#I post a lot about other ships but Harringrove will always be the one in my heart

[plistommy]

Steve waking up from a nightmare and Billy holding him after will always have such a soft spot in my heart…

He’d kiss Steve’s forehead and tell him that everything will be okay, that he was here to keep Steve safe and no one could hurt him or the people he loved as long as Billy was around. Steve would laugh softly at that.

He’d hold Steve till the sun starts to creep its way through the blinds, Steve’s back to his chest as the boy finally falls asleep relaxed in Billy’s arms.

[cloudiness]

tag 9 people you want to get to know better

tagged by @ammargura ❤️

I've been tagged in two different posts but I'm lazy and since some of the questions were the same ones I'm making one single bigger post 😌

favorite color: green

currently reading: I've read like 5 pages of "The House in the Cerulean Sea", bought it just because it seems very 'harry potter fanfiction' like, idk, I'm bad at actively reading books in this period of my life so I've thought that something closer to fanfic could help, we'll see

last song: ONE MORE TIME by blink-182 😭

last series: last finished one is 'The Bear' but last one I've seen an episode of is 'Only Murders in the Building'

last movie: "Stranizza D'Amuri"(2023), I think it's called "Fireworks" in English, it's an Italian movie inspired by a real story of a gay teen couple and the very close-minded italian society of the 80s, I liked it a lot

sweet/savory/spicy: savoury

currently working on: finding new jobs by collaborating with some other fellow photographers and trying to edit and post new and old stuff on my instagram for work but it's hard because I'm not used to posting photos there anymore

three ships: this is hard, the list is just soooo long but ok, just three:

Shwatsonlock (Watson/Holmes)((not BBC Sherlock)), Ritchie09! and Book!Verse, the fics are just so good! you can always find something new and they never disappoint, I'm honestly still hoping for a third movie 😭

Harringrove (Billy Hargrove/Steve Harrington from Stranger Things), again, AMAZING FICS! their whole dynamic is just ON ANOTHER LEVEL! killing Billy Hargrove has been the greatest mistake the damn Duffer brothers have ever made and nope, Eddie didn't solve anything, I love him but he's just the 'this one can't be cancelled by people that don't have any critical sense' new version of Billy, I said what I said

Carlando (Carlos Sainz Jr/Lando Norris, RPS from F1), gotta go with them because they bring me joy(carlando podium last week wow) and also gotta mention the many lovely people I've met on here thanks to this ship, I love out little community ❤️🧡

first ship ever: Frerard aka Frank Iero/Gerard Way from My Chemical ROmance, yup I think that the first time I've actually read a fanfic it was about these two and I've never stopped since, I was 13, 2006, and "The Black Parade" was about to come out, good ol' times

currently craving: a little bit of more stability and a new spark of creativity

tags: @artemispt @carletes @underatedwords @wdcmaxy @blorbocedes @justheretoship @clovermotors @the-toasted-teacake @electricdoves but also whoever wants to do this, feel free! I really am curios about everyone 😌❤️

[spaceofentropy]

20 questions for fic writers (and artists)

I was tagged by @dragonflylady77 and, why not? Why not procrastinate a bit? :P

1. How many works do you have on ao3(Tumblr)?

14.

2. What's your total ao3 (Tumblr) word count?

253,035 as of right the fuck now. Holy moly that's a lot.

3. What fandoms do you write for?

I've written for Why R U? and now for Stranger Things.

4.What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

Of soulmates and colors (a chonky metalsandwich soulmates AU)

What happens in Vegas... (a WhyRU? canon divergence with Tor waking up in Vegas, married to his ex)

I just came to say... (modern era Harringrove meet cute)

Amok (modern era Harringrove thing about Billy meeting his mom by chance and being conflicted as fuck)

Like a curse (the WhyRU? heist AU nobody had asked for but they still had to face)

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

I try. Sometimes I'm slow as fuck and sometimes I'm perched on my inbox like a starving hawk, but I always try.

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

Probably What doesn't kill you makes you a monster, which is an angst fest built around body horror and body mutation which ends with Steve having basically no hope about the future. But then, months after, I went and wrote a follow up fic where Steve gets to find another monster and fall in love with him and have a HEA, so I guess it only half-counts ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

7. What is the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

Uh... I honestly don't know. I mean, I mostly write fics with a good ending or at worst a hopeful ending (like Come Close) and I honestly don't think I can't rank which of my HEA fics is the happiest, so, all the happy ones? I guess?

8. Do you get hate on any fics (Art)?

So far, never.

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

Yep, I do, even if it's hard as hell and I always feel like it sucks. As for what kind... uh... I don't know how to answer... The smutty kind? Sometimes it's soft. and sometimes it's hurried, and sometimes it's filthy monsterfucking because monsters, too, deserve to get laid.

10. Do you write crossovers? What's the craziest one you've written?

My heist AU is a crossover between one show, a different show, and an AU of the first show. Two actors from the first show play minor parts in the second show. It's a wild, wild thing.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not that I know of.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

No.

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

No.

14. What's your all-time favorite ship?

Harringrove.

15. What's a wip you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

Probably that one Gallavich thing I wrote 90k words of because I had to put it out of my head and is close to the end but when I look at it makes me feel eh because Ian's part of the plot feels to passive and NOPE!, that's so fucking wrong, vade retro Satana!

16. What are your writing strengths?

Plotting and dialogue. And wild ideas.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

Descriptions. Smut.

18. thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?

To quote Guin, "get it checked by a person who speaks that language before you post". Preferably a native speaker who can tell you if it sounds like your easy going teenager was possessed by the ghost of a stuffy academic from the 1820s. Also, it's a hard balance to make it not too distracting, to make sure it doesn't kill the pace of the story, so good luck in your endeavours, fellow writers!

