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thranduel · 2 years

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let’s talk about will and why the dismissal of his feelings and shoving him to the side is cruel and unnecessary

i am so tired of people overlooking will’s trauma, forgetting about everything he's been through and acting like he's "getting in the way" of mike and el or that he can “just move on and find someone else” when he has known mike for most of his life and actually loved him FIRST. mike has always been his safe place, and trying to shove will to the side when he doesn’t deserve any of this pain isn’t okay at all. he is the most kind, gentle, loving and selfless character on this entire show that always puts other people before himself and spreads so much love even though he rarely receives it from others.

(btw this gets pretty long and these are just my own opinions!)

people have been so cruel and ignorant towards will and he started getting more hate after it was confirmed that he likes mike and after volume 1 got released. people are saying ridiculous things like "he's getting in the way of mike and el", "byler can't happen because mike and el has been built up since the start", "will can find someone else" and many other things and it’s bullshit. it really hurts because they don't understand anything about this character at all and they don't even seem to care. people really need to think about everything he's been through (childhood trauma with bullies and an abusive father, struggling with his sexuality, the upside down, being kidnapped and mindflayed and controlled, being excluded and forgotten about, etc.) and they also need to understand how important mike is to will and how they've known each other since kindergarten.

i also think it's important to note that i love el and i genuinely think she would be happier without being in a romantic relationship with mike. i'm not dismissing her feelings or shoving her to the side like a lot of people do with will, and i’m not just saying this because i love byler either. i'm actually considering what she's been through, and season 3 made a point of how she can be happy without being in a relationship with mike when she dumped him, and it actually allowed her to grow as an individual person and discover her own likes without someone telling her, which was so important for her. i’ve also watched this show so many times and i actually know how to pay attention to character behaviour, relationship dynamics and what’s good for the overall story and character development. mike and el just don’t make any sense to me in a romantic relationship and i just don’t like how they change when they’re around each other. their friendship is beautiful, and i believe that they love and care for each other so much, but the romance was rushed and they show no signs of character growth or development when they’re together. in fact, i think their characters become worse when they’re together and i’m not trying to sound harsh when i say that but it’s true (and the other characters in the show would agree because literally no one has said anything positive about their relationship. they’ve only called them out and encouraged them to break up). mike and el pretend to be people they’re not when they’re with each other. they lie to each other, they dodge each other’s questions, they don’t trust each other enough, they can’t be open and vulnerable with each other, they’re never on the same page, they can’t be themselves when the other is around, and one thing that really bothers me: they literally exclude their friends and don’t pay attention to them because they get so consumed with each other and it’s just so immature and unfair (like when dustin just returned home and they immediately ran off from the friend group to be alone, and when will was all alone at the ice rink and they were just holding hands right in front of him and didn’t talk to him or include him… like come on man it’s just selfish.)

and yes, they’re just teenagers, i get that, but they’ve shown no sign of individual character growth or development while being in a relationship and i’m tired of it. it’s the same thing every season and it’s boring and ridiculous. it’s like they’re being forced to stay in a relationship when they don’t even want to be in one. and i’m so sick of mike being reduced to el’s boyfriend and having no other personal storylines because his character is so much more than that but we barely know anything about him or his struggles because they don’t allow us to. it’s just always about el. and it’s annoying because el is so strong and doesn’t need to depend on mike for happiness but so many people act like she does even though she was the happiest she had ever been right after she dumped him. both of these characters are absolutely wonderful individually, but when they’re in a romantic relationship, it ruins so much.

also, i personally believe mike is struggling with his identity, has repressed feelings for will and is forcing himself to be someone he's not whenever el is around, so i obviously don't think that's fair to anyone. i don't want el to be in a relationship with someone who can't give her the love she deserves, i don't want mike to force himself to be someone he's not and i don't want will to suffer and be excluded like he is every season. based on what i've observed, mike, will AND el (and even other characters) have all been hurt or annoyed in some way because of mike and el being in a romantic relationship. it's clear that there hasn't been any growth or maturity over the past few seasons between them and it's getting repetitive at this point.

