Linnaea nivalis

Will’s gift and his words give Mike a level of support and understanding that nobody else ever gives him. El may save his life, but she never does anything like this for him. She never has any one-on-one moment of genuine connection with him where she shows that she gets what makes him tick. She doesn’t even like D&D. (And that’s not her fault; she just doesn’t get him like Will does, since they’re not compatible.)

That scene rightfully gets attention for what it means for Will, but let’s not forget what it means for Mike. That painting truly changes the way he sees himself. It’s no exaggeration to say it changes his life.

That’s why the disappearance of the painting in s5 breaks the entire narrative and Mike’s entire arc.

You should love and accept yourself … except if you’re a female victim of a cycle of abuse by men, in which case you must kill yourself.

You can find real lasting romantic love with someone you need and may freely admit you need … unless you’re a woman who wants a career, in which case you must end up alone; unless you’re a housewife, in which case you must remain in your alcoholic depression; or unless you’re queer, in which case you only get self-love and bar flings.

You shouldn’t look for answers in somebody else … unless you get kissed by the first boy you’ve ever met after spending all 12 years of your life as a lab experiment with no knowledge of the typical vocabulary of someone your age, in which case you must stay with him.

You shouldn’t let shared trauma trap you in an incompatible relationship … unless you steal your first kiss mere days after watching your best friend’s corpse get pulled from a lake, or unless you spend a year desperately stalking the only person who’s ever been nice to you, in which case it’s true love.

"there was always this part of me that kind of scared me"

jane constantly views herself as a monster, and doesn't see herself as the same as other girls her age, although she desperately wants to. she knew she was different, and that scared her. she was scared of what she could do. and she was scared of who she was.

"but I thought that if [he] loved me, all of me, i wouldn't be so scared anymore."

jane has always seeked affirmation from mike because that's what she has been trained to do all her life. without validation from the men who raised her, she didn't know where to find her self worth. she saw no purpose in herself once she lost her powers, the one thing her father figure had hinged his affection on. which is why she was begging mike to tell her she was more than a superhero. that he loved her, after she had nothing more to give. and he couldn't.

"i was looking for answers in somebody else, but… i had all the answers. i just needed to stop being so goddamn scared."

jane needed to hear this more than anything. she needed to know that she didn't need to beg for scraps from men who didn't have it in them to love her like she needed to be loved. she needed to know she could find love and happiness in other places. and she needed to understand that she wasn't a monster.

"once I did that, oh, i felt so free. it's like i could fly."

and can you imagine, how we thought this line was a metaphor for will, but as the denouement of jane's arc to reclaiming her autonomy and becoming her own person, she was finally able to defeat vecna? because now, as owens said she needed to, she could do more than walk. she could do more than run. she could finally fly.

Steve needed the “it’s okay if your crush doesn’t like you back” arc, not Will.

Mike needed the “you’re braver than you think” arc, not Holly.

Mileven needed the “shared trauma doesn’t mean we’re compatible” breakup, not Jancy.

Byler needed the “I just needed you” resolution, not Lumax.

Either Willel or Elmax needed the “you understand me better than anyone” resolution, not Mileven.

*sighs*

Having a character grow up in solitary confinement and then ripping her away from the only family she's ever known to live a life of solitude once again is not good writing.

Having a character be in love with his best friend and then just compare it to a high school crush is not good writing.

Having Eleven say that Mike has always been the person who truly understood her after showing us in the previous seasons that he only sees her as a superhero IS NOT GOOD WRITING.

In my mind, all creativity comes from love. Love to the world you creating, to the story you telling, to the characters you writing. Love for the audience that will read or watch your story.

And I just... don't understand.