SunnyflowerArty

🏳️‍🌈Artist & writer📚 27🌻 Genderfluid They/she I am working on my own comic but in the meantime I share fanart and original characters 🌹

[sunnyflowerarty]

Mike Wheeler associates himself with frogs, in the way they appear in Fairy tales, but he isn't secretly a prince, just an ugly frog that got lost a long time ago.

If you kiss his froggy face you're turned into a frog yourself that's his curse if you asked Mike.

If you asked Will he would say Mike is the cutest frog and he would give him a true loves kiss to turn him back into a paladin. He would say "you're no frog, but you're also not a prince, you're a brave paladin."

[sunnyflowerarty]

Since it's my 27th birthday I thought about Mike Wheeler sitting alone in his living reading an old diary and as he flips through it he feels himself getting emotional and when he reads a small poem he chocks back tears, not because of the words but because of the small drawing at the bottom of the page.

It was a drawing of his and Will's dnd characters kissing.

A few minutes Will finds Mike sobbing and they end up cuddling on the couch as Mike mumbles that he loves Will.

[sunnyflowerarty]

A kiss I so desperately want to write in a Byler fic is a reference to Skam France.

I can totally see Will painting a wall or another type of bigger project and Mike helps out. They end up flirting a lot and Mike at some point playfully paints a little heart on Will's cheek. In the end they are covered in paint and making out.

They could already be dating doing this.

Bonus points for it being blue and yellow paint.

[sunnyflowerarty]

Byler is probably one of the saddest examples of a lost potential in writing a great love story with queer joy. Instead it feels like we got queerbaited for the million time.

This has made me wanna make a YouTube video going through all 5 seasons of Stranger things with a Byler perspective, analyzing what story is being presented no matter the intentions.

We will take a look at Mike's queerness and how the earlier seasons supports this whether they wanted to or not.

Will's crush on Mike and when it becomes visible. The tension we see in season 4 but also in season 3.

What exactly went wrong in season 5 and was it hopeless from the start.

Also I wanna focus on parallels between Byler and Canon couples and how Byler's friendship even differs from other friendships in the party.

It's probably gonna be a long video so I don't know when it will be out.

[milomagicz]

YES. Byler not being canon literally hurts Will as a queer character. Because now every shred of queer joy we've seen is bittersweet at best and tragic at worst. Now every shred of queer joy has this undertone of "this never mattered, his crush was just a crush, he spent years yearning and waiting and hoping for absolutely nothing".

Now his only canonical queer joy is simply implied, while his canonical queer suffering is at the forefront of his character. We see his queer suffering in excruciating detail, and his queer joy can be summed up to "he will be happy and confident in his queerness later..... maybe."

And don't even get me STARTED on how it fucks over Mike-

[sunnyflowerarty]

FOR REAL! that's exactly the points I wanna make when talking about Will's writing and the way queerness is handled in stranger things. I probably will aldo add something about Robin and Vickie.

There is a lot of writing decisions that makes no sense if they wanted to make a story about outcasts and also uplift that type of character.

Oh MIKE was majorly fucked over, not only do we see that his ending has a real life effect on people (people coming out because they don't wanna be Mike Wheeler) but he also just screams overlooked, as if they started a storyline and decided "oh he's to queer we can't focus on it."

But also Mike's other struggles such as jumping of a cliff, the need to be needed and his leader role. There is so much to touch on with Mike.

[sunnyflowerarty]

Byler is probably one of the saddest examples of a lost potential in writing a great love story with queer joy. Instead it feels like we got queerbaited for the million time.

This has made me wanna make a YouTube video going through all 5 seasons of Stranger things with a Byler perspective, analyzing what story is being presented no matter the intentions.

We will take a look at Mike's queerness and how the earlier seasons supports this whether they wanted to or not.

Will's crush on Mike and when it becomes visible. The tension we see in season 4 but also in season 3.

What exactly went wrong in season 5 and was it hopeless from the start.

Also I wanna focus on parallels between Byler and Canon couples and how Byler's friendship even differs from other friendships in the party.

It's probably gonna be a long video so I don't know when it will be out.

[sunnyflowerarty]

I love jealous Mike Wheeler as much as the next person or the idea of Will and Eddie getting along.

