#max mayfield deserves better

[chaotic-ace-arts]

🦇🖤A closer look at the Vecna's curse patchwork sweater I made. Not for sale🖤🦇

💀you ever just wish characters could've had happier endings?💀

[dwobbitfromtheshire]

Bully stans DNI (I don't even want to say his name). Just block me, unfollow me. I don't want to hear your propaganda bs about how you are in love with a fictional racist.

There are some people out there who don't like Steddie because some people ship them with Bully. Honestly, Bully stans shouldn't be able to interact with this tag. But maybe if there were more fics where Eddie and Steve talk shit about him, talk about how much they hate him. Maybe they get together because they hate him. I just hate that there are some people who hate Steddie for that. Not all of us are like that, and there are a lot of us who hate people who ship Steddie with that racist, child abusing attempted murderer. Let's face it, that asshole was trying to kill Steve, and he probably would have if Max hadn't intervened. Eddie is all about lost sheep, about taking lost kids into his fold. . . He would absolutely hate that vile dickbag for hurting kids. They only time that I would want him to come back is so they can kill him again. Fuck that guy. Goddamn. Lucas, Max, and Steve deserve better in this goddamn fandom. I swear. God, they're also shipping him with Chrissy, too. Yeah, she deserves better, too. Sorry, it's that time of year again where I clear out any Bully stans that are following me. Hopefully, there's none.

[aliferousdreamer]

"max is a horrible person"

[i-yyzw-cq]

If that actually happens in this final season, then I don't know what to do with myself.

thinking about how if we do get the two year time skip then that means max has been in a coma for two years and that also means lucas has been at maxs side waiting for her to wake up for two years

[shieldofiron]

Max: You can't even COME OUT IN A NORMAL WAY?!?!

[black-wolf066]

What If Billy Hargrove Had Survived Season 3

I always find myself being drawn back to the "what ifs” of this situation.

How would he change physically, emotionally, and mentally due to everything?

How would he go about apologizing to the others for the season 2 events (maybe he would even find himself explaining his reasons—regardless of if they were right or wrong. Maybe he wouldn’t explain it to all of them--because I doubt he would-- but I could see him explaining it to Max, possibly even Steve and/or Lucas. Mostly, though, if he does find he explains himself, I think it would be to Max and Lucas only; so they don't do anything stupid that will attract Neil's very unwanted attention).

How would he eventually be integrated into the party with the rest of them (if he decided to stay in Hawkins or was forced to stay in Hawkins while he healed and goes through physical therapy, etc)? Would he stay after he was cleared medically? Would he go? Would he keep in contact if he left, or would he just disappear?

There are so many questions I have regarding the what ifs. But if he had survived, I like to think this is how it would go. (((Obviously, this is just my take on it, and everyone is entitled to their own takes and theories regarding this situation. It's unfortunate that we will never know what actually would happen, but this is what the fandom and fanfiction is for, am I right? Lmao.)))

I think, due to everything, he would have changed. I believe it would be hard for anyone not to change after what happened.

I think in the beginning, he'd be an absolute wreck physically, mentally, and emotionally. I think he'd not only have to unlearn the poison his father fed him all these years, but now he'll need to unlearn the poison the mind flayer fed him too. Unlearn and realize the mind flayer was playing on and amplifying his fears and the darkest parts of him, and reinforcing that poison he'd been fed from Neil.

I think whatever lasting injuries would also be devastating and a learning curve because if he had survived, he would not have gotten away from that experience without lasting consequences. I think he'd have trouble with his hands—nerve damage, and what have you—his lungs, his stomach (from both the stab wounds and the chemicals he was forced to ingest), etc.

(I also think he’d have trouble looking in the mirror after it all too, that he’d be afraid to look in the mirror and see the monster, or see the monster’s eyes still swirling behind his own. I also think he would be disgusted by the scars he gained from the aftermath).

He would also have extreme survivors guilt, would believe it was all his fault no matter how many times people tell him it wasn't. That it was the mind flayer doing it and not him.

((Also, it occurred to me, I wonder how hard Billy fought to keep the mind flayer away from Neil, Susan and Max when he was at home? Why didn’t Susan or Neil become victims? Were they just not home at that time? Like were they off on a mini vacation or something without the kids and left Billy in charge of the house and Max while they were gone? Or were they home all that time?))

I think he would eventually start to believe the others when they tell him it’s not his fault, but only after talking to Will. And it's not Billy who seeks him out. It's Will who goes to him instead (Because unlike the others, Will doesn’t have any interactions to go off of in regard to Billy during season 2, he only has the stories). Maybe Billy will realize that it's no more Will's fault for the deaths of those soldiers in the tunnels or Bob Newby, then it is Billy's fault for the death of Heather and her family, or the other Hawkin’s residents. He will still strangle with the survivors guilt, will still blame himself on his worst days, but after his talk with Will, it gets better. It gets better for them both, because they have someone who understands, and who can remind each other that it wasn't them. It was the mind flayer. They were just unwilling tools/pawns to the Mind flayer’s game.

I also think the first thing he would do once stable and awake enough from his injuries is to apologize to Max (I do believe he would find a way to apologize to the others, but at this current time, I don’t think it will cross his mind until later. Maybe Max might say something or maybe he’s reminded of it on his own).

He might not have been in control of himself most of the time during the possession, but he still unfortunately witnessed everything, and he remembers Max’s face through the sauna window before the mind flayer took control. Can still hear Max’s attempt at trying to break him from the mind flayer’s control by reminding him of who he was (remembers trying to scream at her to move out of the way, but unable to do anything but helplessly watch as she was hit aside). Can still hear Max’s blood curdling scream ringing in his ears or the tears that were running down her face when he thought he was dying (and the pain, so much pain, a pain that took the very breath from him) and was only able to utter out a weak and pathetic “I’m sorry” before his world had gone dark.

In season 2, Max tells Lucas that Billy has always been a jerk (which is a sibling right of passage with any sibling. My siblings as much as I love them, they were absolute jerks/assholes, but then again, so was I with them. So, to me, this is a completely normal thing to say. It’s also completely normal behavior especially considering they were a melded together family still trying to get used to the other). I know she also stated that Billy changed when he got to Hawkins, that he was angry all the time now. Which again, is normal for someone who hasn’t been taught how to handle their emotions (during their puberty/teen years where emotions and hormones are at an all-time high) due to not being in a safe environment to do so, and being under the thumb of an abusive, emotionally constipated and masculine toxic parent who wouldn’t tolerate such emotion coming from Billy.

I don’t think Max and Billy’s relationship was perfect in California obviously, but I do believe there was something there, a truce or a gradual budding siblingship that got ruined and tarnished the moment Neil moved them.

I also headcanoned that Billy kept Max and Susan at arm’s length mostly because: if his flesh and blood mother could leave him, what was to stop Susan and Max from leaving him too. I think Billy fought hard not to grow attached to Susan or Max because everyone leaves him or hurts him in the end. Plus, Max with her spit fire attitude that reminds Billy of his mom sometimes (another headcanon of mine), gave him more grief than he wanted since Max never had to suffer the consequences of her actions. Susan was always left in charge of her punishments (another headcanon of mine)—and they always involved grounding, extra chores, no arcade, no skateboard, and no allowance money for however long the punishment lasted. So, no, Max never had to deal with her consequences, not like Billy had to because to Neil, it was “Billy’s responsibility” to keep his new sister out of trouble.

Billy was tired of being punished for things he didn’t do, and he was tired of Max toeing the line of pissing Neil off enough to paint a target on her back. Was tired of her constantly painting a target on his back because of her not listening or toeing said dangerous line.

((I firmly believe Max knew some things, but I don’t think Max knew everything that went on in her own home between Neil and Billy—either by Neil’s doing, Susan’s doing or Billy’s doing or even a mix of all of them. I think also Neil painted a picture/sob story for Susan and Max that made it harder to believe anything else, and with Billy’s behavior, I think it only solidified that picture for them; regardless if it made them uncomfortable or not)).

I also believe these feelings and events/punishments weren’t as bad in California because San Diego is such a massive place, that it was easier for them both to hide stuff from Susan and Neil. That things didn’t get back to them as easily. But now in Hawkins, where everyone knows everyone and certainly knows everyone’s business, that luxury isn’t a thing for either of them anymore.

So, with all of this in mind, with Billy remembering that tentative relationship/truce despite his best efforts to keep Max at arms-length, as well as how Max acted while he was possessed; I think once he was stable and coherent enough, he would do his best to try and make up for everything with her. ((It won’t be easy and it certainly won’t be quickly either. There is too much there that needs to be said and fixed and Billy doesn’t know how to say it or where to even start, but he tries, and Max—having been confronted with the reality of Billy nearly dying and dealing with the guilt of nearly getting her wish—does her best to try too)).

When it comes to the rest, I think Lucas would be next. Lucas has every right not to listen to him or forgive him. However, between Lucas, Dustin, and Mike, I think Lucas would be the one to eventually get to the possibility of “thinking” about it. I think he would only get to that point if he saw a clear difference between Billy and Max. I think because of his love for Max, if he saw that their relationship was repairing for the better, I think Lucas would then be a little more open to thinking about it, especially if Billy’s new behavior begins to extend beyond Max as well. I think if he did decide to try, I think they would bond a bit over basketball (I think basketball is also a bonding thing for Steve and Lucas also) since Lucas doesn’t have that with Mike, Dustin or Will.

Next would either be the rest of the party (Dustin and Mike), or Steve. Steve, I think would be a little more open to just letting it go, but Dustin and Mike are not. It would take a lot or a very long time at least for them to even get to a point where they would consider it.

El—like Will—firmly reminds him it wasn’t his fault when he apologies to her for hurting her. I think they would bond through their traumas, and Billy will end up with another little sister he never asked for.

I also think in the end, with Billy and Max repairing their relationship (and with Billy being alive meaning Neil wouldn’t fly the coup), I think Billy would stick around a bit longer in Hawkins. I think with him finally letting Max in, to put that trust in her that she won’t willingly leave him or hurt him; it would be reason enough for him to stay. Maybe he won’t stay for her 4 years of high school, but I do believe he would stay for a good portion of it.

I also think if Billy survived and stayed in Hawkins, he would be Vecna’s target—for one he escaped Vecna’s control, and for two, Billy is still dealing with that survivors guilt (is still haunted by the faces that he was forced to take). I’m not sure if Max would be a target too, mostly because Max’s stemmed from his death, but I do think there would still be guilt there regardless if he lived. (If Billy left Hawkins, then I’m unsure if Max’s guilt would be enough for Vecna to chose her. But Vecna could choose her to draw Billy back?).

I don’t know. It just makes me really sad that we’ll never know how things would have gone.

But I will die on this hill that Billy would have changed for the better had he survived. I genuinely believe he would have. He deserved to get the chance to try at the very least.

[i-yyzw-cq]

Me, when I see Max being villainized because she wanted abuser out of her life

of course the only anti max mayfield post on tumblr is by a b'lly stan whose making her out to be a villian just because she wanted something bad to happen to him. i think they forgot that max was literally an abuse victim. the one thing that they always use to defend b'lly also applies to max, but no. max is a scummy bitch for wanting her abuser to get hurt, while b'lly is just misunderstood for being racist and violent.

[harringroveera]

AU where Billy escaped the Vecna’s curse because he’s not a hurt kid anymore & he’s already found his family

[chaotic-ace-arts]

Time to bake these guys.

Can't wait to detail these and then gloss and add the chains ^-^

[i-yyzw-cq]

This post

Me after seeing this:

Billy wasn't going to run them over LOL He was just bluffing. It ain't that deep.

max literally had to forced the steering wheel from him and twist it last second because billy was about to hit mike lucas and dustin.

and okay, let's go with your (wrong) logic. let's say he was just bluffing. he still threatened max with killing her three new friends, how does that make it any less wrong? and don't even come at me saying "he wasn't planning on killing them" because aiming a fucking car at high speed to a group of kids goes with the intention of killing them. it wouldn't have caused a minor injury or a scraped knee. in the real world, it would be a crime of attempted murder.

get. a. fucking. grip.

this is what i mean when i say billy fans are toxic to their core for excusing him.

[elevenenthusiast]

This means the kids are most likely gonna be seniors wtf

[californiaboytoybilly]

-> Oh I got troubles, they won’t let me be. But I won’t get tired, set the town on fire, til my troubles got trouble with me. - grandson, bury me face down 🎵

[dwobbitfromtheshire]

Max felt like shit and she wanted nothing more than to reach out to El for comfort, who was currently being hugged by Joyce. They were going through the same thing after all. . .except that Hopper hadn't been complicated in the way that Billy had been. Max was sure that El also hadn't wished that something would happen to Hopper, not like Max had with Billy. All the parents had shown up for their kids, not her mom, though, or Neill. She was a little grateful for that, but she also wished that things were different between them.

Max's eyes landed on Steve, talking to Robin across the parking lot. He's the big brother that Billy should have been. Steve had looked out for her, protected her in ways that Billy could only ever do once. He never once hurt her, not like Billy always did. She remembered the way that Steve had thrown himself in front of the demogorgon, the way that he made sure Billy was the one hitting him and not the kids. He had stood up to Billy, which is something that Max had never been able to do until Max was finally able to do it herself that night. Maybe she wished she had a female role model in her life, but right now, it wasn't so bad that she had a guy in her life to look up to. Max found herself moving across the parking lot, and suddenly, she was standing in front of Steve.

"Steve," Max called out.

"Oh, hey, Max, how are you holding up? That's a nasty looking bruise, but I'm sure it will heal soon. You're a tough kid," Steve said, and he wasn't being sarcastic or menacing at all.

Embarrassingly, Max burst into tears and threw herself into Steve’s arms. She hugged him tightly.

"I wanted him to stop so badly! I didn't want him to be so angry all the time and take it out on me! Nothing I ever did was good enough, and I wished that something would happen to make him stop!" Max said.

"Hey, hey, this isn't your fault," Steve said softly as he wrapped his arms around her. "There's no way this is your fault."

"How do you know?" She asked.

"Are you the Mind Flayer?" He asked.

"No."

"Did you possess Billy or experiment on a bunch of children to open a gate to hell?" Steve asked.

"No."

"Then it's not your fault. Billy chose to sacrifice himself, but he also chose to let his anger control him rather than choose to be your brother. He chose to take his anger out on you, but I know you, Max, and I know you didn't actually want him dead, despite all the things he did to you," Steve said.

"I don't want to be like him," Max cried.

"You're nothing like him. When you get angry, do you hit people?" Steve asked.

"No, I mean, not like Billy did," she said.

"Do you break people's things because they chose not to listen to you?" He asked.

"Well, no, I just call them an idiot," she said, sniffling.

"And you do it wonderfully," Steve replied, and she snorted. "Do you throw people into walls because they're different than you?"

"No. Definitely not," she said. "I also don't threaten to run kids over to get someone to agree with me."

"Jesus, Hargrove did that?" Robin asked.

Max sighed, her tears coming to a stop. She didn't pull away from the warmth of Steve’s embrace, though.

"Yeah," she said. "You make very valid points."

"You shouldn't stop yourself from feeling angry just because you're afraid of turning into him," Steve said. "Even at your worst, you're nothing like him, and he put you through the same situation that he went through."

"Thanks," Max said softly.

"He had so many opportunities to do the right thing, and it really sucks that you don't get the chance to find out if he changed or not, if he'd really show you how sorry he is," Steve said. "You deserve better than that."

"I wish he had been more like you," she said. "You're my brother, and I'm glad you're okay."

"You're going to be okay, Max," Steve whispered, and she smiled when he kissed the top of her head.

"This is absolutely the cutest thing that I've ever witnessed, and I once witnessed a deer adopt a baby rabbit," Robin said, her voice thick.

"He's okay for a guy," Max said and pulled away.

"I concur," Robin said.

"You could do worse," Max said, wiping her eyes and then caught sight of Robin's shoes. "Uh, for a friend."

"I thought you were going somewhere else with that," Robin said in amusement.

"Wrong parts," Max blurted out and put a hand to her mouth. "Sorry."

Robin burst into laughter with Steve. She patted Max's shoulder.

"I totally forgot I had drawn on them, and you're right, I'm all about the boobs," Robin said.

The three of them collapsed on a nearby unused stretcher as they continued to talk. Max laughed when Robin suggested they team up to affectionately bully Steve. It was Max's right as a sister. Steve gently nudged Max.

"You know, I've never had a little sister before," he said. "Especially one who's such a talented skateboarder."

It was hard to believe that he meant that. There was no threat that followed up to that, no menacing glare, and no hard grip on her arm telling her to listen to him or else. This was what having a brother was supposed to feel like.

"Have you ever skated?" She asked.

"Nope."

"I'd teach you, both of you," Max said.

"You might need an ambulance on standby for me," Robin said.

"For Steve, too, it looks like," Max said, and they laughed.

Suddenly, Steve’s eyes caught something ahead, and Max followed his line of sight. He was looking at Nancy and Jonathan sitting in the back of an ambulance.

"Uh, I have to go and check on something right quick," Steve said. "You okay?"

"Yeah, Robin and I are going to sit here and talk shit about you," Max said.

"Sounds good," Steve said and walked off.

"What's that about?" Max asked Robin.

"Who knows?" Robin said.

Max sat on the stretcher with Robin as Steve moved to flirt with. . .Nancy and Jonathan? She quickly started talking to Robin about Steve and the time he almost sacrificed himself to a pack of demodogs. The talk with Steve and the hug had helped a lot, but the guilt was still there, eating away at her. All she wanted to do was curl up inside of her self, to protect herself and the others from any fallout. She hoped that one day, she would be able to trust herself, trust others, and more specifically trust men. She glanced at Steve and then at Lucas. Yeah, she'll get there eventually, and maybe with their help, she'll get there a lot faster. Still, there was something ticking inside of her, whispering to her not to trust them. . .she shook it off.

[wonderneverlandsystem]

Picked up 'to make monsters out of girls' at the library and there were a lot of things I related to, including and especially this but then I was like oh shit wait- This is. So incredibly Billy Hargrove coded (And Max coded, I see and relate that shit too so don't come for my ass-)

Edit:

Adding this one too-

[shieldofiron]

El: He's become narrative aware. We should act fast.

[oncamelliastreet]

do you think some of the party read the letters max wrote while she’s in the coma because they miss the sound of her voice? i feel like lucas would definitely be too stubborn to give in and read it but i could see steve maybe reading it because he feels like he failed her. just a thought