but anyways, i don't care if people ship another couple. the point is, mike is one of the most important people in will's life that he's known for 10 years and experienced so much with, and will is also important to mike. you don't have to ship byler but you cannot deny that mike and will have the most history and build up and they have a relationship that no one else can replace. trying to take mike away from will and acting like mike belongs to el and saying "will is getting in the way of them" or "will is selfish because el is his sister" when he's the one that knew and loved mike first is just selfish and unfair. and i'm not saying mike automatically “belongs” to will either just because he knew him first, mike isn't an object and he's his own person, but i constantly see people acting like el owns mike and that will is getting in the way of them and it's pathetic. mike and will were best friends long before el came around, and el has only been living with the byers for less than a year anyways. mike doesn’t view will as “his girlfriend’s brother” and will doesn’t view mike as “his sister’s boyfriend”. stop with that bullshit and stop using that to try and make them feel guilty. they are NOT connected through el. they were best friends first and that’s how they see each other. el has nothing to do with their own personal relationship. in fact, the only reason mike met el in the first place was because HE WAS SEARCHING FOR WILL. so stop invalidating will’s love for mike and stop acting like "he can just move on and find someone else so that mike and el can stay together" and admit you don't care about will at all. it’s actually disgusting how people just shove him to the side and act like his relationship with mike doesn’t matter when it does.

you also need to remember how much harder it is for him to be gay and struggling with his sexuality in the 80s, especially after being so heavily bullied for it from when he was a child and experiencing so much trauma. everyone is so concerned about him “getting in the way” but they have no idea how difficult this situation is for will. he doesn’t fit into society’s definition of “normal” because of who he is and he can’t just “move on from mike and find another boy”. that’s not how it works. he can’t live a normal life like most kids because of this cruel society and homophobia, and he even thinks that he'll never get to experience love because he doesn't think mike would ever like him back.

before he was kidnapped and taken to the upside down, will had always suffered from being bullied and abused by his own father and school bullies, and they would call him homophobic slurs and make fun of the way he dressed. this is absolutely heartbreaking and i just hate thinking about it. he was just a little kid when it all started and he has always been so kind, gentle and loving towards everyone around him. i will never be able to understand how people can be so cruel and horrible. he also had to watch his parents constantly argue and deal with his father's abuse when he was at home. for so long, will had no friends either and the only people that were there for him were joyce and jonathan. but then one day, on the first day of kindergarten, when he was sitting on the swings all alone, mike came up to him and asked him if he wanted to be his friend. if he hadn't, will probably never would've found any friends or walked up to anyone on his own, because he's always found it difficult to make friends. but mike was his very first friend, and they've known each other for 10 years, so they have so much history together and they've experienced things that they haven't experienced with anyone else. this is what i consider proper build up (since so many people act like they don't have build up) and a beautiful, genuine relationship that no one else can replace.

mike became a safe place for will. he was the reason that he no longer had to be alone and then they ended up sharing the same interests and hobbies, such as playing d&d. getting invested in fictional worlds and playing games was an escape and distraction from the real world, especially for will, who came from a broken family that was struggling financially and also because of his abusive father. he would go to mike's basement to escape home so he wouldn't have to hear his parents arguing or get yelled at, and he remained close with the party, as they were his only friends. will is also extremely passionate about art, and he draws things that mean the most to him. mike keeps all of his drawings and he looks through them whenever he thinks of will. we also know that in season 4, will paints something special for mike.

in season 1 and 2, you can see how much mike cares about will and how worried he gets when he's in danger. he took care of him all the time and he would always stay by his side. you can imagine how much this would mean to will, but what makes it even more heartbreaking is the fact that we now know that will likes mike too, but he probably thinks mike will never love him back. will fell in love with his best friend and he's struggling with his own sexuality in a time where being gay wasn't accepted, and it would've been even more traumatising and scary for him because he was targeted with homophobic slurs from a young age.

now try to imagine how it feels for will to see his best friend get a girlfriend and become so consumed with her that he forgets all about him. and yes, lucas, dustin and will have all confronted and called mike out for being too consumed with el. it's not healthy and they missed when their friend could actually be himself instead of acting like someone's he's not.