19. First fandom you wrote for?

Honestly no idea.

20. Favorite fic you've written?

I love them all, they are my self-indulgent nuggets of entertainment and I won't pit them one against the other trying to choose a favorite. I reject this question. U_U

I should tag people, theoretically, but honestly I don't have the brain power for it tonight. If you read this and want to do this, consider yourself tagged. Have fun! :3

[hargrove-mayfields]

tag game, stranger things edition!

i was tagged by @thatgirlwithasquid and @intothedysphoria, thanks y’all, I really appreciate it! 💕

1. ride or die ship/otp : Hellcheergroveton! every combination in this ship is adorable and it has all my favs too ☺️

2. most annoying ship : m*leven. I am beyond tired of watching a young disabled girl be taken advantage of and have it be treated as romantic. El deserves to live partner free, and M*ke deserves to go in the whole garbage can.

3. second favorite ship : Hollogrove. Since it’s not part of the core hellcheergroveton relationship, I’ll branch out a little and bring in my girl Heather. I love her and Billy I’m a relationship and can totally see them spending the rest of their lives together ♥️

4. favorite platonic dynamic : Billy and Max, or Dustin and Steve. Or Steve and Gareth. Cause I headcanon Gareth as becoming Steve’s caregiver after the events of the show leave him with cognitive and physical disabilities

5. underrated ship : Hollogrove, Cunningway, Pompompineapple, Stonathan, Cheerscoops, Calicheer, Rockie, Stargyle, Cammy, Kegboys, Steather, Argilly, and so many more but I’ll stop there.

6. overrated ship : Any of the fruity four (it makes me wanna gag just typing it) ships. I haven’t looked in the fandom tags for a year because it’s oversaturated with passionless, factory produced, carbon-copy fanworks that look like Harringrove fics put through ai to be rewritten as St*ddie, or Buckleway into r*nance. I’m sick of it. It’s boring. I’ll come up with my own steddie content, thanks.

7. one thing to change in canon : Everything. Not even joking. I’m going blorbo shopping and bringing all my favs back to my dollie house to play fix-it.

8. something canon did right : Um. I guess letting actors put in feedback and details of their own. Like Millie choosing for El to touch Billy’s cheek, Dacre giving us backstory on Billy’s mom and also on Billy’s disability (BPD), both he and Joe Keery refusing the original scripts, Joe Quinn improvising Eddie’s crush on Chrissy, and so on. All of the actor choices are the only good things about the show at this point.

9. a thing I’m proud of creating for the fandom : @disabledbillyandsteveweek! There's more information about the event over on the blog, but basically it’s an event starting in about two weeks meant to highlight Billy and Steve as disabled characters, through all kinds of fan works and different ships!

10. a character who is perfect to me : Christine Renée-Beth Cunningham. Nobody compares to my cheer girl.

11. the most relatable character and why : Also Chrissy. She reminds me a lot of myself, especially how I was when I was still in highschool, being timid and struggling a lot with my mental health. I wish she could have grown and gotten help and felt better since I’m on my journey to doing so right now, but I’m forever grateful to have seen a character with an eating disorder and an abusive family on screen, portrayed in a heartfelt and generous way- all thanks to miss Grace Van Dien

12. character I hate most and why : Neil, Karen (actually just the Wheelers in general except little Holly), Brenner, Owens, the lady that shot Benny, literally so many of them. Anyone who intentionally and unabashedly hurts other characters without remorse.

13. something I’ve learned from the fandom : To be patient, because even when things seem tough or impossible, we can make it. Together, with friends who understand us, and who share our pain, we can fight and keep going! Especially because this community will always have folks who understand and have our backs, we just have to find them ❤️❤️

14. three tags I seek out on ao3 : I actually don’t read fic on ao3. The extreme amounts of severely triggering content hosted on that site is just too much for me and I can never seem to avoid it. I only post to ao3 because I know people find it easily accessible, but I had one too many mix-ups that led to me being in a terrible state of mind, so I discontinued using the site.

15. a song I strongly associate with otp and/or favorite character : I’ll never shut up about “Time in a Bottle” by Jim Croce. Conveniently off the same record as Hop has on Vinyl and Cassette, it’s my favorite song ever because it’s so tender and loving and even though it’s old people music yall should give it a listen. It applies to any ship, but especially packs a punch with Harringrove. Also “Magic” by Olivia Newton-John.

I’ll tag: @eddie-munsons-guitar86 @honey-tongued-devil @martianclown @hephaestn @jaylikesrainbowtigers @denkiddo1 @enchanted-day-dreams @stranger-themes-blog @ratbastardbilly @thinger-strang But there’s no pressure to do it! You absolutely don’t have to if you already have or if you just don’t feel like it! <3

[deathclassic]

i was tagged by @you-are-so-much-better-than-that​​ and @mikhailoisbaby​​ to do this fic writer/artist tag! ive never seen an artist version of this so this is exciting :D

1. Do you post on Ao3? If so, how many works do you have on AO3? If not, where do you post?

i dont post art on ao3 but i post fics there,,,,not gonna say my username though

2. What is your total art count?

we gotta be like 500+ by now

3. What are your top 5 pieces by likes/kudos?

they’re all dan and phil surprise surprise i was surprised that the first one has 12k notes for some reason. im just going to link them

spooky week sketches  amazingphil shop spon PHIL QUIFF DEBUT!!! black ‘n’ white dan phil is not on fire collection

4. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

i try to but sometimes i forget and i also dont have notifcations on any social media turned on so i miss a lot of things

5. What is your current fandom, and what was the first fandom you drew for?

currently drawing for umbrella academy, shameless and stranger things. first fandom i properly drew for was one direction but i was drawing stuff for like panic at the disco and powerpuff girls and my little pony and my chemical romance when i was like 7

6. Have you ever received hate on any art?

tonnes lol, i’d say every 2-3 pieces i draw gets some kind of negative attention. recently there’s been an asshole in my asks accusing me of fetishising ian and mickey so thats something to look forward to every time i pose 

7. What’s a fandom/ship you haven’t drawn for yet but want to?

i want to go back to shows i watched as a kid like total drama island and draw the characters in my art style, i did it with the winx club earlier this year and it was fun. i want to draw harringrove but im not mentally prepared to be like,,,sent death threats atm

8. What’s your all-time favorite ship?

i dont know tbh ian and mickey are up there i guess

9. Do you draw outside of fandom?

yeah im a graphic designer so i draw a lot of shit 

10. What’s the an art piece you’ve drawn that came out completely differently than you expected?

this one actually

11. Do you draw smut?

sometimes

12. Have you ever had any of your art stolen or copied?

yeah of course, someone sells my shit on redbubble and i have to keep reporting them

13. Have you ever collaborated on a piece?

yes! @mishervellous​ and i did that amazing comic together for gallacrafts and im so proud of that! also collaborated with a lot of dan and phil artists to make a calendar, a phil is not on fire poster and some general collabs for fun (if anyone wants to collab hmu bc im down)

14. What’s an idea you have that you have yet to draw?

i really want to draw drummer mickey for some reason

15. What are your drawing strengths?

people i guess, maybe like details on clothes and stuff?

16. What are your drawing weaknesses?

hands and feet lol

17. What’s your favorite art piece you’ve drawn?

im so proud of this drawing even though no one really liked it, like looking at it makes me so happy

18. What is one thing you’d like to tell people about your art that they might not know?

like harvey said haha i also use the same colour palette especially skin tones and hair colours also i sketch a lot of the drawings traditionally and then trace over it on photoshop

19. What inspires or motivates you to create for fandom?

myself. i would still be drawing even if no one notices it. heck i draw so much stranger things stuff only for a top of 10 people across instagram, twitter and tumblr to interact with it. 

20. And finally, can you describe your process a little? Do you have a favourite place to draw? Do you play something in the background? Do you do research or just go for it? Give us a little insight

i sit at my desk and use a wacom tablet and my laptop. I have my other laptop open and im normally listening to a tv show that ive seen so i dont have to pay attention or a play through of a game or some creepy stories. sometimes i listen to music on my record player. i always spend ages looking at pose references and rage quitting when i dont draw it right the first time before coming back to it a few hours later. i draw mostly in the evenings, after dinner. sometimes i drink a hot chocolate if its late enough lol. 

im gonna tag @mishervellous​ @doodlevich​ @heymrspatel​ @adakechi​ 

[memes-saved-me]

The thing about this whole mess with that one “it’s biphobic to hc Billy as gay” person is like… they cited those “Billy is clearly gay, if you don’t think so ur wrong” posts. Even I can tell those aren’t meant maliciously. A bit teasingly, maybe, but not maliciously. I personally don’t have any strong headcanons on Billy’s sexuality, but I can certainly see the coding and I get why a lot of people do. It makes sense. And even Dacre isn’t against Harringrove, so it’s a silly argument to make on their side. And like I saw someone else say, hating your fav male celebrity’s girlfriend is a bit of a red flag. This is how fandom is, people will have differing headcanons, the rule is either be civil or don’t engage. They’re just causing pointless drama

Those posts are always like inside jokes meant for other Billy fans so them taking it personally shows a lot about them not us. The majority of ST fans see Billy as nothing but straight so thinking that doesn't make you the minority ffs.

I personally write and interpret Billy as gay but when people ship him with women I don't lose my mind. I don't care how other people view his sexuality because he isn't real, it doesn't affect me or anyone and I can just ignore content if I want to.

This whole thing is insane

[disdaidal]

Thank you for tagging me @suometar! 💞

How many works do you have on AO3? 16. I haven't posted my older LJ or AFF.net works there though.

What's your total AO3 word count? 60,990

What fandoms do you write for? Stranger Things, The Witcher and Final Fantasy VII (current obsession). I've also written stuff for RE3, Tekken, Renegades 1989, Young Hercules, Dynasty Warriors 4 and Battle Royale II, but I haven't published them on AO3.

Do you respond to comments? Not always, but I'll try. Sometimes I just forget or don't know what to reply back. 🙈 But I read all and love getting comments regardless. <3

Have you ever had a fic stolen? A long time ago some rare pair ficlet of mine got reposted on Blogger. I asked them to take it down, but they never responded.

Have you ever co-written a fic before? I used to rp Harringrove on Discord with another person for almost a year, and I did the same thing with my ex-gf in another fandom. Other than that, I haven't.

What's your all-time favourite ship? Honestly, I have too many good ships to choose from, this question should be illegal lol. I would say Jin/Hwoarang from Tekken, though. I've loved them since junior high and their rivalry/enemies to friends (to potential lovers) thing is something I can always jump back to when everything else starts to feel bland. They're a 'safe' ship for me in that sense; can always count on their dynamic to get me into 'that mood' again.

What are your writing strengths? I'm not sure actually. I just know I ramble a lot and some people seem to like it. However, I've been complimented on my characterization at least. I try to revisit the source material over and over again and think about what this character would realistically say in this situation and how they would realistically act in this situation. I think it helps to keep them more in character... or something like that.

