#not that I think Mike should neglect his friends

[mike-haters-dni]

Me when I’m a 13-year-old boy who watched the girl he fell deeply in love with die in front of him and then spent a year calling her everyday desperately trying to summon her back because he couldn’t go on without her when she miraculously shows up alive again and they finally get to be together: I’m sorry girl 😔 I love care for you 😔 but I had these friends first 😔 we can’t leave this get together even though we both want to 😔 I’ve objectively weighed my priorities and my friends have to be a little bit more important to me 😔 even though btw I’ve left you to go hang out with them before 😔 I hope you can understand 😔

Shit this is actually what y’all wanted him to act like isn’t it lmao

[starbylers]

I think a lot of people fail to understand that just because a character says something or appears to want something, that doesn’t mean the story is framing their opinions or the things they “want” as positive, or as being what they ultimately need. Classic example being “S3 Mike wants to have a girlfriend and not focus on his friendships so that means Will is in the wrong and needs to accept that they are growing up and growing out of childish games”. When in reality the show portrays Mike’s behaviour as not good at all. He neglects his interests which we know he didn’t actually grow out of (hence Hellfire) which tells us he was pretending to be someone he’s not; he upsets Dustin and then completely forgets about him; he hurts Will even worse by ignoring him and then treating him very callously and insensitively. But then Mike is the one who ends up changing. He apologises to Dustin, and to Will especially he admits he was being awful. He re-immerses himself in his nerdy ways when El leaves.

That being said it’s insane to me that anyone thinks the Duffers were pushing the message that being mean to your best friend and discarding the things you enjoy in the name of getting a girlfriend and “growing up” are really great behaviours that should definitely be endorsed as a sign of character growth. Or that anyone thinks the character on the receiving end/who is impacted by these actions being shown frustrated and crying and in extreme distress is actually the one who is wrong and annoying and needs to ‘stop whining’. The lack of empathy, emotional intelligence, and just general media literacy is really astounding and telling 😭

[emblazons]

Thinking about that post that said Will had to be 'written out' of some of the S3 narrative because so much of it was about performing heteronormative relationships…& as an emotionally intelligent gay kid he quite literally stands entirely outside of both of those things.

Like. The Duffers said the premise of S3 was puberty, but in truth it's more like kids trying to act more mature than they are, not only by pretending they’re not into “childish” things but also emulating the relationships of the adults around them (for good & bad).

In S3, Lucas is literally just parroting his dad (and whoever else) when it comes to explaining relationships to Mike, and Max is projecting her displeasure/fear of divorce (because of her own parents) by repeatedly breaking up with Lucas and encouraging El to do the same while quoting Cosmo to her. El has her own streak of performative influence from her time watching all those soaps while locked up for a year—and Mike is just doing the best he can to keep up, seeing as (as we see with the Karen considering but then never actually cheating with Billy plot) Wheelers are often motivated by responsibility and duty to their relationships more than actual feelings or depth with their partners.

From the very first episode though…Will literally says “I’m not gonna fall in love," and while I know a lot of people like to talk about how that's kind of a sign he’s already falling in love with Mike, it’s also showing us that he stands apart from all the other people and “couples” we see this season…because he’s not performing social rituals trying to emulate the relationships of the adults around him.

Will is the only character outside of Dustin (who also comments on this tendency to be fake in love to Steve, ironically enough) who is refusing to take part in the ritualistic gambits of "dating" with his friends, on top of embracing his desire to continue doing the things he enjoys even as we are learning he is genuinely in love with Mike.

Will is the only one being genuine about his interests and desires rather than performing normativity (social and heteronormative) like the rest of his friends--the only one who is in love with his chosen interest because he enjoys being around him, and its that dissonance from the "play"/ sandbox narrative of S3 that makes it seem like The Duffers "forgot" about him (which, given the fact that S5 is confirmed as Will's Coming of Age season, obviously isn't true).

...I just think it's interesting that the season where everyone starts being shallow (because...thats the word for it. We should bring that word back lmao) is the season where it feels like Will gets neglected the most—not because he isn't important to the story, but because Season 3 was when The Duffers introduced dishonesty and ongoing romantic relationships as a concept for their "kid" characters, and Will's heartfelt affection for Mike and unwillingness to lie to anyone stands apart from that.

-

Bonus Thought: If you really want to get into it, you can also pull on how watching Will lie to Mike in Season 4 about the painting hurts all that much more because its the first time he's betrayed his character to "match the energy" of his peers—him "ripping off the bandaid" was him not only choosing to save Mike & El's relationship by sacrificing his own feelings, but also him choosing move into the same kind of dishonesty and shallowness he's been watching everyone around him get away with for two seasons now, even though it was going to break his heart to do so.

S4 got Lucas and Max back to the honesty and closeness they hadn't been mature enough to manage in S3...but that's not something Will got to see for himself. Getting us back to honesty for El, Mike and now Will (who have also been lying to themselves and each other in their performances of normalcy) will be a critical part of the "repair" that happens in Season 5.

[ddejavvu]

a.

uh. so.

dbf!hotch .... where reader, in an attempt to shake off some unwanted advances at some sort of gathering (party, meeting, whatever) pretends that aaron is her boyfriend & he just... rolls with it

hhhHHNNGHN HIM <3

today is multiverse monday! send me an au you can think of :)

--

He sees you barreling towards him from 20 feet away, chest clenching at your obvious discomfort. Your shoulders are stiff, you're walking fast, and your eyes are blown wide.

"He's-" He catches your breathless urgency, "He's here!"

You lunge for him, and he balks. Your arm curls around his bicep, but he thinks the only reason you don't grab his hand is because it's got a drink in it. The cup leaks condensation onto the grass below, and a drop of it catches the toe of the sneaker you have on. You curl beneath his arm, winding yourself into his bicep and letting it rest over your shoulders.

