Latest Posts by thedeanguy-exe - Page 4

sam wilson deserves better

when life gives you lemons you should not make lemonade, in fact you should not make anything with those lemons cause you shouldn't eat food from a stranger

🍇 🍒 like froot  🍓 🍋

whatever the fuck is going between the guitarist and the lead singer in a band when they perform is something that can be so homoerotic.

why do you charge money for your art

big fan of eating

This grid fits them all

Stranger Things + textposts part 2/?

been thinking about a couple of screencaps that @will80sbyers posted of what looks heavily implied to be h*omosexual activity at rink-o-mania not in the closet:

and it's got me thinking: throughout all of s4, we really don't get any introspection into how much personal growth Will has undergone during his year away from Hawkins

we of course know he's torn up about his relationship with mike and is hurting watching his half-sister be bullied at school, but we don't know much about what HE is going through.

what we know contextually:

the fictional town of lenora hills is somewhere roughly between bakersfield and LA metro. even in the 80s when california was overall more right-leaning than it is now, it still would have been leagues more progressive than hawkins, indiana at this time

2) Will clearly feels comfortable enough in his new environment to do research projects and presentations on openly gay individuals in history

3. Will feels empowered enough to paint a very emotional gift for a girl he likes Mike.

4. (admittedly minor) king has a little shop of horrors poster in his room, literally flooded with queer subtext. considering the film had JUST come out, too, this was something he was eagerly anticipating, not hopping onto the cult-classic bandwagon for after the fact

(unrelated note: if you haven't heard m.j. rodriguez, a BIPOC+ trans actress, sing suddenly seymour, you should do that now).

all of these things together indicate: Will has been put in a position that's allowed himself to slowly begin coming to terms with his sexuality in his time away from Hawkins. He may not be vocalizing it yet, but his actions indicate he's probably seen couples like the ones at rink-o-mania already this year. Something that very possibly could have given him the courage to approach Mike about it over Spring Break.

of course, this goes in the trash as all of Will's insecurities hit him full-force the moment Mike steps off the plane in Cali. The rest of s4 depicts this breakdown very well, but it takes understanding just how far Will has come to appreciate how heartbreaking his emotional deterioration is.

We can also support this by considering Jonathan's POV in the van and pizza cooler. Traditionally a loner who has the same kind of reserved life as Will, he also wouldn't have had a lot of exposure to queer people just existing prior to moving to California. He's evidently experienced enough to be able to pick up on Will's (admittedly obvious) subtext and deduce that his brother may be hiding something.

why would the duffers go through the effort of so subtly building up Will's growth arc to not have the payoff be one that completes the hero's journey?

not to get bogged down in mythology: the hero's journey is a very common framework found in thousands of works. it has three main sections: 1) when the hero has to leave home and venture into the world, 2) the ordeals the hero undergoes to realize their full potential, and 3) the hero's return home with whatever they've gained from their trial in order to complete their adventure.

to me, this suggests heavily that Will's journey of self-actualization and facing his inner-demons (both extra-dimensional and homosexual) is going to conclude in Hawkins as he enters the final third of his journey.

notably, a section of this Journey Will hasn't gone through yet:

RESURRECTION) One final test is required for the purification and rebirth of the hero. Alternatively, it may be a miraculous transformation.

all i'm saying is that transformation better involve him getting Mike to shut up and admit how he feels about his best friend.

I wanna talk about the scene with will crying in the van next to mike, cause everyone's hating on mike saying that he didn't even notice him sobbing one foot away from him. however I think he did notice but chose to ignore it. I mean put yourself in mike's shoes you're a repressed gay with a shitload of internalized homophobia and your best friend who you have a crush on just gave you a whole speech about how much your girlfriend needs you, then said best friend starts crying. I can think of two (2) reasons that mike might come up with as to why will's crying.

1.will either likes him or el 2.he really fucking hates the painting he just gave you

and idk about you but the first one seems to make WAY more sense than the second one. Once again put yourself in mike's shoes, the most plausible reason why you're male crush that you're not supposed to like is crying is cause he either likes you back or likes your girlfriend, would you really want to ask him what's wrong?

dont worry guys steve got him!!!

