Uhhhh... It Fills You With Determination...?

The phandom as the night winds down

"Your Violence is just a silent cry for love "

Yo hello

Here's a little character analysis of Billy Hargrove and a song analysis of a German song from the 80s-90s because I've only been listening to the 80s for days thanks to my Stranger Things hyper fixation and I think the song fits Billy Hargrove really damn well. Oh also I am from germany too lol

The song is called "Schrei nach liebe" by the German punk rock band "die Ärzte". The band is one of the most famous German bands and I'm honest Billy would definitely have listened to them. Also they was very popular in the 80s and the 90s.

The song is about a fascist and is actually just a criticism of fascism and right-wing extremism. At least that's the core message of the song. However, if you analyse and interpret the lyrics more (one of my favourite hobbies lol) the song is about a person acting aggressively, behaving like an asshole because the person has never experienced love in their life and this aggression is actually just a "silent cry for love."

I even took the trouble to translate the lyrics for you. (In general, the music of the Ärzte is really great. I just don't know if it's for someone who doesn't speak German xD)

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https://youtu.be/arYpKveHrq8?si=fVOrAMqiHrTdO4PC

(For everyone who want to hear the song. Very good rock song btw :D)

"Lyrics" /translation (explanation)

[Verse 1]

"Du bist wirklich saudumm" /you're really damn stupid

"Darum gehts dir gut" /That's why you feel fine

"Hass ist deine Attitüde" /Hatred is your attitude

"Ständig kocht dein Blut" /Your blood boils constantly

"Alles muss man dir erklären, weil du wirklich gar nichts weiß / Everything has to be explained to you, because you really don't know anything

"Höchstwahrscheinlich nicht einmal, was Attitüde heißt"/ Most likely not even, what attitude means

[Chorus]

"Deine Gewalt ist nur ein stummer Schrei nach Liebe" /Your violence is just a silent cry for love

"Deine Springerstiefel sehnen sich nach zärtlichkeit" /Your combat boots yearn for endearment (combat boots were clothings for a typical neo n@zi in the 80s.)

"Du hast nie gelernt dich zu artikulieren " /You never learned to articulate yourself

"Und deine Eltern hatten niemals für dich Zeit."/ And your parents never had time for you

"Oh oh oh Arschloch!" /Oh oh oh Asshole!

[Verse 2]

"Warum hast du Angst vorm streicheln?" /Why are you afraid of fondling?

"Was soll all der Terz ?" / What's all that fuss about?

"Unterm Lorbeerkranz mit Eicheln" /Under the laurel wreath with acorns

"Weiß ich schlägt ein Herz" /I know your heart beats

"Und Romantik ist für dich" /And romance is for you

"Nicht bloß graue Theorie" /More than mere theory

"Zwischen Störkraft und den Onkelz" /Between Störkraft and the Onkelz (also two famous Rock Bands from the 80s known as right wing extremism bands. )

"Steht ne Kuschelrock LP"/ There's a Kuschelrock LP (Kuschelrock/ cuddle rock. Soft rock basically)

[Chorus]

"Deine Gewalt ist nur ein stummer Schrei nach Liebe" /Your violence is just a silent cry for love

"Deine Springerstiefel sehnen sich nach zärtlichkeit" /Your combat boots yearn for endearment

Du hast nie gelernt dich zu artikulieren " /You never learned to articulate yourself

"Und deine Eltern hatten niemals für dich Zeit."/ And your parents never had time for you

"Oh oh oh Arschloch!" /Oh oh oh Asshole!