in season 3 episode 3, mike and will had their first big fight and it ended up triggering an emotional breakdown for will. the only other times we've seen him cry is when he was struggling with the mindflayer and upside down, and when mike and his family were talking to him when he was possessed. but other than that, he's never broken down like this. he was angry, hurt, overwhelmed, upset, heartbroken, confused, lost, alone. this was everything bottled up inside him for so long and it eventually reached the point where he just couldn't keep it in any longer. the thing that made will storm out in the first place was the fact that mike had become so consumed with el. not only would it hurt to see your best friend forget about you, but it would hurt even more when you're also in love with him and think he'll never love you back. the moment mike started talking about growing up, getting girlfriends and no longer playing d&d, will realised that his safe place that he's known for most of his life was finally moving on without him.

will wasn't ready to grow up due to all the trauma from his childhood and the upside down, and also because he was struggling with his sexuality. growing up meant that he wouldn’t be able to stay safe in his comfort zone, which was being with mike and the boys. fiction was their escape and their distraction. mike was not only his best friend, but the boy he fell in love with, and will realised that mike no longer had time for him because he was too busy with his girlfriend and he thought that he would never care about him like he used to. he also realised that he would never be like all the other boys and he doesn't fit in with society's definition of "normal". will is struggling with his sexuality in a time where being gay wasn't accepted and he already faced so much bullying and abuse and homophobic insults. he would've felt even more overwhelmed hearing the words "it's not my fault you don't like girls" directly from mike. this fight resulted in him having an emotional breakdown and then destroying castle byers, another safe place that he’s always used for hiding and escaping. he also ripped the photo of him and the boys as well as his artwork.

compare this to the mike and el break up an episode earlier. it was made to look humourous with bright lighting and music, and when el dumped mike she was actually happy, free and learning to be independent and grow as a person which was so good for her and something she really needed (even max said it). mike didn’t even seem to really care and he didn’t go running back to her apologising. but when mike had a fight with will, it hurt will so much that it literally triggered an emotional breakdown for him, revealing how much losing mike can affect him and how it hurt hearing those words from the person he’s been so close with for most of his life. mike was will’s first ever friend and would always be there for him whenever he needed support and comfort. mike was also the first person other than joyce and jonathan to actually make will feel loved and accepted because he had absolutely no one else. he experienced childhood trauma because of bullies and his abusive father and he got called homophobic slurs, and to this day he’s still struggling with his sexuality and feelings for his best friend in a time where being gay wasn’t accepted and he thinks his best friend will never love him back. when their fight was happening, the colours were dark, there was sad music and it was raining. then mike rode his bike in a storm to try and apologise to will because he can never leave him without making up and checking that he’s okay. these scenes reveal so much about both relationships.

i think people are also forgetting that will had to watch his best friend get into a relationship with the girl who (unintentionally) opened the gate that resulted in him getting kidnapped and traumatised for the rest of his life. el obviously didn’t mean to open it but the point is that she still did and it changed will’s life forever. and then the only reason mike and el met was because mike was searching for will! imagine having that constant reminder of your trauma and heartbreak as you watch that same girl and your best friend date each other while you’re still suffering and getting excluded. don’t even try acting like you know “what’s best for will” or that “he’ll be okay and he can find someone else”. mike and will started the show and connected everybody together. THEY are the ones that have been built up from the start and they are so special to each other. i’m not saying that will needs to be in a romantic relationship with mike in order to be happy but he certainly needs his best friend in his life because he's so important to him, and we already know that can’t happen if he’s still in a relationship with el, because mike changes so much and forces himself to focus on her and then will just gets hurt over and over again. i also think mike is struggling with his own identity and repressed feelings for will which is why i don't think it's fair to anyone that he's forcing himself to be in a relationship he doesn't want to be in and he's pretending to be someone he's not.

so don’t ever say that “will can just easily move on and find someone else” just because you feel threatened that he’s “getting in the way” of mike and el, because that’s absolute bullshit and it's just selfish. none of this is easy for him, and no one even considers how much harder it is for a young gay kid who probably feels so alone and scared and out of place from everyone else around him. he’s watched all of his friends have romantic relationships while he never has, and he thinks he’ll never be able to either which is absolutely heartbreaking.