What are your writing weaknesses? Grammar. Getting to the fucking point instead of rambling nonsense one page after another. Actually writing and finishing my wips instead of daydreaming about how Mr. X should just #%&?! that guy/girl already.

First fandom you wrote for? I was into Japanese rock and wrote some RPF for a few different bands many many moons ago. Met some great friends there and my ex too, so no regrets actually.

Tagging @tantumuna @astaldis @lilypheria and @morewyckedthanyou. Others are welcome to steal this from me, too. <3

Questions for fanfic Authors

Tagged by @dragonflylady77 and @shieldofiron 💜 (technically Guin tagged me on my sb but I'll post this here)

How many works do you have on AO3? 51

What's your total AO3 word count? 432,744 (wow)

What fandoms do you write for? Stranger things for now. I've also written for Preacher (the AMC show) and Witcher

Do you respond to comments? Yes, always if the comment is nice. Negative comments and stuff that points out mistakes gets deleted.

Have you ever had a fic stolen? Not that I know of. I once found a fic that was very close to mine though, but different enough not to be based on mine.

Have you ever co-written a fic before? I'm currently writing two fics with Aggressiveviking. The Family Values Program has already a few chapters out :)

What's your all-time favourite ship? Without a doubt it's Harringrove, even though Cassidy & Eccarius is close number two

What are your writing strengths? I think I'm pretty decent in writing long and detailed descriptions for scenes when I get to it. And smut.

What are your writing weaknesses? Coming up with everything that happens in between major plot points A and C.

First fandom you wrote for? It was RPF but not going to say who.

No pressure tags @disdaidal @medusapelagia @spaceofentropy @black-isthecolour @weird-an and everyone who sees this and wants to do this 💜

[endlessdreamerxoxo]

"Stop this War"

I will try to be nice with this post, but I really dislike people telling Hellcheer shippers to stop this war with st*ddies in the name of peace and harmony. Although, I do like the sentiment. I really do. I just can't be quiet about the bold harassment and the unnecessary toxicity against something I like and people I admire for their creativity. And I really do question whether those people truly understand the fundamental problem that Hellcheer shippers have with toxic st*ddies and the scope of the situation in general.

I'm checking the A03 tags as I write this post up and currently

we (Hellcheer) have 956 works on the website.

Steddie have 7,013 works on the website.

And Harringrove (a ship that has been around since 2017) has 8,415 works on the website.

For a better comparison, that means that Steddie has exactly 1,402 fics to go to meet the cumulative effort of 5 years hard work in a less than 3 months since the official creation of the ship. That's utterly insane. And if we did that math again, Steddie has 6,057 more fics than Hellcheer. That's the fucking scope that we are dealing with.

Their ship is the Lusitania, while our ship is a rowboat.

Many of us have always say this over and over, we were minding our business for a good solid week or two (I came around June 9th into the tumblr fandom) before claims were being made about Chrissy's age. Personally I didn't even know that people were shipping Steve x Eddie (cause they have no chemistry in my eyes) because no one was talking about them in the 'edssy' tags and I don't have twitter. People were just making fanart and other things to celebrate our cute ship. So I literally discovered Steddie's existence as we got called out for  p*dophilia (which is not the correct term, but go off) and homophobia. From my viewpoint, we got dragged into a shipping war against our will as we kicked and screamed at the the top of our lungs that we didn't want a war. I know for my "Joe Quinn was Right" posts, I danced around my actual feelings to preserve peace and minimize hate. I know a lot of my mutuals did that and continue to do that with those who are stalking their accounts and sending them threats. We have been vocal about not caring whether someone ships St*ddie or Hellcheer. Nevertheless, we are also been very clear to point the obvious flaws in shipping Steddie and or their sketchy behavior, while acting as holy than thou than the rest of the fandom:

The misogynistic harassment of Grace (and Amybeth).

The biphobia and bi erasure.

The fetishization of attractive white gay men.

The constant whining for some or better wIw rep in Ronance, but than ignoring the canonical lesbian ship of Rockie in the show or failing to give Ronance the same amount of love as your mIm ship.

Only making Chrissy a lesbian because they want her away from Eddie under the guise of allyship.

The stealing of lines from other scenes or characters in order to make their ship more cute and fluffy.

The mass reporting of Hellcheer artwork.

The invalidation of people's queer identities/sexualities because they ship a heterosexual ship (or a straight passing if they see it that way).

The obsessive nature that people have formed a parasocial bond with Joe Quinn to the point where they are assuming his sexuality, stalking his family's social media for pics where he was a minor for some twisted reason, and harassing him on his family vacation.

Like we can't bring up those facts because we don't want a shipping war? We didn't even bring up those fact until recently because we have been poked for a entire two months straight. Grace literally thought her safety was in danger, going to an con because her friend was attending the same event. Are you really telling us not to say anything? Are you telling them to mind their own business and go to their corner of their internet with their 7,013 fics and their shit ton of fanart? Because the reality is this extremely tiny Hellcheer squad can't stop this war. Even if we decided not to call people out and did our own thing, people would still be harassed and made to feel like crap about themselves for liking this ship. Even if Joe came out tomorrow and say stop this war, toxic St*ddies would think that Grace is holding him hostage at knife point. St*ddies are the only one who can stop this war, but they wouldn't until they get Steve x Eddie as canon (which they will never have). We are truly just trying to defend ourselves and just want to be left alone.

[draeken]

Billy Hargrove Season 4 Spoilers 

Just needed to get this out cause i have a lot of feelings right now

I think all us Billy stans were somewhat expecting this outcome tbh. Just due to the blatant disregard the duffers had for Billy’s character to begin with. They always sounded like they openly hated him so I’m not at all surprised that they got lazy with their writing and his characterisation.

Honestly im just incredibly sad for Billy, that his abuse from his father was swept under the rug and never properly acknowledged. That the duffers wrote that Billy’s father, his abuser, was grieving him and didnt want to be in Hawkins without him? Even tho every single scene we saw with the two of them together, it was tense and violent? Billy was literally always in tears after every altercation with his father. I find it to be bullshit that that was how the duffle bags chose to wrap up Billy’s trauma. They showed us his childhood, they showed us the thing he feared most in his life was his father. They showed us his mother being broken down to the point that she had to leave not only her husband, but her child so that she could survive. As someone who has been the child in this very situation, I can say it meant so much to me to see it being told in main stream media. It made me feel seen, heard and honestly its one of the reasons why I was drawn to Billy in the first place. That his character was complex and nuanced, that he felt real to me. Why, while I have never condoned his treatment and behaviour towards the party or the people around him, I can understand him. 

He was an antagonist, but he was also a victim. And it doesn’t take much empathy to understand that everyone has their own demons  that they’re dealing with.

If you’re an anti, fine, I honestly don’t care. I understand you don’t like Billy, hell, that you despise him. That’s fine. I’m not asking for you to like him, I’m not telling you to change your mind or your feelings where he’s concerned. He’s done some deplorable shit and I’m not making excuses for him. 

I’m just saying that I’m sad. So very fucking sad that a character like him, with so much potential to change and grow into something new will never be- where he could learn how to be a better person and be given the tools to control his anger and his feelings. So that he could fix the good relationships he had left in his life and apologise for the shit he had done- I’m sad this opportunity to show that a person can be capable of change has been taken away. That we’ll never get to see Billy dealing with the consequences of his actions and growing from it. 

I wasn’t expecting anything from this new season, and now that we’ve seen how the duffles have treated him, I’m glad he didn’t get as much screen time as we wanted. It would have hurt more to see his character misused and written more poorly than what it had already been. 

I’m sad, but thankfully fanfiction exists. And you know what? The wonderful fanfic writers and authors we have on AO3 and other websites are much better writers than what canon content has ever given us. Not just with Harringrove, but with all the ships and world building in the ST fandom. And that is something I am extremely thankful and comforted by. 

But yeah, Anti’s, I get you don’t like Billy, but please don’t interact with us stans. Don’t come onto our posts, into our tags and into our areas and shit on him. We’re just minding our own business and dealing with our disappointment. 

We don’t care if you don’t like him, so why do you care so much that we do? 

Think about it 

[alurrina]

I personally prefer top Steve and bottom billy (sometimes switching), but I 100% agree. Many writers (as good as their stories are) are constantly making Steve seem like I little baby and feminise him to another extent. And I really hate it. I honestly get so mad and upset when writers COMPLETELY change their personalities, and almost all the time they make Steve out (not in a rude way but) to be the biggest fucking pussy and make billy this edgy bad-boy thing while Steve is all sensitive and innocent. Or without saying they change the setting (eg). Them holding hands or kissing out in public as if they’re ass’ wouldn’t get beat half to death. I find it more interesting when it’s kept to its true era and shot like that, u know? And y’all just change their personalities to much. It’s not even them anymore. And I’m taking about when it’s not tagged in it, (like that “oh this person is like this, and that one is like that etc”) that these ppl really think that’s how the characters act. Like CLEARLY THEY ARE BOTH JUST TWO MASCULINE GUYS- SO WHY. IS ONE. MADE OUT. TO BE A LIL BITCH??? I DON’T GET IT!!!

And BRO. COME ON. BILLYS OBVIOUSLY A BOTTOM. STEVES A TOP. AND JUST BC OF THAT, DONT MEAN STEVE IS A WOMAN!! WHEN DOES HE EVER ACT LIKE THAT?! BUT THEY STILL TREAT EACH OTHER THE SAME. STOP MAKING ONE GO ALL BITCH OR SOME SHIT AND THE OTHER AN ASSHOLE. ITS WEIRDDDDD

And I fucking love harringrove along w a lot of other shit, buttt- ppl are just constantly making Steve go all bitch. Make him a baby n scared of anything and neeeeds Billy’s protectionnnn 🥺🥺 like are u shitting me? Since when did he act like that? And when did every person in the world accept lgbtq+? They didn’t. (In that era). Or they make it seem like billy has this… DEEP and HUSKY VOICE- while Steve’s is high and woman-like. He’s never acted like that. Also after everything. Billy needs all the TLC! CMON NOW! And all this shit I’m picking on is fine- IF. IT IS PUT IN THE TAGS. THAT THIS IS HOW THEYRE GONNA ACT. LIEK IMSORRY BUT DID NOT ONE HEAR BILLYS VOICE IN THAT SHOWER SCENE??? “PLenTy oF biTcHeS iN tHe sEa.” Like butch? His voice is high than mine!! And If they were to happen! Steve would NEVER constantly always be bottom! HES KING STEVE!

And I don’t just mean them. It’s almost like every single fandom that writes stories abt other ships. This post is just specifically abt harringrove. Just pisses me offff.

Me when I’m reading a really good fic, then they make Steve CRY bc billy punched someone-

I’m in-

[can-i-ship-in-queering-peace]

DNI if you about drama I want none of it tyvm!

This podfic is not mine but is so amazing!!!! It’s such a fix it fic while literally just being an entire rewrite of the whole story of them but much better imho. I’ve binged this podfic a few times and just needed to share!!!

