"Ever Since Season 1 A Whole Community Has Predicted The Unforseen Ending Of Stranger Things"

the TENSION in this screen shot is insane. I need one of those pointer things with the gloves you would get at scholastic book fairs for this unbelievable crashout. I'm actually going crazy

Will has powers fic list (pt 1?)

in celebration of will's birthday, here's some of my favorite fics where he has powers! a lot of these fall under s5 speculation (and all of them have byler). Also this is a pretty popular category so there may be future parts coming later!

i'm gonna wade out past the shadows by bluebears

There were vines growing underneath his bed and no one else could see them. It sounded crazy, he’d been to enough therapy to know that. But there was no other explanation. Just last Tuesday, Dustin had climbed under there to reach his pen and when he popped back out he was completely oblivious to it. Almost as if nothing was out of the ordinary.

3/3 chapters

43k words

Notes: this fic has amazing prose! and very in-character dialogue. Highly recommend this fic as well as the other longer one by this author. The plot takes a bit of effort to decipher but it's definitely worth it! This is a super interesting interpretation of will's powers and fits him very much.

There Is A Season by ghostlin

After Vecna's curse is unleashed onto Hawkins, the town has been placed under government lockdown as the contagion continues to spread. Everyone’s been forced to the margins as they try to pick up the pieces. Maybe it's the swirling spores in the atmosphere or the grief that seems to linger everywhere, but it feels like everyone's haunted by something. Everyone except Mike, that is. He's the heart, right? He's keeping it together. He's the only one acting normal.

25/25 chapters

68k words

Notes: One of the only Mike POV fics in this list! Mike and Will's relationship is so well done here. Featuring reconnection, dramatics, and perhaps a rain fight.

without heart by aceoflanterns

“Here we go again,” he murmurs, words pressed thin. Mike hears him, just barely, and bumps Will’s shoulder with his own reassuringly. “Home, sweet home,” he whispers. “Bet you didn’t think you’d be back so soon, huh?” Will chuckles. “You could say that.” At twelve forty-seven, Will Byers makes it back to Hawkins. At twelve forty-eight, a clock chimes. Welcome home, something sings, voice scraping low and familiar, and he shivers. or, will byers, the upside down, and teenage love... sort of.

7/7 chapters

31k words

Notes: This author writes so beautifully! some of the lines from this fic are still stuck in my head because it's so well-done. I LOVE fics that explore will's relationship with the Mind Flayer and the author does this perfectly.

You are the Heart by TouchTheSky

It's two weeks after the fall of Hawkins and the Party are trying to figure out how to move on, find Max and stop Vecna. Will's heart is still breaking over Mike and El, but when those emotions awaken something decidedly more otherworldly and powerful he, and a strange new friend, have to confront what really happened in Hawkins on November 6th 1983 and what side Will himself is really on.

Notes: I would be so happy if s5 was like this! The author has a super unique (and probably my favorite) take on Will's powers and the Mind Flayer. Plus there's great moments from the entire cast. I stayed up all night when I read this it was so good!

27/27 chapters

140k words

riders on the storm by orphan_account

Will brings his fingertips to his nose and sniffs deeply. That tangy, metallic smell… so familiar by now. He can practically feel the sharks circling him, except they’re not sharks, they’re beasts with clammy, cold limbs and flower-shaped faces and far, far too many rows of teeth. There is blood dripping from his nose.

3/3 chapters

22k words

Notes: this had a super interesting exploration into will's mind powers. this is a little sad and will's relationships are very complicated (especially with mike) but i really liked willel's friendship in this!

i know the end by bookinit

Stranger Things re-telling, but make it byler.

5/5 fics (entire series completed)

500k words

Notes: this is super duper long but 100% worth it!! Especially the last fic in the series (season 5), where the author also has written a script. Super great writing and interpretation of the show.

just know that if you hide, it doesn't go away by fizzseed

Mike doesn’t like this. He doesn’t like this at all. “What’s wrong?” he asks. Will takes a deep breath. “You’re not going to like it,” he says wryly. El’s hand closes around Mike’s wrist, and Will’s eyes flicker quickly to it before he looks back up at them. He glances over to Jonathan, too. Joyce brings her arm up around his shoulders. “I think I know how to get him,” Will says. “Vecna, I mean.”

OR Mike breaks up with his girlfriend, helps save the world, and comes out. Not necessarily in that order.