[Verse 3]

"Weil du Probleme hast die keinen Interessieren" /Because you have problems that nobody cares about

"Weil du schiss vorm Schmusen hast, bist du ein faschist" /Because you're shit-scared of cuddling, you're a fascist

"Du musst deinen Selbsthass nicht auf andere projizieren /You don't have to project your self-hatred onto others

"Damit keiner merkt was für ein lieber Kerl du bist" /So that no one notices what a kind guy you are

[Chorus]

"Deine Gewalt ist nur ein stummer Schrei nach Liebe" /Your violence is just a silent cry for love

"Deine Springerstiefel sehnen sich nach zärtlichkeit" /Your combat boots yearn for endearment

Du hast nie gelernt dich artizukulieren " /You never learned to articulate yourself

"Und deine Freundin die hat niemals für dich Zeit." /And your girlfriend never has time for you

Oh oh oh Arschloch Arschloch Arschloch /oh oh oh Asshole Asshole Asshole

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Billy is portrayed in the series as the cliché asshole from the 80s. He's sexist, racist and has no respect. He was shitty to Max yada yada yada... but in truth Billy is just a character who hasn't experienced love. The only love he got was from his mum who left him when he was a kid. Now he lives with his abusive father and gets to listen to how shit Billy is day in and day out. Not a great feeling. He's built walls around himself to protect himself from it all. He's a tough guy and plays the asshole so that he can't be hurt any further. Dacre Montgomery (Billy's actor) said himself that Billy is a sensitive guy. Especially in season 3, we got to see a very different side of Billy. A vulnerable side. He hurts to stop being hurt, but really he just wants to be loved

"your violence is just a silent cry for love"

The 3rd verse in particular suits Billy very well.

"Because you have problems that nobody cares about"

It's true. Nobody in this series really cares how Billy is doing. His stepmother Susan just watches while his own father beats him. On the one hand understandable because Billy is not her biological son but on the other hand really not nice of her. And Max... ohhh Maxine Maxine.

Max and Billy's relationship is complicated. Neither of them obviously want the situation they are in at the moment. Billy never wanted a sister. Max never wanted a big brother. Yet they both care about each other. The worry when Max ran away in episode 8 season 2 was real. Especially when Billy saw that Max was alone with 3 boys and a much older one. Billy had a point during the whole confrontation with Steve. Everyone was supposed to be on Billy's side because he was right. This also brings up the theme of the song again. Billy acted with violence because that's the only way he knows. Because that's the way he was treated by his father and those around him. He could have tried to talk, but he didn't, because violence is the only language he knows.

"You don't have to project your self-hatred onto others so that no one realises what a kind guy you are."

Billy hates himself. That is obvious. He's not good enough for his father's love. He never will be. He will never be able to show enough respect and responsibility because everything he does is not good enough. People who are not happy with themselves very often project this self-hatred onto others and take out their anger and frustration on others.

I would also like to come back to the fight between him and Steve. The anger Billy showed was not directed at Steve. Before Billy turned up at the Byers', his father was shouting at him and hitting him. You saw the fear in Billy's eyes. He was crying afterwards. And then the fact that he had to cancel his date, which he was really looking forward to. And all because his sister didn't listen. She just did what she wanted without considering the consequences. That is disrespectful to her brother and she shows no responsibility.

What did Neil say to Billy in the scene? What should he have ? That's right. Respect and responsibility. He should always be respectful and responsible. And Max? She can do whatever she wants because she doesn't get punished. That's unfair. Another factor why he was angry in that scene. What happened with Steve just make the camel overflow and Steve got this pent-up anger. Of course what Billy did is not cool and what I've written here is no excuse... but Billy is always shown in the show as the bad guy and the asshole. A real monster even. Which is just complete bullshit. Billy is just a teenager who was mistreated by his father for years, never experienced love and therefore doesn't know what it is. This hatred and this anger are a cry for help. A silent cry for love.

And what I wanted to say again about the whole "Billy is a racist" thing. Yes, the Duffer brothers have confirmed that he is a racist, but they have also said that Billy is pure evil. If Dacre hadn't insisted that scene with Neil exist, then Billy would just be an asshole for no reason. In my opinion, Billy is not racist. Neil does. Billy got the idea from his father that non-white people are bad. If Neil had seen Max hanging out with a black boy, he would have freaked out. In the worst case scenario, she would also have become a victim of Neil's violence. Billy wanted to prevent that. She shouldn't suffer from Neil like he did. So he told Lucas to stay away from her. So neutralize the danger. Of course Lucas isn't a danger because he's a damn child, but he would have been dangerous if Neil had found out. Why didn't Billy just talk to Lucas? That was due to the situation. The pent up anger and all that...I've already explained it above.

I just think it's a shame that many people don't look behind Billy's hard facade. He is a complex character with far too little screen time. He did have his "redemption arc" by sacrificing himself for the children but... let's be honest, no one was really grateful to him for it. Nobody except Max and El gave a damn about him. Billy was just a teenager who was in the wrong place at the wrong time in Season 3. The Duffer brothers wanted the audience to dislike him. They should degrade him to an asshole by hook or by crook. No villain should be evil simply because they are evil.

Billy is just a misunderstood teenager who deserves better than what the Duffer brothers did to him. I would have really liked to see him in season 4.

RIP Billy ❤️

Thank you for your attention

Glad you like it!! (⁠ﾉ⁠◕⁠ヮ⁠◕⁠)⁠ﾉ⁠*⁠.⁠✧

Sneak peak to a fanart I'm currently working on for the fanfic: "You Wouldn't Like Me Alive" over on ao3 from @ectoplasmranch

I just ADORE the more morbid wrap the story and looks of Danny as Phantom has soooo... let's see what my old horror-head makes of it!! :D

(incredible dandash story, go read it.)

There is no escape from the dannopocalypse.

Of course Billy tells his mom everything especially about his new boyfriend Steve!

Y'all we need to normalize polyamory for when multiple ships have so much chemistry and your multishipper heart wants all of them at the same time so instead of choosing you throw them all into a polyamorous relationship

As a little kid, you liked to pull harmless pranks on the local cryptids. As you grew older you realized the danger of going out into the woods and stopped visiting them. Turns out, the cryptids had fond memories of your antics and want to come and see you again.

The New Girl

Crossover dp x dc. So I've got this time line in mind, for my crossover AU and this is a snippet of it. Will post more of it; will make a master post at some point soon.

In order to further Damian's social skills, keep up illusions and maybe in an attempt to give the boy some form of normality in his life Bruce negotiated with him to attend High School. The only condition Damian set, on which he would not budge, was that Jon and him will attend the same school, to not start off completely alone.

When a new girl got transferred to their school, who happened to share a majority of their classes, a few things changed for both boys.

Math is boring. High school in general is boring. Not to mention, that he already knows most, if not nearly all of what the teachers say anyway! It's just frustrating... Especially, ever since his classmates found out who he was, which didn't take that long due to public appearances of the Wayne family. So many people, try to be cool or smart or pretty in front of him for his attention, to gain his favour and with that his status. The same shallow talks and compliments from galas and high social events. Honestly, if Jon wasn't here to make it bearable in any way, chances are Damian would have made sure, his first day would've been his last.

Not to mention the materials taught here are so dry for the most part. There are things and concepts that are good, sure... But for the most part? It felt so useless. When would someone like him, someone who was going into the medical field, ever going to need to know that in Poe's works-

Damian sighs. It's Monday morning and math is supposed to start soon, the first double period of the day. He already sits in his chair, materials open. He can hear a particularly noisy group of girls chit chatting about 'grand, expensive weekend getaways' and how 'school is so easy right now', as they deliberately sit a row in front of him... tt, a special form of mental torture, that he has to go through alone for now, as Jon actually had a doctor's appointment and it takes a while to fly back. The rumbling comes to a halt, as the teacher walks in, yet picks up in hushed whispers again, as a new girl steps in behind the teacher. After a few shared thoughts the class quieted down, as the teacher stood behind his desk,

"Class, from today on we have a new student with us, I expect your best behaviour only. Would you introduce yourself, please?" The teacher turned to the girl, she looked at him for a moment then sighed.

