not so important stuff

I like Will, I like his character, I relate to him yada yada. Canon or not, I believe he has a crush on Mike, I understand this is the general consensus, yeah?

So, I love me an unrequited-love trope, I love me some disgustingly sad fics, personal preference—who cares!!

Now, tell me why, when I look for Will-centric fics with that nice ass unrequited love tag and click search I get swarmed with JUST STRAIGHT BYLER FICS? WDYM?? TELL ME WHY EVERY ONE OF THESE GODDAMN FANFICS HAVE THE ‘NOT ACTUALLY UNREQUITED’ TAG RIGHT NEXT TO THE ‘UNREQUITED LOVE’ TAG? HELLO? You understand there’s a word for that right, yeah? Hello, am I going insane? AM I FUCKING CRAZY, PEOPLE? YOU MEAN REQUITED LOVE????? WHAT DO YOU MEAN UNREQUITED NOT ACTUALLY UNREQUITED LOVE???????????????????? GET OUT GET OUT GET OUT!!!!

I've tried to keep to myself, I just wanna read about my boy Will but you guys

you guys

I CANNOT HAVE ANYTHING WITH YOU PEOPLE WHAT THE FUCK WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU MEAN IT’S EVERY FIC IT’S EVERY FIC PLEASE COME UP WITH A TAG WHAT THE FUCK AT THIS POINT I DON’T CARE THAT I’M BEING OVER DRAMATIC LIKE I’M NOT JUST COMPLETELY OUT OF THE LOOP RIGHT??? GOD FUCKING DAMMIT IT IS NOT THAT HARD TO PUT ‘UNREQUITED, REQUITED LOVE’ OR SOME SHIT IN YOUR FICS AAAaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahshdbsjhsgagahwhwhsuushwhshhsjsjshagwgs

I don't care for people shipping byler, but c'mon, it's a ship it's not the end of the world if Will ends up with some other guy. It's not going to be well-written anyway. Do you guys really want byler so much you're fine with it being hella rushed? 'Cause it's going to be rushed. They have one season to wrap everything up, how are they gonna do that and byler without rushing anything? Writers said S5 is gonna be more focused on Will and, likely, his trauma. Not byler. Actually, I'd be so pissed if they make Will's arc about his crush on Mike, like way to dumb down his character for the 'hero'.

By ‘dumbing his character down’, I mean I’m afraid the writers are gonna fuck this up. I think about how Robin wasn’t actually supposed to be gay and was supposed to be in love with Steve, and kind of just can’t help but feel that, yeah, how the fuck are these dudes gonna write a satisfying and thorough byler arc and on top of that finish everything else?

Just some logistics, to start, how are they gonna break up Jane/El and Mike? Whether she gets that Mike doesn’t love her or not, she’ll be devastated and then she’ll have to work through all of that. And what? Then Will gets with Mike? I suppose they could just do a one-off, explain that Jane broke up with Mike bc yada yada, how’s that fair to like anyone watching? They dragged that shit since season 1. And just a bunch of other stuff. Don’t get me wrong, this doesn’t mean I want them to be endgame, I think that ship sailed when they first introduced it in my humble opinion.

I 100% want Will to come to terms with his sexuality. That’s like a part of the whole getting through his trauma. I think unrequited love is more than just him being sad, it’s him moving on as well. I want him to be able to feel okay with himself on his own outside the context of his crush for Mike. Whether it’s from his family accepting him wholeheartedly and blatantly, or him moving on and finding someone who really gets it. Maybe you feel he could find that in Mike, and that’s cool!! I see his character a lot differently than what fandom makes him out to be. I love fanon Mike, canon Mike? Not so much. I do blame the writers for that.

It kind of sullies it for me even if fan content can be very good. That might js be me tho,,

I want byler, but I personally doubt that it’s going to be satisfying. Yeah, I want gay characters in popular media, but I would also enjoy it if they actually leaned into that. They had their chance in season 4, but instead they’ve decided to (maybe) make byler happen in season 5. And at this point it just feels like such a cheat, y’know? They made Robin openly pine for a woman in S4. And though I love subtlety, dropping extremely vague hints (they are to the average viewer, and personally I don’t see it other than in S4 to a degree) over the course of four seasons, is such bullshit imo.

At this point I would actually rather have them toss in some guy for Will. By that I don’t mean some last minute, time skip relationship, I mean they could still establish a great character to be with Will. It’s not like they’ve had problems with adding in one-off, well-written, likable characters before (Bob, Eddie, Billy, etc.) I mean, they could bond over shared trauma for example, or mby queer experiences. But I suppose that’s what fanfic’s for, considering they’re wrapping up the show.

I’ve kind of come to terms with ST not being the greatest show of all time. It does irk me when I see so many people come up with really fuckin good concepts and then seeing what we actually got.

I’ll still watch S5, and I’ll likely enjoy it no matter the outcome. I care more about Will’s character development than who Mike ends up with yk.