I recommend Bylers to read this tweet made by someone with film experience and marketing experience. They explain Byler subtext perfectly and other set decisions and lighting.

let’s talk about

michael’s airport outfit

and how different it is from the rest of his clothes

as we all know, the people involved in making this show go above and beyond to make everything mean something. almost nothing is a coincidence. you can see it from the way some characters talk and react, to the way they’re placed in a scene, maybe from a small detail in the background, or the music that’s playing during, but most importantly: through their clothing

for the most part, mike’s style has always been the same, collared shirts and jeans, maybe shorts (which he only ever wears on season 3 and on his first day in lenora in season 4)

the airport outfit is just so out of character, and i don’t think it’s a coincidence

when argyle first meets mike he checks out his shirt and calls it a “shitty knockoff” and while they’re making it up to seem as if he’s talking about the brand, he’s talking about mike

how airport mike is the shitty knockoff of hawkins mike, real mike

mike is pretending to be someone he is not

he’s trying to please el, dressing how he thinks she’d like, trying to prove that he likes her (despite the fact that no one doubts this), trying to convince himself that he likes her

this weird, knockoff version of mike wouldn’t even hug his best friend after 6 months (give or take) of not seeing him, i wonder why?

6 months really is a long time to reflect about your feelings and come to new realizations

this outfit, this attitude, they’re a representation of mike trying to hide who he really is, how he really feels. it’s him trying to be someone he is not to please other people but also to erase himself, to try to change who he is because he doesn’t accept himself

Some Steddie and Ronance + Steve sketches from a couple pinterest references ✌️

STRANGER THINGS + text dynamics

the desert was always gay

The desert is gay now. I don't make the rules.

in my head this is mike’s realization scene:

joyce and hop are engaged. it’s byers-hopper moving day, and the wheelers are helping them transfer everything from hop’s cabin and the byers’ moving van to the blended family’s new, more size-accommodating house in hawkins.

in the commotion, with everyone else on their way to bring a load to the new house, mike is able to get a private moment with el, sitting on her bed in the cabin.

the breakup is amicable. she leans her head on his shoulder and says, “thank you for saving my life in the woods, and bringing me to my new family.” she pauses. “and especially for not lying. about your feelings for me.”

mike gives a soft smile. “friends don’t lie.” he thinks for a moment. “so, friends?” he sticks his hand out playfully for a handshake, and el laughs, extending her hand, shaking his and then pulling him in for a hug. she smiles. “friends.”

they pull away from the hug and mike moves to stand up from her bed, so he can head out and give el some space, and go meet the others. but first, he remembers something, and sits back down.

“oh, el!” she looks at him, surprised at the urgency in his voice. “el, i totally forgot. thank you so much. for the painting.”

“the… painting?”

“yeah, the one, you know, that will painted. from you, for me. the one where you told him… what to draw? he gave it to me when we went to get you from NINA.”

“mike... i don’t understand. will was very secretive about his painting. he never told me what was on the painting or who it was for.”

“so you didn’t—never said anything about… me being the heart of the group?”

el shakes her head no, equally confused.

mike looks down at his shoes. there’s no way el could be lying, he thinks. she’s probably the most sincere person on the planet.

el senses how perplexed he is by her answer and elaborates. “remember, in my last letter to you? i told you that he was painting something and was keeping it private.” she took a breath. “i thought he was painting it for someone he…”

mike doesn’t hear the rest of her words because something has shifted and his ears are ringing and now it’s a perfect game of tetris inside him, mismatched pieces that were once clunking inside his chest now sliding together perfectly and releasing the immense pressure he’d no idea had been building.

everything falls into place perfectly and paints a picture that isn’t, can’t possibly be, real.

“el… i don’t…” mike swallows. “he told me that you asked him to paint it.”

el simply shakes her head and continues to let mike process verbally.

“i think he lied to me.”