"'kay... Hi, I'm Ellie Nightingale. I uh... Just moved here with my family from Wisconsin and yeah..." As she talks, it's definitely clear; she has a thin midwestern twang but strong enough to notice, a light tan and soft freckles. Although the black hair and blue eyes do seem familiar... But the white streaks, that didn't really look natural, throws him off and the electric blue in her eyes, that barely balances the line to normal; even Kryptonians have a more natural blues. Yet Damian just knows, if he wasn't so observant, he could have missed it. Just a meta, he thinks.

"Well, welcome to Gotham Academy Ellie. Go and take a seat, please." The teacher says, the Nightingale girl nods and scans the room for a free seat. The girls in front of him started to cackle already, tt how moronic... Yet he does nothing to clear the seat next to him, even though he knows fullwell that the seat next to him is one of the two empty seats. But he is not about to sacrifice his -somewhat- peace here, for no good reason, and so the lesson begins.

The teacher introduced a new topic, as he spoke and explained, Damian noticed the girls in front of him giggling and then he saw it: a paper ball zooming through the room, hitting the new girl in the head in a moment of inattentiveness from the teacher. Well that's just rude and unnecessary, she didn't even do anything yet. Damian rolled his eyes at these childish antics. Throughout the rest of this double period of math, the behaviour continued; paper balls thrown, cackling into her direction and one of them, Sabrina Portman, made snide comments towards her. Damian just observed, of course he'd intervene if it became too serious, but Nightingale held herself quite well so far, ignoring it well. At least until the teacher had to leave the classroom for a very brief moment, leaving the students unsupervised for only a few minutes.

"Hey, soo... you're really from Minnesota or something?" Portman asked, the class just watched.

"Wisconsin, actually." Nightingale spoke, without looking up from her text book. Good priorities, he admitted to himself. The girls giggle.

"So did you like grow up on a farm or something? Because you kinda look it, country bumpkin." Damian scoffed silently, the rest of the class seemed to snicker at this. "How'd they even let you get in here? Because I kinda doubt, that a farm dweller like you could afford it. Sorry, not sorry." More snickering, Damian just gives Portman a snide and slightly disgusted side glance. At least Jon isn't here to hear this, that boy would be furious. ...on second thought, that is really not acceptable in any form-

"Ow, ou, ouch! That sting! That burn!" Nightingale threw herself over dramatically onto her table, just to prop herself up again, grinning with a weird mix of mischief and indifference. "Be honest, two entire periods and this is the best you can come up with? Well I guess you're right, I wouldn't wanna pay the amount of people necessary to educate you either." Damian blinked, the rest of class looked dumbfounded, Portman seemed absolutely flabbergasted. Yet the raven after a moment of silence, couldn't help the very subtle way the corners of his mouth would form an infinitesimal smile. Then his breath hitched, as their eyes met directly, time stood still for the moment as did his heart, skipping a beat only to make up for it, by beating faster. But it was over just as fast as it came by. This feeling, still stuck in his throat like a lump he can only hardly swallow, the tingling in his head and stomach. He drew in a sharp breath, it hit him, ran through him like a shock. A feeling he knew all too well... Could it have to do with her powers? It had to be, she must be a meta, that's the only explanation. The slight metallic taste, similar to blood, of the feeling, still lingering on the back of his tongue and down his throat, his heart just slowly calmed again and now he understood it wasn't just stunned silence filling the room in-between his classmates. It was something else:

Pure fear.

Damian had to keep an eye on the new girl, just to make sure nothing happened...

"You did what!?" Jon gasped in utter disbelief, gaining a confused look from his best friend. They sat in the cafeteria, Damian sat them down in a spot to keep watch over the new meta. To be ready, just in case. But for the moment right now, the kriptonian in front of him held his attention.