1/1 chapters

7k words

Notes: Mike POV! Will has light powers

you were bigger than the whole sky by delusionaltogether (Whyyyyy)

on march 29th, 1986, will byers vanishes for a second time. 366 days later, he reappears.

1/1 chapters

28k words

Notes: this is one of the first stranger things fics i've read, and still one of my favorites!

Not to be a downer on the byler tag but I feel conflicted now that I'm back on st twitter

FIRST I don't want this whole post to be a rehash of the Noah controversy it's always a rinse and repeat of the same points. Yes, Zionism is bad (DUH) but I feel like we can seperate silly little gay characters from the actors, it's commonplace.

BUT I will say that death threats, threats of physical harm, or insults don't help. Those behaviors only cause defensiveness and if you want to change someone's opinion you have to be understanding. Everyone is shaped by their environment and if I was exposed to different influences growing up I'd be a totally different person today, not to say that people can't control their own decisions, but social pressure and ingrained prejudice is very real. Not everyone has the courage to become a social pariah, PLUS everyone believes they are a good person. That they are the one that is morally righteous, in any situation. It can make them blind to the truth, but you can't change that in one day.

EVERYONE WANTS TO BE A GOOD PERSON.

SECOND and the point I actually wanted to make is that I'm sorry but people will always be consumers, and you can't decide how they will spend their money, but do you think going to a con bc you like a tv show and ALL the amazing people in it is the same as openly supporting a genocide?!?? Like why direct all your (valid) frustration with the state of how people view palestinians onto 2 girls who are just there bc they like a ship in fandom??

Also I'll never understand the need to be mean to people online can't we all just be normal 😭

Like even if I know someone has opinions I am vehemently against I'm still cordial with them unless they bring it up, like I don't try to insult anyone but CEO's, billionaires, and those who sustain global war campaigns. Not anybody online who has an incorrect or even sometimes so disgustingly uninformed opinion. OR ARE JUST THERE TO DO SOMETHING THEY ENJOY LIKE????

Idk this was a ramble but I hate this, I understand that more people need to be aware of the horrible inhumane things continuing to occur in gaza, but this almost feels counterproductive, why use it as a reason to call people (who didn't even bring it into the conversation) ugly? The movement is all about SUPPORT and BRINGING AWARENESS is this the kind of awareness we need? where we call anyone ignoring or uncaring towards this massacre ugly when instead we could educate? Not to say we shouldn't call people out but be constructive! Help them understand instead of telling them to kill themselves, this feels like it isn't helping.

Thank you for listening to my tedTALK byler nation

I'm so fed up w these people on Twitter like bffr

The girly girl to transmasc pipeline is genuinely kinda real

You're so real for shipping stonathan

yessssssss I have fortunately fallen down the stonathan rabbit hole and can’t seem to find my way out

you ever think about how mike, a teenager, a fourteen year old one to be exact, was able to keep his head during a shootout and even help their protector by updating him on his blindspots. and continued to give out orders even as their protector was bleeding out beneath them. god nerfed mike by giving him negative athletic skills because if he had any even 1% athleticism in his body he would simply be too powerful

screaming crying throwing up

Stranger Things VR and How it Portrays Byler/Elmax VS Milven

I wanted to make this post bc I haven't seen the ST VR game discussed on here much at all, especially in terms of it's Byler/Elmax content, and I think some people weren't even aware of it's existence!

In short, the game consists of nine chapters which switch through different time periods from 1979 to 1986, and contain the perspectives of multiple characters, including Henry/001/Vecna (mainly), Will, Billy, and El. The chapters all focus on how Vecna is influencing the characters or vice versa.

Although all of the chapters have very interesting lore woven into them, in this post im going to focus in on chapters 3 and 4 (which are more Will centric) and chapter 9 (which is El centric).

Chapter 3: The Possession of Will Byers

Chapter three opens with us as Will in November of 1984 while he slowly becomes possessed by Vecna. Vecna begins tormenting him in his mind, which prompts Will to attempt to focus on a good memory. He ends up at Castle Byers with Mike.

Mike talks to Will for a couple moments, but soon, Will's mind goes back into Upside Down hallucinations.