But there is something special about Will being jealous of the way Mike is fawning over Eddie, the puppy crush is so strong and Will hates it.

Will's stare is burning holes in Eddie's head and he doesn't understand why mini Byers seems to hate him.

When Eddie is hiding from the whole town / gets told about the upside down, only then does it acure to him that Will has been jealous this whole time because of Mike giving Eddie attention (Eddie feels slightly uncomfortable being stuck with Mike and Will alone until he clocks that they are crushing on each other.

[sunnyflowerarty]

Weird similarity between Mike Wheeler and Veronica Sawyer is that they are more likely to stand up for their friends than care about their own wellbeing.

They would rather die to save everyone else.

Look at dead girl walking reprise "no else deserves to die, except for me and the monster I created" and little Mike Wheeler jumping off a cliff or trying to save people doing all 5 seasons.

I don't See Mike becoming part of the heathers just to be noticed by other people but I do see him sing "fight for me" when he saw Will get his powers

[sunnyflowerarty]

The vanishing of Mike Wheeler

What if instead of kidnapping children and introducing so many new characters Mike was the Wheeler sibling that goes missing and the date is November 6 1987.

Will goes out of his own skin trying to be the leader, since Mike is gone but you can slowly see that he is losing himself the more time goes by and none of his plans are working.

The heart is missing and it's noticeable yet Mike himself thinks it's better it was him who got taken. The party ends up fighting and Will screams "I'm the only one acting normal! None of you care a lot about Mike!"

Nancy is there too along side the older teens who sees the fight happening. She despite her anger and worry ends up comforting Will.

[sunnyflowerarty]

We don't talk enough about how little Mike Wheeler was ready to not only fight for his friends but also die to protect them.

It's such lost potential to not use this character trait more in season 5.

He would die for them and I wish the story had focused on Mike learning that he doesn't have to protect people by getting hurt because as Will says they need him, he is the heart.

I truly believe one of the reasons he is so ready to sacrifice himself is due to his love for his friends and also his self hatred. Mike thinks the world is a better place without him so if he can trade his life for others he would.

Give Mike Wheeler his Paladin moment.

[sunnyflowerarty]

Mike Wheeler published a fantasy novel about a Cleric and Paladin falling in love doing pride month you can't convince me otherwise.

It was both dedicated as a love letter to Will but also to the queer teens out there feeling like they have to hide.

[sunnyflowerarty]

Happy pride month! I have been talking a lot about Byler but I wanna share the story concept of my comic with a gay main character.

Meet Vincent who is in love with his straight best friend Louis whom he has just watched getting engaged.

This isn't a story about getting the guy you have pinned for your whole life, (spoiler he hasn't actually been in love with Louis) it's the slow realization, that love comes in many forms and sometimes we internalize the perfect fantasy of love and romance.

The comic is called Wishing I were Melody and is a romance between Vincent a tattoo artist Theodore he mets because of the wedding. (Melody is the bride and Theodore is her cousin)

This story came to me long before I watched stranger things yet I do think Vincent was rooting for Byler and asked his roommate if they could watch the show together.

The comic is still in development but I wanna share more of my art concepts in the future.

[sunnyflowerarty]

Imagine Mike has been having his own arc of realizing he isn't in love with El so they break up on good terms.

Then slowly comes to the realization that he has been looking at boys and male actors the way he's 'supposed' to look at girls. So one day he just looks at himself in the bathroom mirror and realizes "I don't like girls"

Then comes the confusion about Will. He finds him pretty and comfortable and oh shit he's in love with his best friend.

All this happened and then one day Mike is with the party before they go fighting Vecna and the mind flayer. They all promises to come out of this alive, they hug and everything.

Mike then looks at everyone of his friends and says. "before we fight a terrifying monster I wanna honest and hope you don't see me any differently." he looks right at Will before he says the next words. "I'm gay."

They all react positively and Mike gets hugs from all the party members but Will waits to be the last one and when their eyes met again Will almost jumps to embrace Mike. They don't exchange any words but a silent promise to live another day.

[sunnyflowerarty]

Mike comes out to Eddie part 1.