"Baby," You grin at Aaron from under his arm, still visibly discontent, "This is.. uh, Mike? I think. He's one of Henry's friends."

The boy in question, definitely too young to be confidently flirting with you, raises his eyebrows, crossing his arms with an amused gaze.

Aaron realizes what you're doing. He takes the arm that's slung over your shoulders and lifts it up and over your head, stepping between you and Mike. He nods at the teen, switching his drink between hands and offering a handshake that seems friendly, but that's much too firm. Afterwards he reaches back for your hand, and he won't ever admit to himself how fantastic it is to hold it.

"Didn't know you were a grave robber," Mike quips, the few ghostly hairs on his upper lip shadowing his face, "Jesus, aren't any women into men their own age?"

"No," You cling tighter to Aaron, and you feel his large thumb rub against the back of your hand, "But you might wanna try some of the moms. It works the same way in reverse."

With that, Mike is a milf hunter. He treks away across the grass and approaches a gaggle of mothers, all of which you've neglected to tell him are happily married. Aaron seems to get the same satisfaction out of this knowledge as you do, and he bites back the smirk that threatens to curl over his face.

"Are you okay?" He trades it in for concern, feeling your grip on his hand steady. You're clearly still freaked out, or you would have dropped it by now. Unless you like it or something.

"Yeah," You breathe, nodding as you monitor the boy, making sure he doesn't come back, "I, uh- I'm sorry about-" You seem to realize that you're still gripping his hand hard enough to bruise it, dropping it with a surge of heat to your cheeks, "That."

"It's alright," He promises, "I'm glad you came to me."

"Yeah, me too." You admit, your smile sheepish, "Thanks, Aaron."

"You can thank me later," He promises, "Mike, was it? I'm going to ask his mother if she knows he's skulking around older women at family parties."

This time it's you that bites your lips to stop yourself from breaking. He takes pride in the shift of your face, a swell of it crashing against his ribcage and washing over his heart.

"I think Henry might be more grossed out than she would be," You muse, and though you'd dropped his hand in a fit of bashfulness, you're still standing close enough to him that your shoulders are brushing. He lets out a laugh at that, picturing the mortified teen. It's hearty, a single shake of his shoulders that reverberates through your belly, twisting it up into knots.

"Really, though," Your tone dampens, and it softens his gaze too, "Thank you. I'm sorry I just ambushed you like that, he was freaking me out."

"It's okay," He insists, "I'm glad you know you're safe with me. And it's been a while since anybody's called me baby."

He knows he's broken you out of your unnecessary, guilt-ridden slump when your grin reaches your eyes, crinkling their corners like tissue in a present he wants to unwrap with.

"Well maybe you should get used to it," You tease, hooking your arm back around his bicep and curling it against his muscle, "I might need you to stand in again if that one ever makes his way over.'

He follows your tensed gaze, eyes landing upon one of his own. He's a new agent, not working with the BAU, but around their office enough that he knows the guy. He can guarantee that, come tomorrow, he won't have a job if he decides to mess with you tonight.

"Don't worry, honey bunches," He turns, shielding you from the man behind you and subsequently pressing his chest to yours, sickeningly handsome smile only inches from your wide-eyed, exhilarated grin, "I'll take care of him for you."

[thestrangestthing89]

I think it's possible that Mike was actually sending letters to Will and El was stealing them. - We know Mike was trying to call Will and was complaining about not getting through. The logical next step would be to write a letter. It doesn't make sense that he was so determined to call but then just didn't try any other way of getting in touch with him. - Will said El had a whole book of letters from Mike, but we know she only had about 6 of them. It's possible Will was being dramatic. But maybe he saw her taking the mail and that's why he was under the impression she was getting a lot of letters. - El concocted a whole fairy tale version of her life. She told Mike she was succeeding in school and had great friends when none of that was true. She was clearly telling Will that her relationship with Mike was perfect because he's under the impression they are in love. She lies a lot. She wanted her relationship with Mike to look perfect. If Will was getting more letters than her it would have bothered her. She wanted everyone to think everything was going well and she had her normal life all together. And it's harder to sell that story if she isn't getting a lot of letters from her boyfriend. - I don't think the letters would have been so obvious or direct, but it's possible it would have made her suspicious about Mike and Will's relationship and make her start paying more attention to Will's behavior. Because Will really isn't acting weird. He only got secretive about the painting. We have no other indications that his behavior showed he was crushing on someone and hiding a painting doesn't exactly scream "he has a crush on someone". He could be hiding it for a lot of other reasons. - Would El have even known to be upset at the lack of "Love, Mike" at the end of her letters? She has never sent letters to people before. People sign them in a lot of different ways. But maybe she saw Will's letters and how Mike was writing to him and realized hers were different and Will was getting all the "Love, Mike" letters not to mention ones that weren't emotionally distant, which lead to her feeling neglected by him. - We know Joyce got the mail but I doubt she was hand delivering each letter to her kids. It probably just got thrown on a table. So El could have easily gotten to it before Will. - Mike being weird at the airport could have also been because he isn't sure what's going on with him and Will. They only talked on the phone a few times. I'm assuming the last time was when Will started his painting. So it must have been a good conversation. But if Mike was still sending letters after that call and Will was still not responding he could have been more insecure about their relationship. - When Will mentions Mike wasn't reaching out enough he's surprised and points out that Will should have reached out more too. Which could have been what made him realize Will wasn't getting letters he sent him.

[doublydaring]

can you explain the michael psychosomatic kittens curse to me please it's been bothering me for upwards of a week

it would be an honor. it's kind of a long story but luckily I'm at work.

1. I was drawing pictures of Mike and Peter on zoom with my bestest friend Cal and I was drawing their beautiful 70s long hair as I am wont to do. A thought occurred in my head that the color of their hairs together would make a beautiful tortoiseshell cat. This prompted me to say aloud: "They would have beautiful kittens." Which of course raised questions. I wasn't even really thinking about kitten pregnancy at this point I was just thinking about their hair. But kitten pregnancy sprung forth none the less.

2. The household has been on kind of a Phyllis kick lately because I have a 73 slide long PowerPoint on the Monkees that I have been workshopping into a sort of combination stand up comedy/performance art piece. Our second focus group (the cast of rocky horror) said that they liked it but wanted more interpersonal drama. So I added Peter and Davy's fight and a "wife timeline" so we've been thinking about Monkee wives and I recently read Mike's book and Phyllis I think we can all agree is one of the most interesting and under-examined people in the whole Monkee cluster fuck.

3. So Mike is pregnant with Kittens. Because he and Peter would have beautiful kittens. And we all agree that being pregnant would be a good thing for Mike Nesmith. On a physical level it would suit him but also from a sort of pseudo feminist perspective where he is forced to take on the burden of """"womanhood"""" we feel it could help to facilitate understanding to what he's putting these women through.

4. So it becomes sort of body horror, where he is forced to confront the physical and emotional labor that he has been foisting on Phyllis and then neglecting her but in becoming pregnant he understands her and their relationship blossoms. We decide that Phyllis sort of has a mental break and convinces herself that she's going to trick Mike into thinking he's pregnant so that he understands just for a moment what she's going through. We try to come up with ways you could try to convince a man he is pregnant (this is difficult).

5. We realize we have lost the kitten plot. But Riley (who has been here the whole time because we share a room but I didn't want to introduce to many characters into this) has been taking a class on monsters and the monstrous and there is this medieval medical belief called "the maternal imagination" which is basically the idea that if you are pregnant and get scared by a mouse your baby will be born mouselike. Or if you are looking at a picture of a man who is not your husband while you conceive a baby the baby will look like the man in the picture, not it's actual father. It's a very interesting sort of belief.

6. So we decide that Mike stumbles upon a sick kitten one day and brings it home and is positively doting. Phyllis and his real life children remain secondary. He's about work and this fucking kitten. And so of course it becomes the object of Phyllis’s ire. And she hates that right? Because it's a sick and tiny kitten. And really she should hate Mike (but she cannot hate Mike this is a fundamental truth of her character). But she decides that she can make him understand. By making him think he's pregnant. And she goes to bed that night and has a dream that she gives birth to kittens.

7. Of course this is totally delusional he's never going to think he's pregnant but weirdly, he starts to ... act pregnant? In ways that she would have absolutely no control over. He's got that glow and he's gaining weight and most of all he's happy and is spending a lot more time at home hanging around. And she starts to get all doting excited husband on him. And their relationship is a lot more tenable now that their roles have subtly shifted. Because she is the responsible one right? But previously she'd have to defer to him and he had to perform this masculine patriarch role and neither of them are brave enough to challenge it but they both feel wrong fulfilling those roles. This is just right. But it's also very fucking wrong. Because Mike is pregnant??? And it's getting pretty undeniable. It is also clear that whatever is in there is not a baby. Phyllis has had babies and this is four little squirmy things. And so eventually Mike has kittens and it is not clarified how physically this happens but it does and it fixes him.

Sorry. I know this is pretty much batshit insane but it is the story.

[gayofthefae]

It’s interesting to me how much a view of a character can be warped.

Because Will really isn’t jealous. Like...at all. He hasn’t seemed to even really care apart from when Mike is actively neglecting him.

In season 3, he got angry because Mike and Lucas had been ditching him and brushing him off. In season 4, he got angry because had been ignoring him all day.

But in season 3, he lightheartedly laughed at Lucas’ joke and Mike and El making out. In season 4, his excitement was in no way squashed by Mike greeting El first, kissing her in front of him, or getting her flowers. And when El and Mike reunited, he was still smiling waiting for El.

When El and Mike are together, jealousy of El isn’t inherently his main focus. The one time his focus really was on El when he hadn’t been neglected by Mike was because he missed her and was waiting to reunite with her. If anything he was jealous of Mike for taking too gd long and stalling his time to hug his sister /lh.

But Will has repeatedly not been jealous about their relationship in general. Who knows where he’s stood with hope, but he hasn’t historically found issue with their relationship. I think maybe since the van scene he’s realized that it’s really serious and he should squash that hope completely - coming to terms with the idea that he won’t ever really get what he wants, which he may have been able to put out of his mind in the past. But ultimately, in these little moments, he hasn’t been hurt. It’s only when Mike directly prioritizes El over him or confides emotionally deep truths about his relationship that it hurts Will. Otherwise, he tries to be happy with his life as it is. Kind of like a couple who has become friends - “You’re my best friend, I just don’t want to hear about your relationships.”

Ultimately, though, he hasn’t seemed to have much of a problem with it.

This idea for me is in the same vein as El being super aggressive in response to Will liking Mike. Will is not taking deep breaths every time he’s reminded that El and Mike are together. Will watched El and Mike kiss; he watched Mike give her flowers. He only actually got “jealous” after Mike avoiding his hug, eye contact, and conversation.

Consistently, he isn’t so much jealous of El as he is hurt by Mike’s inability to allow them to coexist in his life. He’s hurt when he feels replaced by El, not by her inherent presence.

[wastelandroses]

Even though I’m a multishipper most of the time, I wouldn’t be fine if MiIeven was canon after the events of ST4, vol. 2 more specifically, and how the love triangle was handled overall. The sentence “I don’t care which one will be canon as long as all of them are happy” has been very common around circles that love both couples, MiIeven and Byler, but I can’t bring myself to agree.

I wouldn’t be fine if MiIeven was endgame after Will’s feelings were used as a prop to mend it. El should have herself told Mike how greatly she feels about him, or Will shouldn’t have to urge Mike to say “I love you” if the relationship was to be fixed. (However, I think they are doing this for a reason, but this is beside the point.)

Will is a gay boy in the 80’s, lives in a small conservative town that already hates his family. On top of that, he is terrified of coming out. Amongst everything else he has gone through, he does not need a storyline where his romantic love for his childhood best friend is neglected, turned into a plot device in favor of restoring a hetero relationship.

If they wanted to make Byler as an example of a tragic unrequited love, there are other ways to do it that doesn’t reek homophobia (and queerbait). The love triangle is not just a mindless fandom battle between who is better for Mike (or who he “actually loves”) like any other heterosexual love triangle in media. There is a difference between the two outcomes. One of them being filled with homophobic and disgusting writing choices that led to cause more unnecessary pain and trauma for a queer character and the other is a hopeful, refreshing ending along with another step forward in queer representation that the mainstream media lacks.

insp.

[iridescentpull]

I finally got enough time to start writing the 7th chapter of GeR \o/ should be out this week, but no promises

For now, have a wip <3

Katos mewls for the fifth time in the past minute, rubbing its small, fragile body on Pac’s leg and demanding to be picked up.

Pac runs a hand through his face, pinching the bridge of his nose. He knows Katos is only being playful but the noise he makes is grating on his ears and it has been at it for the past half an hour. He feels guilty for being frustrated by the small kitten who's recovering from the infection, but the lack of sleep from the past few days is really getting to him.

He sighs, leaning down and picking up the black kitten. He mewls are muffled by his shirt, as Katos tries to burrow itself into the soft cloth. It settles into his chest, purring loudly, and Pac pats its head with one hand.

He glances at the clock on the wall. 1:36am.

The cafe is dimly lit by the soft blue glow of the lamp he keeps at the counter. His back hurts and he just wants to go home. But he knows the moment he goes to his apartment, the crushing emptiness and loneliness will hit him again.

It's better to stay here. At least in the cafe, he can be accompanied by the sleeping cats. And hey, at least he can work on building the new bookshelf for the cafe.

He's been doing a lot of work for the cat cafe lately. He had spent the first three months after Madagio left working on getting enough money to fix the small kitchen that had been neglected. And then the rest of the money was used to buy the new appliances, as well as renovate the back area so it was bigger.

Pac had spent the past two months setting up the cat cafe. It took a lot of research and hard work, and sometimes the cats weren't the most cooperative. He had a few customers come in the past week, but not many. He just had to remain positive until he could finish the rebrand of the cafe.

His thoughts drifted to Mike. He wondered if he and his spouse settled alright on the new city, if his university was good, if the people there were kind. Pac was so proud of Mike for getting that scholarship and accepting to move to the other side of the country, don't get him wrong, but that didn't mean it wasn't hard to see him leave.

Pac shakes his head, as if he could get rid of the thoughts. There's no use thinking about it. Mike made the right choice and it wasn't like Pac didn't have other friends.

He puts Katos back on the ground, and it lets out a pitiful meow, looking up at him with a betrayed look. He rolls his eyes.

"I need to lift the bookshelf and I can't do that if I carry you." He said, huffing and rolling his eyes.

Katos meows again and sits on the floor, its eyes wide and unblinking. Pac sighs, defeated, and leans down, picking it up once more. Katos lets out a satisfied purr, rubbing its face on his chin.

Pac smiles, shaking his head. "You're lucky you're so cute." He says, placing the kitten on his shoulder, starting to drag the newly built, white bookshelf towards its spot. He's going to set up the bookshelf and display all the cat-themed items and knickknacks Richas had made for him.

He stops dragging the bookshelf when his back aches, and he places a hand on his hip, stretching. Turns out that sleeping on the couch of his apartment and doing hard labor without proper rest isn't the best for his body. He could've asked for any of his friends for help, he knew that, but he felt like he would be burdening them.

It feels like they're all in more advanced places in their life than he is. His best friend got a scholarship to the program he'd always dreamed of, moving to the other side of the country. Cellbit just got promoted to senior editor in his publishing house, and is getting married to the love of his life in three months. Bagi is planning on getting her master’s in psychology, and she is getting promoted to manager at Fit’s gym. Felps' bakery is flourishing, and soon he'll be opening a new location on Capybara Square.

What does he have? A small cat café that may not even succeed?

He sighs, petting Katos, who's still resting on his shoulder. It mewls softly, rubbing its small body on his fingers. He can't help the smile that forms on his lips, and he scratches the underside of its chin.

It feels nice, though, to have someone there for him. Even if it's a cat.

[once-upon-an-imagine]

the series are coming back to life (hopefully)! they have been neglected for far too long 😂 summaries below 😊 although these ones might not be updated right away, I need a lot of inspo for some of them 😬

Steve Harrington - How Will I Know [Ch.3]

You have walked the halls of Hawkins High unseen. If it wasn’t because Eddie Munson and his Hellfire Club had found you, you probably wouldn’t even have any friends. You knew someone like your all-time crush Steve ‘The Hair’ Harrington wouldn’t notice you in a million years. Until you get paired up for a project and he finally learns your name.  

Eddie Munson - There Are Worse Things I Could Do [Ch.3]

[Harrington!Reader] Your senior year was supposed to be the best one in your life. But when Jason broke up with you and turned the entire school against you by spreading rumors about you, you can count with your hand the people that talk to you. Dustin, Mike, Lucas, Max, Nancy, and Robin. But there might be a new one you can add to the list. One you never thought possible. Eddie Munson.

Argyle - (500 Miles) [Ch.3]

[Hopper!Reader] After moving to California with your sister and your new family, you think maybe you’ll finally get some peace. But, of course, you are now driving across the country in your boyfriend’s pizza van, on your way back to Hawkins.

Sirius Black - Just Give Me A Reason [Ch.5]

[Snape!Reader] Coming back for another year in Hogwarts meant you and your brother were away from your worst tormentor. But when your school tormentor finds out about it, things are about to change and you are not sure if that’s a good thing or a bad thing. (Warning: mentions of abuse)

Remus Lupin - Too Good At Goodbyes [Ch.6]

Twelve years ago, Lily and James Potter were brutally murdered. Twelve years ago, Sirius Black was sent to Azkaban for a crime he did not commit. Twelve years ago Remus Lupin left you to take care of a one-year-old Harry on your own. Twelve years ago Severus Snape was the only person who was there for you. And now, Remus is back to teach at Hogwarts with you, as Harry courses his third year, and Sirius Black escaped Azkaban.

Fred Weasley - Bad Liar [Ch.6]

Coming back to Hogwarts for your sixth year didn’t start as you expected when you have to witness your ex-boyfriend parade around as one of the champions with his new girlfriend. While you’re in a party that your house threw, you’re fed up with listening to him talking about his new relationship and to have a guy you have no interest in pining over you. So, you do the first thing you could think of. You kiss Fred Weasley.

Theodore Nott - Smile [Ch.3]

You have always found Theodore Nott to be a very interesting person. And when he asks you to tutor him in Herbology, you realize he is also a very sweet person. There is only one thing that you’re missing and that you’re dying to see. You want to see him smile.

[ghostlemon36]

Hellooo! I’m here to attempt to give you a summary of the qsmp so far! There are already some recap videos out there, some made by the qsmp itself, but so far I do not think any are up to date with the current arcs?

Ok so, spanish speaking and english speaking YouTubers wake up on a train one day heading to a vacation island! They make it there and get weird messages from a duck telling them to restore power to the island. However, there is a gigantic wall separating half of the people. The weird duck (which we later find out is the manager/spokesperson for the federation) tells them one rule, and that is not to press the big red button on the wall.

So of course people go to press the button. (The YouTuber Vegetta managed to do it first) AND THE THE WALL EXPLODES! The duck tells the people that they broke the one rule on the island and now they are unable to leave.

So for two weeks they build their bases and get to know each other. (I believe important personal lore happens for iRoier during this time as well, his friends betray him? I am unsure.)

Then one day, they are presented with dragon eggs. The duck makes an announcement that when the wall exploded, it woke up a dragon and it flew away, leaving her eggs behind. The islanders are paired into teams of two to take care of an egg together.

Each egg only has two lives, and they have to be taken care of and have tasks done everyday or they die of neglect. These eggs are played by admins, so they act like full characters. Over the next few weeks, three eggs will die. Juanaflippa, the daughter of ElMariana and Slimecicle, Tilín, the child of Quackity and Luzu (no one knew if Luzu or Wilbur was the father because both were absent at the time.) and Trump, the son of Maximus and DanTDM.

The eggs are in increasing danger as the island gets more dangerous and more things aim to kill them. There is an entity seemingly made up of binary code that kills eggs, taking them down to one life.

One day, there is a storm on the island and a ship crashes to the shore. On this boat are five YouTubers from Brazil, Cellbit, Pactw, Mike, Felps, and Forever. They are given an egg and they name him Richarlyson. These five are absolutely thrown into the thick of everything.

Cellbit starts investigating the Federation and starts a secret organization called The Order. He ends up getting kidnapped by the federation and tortured, but gets a bit of information about the island in return.

Felps also gets kidnapped later on because the streamer was going to Japan for two weeks. (There’s a joke in the fandom that getting kidnapped by the federation is getting sent to Japan, because I believe this has happened 2-3 times.) And Cellbit starts investigating his best friends disappearance.

I’m going to stop here with the summary because there is just So Much. (Qsmp feels like the One Piece of smps to me) I’ll do my best to summarize from here another day >:]

But this summary is around 1/3 of the story so far, and the story is still going! I recommend jumping into watching vods or streams because every perspective is different and not knowing much about the story does not effect much in my opinion! There’s a new islander that may be a good pov to watch if you want to get into streams, her name is Bagi and she is wonderful.

HELLO??? OMG THANK YOU???

This was so nice of you to type out agskahjahajaa I’m dying a little you’re my new favourite person (/lh) I would die for you this is amazing

I should jump onto Bagi streams, she seems funny as hell from what I’ve seen, thank you so much anon omg

[ellmaii]

Something I noticed since getting into tumblr are the amount of post bashing Mileven in favour of Byler AND the amount of people claiming that they don’t love each other.

It seems that a lot of the post used to explain why Byler should happen are an analysation of Mikes and Elevens relationship and why they don’t think they’re compatible. If people don’t believe they love each other that’s fine but why must that mean Mike likes Will instead?

Will likes Mike, at this point it’s very obvious and has been hinted at for a long time. BUT, what gives people the impression that Mike likes him back? What gives people the impression that Mike is homosexual at all? Sure, we’ve never seen him like a girl other that Eleven but at least we’ve seen him be visibly attracted to one girl, but I’ve never seen him be that way towards another boy. We have seen him compliment her appearance on many occasions and not just to be nice because you can see the attraction on his face. He clearly enjoys kissing her. I know people like to point out the scene where she says ‘I love you too’ and his shocked and non verbal response to her kiss but to me it was just that, shock. Shock that she knew the what he said the whole time and that she felt the same way and expressed it for the first time unexpectedly. He’s very physically affectionate with her and expressed that she’s the most important thing in the world to him on a number of occasions and not always through words, but his actions. When it comes to Will though, like the rest of his friends he tends to neglect his relationship with him in favour of El. Even when Will is practically crying out for Mikes attention he doesn’t even notice, everything to him is about El. Obviously he’s his best friend and he loves him but I never understood how Mikes feelings for him could be interpreted as anything other that platonic.

I don’t speak on behalf of all gay people but I’m a lesbian who didn’t come out until I was 15. Now I’m 20. Before that I had a few boyfriends, trying to convince myself I liked them because all my friends had boyfriends. I remember when I’d kiss them it felt like a chore, I wouldn’t let a kiss turn into a make out session because I would get uncomfortable. I found it disgusting and I’d share that opinion with friends. I never really had any real physical attraction to the boys I dated. It was always I liked the way they dress and their personality and respect they had for me but nothing more. When I see Mike with El, how he looks at her, his protectiveness, always wanting to please her and buy her gifts and his displays of affection, hand holding and kissing.. I see myself with girls I like, in ways I could never see myself behaving with a man.. because I am not attracted to them. As a lesbian who has experience zero and one sided attraction relationships, I cannot comprehend how people argue that Mike is gay. In all honesty, at 13 when season 1 came out, his behaviours towards El we’re always something I looked for in a relationship and never found until I was true to myself and found it with girls.

I tag Byler, Mileven, Anti Mileven and Anti Byler in this post NOT to be disrespectful, disregard how Byler shippers feel or try to convert anyone to shipping Mileven BUT to give the opportunity to hear why people believe so strongly that Mike has feeling for Will. I do not understand but I’d like to. None of the post I have read so far have given me the impression that Mike feels the same way for Will so I want to understand where people get the idea from.

[clarajohnson]

the magicians s1e12

guys i'm having so much fun with this rewatch (recap reminds me that richard killed his son through neglect and q betrayed alice with the threesome and julia's about to get duped by a fake goddess) um

this kitchen reminds me of the season 4 apartment but i'm having fun so i'm not gonna think about season 4

such a small thing but i have beef with the dude imbuing kady with faith by doing something for her like. i guess we disagree on what faith is!

you can't unring a bell so be certain when you call, julia!

poor penny getting stuck babysitting three neurotics and one alice (not neurotic relative to everybody else In This One Thing)

cannot get over q being the one who initiated it. i just can't.

jesus christ jason ralph is so hot

in 2015 you could sell an audience on the badassery of a line just by including the term patriarchy

please alice drinking triple sec :'''-)

we talk about alice's style being sexy librarian but it reads much more to me as a girl who knows she could fall at any second into twee oblivion so she's styling it in dark colors. i'm waiting for an owl necklace.

ooh! dionysus, okay!

i did NOT remember her hooking up with richard. but. i'm fine with it.

mannnnn i love julia wicker so much she is the epitome of the girl with an inch-thick tough exterior filled with love all the rest of the way through she is so special and good

fucking "didn't think you had that in you" go to hell quentin! oh MY cheating is okay YOUR consensual sex outside of a relationship is BAD! again this is why i hated him the first time around

How I was feeling about Quentin would have got us all killed. :l

i kind of feel like if he was a real person i would have bullied quentin coldwater or at least been very rude to him. sorry quentin!

lol the "janet" "actually it's margo" "this time" joke went over my head last time

I PLANNED MY WHOLE OUTFIT AROUND THAT BOTTLE !!!!!

truth serum is toxic and banned? interesting

"oh i was kind of poking around in the dark with that one" lollll my baby

quentin WOULD always bring up groundhog day. also he's actually stronger than me because if fogg told me i'd been killed in these exact circumstances 39 times i would absolutely lose all hope and try and beat the beast to the punch

penny has chemistry with everybodyyyyy

i'm in love with julia's pier one ass apartment

julia and q's reunion gets me so good !!!!! so bad !!!! "you smell the same" wow you guys should be friends forever for your entire lives and you WILL be!

julia calling god magic "some pretty eclectic shit" like it's a limited run pressing of a neutral milk hotel b-side

cool, useless, kind of gross

julia's destiny is to find a whole new kind of magic. do we think this happens? what is this referring to do we think?

the LOOK q gives julia after "richard gave it to me" so much immediate understanding and shit-stirring delight

it's crazy, like, not crazy but crazy that eliot stays so torn up about mike

"yeah, no, it still sounds bad."

JOSH HOBERMANNNNNNN !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

please i did not remember that they were all going to fillory in like fucking ren fair cosplay

MAGIC IS FOR FIXING THINGS JULIA SAYS (also "if fixing things was easy everyone would do it" because somebody needs to fucking validate quentin now and then)

despite my indignation on julia's behalf i do love the choice of isolating her from the academic environment of brakebills, i think it adds a new dimension and texture to her knowledge and understanding and engagement with the world around her and i like that so much

it's fucking crazy that q and jules just... do horomancy. like horomancy is such a big fucking thing the rest of the show and in this ep they just do it!

alice's light bending feels so much like a superpower, it's so rare that they let magic seem that magical but they let it happen there and i love that

margo hanson i love you and your gun forever

the moment jules and q step through the telephone booth always kind of gets me it's so much of what the promise of the show can be it's so lovely

[meetinthewest]

Possible connection between the van scene and the byler convo in Will’s bedroom(?)

This might be a shoot in the dark, but I had to get it to the community so we don’t miss out on any possibilities, because I haven’t seen anyone talk about this. 

I’ve been thinking a lot about the van scene lately, trying to figure out if Mike understood anything of what Will said in his confession and what exactly he could have. I personally believe he somehow got that Will was talking about himself because of the way he reacted (his expressions and everything he knows that simply does not align with all those lies), but I’m not sure.

The interpretations on the last words of the van scene from the script stood out to me and I kept wondering why they changed it for the version that officially came out.

On the script:

“…You really think so?”

“I know so.”

On the final version:

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.” 

Then out of nowhere I connected it to the “Yeah?” “Yeah.” from the original script of the byler conversation in Will’s bedroom (episode 4)!!! I know, they obviously changed it as well for the final version to “Cool” “Cool.” (which is also adorable and parallels that Robin and Vickie scene). 

And I know that technically for those kind of things the final version is the one we should consider more, but I couldn’t help but think if there is any connection between these two scenes. Maybe they parallel each other? I mean, just look at it: 

In episode 4: 

Mike opens up, he apologizes and takes accountability for his bad attitude and neglect, explains himself/his feelings (how he feels like he has lost Will and regrets it), hints Will’s importance for him (“it’s not the same without you”), and basically says what he wants from now on (to be best friends, close, to have Will again). Will just listens and takes it all in, “emotional”. 