after everything will has been through and all the teasing about byler, i will be absolutely devastated and furious if they don’t make them canon, or at least heavily imply that there’s a chance for them. will never should’ve been involved in this “love triangle” if they were planning to make mike reject him. that would be so cruel and unnecessary. so many people already treat this character like a joke and shove him to the side, and i’m sick of it. he doesn’t deserve to suffer again. the cast, writers, products and netflix accounts have also teased byler so much and told people that they’ve been building them up, so you can’t blame people for getting excited. we aren’t the ones being delusional here when we’re constantly having things shoved in our face. and in volume 1, they kept mike’s feelings ambiguous towards both will and el. if mike was just gonna run back to el, what’s the point of all that? why did mike and el have a big dramatic fight? why couldn’t mike say “i love you” even when el was crying and practically begging him to say it? why did they confirm will likes mike if it was going to be unrequited? why was mike awkward with will at the airport even though they left on good terms? what was the point in all of mike and will’s emotional scenes and the tender emotional music? why was mike nodding when will was talking about how it’s hard to say how you feel especially to people you care about most because what if they DON’T like the truth? mike already knows what el wants to hear, so why would he be agreeing with what will is saying? why have they made this plot so dramatic if it’s just gonna end up the same way as it has every season and none of the characters have any growth or development? if they chose to get will involved in this just to hurt him, that wouldn’t be okay at all, and people really need to stop dismissing his feelings and think about everything he’s been through.

#will byers #byler #may or may not have cried over will again but what’s new!!#i’m just so sick of people hating on him #he's done nothing wrong #he's the most kind gentle and sweetest character on this entire show #people constantly overlook his trauma and shove him to the side #it's so frustrating and it hurts to watch

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artemismoorea03 · 8 months

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DPxDC Prompt: Who's Child Is This?

Inspired by an ICarly Clip. "Mr. Wayne, we have your son here."

Bruce blinked, then checked the number on the phone. It was from the police station. He then looked around the table which had fallen silent when Alfred had brought him the phone.

Dick, Jason, Tim, Duke, and Damian were all accounted for. Even Jon was there so they couldn't have misidentified him as his kid.

"Which one?" Bruce chose to ask.

"Tim Drake."

Bruce looked at Tim specifically as he tilted his head confused. "Are you sure?"

"Oh yeah, Mr. Wayne, we know your boys by now."

"Right... alright, I'll be there in a couple of minutes. Can I ask on why Tim has been taken into custody?"

Tim tilted his head even further while some of the others around the table started chuckling.

"He was found trespassing near the new Axion Labs at the edge of the city. The owner chose not to press charges so we're sending him home in your custody."

"I see, I'll be there soon. Thank you for the call."

"Of course, Mr. Wayne, we'll see you soon."

Bruce ended the call then looked at his kids. "Apparently, Tim has been arrested for trespassing near the Axion Labs construction site."

"And you didn't even invite me?" Dick chuckled at Tim, "We could have had so much fun together."

Tim scrunched his nose at the idea. "No way, that whole area is an OSHA violation. If I went there it wouldn't be out of costume, whoever that kid is was risking his life just walking within a block of it."

"Well, I'm going to go down there and see what 'Tim' was thinking." Bruce got out of his seat, "I'll be back soon."

"New brother?" Cass asked as Damian growled.

"We're going to assume no for now, but we may have another for dinner depending on what's going on."

"I will prepare another seat while you are gone, Master Bruce."

"Thanks, Alfred. I'll be back soon."

When Bruce walked into the police station he immediately noticed 'Tim' sitting in front of one of the officers desks. It was a newer officer and it was clear that neither Detective Montoya or Commissioner Gordon were in or somebody would have noticed that this kid definitely wasn't Tim.

Yes, the kid had black hair which was on the shorter side but his hair fell in front of his face more than Tim would wear it, and his eyes were unnaturally blue. He was pale in an old hoodie, blue jeans, and red shoes. The biggest difference though was that this kid looked like he was only pushing 15, not 17. Yes, he looked quite a bit like Tim but anybody who had spent more than five minutes with Tim Drake would know they weren't the same person.

"Mr. Wayne." The officer called as Bruce walked over, looking at the kid.

