#no really byler related i guess? | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

uselessnbee · 1 year

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ok but like the fall from the quarry before El saved Mike was so high like he didn't barely jump and then was immediately saved he fell a long way

just watching it is terrifying imagine how terrified Mike must have felt imagine him regretting jumping but knowing there's no way back and he could only watch as the ground neared as he neared his death like yes he was saved but that moment could have lasted a second and still be traumatising holy shit he was 12 im gonna throw up

#ok i'll be honest idk if the first part makes sense and is correct cause my brain is not englishing right now #but i'm having quarry thoughts again and needed to make it everyone else's problem #so hopefully yall get what i'm trying to say!#give mike wheeler a hug please he needs it #i'll be thinking im too overprotective of him but then i remember shit like this and suddenly i think i could be even worse tbh #mike wheeler #byler #no really byler related i guess?#mike wheeler protection squad #i would kill for this child fr i'm not even ashamed of it #that's my son that's my baby he's been through so much please give him a break #i don't care anymore what mistakes he did he never did anything wrong he can literally kill a dog and i'll be like it's ok #we all make mistakes it's fine come here do you want hot chocolate? yes? i'll wrap you in a blanket and we can watch a movie! yay!#yeah i'm in my feels about him again what about it

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chirpsythismorning · 9 months

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I just got an ask about how I’m a ‘shit stirrer’ on Twitter? And I just thought I would clarify, I do not have a Twitter account…

Occasionally, yes, I do go on Twitter from the safari app to search things, but once I get blocked by the log-in page, I move on.

Twitter isn’t so bad when it comes to wanting to see what people think about certain things, but too much of that can be overwhelming, which is why I choose not to reside there in much of any capacity.

So anon, whoever this ‘shit stirrer’ is that you are referring to, it is not me 😭 And idk why you would assume they are me, unless they’re putting up some sort of front that they are me?…

Maybe this was meant for someone else and you accidentally clicked on my profile? Not sure. But just to be clear, chirpsythismorning on Tumblr, is not on Twitter.

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glitchinginhyperfixis · 2 years

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just finished little women (the movie). sorry but i’m team amy and laurie. jo and laurie are bestie goals. meg and john are actually the sweetest couple ever. and the march sisters are perfect. BETH DESERVED BETTER. also, as much as i love amy and laurie (they’re so sweet together), i’d still choose jo and amy’s sisterly bond over their romantic relationship.

this post is a mess but i am tired

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mroddmod · 9 months

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Mod, your art literally brings me so much joy. You and kidovna are 1000% my favorite byler artists (and I love your other work as well, ofc). Do you have a favorite au to draw (byler or otherwise)?

omg (╥_╥) i will fucking explode rn what the hell. this ask is so sweet

@kidovna is ALSO one of my favorite byler artists. i am a bhavna ride-or-dier for life. i'm honored to be considered alongside them 😭😭

in terms of my favorite au to draw, probably a personal one ive had cooking for liiiikkkkke. idk. 8-9 months? i started it back in late november and then sort of went cold turkey on drawing for a while (whoops). but i plan on finishing stuff for it and sharing it soonish! i have some previews of it on my patreon now tho :) (shameless plug)

#it's not really a byler au necessarily #but it is st related!#i guess it could be sorta bylerish. if i write it in.#mods talks shit #also thank you for this ask!!!#it brightened my day fr 🫶

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queerxqueen · 2 years

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one thing i’m really sick of is ageism in fandom.

i’ve seen so many people bashing byler by saying it’s all 30-40 year olds obsessed with an underage ship, implying that it’s creepy/pedo behavior to engage in fandom or shipping when you’re older.

and i see equally as many people responding with the vibes of “no actually we’re teens and twenties :) so it’s okay :)”

maybe it’s because i’m autistic? but i’ve been very involved with fandom my whole life and i don’t expect that to change as i grow older. im only 23 and i genuinely feel like there’s a clock running out to where me being nerdy and obsessive will no longer be okay because i’m Too Old. and that makes me so sad.

adults are allowed to enjoy things. adults are allowed to ship characters. adults are allowed to age without giving up things they enjoy. adults are allowed to relate to characters that are younger than them because guess what!!! they were once young!

obviously there’s nuance to this - if adults are interacting with minors or making them uncomfortable, if adults are making explicit content about underage characters, i understand that discomfort - but for the most part that’s not the case i’ve seen with byler.

not only are adults the people behind the scenes of your favorite media (the duffers are 38 and no one calls them creepy for writing about kids), but they’re also often behind some of the best fandom content, writing the coolest theories and the best fanfiction and making amazing art. not to say that younger folks don’t contribute amazing stuff, just saying, we could give a little more respect to fandom elders.

tldr; can we just let people enjoy things pls

#byler #discourse #ageism #fandom #this has been in my drafts for a while but ive seen more Bull Shit so im posting w/e

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nowmemoriees · 1 year

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"Let's start a new party, you and me"

-> why I think this phrase is about Will and Mike.

to start, this was tweeted in 2019, after season 3 was released. the pic is from the TV report program "Cutting Edge". That clip was shown in Episode 8 after the starcourt battle.