In the van scene: 

Will opens up, he apologizes and takes accountability for his bad attitude and pushing away, explains himself/his feelings (how he feels different and scared to lose Mike), hints Mike’s importance for him (“you’re the heart”, “you make her feel like she’s not a mistake at all”) and says what he expects from now on (having to let go of Mike, but knowing he can’t, he needs and wants Mike). Mike just listens, takes it all in, “emotional”.

IT’S PRACTICALLY THE SAME THING. It’s the same composition, same meaning, they check every same box equally. It’s like they are having one single and continued conversation, just on separate moments. They explain each other their parts on the relationship problems and resolve it, both getting apologies, validation and reassurance. It complements one another and wraps up their issues (the friendship ones, at least). They’re understood now, on the same page. God, I love them.

I’m not quite sure if those last words mean something or what they could mean, but I’m kind of convinced that the similarity of the confessions themselves means something huge. 

As for what I was wondering initially, if we can use the same interpretation for both scenes, this leads to me thinking that Mike did understand everything Will was saying, but not the romantic meaning of it all. Just like Will got what Mike was saying to him, but didn’t notice how head over heels was that declaration. Two love birds who can’t imagine the possibility of their best friend/crush reciprocating their feelings, but think they are on good terms now, at least. 

That’s it, this might be very delusional and I don’t write as beautifully as my fellow bylers theorizers, but I had to get it out even if it is in a sloppy and unsure way. 

Anyways, any thoughts on this?

[thestrangestthing89]

Mike and El's Codependent Relationship

You can read up on codependency here. I wrote about Mike's character here so I will try not to repeat myself too much.

I want to stress that Mike and El didn't suddenly start having a codependent relationship in season 3, that was just when the romantic element was added to it. Their dynamic was a problem from the start and it's why I think even the Duffer's were thrown off by the fact that people were shipping them. Not only were they compared to Eliot and ET, but it's clear that their interactions were related to their trauma. I don't believe they ever wanted us to root for them. They are there to represent forced conformity not a healthy relationship.

When they meet in season 1, Mike is trying to find Will (Lucas and Dustin too, but Mike is the leader). The thing that's important about this is that Mike starts to lead the party to find Will because he doesn't trust the adults around him to do it. His parents don't join the search party, the bully at school mentions how he must have gotten killed by "some other queer", and Mike doesn't know Hopper and doesn't trust him. There are a lot of comments made that indicate that people aren't surprised he's missing. Which is what leads to Mike saying that he's "the only one who cares about Will". This is what drives him to go looking himself. He's the Paladin, so he's going to rescue Will.

The fact that he role plays as the Paladin is the driving force behind a lot of his behavior. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing, as long as he establishes boundaries with it. But in this case, this role does put him and his friends in danger and Mike is often reckless and impulsive this season (jumping off a cliff, pushing the bully, running off in the woods in the middle of the night, etc.). The group is often in over their heads. He doesn't seem to have any regard for his safety and it's entirely because he doesn't think anyone else cares about Will. Lucas and Dustin are helping him but they are also fighting with him a lot, especially over El and I think it's what partly leads to his desperation. So he clings to El because she's the only way he can rescue Will. He can't do it alone. He needs her. Mike and El have what is basically a business arrangement. When he's trying to figure out what to do with her, he finds out she has powers and knows who Will is. So now she has a use for him and she's a weapon (a thing he actually calls her). She's going to find Will and in exchange he's going to protect her from the "bad men". But it's not Mikes responsibility to protect her from Brenner. He doesn't have an age appropriate response to finding out that she's in danger. It's an exaggerated sense of responsibility. He should have still told his mother or another adult what was going on here but the fact that he doesn't says a lot about Mike. He was afraid of getting into trouble when he told, but he also sees this as something that he needs to take care of himself.

He's also the one who responds to El in a more emotionally mature way than Lucas and Dustin which suggests that he has experience taking care of people (my guess is this involves Will and Lonnie. There are similarities between them and El and Brenner). He views her as his responsibility which is a big burden for a 12 year old to take on. So he not only wants El to help him rescue Will but he thinks he can also rescue El in the process. So when El doesn't exactly follow through on their "deal" he gets angry with her. Part of it is that she doesn't know how to explain, but she also is afraid to tell him the truth. She's scared and it's something Mike doesn't always see in his desperation to get to Will. Mike and El have the same dynamic even now. She lies to him because she is scared and doesn't think he'll understand, and he needs her to be a superhero while all of his attention is on Will and he neglects what she's going through. There is no trust here from either of them.

The only time these two have an emotional connection is over the bullying. It's a very brief conversation where it's clear that Mike is starting to see her as someone who he could maybe be friends with. He doesn't know her well but the fact that she understands meant a lot to him. And it's this same thing she shuts down in season 4 when he tries to bring it up again. Their bond over this is not strong.

El's purpose in Mike's life in this season is to save Will. And it's not just him, they are all using her. While she helps voluntarily, the scene where they are at the school watching her in the pool is a parallel to her getting watched by the lab people while she's in the sensory deprivation tank. Her friends watch her perform. While this group is obviously kinder to her than the people at the lab, there is something deeply sad about the fact that the first group of people she comes across outside of it still need her for her powers.

Mike also spins El this fairytale version of what their lives could be - she's going to stay at his house and go to the Snow Ball. At this point he's attached to her and it's stemming from guilt and the trauma they just went through. He's now gotten chased by the lab people and sees how much danger she's in and how he put her in harms way too by having her help with Will. He feels like he owes her. Mike, Lucas, and Dustin are the first kids outside of the lab that she's met that are her age. But she doesn't remember the lab kids and they weren't close with her. So these three are the first peers that she meets who start to form a relationship with her. But by the end of the season they are still viewing her as a superhero and not a person. When they tell Will about her they are excited about her powers and how she flipped a van. She's the superhero who swooped in the rescue them all.