He was thin and pale, which a tired look on his face. He also shrunk away from Bruce when he walked over.

Bruce knew what a kid in trouble looked like. So he smiled down at the kid. "You know, Tim, when I said you could go to the lab to do your science homework I didn't expect you to go all the way to Axion Labs."

The kid looked at him, surprised then seemed to quickly catch on. "What can I say, I had to see what terrible science looked like. Sorry for making you come down here."

"It's fine, but are you okay?"

"Y-yeah, totally." He said, his hand subconsciously moving to his ribs as though he was hurt.

"Alright then you are grounded."

"What?!" 'Tim' squeaked, "Come on-"

"Nope. You are ground... for... 'til... college."

"FOR 'TIL COLLEGE?!"

"For 'til college!"

The officer cleared his throat then held out a clipboard. "If you sign the red x's you can take your son and leave, Mr. Wayne."

Bruce took the papers, quickly looking over it and signing it. It was strange to see that all of the handwriting on the paperwork was adult writing. Had they even asked this kid his name? Once everything was signed he passed it back over to the officer who nodded.

"Looks good. Thanks Mr. Wayne and you stay out of trouble. The whole city knows your face. You're just lucky Mr. Masters didn't want to press charges."

"Yeah, so lucky." The kid rolled his eyes, then stood up and looked up at Bruce. "Can we go now?"

"Sure thing, chum. Come on." Bruce said, leading the kid out of the station and to the car. The kid seemed hesitant as he looked around, his eyes narrowing when they landed on a gentlemen with silver hair in a ponytail, only when the man smiled at 'Tim' did the kid speak up again.

"Come on, Dad, let's get out of here before the stalkers find us." He said, climbing in the front seat and closing the door, much to the annoyance of the silver haired man.

Bruce climbed in the front seat, buckling in and driving away from the station. "So... 'not Tim' what's your name?"

"Danny. Just Danny... sorry about all of that Mr. Wayne. That guy took one look at me and started calling me 'Tim' and when I tried to explain that I wasn't 'Tim' hey called me a liar. But if I gave them my real name then... somebody else was going to come collect me and I didn't want that. So... I let them call me Tim. I'm sorry, I hope it didn't put you out..."

"Not at all. But... are you okay? Why were you at Axion Labs?"

Danny seemed hesitant, "I... it sounds crazy."

"It's Gotham, kid. Crazy things happen all the time..."

"Right... well um... I-I was kidnapped from my home and taken to Axion Labs. I-I escaped and when I was trying to leave the grounds the police saw me and thought I was trespassing. Since the cops were I decided to play along with it..."

Bruce frowned, "Kidnapped? Is... is there somebody I can call?"

Danny shook his head. "I have an older sister who is probably going crazy looking for me but other than her and a couple of friends there wouldn't be anybody. My parents... they were kind of involved. They... they found out something about me and tried to hurt me, I ran to somebody I knew I couldn't trust because I thought maybe he would get his head out of his ass but I was just being an idiot." Danny hugged himself. "You can drop me off anywhere though, you don't have to bother yourself with me or my shit."

Bruce pulled to a stoplight and reached over to the kid who flinched, Bruce waited until he relaxed before Bruce patted his head. "I'm not going to just leave you on the street. Besides, it's late and by now my butler has already dished you some dinner. So at least for tonight you're welcome to stay with me and my kids. We'll get some food in your belly, make sure you're not wounded, let you call your sister, and find a way to get you home. Sound good?" He asked, moving his hand away.

Danny looked at Bruce, seeming a bit untrusting for a moment before he glanced at something near Bruce and relaxed. There was nothing with Bruce, he wasn't carrying anything, but whatever Danny was seeing was enough to put his mind at ease. "Okay... but if anybody tries anything be warned, I bite."

Bruce chuckled, "So do most of the others. You'll fit right in."

'But just what the hell is going on with this kid? Does it have anything to do with that man outside the police station? I've got to get to the bottom of this before this kid leaves, especially if he's still a target.'

#dp x dc prompt #my prompts #maddie and jack didn't take the news well #Vlad got controlling when Danny showed up #Danny just needs a nap #he's just a lil guy #he's never done nothing wrong his entire life

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