(this also foreshadowed how dnd would be seen as a satanic game in s4. those last minutes from 3x08 foreshadowed A LOT, but I'm gonna make another post about that later)

Guess who were the ones that talked about DnD and the party in that episode? Will and Mike.

Let's analyze this dialogue again.

M: Whoa, dude, that's the donation box.

W: I know, I'll just use yours when I come back. I mean... if we still wanna play.

-> Will is now back in Hawkins. If they still wanna play, he will use Mike's dnd, because he donated his to Erica. That already hints something really important. And yes, they still wanna play!

M: Yeah, but, what if you wanna join another party?

W: Not possible.

-> Will never joined another party. We don't know if he even played dnd since he left Hawkins, but I think he didn't, given that he donated his.

In s4 Mike joined Hellfire with Dustin and Lucas, but we know he's still the more enthusiast about that. Beside, Lucas already got another hobbie.

(We've also seen in Lucas On The Line that Mike locked himself in his basement playing alone after the Byers had left Hawkins)

Will also tells Mike that he still feels the same: he just wants to play dnd with Mike the rest of his life.

Which makes that tweet even more suspicious, because, he already said that in season 3, so, that tweet was so easily to interpret as a byler tweet in 2019. In s4, Will reassured it.

And that conflict was never solved. Mike and Will's conflict is still there. And we'll see it in s5.

Then, I was checking the answers to the tweet and I found this one, which was really, really interesting.

ok, so this might be a stretch, but there's a theory that many people on social media talked about, which said that Mike and Will would defeat Vecna because they, together, are a 20.

[I love this theory and it's pretty believable to me, because why tf where they holding the rollers in that way if it wasn't to show the numbers directly to the camera?]

- the theory is based on the scene of 4x01 where Dustin rolls an 11 and he could not defeat Vecna, but Erica could defeat him by rolling a 20.

This could also be related to the Will has powers theory, but even if it's not, it's all connected. Everything, the scenes, the foreshadowing and the theories lead to the same result: Will and Mike.

They'll start a new party.

#stranger things #byler #st4 #will byers #mike wheeler

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henrysglock · 2 months

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It does actually upset me a fair amount that Henry's story is never about himself in fanon or canon.

TFS? Picked apart for byler parallels and willel content. Picked apart for Jopper content. Does Henry's story even register as anything more than background noise? Does it matter? Does he matter in his own story? Or is he only important as a support for someone else?

The VR game? Picked apart for byIer content, eImax content, wilIel content. Nothing to be said for Henry's childhood and time in the lab, which takes up more than a third of the game. Once again, Henry's ignored and sidelined.

For the majority of his life his story itself isn't even about him. Canon childhood? Revolves around Virginia and Brenner (and Patty, in TFS). Then he's just another dead kid in the obits. Even Patty seems to have forgotten him for whatever reason after he's taken by Brenner.

Canon teen-adulthood? Revolves around Brenner and El. He's a number, a caregiver for children who only exist because of him, but who will never be aware of that fact and the implications it carries, and a pet to Brenner...and maybe a coworker at best.

He doesn't exist as something actually lovable until El starts caring about him. His trauma as One doesn't exist until he gets his few minutes of "being quietly upset about 20+ years of mistreatment" time while he's surrounded by the corpses of children he was fond of, children that he more than likely didn't kill because they don't actually exist, given that they fucking move and blink out of existence altogether. (Even that is deemed too long by the fandom, who would really rather see cute, useless scenes of wiIlel. or byIer. or. or. or. Less than 15 minutes of words for 20+ years of abuse, and it's "too much". He's "joker-fied" for being upset at all. Really I guess he should just be grateful he got to tell his story before El blasted him into the ether (over something we can't actually prove he did), whether that ether be the darkness of NINA or the fires of Dimension X. Should he take a bow and leave gracefully? Would you like him to get down on his knees and thank the security cameras before he goes? Should he have pinned himself to the wall? Should the lamb get on the alter and tie its own legs for the sacrifice?)

He ceases to exist entirely outside of Brenner as soon as El's memories of him are wiped.

Henry only exists again in relation to crimes he's blamed for but there's only flimsy circumstantial proof linking him to.

Henry's blamed for the murder of children that often times blink out of reality altogether, children we only seem to see in a fucked up Matrix-like computer simulation. Children he sounded fond of, and who were fond of him in return, even if they didn't really know him.

Henry's accused of manipulating El, but there's no solid proof that he did so. In fact, there's more proof saying he didn't do that, and was genuinely trying to get her to leave out the tunnel...but we don't acknowledge that. We also don't acknowledge that he stuck El in a closet to keep her safe while he went out alone into only God knows what situation.

