extras SIGN NDAS too so even though they might be privy to certain details, they CANNOT spoil major plot points they might become aware of.

like, yes, vecna's plotline was pieced together by people on reddit pre-s4, but did will's painting get leaked? did mike's speech to will in ep4? did max's vecna mindscape scene? did steve's confession to nancy? did joyce's encounter with hopper?

like shawn levy said, THIS is the heart of the show, and likely what they will protect with their LIVES when it comes to leaks.

something as HUGE as bychance would be protected af bc honestly if any somewhat reliable leaker as much as HINTED at bychance happening? that'd validate our theories preemptively and get a bunch of fans looking into this and connecting it to birthdaygate and god knows what else. It validates a lot of "delusional" takes that the creators are likely hoping only a very small portion of the fandom picks up on.

✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦

✦ my current opinion on Bychance

"is Bychance happening in the show?"

just a joke -1 MAY 9 - "it's just a crack ship that bored bylers turned into a theory." MAY 11 - "It's an inside joke" MAY 22 - "It's ... still just a joke." JUN 15 - "bychance annoys me!"

meta & screentime -1 MAY 11 - "Hunter doesn't follow any of the actors." MAY 12 - "Not enough time for Bychance." MAY 12 - "Bychance would replace byler" JUN 14 - "All Minou does is lie." JUN 23 - "Hunter doesn't have big roles." JUN 26 - "On Mileven's makeout scene leaks."

age gap -1 MAY 11 - “would the Duffers retcon his age?”

ooc of Will -1 MAY 12 - "Will wouldn't randomly date a jock." MAY 12 - "Chance and Will together makes no sense." MAY 28 - "Doubt Will would date someone who did horrible things."

"bychance clues" could mean something else -1 MAY 20 - "Will, Chance and deer" MAY 27 - "Deer could just mean Chance is a 'hunter' after Will and his friends." JUN 26 - "Interview with the Vampire = Wiseone" SEPT 11 - "Robin as the fake love interest + Wiseone being Bychance."

sounds like fanfic -1 MAY 12 - "Bychance = craziest plot twist" MAY 13 - "Bychance = Creelarke" MAY 13 - "Will killing Chance?" MAY 21 - "Mike's reaction to Bychance ..." MAY 22 - "Bychance & the shadow self" MAY 28 - "more Bychance = Wiseone vibes" JUN 6 - "Bychance as ... what?" JUN 17 - "Chance will chicken out" JUN 26 - "Condescending Chance." AUG 8 - "Chance would be perfect." SEP 16 - “Chance leaves a note in his locker.” 

compatibility with the show’s cyclical nature & coming-of-age themes +1

APR 18 - "Bychance introduction" APR 19 - "Will rejecting a girl could be foreshadowing." MAY 2 - "Chance as an unredeemable bully." MAY 12 - "Mike catching Bychance." MAY 13 - "Mike catching Bychance & the meta." MAY 13 - "Bychance + Will's growth." MAY 13 - "Emotional support after the war." JUN 4 - "Heroes starting in the RSU." JUL 10 - "No, it wouldn't confuse the GA."

age gap unconfirmed +1 MAY 12 - "On people being mean." MAY 22 - "Is it REALLY that big a deal?"

ooc of Will precisely why it might happen +1 MAR 25 - "Will's compound trauma." JUN 7 - "Maybe ask yourself WHY."

it sounding like fanfic might kinda be the point ...? +1 SEP 17 - "dream-like fairytale logic"

fandom’s response +1 MAY 13 - "Please don't disrupt my OTP." MAY 13 - "Baffled anon." MAY 27 - "We're literally just engaging in fandom." MAY 29 - "Sassy anon." MAY 30 - "There's no evidence." JUN 14 - "I'm sad about the mean bylers." JUN 24 - "Bychance is bad writing bc I don't like it!" JUL 5 - "On Noah's comment." JUL 25 - "If Bychance happens, I'll be disappointed!" JUL 25 - "Mike seems to have accepted his queerness more." <-- be so fr, anon. JUN 5 - "Challenging the audience." JUN 8 - "How isn't it common knowledge amongst Bylers that Byler's not supposed to be 'obvious' to the GA yet ...?" AUG 4 - "We don't write the show?" SEP 7 - "The newspaper Chance + 22." ⭐

potential clues +1 MAY 13 - "Deer picture." MAY 24 - "No bc why is the locker a thing?" JUN 5 - "Chance having secret antlers." JUN 8 - "Locker = inner world." ⭐ JUN 26 - "The sketch drawn by Chance, not Will." ⭐ MAY 28 - "Tiger butterfly." ⭐ JUN 7 - "Jedediah, the gay cowboy." ⭐ JUN 7 - "The GA loves the hints." JUL 1 - "Deer Park / Car picture." ⭐ JUL 7 - "I don't know ..." JUL 1 - "If there's one thing Will Byers is going to do is 👨‍❤️‍💋‍👨 AUG 17 - "The lenora eagles." ⭐ AUG 24 - "Phallic imagery & Bychance." ⭐ SEP 12 - “ep2 & ep3 parallel + wordplay.” ⭐ OCT 13 - "Chance LAWSON!?" ⭐

marketing vibes/4th wall break? +1 MAY 25 - MC + JOCK = NOT ENDGAME SEP 23 - the wednesday connection JUN 17 - "Vecna is the DM and Chance is his OC"

current poll:

Remember how we were discussing that the bychance fanfics felt suspicious and uncanny? @cypherheartnokey @loverb0yloser

I just remembered this old post of mine and it hit me. I think the "generic" and "uncanniness" of these fanfics is due to the show's derivative nature and the tropes Bychance was designed around.

