Lillie98 - Lillies_World - Tumblr Blog

Stay Gold from The Outsiders might be the most beautiful, poetic, and poignant “moving on” song ever created. Three simple words transformed into a message of hope, healing, and grace. Thank you, Johnny Cade. 💛 Stay Gold, Ponyboy.

S5 isn’t even out yet but I still can’t be over this shot, Mike and Lucas, not walking, RUNNING towards Will everytime he feels something wrong mean so much to me. Ladies and gentlemen he IS the main focus AND main character of Season 5.

we thought geeked week was over and they just gave us that bullshit. everybody is sad and disappointed. tears are shed… until… a noise… ITS NOAH SCHNAPP! the reason he wasn’t in the bts vid is because he’s here!! he grabs the mic and whispers… byler endgame… the internet goes wild and peace is restored to tumblr

guys 😭😭 he doesn’t know what’s going to happen next 😭😭 but he thinks that whatever it is 😭😭😭 they should go into it together 😭😭😭😭 as a team 😭😭😭😭 friends 😭😭 best friends 😭

While I’ve got the attention of the larger Stranger Things fandom, I just want to say:

If you’re using a fan putting up stickers in a picture with Noah Schnapp to justify death and sexual assault threats, or homophobic and antisemitic slurs thrown at him or his family, you’re a sick freak and you deserve to be called one to your face.

Not one single Palestinian life is going to be saved by you being a deranged homophobic antisemite on main, but you will be spared job opportunities and social clout when I blast your bigotry on every social media platform I have access to.

I don’t blur the names of bigots who think threats of violence are cute. Peace ✌🏻

I want to see more disabled steddie

Give me eddie who has shit lung capacity and digestion issues from the damage the bats caused. Eddie with forearm crutches and/or a cane to help him get around. Eddie who has a wheelchair for especially bad days when it hurts too much to move around. Eddie who can never quite catch his breath.

Give me steve who needs hearing aids and glasses. Steve who gets dizzy and nauseous and cant ever seem to stay balanced. Steve with a speech imediment. Steve who has trouble identifying common items.

Give me steddie who struggle though recovery together. Steddie who help each other to love themselves again.

I so desperately want to see more disability representation in fics and these boys are perfect for it.

oh

oh.

i just noticed

mike only notices el's absence and feels it the most when he suspects she's dead or gone for good, or in danger. right. see that's normal behavior when you care for someone. or when you've dedicated your whole identity and self-worth to saving someone

but mike feels will's absence even when he's simply not at school or living somewhere else, not only when death is a possibility. you see. now that's love.

Will haunting the narrative as both the innocent who was wrongfully destroyed AND the one that got away.

Season 2 Will impacting everything Mike does from that point forward just as much as Will's death impacts everyone.

El thinks of him when she confronts Brenner about the mind flayer, we know things like that. But Mike also thinks of him when he tells El he loves her.

They're all thinking of him. The last time they saw him.

The way he was never the same.

But Mike is thinking about the last time he saw him.

Losing him.

The way they were never the same.

(The way he can't get him back)

Yes, Will's disappearance changed everyone's trajectory forever. But he also changed Mike. He also made Mike's personal and romantic life impossible to return to after him.

He haunts more than just the people who mourn his death.

(The sole purpose of Mike's season 2 separation from El in the first place is so that he can never truly go back after Will)

Will's Arc Ties the Whole Series Together

"Will really takes center stage again in [season] 5," Ross Duffer told Variety. "This emotional arc for him is what we feel is going to hopefully tie the whole series together. Will is used to being the young one, the introverted one, the one that’s being protected. So part of his journey, it’s not just sexuality – it’s Will coming into his own as a young man."

So in other words...

Will Byers will receive more attention in season 5 due to his importance in the story. His goals, motivations, conflicts, and decisions will make Will’s story an emotional arc. Instead of Will keeping his thoughts and feelings to himself, he’ll become more open and honest not just to others but also himself. Instead of needing protection and being treated like a child, he will stand up to fight to protect others and make his own decisions instead of doing what others want him to do. To come into his own, Will must face challenges such as going against numerous enemies and trials along the way (internal and external conflicts), and emerge stronger and wiser at the end. Once Will overcomes these challenges, he’ll be able to:

Utilize his strengths and unique qualities to his fullest extent.

Become more self-assured and comfortable in his own skin, no longer needing to defer to others or hold himself back.

