Escape From Madness (murphy’s Law) — John Murphy

Heteronormativity is so powerful and here’s an example:

This is the “Cool” “Cool” scene. The pictures above show the moments after where they’re literally just staring at each other. There’s tender, emotional music playing in the background. They get interrupted right after by the sound of Argyle’s car and then Jonathan.

Basically, this is the trope of staring into each others’ eyes, having a moment, then getting interrupted. And if this were any straight couple (like jancy, lumax, or jopper, which I’m pretty sure all have a moment like this during the series), people would be like “oh they’re definitely getting together.” Like, actually imagine this is Jonathan and Nancy before they get together. It seems romantic, doesn’t it? The general audience would assume they’re going to end up together. But because Will and Mike are two boys…

It’s not homophobia. You can be accepting of LGBTQ+ things but still be affected by a heteronormative perspective. It’s the same thing that makes us think that characters being straight is the default and they have to be confirmed otherwise. Point is, the GA’s view of Byler is so much different than the straight couples. (There’s also Robin and Vickie, who are very much perceived as a couple or almost-couple, but that’s because it was outright stated. Byler is not.)

I just noticed this from the end of ST season 3 after Will and El leave Hawkins:

Mike goes home, and walks towards his mom with the most distraught expression. But the expression doesn’t seem sad that his girlfriend or best friend left him; the expressions feels almost as if he discovered something that was so shocking and unexpected to his core that he hugged his mother because that’s all he could do.

And this is after El kissing Mike and he completely stands still, confused, and with a similar expression in his face with his eyes FULLY open (I know what you are)

Additionally, this would explain why he is acting so different when he meets Will and El again in california in S4 - he discovered something about himself at the end of S3 that he wants to cover up and hide, because he is so distraught and ashamed of himself 🙃

I always underestimate Finn’s acting skills and then he does things like this!

there's no way these two aren't in love

there's no way these two aren't in love

there's no way these two aren't in love

there's no way these two aren't in love

there's no way these two aren't in love

there's no way these two aren't in love

there's no way these two aren't in love

there's no way these two aren't in love

there's no way these two aren't in love

true i don't get how people ship mileven

"when you're...different, sometimes you feel like a mistake."

what we used to be | masterlist

season one:

part one part two part three part four part five part six part seven part eight

season two:

part nine part ten part eleven part twelve part thirteen part fourteen part fifteen part sixteen part seventeen

season three:

part eighteen

mike's gay subtext runs so deep and i love it so much. i love any analysis about mike, but his gay coding is something so special to me and will always be tbh. he is obviously so much more than his sexuality. however, there's no way he gets all this subtext just for his sexuality to only be brought up briefly next season and his main plotline just be about "ok i finally broke up with el!! time to get with will! i am so confident in my sexuality! it's not like my reagan supporting family has any effect on me whatsoever! i just wanna kiss will this whole season and be glued to him!"

mike has to process his relationship with el and where it went wrong first. he has to come to a better understanding with why he stayed so long with her, why he feels the need to keep on a normal path. sure he wants to be needed and feels as if he's not (in the way el is, who he deems as a hero), but why? what is it about himself that he believes isn't worthy of being that traditional hero he wishes he could be? what is it about himself that keeps him from being the boy society expects of him? one, it's being into dnd. the town is out for blood for the hellfire club now. his parents never took his interest seriously as he did and only mocked him for it. they pushed him to grow up. but it obviously doesn't end there. he's not just insecure with his interests. there's a reason why they're hiding that mike is gay with all effort possible. it is a plot point - an important one. written literally in the show's story bible, mike's insecurities lie in not having kissed a girl. sounds like sexuality issues to me. sounds like something that still needs to be brought to light. why is he insecure about it?

also, in his first s5 bts, he's literally staring at the one way sign pointed at his closet (assuming it's still there) possibly hinting at what could be on Mike's mind this season.

they've barely discussed mike at all this whole time in interviews, which catches my attention a lot. finn gets very vague about him and immediately shifts conversation. we've received more about el and will. the most we've heard about mike is the fact he's on "his own journey" in regards to his dynamic with will, and it sounds like something we weren't meant to even hear.

mike's been on a journey to accepting several parts of himself throughout the whole show, and the final thing he'll have to accept is his sexuality this season.