I haven't read the fanfics yet, so I'd love your thoughts on this question:

is the characterization of Chance and Will as characters similar/uncanny across all fanfics? Or are some of the backstory elements similar, but Will and Chance's personalities are different/differ across fanfics, from what you remember?

Because I may have Some Thoughts I'm trying to organize

✨ about me

Vennya / INFP / adult in the ST fandom since: 2022 favorite characters: Will MY SON MY CHILD. I love El too but Will is definitely my reason for analyzing the show and theorizing about it! other fandoms: literally only Naruto when I was 13 HELP 💀 started drawing and creating my own OCs in that world and then moved to create my own worlds. current favorite genres: DETECTIVE MYSTERIES, fairytale and HORRORRR GIVE IT TO MEEEEEE, true crime, anything queer or strange! hobbies: drawing ( self taught ), roleplaying, DMing, music, ( rock & roll baby ) psychology, psychospirituality ( Carl Jung ), theorizing, working out, spa days, goofing off on the internet languages: 3 ( Spanish, English, German. I also adore learning about other cultures so i know words and phrases from other languages like French, Russian, Italian and Japanese ) current favorite plot twist: [ 🤡 ] <- I just know it in my heart that the Duffers love this one too least DnD campaign I've run: The Traveler's Castle ( my baby, my child, I miss it ) current vibes: [ 😏 ] studies: international affairs ( + marketing & psychology courses ), film, VFX ( visual effects ), graphic design & digital art. current hyperfixation: keeping up with the #Bychance Phenomenon🕵️

✨ my ST squad

✦ diornies ✦ offsidetracked ✦ cypherheartnokey

Credits to @kaypeace21 for discovering this theory and first proposing it! ❤️ Also wish to thank @/lesbianmindflayer for her contributions to the theory and making some really compelling discoveries as well! Other blogs I also really like: @therainscene @willthewise7 @thewisewill80sbyers

byler posts The theory that Mike reciprocates Will's feelings, and they're the real endgame, unlike Mileven which is a red herring. There are many versions of this theory.

Byler was either: planned all along ( which is what I believe ) a result of a change of heart the Duffers had, once they realized that Byler fits their show's themes more. Mike is either: bi/unlabelled/queer ( which is what I believe ) gay

Here is my list of findings that I would claim as "byler evidence" if byler turns out to be endgame in the end:

2022 sep 26. Getting to Mike is the Key 27. Not Mike #borrowing from Eddie's Speech oct 12. Why didn't we see Mike's reaction? 2023 mar 29. Karen #Knows ... she always has apr 17. Mike's arc in #Images ( my favorite Mike post ) may 30. Is Mike deliberately queer-coded? jun 5. Byler & Quantum Entanglement? 24. Surf that Tasty Pie!?!?!?!? dec 18. Prediction: Will won't believe Mike loves him 2024 jul 23. Mileven & ET Love Confession Parallel / The ET parallel aug 23. #Birthdaygate 29. Mike was trying to #Act Casual @ the airport 31. The Mystery of Byler's Phone Calls ( Did Karen spy on them? ) sep 6. Mike/Will & El/Brenner parallel 11. Jopper/Byler parallel oct 19. All 'I Love You's in Stranger Things 24. Van Scene Analysis 28. Jonathan Also #Knows nov 8. Will had hope, then Lost it ( #me-coded fr ) dec 23. I was really in the #Trenches

2025 jan 30. The #Moment Mike realized he Wasn't Normal feb 11. Please tell me this subtext is going to Bychance I can't 21. Concerns about how they'll handle Mike's Sexuality 24. El, my girl please Dump His Ass 24. Will isn't obsessed with DnD 25. Real Mike vs Void!Mike 25. Mike's Dream mar 1. Will / Vecna ( this was as far as I dipped my toes into that storyline #No Thanks ) 6. Rink-o-mania analysis 6. GA not buying into Byler ... and I think they're valid 6. Will is the Heart of Hearts 7. Mutual Pining 9. #Fairytalegate 11. Can't look pookie in the eye 12. Mike was playing a Risky Game ( the way I wrote this before Bychance was even in my radar I'm screaming ) 13. I started writing FANFIC for the first time in my life and Some Things clicked 15. Mike's Airport #Cringe Moment 27. lesbianmindflayer apr 14. Is Mike FULLY aware he likes Will?

may 4. bychance + mike jun 11. Romione parallel 20. I feel like I was onto something with this one, ngl

jul 15. A new era

sep 17. how Byler might happen 21. top reasons for believing in byler

me @ my inner duffers

jury's out but im side-eyeing them

and they're like

and im like

and they're like

AND ... OKAY NOT REALLY BUT YES BUT NOT REALLY BUT IT DEPENDS AND I