Establish a strong, independent sense of self, rather than relying on others' perceptions or definitions of who he is.

Fully showcase his talents, skills, and perspectives, without feeling the need to conform or blend in.

Reach new heights in his career, personal life, or other endeavors where his true abilities can shine.

Will’s story is about self-discovery and growth. He will grow into the fullest expression of his authentic self and potential. His emotional arc will tie the whole series together because in order to defeat Vecna and save Hawkins, Will must find and accept himself instead of conforming and relying on others’ perceptions of who he is.

And we know Will will always need Mike. Because Mike is the key to Will finally finding and accepting himself. Mike makes Will feel like he's not a mistake. He feels better for being different because of Mike. He can be himself because of Mike. And that gives him the courage to fight on. The courage to finally defeat Vecna once and for all.

"I think Mike is trying to be as normal as possible and try to keep on a normal path." —Finn Wolfhard

"How is he (Mike) this clueless right now? With the Will scene in the car, I remember asking the Duffers, why would he not know this? And they're like, don't worry it'll pay off in the end." —Finn Wolfhard

"I can just tell you that I'm very very excited for what's to come. I think they did a great job with Will's character this season, and beautifully addressed everything they needed to. The way they closed the show is just perfect – the story started with Will, and it’ll end with Will."

—Noah Schnapp

"Our show is an anthem for the marginalized and imperfect, precisely because the Duffer brothers know from experience that the popular and easy road is rarely the most interesting one, and that character, grit, connection, and soul are bred in the same moments that challenge us the most." —Shawn Levy

With Mike and Will becoming a team in season 5 and Will taking center stage, it could only mean one thing...

Byler Endgame

actually screaming at this

phonegate is so real

byler confession is gonna be so intense and one of the most memorable scenes of the whole show because think about it: what other ship has been given such a build up to a confession?

mike still has to discover the painting lie - that's gonna be a very big plot point in s5 and going to cause some drama (i don't necessarily think mike is gonna be furious, just very regretful of what could've been if he'd known.)

mike and will have no faith that the other likes them at this point. mike's hopes probably died in the pizza place, will's died in the van. meanwhile other relationships in the show had a pretty mutual understanding that the other liked them before they finally got together.

IT'S GAY. they're both closeted gay boys in a small town in the 80s who struggle with internalized homophobia and shame. it's gonna be fucking beautiful to watch them finally find the courage to confess to one and other, risking so much.

with everything that's set up, mike and will's kiss/confession is bound to be one of the most memorable moments of the show for sure

stranger gays, you will always be famous

I couldn't stop thinking about this post and especially not the description by @lillie98

I thought Mike was autistic since s2. Especially when he hit Hopper - that was a very me-wsque meltdown. In this image, he's found something so unbelievably cool that he's tun to chat to Will, who's working at Family Video (side note: I didn't search uo the uniform or desk, this is all from memory lmao!!!)

Hes got a gift from Eddie (who is also like him - and tells him to embrace it.) They're called ear defenders, are they're like wireless headphones. He loves them, especially the pretty blue colour. They're a bit like Will's glasses because hr can function without them, but it makes these easier to have them on.

Will is asking his questions, trying to be more informed about his boyfriend's special interest. He also loves hearing Mike ramble, and loves how nice Monday is now instead of a boring 4 ½ hour shift while his co-worker (cough, *Dustin*, cough) calls out sick.

‼️Because this will undoubtably get me blocked by the OP, posting here for posterity. Just to continue to expose these people for the attention-seeking grifters that they are.‼️

Picture is the post. My response is c/p'd below the image.

———

The need for validation to hate on someone publicly is gross, but sadly a continued feature of the movement trying to paint Noah as a bad person.

Meanwhile, that same movement is on TikTok calling him the f-slur and saying he should “get the Hitler treatment” to the tune of 40K likes.

That same movement is on X/Twitter calling for him, his family, and anyone associated with him to be beaten and r*ped. They’re also posting fake articles saying he has monkeypox, which is not only untrue, but deeply homophobic.

Oh, and I had one in my comments a few weeks back going into great detail about how she wanted to physically beat the hell out of Noah if she ever saw him in person. Wonder why he’s telling people in Atlanta not to take pictures of him out with Finn? People who are saying shit like that. That’s why.

And that’s just what we see. God only knows what his DMs are like.

