#also considering Dacre was the only person who wanted Billy to be a person and not an 80s bully caricature

[ariesbilly]

Hi. So this is random, I’ve never sent u an ask, but I had a dream about dacre two days ago???? ( ironic since I love billy and have never had a dream about him). And I think it’s because I went on insta trying to see any latest crumbs of dacre. I was in deep thought about how much content we could’ve potentially got from him. I see actors like Sebastian Stan constantly jumping from movies to movies. I wonder how different it would be if dacre was more active? Idk I’m rambling I’m just confused that I dreamt about dacre when I’m always thinking about billy lol.

Lmao! God I’m always thinking about the timeline where Covid didn’t immediately happen after season 3 and he really got a chance to flourish 🤧 but also he like fired his whole team cuz he didn’t like the roles he was being sent out for or whatever so…

But I don’t think dacres like…a public person, if that makes sense. Like you see he used to be really active on social media pre stranger things when no one knew who he was really, even with power rangers. And then stranger things happened and he had all this attention on him suddenly and he ever since has shied away from any sort of spotlight.

Plus dacre seems to be the type to really consider what roles he wants to take and what projects he wants to do and…no offense to Sebastian Stan but….man has been in some clunkers lmfao which I mean, you often hear actors being like “i took that role cuz I had bills to pay” and I’m not about to fault them for that 😂 but if dacre can manage to be choosy about roles and only do things he’s passionate about… I guess I can get over the long waits between seeing him 🙄

I’ll just watch broken hearts gallery 500 times lol

[hashtagleh]

Okay I’m gonna rant for a minute.

The thing that gets me about antis hating billy fans is that they say it’s because billy is racist and anyone who likes him is racist because they’re excusing what he’s done…

Like no. The whole point of fanfic (at least the part I’m talking about) is to fix the mistakes of the show. For example:

- If billy is written as racist, we then fix it by making him learn and become not racist throughout the course of the story.

OR

- We decide the show showed only part of what was going on, and he was trying to keep kids safe in a way that was assholeish but also the only way billy really knew how to be, but he’s warning about Neil being the racist one and to be careful around him.

OR

- Change things from the start so there’s never even the suggestion of billy being racist but make it clear to the readers that he’s fine with Lucas by treating him the same as the rest of the kids

I have read a lot of stranger things fics, most of them with billy as a main character. I have never once found even the suggestion that racist billy is ok, either in character actions or author’s subtext.

By and large people are not racist in the way antis are suggesting, so the fact that billy has such a large fan base should say something. The problem is that antis are only looking on the surface and judging that, while fans see his potential.

Yes, the duffer idiots wanted him to be racist, and there are so many posts about their own racism and other prejudices that I’m not going to get into here. But dacre didn’t portray him as racist, the fans don’t view him as racist, and as we’ve seen in the show - or, not seen, rather - we are missing a lot of background, subtext, and explanation.

The show fucked billy over, and clearly the duffers don’t care about what fans want or they would have done a whole list of things I had to delete from this post so my point isn’t lost in all of that. The show doesn’t even do a good job at portraying grief and trauma from the horrible things we do see happen - it’s no surprise that the best and most realistic response we see is one that has been so misconstrued and derided that it’s turned into an entire movement against a single character.

Abuse - especially child abuse - is nothing to scoff at or demand that someone get over on anyone else’s time but their own. Billy was seventeen years old and had been living with a monster his whole life, and yet somehow he became a far better person than his dad, and he had way less time to do it in, too.

He was shown a morsel of kindness and understanding, and that was all it took to give him the strength to sacrifice himself to the monster that had been using him for days. And, consider: he knew what he had been doing, and what he had been eating (all the chemicals), and how the monster was growing. He probably thought that if he died, he would just be pulled into the rest of the monster.

He wasn’t trying to kill the thing - he knows he wouldn’t be able to with his bare hands - but if he could give the kids a chance? A chance to run, a chance to get more resources and firepower, a chance to regroup and do something - then that would be enough. He wasn’t trying to save them. He was sacrificing himself to buy them some time to save themselves, and luck would have it that the gate would close after all that so his body remained intact after all with only enough time to die from the wounds.

And that’s what fans see. We see his potential to be good, if only he was given kindness and some room to grow. We never got to see that growth because the duffers killed him off, and then strung fans along with hopes he would be back for season 4 only to make him act like an unapologetic dick, because despite the fact that it was vecna wearing Billy’s face, antis would only look at the surface and see this as proof that he really is as horrible as they say.

Billy Hargrove deserved way better than what he got.

[artianaiolanthe]

Your Billy post was seriously so big brained like I couldn't have said it better myself. I find Billy as a character fascinating but completely hate what the fandom made him out to be. The fact that some of his stans go after a 14 year old girl in the show just because she expressed how she truly felt about her abuser is insane. Like they give Billy so much grace but can't do the same for his victims. I saw one post where they discussed how bad they felt when Max tranquilized him and threatened him with the bat in s2, saying omg poor boy is so scared because Max is just like Neil. I'm sorry but what??? A bunch of kids had to watch Billy almost killing another human being but he is the victim, plus Steve was probably the first person ever to stand up towards Billy for Max, of course she had to do something. What I'm saying this woobyfication of him is simply disgusting because it takes everything the character was away. And for what, I'm just saying if Dacre wasn't hot we wouldn't really see those many insane takes. Also Harringrove is just one of the most disgusting ships in my opinion, how can you ship sweet boy Steve Harrington with a guy who wanted to kill him and almost did if it weren't for Max. Did we watch the same show? Furthermore why would he want to date someone who is abusive and racist towards his children, Steve loves those kids and Billy just hates everyone at this point. Again if Dacre wasn't good looking there would not be any shipping. When I watched the show without being in the fandom I was pretty neutral about Billy, but after seeing all the takes the fabdom just made me hate his character sm. You can't even discuss this with them because they get so defensive, I tried after the hate wave Max got after vol2 but they just don't want to listen.

Not to mention how Billy stans went after Caleb, the main black actor, after the interview, saying his point doesn't matter. That alone says more about his fans than everything else.

I'm sorry this was kinda long and I'm sorry for my English, it's not my first language.

Thank you so much! I was talking about Billy with a friend on discord and trying to unpack my feelings afterwards because genuinely I DON'T want to hate him? Like yes I'd have an overall negative opinion of Billy in general because of the way he treated Lucas and Max, but also like. I don't feel this viscerally upset about Henry Bowers from It for example. The only real difference between him and Billy is he doesn't have stepmom or stepsister, otherwise the characters share the same space in the story and I mostly just feel indifferent to Henry. Maybe because no one tries to say he's not racist or play down his racism order to ship him with any of the Losers/characters we like?

Cause honestly that's mostly what it seems to boil down to for me. People can accept that Billy is a mildly shitty person only if he can be changed and forgiven in order to ship with Steve it seems. It's a complete double standard too, because I've seen people crucify Jonathan despite a very similar backstory to Billy (abuse, having to take responsibility for a sibling, beat the shit out of Steve for questionable reasons, etc) because of pictures he took way back in season one (that he did apologize and repent for, and was forgiven by both affected parties), and Stonathan is a much less popular ship because Charlie Heaton isn't considered as mainstream attractive as Dacre Montgomery.

I didn't say too much about my opinion on Steve and Billy's ship because then that post sure as hell would've gone from a mostly polite critique to a full on rant. I've never seen the appeal and I can't help but get the sense it's only because people find the actors attractive and it just leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

Your English is great and I'm glad my post spoke to you, I just really needed to get it off my chest so I could stop feeling so irrationally angry whenever Billy came up.

[queerlikeyou]

I'm sorry the Billy stans keep on harassing you on here, it totally sucks because you made some valid points in terms of how people react towards real life serial killers or abusers when they are attractive (i.e Dahmer and to some extent Johnny Depp and now Bratt Pitt) and how this mirrors the ractions to hot abusive fictional characters.

A large problem why we are even having the racism question for Billy is due to Dacre's comments about him not wanting to play Billy as racist, demanding the Duffers to cut out the slurs he was supposed to say. However, that doesn't change the fact that Billy's actions inherently were racist tho, but people have a hard time acknowledging it when it's not spelled out for them. It's also problematic how they ignore Caleb's view or the literal creators and only focus on the white actor who played his character's actions down. If you can't handle playing a racist character you shouldn't have played the character in the first place.