s2 - his parents tell him to get rid of toys, mocking the fact he has emotional value to them. he's watching his friends crush on max, while he doesn't understand it one bit and feels left out. he's annoyed by it. by the end of the season, he's watching all his friends dance with a girl at the snowball while he sits alone, not even waiting/looking for el. just waiting for them to be done.

s3- he finally dates el, and his attention is completely taken by her. this is his attempt to be normal in the exact same way his friends were doing the previous season. this is his attempt to keep on a normal path the way everyone else is. but now he's realizing he messed up. this confuses him, because he genuinely believed this was the right thing to do - that's what he's observing from everyone else. if his friends do it, then he should too. will calls him out on not wanting to play dnd anymore and instead wanting to go out with el all the time. mike implies they have to grow up and move on (internalized behavior from his parents' attitude toward his interests)

s4- he finally learns to be himself and take pride in the fact he's part of the "nerds and freaks" of school. he's now embracing it by attending a dnd club and wearing his club shirt proudly - definitely something s3 him wouldn't do. but according to finn, mike is still trying to keep on a normal path this season. he wants to be normal. this is obviously referring to him being gay and his performative behavior with el - this is something that he hasn't yet overcame because of his lie in the monologue. mike decided to lie and stay in this loveless relationship for the sake of el's life. in the end, he still continues to keep on the normal path. (and in a way... is the reason why they lost.)

s5- so mike's accepted his nerdy self and is embracing it but now has yet to accept one last thing according to finn, and that's implied to be his sexuality. he must face the truth that he doesn't love el and never has (in that way). he has to be truthful to himself entirely this season in order for them to win. he has to realize his worth despite not matching society's expectations of him. his heart has to fully be in it!

The boy with the freckles

Pairing: Alex Walter x female reader

Context: Alex is in college but his past still haunts him and then he meets you

>>>

———

Being fifteen felt like yesterday, but it was years ago.

Alex woke up with a groan, the new day didn’t bring anything new. It reminded him of his past more than he would have liked. In his last year at college, he felt the scars of his teens come alive to haunt him.

It was tumultuous and panic filled, nightmares of that moment he came to know Jackie had left without a word. His ability to place his trust in people had faded because if his own brother could betray him time and time again, why wouldn’t a stranger?

He squinted his eyes at the sunlight that crept through into his dark room. He dragged his cover over his head. It was hard work, getting to silence the thoughts in his head. He was a work in progress, he was aware of all the areas he had to be mindful of.

He had to remind himself he was his own person. He had to become secure, to know that he was enough as he is. That the love he gave away for free was actually priceless. That Kylie breaking off their friendship was so she could heal and he had no control over it. He had to come to terms with it, that life changed and so should he.

This dorm room felt huge or maybe it only felt like that since he was alone. He didn’t have Nathan sharing his room or Isaac yelling down the hallway. He could just rot beneath these sheets and no one would know.

But as he slumped in his bed, contemplating if he should skip calculus, there was a knock on the door.

He let it pass. Most cases it would be other students coming by to drop invitations to parties. But there was another knock and he pulled away his blanket to see the faint slit of shadow underneath the door.

“Who is it?”, he yelled out to see the shadow feet shuffle before answering.

“Sorry to bother you but I was told to meet you if I wanted to join the gaming club.”, he heard a voice.

He got out of bed in an instant. He would recognise that tone anywhere. He searched for a shirt as he pulled it over his head to then run past the mirror to make sure his face was alright.

It wasn’t, his hair was a mess, the sunlight had made his freckles stand out. On days like these he wished he looked more like Cole. The only ‘effect’ he had with people was off putting.

“I’ll probably come by another time.”, he heard the dejection in your voice as you began to move away and it threw him into overdrive.

He couldn’t care less about his appearance.

He reached for the door knob and yanked it open, his muddy green eyes catching yours. His throat ran dry, he froze.

He felt like he was fifteen again, not twenty three.

He watched you like he was trying to memorise the brush strokes on a painting he could never get up close. The dark curls of your hair, the deep tan in your skin, the flush of colour in your cheeks and your magnetic eyes.

There he stood, as though life had thought him nothing.

He didn’t know what to say.

He noticed you look away and the skeletons in his closet broke loose.

He was unravelling, his mind convincing him that you could see right through him.

