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y’all ever write something that makes you so upset that you become physically ill

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Stfu...😭

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we need mike and will’s hands covered in blood cupping each other’s faces and heavy breathing while staring into each other’s eyes

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And what if byler has an almost-kiss BEFORE Will disappears/is taken and now Mike is like season 1 times a million because he now knows that Will reciprocates his feelings…

And everyone can see that Mike is acting absolutely crazy but he can’t tell anyone why but El somehow gets him to open up about Will before she goes into the makeshift sensory deprivation tank.

And the search for Will is so incredibly angsty and stressful and even has the audience wondering whether or not they’ll make it out alive. And when Mike and Will finally reunite they get to have their kiss. Okay then what.

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Byler checklist of AHA! moments for Season 5, Episode 1

Stranger Things uses the first 1-2 episodes to set up the main arcs for the season. (Think of El's letter to Mike lying about being happy in California. It set up her arc for the season! And the airport non-hug, Will's painting for Mike, and Will feeling left out at Rink-O-Mania.)

I think each of the following things increases the chance of Byler. I haven't studied film and writing, but these all make sense to me as things you'd want to do if you want to set-up Byler. (I base this off of my theories of how the Duffers can build-up Byler.)

I wonder how many we'll see in the 1st episode?

Mike and Will live together

Mike is by Will's side in case he has nightmares

The D&D painting is hung up on Mike's wall

Mike and Will are bonding with Holly. (Because she might be abducted and this will mean they'll be a team to rescue her! like Jancy getting Will)

Mike physically touches Will (showing how far he's come since s4 and is no longer afraid to)

The Core Four and the Hellfire Club are bullied, and we're made to pay attention to how Will responds. (It would be set-up for his being bullied for being gay or standing up to anti-gay bullying.)

Anything suggesting that homophobia will be a theme this season (bullying at Hawkins High, Ted watching a news story about the AIDS crisis are saying something homophobic, etc.)

Will is in danger (almost certain! will trigger Leader Mike and Protector Mike)

Mike and El have a scene showing they're somehow not connecting (setting the stage...)

Strangely enough, Mike and El having a scene that seems to have no purpose but "establish" they're a happy couple (like Steve and Nancy kissing and saying "I love you" in s2e1)... establishing "where we're at" before changing it!

Mike and Will have a heart-to-heart (reestablishing that they are SUPER BEST FRIENDS AND POSSIBLY MORE) Bonus points if they get interrupted!

Will meets Robin (gay bestie!) Really, ANYTHING suggesting that Will will be coming out to people this season

Will looks longingly at Mike (NOT how you open a season where he's supposed to have "moved on" from him! You need to remind the audience of his love for Mike to set-up Byler)

And of course, Mike and El breaking up or taking a break

If these things happen my Byler-Meter will go above 80 percent for sure!

-teambyler

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We don't talk about this scene enough

I'd really love to hear a Mileven shipper's view on why Mike looked back at Will's house in the final scene of Season 3. This screams Byler proof to me.

Dramatic lookbacks are a very common trope in movies to illustrate that the person has romantic feelings for someone. And importantly, it's only Mike looking back. I wouldn't be as a skeptical if all 3 of them shared a final look at the house to show that they would miss Will.

Also, the timing of this scene is important because it's right after Eleven kisses him and his facial expression does not seem happy in the slightest. If Mike really loved her, I would think he would be relieved because she had broken up with him earlier. In my opinion, that was a moment of realisation for him about his sexuality. And with both Eleven and Will moving away at the same time, Mike is struggling to understand why he's missing his male friend more than his girlfriend.

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they're so gone for each other it's embarrassing

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THIS JUST CHANGED EVERYTHING OMG?? HER MIND

link: https://vm.tiktok.com/ZGdaLhYx6/

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I do not need 300 slides of analysis or a two hour video by a lawyer to be convinced Byler should and could happen. I do not need subtext, I don't think it would be a plot twist. This is a textual thing that is clear as day. I am not even a byler, and this is pissing me off.

People keep acting like Mike and Will's relationship hasn't always been tonally different, and that the writers haven't been building tension in their relationship at least since season 3. Even as a person who wouldn't deem themself a Byler, I can see that. I am so tired of people being like "show me proof of byler then!", as if Byler doesn't have everything that every straight relationship in this show has had. It is clearly heteronormativity.

You think Stancy might get back together next season, even though Nancy has always been with Johnathan and Steve's feelings are clearly unreciprocated? How is that any different than the setup Byler is getting? You thought that Jancy was going to get together in Seasons 1 and 2 even though Nancy already had a boyfriend, because of the tonal choices the writers made and the way the actors looked at each other? How is that any different than the setup Byler is getting?

I can not see this VERY CLEAR love triangle ending in a way where Mike finds out and literally nothing changes, and then he gets to keep living his happy straight life with Eleven, while Will is alone, gay and tortured. Or dead apparently.

Something has to happen with the painting lie and something has to happen between Will and Mike, and literally what else could happen?

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i hope Will likes Mike back lmao

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okay im done with him

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WILL X ROBIN >>>>>>>>

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heyyy have some colorful byler, folks

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byler nation, gooood morning! 124 days until volume 1, 152 days until volume 2 and 158 days until the rightside up! this means that we're one day closer to byler endgame! and also one day closer to THESE SCENES!!!! LETS GOOOO!!!

💛💙💛💙💛💙💛💙💛💙💛💙💛💙💛💙

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just find it funny that will continues to stare at mike, while el barely looks at him despite being the one he initially addressed.

who actually has a crush on mike impossible challenge go

but in all seriousness, i've been thinking about what noah said recently about him having to do very subtle and masked acting in season 3 in terms of will's feelings for mike, and this scene popped in my head. like, not only have they been doing the "mike and el can't have a moment alone without will loitering in the background (in focus, too)" theme since the snowball, but they've also been exhibiting the duality of will and el's actions when mike isn't looking.

that last image above is extremely telling to me. el doesn't look back once mike looks away, proving she wasn't just putting on a nonchalant act until he couldn't see her anymore. meanwhile, will just always has his eyes on mike, and this is one of the few examples we have of will pining in the open (something we mainly see in season 4 when he's more sure of his feelings, and mayyyyybe even hopeful of reciprocation.) the more i think about it as i'm writing this out, i actually think this is the first shot we have of will watching mike in a sort of (obviously masked) yearning nature(?)

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me scrolling through the byler tag rn: