the drag path.

byler’s version.

[dearestpaladin]

and the thing that gets to me in the ‘mike-realises-he’s-gay-in-college-and-asks-will-to-mentor-him’ fics is that will is constantly deflecting or subtly rejecting mike under the guise of self preservation but everyone’s mad at mike for not being honest? like??? will isn’t being honest with himself OR mike, and I’m not blaming him, so to speak, and there is definitely a breakdown of communication on both sides, but cut my boy some slack.

[mothwingsmayy]

i feel it in my soul that mike wheeler would wear this

[dearestpaladin]

Mike trudged upstairs as if he were moving through sludge. Would it be so bad if he just laid right here, on the fourth step, and let the background noise fade? Would anyone notice? How long would it take for him to become part of the stairs, like one of his mom’s permanent living room fixtures, something once treasured but soon rendered worthless - something guests’ eyes skip over as they surveyed his home, lovely furniture, Karen. Ted, another glass of wine?

Zion by kellogsfrostyflakes

[maddiemell]

"Wrap it with your jacket!"

-mike wheeler, who is also wearing a jacket

[writingdose]

insane to me how, to some people, this is not a common sense

[dearestpaladin]

LOUDER FOR THE NEW GEN READERS IN THE BACK 👏🏼 👏🏼 👏🏼

[dearestpaladin]

Will laughed. “You think it’ll fill Mike’s fantasies?”

“Baby, it’ll fill his ancestor’s fantasies,” Luis hummed, adjusting the necklace. “Now, we drink.”

It's Such A Shame (Our Friendship Had To End) by nyxbee

[the-vih-brj-world]

“Are they lovers?”

Worse, they're Byler variants.

[dearestpaladin]

a teacher’s take on fanfics and AI

it’s quite a fascinating experience being a teacher who reads fanfics. as someone who has spent over a decade teaching literacy, teaching young people to become writers, it’s interesting to read the faceless work of individuals who I know nothing about. and it is because of this very fact – the anonymity of it all – that I must acknowledge how incredibly important it is to have an author’s voice for your fic to stand out and hold it’s own.

this has become increasingly vital in the age of AI, (which has an extremely obvious ‘voice’ of its own, albeit bland and repetitive), and I find myself sitting with a number of competing truths regarding it’s existence within literature, and the world itself.

I’ll be the first to admit that there’s discomfort in that. like many complex issues, we have to consider the nuance surrounding AI and what it means moving forward as readers, writers and humans. I want to be clear, I am not inherently against AI, and have at times found it to be a very useful tool that enables me to meet the demanding requirements of my job. at the same time I can appreciate the damage AI is doing, not only to the environment, but to our minds.

it saddens me, both as a teacher and a lifelong reader and writer, when I’m drawn in by the description of a fic, only to open it and realise that it is most definitely created by AI. I can’t help but think that it’s such a waste of creative opportunity. it also naturally raises genuine concerns regarding the ‘lost art’ of writing (though this is somewhat tempered by the sheer volume of fics that are still being imagined and written by authors all over the world).

so here I sit, uncomfortable and unsure, and wondering what things will look like moving forward. I didn’t have a clear direction when I started this post, so please forgive me for my unfiltered thoughts, but sometimes I just need somewhere to put them. I’m sure there will be more to come.

[hellfirehoe]

happy pridE MOnth and priDE MONth to them

[hellfirehoe]

they could've kissed in 4K and it still wouldn't have been gayer than whatever the fuck they were doing in this scene.

[mikewheelerisaqueerler]

i refuse to believe that mike "thats just bullshit media propaganda" wheeler goes on to do some soul sucking marketing job

i really feel he would rather be penniless on the street than do something he isn't passionate about

[romanticizingacademic]

i can’t bro

[mikewheelerisaqueerler]

mike talking about will to everyone literally all the time in college and he's like 3 months in and then finally one of his friends is like "wow you must really love your boyfriend" and mike just shuts up and stops like a deer in headlights because "what no he's my best friend" and then he's like 𝙬𝙖𝙞𝙩 and that's how he realises he's in love with will byers

[dearestpaladin]

to my fellow writers: why do you insist on referring to Mike and Will as “the older boy” or “the younger boy” respectively? their birthdays are like two weeks apart, the age gap is negligible? someone please explain, I feel like I’m missing something.

[ssentinl]

“mike doesn’t like will like that”

then what in the ever living fuck is this

[marshmallowdevi]

Three Cheers for Sweet Byler

[rs-barelle]

I saw you on the swings, and you were alone, too. And I just walked up to you, and I asked. I asked if you wanted to be my friend. And you said yes. You said yes. It was the best thing I’ve ever done.