#shitbirds

"Dinosaur" the Pidgeon on Manhattan's High Line in New York City.

- Mad Max is super fucking protective of her big brother. Like you wouldn't know it at first but Max will 100% poison your coffee and then fake cry at your funeral if you fuck with Billy.

- Max knows Billy is gay because she's got eyes. Like, Billy likes to think he's slick but seriously? That shower scene with Steve is AFTER his asshole dad packed up their whole family to scare the "faggot" out of his son. So just imagine for me if you will a 15 year old Billy Hargrove with a crush. Jesus fucking Christ. Little Maxine takes one look at Billy and knows she's gotta cover for him. Kicks or pinches him whenever she sees him mooning over that cute senior from his school delivering their paper. Draws attention to herself when she can hear Billy stumble through his window in the middle of the night after being out on a date. She doesn't tell Billy which leads to some friction cuz why is she being such a little shit to him what the fuck. But then one morning he looks over at Max eating cereal and her eyes widen in horror. She smacks her bowl to the floor and runs off to the bathroom loudly exclaiming she's gonna throw up and Billy is so confused? Neil had been pouring his coffee but upon hearing Max retch in the bathroom just grimaces and quickly heads out the door to go to work early. When she hears Niels truck pull away she comes back out of the bathroom holding her mom's concealer and shoves it at Billy. Who is. Still very confused. Until she tells him that his boyfriend should be more careful about leaving marks. And in a panic Billy runs to the mirror in his room and lo and behold he has a dark red hickey at the base of his neck peaking up through the collar of his shirt. Billy could fucking cry with how much he loves her.

- Max hates when people touch her hair. Because it's such a vibrant shade of red she's had people just reaching out and grabbing it and asking if it's real her whole life. Billy is the ONLY ONE allowed to touch her hair to either brush or braid it. She won't even let her mom do it.

- Max knows the SECOND they pull up to Hawkins high that Billy is gunna get stupid over that boy with the tall hair and the expensive BMW. Calls it before Billy even looks at him. Clocks the exact second that he does because Billy's face goes soft and then hungry and Ugh gross going to school now not thinking about this BILLY PLEASE STOP YOU ARE EMBARRASSING ME.

- When Steve and Billy have their first fight Max finds her brother crying silently in his bedroom listening to Metallica. She crawls onto the bed with him and punches him on the shoulder. Tells him boys fucking such and Steve doesn't deserve him. Doesn't matter what the fight was about either. She's always going to be on Billy's side.

-Billy Hargrove is 100% still crazy. He's like a fucking bulldog if any boys even GLANCE at his sister cuz he knows what those little shits wants and like hell are they gunna touch Maxine. Not his little sister no sir.

- Max is actually cool with this because boys ain't shit. Till she meets Lucas.

- So she still sneaks out with him to the junkyard and Billy still pulls up to the Byers house ready to burn down all of Hawkins because Steve may be pretty but like hell does he trust this whole situation.

- But Max and Billy are closer in this. She comes outside before Steve can say a word, just grabs his hand and leads him inside with an expression that says *You know me. This isn't a fucking joke.* And shows him the demodog in the fridge.

- Billy gets roped into the upside down bullshit with them.

- Billy also really fucking hates Mike Wheeler. Like, listen you little asshole you talk to Max like that one more goddamn time I'm gunna feed you your fucking teeth. Dustin is scared but also thinks Billy is kind of cool for standing up for his family.

- Max is also a good wingman. Before Billy and Steve figure they're shit out Max will drop hints with Steve about how cool Billy is or how they should hang out cuz he needs friends his age after moving all the way from Cali. Like "Hey Billy really misses swimming. Heard you have heated pool. You should invite him over". And then just straight up gathering intel for Billy. Like what his favorite food is or the music he likes (which they are both disgusted by but Billy is obviously falling head over heels so Max will let it slide).

- Max gets her period on the way to the arcade and doesn't notice so she's super freaked out when as soon as she gets out of the car Billy grabs her and yanks her back in looking totally panicked. She demands to know what the fuck his problem is but all he says is they have to go home. She's super pissed until she gets home and goes to go to the bathroom and notices the blood. The blood that Billy is silently and discreetly cleaning of the leather seats right before he goes to pick up ice cream and ibuprofen because he is a good big brother. They never speak of it again.

[Headcanon!]

Neeka can tell that he’s finally gotten over his hang-up about her and a gunlance when - instead of muttering about stance or about cleaning it - he just leaves her a kit for upkeep.

It’s acceptance.

Annoyance, too, because the tea is forever over-steeped.

Usually mysterious packages got one of two reactions from the man - chucked in the bin or tossed into containment and holding until they were determined safe.  

This one was cautiously opened at containment but after determining that it wasn’t the usual sort of packages they’d been getting for a few moons, Luke took it back to his office and and pulled the objects out slowly, one by one.

Of the entire box the thing that got the eyebrow wasn’t the ziptie, though there was a long and quiet moment of reflection and study as if asking the Emperor himself what on the star he’d done for that to be sent.  No, the thing that got the eyebrow was the Ironwork pistol, examined and looked at as if someone had poured some portion of his shop in ceruleum and then shipped him a box of matches and a hand-drawn middle finger.

His eyes were narrowed but - the parts were going to be useful, especially if he wanted to work on his side project.  The tea was very good and everything added up to remind him of - no.

.....it would be right up her alley though, he was willing to admit.  There was a grin as he checked the dagger’s balance across the heel of his palm.  “....fine, fine, maybe I can admit the truth,” he muttered under his breath.

He was pretty sure he knew who’d sent the package, if it was all added up together.

WELL I am going to COMPLIMENT YOU, hahaha bet you never expected that!

You are a damn go-getter determined no-fucks-taken amazing person, Neeka.  I remember first meeting you and going “sister from another mister” because hair was two shades off, slightly different highlights, and yet your style and panache for writing, as well as creativity and pluck, have been amazing.

Also, Larry.

Fucking- fucking Larry.

Boozemas.

The Shitbirds.

VISUAL ATTRACTIVENESS: 💗💗💗"When you divorce Miss La’fleur’s attitude from her appearance, she tends to be the strong ‘break you over a knee’ type that has a strict appeal for some folks.  Of course, you have to ignore the rest of her for that...”

On a strictly visual preference - Neeka is well-dressed, mannered, and knows how to wield her looks.  

FRIENDSHIP LEVEL: 💗💗💗💗"...friends?  Friends, really?!  Don’t get your hopes up.”

All right, this is one that takes a little digging to explain - because #shitbirds is what Neeka and Luc are.  They are that pair of people who are trying to get a rise out of each other and who specifically aim to piss each other off.  But the fact that they put up with each other doing that is the really telling thing - you only do that with someone you’re comfortable with on some level, because the amount of SHIT you put each other through needs a decently high subconscious relationship otherwise you’d just shoot each other.

Luc just won’t say that he appreciates Neeka’s company first.  Ever.

SEXUAL DESIRE: 💔"....”

Just.... just no.  

ROMANTIC INTENT: 💔"............................”

He’s very happily in a relationship.  No one else has a shot.