I can't remember who made the post (whoever it was, let me know), but I'm thinking about how someone said El and Will both represent the different sides of fight or flight trauma responses. El is fight. Will is flight (or I guess freeze/flight).
El was taught to use violence growing up. Which is why her first instinct when looking danger in the eye or when she's upset about something is to typically get violent. I mean, we saw it when she threw Lucas off of Mike, when she melted those lab people's brains, when she threw those waffles and that book at Hopper and hit him with the couch, when she threw Max off her skateboard, and etc.
These are the two most recent examples.
El represents the "fight" aspect of fight of flight.
Will on the other hand has been shown time and time again to flee or freeze when faced with dangerous or upsetting situations. (And the two times he did stand his ground and "fight", he got kidnapped and possessed...so it makes sense for him to want to not fight anymore and to run). I mean we saw it when he ran away from the "Demogorgon" (before trying to fight and getting caught), he spent all of his time in the Upside Down running and hiding, he ran away from the Mind Flayer MANY times (obviously before following Bob's advice and getting possessed), and etc.
And two of his most recent examples is when El was getting bullied. He completely locked up.
Will represents the "flight/freeze" aspect of fight or flight.
I don't know...I just think it's interesting that Willel are on different sides of the spectrum when it comes to trauma responses and how they deal with dangerous or upsetting situations.
ummmm . sneak peek for . something. uh its looking really nice so far ? i mean. i need to fix that armpit jfc idk what i was thinking but otherwise i like it . now i just need to figure out what to do w him.
btw hes not naked hes wearing shorts. just . fyi
this is a take as old as time coming from me i know i know, but. i really do still dislike how offended people get whenever someone calls will soft, weepy, or vulnerable. he is all of those things and there's nothing wrong with that.
he's described as being gentle, soft-spoken, and not like most. he isn't "masculine enough," and so he gets called slurs like f-g, fairy, and queer—homophobia born out of misogyny, because a perceived lack of acceptable masculinity = femininity = gay = bad. he doesn't have a domineering personality. his instinct is to get behind others when there's danger. he doesn't like gross things. he tucks tail and doesn't see his self-defense through all the way, preferring to take it and forgive, even if undeserved. he cries often and openly, both for himself and others. he's a survivor, yes, but he often needs the help and support of others and would not be here, or have that drive to begin with, without them. he's sensitive, artistic, a dreamer, and a romantic.
none of those things cancel out his survivor instinct or his strength. the fact that he's still there, still fighting, and still being true to himself is a shining testament to those traits. not everyone would've been able to come out of what he's experienced thus far with themselves in tact. will is strong because he's soft and he's soft because he's strong. if he weren't a strong person, he would've broken and bent into a jaded, defeated husk of himself, and he hasn't. he's still the same old will at heart, where it matters most.
this knee-jerk "NO HE ISN'T!1!1!" reaction doesn't address the root of the problem, it just reinforces it in a different, less-outright way. will is the softie, the damsel in distress & the harbinger, the lover, the sweet one. there's nothing wrong with that. he faces vitriol in-world for it, and to deny what he is in favor of making him seem "manlier," "harsher," or more "aggressive" just makes it seem like you, on some level, agree that will's softness is a bad thing.
chastising people for calling him soft shouldn't be your tactic. instead, consider asking them why that's such a bad thing to be in their eyes. neither the narrative, nor any of the people in charge of this show, punish will for who he is and urge him to change. it's only the antagonists and their real life counterparts that do.
mike wheeler realising that he's cared for and missed when he's gone and that his existence is a net positive by the way. if you even care
I said this months ago and I’ll say it again, I just KNOW there are byler bloopers where Finn and Noah pulled this after half their scenes together
If you don’t know this is just a blooper from the maze runner
An observation that breath catching isn't always romantic in the show.
the mummy au
hellfire t-shirt mike, you'll always be famous (the search)
that's just bullshit media propaganda!
just saw a video of a bunny throwing a tantrum and thumping ground with little sulky foot stomps… will