Season 2 is the first time that we get a glimpse of El as a kid and it's because of Hopper. He gives her a home, reads to her, helps he communicate better, plays games with her, and makes her eat her vegetables. It's the first stable, safe home that she has. Except for the fact that she's still in danger and can't leave the house. So she gets attached to Mike. She is lonely. She's by herself all day with no one to talk to and she can't leave so she checks in on one of the few people she actually knows all while watching soap operas and reenacting them. It's clear she imagines her and Mike in these roles. And considering the toxic relationships that were represented on soap opera's in the 80s, her mimicking this isn't healthy. It's the only representation of a romance that she has.

Mike during this time also has an unhealthy attachment to her because of his grief and guilt. I wrote about this here. Mike's behavior isn't indicative of a crush but depression. And Mike's behavior toward Will being in danger this season is different than in season 1. It's more age appropriate and it's entirely because he is surrounded by 3 adults who he trusts - Joyce, Hopper, and Bob. Mike's role toward Will as the Paladin is more of a protective friend. He's by his side through it all supporting him, sleeping by his bed, and helping find a way to protect him. But he never crosses a line by being reckless and putting himself in unnecessary danger like he did in the first season. There is no exaggerated sense of responsibility here. Because he has adults near him handling things and he doesn't feel like he has to.

It's this behavior that Will is appreciative of. Mike doesn't baby him like almost everyone else. It's what leads to Will giving Mike the painting later and calling him the heart. It's their emotional connection that means everything to both of them. They bonded over their trauma in a healthy way, discussing how they were feeling and listening to each other without dismissing each other. They created a sense of safety in their relationship. A thing that Mike and El don't have because they never discuss anything that they've been through.

When El feels betrayed by Hopper she doesn't go to Mike. She goes off on her own to find herself. Which is good and shows that on some level she knows she can separate herself from him. She reconnects with her mother, aunt, and sister and figures out where she belongs. Her home is with Hopper. The first adult who gave her a safe space to act like a kid. But she also realizes that they are in trouble and goes back to help them. El feels responsible for all of the problems that they are having because she's the one who opened the gate to the upside-down. She didn't do it on purpose, but it's why she allows herself to get run down trying to save everyone. She thinks it's her fault.

When El and Mike reunite and she tries to kiss him, it's clear she has been fantasizing about this relationship in a romantic and unrealistic way. They were apart for a whole year and she thought they would just pick up where they left off, without discussing anything. But Mike clearly hasn't been thinking of her like this. He doesn't try to kiss her or interact with her in a way that's romantic and he seems surprised that she does. He is relieved that she's ok because he was feeling so guilty for putting her in danger but he's not romanticizing their relationship the way that she is.

And then she's putting herself in danger to save them again, and this is where Mike starts to get reckless for the first time all season. He leads the group into the upside-down tunnels to help, when they were told to stay put and wait. He feels like he needs to save her. And again, it's not his responsibility to do this. Not only does she have superpowers and is capable of saving herself, but he puts himself in this role because he doesn't know how else their dynamic works. They don't have the foundation of a friendship for him to fall back on so he acts like the Paladin. It stems entirely from guilt and trauma. The only interactions these two have had at this point involved a week of stress and very dramatic, life-threatening situations. That's the foundation of their relationship.

Part 2 (conclusion)

[bylerisc4non]

i'm the worst at thinking of things to send asks about, so what is your most favorite topic to ramble about? feel free to get into ramble territory rn i am here to listen >:)

Okay, allow me to take the mic real quick--

So. Mike Wheeler. That's what I want to ramble about right now. This boy is on my mind constantly and I'm genuinely terrified for him. But also there's a very real reason I kin him and I'm always being reminded of it because this boy is damaged. So is Will, which is why I kin them both. Anyway- Michael is so damaged for real. Emotionally and mentally damaged. I'm talking this boy has so much trauma and has me crying over him 24/7. The self sabotage? The internalized homophobia? The loyal/protective friend behavior? The little regard for himself? His eating disorder? His s*icidal tendencies all because he cares more about others' safety than his own? Guys. Come on. This boy is so selfless. He does not deserve all the hate he's gotten and I'm sticking to that. So what if he's flawed? It only makes him a more relatable, human, and realistic character. Obviously he cares about (*cough cough* is in love with) Will and would do absolutely anything for him. He came to Lenora trying to be normal and cool, but he dropped the act real quick because he just wanted his friend back tbh.

Will is his best, best friend (and the love of his life) and he cares for him deeply. He never wanted to hurt Will, it just happened because of the fact that he has a problem with accepting himself and self sabotage. He's a struggling 14 year old. What 14 year old do you know that hasn't gone through that? He's angsty and moody and i just want to love on him because he's got middle child syndrome and he's been a bit neglected. Not saying his parents are bad, obviously, just saying that Nancy and Holly were a lot more loved on because they were probably more open to their parents, unlike Mike who was more open to his friends and found himself identifying more with the party. Also, this boy has so much bottled up and I just need it to come out and be addressed in st5 or I will explode. #mike wheeler needs a hug.

Whenever people say Mike's been a jerk/asshole for the past two seasons, well, I can't exactly argue with that, because it's true. But you have to try and wedge your way into Mike's brain past his immediate appearance. He's really just misunderstood. He's dealing with a lot, like any kid his age. He's struggling with finding and accepting himself. He's losing himself in El because it's easy to do. He's trying to identify himself in her and be what he thinks he should be instead of what he actually his. So, in the end, I hope he leaves El and learns to accept and love himself.

Ugh. I'm sorry. I'm unwell. I'm just a broken record at this point but I love Mike Wheeler, he's misunderstood, he needs love. Thank you for your time.