Henry's blamed for Will's disappearance, despite the fact that Vecna (whoever he is) makes no mention of Will at all in canon, and when he does make mention in the VR...Will's already in the UD/void Castle Byers. There's no actual evidence linking him to Will's kidnapping in the shed. Vecna notices Will, but as of yet we have no solid evidence that he stole him.

And if he were to come back for some kind of "redemption arc", which I hesitate to even call a redemption arc, since we have no solid proof that he's got a body count over [checks notes] two: Virginia, whose circumstances of death are muddled with TFS, and that one guard in 4.07. (Yes, only the one guard. He threw the other four. There's no confirmation that they were anything more than knocked out, especially in a scene where they make a point to clearly show who Henry killed.) We can't even say he killed Alice, since we haven't seen the circumstances of her death...in fact, it's more likely he didn't kill her, based on what we know about his powers. Henry has a reliable body count of two, and both of them arguably had it coming. One had just sold him and his best friend out to Brenner, two children as lambs to the slaughter on the alter of "give Virginia Creel her normal life back :((((", and the other was an imminent threat to his and El's safety.

So I hesitate to call his possible return a redemption arc, because what does Henry have to be redeemed for? And if he were to have this "redemption" arc, he'd likely be put on the chopping block for people who haven't given him a second glance since 1959 (El aside).

I mean...how fucking unfair.

An unloved child sold to a freak doctor, imprisoned and abused for 20 years, forgotten entirely for the next 7 years, and scapegoated to the nth fucking degree as soon as he's brought back into the picture not of his own volition but because Brenner and El and Nancy dug him up and decided he was definitely and unquestionably to-blame for everything.

And were he to be absolved of any association...he'd likely immediately be expected to sacrifice himself for the "greater good".

Like...this guy had better get a happy ending or so help me god.

#rant #long-ish post #henryposting

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beepboop358 · 2 years

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Hi. I am/was a mileven defender until I saw that scene in the van and Mike's copy pasted monologue that felt like it wasn't even meant for El but for Will.

As a straight person, I don't think I can relate to a queer person's frustration or anger over Season 4 even if I tried.

And I'm sorry but that's why it's hard for me to understand why you guys have given up on your ship when it's obvious that my people are the ones that should be getting prepared for a massive straight bait.

I hate to even think about it and it saddens me to the core but Mike is clearly projecting. He doesn't feel about El the way he feels about Will and it shows. I think El truly loves Mike tho so it's even more frustrating to me.

I wanted mileven to work so badly and I still do but given Mike's strange behavior and the way Will and Mike look at each other and the way they stand side by side between two other canon ships in the final scene and actually all their scenes together, it's hard to not to believe that your ship is the one they're going for.

I guess it's a good thing that they are planning on making the gay ship endgame. I know you guys need some decent representation and I'm sorry about the people that are mocking you for it on Twitter or in real life. All of that doesn't mean I suddenly started shipping them tho. I'm still clinging on to mileven. Probably forever.

I just wanted to acknowledge that I think it's weird that many of you have lost hope. But again, I can't really relate to the things queer people are experiencing and going through on a daily basis so I want to apologize if anything I just said was insensitive.

hello!

This was really interesting to read, thank you so much for sharing, genuinely! I hadn’t thought about it from this perspective before because i’ve mostly seen mike/el fans only celebrating after s4, and i’ve gotten several rude messages since vol. 2’s release over me being delusional and crazy for thinking byler would ever happen. It’s super interesting we are both doubting our ships and convinced the other will now be canon after s4… and I find it really fascinating that as a mileven shipper you thought Mike’s speech to El sounded like it was meant for Will…

I still have faith that byler could happen, and the ending shots really make me think it will, but i’m worried that they won’t be able to fix the damage they did to it in s4 fully, in s5, because I thought the writing in s4 was very different than what we have previously seen in the show, and so many characters didn’t get the development i thought they deserved. Regardless of whose ship ends up being endgame, I just hope that they fix it and actually resolve something in s5 so it ends on a healthy note for the couple. I believe everyone should ship whoever they want, so its totally fine by me if you don’t ship byler. Also, thank you <3 It definitley sucks to be mocked by so many people rn LOL.

I hope you’re well! xx

#byler #byeler #st4 #stranger things 4

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stranger-chichka · 1 year

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Mike is a character who we associate with the blue color the most, right? Also, blue is kinda associated with the Upside Down and Vecna because of that blue light we see there.

Blue is the basic color of mlm pride flag. It was created in 2019. And you know what? In russian slang голубой (which is translated as “blue”) means “gay" and it originates from the '60s.

Almost every outfit Mike wears in s4 is blue.

credits to @lesbianmindflayer from your fellow subscriber who try not to miss any video analysis! <3 Also, I feel you'll be quite excited about the following thing, which is the origin and usage of that slang in relation to the gaybirdgate too.

The phrase “fly, doves, fly” used to warn gay men in russia reminded me of the moment when Dustin navigates Murray in s3. “Fly right, Bald Eagle. Fly right.”

Mike is also associated with an eagle because of the poster he had in his basement and later gave to El.

Eagle is a symbol of America. America -> Mike. I don't want to go in-depth here, because that's the whole other thing, but I'm adding the links on Nintendo and Americantendo theory, which I wrote based on @nadia-zahra 's observations and my posts about Erica ("you can't spell America without Erica") for those who're interested what is the connection. BUT the gaybirdgate is not closed yet.

Nintendo theory;

Nintendo 2.0 (Americantendo);

@doriandrifting 's post, connected to that theory.

Erica will take Murray's place in s5;

Erica is level 14 in D&D;

Erica & the spaceship;

Erica & "I Want To Break Free" easter egg;

Erica & opening the door;

Erica & Tina's Apple Jack's party (+Murray's The Bald Eagle poster analysis);

The phrase голубая мечта (translated as "blue dream") caught my attention. The expression appeared under the influence of the famous play (with a very fairy-tale-like setting -> "It looks like a fairytale") "The Blue Bird" written by Maurice Maeterlinck in 1908. The blue bird is a symbol of happiness that has been in the home all along; the children simply have not recognized and valued it.

As we already know, dreams are one of the key themes and focus in ST, especially in season 4 with “Dream a Little Dream of Me”, but let’s not forget about “Never Ending Story.”

Not only has it a line "fly a fantasy," but "dream a dream, and what you see will be." What is Mike’s blue dream? Of what is he dreaming secretly? Or better say, of who? It’s a rhetorical question for bylers. But the GA will find out too, with the help of Vecna and his mirror (aka the visions he shows to his victims of who they really are). The answer is upon a rainbow. Literally.

In the picture of Mike's room I pinned above, you can also notice a heart with a heart, cloud, rainbow and something written on it.

"Rhymes that keep our secrets will unfold behind the clouds, and there upon a rainbow is the answer to a neverending story." "Without heart, we'd all fall apart." Will's words rhyme and Mike is Will's heart.

@angelwithnightmares 's guess is it may say If you can dream it, you can do it" (Walt Disney's quote) and doesn't it connect the dots? Taking into account @madwheelerz manifestation theory and how Mike (the writer and the DM) & Will (the artist) -- the duo with huge imagination manifested the events in ST because of their dreams nightmares feels very real to me.

PLUS, I'm tagging @there-was-a-hole-here-itsgonenow and adding links to her Disney’s Figment the dragon posts here and here, because HE IS IMAGINATION. We can spot him in the Bingham house below Suzie’s window. When we hear the birds are singing outside. Behind the yellow & blue curtain.

What made me do this post may you ask? Listening to Mike's playlist. There are two songs with the word “blue.”

#12: “Can’t Shake That Feeling” by Grum

#33: “Blue Monday” by New Order

And plenty of songs about the dreams too. I counted seven of them.

#7:

#13:

#15:

#17:

#25:

#27:

#47:

#byler #stranger things #stranger things analysis #gaybirdgate #mike wheeler #gay mike wheeler #i know what you're michael #mike's playlist #stranger things songs #stranger things music #mike's basement

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wheelercurse · 1 year

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I have so many thoughts about byler and how their love for each other is represented by their love and wish to play d&d. They're queercoded using this game.

Playing games is used as a metaphor to their wish to be together, and not just in a platonic way. It's confirmed that Will's feelings for Mike are beyond friendship, so why would it not apply the other way around?

The hidden meaning in Mike's question was: "What did you think really that we were never get girlfriends, that we would spend the rest of our lives together?" "Yeah, I guess I did; I really did."

And in the end, we know that Mike still wants to play. That's why he looked worried when Will put his game in the donation box. Will told him they would use his when he returned if they still wanted to play. And Mike confirmed that he still wanna play, but what if he joined another party, Will told him, "not possible." Mike was worried about Will moving on, and that's impossible (so yeah, this story isn't ending with Will moving on from Mike and finding a new random love interest at the end).

Another significant mention was Hopper's letter's voiceover when he said he was missing playing board games every night. It also illustrates Mike's feelings for Will, as you can see here. Again I don't think they're using d&d as platonic feelings for one and the other romantic. And also, in a scene before that, Mike could not say ILY, and he still couldn't do it until Will pushed him.

In s4, we got more confirmation that Mike still wants to play d&d because he joined Hellfire Club. He's embracing more his nerdy side, but still, he's insecure about it because he feels like a random nerd next to El.