Personally I would consider myself as a Billy neutral, I don't particularly care about him. Obviously I hate his treatment of Max and Lucas and I definitely acknowledged as what it was, abuse and racism. However I can kinda understand where he is coming from and some of his stans, those who are genuinely not excusing his actions, have made some interesting points about how his abuse from his dad made his character the way he is and I feel like acknowledging this side while still condemning Billy's behavior towards other characters is a good way to deal with his character in my opinion. There are also a bunch of people who are relating to him in terms of how Billy reacts to his abuse, including black people and other marginalized groups, and I feel like it's a bit harsh to fully condemn them by saying oh they are wrong and don't know what they are talking about. I also understand them wanting to have a redemption arc or wanting to explore how his character could change if removed from the abuser like Jonathan was removed from the abuse. That's why I don't like comparing those two characters because while enduring similar stuff, Jonathan had a support system and was free of his dad while Billy still was constantly under his thumb. Many people I spoke to or saw posts who relate to Billy were like him at some point but were able to change so that's what they project onto him, again I don't see anything wrong with that but I do have problems with people who sweep every bad thing he did under a rug. It's a tricky situation I guess because who am I to police abuse victims on how they can relate to certain characters or not.

I'm sorry if this is a bit all over the place but for me Billy is a complicated character to discuss as there are valid points on both sides but also way too extreme reactions from antis and stans alike. Bottom line is Billy was a racist and abusive, and that shouldn't be excused from either side.

don't apologize anon, thank you for your kindness

thank you for talking about johnny depp and brad pitt bc i was clearly referring to them (and others) with my post. the way people only listen to dacre's point of view and not caleb's shows what structural racism is. no hate to dacre, he is just an actor and i don't blame him but at least he could have accepted billy's racism. i'm aware it is not easy to break the cycle of abuse when we grow up in abusive households. i'm not trying to invalidate what happened to him but as you said it doesn't excuse his racism and misogyny. i'm not against tv shows potraying these type of characters bc they exist, i'm against fetishizing abusive men because even though billy is fictional, this happens in real life too, all the time.

keep sending asks i really like recieving them and love debating

[trailerparkflower]

hello i’m sorry to bother you but i’m in the process of writing my first harringtove fic and i was wondering if you have any tips on writing for Billy or Steve? especially Billy? if not thank you anyways and i love your work!!

hi hello im so sorry im answering only now! u see im not very active lately cuz my health isnt very good lately:( im so happy what u writing ur first harringrove fic u go baby!!! good luck and looots of inspo AND time to write for u hehe. and that's so cute what u asking me who aren't a very cool writer?? like?! wow u sweet thing!

Billy is honestly hard guy to write for me too, because u know he is just FULL of rage and fire and its one of many things i dont rly have in me! but it makes it even more fun to write him. im trying to keep his canon traits in mind when i write him, like:

he is actually very sensitive. he feels a LOT, cries like a crybaby. he is one of that fuckboys who post dumb sad boy memes. Very sensitive, very emotional

he ALWAYS naturally fills all free space to himself, he dominates it. its probably comes from his home life situation where he has to walk on the eggshells, but its still not a forced thing-he does it when he is relaxed, too. It's his natural trait. He is kinda like a big cat, or a lion pride male, he spreads his shoulders, he has a wide posture, he puts his arms on every free surface around him, he plants his feet wide. (and that's why im think he's a big spoon heh)

manipulative, charming, dangerous, good at getting information and good in observing things

literally a peacock. Sometimes reminds me of Johnny Bravo with his ways to flirt ghjkwj. Flexes his muscules, stands in a dramatic pose, pretties up himself with male jewelry, makes bedroom eyes, lowers his voice.......

a rollercoaster of a person-one second he is chill and calm, another second he is ANGRY and u never know what will make him mad and what will make him amused

Gross and nasty boy who isn't very hygienic

he is a secret romantic because that's how Dacre apparently sees him. fuckboy on the streets prince charming on the sheets!

insecure about himself but makes sure what no one will see it

very tactile, with both humans (like how he grabs Max when he's mad, on how is he CONSTANTLY touching-grinding-pushing Steve) and objects (how he plays with his zippo, how he puts hands on his car)

power-thirsty (bAnNED foR LIFE) and dominant person. He enjoys power so much like he is high on it. He is pushy even when he flirts, he is just very aries, u know?

ENERGETIC! he has too much energy!!! YET can be bored to death and really indifferent

mommy issues

im think its also important to remember what Dacre had his favorite headcanon about Billy having a God Complex and this is why Billy carries himself around with such confidence. He is religious, but like...in a strange strange way...

Very strong mentally, strong and brave even when is scared a lot. Stubborn also!

SECRETLY SUPER PROTECTIVE

He loveeees attention. u know he does.

 wow dis went long. i also realized what i dont write much meta on Billy in my blog, considering the fact i always seek hidden stuff for Steve and analyze him a lots. im think its cuz fandom dont rly writes much for Steve so i have to concentrate on him usually!! okay and for Steve, i also have these main traits what helps me to write him:

ANXIOUS! im think he has big anxiety issues, and even social anxiety. panics a lot and yells a lot and sometimes can act paranoid

he is charming. he is cute, and he is pretty in that soft but boyish way and he knows it, and he uses it when he wants to get something. which is kinda manipulative too but like...cute manipulative..

a Brat (big pout is his super attack), dramatic

Funny!!! Loves to joke. Jokes a lot in all of the situations-when he is in danger, when he is flirting, when he tries to comfort someone, he just always tries to be this positive joking guy

he is Bossy, but he also kind of a Pushover (because cmon, all his crushes is girls who can beat his ass and all his best friends-Tommy and Dustin-are a lot more active and pushy and Steve just goes along with it)

Daddy Issues (did u ever thought about how much he says about his dad being a jerk?)

big softie, hates conflicts, hates fights, hates confrontations, the coziest and lovey-dovey moment are the happiest he is. he just wanna hold hands and make love and maybe eat something yummy and call it a good day

yet he can be a really mean bitch, st1 Steve is SO Regina George. King Steve and King Billy is a very different types of popular jocks, because while Billys is an alpha dog aggressive active bully, Steve was more of a queen bee, idk? like its Tommy who was his muscle tank, Steve usually just stayed on the side and pouted/had that mean girl smile

does then thinks 

PROTECTIVE!!!!!!!!! VERY!!!!!!!!!

insecure and self-deprecating. thinks he is dumb:( 

he is playful, kind of immature, kind of lazy. Childish a bit, Joe himself said what Dustin is even more mature than Steve in some ways. and with that also comes some pureness, and even the way he trusts people who gonna let him down is how kids trust to people 

okay so!! i really really hope its gonna help u, even if a little bit! im sure ur writing gonna be really lovely

[ibemandapanda]

My Billy Hargrove theory

This is less of a theory and more of an idea involving the demodog shoved in Joyces fridge inspired by body snatchers. And if season 4 has a plot twist itll be that Hopper is actually dead, but I think it's pretty obvious by now Hopper is alive and well.

I know season 3 was similar to the body snatcher concept but it was more possession and Exorcist vibes than anything. To make this work, it would involve Billy still being alive as well (or not). Considering the demogorgans can make their own gates (and the demodog in the fridge is still alive), and preserving it in the cold of the fridge actually helped it evolve into a demogorgan (they like it cold). that being said we go all the way back to season two with Billy laying on the Byers floor out cold. said demodog now demogorgan frees itself from the fridge, and because its a hive mind, knows the gate is closing. although it is apart of the hive mind, its shown they can be self aware and possess unilateral thinking capabilities via Dart and how Dart **chose** to not attack Dustin and let Steve and the kids pass by unscathed. So demogorgan from the fridge opens a gate to the upside down in the house, decides to body snatch Billy and throw him in the upside down (or just kill him and throw the body in the upside down) and essentially taking his place in our world to survive. The demogorgan not only steals his image but his memories, mannerisms, and shitty personality. This may or may not help the demogorgan survive with the gate closed (because it has shifted into another creature) or there may already be another gate open via the post credit scene in season 3. either way its depicted that these creatures are still somehow alive with the gate closed.

so now we are in season 3 with the demogorgan shapeshifted as Billy. something that caught my eye was when Billy had a vision in the upside down, he never once questioned where he was or what was going on, he immediately asked "what do you want?" like he knew who he was talking to. maybe the mind flayer sat waiting in the steel works for demo-Billy (hive mind knowing this particular demogorgan was still out there) to come near (or it was an extraordinary coincidence), i find it hard to believe not a single person drove down that road over the x amount of hours from when the gate opened to when billy drove down that road by the steal works.

Billy's head injury. Billy gets a nasty cut on his forehead in the side not covered by hair from the the car accident in episode one. come episode two (the next day) this mark is gone. i didn't think anything of it until i saw Tom Holloway with a pretty noticeable band aid on his forehead from the wine bottle Heather whipped the shit out of him with. considering demo-billy is a shapeshifter, he could've, most likely, just shifted the injury away.

Billy pleading with Max. i think this would be kind of obvious. demo-billy has been blending in for about 8 months now as Billy and possesses Billy's feeling towards his step-sister so i feel like the reaction is genuine. i also find it odd how every time the Mind Flayer takes control, Billy's veins turn black but Will's didn't. could this be because this is the demogorgan and the demogorgan's blood beneath the human like skin?

Billy's picture. El used Billy's school picture to find him sitting in his room on July 4th. since billy has been in the upside down since November (or just dead) of the previous year, that picture may have been one demo-billy took for school hence her locating demo-billy and not billy in the upside down.

Billy's memories. like i said before, this demogorgan took not only billy's image but his personality, mannerisms and memories like they were his own because this is now the creature/person it is and has been for x amount of time now. billys memories held weight for the demogorgan, not because it held emotion for these fleeting moments or memories but because it reminded it of the person it was trying to be helping it pull away from the mind flayers hold.

As for Hopper, if the giant laser key had the power to open the gate, i 100% believe it had the power to transport to the dimension. i think Hopper was transported exactly how El was in season 1. i think Hopper is in the upside down and eventually meets up with Billy (if hes still alive) and they help each other survive (billy faring a bit better since he would have been there for about 8 months already). This is honestly the team up i never knew i needed and would kill to see it come to fruition.

The pale demogorgan at the end of season 3. could this be demo-billy? after 'killed' by the mind flayer the people inside are rushed out, US Calvary rushes in. considering a bunch of russians built an underground lair underneith a mall without anyone noticing i dont think its out of the realm of possibilities to think there are russians spies within the us government under Dr. Owens command that answers the SOS to the starourt mall. say demo-billy, near death, reverts back to its original form. having been in disguise for so long loses its natural skin tone and then abducted by the commies.

the american. i think the american is Brenner. how else did the russians know to go to Hawkins indiana specifically, build a 5 mile walkway from the mall to underneith Hawkins lab and open the gate where the ground was still scarred and healing. it has Brenner written all over it. i dont think Brenner was necessarily helping the red army but more or less using this information as a bargaining chip to spare his life. Or Brenner purposely sought out international funding for his research into the upside down since the american government caught onto him and shut him down. So the brains behind the Russians in Hawkins may have very well been Brenner, the cockroach that he is.

The potential subplot device in season 4. knowing that this demogorgan shapeshifted into Billy, how many more are there? how does the group locate them? and how do they kill them?

So ends my long winded plot idea. I think I just really want Billy to live to I can look at Dacre Montgomery for another 8 episodes.

[buddiebeginz]

hey :) if you can’t see that billy is racist, it’s 100% because *you* are racist. just say you want to fuck dacre and quit trying to redeem the racist violent abusive asshole he canonically plays.

I don’t see Billy as racist because that’s how I’ve interpreted the media I watched/read. Nothing Billy did on the show or in Runaway Max shows him to be explicitly racist. Some of you (who would have hated him regardless) have just chosen to view his scenes that way and that’s your right. And while I get where you and others are getting that from considering Billy’s behavior towards Max and Lucas there is just as much evidence to support the other side.

Billy easily could have acted the same exact way if it had been Dustin he’d seen Max with. Billy didn’t once bring up Lucas’ race when he confronted Max about him which was only after Billy had watched Lucas and Max fighting and had seen Max visibly upset. He also asked Max why she was so upset, if Lucas was causing her trouble, and said that they were family that it was his job to look out for her. If Lucas’ race plays a role at all I think it’s more about Neil and how Billy knew that if Neil found out Max was spending time with someone who was black it would be Billy who would have face to Neil’s wrath (just like he did when Max ran off). I think Billy only went after Lucas at the Byers because he was upset after being attacked from his father and he took his anger out where he could. He blamed Lucas for Max running off and knew he couldn’t really do anything to Max so he went for Lucas. None of it is right but to just brush it off and say well he’s racist and the only reason went after Lucas that night is because Lucas is black is ignoring all the other things that went on before that happened.

And even if Billy has some racist viewpoints he learned from his abusive father why is it not okay for me to believe he can change and be a better person? I do agree that Billy has been violent and abusive towards other and I don’t agree with his behavior but I don’t see anything he’s done as so bad he’s completely irredeemable. Billy is a teenager who has grown up presumably most of his life in a toxic environment, I know what that’s like. What’s wrong with me being able to relate to him and believe he can do better?

I just seriously wish some of you in the ST fandom would learn to agree to disagree. I have no problem talking to people who don’t share my view points but I don’t get coming to my blog repeatedly and telling me the only reason I like Billy is because I want to fuck him or Dacre. Or that liking a flawed fictional character means I’m somehow exactly like them. It’s incredibly immature to think that just because you don’t agree with someone there can’t be a deeper reason to why they like something you don’t.

[ariesbilly]

what changes would you have made in st season 3? briana essay writing skills COMMENCE :)

*REALISTIC changes lol

first of all, in the words of the late great biliam hargrove: nobody tells me what to do.

second of all, the fucking stupid ass music number that got my mens killed is absolutely going the fuck in the garbage can where it belongs

i really didnt have a lot of problems with this season as far as what everyones individual plots where. like, i LOVED joppers arc (until the fucking end), i liked jancys (though i feel like they really didnt do a lot in terms of it. i thought we were gonna get way more in terms of the sexism nancy faced at work. it just... felt weak. and all we saw from jonathan was him developing his pictures. i just needed... more)

im not interested in the kids so whatever they were doing i couldnt care less about BUT i will say will shouldve been more involved with the mindflayer stuff like... besides the whole neck tingles business (mindflayer asmr) he really took a back seat and that just.... doesnt make any sense to me.

instead of that fuck ass billy and karen nonsense that time shouldve been used at the beginning to actually SHOW us max and billys development and where they stood as siblings rather than just shoehorning in her crying about him once he was possessed. 

and dustin being away from the party still makes no sense to me. i know everyones got a hardon for steve and dustins bromance but im not one of them and that entire subplot in itself was the most boring thing to me this season like i truly could not have cared less about that about that either. and honestly now reflecting back on it.... the whole notion of a secret russian facility being under the mall and these dopey ass kids just stumbling into it is so hokey but whatever

billy and eleven absolutely needed more scenes. i was fully expecting to have like... a deeper connection between the two of them. i was expecting for us to get eleven going into billys mind and being able to actually talk to him and interact with him and us seeing that billy was struggling trying to fight this thing inside him that he has no fucking clue what it is and hes so scared. speaking of which, i was also expecting to see scenes of billy at home struggling with trying to keep this a secret because he has no idea whats happening to him. like... dacre fucking crushed it with all the acting he did showing us how billy was struggling in such subtle manners, dont get me wrong. but i think we needed more of that on a bigger scale for his ending to have any actual payoff.

also the fact that you have billy being possessed, living in a house with an abusive father, and we got NOTHING of that ?? what ??? bad call. BAD call.

and the season needed more focus on the fact that billys just a kid in all this. hes a PERSON. i’ll keep ranting about this but the fact that NO ONE tried to figure out a way to help him.... it was literally just “is he the mindflayer? welp. gotta kill him now i guess”. so gross. like even the people who hate billy and are still like “are we supposed to feel bad for him?” I DONT KNOW HOW TO EXPLAIN TO YOU THAT HE’S A HUMAN BEING AND HE DOESNT DESERVE TO FUCKING DIE JUST BECAUSE HE WAS MEAN SOMETIMES! THATS NOT HOW THE WORLD WORKS TIFFANY! but anyway

the fact that steve just rammed into billys car and left him to die in a fiery blaze.... is so out of character to me? lmfao like literally all you needed to do was have steve ram into his car and then notice its billy and have a typical steve harrington freak out like “oh my god. OH MY GOD?” wouldve loved to see SOMEONE struggle with the fact that yeah everybody hates billy but like... you cant just let him die ??? lmfao that is truly the most infuriating part of this entire season. just...nobody fucking cared. even if only for max’s sake. nobody fucking cared it was her brother going through all this. trash. all of them. it also wouldve been nice to see billy apologizing to steve and lucas in his final moments too like nobody rushed down to console max? lmfao okay.... fake ass friends

im also upset that hopper dies after being away from eleven the entire season like.... ugh. like i said, i loved joppers arc and their scenes (along with billys) are by far and away my favorite this season but...it just leaves a bad taste in my mouth the way hopper went out. i mean, his death overall does feel wrapped up like i think the duffers handled it a helluva lot better than they handled billys but...the fact that hopper was the first parent el had that treated her right and took her in and gave her a home and stability... and they barely had any time together leading up to his death... i dont like it.

also the whole flayed plot went pretty much nowhere like..... all these people get infected or whatever just to be led to their deaths to turn to goo and like.... oh... kay ??? the trailer made it seem like they were some type of zombie agents idk i expected something more chaotic to take place. what we got just felt anticlimactic to me.

this season as a whole just left me wanting more. and not in the “oh i cant wait for season 4!” way. but in the way “couldnt yall have done something else with your time?” way. i think this season really couldve benefited from having one or two extra episodes. or maybe even just longer episodes. AND WITH THE TIME YALL DID HAVE WE DIDNT NEED BILLY AND KAREN AND FUCKING MUSICAL NUMBER THE END

OH! and the mayor kline shit.... what? that shit felt like it went nowhere too like...that definitely needed to be explored more. i dont even remember what is reasoning was to be in bed with the russians. wasnt it just about money? like.... he wasnt even really involved ? the fuck was that about. no bueno. 

but most importantly billy should have been at scoops to taunt steve about his sailor uniform if the duffers had just given me that i could forgive everything else but they didnt so here we are the end

AND I STILL MAINTAIN STEVE SHOULDVE BEEN MORE INVOLVED IN BILLYS PLOT CONSIDERING HE WAS LIKE THE ONLY PERSON BILLY REALLY INTERACTED WITH IN S2 BUT OH NO, THE DUFFERS CANT LET PEOPLE KNOW GAY MEN EXIST. imma stop.... imma stop.

[diarythebookwyrm]

Thoughts on Stranger Things 3

So Stranger Things 3 aired almost two weeks ago. I binge-watched the entire season on that Friday afternoon/evening/night. Naturally, that meant I had to take some time to sort through what I had just watched. I have since sorted through my thoughts and decided to share them.

Below the cut, because this is gonna get long and I don’t wanna spoil anybody who hasn’t caught up yet.

So...first, some character thoughts.

This season absolutely cemented in my mind exactly which characters are my favorites and which I couldn’t care less about. This is particularly true of the two main characters who just rub me the absolute wrong way; Jonathan Byers and Mike Wheeler.

Now, I’ve had issues with Jonathan since season one. Let’s explore why that’s the case, shall we? Within the first half of the season, Jonathan not only stalked Nancy but took pictures of her naked and having sex without her knowledge or consent. That’s already pretty damned creepy, but it gets worse when you remember that Nancy is a minor. Jonathan’s pictures count as child pornography by the modern definition. Yes, this is in the 80s, but that doesn’t make it any less creepy. Yes, he and Nancy have “shared trauma” after being in the Upside Down for a short time, but that...is not enough to build a relationship on??? Then the way he and Nancy do end up together is sketchy at best.

So...yeah. Jonathan is not my favorite character.

As for Mike...

Mike, Mike, Michael, Mikey. He is my absolute least favorite of the original Party. Why? Because he’s a selfish, entitled little asshole. I have two younger brothers; one five years and one ten years younger than me. I’ve lived in a house with a 13-15-year-old boy when I myself was 18-20. It was...a trial, to say the least. But Mike takes the typical early teen boy angst and dials it right up to thirteen. Not eleven; thirteen.

In this season, that was just emphasized even more than the past two seasons for me. His behavior towards Hopper has always been a bit of a pain for me to watch, but this season it just got worse. Just because Mike is El’s first boyfriend, he acts like that means he’s entitled to all her time and attention. Hopper was completely justified in flipping out the way he did.

Which brings me to Hopper’s characterization this season. I thought it was perfectly in line with the man we’ve spent so much time with so far. For one thing, this is the mid-to-late 80s. 

Let me put that in perspective for everyone. My dad was about Steve Harrington’s age in the mid to late 80s (my mom was about Nancy’s age). My dad was a bit of a...snark as a kid. My grandfather was and still is a very down-to-earth and straight-shooting man. He did not put up with my dad’s bullshit. Full stop. End of story. Hopper is similar to my grandfather in that respect. The scene where Hopper gets Mike alone and then lays down the law? My grandfather would have pulled that if he had a daughter with a snarky, disrespectful asshole of a boyfriend.

Hopper is also raising a teenage girl for the first time. His daughter died before she ever reached her teen years, so Hopper is figuring out what is the best method for handling things like a first boyfriend or a girl’s nights at the house. This is a man who spent years after his daughter’s death living as a confirmed bachelor who was a bit of a slob because he was also self-medicating with alcohol. I’m honestly surprised he didn’t actually follow through on the thought to kill Mike.

Joyce was, as always, my favorite of the parents. She’s a wonderful mother who is just trying to keep shit going for her boys’ sakes more than her own. I can’t really blame her for wanting to move out of Hawkins after what happened with Bob. Did that mean I enjoyed that plotline? No, of course I didn’t. But that doesn’t mean it was a bad one.

Murray was...Well, Murray. I did like his interactions with Hopper and how he’s the only person who actually was calling Hopper by his first name.

Nancy’s plotline in this season...it felt a little weak to me, I’ll be honest. Ever since Nancy and Jonathan got together last season (which...again, I think that was poorly handled from the start), Nancy has not been my favorite person. Am I saying she should have stayed with Steve? Absolutely not. It’s very clear that Nancy was not nearly as invested in that relationship as Steve was. I honestly think that if Nancy were not in any relationship, her story might have been a bit better written. As it is, she just feels like she’s filler alongside Jonathan while Steve actually grows as a person.

Steve, as always, is continuing to grow and develop in ways neither Nancy nor Jonathan has in the course of the show. When we first meet Steve, he’s the hot man on campus, the popular jock, etc. etc. etc. Did he do and say some problematic things? Yes. But, I would like to remind everyone of just what kind of dumbasses we all were at seventeen. Do you remember being seventeen? I do. I was a bitch. And it’s very clear in season one that most of Steve’s assholery comes from having shitty friends as much as anything. He had a point about Jonathan being a creep, and while breaking the camera might have been extreme, it was certainly justified. I think the worst thing he did was helping with spray painting Nancy “The Slut” Wheeler on the sign, and that was clearly more something that Tommy H. came up with. He even stayed behind to help clean the graffiti up. Was Steve an idiot in season one? Yes, but I still loved him even then because I saw potential and he has more than lived up to that.

The rest of the Party along with Max and El remained pretty firmly where they had been in my estimation before season three with only Max and Will moving slightly higher up on my list. Lucas has never been my favorite, but neither is he my least favorite. Dustin is my son and I will protect him. Will has grown on me and I just want to bundle him up in a blanket and feed him cookies. El is, as she always has been, a badass. Max wasn’t necessarily my favorite last season, but I didn’t dislike her, and she’s certainly grown on me with this season.

Robin and Alexei are darlings and I love them both dearly. Erica...yeah. Those of us with younger siblings either are like “yeah, been there” or find Erica a bit too close to home to enjoy. I’ll let you judge for yourself where she falls.

Now for the one character I never thought I would ever feel sympathy for: Billy. When Billy entered the show in season two, I hated him. I hated everything about him, and that was kind of the point. We were supposed to hate him. What I think is a great credit to both the writers and Dacre Montgomery’s portrayal of Billy is the fact they did invoke sympathy from me this season. Billy has still done awful things, but as I watched him become the pawn of the Mind Flayer, I actually felt sorry for him. Dacre was amazing in this role, and I’ll never forget the scene where El and he are facing off in the Starcourt Mall. It’s one of the most poignant scenes in the entire series, as far as I’m concerned.

Moving past the single characters and into the relationships:

I...have never shipped Mileven or Max/Lucas. Why? Because they are children. Mike and Eleven are about 12-13 when they meet, so...for me, the idea of shipping children has never sat well with me. It’s part of why I don’t actively ship series-era Kataang in Avatar: The Last Airbender. By season three, Mike, Eleven, Lucas and Max are about 14-15 which...is better, but not by much. I’m twenty-nine, so for me, those are babies. Also, they’ll grow up and probably have other loves in their life. Shipping children that young is problematic because most people don’t stay with their first love forever. It’s considered healthy to have multiple early loves, and I think that’s part of why I was so adamantly against Mileven this season.

I’ve already addressed some of my biggest issues with Jancy from last season, and I mentioned that I just felt like they were filler this season. Also, Nancy talking about “what if I just...don't let you go” made me facepalm so hard. Again, Jonathan is one of Nancy’s first loves. Few people stay with their high school boyfriend for the rest of their lives. True, it was certainly more common in the 50s-80s, but that doesn’t mean it’s something that should inspire great shipping material. Nancy is at least 17 or 18 in season three. She’s still figuring out what she wants out of life, and so is Jonathan. Making them out to be this great romance that will last forever is just...weird?

Jopper...Jopper broke my heart this season. I’d shipped it on the side since season one, but put it on the back burner when I saw how happy Joyce was with Bob. This season, it just reminded me why I love the dynamic between Joyce and Hopper. I’m so sad that they’ll never have that date at Enzo’s, and I wish the writers would stop making Joyce watch the man she thinks she could settle down with die horribly.

The plot:

I knew the Mind Flayer was going to be the Big Bad, so that was no surprise. What was surprising was the army of the Flayed, and I rather enjoyed that. The Russians were a wonderful addition as far as I’m concerned. I loved the way it was handled, both comedically and dramatically. It makes sense to me that if American scientists discovered the Upside Down, the Russians would have too. I mean, this is the end of the Cold War after all. America and Russia were constantly racing against one another to find the next great discovery first.

Overall, I loved this season. It was not a let-down in any way for me, apart from the focus on certain characters that still irk me. Also, I’ll just be in my lovely house on the river Denial quietly shipping Jopper.

[thelifeofasloth]

And Action! ~ Joe Keery Imagine

I am so sorry its been ages I hope you all had an amazing Christmas and New year.  I combined two requests, enjoy.  

REQUEST’S “ Can you do one where it’s Joe Keery x reader and the reader works on set for stranger things 3 and joe begins to fall for her but won’t admit it and the reader begins getting attention from another guy and joe gets jealous? “ Can you write a Joe Keery x reader fic where you are new on set for season 3 and he has a crush on you “

WANT TO SEE MORE OF MY WORK? MASTERLIST REQUEST'S ARE OPEN

When you first got accepted to be in the cast of Stranger Things you couldn't comprehend how. Your carer had only barely kicked off with you only being in small sets of local TV shows, so to have such a big production company such as the Warner Brothers notice you was unreal.

 You first got the news when you were out with you Mom for some coffee, as you had to move for upcoming shows you barely got time to spend with each other. So, when she told you she was coming down this weekend you couldn't hold back the tears. But, that weekend changed your life and you have never been happier about it. When you first started to record for Stranger Things Season 3 you were beyond nervous. Having been the only new comer for the shows all eyes seemed to be on you. But, it didn't take long for you to become comfortable with the group with some help from Momma Joe. Ever since you had started he always seemed to look after you and the others much like a Mom would. Also, considering your character and his were 'dating' in the series you were always together on set.

With this you had a shine for Joe that you hadn't felt with anyone else, even with the countless flirting from Dacre you couldn't stop yourself from looking out to see if Joe noticed. He never did. Today though was a big scene, well for you anyway. You and Joe had to act out a big sex scene which would shock the viewers as it was to confirm the relationship between the characters.

To say you were nervous would be an underestimate. You were in the trailer reading over the lines when a knock came to your door which instantly made you jump, you placed your script down on the table and moved around the objects to open your door for the unknown person. As you glanced through the gap you saw Dacre standing there with his hands in his tight jeans having just come off a scene. His face lightened up when he saw you nodding at you as you face still showing the confusion. "Good Afternoon Y/N. Would you like to pop for a coffee, you haven't left your trailer all day and I always find it easier to remember mine when I've had time to relax." He scratched the back of his neck, but this stopped as you smiled down at him before grabbing your phone and locking your trailer up.

"Thank you" You laughed "I've wanted someone to take me out for ages I'm stressing about this big scene so much" you laughed while placing your hands in the shorts your character lived in, you weren’t usually one to wear tight things but when you played your roll your confidence came out of nowhere.  Even when you knew Dacre was only doing this out of the kindness of his heart, another part of you hoped he was intrested in you.  Not that it would change your feelings towards Joe, but its nice to have a man appreciate you every now and again.  

“I can sympathise Y/N, I remember when there have been fight scences that are completely out of my comfort zone.  I just try and get into Billy’s head and forget about my usal ethics. Expecially with him having none” his laughter made you smile and feel instantly comfortable in his presents.  You both continued to the café with light chatter on the way, completely forgetting about the scene and being able to let your hair down for a few hours.   As you glanced up to the café entrance seeing a few of your cast members already inside sitting in booths.  As it was the only café in miles you expected this, but also wanted more time with just you and Dacre.  It wasn’t too much to ask was it?  

You got to the front of the shop ordering you both a pumpkin spiced tea while Dacre went to find a table for you both.  You thanked the waitress and glanced backwards to see where he was. Your eyes finally laid eyes on him taking a photo with a young girl making you smile lightly before heading over, not wanting to disturb the moment.  You heard a light thank you from the mother before placing his drink in front of him and giving him some napkins.  

“I never get used to that” he stated slightly laughing before sipping his tea and releasing a satisfying hum.  

“What do you mean?” You asked.

“Well” he began, clearing his throat before beginning.  “When I first started acting I had maybe one, or two people come and ask for a photo?  Maybe every few months or so.  Now, it’s so strange I go to the shops or walk around and so many people stop me everyday.  I mean don’t you find it strange that people just want a photo with you and that means so much to them?  Like I love doing it of course I knew it would be part of the job expecially with such a high profiled job, but I don’t know”

“I completely agree” you reached over to squeeze his hand for reassurance before retracing it.  “After people found out I would be on this series my life completely changed, I couldn’t even grab some snacks without being stopped.  It’s a learning curve, I always find going shopping later works”

“Ah, Y/N.  I knew you weren’t just your looks.  There is some knowledge up there” he laughed again, this making you also join in.  The door bell chimed making you glance back to see Joe leaving the store in a rush.  Having not notice him come in, you must have been concentrating.  Curiosity ran through you as to why he was in so much of a hurry, making a mental note to ask him before you both get to work.  You and Dacre both finished your tea’s before heading back to your trailer so you could get back in your metaphorical bubble.

“Thank you for the tea, it really did help.” You smiled at Dacre as you made your way up the steps.

“Anytime Y/N” he gave you a small wave as you took the keys out your pocket and let yourself in.  You sighed as you placed your keys and phone down on the side before walking into the living room area where you left your sqript.  

“Had a good time Y/N?” You instantly shouted out, completely unaware that someone would be in here.  As you looked up and saw Joe your face twisted in confusion.

“How did you get in here?” you were completely confused as to why he thought it was appropriate to break into your trailer, expecially when you didn’t say he could come in.

“Afraid id see you with Dacre, because don’t worry I already did. You both didn’t seem to hide much in the café” Something about the way he was acting made you uncomfortable, why was he being so passive aggressive about you getting a drink with a co-worker?  

“No, actually I didn’t realise I wasn’t allowed to go for something to drink.  If you’d come I would have gone with you instead.  I don’t see what the point of this argument is Joe.”  You walked over to your minifridge and grabbed a water before sitting down on the seat next to you.  

“Because I know what Dacre is like, hes trying it on with you. I personally don’t think it’s a good idea to get involved with him Y/N”

“And whys that?  He’s a good-looking guy, if he’s interested in me then I don’t see why I shouldn’t give him a chance.  I mean no one else has so I am not going to turn him down am i?”   Joe’s face twisted at this before resting back into his orriinal scowl.  

“What if there was someone that was intrested.  Would you reconsider his offer?”  Joe stood as he spoke his words in a low tone.

You pondered this before speaking “it depends who that person was.  Then I may yes”

“That’s good to know Y/N” Joe spoke before pushing a strand of your fallen hair behind your ear.  His hand following over to your jaw before swiping the pad of his thumb over your lower lip.  He lightly pulled your head up towards him making you stand and look up at him.  He looked into your eyes for a split second before pulling you towards him.  His lips matching the intensity of yours, both of you moulding with each other.  

This continuing before Joe pulled away, “Just so we have this clear I was talking about myself” you laughed before pulling him back to your hungry lips.  

[kingkeerys]

the art of chasing ♔ billy hargrove

concept: steve has a female best friend and billy has taken it upon himself to flirt with her just to piss steve off. that’s it. that’s the plot.

a/n: i don’t know where this came from. it just sort of happened. it’s not really an imagine bc i don’t like writing in second person or even first person, hence the reason the girl actually has a name. but i guess it can classify as one. i’ll be glad to write more if people enjoy it. also just a disclaimer, i don’t condone billy’s behavior in the show. i know he’s an asshole. but i do love dacre montgomery, so. this happened. also this has no timeframe, it’s just basically taking place randomly in season 2. each scenario is numbered separately that way i can write however many i want whenever i want. sound good?~~

just a young gun with a quick fuse,

i was uptight, wanna let loose.

i was dreamin’ of bigger things and

wanna leave my old life behind.

#1

“’Bullshit, bullshit, bullshit…’” he reiterated in a high-pitched rendition of Nancy Wheeler’s voice.

Annie’s eyebrows rose as she replaced a few things in her locker.

“Ouch,” she said, frowning a bit. “Are you sure she knew what she was talking about? I mean, she was drunk. She might not have even heard what you said. Drunk people usually don’t.”

Steve Harrington gave her a dubious look as he leaned against the locker next to hers. He inclined his head, a strand of brown hair falling down over his forehead.

“She knew,” he said. “She heard me loud and clear. Good to know the last year has been nothing but bullshit to her.”

“I mean, she has been through a lot,” Annie reluctantly added, closing her locker with a sigh. “With her brother’s friend and then Barbara. You said it yourself, she’s been distant lately ever since her friend was declared… well, you know. It’s probably just stress.”

“I thought you hated Nancy,” Steve squinted over at her, as if betrayed that she was suddenly taking his girlfriend’s – ex-girlfriend’s? – side for once. “And now you’re defending her?”

“I don’t… hate her,” Annie disagreed carefully.

It was mostly the truth. Annie had a hard time hating anyone but if there was a person that came close to it, it was Nancy Wheeler.

She never understood the hype around the girl. Sure, she was pretty with a bright pair of blue doe eyes and she didn’t seem stupid considering her grades, but Annie never saw the appeal. She became exasperated when Steve started to chase after her the year prior and she tried to be the pliant, accepting best friend whenever Nancy was around for his sake, but that was as far as it went. Nancy seemed like a very two-dimensional person - almost artificial but not completely fake, like she tried to be a good person but it was for all the wrong reasons.

Not that Annie had any right to judge considering she’d only spoken about ten words to the girl. She couldn’t even pretend like she knew her personally so her judgement was all speculation at this point, and Nancy had never been directly rude to her whenever Steve had her around.

She did feel bad when her friend Barbara went missing though because, unlike Nancy, Barbara had been very approachable and kind. And it was clear that her disappearance really struck a chord in Nancy, causing her to go off the rails a bit and act slightly less goodie-two-shoes than usual. Again, not something Annie could judge since she was a bit of a goodie-two-shoes herself, but it was still a change worth noting.

Annie assumed Nancy’s situation with Barbara would be the equivalent to Steve going missing. If she lost him she didn’t know what she’d do. It made her sick to her stomach just thinking about it.

So no, she didn’t hate Nancy. But she didn’t like her either.

“And I’m not defending her,” Annie continued, pulling herself back into the present. “I’m just trying to see the story from both sides. But I’m sorry she said that to you,” Annie gave him a sympathetic look.

Steve heaved a deep sigh and turned to where his back was against the locker. He tilted his head back, his head hitting dully against the metal door.

“It’s just stupid. Things weren’t this complicated last year.”

“I know what you mean,” Annie nodded, reflecting on the past couple of months. “Ever since Will Byers went missing it’s like there’s been this chain reaction. Everything’s just been… weird.”

Steve snorted. “You have no idea.”

Annie glanced over at him. “What are you going to do?”

Steve mutely shook his head. Annie immediately understood what that mean. I have no idea.

She opened her mouth to say something else, maybe give him a confidence boost or talk negatively about Nancy to make him feel better, when loud laughter stopped her short.

She peered around Steve and spotted one of the banes of his existence prowling down the hallway with a bounce in their step. The boy’s snakelike grin stretched wide across his face the second his eyes found Steve’s miserable form and Annie felt dread pool in her gut at what might transpire.

“Why the long face, Harrington?” he mocked, the boys behind him muffling their laughter into closed fists. “Couldn’t get it up her skirt last night? Too much bullshit to satisfy the missus?”

Steve’s jaw clenched at the backhanded comment.

Annie placed a hand on his arm, quietly hoping he wouldn’t take the bait. Thankfully he kept his mouth shut, though his eyes were sharp as daggers.

The boy guffawed at Steve’s cold look before he turned his attention to Annie as he passed by them.

“Hey there, cutie,” he winked, flashing her a dazzling smile full of white teeth and Annie stiffened, her insides feeling hot. That was new. He’d never acknowledged her before on any of his other verbal attacks at Steve.

Steve must’ve noticed this too for his posture straightened and he kicked away from the locker, his shoulders squared as he stared the boy down, mentally debating with himself whether he wanted to instigate a fight or not. His glare didn’t go unnoticed and the boy laughed loudly again, covering his mouth with a bejeweled hand in callous mockery before him and his posse disappeared around the corner in all their denim-clad glory.

Annie released the breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding and she glanced over at Steve who was still staring in the direction the boy had disappeared in. It was obvious his feathers had been rustled, no doubt the boy’s intentions from the get-go.

Annie patted his arm and his shoulders slowly lost their tension.

“He’s such an asshole,” said Steve sourly.

Billy Hargrove certainly was an asshole.

He tormented others for his own personal enjoyment and more often than not Steve was on the receiving end of it. Annie couldn’t think of two people that were more opposite than Steve and Billy. They were night and day personified and that was probably one of the reasons why Billy felt the need to make Steve’s life a living hell. That and the fact that he just could.

There were few things Billy didn’t get away with, which was irritating to Annie. If there was one thing she hated more than people breaking the rules, it was people who allowed those rules to be broken.

Billy was a boy of average height and stocky build with blonde hair that fell just below his neck in an unkempt sort of way that could only be described as deliberate. His trademark was his acid-washed denim jacket and sun-kissed skin that had spent years under the California rays.

That was probably one of the reasons most of the girls at Hawkins High were enamored by him. A west coast boy with above average looks and a devil-may-care attitude to boot? They couldn’t get enough of him. Another factor that seemed to piss Steve off to no end. A very small portion of that could be jealousy, Annie deduced. Being envious of the same sex’s appearance wasn’t limited to only girls. But mostly she knew he was just baffled by all the attention he got.

Because Billy was an asshole.

“I know,” Annie said calmly, shaking off her jitters. “He’s just trying to get under your skin. I wouldn’t worry about him.”

“Hard not to,” Steve countered. “He’s fucking everywhere.”

The bell rang and Annie tugged on the crook of Steve’s arm with an encouraging smile.

“C’mon, let’s go to class. We can get ice cream after.”

Steve let her lead him down the hall with a reluctant half-smile and for the moment Billy Hargrove and Nancy Wheeler were only distant worries.

* * *

not a yes sir, not a follower

fit the box, fit the mold

have a seat in the foyer

take a number

i was lightning before the thunder.

#2

“Did you do the math homework?”

“Is that even a question, Steve?”

Steve grinned despite himself.

“Overachiever,” he said fondly. Annie laughed as she moved forward in the lunch line and grabbed a clean tray from the pile.

“’Overachiever’ doesn’t mean someone who does work that’s required of them,” she said humorously. “That’s just a basic achiever.”

“Whatever,” Steve brushed her comment off, though his eyes were sparkling. He grabbed a tray of his own and placed it on the counter, sliding down the line as he gazed down at the steaming food with a scrunched nose. “What is this?”

“Pork I think,” Annie surveyed the heaping pile of brown goo in front of them with trepidation. Did pork usually have that much gravy?

“Beef stew,” one of the lunch ladies glowered at Annie, insulted with her assumption. Annie flushed and she heard Steve snicker next to her. The woman held a spoonful of the liquid up in question and Annie tried to smile through her embarrassed cringe.

“I’m a vegetarian,” she lied, trying to sound polite.

The woman rolled her eyes and grunted before slapping the chunky serving onto Steve’s plate instead. He grimaced but quickly covered it up with an overzealous smile that made Annie want to laugh too.

They continued moving down the line, holding their plates out for various side dishes that were offered to them.

“So, about that math homework,” Steve prompted as they neared the register, flashing his brown eyes at her. Annie pursed her lips at her best friend but ultimately caved, shoulders slumping.

“Fine, you can copy it,” she relented, trying and failing to sound disapproving. She lifted a finger. “But just this once. Maybe you should look into finding a tutor.”

“I hear you’re free,” Steve suggested with a mischievous grin.

“Suddenly my schedule’s all booked up,” Annie retorted. Steve huffed a laugh through his nose. “Aw man,” Annie frowned, eyes scanning the refrigerated shelves in front of her. “They don’t have any more oranges.”

“Health freak,” Steve quipped.

“Says the athlete with the low carb diet,” she fired right back. Steve stuck his tongue out at her.

Annie grinned to herself. He was in much higher spirits lately despite the continued rockiness of his and Nancy’s relationship, or lack thereof. She was relieved to see his chipper side returning, stewing silently in his renowned energy. She wasn’t sure but she had a theory that him spending more time with the kids – Dustin, Caleb, and Nancy’s younger brother, Mike – were the root cause of his improved mood.

“Does this look low carb to you?” he motioned to the vile brown liquid seeping into his side of macaroni.

“That doesn’t look like anything edible,” she said, wrinkling her nose. “I should’ve packed my lunch today. I really wish they had oranges. I wanted an orange.”

“I’ll buy you an orange later to make up for the homework,” Steve said, sounding both exasperated and amused. Annie smiled proudly.

She was getting ready to be next at the register and she got her money ready to hand to the lady waiting, only to feel someone saddle up next to her and ultimately cut her in line.

A scowl pulled at Annie’s brow and she opened her mouth to retaliate, only to have the objections die in her throat at the sight of who it was that cut her.

Billy Hargrove was smiling at the lunch lady, seemingly oblivious to the fact that he marched himself to the front of the line with no disregard for courtesy. Her eyes flitted downward and her scowl deepened. He had an orange in his hand.

Whilst Annie remained stubbornly quiet, Steve had no reserves and he glared venomously at the curly-haired boy.

“Hey,” he snapped, leaning around Annie to get a view of the boy. “Get to the back of the line, man.”

“I’m sorry, do you hear something?” Billy asked, apparently to the lunch lady as his gaze didn’t waver from hers, tapping his ear in false curiosity. “It’s like this weird buzzing sound.”

“Nice one, dipshit,” Steve retorted. “Real mature.”

“Language,” the woman admonished without much heat. Steve gave her a slack-jawed look.

“Sorry, ma’am, I just wanted to let you know that I can’t pay today,” Billy said, voice pleasant. The act was so convincing that Annie could almost believe he wasn’t a terror to be around. The woman narrowed her eyes at him, obviously displeased.

“This is the third time this week, Billy.”

“I know. I just need one more day. I’m only getting this,” he held the orange up. He smiled charmingly again. “Please?”

His blue eyes glittered like the ocean and apparently not even the older women could resist his rugged allure. She sighed in defeat.

“Alright, tomorrow then.”

“Thank you, ma’am. I sure do appreciate it,” he gave her one last winning smile before turning to face Steve. The once amiable, school b0y smile transformed into something more poisonous. Steve held his ground, accepting the stare-off and Annie glanced between the two of them warily, once again afraid of all the potential fights that could ensue, but Billy broke the gaze before any of them could play out. He looked down at her and smirked easily, outstretching the orange. “Here, sweetheart.”

Annie stared at the orange for a full five seconds before cautiously accepting it. Billy bestowed her with another wink and his eyes flashed sharply up at Steve whose glare could melt skin before he turned on his heel and waltzed off, ever the image of satisfaction and arrogance. The intense musk of his cologne hit Annie on the back end and for a second she couldn’t think straight, only able to shake herself out of her stupor when Steve sniffed next to her.

“He’s doing this on purpose,” Steve muttered, eyes dark and murderous. “He’s fucking with you to fuck with me. Asshole.”

“Language, Mister Harrington.”

Annie quickly handed the woman her money when the woman prompted her with an impatient look. She waited for Steve to pay for his food and then followed him to a nearby table that didn’t have any other students. They sat down across from one another and Annie realized Steve’s mood had turned sour from the encounter.

“Fucking Billy,” he glanced over his shoulder across the room and spotted Nancy sitting closely with Jonathan Byers, murmuring conspiratorially to him and sitting closer than necessary. He turned back around. “Fucking Nancy.”

“I’m sorry, Steve,” Annie said for lack of anything better. She stared down at the orange, turning it over in her hands.

Weird.

[sushigirlali]

Stranger Things Season 2 Takeaways

1. I didn’t realize until Eleven’s stand-alone episode, more than half way through the season, that she had barely any screen time with the other kids. I really liked all her character stuff with Hopper and her mother’s backstory, but was definitely disappointed that Max kinda took her place as “the girl” in the group.

2. Steve is a wonderful person and Nancy does not deserve him. I hope he gets a nice girlfriend next season who appreciates him.

3. My friends and I totally mistrusted Bob the entire time, but I’m glad that he was just a nice guy. He stepped up and died like a hero.

4. It was a nice change of pace that the Hawkins Lab people weren’t just evil mad scientists this time. Dr. Owens actually cared about what was going on with Will as a person, not just an experiment. As the only survivor of the lab, hopefully we’ll get a new human villain next season.

5. There seemed to be some underlying race thing with Billy wanting Max to stay away from Lucas, but they never really went there or explained it. Kinda wished this would’ve been addressed head on. Lucas clearly won Max over by trusting her with the truth and being supportive when she broke down at the junk yard, so they made up their own minds in the end. And their kiss at the dance was so cute!

6. Speaking of, I’m glad we finally got to see Mike and Eleven have that dance. There’s something so sweet in the way that these two characters are written. They’re obviously soulmates and they know it and accept it without much embarrassment for kids their age.

7. Winona Ryder was so much better this time around. I thought she was a little manic and shouty last season. Her character was much more in control this time, and I think that adjustment was needed. The communication between her, her kids, Mike, and Hopper was refreshing too. A lot of problems could’ve been solved last season if the characters had talked to each other earlier.

8. I love Dacre Montgomery in Power Rangers, but he was down right sleazzy in this. I got really uncomfortable every time he was on screen. He’s obviously a great actor, but I hated his character. I guess he has some reason to be messed up considering how his father treats him, but that excuse only goes so far.

9. It was funnny that they spent all last season dealing with one Demogorgon, and were barely able to kill it, and this season with like twenty of them running around. I’m honestly shocked Bob was the only important character to die. Also, the Jurassic World raptor squad moment with Dart was stupid but I loved it!

10. Dr. Owens said that Eleven still needs to hide out for another year. So will she be in high school with the rest of her crew when the next season starts? That would be nice, but somehow I doubt it. All the stuff with Kali was super interesting. I wonder if there are more people with powers in the world, besides her and Eleven. I assume this will be explored next season. I doubt the Duffer brothers would have gone down this road if not.

11. All the effects were fantastic this season. I love the look of the upside down and the creatures. They definetly stepped up in the cinematography department. I can’t believe I have to wait a whole year for more!!

[thelifeofasloth]

Well Aren’t You Delightful ~ Billy Hargrove

Just A Small Filler, bloop.

Part One Part Two

Want to see more of my work?  MASTERLIST 

REQUESTS ARE OPEN (Dacre Montgomery, Any Stranger Things Characters over the age of 16, Shawn Mendes and Harry Styles, Joe Kerry , This may expand depending on series I watch.)

You parked your car in your usual spot before grabbing your back pack from the seat beside you, you took a deep breathe before stepping out the car.  You knew it was a matter of time before Billy came up to you and made a comment, it was the biggest mistake you have ever made going to his house.  You knew this just heightened his interest in you, that without sufficient facts you would make your way to his house and accuse him of something that he hadn’t actually done.  How stupid could one girl be?

You locked your car before adjusting your strap on your shoulder.  You heard foot steps behind you as you were almost at the steps to the high school.  You didn’t want to look back, already knowing the person who is making the sound would make himself clear very soon.  Your foot touched the step before someone tapped on your shoulder, you turned expecting to see Billy’s smirk about to explain to you how you must be in love with him because you stood on his porch for a few minutes.  But, to your shock it was the same red headed girl that was at the door when you went to call in.  As you glanced down she offered out her hand, you hesitated before taking it in yours and receiving a firm shake.

“Hi, I’m Max.  I just wanted to ask if you found your car, I didn’t mean to listen over, but I was just curious.”  She smiled up you making you feel at ease in her presence.  

“Oh yeah, I found it back at mine after speaking to your broth” you got cut short as her smile fell.

“Step-brother” she interjected before gesturing for you to continue

“After speaking to your Step-brother.  Turns out Johnathan brought it back for me after I lost my keys” you know understand why they have such a stranger relationship, being curious you wanted to know more.  But, knowing it wasn’t the time and place to ask you pushed passed this.  

“I’m glad you did, anyway it was nice speaking to you, but I have to head to class.  Have a wonderful day” she smiled at you before she placed her skateboard down and headed towards the middle school.  It shocked you how much different her and Billy were, I mean she had manners and actually cared for others.  You pondered for a little before walking in to try and find Johnathan.  

It wasn’t long before you saw him at his locker, with Steve’s lady friend from yesterday.  You were shocked they were speaking considering you have never seen them near each other before.  Having been best friends with him since you were both old enough to speak, you pretty much knew everyone he was friends with.  But, this.  This was new. You walked over to him, hearing the end of the conversation which brought even more confusion to you.

“Should I come over again tonight and see if we can find anything?” she asked him, he nodded just before his eyes landed on you.  A quick smile sent your way before the girl glanced and said her goodbyes before you had a chance to look at her any longer.

“Who’s that?”  you chirped sending a head nod towards the girl who just departed.

“Nancy… she’s a friend” he nodded, seeming as though he was trying to convince himself as well as you. Nancy, you should have expected her to have a name like that.  I mean look at her all clean and proper.  Then again you were expecting something more along the lines of Betty, but I guess Nancy will do.

“Hm, seems it.  I never knew you were friends”  

“Only recently really, nothing proper.”  He itched the back of his head, a nervous habit you had also required from him over the years.  “Anyway, what about you and Hargrove.  Some of the girls were saying they saw you leaving his house yesterday?”

“God, they are like spies around here, as soon as you are near him it’s like you are fucking each other.” You scoffed before explaining the whole story to him, one you did not want to repeat anytime soon.  Johnathan stifled a laugh, before you playfully punched him.

“Seems like it wasn’t just a joke to lover boy over there” John nodded, your eye’s falling on Billy glaring over at you both before his eyes snapped to the girl in front of him. You instantly rolled your eyes at his behaviour.

“I can’t handle him today”

“Don’t you have double History?”  you shot him a glare for reminding you.  “Sorry, I was just saying” his hands holding up in defence.  The bell rang though the hall signalling the start of lessons, you instantly wanting to have an illness wash over you, so you could leave.  John waved before you started your walk to English, one lesson that you knew was going to drag.