"I didn't...-" He got cut off by said half alien.

"Exactly! You didn't do anything- honestly Dami, you see someone get bullied and you do nothing??" The boy bit down on his snack carrots in a huff, the clear disappointment still on his face. The other also huffed.

"In my defence, she handled herself very well, there was no need for me to step in and help-"

"Damian..." The bigger one laid his head into his hands and sighed, defeated. Sometimes Jon really wished Damian's vast knowledge would also incorporate a few more social skills, on the other hand he's probably never seen real bullying. "It is. This is bullying. And you step in, not because they can't handle themselves, but to show comradery and that they are not alone."

"Hm..." Jon was right, he himself thought what happened was truly unacceptable, as Damian took another bite of the breakfast Alfred made him. "You're right... I suppose I should apologise for my incorrect behaviour yesterday." It had been rather quiet the rest of yesterday and for the most part of today, except that Portman's friend group talked about her in hushed tones. One glance over, Nightingale sat alone at a corner table headphones in and scrolling through her phone while sipping on a juice box. Damian sighed defeated and made a motion to stand up, "Are you coming with me or would you prefer to stay seated?"

"Hm? Mmh... I'll join." Jon thought it over, maybe he can help Dami when he's got trouble putting his emotions into words.

Nightingales eyes shot up at the two boys immediately, as they stood in front of the table and Jon could feel a slight shudder down his spine... Damian didn't exaggerate, there's something almost sparking, not sparkling but like lightning sparking, in her truly electric blue eyes.

"Hello, Nightingale. I am Damian Wayne, this is my best friend Jon Kent, we share-"

"I know, same class. What do you want?" She cut him off, seemingly a little tense, training her eyes to keep either of them in view at all times. Both boys knew that look, yet they were a little taken aback by the harshness of her tone.

"...right." Damian cleared his throat, that bone chilling and irrational feeling comes back. "I wanted to apologise for my lack of comradery yester- and today as well. I should have at least said something, even if solely to stand up in solidarity." Slurping on the straw of her juice box, she listened, processed, only to look confused at them. Jon decided to say something,

"What he meant to say was, that it was not okay for you to be bullied and we will help if we see something happening. We also know it's hard to find new friends in new surroundings and if you'd like you could sit with us?" Damian nodded, Jon can put his thoughts better into words- at least for their civilian forms. Well... Damian has gotten better, he just likes that Jon knows what he means but as if he'd ever admitted to it. Vise versa too; Damian can formulate words better when there're reports and other hero related issues. Sure Jon learned over the years, but this just feels more comfortable and he likes how close it shows them to be.

Nightingale looks them up and down, her eyes narrow slightly, thinking, contemplating about something. "Thanks, but I'm fine. I can handle myself."

"Are you sure? We really don't mind-" Damian put a hand on Jon's shoulder, pulling the attention of the bigger one towards himself.

"The offer still stands. See you around, then." He nods and pulls Jon away, who looks confused.

"Why did you keep it so short? Sure, she was a little defensive, but..."

"Not just defensive, Jon. She kept her guard up constantly and walls sealed shut; this conversation would have led nowhere." Damian explained his observations, "trust me, I should know..." Recognition of this behaviour flares in his eyes and Jon understands immediately, nodding in understanding. Then a small smile forms on his face again, growing,

"Then we have to make actions, speak louder than words. And consistency is key! I mean, for how long did I annoy you, before you realised I wouldn't go?" Damian gave him an honest smile at the now fond memories, he hummed in agreement, which in turn earned a bright grin from the Kryptonian.

"It is settled, then. I also highly suspect she is a meta. If we get close enough, we can properly guide her to the good, when the time is right."

"Yes, let's go!" Jon laughed, that settled it most definitely for their plan,

Operation: The New Girl

Goal: befriend the new meta, before the wrong people get to her and use her powers for bad.

Get his ass, Billy.