He had to act fast, to work through this, so he stuck out his hand.

“Hi, I’m Alex Walter.”, he winced as he said it. He could see himself from your gaze. He sounded stupid.

But to his surprise, you took his hand.

“I know.”, you replied as your fingers wrapped around his palm.

“You’re the boy with the freckles.”, he heard you say and it made his cheeks flush.

“Ah yes, my only defining quality.”, he sighed as his smile faded.

He knew where this was going. It reminded him of who he wasn’t like. That this was his effect.

He let go of your hand as he folded his arms, he couldn’t help it, the way his body became defensive, ready to hide away.

He had done this before, give away his best in the hopes of a little attention so now he fought against it.

“Makes me stick out like a sore thumb.”, he shrugged his shoulders as he caught the change in your expression.

“Oh no, I didn’t mean to be rude.”, you panicked. He was taller than you with his toned arms crossed across his chest. You could tell the glimmer in his eye had vanished, now he looked at you as though he was seeing a ghost.

“I..”, you had lost your words. Where had all your confidence gone?

Your gaze shifted to catch a glimpse of him. His bed head hair mussed like he was a crazy scientist, his eyes reminding you of the meadows back home and his freckles that haunted your dreams, tempting you to reach up and touch his cheek.

“I just think it makes you look beautiful.”, you said, not realising the step you had taken towards him or that his eyes softened with that glow again.

His gaze dipped to your lips just as you looked up to see him.

He was incorrigible, just like his brother. Cause here he was feeling that blissful sense of warmth fill his heart as much as he had tried to run from it.

“Do you?”, he whispered before he could catch himself

“I…”, you were about to respond to his question when he shifted his weight and the moment broke.

“Do you want to come by to a club event today?”, he changed the question.

You thought it was for the best. Alex Walter deserved someone who wasn’t a wreck like you.

He was a coward. All those moments of convincing himself to build up his courage to take on a new adventure had all boiled down to nothing, cause truth be told he was scared.

He was scared of all the love he held for you.

strangrr things five could go one of two ways.

and i will make the same post either way, with one key difference.

SCENARIO ONE:

This is the character with the best writing, design, acting, and plot. Fight me.

SCENARIO TWO:

This is the most poorly designed character, and no ending will make less sense ever.

Second Son Navigation | A Regulus Black Series

Synopsis: Forbidden from contacting Harry over the summer, you opt to explore the eerie halls of Grimmauld Place where you stumble upon a lonely portrait of the House's second son.

Warnings: Story is not canon compliant. Includes time jumps. Magic lore is altered/not compliant with canon HP series.

Status: Completed (03.14.23 - 04.24.23)

Main Masterlist

Chapter I

Chapter II

Chapter III

Chapter IV

Chapter V

Chapter VI

Chapter VII

Chapter VIII

Chapter IX

Chapter X

Chapter XI

Chapter XII

Chapter XIII

Chapter XIV

Chapter XV

Chapter XVI

Chapter XVII

Chapter XVIII

Chapter XIX

Chapter XX (Epilogue)

Why Mike Wheeler's Anger Towards Will Byers Makes Sense

In Stranger Things 4x02, from Will's perspective and therefore the audience's perspective, Mike is the one acting strange all day. First, he gives Will a half-assed hug even though it's been a while since they last saw each other face-to-face. Secondly, he is seemingly leaving Will out. Finally, he says that Will is being a douche and blames him, not El's bullies, for sabotaging the day.

Mike's anger towards Will seems misplaced and that it's coming out of nowhere. But looking back at Mike's own POV, his anger, especially towards Will, makes complete sense.

Mike is angry at Will because he believes that Will doesn't value their friendship as much as Mike does.

Let's go all the way back to the airport reunion, starting with the dreaded "hug".

From Will's POV, Mike's half-assed hug at the airport reunion is what initiates the simmering tension between the two throughout this episode. On the other hand, Mike genuinely doesn't know that his lackluster greeting is what makes Will upset.

Because remember, Mike is desperately trying to keep up a facade to protect himself and he believes that Will is straight, so in his mind, it doesn't make sense for Will to be overly upset over their lackluster greeting because straight guys (assumedly) hug like this all the time.

