Max notices the difference, but she's not letting up on this, either. Her 159cm frame isn't quite managing to get right in his face, but she's doing her best. She notices he's tired, she's tired, too. She sees it. She recognizes that haunted look - she sees it in the mirror sometimes. But right then, Max doesn't care, she's not going to tolerate the threats.
"And I said, you hit me, I'm gone. That's it. It doesn't matter the reason, or what I did, I'm just gone," Max says each word carefully, but still full of anger.
She tries to deescalate with, "What you can do is tell me why Tommy's so special. And use words to explain why we don't call Tommy names." Other than, of course, Tommy being the one to save Billy. That matters a whole lot, as far as she's concerned. She's not going to admit it just yet, but so far, she's good with Tommy Shepherd.
That was something Max never got to ask about. They weren't exactly on speaking terms, then Billy was possessed, then he was...gone. He mentions the Mindflayer, and again, her body goes rigid. That night flashes in her mind and she knows - whatever Vecna told her, whatever darkness Vecna found in her, that didn't change the fact that that night destroyed her, too.
"But you didn't. Not this time. Right?" She looks away, not wanting him to see how that affects her, but her arms are wrapped around herself.
She's never, not once, thought Billy was necessarily dumb. Stupid in the way boys can be, sure, but he always knew when she was hiding something, or lying. However, there's some gratitude that he can't seem to read between the lines. If she starts, she's not sure how much of it she'll pour out. She doesn't want to start. Max doesn't fall into the teasing, though, she's either too closed off again after being disappointed when she tried to let him in, or the conversation just hits too hard for her to feel anything else at the moment.
"He's not worth it," she insists. "If you're going to waste your afterlife haunting someone," Max turns back to Billy to look him right in the eyes, "haunt me." At least then she knows he'll hear her.
no subject
"And I said, you hit me, I'm gone. That's it. It doesn't matter the reason, or what I did, I'm just gone," Max says each word carefully, but still full of anger.
She tries to deescalate with, "What you can do is tell me why Tommy's so special. And use words to explain why we don't call Tommy names." Other than, of course, Tommy being the one to save Billy. That matters a whole lot, as far as she's concerned. She's not going to admit it just yet, but so far, she's good with Tommy Shepherd.
That was something Max never got to ask about. They weren't exactly on speaking terms, then Billy was possessed, then he was...gone. He mentions the Mindflayer, and again, her body goes rigid. That night flashes in her mind and she knows - whatever Vecna told her, whatever darkness Vecna found in her, that didn't change the fact that that night destroyed her, too.
"But you didn't. Not this time. Right?" She looks away, not wanting him to see how that affects her, but her arms are wrapped around herself.
She's never, not once, thought Billy was necessarily dumb. Stupid in the way boys can be, sure, but he always knew when she was hiding something, or lying. However, there's some gratitude that he can't seem to read between the lines. If she starts, she's not sure how much of it she'll pour out. She doesn't want to start. Max doesn't fall into the teasing, though, she's either too closed off again after being disappointed when she tried to let him in, or the conversation just hits too hard for her to feel anything else at the moment.
"He's not worth it," she insists. "If you're going to waste your afterlife haunting someone," Max turns back to Billy to look him right in the eyes, "haunt me." At least then she knows he'll hear her.