Nie Braids

Mike only fights back against bullies after they hurt someone he loves, but never for himself.

When he was tripped? When he was pressured to jump off a cliff? he just took it and never fought against it later. He never got back at them for it.

Mike's learned to take it, but he's ashamed of it. Watching back the clip where they trip him, you can notice Mike is trying not to cry. You can hear it in his voice with the way it cracks and shakes, and especially with the noise he makes at the end. He hides how they actually make him feel.

He tries to hide the real reason why he had a mark on a chin from el, afraid she'd think of him as a wastoid/loser. He just wanted one person - just one - to not think of him the way he thinks everyone else does - the way he thinks of himself.

He hides the reason for the bruise from the first girl that's ever shown interest in him. He doesn't tell his parents. (there is zero implication his parents are aware of the bullying until finally when his son is wanted by the whole town s4. karen is right there in front of him to see the scab but we never see acknowledgment from her). There's a good chance nobody but Dustin and El know about the whole cliff thing.

We are explicitly told how Will and El feel about the bullying and hate they've faced in their life, but not Mike. They are hiding him cause LOOK AT HOW HES OUT OF FOCUS IN BOTH OF THESE SCENES!! DURING THESE LINES!!!

MIKE UNDERSTANDS THEM. He knows where they're coming from!! why isn't he just saying that? pride. shame. fear. downplaying his emotions because his parents have taught him what he thinks/feels/does does not matter. not that they insult him.. they just ignore him or things that matter to him. that's enough to make a child feel insignificant.

buddy all you did was slightly open up about feeling not needed and insulted yourself in the process...

karen failing to call it by the actual name implies she doesn't remember details about him -- the things that matter to him. his correction implies it's important to him that she refers to it by its actual name, and this is most likely not the first time he corrects her by the way he says it casually.

the fact mike has zero reaction to any of this implies this is a normal thing for him to hear in his house (another instance in which he doesn't defend himself from insults, because he himself believes it)

His parents do not go to him. They do not intervene and rather wait for him to feel better on his own. Mind you this is a 12-14 year old boy. Why on earth is it all on him to manage alone???

"how is this bad?"

this plays exactly after we get a scene of Joyce not confronting Jonathan - her son - crying in his bedroom. Jonathan is parentified. He doesn't receive the same attention he needs as a child the way Will does because he needed to help provide. Although they're entirely different situations from each other (put down the fucking pitchforks), they both include a parent avoiding emotional connection with a child that's dealing with grief to let them take care of it by themselves. this is a clear parallel that's meant to be noticed.

they continue to just wait for mike to fix it all himself.

Mike feels worthless. He feels like a loser. He feels like he doesn't belong the same way El and Will do. He doesn't feel needed. But he's not gonna say it because he's learnt it doesn't matter. We have all the reasons to believe why he would feel that way.

Instead, during scenes where Will and El talk about bullying making them feel worthless, the director and cinematographer will simply just make sure he's in the background and out of focus, much like he his to his parents. Much like he is to the GA. Much like how it feels to suffer from depression.

Since I posted Extremely Sad art of Jiang Cheng and Jin Ling last week, I am now legally required to post this Significantly Happier art of them this week. 

See? Look! Jin Ling gets to meet some puppies! Jiang Cheng ALSO gets to meet some puppies! Little Fairy and her little paws get to meet Jin Ling and Jiang Cheng! (Can you tell which one she is?) This is NO HURT ALL COMFORT material

The way Lucas is established to have issues with stress and by extension anger in season 1 but in season 2, we quickly see through Max that he is the type of person to switch into caretaker mode as soon as she expresses issues with her own and more easily and quickly calms himself with the goal of cheering her up.

The way Lucas Sinclair is a caretaker by nature in the way that he is more able to take care of himself if he’s taking care of others.

The way it makes me think of his relationship with Will and even potential added tension at Mike’s refusal to let him help on Halloween night and the way Lucas tends to heal himself in the process of healing others but Will tends to set things down to avoid conflict. The back and forth of someone who insists on apologizing, not selfishly so much, but because it actively isn’t a chore and is healing for himself.

Thinking about his parents and the way he goes to them immediately for advice on conflict resolution with Max. Thinking about how he only ever begrudgingly apologized when Max didn’t seem genuinely hurt in their relationship. Thinking about Lucas seeing Max hurting and not letting him in even later when she did ensuring that she knew he how much he wanted to help and how he even regretted not trying harder. Thinking about how he wouldn’t stop brainstorming until he realized the best and most comforting thing he could do for her against Vecna was trust her.

Thinking about Lucas, who we’ve often seen a bit tense with Mike, especially surrounding Will, jumping at the chance to help with something and offer advice and a place to vent.

Thinking about Lucas’ relationship with Dustin, who seems pretty self-sufficient (and sassy) so ends up just as a fairly harmless source of bickering that can help blow off steam.

Thinking about a similar relationship between Lucas and Erica. Thinking about the desperation required for the caretaker who cares for himself by caring for others to call for help from her.

Thinking about Lucas Sinclair as a caretaker.

The in-universe Gothamite's guide to shipping your resident billionaire 💀

...

Comes with labels

ok but the orv epilogue grabbing you by the face and going "HEY YOU. YEAH YOU. READING THIS. YOU READING THIS STORY IS CANON TO THIS UNIVERSE. BY READING THIS STORY YOU ARE SAVING THE MAIN CHARACTER. BY LOVING THE MAIN CHARACTER YOU ARE LOVING YOURSELF. BY SAVING HIM YOU ARE SAVING YOURSELF."

Truly the fifth wall break of all time. I'm not sure anything can top that experience. We've peaked as a species.

I'd drink the Devil's water any time with you

All this news about Welcome to Derry got me going back to my roots…

softies on the bus?