdjkaka #teenage mutant ninja turtles #tmnt #rise of the teenage mutant ninja turtles #rise of the tmnt #tmnt 2012 #mutant mayhem #sage speaketh #au tag #crossover #edited for your convenience #(<-cleaned up some wording)#(<-also removed the last bullet point bc i don't think i articulated it well + it felt redundant)

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dennisboobs · 4 months

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plain and simple i am not going to be able to remain in this fandom long-term if i have to keep putting disclaimers on every single one of my posts that say i don't condone dennis' bad, bad actions and that i am in fact aware he's got a history of sexual assault and dubious/nonconsent. the entire gang has done heinous shit. why is dennis the only one who needs to be treated like this? if some rando wants to post about how dennis is pookie pie that doesn't automatically mean they're blind to his crimes. every single member of the gang is a piece of shit. that's kind of the point.

draw dennis with cat ears who give a shit

#ada speaks #i'm not vagueing this is a constant thing ive experienced #i still have angry anons sitting in my askbox mad that i didn't explicitly condemn him last time i got into this #i'm really not a fan of the tension in the fandom the last few days #and like. i know its a hot button issue rn. everyone's going back and forth abt mac and dennis' SA #but this fandom genuinely does have an issue SPECIFICALLY MENTIONING things mac does to dennis and uwu-ifying them #when they are explicitly classified as SA in canon (which is an actual present issue i think needs to be addressed)#rather than like. just the mere MENTION of dennis outside of his SA is somehow condoning his actions #im sorry but i really do not feel the need to constantly talk about him assaulting women #everyone knows. everyone sees it. just bc i am dissecting other parts of his character does not mean i forgot he's a horrible person #it just means im trying to understand where he's coming from (which obviously does not change the facts.)#viewing dennis as a person with unresolved trauma stemming from elsewhere doesn't negate the damage he is doing to other people #he's not a real person where humanizing him does tangible damage #so i am going to continue to look into shit. when i talk about the CSA he went through it's not a justification.#but it does explain his actions in a character motivation type way which is what i am interested in #seeing what makes him tick #i think most people who follow me understand this by now. but i also don't think shit we see him do constantly in canon needs bringing up.#it's the subtle stuff that ties everything together and i want to put it all together to solve a puzzle

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futuristiccrystal · 11 months

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Bit of a rant here we go!!!!

PSA to any Redacted fans that follow me:

I do not keep up with anything in the fandom anymore for this reason, so just know that I will not be listening to a single complaint about any future redacted fanart of mine unless it’s a genuine design critique

I literally do not care that you get upset over a non-visual character being portrayed as a certain race, ethnicity, gender, or body type. Each of us have our own interpretations and that it the beauty of being an artist in the ASMR/Audio drama community space. So, if someone drawing a gendered listener genuinely triggers a trauma response in you? That’s on you, not the artist.

If you genuinely believe that artists making their own versions of these characters is actively harming you, and you find yourself having meltdowns over it? You have an incredibly unhealthy attachment to this media. Either you’re a lonely middle/high schooler who’s anxious about your future, or you’re an adult who uses these audios to unhealthily cope with your own stress.

Audio dramas are made for the sole purpose of inviting one’s imagination into the story taking place. And while they can be used as a quick-fix to relax, if you can’t fathom that other people have their own versions of the story, it is not their job to fall to their knees and ask for your forgiveness when you start projecting your discomforts/insecurities onto their personal work.

I’m calling out RedactedASMR fans specifically here because I genuinely cannot believe so many of you are as miserable as you are in this fandom. Leave artists alone. Leave writers alone. And especially? Leave Erik alone

I stg he literally makes these audios because they’re *his* passion project, and yet EVERY episode there’s like 50 of you complaining about how you had a panic attack because of a hyper-specific trigger that genuinely would not happen if you learned to properly cope with your own personal issues. He slaps so many content warnings on his work so you guys won’t be distressed, and yet you listen to it anyways and get butt-hurt when it actually bothers you.

Listen y’all can be absolutely amazing, but there’s a reason why Erik doesn’t interact with any of you anymore. I’m sorry that you went through however tough of a life you’ve had, but that is not any of our faults. Leave the artists and writers alone dude. Block them if you seriously need a clean FYP, but don’t make your personal struggles our collective problem

#redacted audio #redacted asmr #rant bc some of you don’t know how to behave #genuinely I’ve never been a part of a fandom with this big of a toxic cesspool #obviously I’m not referring to every single person in this fandom but GGOD you know who tf you are if you’re reading this and getting upset #I’m so tired of y’all #I love most of u tho dw <33 #art babes unite fr <3

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