Mike's arc is about accepting himself for who he is, including his queerness. Trying to leave d&d behind comes from his mindset that he shouldn't be playing games because he has grown up, but also he mentions that they have girlfriends. Can you see the heteronormative perspective? He thinks he can't play games with Will for the rest of his life, aka he can't be with Will, because he has to date girls. I don't think he wanted to change to impress El. But another reason he was dating El was that he thought it was cool to date a superhero; he didn't want to be just random guy. Not that he wanted to be cool for El. It goes deeper than that because his actions are coming from his insecurities, from him not being able to accept himself for who he is (yes, he's a nerd, and he's also queer)

In s4, Will painted something d&d related to express his feelings for Mike. He's in love with him because he knows him. He describes him as this boy who leads the party and inspires them. He's the heart of their group friend and also his heart. But those feelings are still disguised. Yeah, the audience knows the truth, but inside the story, they are still a queercode to be deciphered.

And the last thing, Will also told Mike in the van that he wants to play d&d for the rest of their lives. And when he's saying that, he's being illuminated. Because that's Mike's light and his wish for the future, he wants the same thing, but he responds with an unsure "Yeah Totally," because he isn't there yet. He hasn't embraced that truth about himself. But he’s also reaching through the light, he’s almost there.

My point is that Will and Mike are gay and in love with each other. And their love has been queercoded through their favourite game because they're two big nerds. (just as the creators of the show)

#byler #byler analysis #or kinda #d&d used as a queercoding is so fucking funny and it's so on brand for the Duffer Bros #I don't have doubts because I know how to read subtext and what they're doing with their queercoding #but they aren't going to leave this in just subtext like they're bringing to text #Will's turn was in s4 #Mike is coming out in s5 congrats king <3

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chirpsythismorning · 7 months

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I haven't been active in the byler fandom, why would redditors be mad at the play being canon?

Most, not all, but most active reddit users on the ST sub have been bombarded with byler evidence for the last year. So to remain sane through it all, they have resorted to insisting that almost every detail fans come across and try to share on the sub, are just mere coincidences.

This is because they've realized that if they are considering other really minor details meaning something bigger, that means they might have to start considering the possibility that the details pointing to byler are also intentional. This is how they cope.

You would think after saying 'it's just a coincidence' for the hundredth time, they might be starting to rethink their position on things, but the reality of the situation just isn't setting in I guess (aka they don't want it to happen so they are refusing to let themselves truly consider it until they have no choice).

The reason I still partake in the reddit sub, despite losing braincells over half the takes on there, is bc there are still a handful of users that are really smart and do great analysis on the supernatural side of the show, in particular things I have no knowledge on at all and would greatly benefit from looking at to expand my understanding of things and different perspectives.

The really smart ones that exist are usually indifferent to the romantic arcs in the show, although they do have a milkvan bias bc the straight bait is straight baiting. And so these are the few posts theorizing, that consider the details meaning something more, that just so happen to get support from the hardcore milkvans on there. And it's bc as long as it's coming from someone who doesn't think byler is going to happen, they will listen.

I will say the one thing that is sort of obnoxious about all of this is that regular fans without any ship bias, will pop on there semi-regularly with a post, accompanied by basic common sense questions like, 'wait this makes no sense...' or 'why did they do this this way?' in many cases, with the confusion surrounding the build up of Mike and El and Will's role in all that. These people aren't milkvans or bylers, they are just fans picking up on obvious subtext and they are looking for insight about it from fans. And every time they get bombarded with condescending and bitter milkvans that are having to defend mike and el's honor, and s4 really made this a full time job for them lmao. That sort of resentment has manifested into hating anything and everything that considers deeper meaning in relation to Will and Mike, but especially in Will's case. Because that's the thing, they have to deny any importance of Will's role bc Will being important fucking terrifies them. It means that everything could be important basically. It's their worst nightmare and they will hound you for even speculating something. It's insufferable to watch unfold honestly.

I say all of this bc it's important in the context of the play, given that there are a lot of theories out there swirly around, theories that mostly reside on Tumblr. Many of those theories are viewed by redditors as being crack theories that have no evidence supporting them (bc they come from bylers), like the weirdness around Alice not being in the play (and potentially connecting to Karen), or the fact that they insisted the silhouette of Henry's actor right before the cast announcement couldn't be him bc he was too old to be Henry (umm time shenanigans, duh), or that the truth about Brenner's involvement runs a lot deeper than everyone assumes.

And so naturally, leading up to the play, a lot of active (very vocal) redditors in both the main sub and the Hawkins AV Club sub, have commented on posts related to the play, trying so hard to convince others (themselves) that this play is not canon and we shouldn't waste our time with it because it wont matter in the context of everything going on in the literal show. They go as far as to insist it's not canon, even though it already was said to be canon.

And now with this post, they are again having to face the reality this show is a lot deeper than they have had to insist it to is combat byler speculation. All byler evidence is seen as reaching to them. And they'll do everything they can to insist anything bylers are speculating is delusional, which includes theories surrounding the play. All of that denial has led us to this moment, which will only hurt their ego as time goes on and they are being hit with sign after sign after sign... that it might just be that deep.