Also, I think I might’ve just let out my frustrations with how some bylers treat Will. He’s just a fictional character, I recognize that, but it does seem kinda strange to me how some chalk everything up to shit just being byler.

That's wrong.

Robin was never supposed to be straight. Maya was referring to the Duffers being open to collaboration on her coming out scene, as well as expanding on her personality traits, but people in the fandom somehow ran with the idea that Maya came up with the idea of Robin being lesbian. It's not true, she was always intended to be gay.

You're assuming that Eleven is going to be absolutely crushed over her first relationship (which has been going down the wayside entirely on its own for seasons now). But even by the end of s4, she has bigger concerns in her life and a breakup doesn't mean there is going to be any bad blood between her and Mike. Amiciable breakups are a thing and El is an incredibly understanding and empathetic person. Whatever reasons they have for parting, it won't end bitterly. That's just not how either of those characters work. And knowing that this season will involve multiple time skips, it's not too farfetched to assume Mike will have some time on his own before getting into another relationship (because the idea of him rebounding and getting with Will immediately after breaking up with Eleven has always struck me as tacky and lazy writing, I agree on that front).

Now, as for Will's side of this– his love for Mike is still very much a loose end that will need to be addressed in S5. The whole painting + Will lying and sacrificing his feelings for someone else's sake in s4 wasn't just set up for nothing; it also wouldn't make sense to reward that lie by affirming it for the ship that benefitted at Will's expense and heartbreak, especially because of the running "Friends don't lie" theme going on (S4 in general involved a lot of characters beyond Will being untruthful, and neither of those were rewarded either). It's not unreasonable to assume that a season centering his personal journey will manage a way to put in time to explore that.

I see your point, and I’d hope for them to wrap it up nicely. I don’t have doubts that they’ll make it feel satisfying for the general audience.

Yeahh, the whole painting thing’s most certainly going to come up in season 5. I think the idea of Will expressing his feelings through Jane is good on paper, but the execution was kinda shite. Like how Mike just took all that and didn’t even bat an eye at Will going all teary eyed? Least make him give a concerned look or have it be less obvious Will’s sobbing his heart out. It just all feels kind of lacking, y’know. It’s the small things that make a ship appealing, the dynamics, how they care for one another, how they see the other. It gets kind of tainted when ‘ooc’ stuff happens.

I like Will, I like his character, I relate to him yada yada. Canon or not, I believe he has a crush on Mike, I understand this is the general consensus, yeah?

So, I love me an unrequited-love trope, I love me some disgustingly sad fics, personal preference—who cares!!

Now, tell me why, when I look for Will-centric fics with that nice ass unrequited love tag and click search I get swarmed with JUST STRAIGHT BYLER FICS? WDYM?? TELL ME WHY EVERY ONE OF THESE GODDAMN FANFICS HAVE THE ‘NOT ACTUALLY UNREQUITED’ TAG RIGHT NEXT TO THE ‘UNREQUITED LOVE’ TAG? HELLO? You understand there’s a word for that right, yeah? Hello, am I going insane? AM I FUCKING CRAZY, PEOPLE? YOU MEAN REQUITED LOVE????? WHAT DO YOU MEAN UNREQUITED NOT ACTUALLY UNREQUITED LOVE???????????????????? GET OUT GET OUT GET OUT!!!!

I've tried to keep to myself, I just wanna read about my boy Will but you guys

you guys

I CANNOT HAVE ANYTHING WITH YOU PEOPLE WHAT THE FUCK WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU MEAN IT’S EVERY FIC IT’S EVERY FIC PLEASE COME UP WITH A TAG WHAT THE FUCK AT THIS POINT I DON’T CARE THAT I’M BEING OVER DRAMATIC LIKE I’M NOT JUST COMPLETELY OUT OF THE LOOP RIGHT??? GOD FUCKING DAMMIT IT IS NOT THAT HARD TO PUT ‘UNREQUITED, REQUITED LOVE’ OR SOME SHIT IN YOUR FICS AAAaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahshdbsjhsgagahwhwhsuushwhshhsjsjshagwgs

I don't care for people shipping byler, but c'mon, it's a ship it's not the end of the world if Will ends up with some other guy. It's not going to be well-written anyway. Do you guys really want byler so much you're fine with it being hella rushed? 'Cause it's going to be rushed. They have one season to wrap everything up, how are they gonna do that and byler without rushing anything? Writers said S5 is gonna be more focused on Will and, likely, his trauma. Not byler. Actually, I'd be so pissed if they make Will's arc about his crush on Mike, like way to dumb down his character for the 'hero'.

By ‘dumbing his character down’, I mean I’m afraid the writers are gonna fuck this up. I think about how Robin wasn’t actually supposed to be gay and was supposed to be in love with Steve, and kind of just can’t help but feel that, yeah, how the fuck are these dudes gonna write a satisfying and thorough byler arc and on top of that finish everything else?

