Billy adopting Eleven as a second little sister.
Billy chauffeuring Eleven and Max to school every day acting like it’s the biggest burden and his greatest annoyance in life yet always interjecting whenever he hears them talking about boy troubles or bully troubles to offer (sometimes questionable) advice because he loves them and he’ll be damned if anyone messes with his girls. It happens so often that whenever they’re having an issue, like dealing with a shitty teacher or figuring out the perfect way to get back at Dustin or Lucas or Mike during some prank war, they purposefully talk louder so that Billy will insert himself and offer his opinion.
Billy never shying away when Eleven asks him questions, even if she’s asking about uncomfortable topics like relationships and sex, because it’s honestly next to impossible to embarrass him and he’d rather she hear it straight than get confused by people’s gross innuendos. She feels safe asking him just about anything because she knows he won’t dance around the answers.
Billy waiving his rights to the radio and letting Max and Eleven pick the music whenever one of them is upset, keeping a stash of their favorite cassettes in the glove box just in case. He doesn’t dig their music, but he will dashboard drum and sing along to Madonna just to make them laugh. He also knows their order at all the local fast food joints, can swing through a drive-thru or pop into the ice cream shop and order for all three of them without asking what the girls want, and has been known to detour to their favorite spots when he thinks that one of them needs a pick-me-up.
Billy letting Eleven play with his hair products when he catches her watching him get ready for a date, taking the time to tell her what everything is for and showing her how to use it all. He even gets her some bottles of her own when she finds something that she likes.
Billy teaching Eleven and Max how to drive in an empty parking lot, surprisingly calm as he guides them through the motion. Max is a natural, though she’s definitely something of a speed demon. Eleven is much more cautious and is a little heavy on the brake, but Billy is shockingly patient (even if every rough stop has him wincing for his poor Camaro). Hopper is honestly too much of a nervous wreck to teach El himself, try as he might, so she’s pretty lucky to have Billy there to help her.
Billy being Max and Eleven’s emergency contact. They drank too much at a party? Call Billy. Some guy is making them feel unsafe? Call Billy. Their car broke down? Find a payphone and call Billy. He will drop everything to help them, no matter where he is or what he’s doing. He has held their hair back and made them greasy hangover food. He keeps all their secrets, covers for them if he has to, always makes sure that they are safe because, again, those are his girls.
Billy lowering his guard around Eleven and Max, trusting them more than he trusts anyone else because, time and time again, they’ve proven that they are one hundred percent in his corner. Sure, they bicker with him, pester him, push his buttons. But it’s because they love him, and they feel safe with him, and he feels safe with them, too.
Billy and his two kid sisters, Eleven and Max.
Preach Girl!
dear americans,
do something! germany has been there. people weren’t taking hitler seriously at first, they looked down on him. hindenburg was like let’s just let him do whatever he wants, at least he’s keeping the citizens quiet, what could possibly go wrong.
don’t be like hindenburg & don’t be like the germans back then.
don’t stay silent! do something!
sincerely, a german girl
“I think that maybe a part of me died that day too”
me too girl.. me too
Time for something that might be a hot take to some people.
Max attacking Billy with the baseball bat is not the badass move we’re meant to see it as in the narrative. Rather, it shows that she is caught in the same cycle of abuse as Billy. Billy overreacted, but he’s under threat of violence if he doesn’t bring Max home, and he finds her in an undeniably shady situation. He’s already down after Max injects him with the tranquilizer, but Max repeats the same tactics that we saw Neil use on Billy.
“Isn’t that right? ISN’T THAT RIGHT?” “Yes, sir.” “I’m sorry, I couldn’t hear you.” “Yes. Sir.”
“SAY YOU UNDERSTAND! Say it. SAY IT!!” “I understand.” “What?” “I understand.”
argyle being an older brother to billy when
To the many peoole who think Billy is a irredemable characther and completly beyond redepmtion or deserved to die. Cool. Have your opinion but I would suggest that those people never go into the field of child protection or working with abuse victims. The thing about abuse victims, especially child victims is that anger and lashing out are very normal behavioural reactions. They model what they see, they use toughness to protect themselves or to convince the world they don't care. It self protection and survial.
This is a kid who gets beaten by his dad, got left by his mother and never understood why she didnt take him too, left to the hell she was trying to escape from. Got a new family thrushed upon him where it felt like this new sister got treated better than him for no reason and at the time of his death was still living in that horrible situation. He was still a kid when he died. Now does that excuse his actions and they way he treated Max or any or the rest of themm No it doesn't. Is Max entitled to how she feels about him? Sure. She has her own trauma. But was he evil? Nah, he was a scared, lonely kid who never got to explore the world outside his abusive life. Who obviosuly has enough good in him to sacrifice himself at the end, who seemed like he never truly wanted to hurt anyone judging by how upset he was.
In my opinion the way many see Billy is sympathetic of how we treat kids going through these situations. It is easy to feel sympathetic and wanting to help the kid who is showing the signs we expect of trauma, the ones we feel just removing them from the environment and showing love will magically fix. Its easier to look at season 1 Eleven who hid and didnt speak, (also valid reactions to trauma) but the truth of it is that the Billy's are far more the norm in these situations than we think and I have worked with many and not a single one was irrredemable or beyond growing for the better and there is not a single kid who deserved what happneed to them. Billy is no differnt. I really think he could have grown as a characther and had the potential to be able to make up for his actions and forge a relationship with Max.
Anger and lashing out is one of the signs of abuse we we are taught to look for. So if you are someone who is abuse victim and sometimes the only way you can deal with it is to lash out and get angry just know you are not bad or beyond help, and I am proud of you for surviving the best way you onow how and for wanting to change. You are dealing with your situation the best you can and you can grow. Your are more than a sum of your worst moments. I ❤️
The characther of Billy deserved way better than Season 4. Why do that to him? Uhh!
how dacre sleeps knowing he makes non romanticized abuse victims feel heard, safe and less alone:
how the billy fandom sleeps knowing that antis hate on dacre and demonize him and mock his trauma:
THE SHADOW FANGIRLIES ARE EATING GOOD TONIGHT Y’ALL
i know we sadly didn’t get a chance to see how billy and max’s relationship had evolved from s2 to s3, not even a single scene between them without billy being already flayed but i do think we get glimpses in s3 of how things had progressed between them.
before learning that anything could be wrong with billy there’s a lightness in her speech when he’s mentioned, which didn’t occur during s2. this, for me, is the most significant change:
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Ravenclaw 🦅, Waterbender 🌊, Pisces ♓️ Mostly {Harry Potter, Sonic Franchise, ATLA, Stranger Things,Madagascar Franchise}Billy Hargrove/Severus Snape/Ben Solo DefenderJust my thoughts and reblogs of my favorite characters and franchises.
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