#byler #stranger things #the first shadow #'it's not that deep you guys'#'ya'll are reaching'#what's your favorite milkvan argument?#mine is 'the duffer's aren't that smart guys'#truly never gets old #oh so you're saying endgame byler would be smart... you said it not me.#not trying to make this about byler but i did #bc full serious... before byler was even a thought in reddits head back in s1-2... they fucking loved theories #i can go find theories from 6 years ago about twelvegate and owlgate and birthdaygate and dozens more all bc they were open to everything!!#critical thinking is not encouraged on there anymore #anything considering possibilities based on literal evidence is going to be shot 9 times out of ten #bc all of those details have always been hinting at something they do not want to accept #the details are stacked against them #and their time is running out it seems #can't wait for this play to drop and it starts to set in that plenty of details they refuted tirelessly were actually hinting at something

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spicybylerpolls · 2 months

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I really can't unsee the sexual imagery now. This might have already been said (and if it has then I guess just ignore me? Lol) but - When Mike starts talking about the pen the unknown hero agent gave him. The pen that the unknown hero agent actually gave to Will, but whatever. And then he says "why would he give me a pen that didn't work?" He rushes over to Argyle, takes the pen and un-does it, revealing the number, and remarks. "It's the number. We've had it this whole time." Then, finally, when they go try and call the number they discover it wasn't a traditional landline, like they had expected, instead it was something newer, a modern idea, a computer they were calling.

Most interestingly, after Mike reveals the number from the pen, Argyle remarks "you got his digits man?" creating both a romantic and sexual undertone to the scene.

Aka - the pen is his dick, he doesn't know why it doesn't "work", when he finally comes to terms with his sexuality, he will realize it does work, "it's been here the whole time" and the reason it wasn't working was bc he wasn't attracted to what's traditional (girls) but instead whats new age (boys).

Unknown Hero Agent Man could even be seen as god in this symbolism, when Mike says "why would he give me a pen that doesn't work?" ((( This honestly makes me sad because it reveals a lot about Mike's character ☹️ and also would be proof that he's gay, not bisexual - sorry bi mike truthers )))

unknown, god is unknown

hero, god is idolized

agent = a person or thing that takes an active role, god is the creator

And lol, the unknown hero agent man (god) gives this pen to Will originally and then Mike takes ownership of it? Okay 😭

Also to be noted this happens right after Mike and Will's heart to heart where they talk about being afraid to reveal the truth. I was always so annoyed that Argyle cut him off. I wanted to hear what Mike was gonna say. Well, now I know, I guess. lol.

And see, I had already seen this symbolism through the lens of Mike's romantic feelings alone before, because it works there too. Never did I think about it in a sexual way until... I was introduced to this blog. And saw other posts about the sexual symbolism regarding Mike and Will's relationship, specifically in S4.

It's all just very interesting. How you can convey sexual themes without outright saying it. And honestly, I think that's nice. Because maybe we don't need these explicit scenes in every show, like Sex Education or something. Maybe we don't need it every season. But to remind people that yeah, this is a big part of their life, and specifically Mike and Will's struggle, through symbolism is great, honestly.

Also want to say that I hate that I feel I can't just post this on my own blog lol. I really hate that an open discussion about the literal themes in the show has to be censored. About something that is arguably the most natural thing in the world. Especially when this isn't even really referring to sex itself but rather Mike's struggle with it and would be such a big contribution to the byler fandom overall...

Anyway that was super long, sorry. Would love to hear thoughts about this?

Do you think Mike talking about the unknown hero agent man and the pen he gave to him is symbolism that Mike is frustrated about his sexual feelings for women (or lack thereof?)

1. Yes

2. No

3. Unsure

4. Possibly

Please note that the purpose of this blog is not to be creepy or to make anyone uncomfortable. That's why I created the #spicy byler tag (I will tag all polls with this). If you don't want to see this blog or anything related to it on your feed, please block that tag. Not everyone is comfortable with this sorta stuff, and that's okay.

#byler #spicy byler #mike wheeler #will byers

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in-deep · 9 months

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Mike is straight. Byler endgame would come out of nowhere for his character.

I'm getting really frustrated with some reasons people use to rebut byler proof... The main one being this one.

I could argue extensively that Mike is queer. It is written subtextually all over the show - Mike is not like other straight characters in the show, and there are multiple parallels to queer-coded characters. If you took off your heteronormative rose-tinted glasses, you might be able to pick up on some of what the show is showing you, rather than explicitly telling you.

But even if he was explicitly shown to be straight! Why is it that in media queer characters always need to be explicitly queer from the beginning? Otherwise it's bait or fan service or bad writing? Queer people are allowed to discover themselves and figure themselves out! In fact that in and of itself is great representation! Mike's queer story would probably be really relatable to many!