The player cycles through multiple hallucinations in which Vecna taunts Will and tells him his friends see him as a freak, while also tormenting him with visions of the demogorgon. This continues until Vecna tells him that he'll show Will "how miserable he really is"

We then cut to another memory/hallucination (it's slightly unclear, and i believe that's the point) where Mike tells Will that El is "different from anyone" Mike's ever met, and tells Will he wouldn't get it because he's never liked anyone. Then, we get this heartbreaking dialogue that lowkey makes me want to cry (all lines are Vecna speaking to Will):

Obviously, Will's feelings towards Mike are already canonical, but this gives us even more confirmation that these feelings root back all the way to at least mid-season 2. Also, we do get more of a look into Will's POV on El before he met her, which is a little bit upsetting :(

Then, Vecna taunts Will more by telling him that he understands him the most out of everyone, and we cut to Ch4.

Chapter 4: The Spy

Chapter 4 also takes place in November of 1984, but it's main premise is Vecna attempting to take hold of each of the party members' minds by taunting them with their fears.

He fails in taking hold of Dustin, Lucas, and Mike's minds, as they have been made too strong by the events of season one, but manages to weaken Will's mind enough to be let in.

I'd like to point out, though, that the main fear Mike is taunted with is losing El, and never knowing what "could've been" between them-

But when Vecna breaks into Will's mind, he specifically asks him what Mike is afraid of. It's as if he doesn't know because taunting him about his relationship with El couldn't reach him. Keep in mind that he also failed to break into Lucas and Dustin's minds, but it was only Mike's fears that he asks Will about.

Shortly after, Will's nose starts bleeding and Mike immediately notices and uses Nancy's shirt (lmao) to go up to him and stop the bleeding.

At this point, we reenter Will's mind, where Vecna is throwing all sorts of taunts at him, and telling him that his friends have outgrown him, and that "he'll finally matter to someone" (i assume this is referring to him potentially joining Vecna, but it's an interesting detail). However, Will is able to break free of Vecna's control by paying attention to Mike, who is tending to his bloody nose and taking care of him.

I do believe that it means something that a lot of post s4 content focuses in on Will's relationship with Mike, and, knowing that Will could experience possession in season 5, it sets up an interesting dynamic by giving us even more examples of Mike being the only one able to get through to Will.

Now, you might be asking, "well, Will's chapters are very focused on his relationship with Mike in particular, so El's probably is as well, right?"

Well, you'd be wrong!

Chapter 9: The Resurrection of Mad Max

Firstly, i want to start of by saying that while chapter 8 is also El POV, it only covers her origins with 001, and covers already mostly known info, so I decided to focus in more on chapter 9 instead.

Ch9 takes place in March of 1986, and we open immediately with the scene in which Max gets put into her coma. Vecna speaks to El and blames her for this, but El tells him that she won't let him take Max.

We then get an expansion of the S4 scene where El goes into Max's mind, cycling through different memories there while Vecna continues to taunt her.

In this sequence, one of the most interesting lines in my opinion is this one:

"You chose her"

Here, we get more evidence that Max is El's most important relationship. Max is El's person.

Throughout both El-centric chapters, Mike is mentioned only a couple times in passing.

Finally, and maybe most importantly, is an almost perfect parallel to Mike's speech to El, but this time it's from Max:

Max brings up the first time her and El met, just like Mike did in his speech. However, while Mike blatantly lies and tells El it was love at first sight, Max is honest. Even though their first meeting wasn't pleasant, she recalls it truthfully.

Then, we get this parallel, which I think is insane:

In Mike's speech, he tells El that she's his superhero, which is one of their main points of argument earlier in the season- El doesn't want to always be the superhero, she doesn't want to be placed on a pedestal, but Mike doesn't quite understand that. Max, however, tells El that she likes her just as herself - that she's human, and doesn't constantly have to fit that role that she's been put into.

Max knows exactly what El needs to hear, and their bond is more important to El than her bond with Mike, which is why Mike is not a key character in her story in this game (and wont be in s5). Will needs Mike, and it's Mike's care for him that pulls Will out of his visions and nightmares - which is why Mike is a part of Will's storyline in s5 (and will be in s5).

Max is El's person, and Mike is Will's person. Ty.

the TENSION in this screen shot is insane. I need one of those pointer things with the gloves you would get at scholastic book fairs for this unbelievable crashout. I'm actually going crazy

If you have any love for Code Geass, even if you don't read fanfiction, read this.