Just some logistics, to start, how are they gonna break up Jane/El and Mike? Whether she gets that Mike doesn’t love her or not, she’ll be devastated and then she’ll have to work through all of that. And what? Then Will gets with Mike? I suppose they could just do a one-off, explain that Jane broke up with Mike bc yada yada, how’s that fair to like anyone watching? They dragged that shit since season 1. And just a bunch of other stuff. Don’t get me wrong, this doesn’t mean I want them to be endgame, I think that ship sailed when they first introduced it in my humble opinion.

I 100% want Will to come to terms with his sexuality. That’s like a part of the whole getting through his trauma. I think unrequited love is more than just him being sad, it’s him moving on as well. I want him to be able to feel okay with himself on his own outside the context of his crush for Mike. Whether it’s from his family accepting him wholeheartedly and blatantly, or him moving on and finding someone who really gets it. Maybe you feel he could find that in Mike, and that’s cool!! I see his character a lot differently than what fandom makes him out to be. I love fanon Mike, canon Mike? Not so much. I do blame the writers for that.

It kind of sullies it for me even if fan content can be very good. That might js be me tho,,

I want byler, but I personally doubt that it’s going to be satisfying. Yeah, I want gay characters in popular media, but I would also enjoy it if they actually leaned into that. They had their chance in season 4, but instead they’ve decided to (maybe) make byler happen in season 5. And at this point it just feels like such a cheat, y’know? They made Robin openly pine for a woman in S4. And though I love subtlety, dropping extremely vague hints (they are to the average viewer, and personally I don’t see it other than in S4 to a degree) over the course of four seasons, is such bullshit imo.

At this point I would actually rather have them toss in some guy for Will. By that I don’t mean some last minute, time skip relationship, I mean they could still establish a great character to be with Will. It’s not like they’ve had problems with adding in one-off, well-written, likable characters before (Bob, Eddie, Billy, etc.) I mean, they could bond over shared trauma for example, or mby queer experiences. But I suppose that’s what fanfic’s for, considering they’re wrapping up the show.

I’ve kind of come to terms with ST not being the greatest show of all time. It does irk me when I see so many people come up with really fuckin good concepts and then seeing what we actually got.

I’ll still watch S5, and I’ll likely enjoy it no matter the outcome. I care more about Will’s character development than who Mike ends up with yk.

Also, I think I might’ve just let out my frustrations with how some bylers treat Will. He’s just a fictional character, I recognize that, but it does seem kinda strange to me how some chalk everything up to shit just being byler.

I like Will, I like his character, I relate to him yada yada. Canon or not, I believe he has a crush on Mike, I understand this is the general consensus, yeah?

So, I love me an unrequited-love trope, I love me some disgustingly sad fics, personal preference—who cares!!

Now, tell me why, when I look for Will-centric fics with that nice ass unrequited love tag and click search I get swarmed with JUST STRAIGHT BYLER FICS? WDYM?? TELL ME WHY EVERY ONE OF THESE GODDAMN FANFICS HAVE THE ‘NOT ACTUALLY UNREQUITED’ TAG RIGHT NEXT TO THE ‘UNREQUITED LOVE’ TAG? HELLO? You understand there’s a word for that right, yeah? Hello, am I going insane? AM I FUCKING CRAZY, PEOPLE? YOU MEAN REQUITED LOVE????? WHAT DO YOU MEAN UNREQUITED NOT ACTUALLY UNREQUITED LOVE???????????????????? GET OUT GET OUT GET OUT!!!!

I've tried to keep to myself, I just wanna read about my boy Will but you guys

you guys

I CANNOT HAVE ANYTHING WITH YOU PEOPLE WHAT THE FUCK WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU MEAN IT’S EVERY FIC IT’S EVERY FIC PLEASE COME UP WITH A TAG WHAT THE FUCK AT THIS POINT I DON’T CARE THAT I’M BEING OVER DRAMATIC LIKE I’M NOT JUST COMPLETELY OUT OF THE LOOP RIGHT??? GOD FUCKING DAMMIT IT IS NOT THAT HARD TO PUT ‘UNREQUITED, REQUITED LOVE’ OR SOME SHIT IN YOUR FICS AAAaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahshdbsjhsgagahwhwhsuushwhshhsjsjshagwgs

I don't care for people shipping byler, but c'mon, it's a ship it's not the end of the world if Will ends up with some other guy. It's not going to be well-written anyway. Do you guys really want byler so much you're fine with it being hella rushed? 'Cause it's going to be rushed. They have one season to wrap everything up, how are they gonna do that and byler without rushing anything? Writers said S5 is gonna be more focused on Will and, likely, his trauma. Not byler. Actually, I'd be so pissed if they make Will's arc about his crush on Mike, like way to dumb down his character for the 'hero'.