Mike and Eddie are standing on the tower keeping an eye on things, a couple of days after Mike accidentally witnessed Eddie and Steve kiss.

"You think they would let me handle a crossbow?" Eddie jumps mimicking the way you would hold an old crossbow.

"Absolutely, right after they let my little sister drive a car"

"Flamethrower?"

"You're not Nancy"

"Machine gun? That outta kill thoes motherfuckers"

"In your dreams" Mike laughs and shakes his head. "Will had to save you from the demobats remember, you're not about to be given a deadly weapon"

Eddie throws an arm around Mike's shoulder "what about you smart guy?"

"what?"

"Tell me what weapon you would use to fight"

"A sword obviously"

"You're insane Wheeler"

"Says the guy who almost became a vampire"

"You gotta admit, I would rock the fangs and–"

"If you call yourself hot or appealing to the ladies I will throw you off this tower"

"Awww but the ladies dig scars"

"or Steve does"

Eddie pulled away from Mike and tried to read his expression "I should have known it was you nosy Wheeler."

"So... You're actually..."

"Fucking Steve the hair Harrington?" Eddie turned a little pink.

"Ew! No..." Mike looks away from Eddie "You're dating... Are you actually dating?"

"Oh.. Yeah he's my boyfriend, shocking I know, how did he charm me. Guess Harrington has high charisma"

That made Mike laugh "How did you know he wanted to" Mike said date at the same time Eddie says "make sweet love to me."

"Date you! Everything is not about sex appeal"

"There were moments, signals I suppose you can call it."

"Signals?" Mike looks out and thinks of Will...

[sunnyflowerarty]

I headcanon that when Mike and Will were little and played pretend, Mike got on one knee as if he was a real paladin. He would have held Will's hand, they made up an oath together and doing the events of season 1 and 2 Mike constantly reminded himself of the oath.

Even better if doing the events of season 5 Mike again makes an oath to Will because that's their love language.

[sunnyflowerarty]

Writing my Byler fic is just me debating how the boys will confess.

Is it gonna be dramatic and in a high stress situation or do I give them a sweet moment were they get to relax.

The high stress situation means it's Will who confessed because Mike is in danger.

The sweet moment is Mike confessing because he finally feels comfortable.

[sunnyflowerarty]

Another writing decision I don't get if Byler wasn't in the cards.

In El's letter to Mike doing season 4 she writes

Will is painting a lot, but he won't show me what he's working on. Maybe it is for a girl. I think there is someone he likes, because he has been acting weird.

Why bring attention to Will's romantic feelings in a letter to Mike? It could have been a conversation between El and Jonathan or even Joyce if we the audience is being told Will seems to have feelings for someone.

There is so much attention on Will and Mike being awkward in the airport. I would argue that Mike is acting weird the whole time.

But why did Will bring the painting to the airport? And why does Mike have to ask about it? Unless he remembers the letter he read the day before mentioning Will painting because he has a crush on someone.

It's a strange set up for the van scene later and how they didn't adresse the painting after.

Mike's behavior should have been addressed, I know he says he feels like they lost each other and Hawkins isn't the same without Will. But then wouldn't you jump at the chance to hug your best friend?

Idk I just think it's strange writing if Byler truly was meant to be one sided. Then what is Mike doing?

[sunnyflowerarty]

Run run run, Mike Wheeler

"MIKE!"

I'm coming, wait for me

Mike opens his eyes and sees Will but not his Will... No this one is small and covered in rain water.

"it's not my fault you hate yourself!"

"MIKE!"

Then the tiny Will becomes older... It's his Will the water turns to blood and he looks sad.

"You think he'll ever love you? You're disgusting Michael"

"MIKE! Follow my voice!"

I hear the walls repeating

Mike turns away and runs from the fake Will he is running through high grass it's towering over him. He runs and he runs and he run with his heart bounding, he hears the dogs chasing him. They are getting closer and if he stops they will rip him apart if he stops running.

Then he suddenly finds himself in an open field, did he get away? He must have but then he feels a sharp pain in the back of his head. He's shot and now laying in a puddle of his own blood. The taste of iron overpoweres his mouth and everything goes black.

"please wake up... I'm sorry.... Mike.... Please."