Lunch finally came to give you a break from Mrs Myers draining voice about the importance of similes, you started walking towards your table outside, in summer you and Johnathan sat outside and spoke about anything that was on your minds, you couldn’t deny you had a small attraction too him.  But, the fact you have known each other since you could remember put you both off slightly.  As it would anyone.  You lay your lunch out in front of you, awaiting your friend’s arrival.  You decided it was best to look like you are doing something rather than sitting here, so you grabbed the book you needed to read for your English paper.  “The Great Gatsby” you spoke out before flicking to the appropriate page.  

After a small while you felt the bench push down on the other side, making you glance up and smile before it instantly dropped having seen who it was.  Billy, sat there with a smirk on his face.  His hand extended reaching over to your apple slices and taking one before putting it in his mouth.  Your eye’s narrowed, earning a slight laugh his way.

“Well its lovely too see you as well Doll”

“Can’t you tell I don’t want your company, or does pretty boy need glasses?” Your head tilted to the side, your lips pouting into a sad expression.  

“I wanted to save you the embarrassment of sitting alone, considering your little buddy is too busy fucking Harrington’s girl to even notice you waiting here for him.”  You scoffed at his remark, you knew he was trying to get under your skin.

“Well isn’t that cute, I hope them both well” you reached for your sandwich taking a bite before raising a brow.  “Are you done, or do you want to continue staring into my soul?”  he shifted, pulling his jacket off and placing it next to him, signalling to you that he was going to stay a lot longer than you would have hoped.  

“What’s up with you and him anyway?  You both hooking up or something” you looked at him emotionless, him with a similar expression mixed with something you couldn’t quiet put your finger on.  

“Yeah, we fuck most nights. Bondage really, he likes to be tied up but don’t tell anyone or he gets really upset about it.  The number of kinks that boy has, I can barely keep up.  Good thing I have a high sex drive” you grabbed your sandwich again, tearing the crusts off before glancing back up at him again.  His eye brows knitted together, nose flared.  He grabbed his coat that was laying next to him before pushing through the crowed in the court.  “Well someone can’t take a joke” you sighed before shrugging and picking up your book beginning to read where you left off.  Not realising the damage, you had made from a simple remark.

@strngervibes @fangirlinganditswonders

[thelifeofasloth]

Well Aren’t You Delightful ~ Billy Hargrove

Second Part and maybe more to come?  A lot of love on the last part so pleased with y’all and so happy you are liking this.  I already love it so I am glad you do too.

PART ONE

Want to see more of my work?  MASTERLIST

REQUESTS ARE OPEN (Dacre Montgomery, Any Stranger Things Characters over the age of 16, Shawn Mendes and Harry Styles, This may expand depending on series I watch.)

A group of people were standing where your car should have been.  You glanced down to your keys realising that the ones to your car were no longer on there. You were pissed, partly at yourself for not looking at them when he handed them too you.  It must have been his plan all day, does this kid not have any remorse for other human beings?  You marched up to the group of people, finally able to see some details about them but nothing that made you know who they were.  The only person you recognised was Steve and that was mainly because of yours and his hook up last August.  What a train wreck that was.  

The girl who stood next to him was petite, her hair chopped to her shoulders, she dressed as though she was already preparing to be a house wife.  You never thought of Steve to be someone who would have been into someone like her, but then again, he did always love a push over.  He was also stood with another couple, one guy with freckles and a girl who you didn’t even bother to acknowledge.  “Sorry to interrupt your little double date Harrington, but have you seen my car?”  You stated, making the whole group turn and stare at you.  

“I didn’t realise I was keeping tracks on your possessions now Y/N” Steve turned towards you, the girl he was with kept a straight face but deep down you knew she was intimidated. Considering you didn’t know who she was meant she didn’t belong in this group, you knew part of her knew that.  

“Well you seem to be standing where it was parked, and unless I have given it an invisibility spell it should still be here.  Did you see Hargrove anywhere near it?” You pursed your lips at his name, all you really wanted to know was where he lived so you could sort him out yourself but making little miss perfect squirm kept you around longer than intended.  

“I saw him scoping the area while I was in Chem a car was here before, but I couldn’t say I saw him take it” the other boy chirped up before falling back.

“That’s all I needed, wasn’t too hard now was it Harrington.  Finally, one of your goons do come in handy.  Do any of you know where he lives then?”

“Down past Bob’s diner about a quarter mile I believe” the other girl that was with them pushed.  Her boyfriend glanced down at her his eyes widened “What? We had to study” she shrugged before looking back over at you.  You smirked before patting Steve on the chest and sending a wink to his lady friend behind.  You walked away towards Bob’s diner, your rage building up as you do so.  

You walked down the road away from the diner, looking up every path trying to find your car.  You hoped deep down for that girl’s sake she wasn’t lying to you, you weren’t a violent person, but if someone crossed you that was a different story.  

In the distance you noticed Hargrove’s car parked just on the curb outside a house you wouldn’t have expected someone like Billy to live in.  But, then again you didn’t know the boy which you weren’t complaining about. You walked up the few steps at the entrance of his house before knocking a few times.  You stood there waiting for the door to be open, but also wondering what you were going to say.  You knew he had took your car, but no one had seen him get in it and as you glanced behind you, you realised your car was no where to be seen.  You were about to knock again, before a small red headed girl looked up at you.  One eyebrow raised, “Oh erm, is Billy here?”  You questioned.

“Billy, someone’s at the door for you” She shouted, before running back up the stairs.  You lifted your shoulders up again, becoming defensive as you heard boots patting on the wooden floor.  The door swung open, revealing a shirtless and slightly sweaty Billy.  

“Fancy seeing you here Doll. Need anything?” His arms crossed over his chest, his biceps bulged before your eyes snapped up to his face. His familiar smirk etched onto his face. You had to remember why you were here, momentarily all the anger that you had towards this boy had disappeared.

“Give me my car.  It wasn’t at school and the car keys are gone from my key chain.  What a coincidence it was that you handed them back to me being the only time I was without them.” Your face stern, even his smirk was unable to change your expression it only angered you further that he wasn’t taking this seriously.

“I don’t have your car Y/N.” His eyes glanced away from you for a split second as he lent on the side of his door frame.  Your eyes widened shocked he knew your name considering you had never formally introduced yourself.

“Of course, you have my car Billy, how else would it be missing when you were the only one with my keys in the first place?”

“Look, can you see it anywhere?  Because I really do have better things to do than steal your car, fair enough I wanted a ride in it because I was jealous but I don’t know who told you but they are full of shit” his head swung back pushing some stray hair out of his face.

“One of Harrington’s friends saw you looking at it when he was in Chem no one else was around then. Explain that Hm?”

“He has Chem first lesson Doll, History is after lunch.  I hadn’t even spoken to you then, plus I had just turned up of course I am going to look at the car.  Any one would have” he stated this matter of fact You didn’t have much more to rely on, your courage being broken down every time he speaks.

“How do you know he has Chem first?”  This being a genuine question of intrest considering you never saw those two as being friends.

“Because I was supposed to be in the lesson” he laughed slightly “Now, if this investigation is over I would like to go back to my work out if that’s okay with you Chief.”  You nodded before walking off in the direction your house was. “Good luck finding your car Doll, ill keep a look out” Billy shouted before closing the door.  You really didn’t expect it to go that way, part of you wanted Billy to have your car so you at least had it back.  But, now you were stumped.  

You continued kicking rocks along the pavement, knowing your Dad wasn’t going to be too pleased knowing you had lost his car and the only way to get him places.  You began thinking of your excuse, reasons why it would be okay and that you’ll get the car back.  Nothing that you deemed useful came from it, realising it’s best just to come clean and say you had no idea where it was.  You looked towards your house, your eyes squinting at the sight.  Your hands came up to your eyes rubbing them slightly.  

Your car was sitting there, on the drive.  Had you tolled someone to drive it back for you?  You can’t remember doing so but nothing else seemed logical.  You ran up to the house door swinging it open before shouting out to your Dad.  Finding out he was in the living room you walked in, the look of shock evident on your face.

“What’s up sweet heart?”  Your father asked, a look of concern beginning to form on his face.  

“My car, I have been looking for it everywhere.  Who brought it here?”  You were too shocked to for proper sentences.  Unable to understand anything that was going on.  

“Oh, your friend Johnathan brought it.  Said something about him finding your keys on the floor and waiting for you outside the school for an hour or so.  He thought you had walked home after losing them, so he dropped it off here.”  Your Dad smiled up at you, a sigh leaving your chapped lips. Why hadn’t you thought of something like this? Your class had been kept back because of a substantial portion of your class forgetting their homework which to no avail of your complaints you had to stay also. Your hear shook as the embarrassment of the day came flooding in.

Tomorrow was going to be interesting.