Mike doesn't have a plausible reason for why Will's behavior onwards seems... disproportionate. Because Will had looked so happy when he saw Mike and now, his mood has basically flipped soon afterwards. After all, why would a straight man be so upset about a missed hug from their best friend who is also a guy...

But guess what only cements the idea even further that "Will is straight" in Mike's head? When Mike asks Will about the painting, and he replies in response that it is just simply that, a painting. Now Will's statement here already conflicts with El's statement in her letter to Mike that Will is possibly painting for a girl. Regardless of which statement is true, the only thing that Mike can confirm is that the painting is not for him.

But it confirms something else in which the whole fight about Rink O' Mania is mainly about: Will does not confide in Mike anymore. After all, why bring a painting to Mike's arrival at the airport if the painting isn't even for him? How come he only hears about Will's "mysterious girl" from El just a day before he is to arrive in Cali and not from Will himself days prior? Something strange is afoot and it doesn't help that before Mike had arrived in California, they contacted each other less and less as time went on.

Mike can't stop to ponder about this because El is quickly escorting him to the van and telling him about what she has planned for them that day. From this moment on, Will is the one that isn't acting like himself in that he's acting uncharacteristically rude or in Mike's words, "being a douche all day" i.e. he's rolling his eyes, he's moping, he's barely talking to El and especially to Mike even though Mike flew all the way from Indiana to see them.

Will even goes so far as to respond snarkily to El about what friends she has. Remember, at this point, Mike still has no idea that El lied about her "friends". All Mike knows is that El is super excited to carry out this whole plan she had laid out for spring break. While it's hinted that Mike himself isn't very enthusiastic about El's plans for the day i.e. commenting on how breakfast burritos are weird, he makes the effort to enjoy these activities. But he notices that Will doesn't even try or pretend at the very least to enjoy the day that El has planned for them. Here, Will does give off the impression that he is acting like a huge jerk here so it's no wonder that later on, Mike calls Will out for being a douche to El all day.

Later, during the Rink O' Mania fight, Will says that he's been a total third wheel this whole time and Mike scoffs at this, brushing it off with a "Yeah, whatever, man". At first, I thought this was very uncharacteristic of Mike to brush Will off like this. But to be fair, from Mike's POV, it's difficult to interact with your best friend who's been moping the whole time for no seemingly good reason when today was supposed to be a fun day meant to celebrate your arrival.

While Will is third wheeling, I don't think that Mike purposefully ignores or leaves out Will. After all, Mike tries to make Will laugh with his vomit-green joke (either to lighten the atmosphere and/or improve Will's mood) but when Will doesn't react, Mike is resigned at that point, thinking "Clearly, Will isn't enjoying any of this". It wouldn't surprise me if what Will saw as Mike ignoring him was actually Mike giving him some space.

Will canonically hates being treated like a child because he feels that those who give him that treatment believe that he can't handle things on his own. This is stated back in S2 when Jonathan urges Will to talk to him and Will replies, "Stop treating me like that. Like everyone else does. Like there's something wrong with me. Mom, Dustin, Lucas. Everyone. They all treat me like I'm going to break. Like I'm a baby. Like I can't handle things on my own. It doesn't help. It just makes me feel more like a freak." Will has a tendency to keep things to himself because he doesn't want to give anyone more reason to think that he's immature, fragile, or a freak. This behavior continues into S3, when Lucas apologizes for his behavior, Will immediately states that he's already over it. Notice how Will doesn't include Mike in the list of people who give him this kind of treatment because he's correct.

When Angela and her friends drag El off to the rink, Mike doesn't leave with them. He chooses to stay behind with Will. Mike knows Will well and that trying to get him to talk isn't what Will wants (at least without the full context of Will's strange behavior at the airport and Rink O' Mania). I imagine his thought process probably went like this:

"You're acting like a douche right now and I know that you probably want some space but I'm going to stay, whether you like it or not, so that when you're ready to confide in me again, I'll be here."

I think that is why Mike doesn't seem to actively engage with Will but instead, sits silently by his side. To let him know (without having to speak these words out loud) that he isn't going to treat Will like a child by forcing him to talk and that whenever Will is ready to talk on his own terms, Mike will be there.