PLUS! Do NOT try and tell me that Mileven were built up romantically in a natural way. First time I watched the show (January! I was very late to it ahah) Mileven actually shocked me a little - I knew they were going to date later, but it felt so random and almost a little like they didn't know what they were doing. I personally felt like they only kissed because Mike felt like that's what he was meant to do.

Lucas teasing him about only talking about El (when really Mike only talked about El as a means to get to Will, his main priority). Nancy telling Mike she thought he liked her (and Mike immediately denies it). El asking if he'll be like her brother (no. it's different... i mean, i guess its not). And then he kisses her after that?

Quite frankly, if Mike and Eleven are endgame they wrote them so weirdly. Like made some really weird writing choices (bad ones) that are too many to even get to in this post, but I am working on a really lengthy analysis on the bad writing of Mike/El (and why that's so brilliant).

AND!!!! Mike and Will are the classic example of the childhood friends to lovers trope. One common example of this trope is shown in character A being in love with character B (and has been for a while). Character B usually has another love interest, character C who is either mysterious or popular. Usually a scene where character B says "oh. A and I are just friends." while we see character A looking sad. Character B & C have some sort of relationship, but eventually it fails and in the midst of that relationship falling a part, character B realises that character A has been there all along.

Now, I personally believe Mike has feelings for Will and has had them for a while. But, even if he didn't. Don't try and tell me this wouldn't be completely fine for a straight couple. But suddenly, when they're queer, it's poor writing and fan service. Yet again, queer media is held to much higher standards that heteronormative straight media.

Anyway. In short. Byler endgame. Byler supremacy. Byler is love, Byler is life. Amen.

#byler endgame #byler #stranger things #stranger things 5 #the duffers are good writers #which is why i think the bad writing of mileven is on purpose #byler peak writing frfr #mike wheeler #will byers #st s5

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cringengl · 2 months

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Hey!! It's the byler music fairy!! What are the songs you most associate with byler, Will, and/or Mike, and why??

(sorry for the lack of emojis... your askbox wouldn't let me add them D:)

aaaaahhhhh I have a couple of these haha

for byler, my fave songs for them i have is fly out west by yot club, which is literally s4 byler. like mike literally flies out west at the start of s4?? lmao. there's also lyrics like

Well, tell me, do you know?

You're all I dream about

Take it from me, I'm too dumb to recognize your doubt

Well, I don't wanna go

I'm in too far to leave

Tell me how you live so easily, young and naive

and

Talk bad, who's that?

Walk back to your place

I think you fake that smile that's on your face

which could honestly apply to both will and mike, one being all the other dreams about and being jealous about how naive they are, and also both of them faking their smiles, mike because of his failing relationship with el and will pretending to be ok with it.

ok so for the second one is true blue by boygenius, and although the title screams will as the chorus says that the love is 'true blue', which is obviously mike's colour, there's a bunch of lyrics that connect to both of them.

lyrics from mike's pov:

You can't help but become the sun - will has a bunch of light symbolism throughout the series, especially in the last ep where the light shines directly onto will from mike's pov

When you moved to Chicago, you were spinning out

When you don't know who you are, you fuck around and find out

When you called me from the train, water freezing in your eyes

You were happy and I wasn't surprised

i can totally see mike thinking that will was happier and trying new things in lenora without him, especially after the lies el told mike in her letters and then mike being a little upset about it.

this part is from will's pov:

Now you're moving in, breaking a sweat on your upper lip

And getting pissed about humidity and the leaky faucet- digging the grave for unnamed hero agent guy haha and creating el's mind fight bath

You already hurt my feelings three times

In the way only you could- it's not my fault you don't like girls, the lack of letters/calls when will was in lenora, and the rink-o-mania fight

You've never done me wrong

Except for that one time that we don't talk about

Because it doesn't matter anymore

Who won the fight?

I don't know, we're not keeping score

these lyrics also have major it's not my fault you don't like girls vibes.

and then finally from both of their povs:

But it feels good to be known so well

I can't hide from you like I hide from myself

I remember who I am when I'm with you

Your love is tough, your love is tried and true blue

Ooh-ooh

this is major painting scene vibes, with both will and mike feeling understood by the other, and not hiding from eachother.

finally, to finish this super long post off, here's a song that is soooo mike wheeler coded that literally every lyric can be applied, forever dumb, by surf curse. it's all mike's pov

I would run away from you, if I could

Never really wanted to, but I guess I should run - the first two lines obviously correlate to will and how mike feels about him leading to him wanting to run from him

I would fall in love with you, but I can't

It's too hard, maybe we'll just pretend- the next two lines are about his relationship with el lmao

But it's hard when I don't know what to do

I'm angry and I'm tired and confused

I got so many thoughts stuck in my head

And none of them make much sense- big big big mike vibes

I said I would follow you, but I lied

Don't be mad

Well, at least I tried- 'follow you' is both related to crazy together as well as mike's relationship with el

I never had a spot for you in my life

Which was true

Till I heard you cry- mike meeting el for the first time and taking her in or byler meeting at the swingset

And your tears dripped down your face into my eyes- either the van scene or el telling mike that he never said i love you

I'm sorry and I hate myself this time

Cause I got so many thoughts stuck in my head

And none of them

Make much sense

anyway, tysm for the ask!! (this was my reminder to change my anon settings haha)

here are the three songs!!!

#byler #stranger things #will byers #mike wheeler #asks

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freyawaves · 2 months

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A rant about Byler because I'm fucking insane

Queer people obviously have a different outlook on life and have different experiences than that of a straight person. So it would make sense for a queer person to see themes that others wouldn't, to spot accidental or purposeful queercoding, and interpret character interactions and decisions in a way that relates to them. So, I guess I understand sometimes when I see people being ADAMANT about Byler not even being a POSSIBILITY, but I'm like... did we even watch the same show?

I guess I can get where they are coming from. I, too, was a Mileven shipper (when I first watched ST... in the 4th grade.) and yes, it was cute and all that. But I rewatched all of stranger things recently and with a more developed brain, and I can safely say I can see why people ship Byler. Maybe I'm biased because I'm a bisexual person, but I can so clearly see that something is going on with both Will AND Mike. People like to claim that byler is one-sided, but if Byler was one-sided, why was MIKE the one who was acting weird towards Will at the beginning of s4?

Don't get me wrong. I don't HATE Mileven. However, I also believe that it has been made clear that their relationship is bumpy, and time and time again, we've seen how Mike and El DON'T WORK. If Mileven was endgame, why wouldn't Mike's love confession scene in s4 make their relationship better? They are still distant. If Byler was impossible, why would they write s4 in a way that makes us think, "Aw, Will likes Mike. I hope Mike likes him back!"

Idk. Maybe I'm just crazy and Mike really will marry eleven in the local village with 3 waterfalls

#byler #stranger things #mileven #lowkey sick of the whole mileven vs byler thing ngl #i just hope it ends in a way that makes sense for the story

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nowmemoriees · 2 years

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HOPPER'S LETTER × BYLER

- season 3 finale analysis

Now that y'all are bringing up Hopper's letter again, it's time to reinforce byler coding affirmations here.

We know there are some parts of this letter that are related to Mike's feelings, and part of this has already been pointed out before season 4. But this new season made this make much more sense.

- "Feelings.... Jesus, the truth is, for so long I've forgotten what those even were."

- "Lately, I guess I've been feeling.. distant from you. Like you're pulling away from me or something."

Season 4 perfectly demonstrates this is about Mike's feelings about Will. First of all, at the end of season 3, Eleven said "I love you" to him, so how could Mike think she was pulling away from him?.

But then we remember he had a fight with Will, a fight he could never apologize for, a fight that messed up all of those years they've spent together.

"Listen, the truth is the last.... year, has been weird. Max, and Lucas and Dustin, they're great. It's just, it's Hawkins, it's not the same without you".

That's why Mike says "the last year." because they haven't seen each other for 6 months, but Mike already felt he was losing Will even before that. When he was dating El.

Season 4 starts and Mike finds out (through another letter 👀) that Will may like someone else and is painting for someone else. Mike tried to call Will so many times, but Will never picked up the calls, so Mike thought he had already lost Will.

"I feel like I lost you or something."

Then we keep listening to Hopper's letter.

- "I miss playing board games every night"

The focus is now on the abandoned cabin. In season 3, Mike and Will's fight was because of this. Missing playing board games. Of course is something deeper than that. -Missing doing the things you love with the one you love, as it used to be.-

In season 4, we saw that Mike joined a DnD club. He was doing what he loved again, but not with the one he loved. Lucas and Dustin were great, but it was not the same without Will.

And Will also says something about this.

"We could play DnD and Nintendo for the rest of our lives". He still wants to spend the rest of his life playing with Mike. Nothing has changed.

We are shown the abandoned cabin as the letter voiceover keeps going. It looks exactly how we see it again in season 4... with Mike and Will in there, having their last heart-to-heart until the catastrophe starts again.

- "I know you're getting older, growing...

...changing" (and the focus is on Mike again)

"I guess, if I'm being really honest, that's whats scares me....

Here we have the demonstration that Mike was thinking about Will. He was looking at HIS house. Otherwise, he could have gone through hopper's cabin. but he didn't.

... I don't want things to change."

- "So I think that's why I came in here. To try to maybe.. stop that change. To turn back the clock, to make things go back at how they were."

And this is the confirmation. This scene perfectly parallels the scene in season 1 where Mike thought Will was d3ad.

In both scenes Mike believed he lost Will.

So, Hopper's letter hinted Mike's feelings towards Will and it explains Mike's behavior in season 4. But people still believe that Mike could not be bi/gay because that idea came out from no where? sureee....

#stranger things #byler #st4 #mike wheeler #byler is endgame #theories analysis

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