For what? Sticking up for a raped and killed Jewish woman on Instagram? For stickers that weren’t his and he wasn’t even holding? Really? Discounting his three calls for peace, and the entire section of his Instagram post that calls for Palestinian self-determination? Again… Really?

In short: No. You didn’t cook. You’re looking for validation to attack Noah and are upset more people aren’t still doing it. Stop preaching about “people are dying” from a high place, pretending you’re “critiquing people with power,” and then turn around and prop up an online movement that is being actively exposed for its horrifically anti-Black, antisemitic, and homophobic tactics and rhetoric, and violent threats.

It’s weird. It sucks. You suck. Royally.

imma gonna say it. mike wheeler is allowed to be a bitch to will one (1) time in s5. and i need it to be in front of joyce, who has only ever known mike as the boy who slept on will’s floor, followed him and nearly died at the lab, cared for him, and loved him so gently his entire life. i need joyce to take will aside, ask him what happened. what changed. i need will to give a noncommittal answer. i need joyce to then corner mike and ask him, in the kindest but most direct way possible, why he stopped loving her son. i need mike to misunderstand, to think she knows. i need him to tell her everything. i need him to break down and for her to hold him and tell him it’s going to be okay. i need joyce byers to give mike wheeler the courage to to love her son freely

was it casual when you left your favorite holiday to comfort him, mike wheeler? was it casual when your love for him was the only thing that was able to break him out of supernatural possession, mike wheeler? was it casual when you blamed yourself for his disappearance and refused to stop looking for him even when his body was found, mike wheeler? was it casual when you biked across town in the rain to apologize to him, mike wheeler? was it casual when asking him to be your best friend was the best thing you ever did, mike wheeler? is it casual, mike wheeler?

*taps mic* STEVE HARRINGTON IS NOT STUPID.

Thank you for your time.

I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again but it is absolutely an example of civilizational inadequacy that only deaf people know ASL

“oh we shouldn’t teach children this language, it will only come in handy if they [checks notes] ever have to talk in a situation where it’s noisy or they need to be quiet”

I just realized, during his monologue, Mike essentially gives Eleven permission to live out her truth. Mike believes he could never openly love Will because of his internalized homophobia, but he gives El a chance to fight for that life instead. Him screaming “Fight!” while the camera holds on Max cannot be a coincidence. He’s telling her to fight for the life she wants to live.

“I could never love Will because of everything I’ve done to him, but you have a chance. Fight through your anxiety and love your truth. Do it because I can’t.”

Okay, so to escape Vecna, Max has to search for her happy memories. At first, we see all her memories with her friends

But then there are more and more consecutive memories of her and Lucas

And hey, what suddenly inserts itself between all those memories that have a romantic significance?

And Max could have managed to escape from Vecna thanks to the memory of the dance where she kisses Lucas. It would have been cute, romantic, and impactful for Lumax. But no, instead, we get a shot of Max’s face, showing that this memory isn’t enough. She needs something that completes all these memories to finally help her escape, and BAM!!

And the battle against Vecna at the Snow Ball is so Elmax

Like, to find Max in her mind, Eleven heads towards a piece of music, and it could have been any song, but it had to be "Dream a Little Dream of Me." A clearly romantic song, and just look at the lyrics that play as El moves toward the music

And the shots on Max. She’s literally surrounded by blue and is technically in a sad, blue phase of her life.

Then just "Dream a Little Dream of Me,"

And Max starts searching for her memories, which are all wrapped up in memories of her and El.

And then that line from Vecna with a rainbow crossing Max’s face, followed by that memorie

And the scene where El appears out of nowhere like in a dream ( "Dream a Little Dream of Me")

El lowers her voice to reassure Max

Max asks her if she’s real and thinks she might have created her because she’s been thinking so much about her memories with her.

their hands!

El ready to explain how she got there, even though Vecna is literally in the same room with them

And just this scene

Max ready to attack Vecna to defend El, even though she has no superpowers and stands no chance against him

El, who couldn’t do anything during Mike’s monologue, just looks at Max and fights

And just these scenes

x

“I chose and my world was shaken

So what?

The choice may have been mistaken

The choosing was not

You have to move on”

(Move On, Sunday in the Park with George)

I found THEIR song!! “The choice” references Mike letting Will leave his house on November 6, 1983. “The choosing was not”….asking Will to be his friend and joining him on this adventure. Mike would do it all over again in a heartbeat, but they have to move on in order to heal. It’s time to put the past behind them and embark on their next adventure.

****I am in no way saying Will’s (or anyone else’s) feelings are invalid, but you cannot dwell on the past. The Upside Down will be stuck on November 6, 1983 until Will Byers accepts his past and looks bravely towards his future. Only then, can they begin to heal.

the first time i saw this, when i was NOT a byler shipper, i thought el was running TO mike. i thought we were getting a sweet moment where el runs to mike and he puts an arm around her or hugs her.

then i realized she was running away from him. 

and i was like, why?? they're supposed to be the couple why does she not want his comfort??

and even after will calls her out on doing mike wrong by lying to him, even after she sees that mike is attempting to talk to her and comfort her, that he's not angry at her, she still tells angela to lie to mike. more lies. that's how much she cares about keeping up the persona. had angela lied to mike, el would've continued lying to him the entire week. something she knows in her heart is wrong and not fair to mike.

this is a theme in s4. putting who you want to be seen as before being honest with your bf/gf. going above and beyond to preserve your lie, to be seen as who you want to be.

chrissy does that with jason. who she portrays herself as is completely different than who she really is and what she's really going through. jason has absolutely no idea chrissy is struggling and refused to believe chrissy would buy drugs, because chrissy didn't want to tell him. who knows how jason would've reacted if chrissy was honest, we don't know because chrissy didn't trust him enough to tell him. that's not love at all, that's sad.

this is a point in s2 as well. murray calls nancy out for being afraid to be her true self, and she stays with steve because she doesn't have to be her true self around him. she is her true self when she's with jonathan, and that's why they worked together. that's love.

the exact same thing happens with chrissy. the first time we see her genuinely smile is when she's with eddie. she's sweet and charismatic, and had she lived she totally would've gone to eddie's show, something you never would've expected from her, something her boyfriend, the person she pretends to love, would NEVER do.

robin and steve reinforce this too

you fall in love with the person who makes you feel accepted, the person who makes you feel like you can be who you are. the person you trust with your true self.

mike and el don't trust each other enough, they don't understand each other well enough.

they would have to change their behavior towards each other by leaps and bounds, and we're already at the last season. there is no time for that. stranger things isn't a multi season show about the complexity of romantic relationships and the healthy way to resolve problems. there is no time for that in just about any movie or show, especially a sci-fi show. you know what's way easier and way more likable? pairing your character with someone they naturally click with, who bring out the best in each other and for some reason can't help but be their authentic selves when they're with each other.

did it with jancy, like i said earlier

did it with lumax. when lucas and max talked on the bus max found herself spewing about things she'd never even said out loud before, and she had to stop herself. something about lucas just made her feel comfortable, like she could be herself and tell the truth. she trusted him.

"You're nothing like your brother, okay? You're cool and different, you're super smart, and you're like, totally tubular."

jopper too! joyce constantly had to hide things from bob, she was insecure about their family not being normal.

"This is not a normal family."

"It could be."

though bob had good intentions, the message of the show is not trying to be normal when you aren't. whatever it is about you that makes you weird or different, whatever you've been through that changed you, stay true to it. dont bottle it up and try to be someone else. all of vecnas victims in s4 were doing this, and it didn't end well for them.

they even did it with dustin and suzie. dustin constantly tries to impress max with his teeth, then in season 3 he says suzie thinks kissing is better without teeth. he doesn't have to be insecure about that or try to impress her. she likes him for him.

mike isn't comfortable being his true self around el either. he's insecure about his interests, he feels like he has to act older and cooler to impress her.

you shouldn't be with the person you feel you have to impress. you should be with the person who relieves that pressure, who makes you feel like being the authentic you is enough.

jonathan and nancy, lucas and max, joyce and hopper, dustin and suzie,

cough WILL AND MIKE cough...

Honestly, reliving and loving the parallels between Will/Chrissy and Mike/Jason.

Mike rallies his close friends to find Will while Jason fearmongers the town to avenge Chrissy. Mike happens to find El and helps her, while Jason deliberately is finding people to violently interrogate them. Both boys recruit Lucas and Lucas happens to have a physical fight with both an emotional Mike/Jason later on in the season.

Will tried to get advice on dealing with his trauma by Bob who eventually dies by demodog mauling. Chrissy tried to get drugs to deal with her trauma via Eddie who eventually dies by demobat mauling.

s1 Mike being suicidal with that quarry jump vs Jason getting homicidal with his gun