“i’m sorry to hear that,” el frowns, heartfelt.

“it just doesn’t make sense. he draws me things all the time… or, he used to, before you guys moved to lenora. why wouldn’t he just tell me the painting is from—“

realization hits mike in the fucking throat.

i think there is someone he likes.

these past few months, she’s been so lost without you.

you make her feel like she’s not a mistake at all… like she’s better for being different.

so yeah, el needs you, mike. and she always will.

mike feels tears begin to prick at the corners of his eyes.

“he lied to me.” his breath is starting to come in sharply, like his body is struggling to adjust to the new homeostasis created by this information.

el looks out the window, thinking. she looks back at mike and shrugs. “that’s strange. will is a good friend. and friends don’t lie.”

mike sighs, trying to take deep breaths and not show el how distraught he is, his brain still catching up with what his heart, pounding violently against his ribcage, has already pieced together.

but el is perceptive as ever. “mike?”

he looks at el. she blinks at him, like she’s unsure if what she’s about to say will help at all, but she still wants to try.

el continues. “friends don’t lie. but max told me…”

mike is confused at what max has to do with this. “huh?”

“max told me that boyfriends do.”

mike’s eyes widen and an invisible force within him pulls him into a standing position.

“fuck,” he breathes.

“fuck?”

“fuck. fuck.” he turns toward el. “el, i’m sorry, i have to…”

“go to him. tell him i’ll be there in a few minutes with the last of my things.” she smiles, knowing.

mike storms out the door and toward his bike. it’s pouring rain but it couldn’t possibly matter less. he has to get to will right. fucking. now.

steve nancy and will are the partners that kill the spider eddie robin and mike are the partners that hide on top of a table until the spider is killed

friends

Could you maybe write a post (short or long) to prove that Mike likes Will? Because my friend says that they're just friends...

Hell. Yes. This is gonna be another long one. I think most of this has been said before, but I think it helps to see it all together in a structured argument!

The Mike Has Feelings for Will Breakdown

1. Will and Mike have a closer and different relationship from the others in the party.

From the very opening scene, we are meant to see that Mike and Will have a closer relationship than the others, when Will tells Mike about the bad roll after Lucas told him not to. Will lingers back after the other leaves and tells Mike the truth.

(x)

Beyond just foreshadowing Will being taken, it shows two things: first, Will is honest and has integrity; second, that Will trusts mike more than the others.

Mike is the most worried about Will out of any of the party in season 1--exclaiming that he is "the only one who cares about Will," and putting finding Will above everything else, even Eleven. He keeps and looks through dozens of Will's drawings. When the bullies torment him and his friends, he mostly accepts it, but almost always fights back when Will is brought up.

He's also shown to be the most impacted by Will's disappearance and his "death" when they find the fake body. In addition to seeing Mike crying to his mom--one of the rare scenes where he finds comfort in his parents--they also filmed a scene of Mike crying while biking home that Finn apparently loved.

(x)

These shots are intentional, and they are meant to show us how deeply Mike cares for Will, and how that love is stronger and different from the love between the other party members.

In season 2, we see Mike caring for Will differently from the rest of the party in an even more overt way. He sticks with Will for almost the whole season and is shown being the one to notice and got to Will when he isn't doing good.

In the movie theater in 3x01, he immediately notices when Will has some Upside-Down-spidey-senses. He asks if he's okay, insists, are you sure? and looks him over.

(x)

In case that wasn't obvious enough to show Mike caring deeply for Will and being there for him in a way the others aren't, they show us not one but two more scenes of Mike being the one to help Will. (Two of which are just in the first freaking episode of season 2, aka the first season we are really getting to see their dynamic together.)

Outside the arcade, Mike is the one to notice he's gone and come out looking for him, and he guides him inside with a protective arm around the shoulder.

Then, while Trick or Treating, once Will has his episode, Mike is again the one to notice something is wrong with Will, he goes to him, and again tucks him protectively under his arm to take him home.

