#Mike is james El is Augustine and Will is betty

[jonathanbyersphd]

Asking the Duffers to drop s5 sooner so I can make the Byler edit to Betty

[thepladinsheart]

brb writing an essay about the folklore love triangle and byler and why theyre connected.

[catbooknerd22]

happy miwip wednesday!!

here we have: the love triangle as the folklore love triangle; mike as james; el as augustine; and will as betty.

do we see the vision?????? (ignore how derpy wills face is. i tried, ok?)

[milibluefairy]

Desde que salio s4 no pararon de aparecer tiktoks sobre el triangulo amoroso de Will/Mike/El inspirados en el de Folklore by my queen Taylor Alison Swift. Vi muchas discusiones por ahi.

Y estoy aburrida, asique voy a defender mi opinion sobre porque Will Byers es Betty y El es Augustine.

Cardigan (betty)

when you are young, they assume you know nothing

Cuando eres joven, asumen que no sabes nada

Will claramente es el mas maduro del grupo de sus amigos a parte de Dustin(quien pobrecito no tiene gaydar, es muy hetero). Sabe que no esta mal que le sigan gustando las mismas cosas que de niño, se autoacepta rapidamente(vive en un entorno saludable emocionalmente con Joyce y Jonathan quien lo motivan a ser el mismo) y prefiere ver a sus seres queridos felices antes que su propia felicidad(alentando a Mike a estar con El porque desde su perspectiva ellos estan enamorados).

Will esta muy en sintonia con sus propios sentimientos.

but I knew you,playing hide-and-seek and giving me your weekends

pero te conoci, jugando al escondite y regalandome tus fines de semana

Betty conocio primero a James, dando indicios de amigos de la infancia. Will tambien, porque recordemos todo comenzo con Mike buscando desesperamente a Will y a quien encontro en su lugar en ese bosque a El.

And when I felt like I was an old cardigan. Under someone's bed. You put me on and said I was your favorite.

Y me senti como un viejo cardigan. Debajo de la cama de alguien. Me pusiste y me dijiste que era tu favorito.

 Aunque en la s1 Mike dijo que supuestamente todos en la Party son mejores amigos pero siempre hubo una diferencia con su amistad con Will. En s2 Mike le dijo a un Will poseidos que pedirle que fuera su amigo fue lo mejor que haya hecho(todo esto llorando). ¿Que sucedio? en la s3 Mike abandona a sus amigos(mas especificamente a Will) por El. Ya en la s4 Will cree que Mike no le importa porque no le escribio y ni llamo acomparacion a El quien recibio una pila de cartas.

You drew stars around my scars but now I'm bleedin'

Dibujaste estrellas alrededor de mis cicatrices pero ahora estoy sangrando.

Mike siempre fue el apoyo de Will con respecto a sus traumas, mirenlo tan solo en s2 el tipo se volvio loco de preocupacion. Pero ahora Mike es el foco de la angustia de Will. Le ah dicho cosas muy dolorosas(sigo pensando que el no es mi culpa que no te gusten las chicas es pura proyeccion de Mike) en s3 destruyo el castillo byers en el proceso y en s4 su discurso “romantico” le dijo a El siento que mi vida comenzo el dia que te encontre en el bosque, cuando Will estaba desaparecido en ese entonces(Will no tiene idea que es mentira).

I knew you, tried to change the ending. Peter losing Wendy

te conoci, trate de cambiar el final. Peter perdio a Wendy.

Will siguio tratando a Mike de la misma manera pero esta llegando a un punto en donde ya no puede mas. Mike esta a un paso de perder a Will por su propia inseguridad e inmadurez. 

Leavin' like a father. Running like water.

Marchandote como un padre. Corriendo como el agua.

Todos sabemos que el padre de Will los abandono(pedazo de mierda abusivo), mientras El no tuvo un padre que haya hecho eso por voluntad propia. Hopper murio/en realidad fue secuestrado por los rusos. Brenner(papa) no queria dejarla ir. 

Mike nunca huyo de ella, lo hizo con Will(al menos lo hizo sentir asi).

But I knew you'd linger like a tattoo kiss. I knew you'd haunt all of my what-ifs.

Pero sabia que te quedarias como un tatuaje que besaste. Sabia que perseguirias a todos mis ¿Que pasaria si..?

Mike siempre sabe que le sucede a Will, es el primero en notarlo y el primero en contenerlo. No cambio. 

Chasin' shadows in the grocery line.

Persiguiendo sombras en la fila del mercado.

Will es un personaje atormentado por el pasado, lo vimos en s2 con sus visiones del upside down y siendo poseido por el mind flayer(quien literalmente es como una sombra).

Bueno, esas son las cosas que lo hacen a Will Betty. 

De todas formas al final de la cancion Betty sabia que James volveria. 

Y Will no pierde la esperanza con Mike aun. 

[este post se hizo larguisimo, asique las dividire en tres partes. La siguiente es James Mike.]

[arty-archives1]

I had a thought and I feel like it's kinda stupid but

James - Mike

Betty - Will

Augustine - El

Idk, I haven't done much research on the Folklore Love Triangle but from what I've heard I feel like this would fit

[roanofarcc]

el hopper as augustine (august): 'Cause you were never mine / Never mine / But do you remember? / Remember when I pulled up and said "Get in the car" / And then canceled my plans just in case you'd call? / Back when I was livin' for the hope of it all, for the hope of it all

will byers as betty (cardigan): To kiss in cars and downtown bars / Was all we needed / You drew stars around my scars / But now I'm bleedin'

mike wheeler as james (betty): Standing in your cardigan / Kissin' in my car again / Stopped at a streetlight / You know I miss you

[staraya]

since we’ve all agreed that will is ‘betty’, mike is ‘james’ and el is ‘augustine’. does that make lucas ‘inez’

[xolilith]

fui no mercado e aqui no meu país brasília, a partir de hj, os estabelecimentos não podem mais dar sacolas de plástico o que é bom, realmente muito bom, mas corta pra mim voltando carregando uma coca e um vinho (o q é até meu jantar hj) igual a uma pata até em casa com meus bracinhos frágeis 🤌🤯

anyways... dia primeiro de agosto - mês swift kkkkk - vou chorar mais tarde com o triângulo amoroso da augustine, betty e james.

vcs tbm viram que o jae, o johnny e o doie tão com corona? o nct no pico da pandemia passaram ilesos, mas agr é um atrás do outro TT

fiquei sábado e dom sem net e isso fez com que eu parasse de procatisnar um pouco e começasse a agilizar os pedidos 🤧🤧 (vou dar spoiler e dizer que tem um com a rosé muito singular - 💦 -, e um com o meu jaezinho que envolve o melhor dos dois mundos, mas eu to meio insgura com esse, pra ser sincera 😭).

sempre assisto the office e eu sempre presto atenção num detalhe diferente. A quinta tempo realmente a minha fav. fiquei uns 15 minutos rindo de uma piada do mike, ele diz "faz barulho quando bate" e em seguida solta um "that's what she said" kkkkkkkk muito bom

[lesbianremu]

so if el is augustine, will is betty, and mike is james…

will mike show up at his party? will will have him? would he want him? would he tell him to go fuck himself? or lead him to the garden? in the garden would he trust him? if he told him it was just a summer thing? because mike’s only 15, he doesn’t know anything, but he knows he misses will? would he love him? would he kiss him on the porch in front of all their stupid friends? if will kisses him, would be just like they dreamed it? would it patch their broken wings? because they’re only 15 and they don’t know anything but they know they miss each other?

[strangerthanyou011]

for my fellow bylers/swifites:

idk if this has been said before, but I just had a revelation.. will is betty, mike is james, and el is augustine.. it makes so much sense :')

[dendre]

Hanglemez 2019/02

Default Genders: Main Pop Girl 2019  9.0  (future pop) Ot to Not To: It Loved To Happened  9.0  (mark hollis of experimental r&b) Y La Bamba: Mujeres  8.5  (latin alt, indiefolk) Piroshka: Brickbat  8.5  (indierock) Roses Gabor: Fantasy & Facts  8.5  (elektro r&b) Feels: Post Earth  8.5  (lofi-posztpunk) Fling: Fling Or Die  8.5  (indiepsychpop)

Golden Daze: Simpatico  8.0  (neopsychdreamjanglepop) The Delines: The Imperial  8.0  (altcountry-soul) Cherusii & Maria Minerva: ST  8.0  (hypnogogic outsider pophouse) Sleaford Mods: Eton Alive  8.0  (spokenword posztpunk) Powder: Powder In Space  8.0  (dj mix, house) Time Grove: More Than One Thing  8.0  (electrosouljazz) Nate Wooley: Columbia Icefield  8.0  (jazzambient) Celestial Trax: Serpent Power  8.0  (ambient) AJ Lambert: Careful You  8.0  (elegantpop-feldolgozáslemez Sinatra-unokától) Leyla McCalla: The Capitalist Blues  8.0  (cajun, folkswing) Swindle: No More Normal  8.0  (purple sound, uk hiphop) Pom Poko: Birthday  8.0  (dancepunk) Du Blonde: Lung Bread For Daddy  8.0  (indierock) Wadada Leo Smith: Rosa Parks  8.0  (jazz) Theon Cross: Fyah  8.0  (jazz) Mikron: Severance  8.0  (ambient techno) Sunwatchers: Illegal Moves  8.0  (jazzpsychrock) Pierce Pettis: Father’s Son  8.0  (folk) Vtgnike: Steals  8.0  (ambient juke) Our Native Daughters: Songs Of Our Native Daughters  8.0  (banjofolk) Jozef Van Wissem / Jim Jarmush: An Attempt To Draw  7.5  (avantfolk instru) Tourist: Everyday  7.5  (deep house) Nakhane: You Will Not Die  7.5  (artpop&b) Greensky Bluegrass: All For Money  7.5  (progressive bluegrass) Seed Ensemble: Driftglass  7.5  (souljazz) Gum Takes Tooth: Arrow  7.5  (expreirock) Frances Cone: Late Riser  7.5  (indieartpop) Diat: Positive Disintegration  7.5  (posztpunk) The Long Ryders: Psychedelic Country Soul  7.5  (paisley under, powerpop) Yugen Blakrok: Anima Mysterium  7.5  (hiphop) Julia Jacklin: Crushing  7.5  (indiefolk) Angelo De Augustine: Tomb  7.5  (indiefolk) Madolin Orange: Tides Of A Teardrop  7.5  (folk, altcountry) Yola: Walk Through Fire  7.5  (soulpopcountryblues) Twin Talk: Weaver  7.5  (sleepjazz) Calva Louise: Rhinoceros  7.5  (indierock) Lor Choc: Love Is Love  7.5  (rap&b) Bjarki: Happy Earthday  7.5  (izlandi idm-ambient techno) Brìghde Chaimbeul: The Reeling  7.5  (skót dudazene, folk)

International Teachers Of Pop: S/T  7.0  (disco-szintipop) Buke And Gase: Scholars  7.0  (indietronica, artpop) Betty Who: Betty  7.0  (softy, synthy, 80s-y dancepop) Vandoliers: Forever  7.0  (cowpunk) Finlay Shakespeare: Domastic Economy  7.0  (electro) Copeland: Blushing  7.0  (dreampop) Mykele Deville: Maintain  7.0  (hiphop) Jio: TFW  7.0  (alt-elektro r&b) XamVolo: All The Sweetness...  7.0  (alt&b) Markers: Heaven In The Dark Earth  7.0  (droneposztfolk) The Cool Greenhouse: Crap Cardboard Pet EP  7.0  (bedroom posztpunk) Spellling: Mazy Fly  7.0  (experi electropop) Harlem: Oh Boy  7.0  (garage pop) The Entrepreneurs: Noise And Romance  7.0  (noisepop) Hugh Marsh: Violinvocations  7.0  (hegedűs glitchambient) Julia Kent: Temporal  7.0  (vonós posztminimalambient) Fran And Flora: Unfurl  7.0  (hegedűcselló modern classical) The Unthanks: Emily Bronte  7.0  (kamarafolk) Adia Victoria: Silences  7.0  (artrock) Robert Ellis: Texas Piano Man  7.0  (piano pop) Telekinesis: Effluxion  7.0  (indiepop) James Yorkston: The Route  7.0  (indiefolk) Chaka Khan: Hello Happiness  7.0  (dancesoulpop) Charlotte Adigéry: Zandoli EP  7.0  (altdancepop) Surachai: Come, Deathless  7.0  (noise) Shook Twins: Some Good Lives  7.0  (decens folkpoprock) Liz Brasher: Painted Image  7.0  (popsoul) Mike Krol: Power Chords  7.0  (power garage) Bass Clef: 111  7.0  (outsider dubhouse-idm) Teeth Of The Sea: Wraith  7.0  (neopsych-elektroposztrock) Desperate Journalist: In Search Of The Miraculous  7.0  (posztpunk-indierock) Tender: Fear Of Falling Asleep  6.5  (dreamy electropop) Lee Gamble: In A Paravental Scale EP  6.5  (idm) Subjective: Act One  6.5  (deephouse and bass) Thelma: The Only Thing  6.5  (artpop) Susanna & Brotherhood...: Garden Of Earthly Delights  6.5  (avantfolk-artpop) And The Kids: When This Is Over  6.5  (indierock) Yann Tiersen: All  6.5  (ambient pop) Machinefabriek: With Voices  6.5  (konkrét elektronika) Deer Tick: Mayonnaise  6.5  (folkrock, americanablues) Julian Lynch: Rat’s Spit  6.5  (indie-dreamfolk) Ry X: Unfurl  6.5  (folktronica) Kehlani: While We Wait  6.5  (neosoul-r&b) Efdemin: New Atlantis  6.5  (minimal/ambient/abstract techno) Tiny Ruins: Olympic Girls  6.5  (folkpop) Black Taffy: Elder Mantis  6.5  (absztrakt hiphop) Drenge: Strange Creatures  6.5  (garázsposztpunk)

Homeshake: Helium  6.0  (hypnagogic synthfunk) Nate Young: Dilemmas Of Identity  6.0  (post-industrial) Lorelle Meets The Obsolete: De Facto  6.0  (mexikói neopszichkrautrock) Le Butcherettes: bi/MENTAL  6.0  (artrock) Say Anything: Oliver Appropiate  6.0  (acousticemo) Cub Sport:  Cub Sport  6.0  (elektropop&b) Rosie Carney: Bare  6.0  (indiefolk) Cucina Povera: Zoom  6.0  (a capella minimal synth) Deep Cut: Different Planet  6.0  (shoegaze-psych) TMBOY: Steam  6.0  (elektropop) Go Dark: Neon Young  5.5  (hipszeterelektropop) Thyla: What’s On Your Mind EP  5.5  (indierock) Tim Presley: I Have Toe Feed  5.5  (psychpop) Elena Setién: Another Kind Of Revolution  5.5  (szofiszti artpoppy)  Hayes Carll: What It Is  5.5  (altcountry, americana) Dreezy: Big Dreez  5.5  (trap-hiphopr&b)  Boogie: Everything’s For Sale  5.5  (westcoasthiphop) Fredo: Third Avenue  5.0  (uk rap) Perfect Son: Cast  5.0  (szintis artpop) 

+++++ Brown Sugar: I’m In Love With A Dreadlock (Birth Of Lovers Rock 1977-1980)  9.5  (gyönyörű, úttörő lovers rock-életmű összegzése, 2018-as, decemberi lemez) Don The Tiger: Matanzas  8.5  (2018-as évvégi lemez, poszt afrocuban) VA: The Social Power Of Music  8.0  (négylemezes Smitshonian Folkways-válogatás, komoly protest song-history) Damon Zucconi: Untitled Substance  8.0  (b-more deconstructed, 2007-es, elfeledett LP újrakiadása) Stano: Content To Write  8.0  (1983-as ír posztpunk újrakiadása) D. Rothon: Nightscapes  8.0  (2018-as évvégi, smoothpopjazzmoodmusic) Moma Ready: Ocean Walker II  8.0  (2018-as évvégi, liquid funk, breaks) Hedvig Mollestad Trio: Smells Funny  7.5  (2018-as évvégi, heavypsych-jazz) BlueWhale: Process  8.0  (2018-as évvégi, atonal rock) Rattle: Sequence  8.0  (2018-as évvégi, dobzene)

(Ezeken kívül még sok lemezbe belehallgattam, és maximum 10 percet töltöttem velük, mert annyira nem nekem szóltak vagy szimplán borzasztóak voltak, ezeket nem sorolom. És igen, ez amolyan laza sorrend.)     

Eszméletlenül sok olyan zene van ma (kösz soundcloud/bandcamp), amit az alkotója valamilyen (leginkább életkori) oknál fogva nem tudott megvalósítani akkor, amikor az újszerű, releváns, aktuális, izgalmas lehetett volna. Ezek között persze akad több olyan, ami legalább érdekes, ügyesen nyúl a témához, jól hallgatható, de ha már hallottad azt, amiket másolnak, akkor nyilván nem tudnak revelációt kiváltani (vagy csak nagyon kivételes esetben). És akkor ugye hallani is minek, ha nem másnak, hogy szóljon valami elmegy háttérzene. Rengeteg lemez esik ebbe a kategóriába, a szabad újrafelhasználás, a miért ne korát éljük.

Ugyanakkor ha nem ösztönöz a remény, hogy potenciálisan jó zenéről maradhatok le, akkor nincs is értelme új megjelenéseket hallgatni. Vagy a régiek közül keresgélni.

Ami még általánosságban jellemző, az a kislemez (albumtrekk)-nagylemez örök szkanderének aktuális kiélesedése. Még a legtöbb 6.5 alatti lemezről is tudnék egy jó számot kiemelni, és végülis nem ez a lényeg? Jó számokat hallgatni. Pont ez van, Spotify-kor definíció szerint: jó számokat kiválasztani, abból jó playlisteket hallgatni. De ha én baszom el ezzel az időt, akkor csak ezzel foglalkozom (és jó eséllyel úgy sem fogom két-három alkalomnál többször hallani), ha más, nem hiszek neki, nem hiszem el, hogy ne hagyott volna le valami jót és a végén becsavarodunk az értelmetlen, újzenét megszállottan (ennél, amit itt csinálok, sokkal megszállottabban) kereső spirálba. Plusz, ha tudtál egy jó számot, akkor hallani akarom, hogy tudsz-e többet is? Ha nem, az sajnálatos. Ha igen, akkor meg csinálj belőlük egy jó lemezt, ami képes egy egységes hangulatot, világot nyújtani, amibe szívesen elmerülök.

Ebben a hónapban két lemeznek is az a címe, hogy Unfurl. Sok februári LP volt már az első részben is, így ez a második most alighanem rövidebb. Kevesebb a kiemelkedő album, ennélfogva. Most is kettő tetszett nagyon, az egyik a legtipikusabb future pop, mindent bele Default Genders friss albuma, ő a reményteljes, de ki nem igazán teljesedő Elite Gymnastics egyik fele volt (ez a chillwave idején feltűnt zenekar mindent mashupolt: dreampopot, jungle-t, house-t, k-popot stb.), ez a második szólólemeze és a zenekarral elkezdett munka eddigi betetőzése. Perfekt jövőpop, ami természetesen nem jelent mást, mint, hogy 2019-ben ilyennek is kellene lennie a jó popzenének, miközben alig ilyen. A másik nagyon tetszetős lemez egy Ot to Not To nevű előadó harmadik albuma, róla nem hallottam korábban. A zenéjére nem én találtam ki a Talk Talk-os Mark Hollis-párhuzamot, ami tökéletesen illik:  mark hollis of experimental r&b. Valami nagyon szellős, szétszerelt-újrarakott folk r&b ez, nagyon távoli kapaszkodónak lehet használni Kindness-t, aki nagyon kicsit hasonlóan szerelte az 80s softpopos r&b-t néhány éve. Ebből a kínmondatból is látszik, milyen nehéz körbeírni a zenét, inkább hallani kell. Jó még a  Y La Bamba eklektikus indiefolkpopja, nagyon kicsit US Girls, ha ez segít, aztán a Lush-os milányunk, Miki Berényi új zenekara, a Piroshka egy több mint korrekt albummal debütált, persze vele elfogódott vagyok, ezt itt be is jelentem, de mindenesetre ez sokkal jobb, mint a három évvel ezelőtti Lush-visszatérő EP, és úgy általában is. Kellett neki három hallgatás, hogy a korrektnél többnek halljam, itt tartok most vele. Roses Gabor szerintem nem a mi lányunk, ha jól veszem ki, grenadai szülők gyereke (Gábor ZsaZsa ihlethette a nevét?) erős elektro r&b-t tol, a Feels nekemvalóan megkapó lofi-posztpunkot, a Fling pedig szórakoztató indiepsychedéliát, utóbbi három lemezt lehet, hogy kicsit túlértékelem. Majdnem ennyire jó még a Golden Daze télies, ártalmatlan dreampopja (picit Real Estate-es jangle is), amibe nagyon jó belebújni. Akárcsak a The Delines soulos altcountryjába. A Sleaford Mods ismét szórakoztató, zeneileg talán minden korábbinál, izé, zeneibb. Cherusii & Maria Minerva kiadványa félig posztumusz anyag, Cherusii fiatalon hunyt el, barátnője, Minerva gondozta, fejezte be közös felvételeiket, nyilván nagyon sajnálatos, hogy előbbi nem tudott kibontakozni, utóbbi viszont hosszabb hallgatást tört meg ezzel a jó lemezzel. Mi van még? Nyilván mindig keverednek a friss megjelenések közé pár hetes, hónapos kiadványok is, ennyit csak ilyen tempóban lehet feldolgozni. Nem nekem, a nemzetközi sajtónak, amiből mondjuk a Popmatters úgy tud minden nap pár lemezt bemutatni, hogy nem ismétli a Pitchfork-féle fősodor kínálatát és mégis érdekes. De amúgy nagyon sok mindent kell olvasni, hogy összeálljon egy ilyen kép, ilyen lemezsor. 

Ezek tetszettek a legjobban februárban. A második kupacban (és harmadik elején) még olyanok vannak, amiket szerintem abszolút érdemes meghallgatni annak, aki bírja az adott stílust, a harmadik-negyedik adagban viszont már azok szerepelnek, amikhez rajongónak kell lenni és úgy sem kizárt a csalódás.

[jonathanbyersphd]

By this time next week I will be Levi Stadium listening to this and thinking of them

[thepladinsheart]

I love making everything about byler and Taylor Swift's "folklore" (my favorite Taylor Swift album) In folklore, there is a love triangle between Betty, James and Augustine. And Taylor herself said that "Betty and James ended up together but he put her though it." But they willelmike love triangle goes a little bit differently.

How the folklore love triangle goes is, Betty and James were together and had a falling out (but didn't break up) Then, he went away for a summer and cheated on Betty with Augustine. And after that summer, James shows up at Betty's party and apoligizes, Betty ends up kissing him on her doorstep (in front of all her stupid friends) and start dating again. Eventually, they "end up together" But. this is where byler and El come in. How I think, Mike is James, Will is Betty and El is Augustine.

The folklore love triangle is a musical parallel to Mike's relationship with El and Mike. This is why:

Will has been with Mike from the start, just like Betty and James. While, yes, Mike and Will have never dated, they've been best friends since kidergarten (i think) and they've been friends the longest out of anyone else is the party. While they have also had several falling outs but Mike has always been the one, at Will's door, apoligizing to him and begging for forgivness.

Now it's time to talk about El. Don't get me wrong, I am not one of the bylers that hates El, I love her. BUT, she was and is Augustine. She hasn't been there (with Mike) as long as Will has. She's basically a disraction for Mike in a romantic sense. And, hear me out on this, I think Mike is basically using El as a shelid. To cover up his interilalized homophobia and so he dosen't get picked on, so he isn't a target.

Time for lyrics breakdowns! (I have alot of headcannons about these lyrics but I'll try to keep these as close to canon event as possible)

"i knew you" -cardigan

Like I said, Will has been there from the literal start and he knows Mike better than anyone. a n y o n e.

"a friend to all is a friend to none. chase to girls, lose the one." -cardigan

We all know Mike hates being or feeling alone, espically without Will. (See all of Season 1) And I think he knows that he loves Will (that he's in love with Will) but he's too scared to pursue Will because he might lose El or Will or both of them. Also, I do think Mike needs El but not as much as he needs Will.

"but i'd knew you'd linger like a tattoo kiss. i'd knew you'd haunt all of my what-ifs." -cardigan

(i can't help but sneak a hc in here but idk if it is bc i might be canon already) I think that Will has stayed up late at night, just thinking about why he likes Mike and how he's never going to like him back. Why does Mike have to linger in his thoughts?

"i'd knew you'd miss me wants the thrill expiered and you'd be standing in my front porch light." -cardigan

This lyric reminds me of the aftermath of the rain fight in season 3, where Mike (with Lucas) stood in the pouring rain and basically almost kicked down the door, begging Will for forgivness (and later rain though the dark fucking forest, still in the pouring rain, to find Will and make sure he was okay.)

"cause you were never mine." - august

El has to know about Mike and Will at this point. She isn't dumb. This is highlighted in the "You never say it" scene. She knows that Mike isn't loving her the way she wants/needs to be loved, but she knows that Mike loves Will the way he needs to be loved.

"i remember thinking i had you." -august

While I think El knows, I think this is a new(er) realization. I think this was as nesw as that "you don't say it" and airport scenes. And just a friendly reminder that Mike only said "I love you" to El with Will's encouragment.

"and say, meet me behind the mall. so much for summer love and saying us. 'cause you weren't mine to lose." -august

This entire lyric reminds me of season 3 elmike and the whole "I dump your ass" scene.

"betty, one time i was riding on my skatebaord when i passed your house, it's like i couldn't beathe." -betty

(another hc im sorry) i 1000 percent think that Mike would go back to the Byers' old house after they moved. And everytime he felt like he was gonna cry so hard he would throw up.

"the worst thing that i ever did, was what i did to you." -betty

We all know Mike regretted the whole "it's not my fault you dont like girls" thing. (y'know banging on his door, running though the woods. all the stuff i already brought up.) But he proably also lies awake at night after Will moved away, staring at the celing, thinking about what he said, replaying it in his head, wondering why he was such a bad fucking friend.

"slept next to her but, i dreamt of all sumer long." -betty

I definitly think that Mike realized his liked Will in season 3 but got back together with El and that's when he started using her as a sheild.

I love the folklore love triangle and willelmike. i even write a whole one shot about byler and the song betty. (ill proably post a poll abt that to see if yall wanna read it.) ive been wanting to write this for a while so thank you for reading! and let me know if i missed anything so i can add onto this. i love you! bye!

[thepladinsheart]

Byler, El and the folklore love triangle.

Taylor Swift’s 7th studio album, “folklore” (along with the sister album “evermore”) has written between the lines a love triangle between one teenage boy, James and two teenage girls, Betty and Augustine.

Taylor herself has said, “Betty and James end up together but he {James} put her {Betty} through it.” 

However, the way byler and El tie into this is slightly different. 

The way the folklore love triangle works is like this, James and Betty were together and had some sort of falling out. Then, James went away for a summer and cheated on Betty with Augustine. But, after that summer, James basically ends up ghosting Augustine because he realizes that he really messed up with Betty and needs to make things right. So, he shows up to a party she was having and the kiss and makeup and start dating again and “end up together.”

Now that you know what the folklore love triangle is, I can tell you how Byler and El fits into all of this. 

How I think this works is Mike is James, Will is Betty and El is Augustine. And here is why.

James is obviously Mike because he is the one stuck between the two “girls”. The “girls” in this situation being Will and El. he can’t choose whether to be unhappy in his relationship or pursue the person he wants but hurt the girl he is with and put a target on his back. 

Will being Betty just makes the most sense. Will has been there from the very start. Even though Mike and Will obviously never canonically dated, they’ve been best friends since kindergarten. Also, Mike and Will have had SEVERAL falling outs and the one that always crawls back to Will is Mike, begging him forgiveness. 

 Now time to talk about El. Please don't get me wrong, I LOVE El. Please do not think that I am one of those bylers that hate El. I don’t. However, El is Augustine. She has simply not been there as long as Will has been. She is basically just a distraction for Mike in a romantic sense. Hear me out, Mike is using El as a shield to hide behind. So he can hide from his internalized homophobia. I am NOT saying that he thinks of El as an object. But it’s more on head, he’s thinking that he can’t possibly have feelings for Will because he has a girlfriend. And if he has a girlfriend, he can't be picked on. He can’t be a target. 

TIME FOR LYRIC ANALYSIS!!! 

Cardigan 

Cardigan is the song that tells Betty’s side of the story from her perspective. Which in this form is Will's side of the story from his perspective. 

“I knew you.” 

Like I’ve said many many times Will has been there from the very beginning. Like, he was the first friend Mike ever had. 

“A friend to all is a friend to none. Chase two girls, lose the one.” 

I’m sure one of the many reasons Mike doesn’t want to break up with El and confess his feelings to Will (atleast right now in the canon) is because he could and probably will lose both of them. Because if he breaks up with El, that’s already enough grounds for losing her not to mention the whole part about being in love with her brother. Mike could also loose Will because he could reject Mike for the sake of saving El’s feelings.

“And when I felt like I was an old cardigan under someone's bed, you put me on an said I was your favorite.” 

Mike has always been the first one to notice when anything with Will is off, the first one to find him when he’s wandered off while in an episode. He has been “the only one who cares about Will” from the start. 

“I knew you. Leaving like a father, running like water.” 

We all know that Mike runs from all of his problems and won’t stop running until he falls off the face of the Earth. But Will doesn't know why he’s running from him. 

“But I knew you’d linger like a tattooed kiss. I knew you’d haunt all of my what if’s.” 

Will knows better than anyone that the feeling of Mike lingers. It stays and it won’t go anyway and it’s bittersweet. 

“I knew you'd miss me once the thrill expired and you'd be standing in front of my front porch light.” 

Whether Will liked it or not, he knew that Mike would be coming back sooner rather than later. And he wanted that way. He didn’t want to push Mike away. It would be impossible to push away the person that he has called his best friend all his life and the boy that has been with his sister for years. 

August

This song reprents Augustine perpective of the whole situation which would equalivlate to El.

“‘Cause you were never mine.”

I don’t think that El is stupid, she has to know or have somewhat of a feeling.  But also, I feel like she knows that Mike would be better off with Will. And, honestly, I think she’ll be better with someone else who actually listens to what she needs. I do not think that El and Mike are good for eachother is a romantic way. They aren't loving eachother they way both of them need it.

“I remember thinking I had you.” 

I think that in retrospect, it’s funny to El all of the things she tolerated from Mike. And I think when Mike and El break up she will realize that they simply weren't right for each other in a romantic sense. Platonic with a capital P. 

“So much for summer love and saying us” 

I genuinely think that when El and Mike broke up in season 3, they should’ve stayed broken up. They would have still been friends and still talked to each other. But if they would have broken up it would have been the best for both of them. It would have saved both of their feelings. 

Betty

This song is James apology to Betty after dissapering and cheating on her. This would equal Mike.

“Betty, one time I was riding on my skateboard when I passed your house. It's like I couldn't breathe.” 

I know for damn sure that Mike Wheeler could not go near that house after Will moved out. I feel like it would make him sick to his stomach when he looked at it. 

“The worst thing that I ever did was what I did to you.”

I know that Mike regrets the shit he did in Season 3. The fights, the blatant ignoring of Will to focus on El and his relationship that’s falling apart in front his eyes.

“Slept next to her but, I dreamt of you all summer long.” 

I think that Mike really started to realize that he likes Will around the end of season 2 and season 3. Which is also around the same time he starts getting more defensive towards Will. That's when it all starts going downhill. Because he is starting to realize this feeling and with El breaking up with him, he is losing things to hide behind. 

“The only thing I wanna do is make it up to you.” 

We all know that if season 2 Mike saw seasons 3 or 4 Mike, he would beat his ass. But I still think that there is a little part of Mike that still really cares about Will like season 2 Mike did.

This is a rework of something i did a really long time ago so if it seems familiar and you've been around my blog a while that's why!

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also! if you want to be on the normal tag list (aka you get tagged everytime i post an essay / longer post abput byler you will get tagged), please comment and let me know!

also watch out for something related to byler and folklore soon (wink wink)