I really wish more people wrote billy taupe with more nuance. yes, he’s shitty for cheating on lucy gray, but damn y’all do know he is a person beyond that, right? we know he cheated on lucy gray, but also that he wants to escape 12. wanting to escape 12 means he also feels trapped in 12 and like… could that possibly explain why he cheated? wanting to escape and take others with him also means he cares a lot about other people, even those who aren’t his own and that he has a strong sense of justice (like sejanus!).
him caring a lot about other people could also possibly explain why he cheated: maybe he tried to help the other covey with their trauma to a point where it became too much, and he snuck off with other people to blow off steam? did anyone ever think about talking to him about his feelings? again, cheating is bad, but it adds more context.
I like to think I did a good job with him in listen to the birds (please… read it… please…) but obviously that is a canon non-complaint story with additional backstory. if I was going strictly canon, I’d go with the “he tried to help the other covey (both emotionally and financially) so much that he wore himself thin and sought out others to blow off steam” story, with sejanus being the first person to seek out and listen to his side of the story. that being said, I can surely combine both ideas in my version of the story.
can you tell I like billy taupe/sejanus a lot… until the mockingjay sings is a very good fic and I enjoy billy taupe’s characterization in it very much (that being said it is rated E! this is your warning!)