Why would we be shown not once, not twice, but three times, just in season 2's first act, Mike being protective over Will, the one to notice when things are wrong, the one to comfort, if we're not meant to notice that pattern? Notice how they are there for each other in a way the others aren't?

Throughout season 2, we see Mike being there for Will while he's struggling with the Mind Flayer. We see Mike stick with him for the majority of the season for support. We get the "crazy together" scene. We get Mike touching Will's hand to still the shaking. We see Mike sleeping in a chair next to Will's hospital bed, not moving from his side.

We also see him as the only person who isn't family speaking to Will in the cabin when trying to reach him through the Mind Flayer's possession. The iconic scene:

(x)

He tells him the story of their first meeting with a tear running down his cheek--"It was the best thing I've ever done" and Will, even through his possession, looks a bit like that's everything he's ever wanted to hear.

We don't get this kind of backstory for any of the other's friendships or first meetings, and I truly think it's because the writers are emphasizing the significance of Mike and Will specifically. More importantly though, we see how this memory, and his friendship with Will overall, is so important to Mike.

In season 4, we even get the difference in their relationship more explicitly: Mike tells Will how Hawkins isn't the same without him, saying the other's names as if to imply they're not you. The message is that their relationships are different, and the others don't fill the void of Will's leaving.

2. Will and Mike have a closer and different relationship from Mike and Eleven.

Beyond just the differences between Mike and Will's relationships and their relationships with the rest of the party, their relationship is also shown to be very different from Mike's relationship with Eleven. They are very obviously contrasted in season 3 with the Mileven breakup and the Byler fight. This has probably been analyzed to death so I'll keep it to the main points.

The Mileven breakup is such a different vibe than the Byler fight. The argument itself is played off for laughs ("I dump your ass") and their reactions are humorous. Mike's face, Max's face, Max and Eleven laughing in the bus afterward. Even Mike seems more annoyed than hurt afterward, saying the girls are "conspiring" against him.

(X)

Compare this to the stark seriousness of the Byler fight, which is just dramatically different. All grey and dull, in the pouring rain, different lighting. And afterward, instead of laughter and vibrant colors, we get Will destroying Castle Byers, showing the deep impact this has on the characters versus the shallow impact of the Mileven breakup.

(x)

Even ignoring the Eyewitness parallel, this scene is huge for Mike and Will's relationship, and specifically for how Mike views Will. It is treated with such seriousness compared to the Mileven breakup.

Afterward, Mike bikes through the rain to go to Will's house to apologize, and when he doesn't find him there, continues through the rain to Castle Byers. He immediately wants to fix things and apologize, whereas with El, he didn't even see those things as options. He can handle Eleven being mad at him, but he can't stand to leave things in a bad place with Will.

We are shown these two fights in the same episode but in drastically different treatments for a reason, and that is to show how Mike prioritizes his relationships, valuing his friendship with Will more than his relationship with Eleven.

Then there's the end of season 3. The iconic eyes-wide-open kiss where Mike is framed in front of an open closet. Where Eleven walks away and Mike looks completely confused and conflicted in a way that makes no sense if he really loves her.

Again, comparing this scene to Byler's goodbye scene, where Mike is engaged and open. Where Mike wonders if Will would join another party and he says "not possible" and Mike looks at him so softly.

(x)

I personally believe this is the moment he starts to realize his feelings for Will, and that's why he acts strangely with Eleven's confession and kiss. Even if you don't believe that, these scenes are important because they show how Mike is responding to saying goodbye to two of the most important people in his life.

And of course, in season 4, we see Mike being unable to tell El he loves her, but being able to express to Will that he's missed him.

I don't think the difference in how he treats them is accidental--they are intentionally showing his value of Will's friendship and comparing it to his conflicting feelings around his relationship with El. They've compared the relationships too many times and too directly for it to be coincidence: they want us to see the difference in these two relationships.

3. Mike has feelings for Will by season 4.

Mike's actions truly don't make sense unless we assume he's queer and repressing himself, pulling away from Will and focusing on El to avoid acknowledging the truth of his sexuality.

After we are shown so consistently how he prioritizes Will, we're meant to notice the stark difference of how Mike treats Will at the airport. First, he rebuffs his hug for an awkward shoulder pat, then, with a carefully blank expression, asks about the painting and dismisses it. We're talking about the kid who used to tuck Will under his arm whenever he was scared in season 2, the kid who kept all of Will's drawings and looked through them when he missed him in season 1.

Then, there's the roller skating rink scenes. Mike is allegedly ignoring Will all night, yet when they fight, he lists off Will's behavior as if he has actually been paying close attention: Will was "moping around, rolling eyes," etc. Meaning that, while Mike wasn't acting on it, he is still noticing Will's signs of not being okay, just like he consistently did in season 2. He can't help but pay close attention to his best friend and notice the signs of him being off, even if he wants to focus on his girlfriend.

Yet again, we see Mike putting his relationship with Will first by immediately apologizing and admitting fault in a way that he doesn't do often. Where he typically deflects blame (Max "conspiring" in season 3, the "who said I didn't?" in his fight with El in season 4), with Will he realizes he's done wrong and apologizes. His priority is making sure his relationship with Will is okay.

This is another stark change considering how he acted toward Will in the beginning of the season, and it is marked by the absence of El--the departure of the expectations of being a perfect, straight boyfriend. Suddenly, we see Mike able to open up and express himself again. We see him soft and gentle in the way he really only is with Will.

(x)

Then there's this scene which is just. So sweet. So much Byler.

But there's a specific section of it that I can't find gif'd that I love, and I want to break it down. It's surrounding the line "I have no idea what's going to happen next." You can watch the clip here but I will break down the microexpressions:

Mike looks down, mouth open like he wants to say something, but he hesitates, blinks a few times, thinking, and seems to get up the courage to say it. "I have no idea what's going to happen next." Looks away. Swallows hard. Looks back. Cut to Will, who swallows hard too. "But whatever it is, I think it'll be easier if we work together. If we're a team."

He's so nervous when he says he has no idea what's next. He means it. He's scared. He doesn't know what's next, not just with Eleven and the Upside Down, but with his relationships, with both Eleven and with Will. Yet through that fear and that not knowing, the one thing he puts ahead of everything else is making sure that he and Will are good, that they are a team, friends, best friends.

Welp, I made myself emotional about Byler again.

Anyway, hope this helps change some folks minds including anon's friends :)

[Send me Byler asks?]

**edited for wrong episode numbers

My mom had stuff to say about the volume 2 ending:

"What was that? Will just told Mike what to say to El!"

"Why did Eddie die? He could have just left. He doesn't even know Crissy that well."

"How did El save Max with her telekinesis powers?"

"Did Mike just say his life began when Will went missing? Even I know this is too much."

I completely agree with her lol

crying is not enough

we need to start sending fanfiction to the duffers 

i do think that mike will initiate the kiss and here's why. will has become so so practiced at keeping his feelings in check, at squashing down any hope of reciprocation, that even if mike straight up confesses to him i don't think he'd make the first move. MIKE however is a chaos demon and would act on impulse alone if will was standing in some pretty lighting

Tried out digital art on an iPad for the first time. It turned out pretty good ngl. Anyways just some more byler because I can’t wait for Vol. 2.

michael who is your heart pointing at?

what’s y’all’s favorite part of vol 2? mine was at the end of episode nine when eddie graduated and the whole party was there to support him and when he ran down the stage to them, robin and nancy were holding hands and steve was holding a bouquet of wildflowers and then it cut to eddie and steve making out in steve’s car on their to a date. and then lucas and max were at the movies together on a double date with will and mike and then everyone met for ice cream after!!! that was the cutest scene:)

and Noah

the world if gaten and natalia and maya and joe and joe had control of the scripts

duffer brothers please let the metal head kiss the jock and the journalist kiss the talkative one and the sad gay nerd kiss the repressed gay nerd and the angry redhead kiss the telepathic one and the basketball player and the weed smoker kiss the other weed smoker and the-

this picture >>>>> literally anything

oh???