Later on, Will finally admits to Mike that El has been lying to him this whole time. And Mike is angry, not at El, but at Will because Will had many opportunities to confide in him about the problems El's been having at school. If Will had told him earlier, even on that same day, Mike could have found a way to disrupt the bullies plan to humiliate El at the rink. But Will doesn't. This only adds further evidence to Mike's statement that Will has, in fact, been acting like a douche all day.

While Mike is upset on El's behalf, we see that the true origin behind his anger is that Will does not confide in him anymore. And I think it goes hand-in-hand with how Will neglects to mention to Mike about what he's painting and who he's painting for or even anything about "said girl".

If Will hadn't told Mike about El's issues at school before... what else hasn't he told him about?

I think it is at this moment that Mike believes that he finds out the actual reason behind Will's strange behavior. Let's use the scientific method from Mike's POV, using his observations.

Question: Why is Will Byers acting weird at the airport? Ex. rolling his eyes, moping, barely talking.

Background Research: El has said in her letter: "Will has been painting a lot. But he won't show me what he's working on. Maybe it is for a girl. I think there is someone he likes because he has been acting... weird." Will brings said painting to the airport and says that it's just simply that, a painting, confirming that it's not supposed to be a gift for Mike.

Hypothesis: Inconclusive. What can be crossed out is because of Mike's half-assed hug because Will is obviously straight, and guys hug each other like that all the time. Therefore, it has nothing to do with Mike himself.

Experiment: Try to make Will feel better with a joke. Fail. Give Will space but stay by his side to let him know that Mike is always there for him.

Collect Data: Will finally reveals to Mike that El has been lying to him this whole time.

Analysis: If Will hadn't told Mike about El's issues at school before, what else hasn't he told him about? When Will said that the painting was "just a painting" at the airport, was Will trying to hide that it's actually for a girl?

Conclusion: Will is acting weird because Will has this mysterious girl on his mind all the time and he would rather hang out with the "girl" he likes than with his best friend and sister.

Consider how in S3 during their big fight, Will calls Mike out that he was prioritizing his girlfriend over his friends. With the conclusion above, Will comes off as a hypocrite in Mike's eyes. Especially since Mike has actually taken Will's criticisms from S3 to heart: he's back to playing D&D, he makes sure to stay by Dustin's side, and he doesn't spend all his time with El when he chooses to stay behind with Will at Rink O' Mania.

Yes, Mike knows that they have been contacting each other less and less. But on his end, he knows that he's the one making the effort to call even though the phone line was busy due to Joyce's telemarketer job and that Will doesn't initiate calling him as much as he should. After all, he knows his mom's schedule best so it would only make sense for Will to call Mike.

But after Will's "nonchalance" about the painting combined with El's conflicting statement that she thinks it's for a girl and Will not confiding him anymore, I wouldn't put it past Mike to make the assumption that Will hasn't been reciprocating the effort to contact him because Will has been prioritizing this unknown girl, either by spending time with her or painting for her; something that Will has neglected to share with Mike.

It would also explain why he's so defensive about sending El a "book of letters" compared to Will because before, Mike would be gifted a "book of artwork" from him (enough that it could fill up a binder aka S1) and now, to hear that he is painting instead for some girl he's just met? That's rich, coming from Will.

There are varying levels to Mike's anger towards Will. Near the surface, Mike's anger is aimed towards Will because 1) he's been acting like a douche towards El and 2) Will is acting like a hypocrite for essentially having the gall to do the same thing that Mike did in S3 even though he called Mike out for this behavior.

But when Mike only has the full context for Reason #1 (in that Will didn't confide in Mike about El earlier) and missing context for Reason #2 (in that Will isn't reciprocating in keeping in touch with Mike because of a girl), the overarching connection between these two is that Mike believes that Will doesn't value their friendship anymore and it shows in how he doesn't confide in Mike anymore.

I think that deep down, Mike feels that he has no one to blame but himself. Recall their fight back in S3 when he told Will: "We're not kids anymore. What did you think, really? That we were never going to get girlfriends? That we're just going to sit in my basement all day and play games for the rest of our lives?" Recall how at the end of S3 after this fight, Will reassures Mike that he isn't going to join a new party.

But now, Will is the one growing up and leaving Mike behind.

Until Mike realizes that he was wrong and discovers that Will's painting (that depicts their D&D party) is for him.

If you haven't already, read my companion piece to this post aka analysis on Will's POV here to get the bigger picture: