Where's a Will there's a way

hello Byler tumblr! I want to draw many different scenarios that we expected/hoped would have happened (in ST5 finale or even just volume 2) to numb the heartache, so please DM me or comment under this post with which one you'd like to see! I can't promise I'll get to all of them, but I'd like a cohesive list of ideas that I can put my creative vision on ♥ So far I made: -Byler feelings are reciprocated but Mike dies (x) -Mike gets Vecna'd during the radio tower scene (x) -Finale divergence path A: The Paladin (x) -Finale divergence path B: The Heart (x) -Pre-epilogue college talk (x) -Epilogue DnD divergence (x) -Post-sorcerer canon divergence: part 1: (x), part 2+3: (x) -College Byler argument (x) + college roommate stuff (x) -Jopper wedding 4 years since canon (x) -Lesbyler visuals (x) -Forced proximity/Lover's lake/Will can feel the hivemind dying (x) -Fuck, Marry, Kill (x)

What followed. didn't save everything because at some point i just straight up deleted before taking a screenshot. but know there's insane quantitiy of this and it's an insane overreaction that seeped from their real issue -bottom mike- into trying different manipulative methods and ending on p*dophilia when all of my characters are clearly 18+ both visually and firmly stated as well. My content is being reported (why my Tumblr is now flagged despite me following the rules properly), burner accounts are being created to harrass me weekly and I had to turn off anon messages on both tumblr and ao3 to manage this, even though lot of genuine questions were anonymous. So yeah if I ever feel too radical about my preferences, it's because it's the one thing constantly disrespected (people on twitter may be aware of how often i get comments too) and taken to these lengths. And no, strict top/bottom preferences are not the issue, volatile enviroment that has to "win" over others and have to make someone's taste political, is.

I just want you to know that i can completely understand your frustration. Numbers are hard, art is putting your soul out into a world that isn't always very kind or accepting. But I want you to know that you do have an impact! Your art has meant a lot to me personally. It is so refreshing to see people so willing to draw things that aren't always what others want to see. To stand your ground. To be completely honest about who you are and share these ideas and emotions through hours and hours of hard work. I always look forward to seeing your art and have been thinking about how much I've been missing your posts recently. Anyway I'm done with my stupid rant now. You are loved dearly!!

This is the kindest message, thank you so much 😭❤️ I'm happy it's understandable that low engagement can get demotivating, worst is that it's not even that I have /low/ numbers, but more that I feel like I started good and now I'm doing way worse and it just makes me think if I'm washed, if there's not much I can offer anymore or if what I'm offering is not what people want, those kinda things. But I've been told that tumblr Bylers have decreased and everyone is registering lower engagement :( I can't lose them y'all, don't give up yet, I love this ship so much!!

And thank you for seeing my fixed dynamics and my characterisations in a positive light, I understand it can be annoying to some but I hate the predjudices or assumptions that some people try to attach to it. Hopefully tehre'll be something official again that could spark Bylers into a peak again even if only for a few days I miss it so much.

VOLUME WARNING!!

It also made me think about the silence of the lambs. Imagine that Henry and Will scene from s504 but the conversation goes something like "Can you hear them William? Have the lambs stopped screaming?".

Secondly, I've been throwing around this idea of writing a Hadestown AU for Mike and Will, or just really been thinking about the parallels. I don't know if you're familiar with the story or musical, but Will as Eurydice and Mike as Orpheus just have such fascinating potentials, as do the opposite like...pairing. I could go on and on and on about it (I just might lmao).

Specifically the part where they're walking out of Hades (I don't want to spoil anything if you don't know what I'm talking about haha) has just such BEAUTIFUL parallels and it's heartbreaking and agh.

Anyways just throwing out an idea for an art piece. Not a request, just a thought :)