Please check it out and share!!!(just noticed this doesn’t link you to the series that this is pls seek it out, well worth it!!! There’s 13ch and they get longer!) that’s what it looks like for ref) the original fic is linked if you would rather read it but the narrator does such an amazing job with effects and voices!!!!

It’s not sexual just so y’all know it’s plot heavy and like you’re watching them beautifully mash up movie with the book and their own ideas it’s amazing and Reddie heavy! Ugh it made the movie hurt a lot better/less. The writing and voice acting is so good got me wanting to start up both, legit. I really enjoyed this so much ima start makin podfics yall (narrator: “and he did”)

Sorry but in order to keep getting this fanfic of mine the love it deserves I must keep it pinned. I will start posting them as I work through them. I have a lot of fics to finish Harringrove(will post through my side acct), Boreo, Byler and even a Reddie(maybe more icr), I’m working on atm but my dms and asks are always open to suggestions and to just chatting out any concepts.

🤷🏻hope ya like! 🏳️‍🌈👏🏻(⚠️trigger warning⚠️of internalized homophobia feels for my fanfic) unrequited love?.. not really)

My first Byler oneshot and it’s almost 5000 words ayyy look at meee:

Also I’m pushing myself past my more younger self who would be too scared/embarrassed/shy to share something like this. Lol I’m working on saying yolo more these days and having so much fun sharing my heart through works with others out there like me/who can relate to my content, and to, hopefully feel less alone. It’s such healing work! I’m def gonna be trying my hand at more podfics in the future since I’ve utilized them so many times when too depressed and unmotivated with things to even read content for fandoms to make myself feel better/less alone.

Big hug of a side note, if you’re a queer kid or where one and are an adult dealing and healing with your past/experiences/struggles/trauma/etc, or if you are or where in the closet, no matter what your situation.. if you’re seeing this know that you’re not alone. Nothings wrong with you! You’re lovely, you will be happy and healthy one day surrounded by people who know the real you and love that person and accept you for you! If you don’t feel that way, you’re not at the end of your story yet! Keep going! Keep fighting! It gets better and that comes from a sad queer case such as myself who makes stuff like this to cope with my own childhood (queer) traumas lol. I love you and you’re amaziiing sweety! KEEP SLAYING, FUCK THE HATERS (and stay safe!) 🤗🥰)

Finally made my Byler playlist public even tho I haven’t proof relistened and added nearly all the songs I want but we need what we can get for this ship content so just ignore any songs that don’t go. The Will playlist is done I went thru it all again. Checks out well

Fanfic context;

Other writing bits:

Ch2 of my Genderqueer Five fic is out! <3

[cherry-toxic]

Fic writer questions!

I was tagged by @introvertia - thank you so much :) Your answers were really interesting!

How many works do you have on AO3?

Only 8

What's your total AO3 wordcount?

141754

How many fandoms have you written for and what are they?

Four: Beyblade (gen fics mostly), Shizaya (Durarara), Grimmichi (Bleach), and Harringrove (Stranger Things).

I usually sit in a fandom for a quite a while before I actually start writing anything. I'm amazed by those people who can get stuck in right away (how do you do it!?!)

What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

1. end the fight; before the fight ends you

2. Bound to Happen

3. Year of You

4. Broken Boys and Butterflies

5. So come take a drink (And drown your sorrows)

All Harringrove aside from 'Bound to Happen' - which I'm rather surprised came in second because the Grimmichi fandom is waaaaay smaller than the Harringrove fandom.

'end the fight...' is also the only wip here. The rest are completed one-shots.

Do you respond to comments, why or why not?

Yes and no. It depends. I want to respond because comments really do mean a lot to me and I love rambling with people, but I have issues with online communication. Like, sometimes I write out a response and when I read it back to myself my brain just goes 'no that's terrible you sound like an idiot delete it now' and then I go 'yessir you're completely right how silly of me.'

When it comes to wips, I tend to reply to every comment when I'm getting ready to post the next chapter, that way it's like a little heads-up - new stuff incoming soon!

What's the fic you've written with the angstiest ending?

Y'know as much as I love angst I actually prefer to have my fics end on a relatively positive note (angst with a happy ending is my shit).

But I suppose 'So come take a drink (And drown your sorrows)' is overall pretty angsty and I left the ending open so if I ever felt like continuing it I could do so easily.

Do you write crossovers? If so what is the craziest one you've ever written?

Big nah. Kind of like AU fics, they just don't interest me that much.

Have you ever received hate on a fic?

Yes, but it came from someone who was just making the rounds on a bunch of Harringrove fics and they were highly suspected to be an anti so it didn't really bother me that much because I knew they were trolling.

I've had a few like, vague comments/back-handed compliments that got under my skin a bit though.

Do you write smut? If so what kind?

Yes, occasionally I do. Generally I'd say I'm pretty vanilla, but I am currently writing an a/b/o fic, though I think it might go under non-traditional a/b/o because, again, vanilla lol

My smut usually comes with a lot of introspection, like they'll be doing the deed and one of them will be internally streaming a 5000+ word monologue (I do this with Grimmjow sometimes because he's a big virgin who views sex as silly human nonsense).

Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Parts of a fic, yes. I came across this fic that was clearly plagiarizing from several different authors (they forgot to change the characters names and everything) and I found entire paragraphs that were copy/pasted straight from one of my fics.

The thing is, this was over 10 years ago, something I wrote when I was... seventeen, maybe? So... I don't get why they copied it because it was pretty bad to be honest...

Have you ever had a fic translated?

Yes, an old one called '10 Miles in Your Shoes' (beyblade) although it was never completed because well, firstly, I never completed the original, and secondly, when the translator asked me how long I was planning on it being I said around 20-30k and uhhh... lets just say I overshot that by a mile!

Have you ever co-written a fic before?

No. While I think it would be interesting to try I honestly don't know if I could give up control like that!

What’s your all time favorite ship?

Hard to say because I tend to go for characters over ships. Like, I got into Grimmichi because of Grimmjow and Harringrove because of Billy.

But since Grimmjow is my all-time favourite character then, I guess Grimmichi, but Harringrove is definitely a close second because the fandom has spoiled me rotten with all their amazing fics (in terms of reading material, Harringrove is my fav).

What’s a WIP that you want to finish but don’t think you ever will?

'10 Miles in Your Shoes' - the bodyswap fic.

It's been a long time since I engaged with anything related to beyblade but I have a lot of fondness for this fic because it was the second I ever started writing and it was the fic that allowed me to truly grow as a writer. There's a huge improvement from the first to the most recent chapter (most recent being 5 years ago...) to the point where it looks like it could have been written by two different people, and I received so much positive feedback and encouragement throughout those years. I wish I had it in me to go back and finish it off but I struggle enough while writing for my current obsessions so it's looking more and more unlikely...

At the very least, I think I might transfer it to AO3 since ff.net seems to be slowly going under. Even if I never complete it, I don't want it lost forever.

What are your writing strengths?

This might sound ridiculous but I don't know? I always feel like I'm winging everything!!

I guess. One thing I've been complimented on a lot is my ability to portray messy (for lack of a better word) situations in a realistic way. I've been asked a few times if I've ever studied psychology and -

Nope

Just winging it!

What are your writing weakness?

EDITING!!!

I really should get a beta because I miss so many stupid little mistakes, like - okay - I always used to write in past tense, it was never something I even thought about, past tense was just the default. And then suddenly, around 2017/18, I began transitioning to present tense completely unconsciously and now every time I re-read 'Bound to Happen' I get angry because I bounced between tenses all the way through that fic and I didn't even notice until a year after I posted it.

Also. Incredibly slow. Lack of consistency. Perfectionist until I get stuck and then I feel like you can spot exactly where I lost momentum. Utterly hopeless when it comes to descriptions of setting/scenery. I don't think I'm very good at building atmosphere either. Dialogue, although I am improving at that.

What are your thoughts on writing dialogue in other languages in a fic?

I can't say I really have any thoughts on this? I don't do it much myself.

What was the first fandom you ever wrote for?

Beeeeyblaaade! I was fifteen when I wrote my very first fic (now deleted because it was awful!)

What’s your favorite fic you’ve written?

Oh god, this is hard!

If we're talking completed fics only, then probably 'Year of You'. That was my I-Do-Not-Accept-Billy's-Death fic but I WILL take all of the angst material from S3 and ride it hard.

If we're including wips, then both 'end the fight...' and 'metamorphosis' are probably my favourites right now.

'End the fight...' is my BIG Billy redemption fic which I started plotting out not long after S2 and there's so many scenes I'm looking forward to writing (yeah I know its been a while since i last updated but the past year has been rough okay)

'Metamorphosis' is the a/b/o fic which I was kind of nervous about at first because its not a trope that i read a lot of but i'm enjoying how its turning out so far!

Whew! That was a lot!

I'm tagging: firstly, whoever wants to do it because I like reading about peoples writing experiences (make sure to tag me!) And then: @shadowthorne @bentnotbroken1fanfiction @callieb @backwardshirt @memes-saved-me @murderlight @magniloquent-raven @aeon-of-neon @louhetar

[jellyfishloveletterghosts]

Fic Writer Questions

I was tagged by the wonderful @withoneheadlight Thanks hun 💜💖💜💖

How many works do you have on AO3?

188

What’s your total AO3 wordcount?

832,901

How many fandoms have you written for and what are they?

Haha, so many but I’ll just list the ones on AO3 since the real old ones from other sites only exist in my docs these days

Stranger Things

Teen Wolf

The Walking Dead

MCU

Army of the Dead

What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

Spark Bonds (Teen Wolf - Peter/Stiles/Deucalion)

Jealousy it’s A Thing (Teen Wolf - Sterek)

Open the Door Because I’m Coming in (Teen Wolf – Stackson)

You’re Extra Special, Something Else (Stranger Things – Harringrove)

Technically Speaking I’m A Merman (Teen Wolf – Stackson)

Do you respond to comments, why or why not?

Yes, I always appreciate comments and I just want to show that. Sometimes it takes me a while to respond though and sometimes the most I have in me is an emoji. I don’t respond to rude ones though, I just delete them because they aren’t worth my time or energy. Sometimes I ignore them if it’s just a ‘When is the next chapter going to be posted’. Otherwise I always try to respond.

What’s the fic you’ve written with the angstiest ending?

I don’t do angsty endings but probably one of my old Walking Dead ones, like their might one in there 

Do you write crossovers? If so what is the craziest one you’ve ever written?

No, not really. I have that one avatar inspired one where they’re benders, does that count? Like it has nothing else to do with it so I don’t know if it counts or not. I did write some outline for what could happen in a Stranger Things/Jumanji fic but I don’t know if I’ll ever write it. Crossovers really aren’t my thing but if I was going to write an actual one that would be it.

Have you ever received hate on a fic?

Yes

Do you write smut? If so what kind?

Yes, whatever pops into my head. I keep coming back to clowns though, someone really has to stop me. I’m working on one for the party clown universe right now. There is no actual reason for Billy to be in full clown get up other than it amuses me.

Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not that I am aware of.

Have you ever had a fic translated?

Someone asked once but I never heard back from them about it so I guess it never happened.

Have you ever co-written a fic before?

No, I’m not really sure how that works.

What’s your all time favorite ship?

Harringrove, I’ve never written more for another ship.

What’s a WIP that you want to finish but don’t think you ever will?

I mean there are probably a lot of them, I want to finish everything I start but specifically probably the Gorgon Billy/blinded Steve modern au I was going to do for the Big Bang before I dropped out. That fic just sits around mocking me constantly. Also probably the follow up to Extra Special, like at first I was waiting for season 4 so I could decided which ideas I wanted to put into this one I was originally thinking of doing three big stories in total for this universe but the longer that takes to come out the less interest I have in actually doing a big sequel much less two. I want to, I am trying but who knows if I’ll get the inspiration for either of these. 

What are your writing strengths?

People always say they like my dialog even though that is where I personally feel the weakest so I guess I’d say that. It’s not really something I think about.

What are your writing weaknesses?

I mean I obviously think it’s dialog but like I said people always seem to like that, so I’m not sure. I get hung up on movements, like I get really descriptive sometimes especially during sex scenes like I just like a clear picture of what is going on, which probably take away from the scene as a whole.

What are your thoughts on writing dialogue in other languages in a fic?

I’ve been doing that with Big Fish In A Small Pond since Dieter is German and it’s really fun. Google translate is crap though, luckily I found someone to beta those parts for me and they’ve been great, I’ve learned quite a bit from them. 

What was the first fandom you ever wrote for?

I’m really not sure, Gundam Wing maybe? I’ve been at this for like twenty years give or take, I can’t remember what I started with.

What’s your favorite fic you’ve written?

This one is really hard, it really depends on the fandom. My Merman series from Teen Wolf or the Pretty Fool series I have for Stranger things. I know those both are technically more than one fic but they’re some of my favs and of course clowns are included, they’re inescapable.

Tagging anyone who wants to do it (I really have no clue who has and hasn’t at this point) and @nblesbianbenhanscom @italiansteebie @thinger-strang @booksfoxesandcoffee @pretty-bratty @thesummerof84 @harrygroves @billys-mullet

[passivenovember]

Tetherball : Harringrove April Day One

Also on ao3

--

Steve put his seatbelt on that first day, when Billy stepped out of his chariot across school grounds, taking inventory of things as they were. Life as Steve knew it.

Nancy in the seat next to him.

First period chemistry, English, Geology, lunch. Steve took note of the periwinkle tones in the sky, the rumble of the cafeteria on pizza day, the smell of the library and the way the books turned on you if there were late fees to be settled.

Everything fell into bullet points across worn pavement.

Then versus now. Before and after.

Steve said goodbye to planet Earth that day, whether he knew it or not. Whether he found it favorable. The rumble of an engine beneath his feet changed Steve's perception, and the weight of two blue medallions grew and grew until Steve had learned the facts.

William Hargrove went by Billy. And he had tumbled in from California, presumably naked on a sea shell, where Billy’s stepsister doused hatred like a flame in the ocean under skies full of seagulls and cotton candy wisps.

He wore elevens in converse and a large Hawkins Phys Ed t-shirt that popped seams across his biceps but went soft and wavy in the middle.

Not like it mattered, though.

William went by Billy and he called skins as soon as coach blew the whistle. His t-shirt never made another appearance after that.

--

That's all Steve needed to know, right? The basics. California and step sisters, William instead of Billy, and the sound of rubber on polished oak.

But that's the funny thing about revelations.

Facts are different when colored by opinions, and Steve felt them dropping like coins from the hole in his pocket. As he got to know Billy the bullet points that had taken over Steve's mind rippled and glimmered in the light of first period. Changing.

He observed.

Wondered.

Obsessed.

Developing thoughts about who Billy was and, eventually, the person he pretended to be. Steve wasn't interested in the line Billy drew around the two halves of a whole. Any of the masks he wore in the cafeteria around princesses and prom queens versus the man Steve saw in second period English, who was.

Soft spoken and thoughtful. Every pastel shade in the sky versus brash and heated sunsets over barley.

Flame and sea, like a burning ship at war.

Steve wasn't interested but he learned anyway. Took notes, eyes tracking the brush of Billy's thumb on his bottom lip, brows pinching in concentration as he deciphered the root of a poem in ten seconds flat. The curl of his lips when we took his paper from Mr. Terrine. How he always had an extra pencil for anyone who needed it.

Before long Steve aced his exam in AP Hargrove and failed where everyone else said it mattered.

Got himself a tutor.

Blue eyes to pin him in place, pink lips to seal the passage between worlds. Steve wasn't interested in spending his afternoons under a tetherball, smacking brightly colored plastic out of his face as Billy read to him from a textbook while his sister. Max (step sister, Billy's voice supplied), kicked some girls ass on on the skateboard during softball practice.

"Should we try it once more?" Billy's patient. Steve wasn't expecting that.

He smacks the ball away again. "I've learned a lot about you, but I wasn't expecting this."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Y'know." From across the playground Max teaches her girl how to kick flip. Steve doesn't think that's right. He shrugs anyway. "Smarts. Like, AP biology, Valedictorian, Brain stew smart."

They've been studying together for weeks.

Four weeks. Seems like more with the slide of Billy's shoulder against Steve's arm, blonde ringlets dodging the tetherball as it swings overhead. Billy's fingers brush the open faced textbook, mouth serious but eyes soft. Sparkly, like a discarded bag of glitter.

"Maybe you should pay more attention to the prose."

"Maybe I can do both at the same time." Steve fiddles with the edge of the notebook, nodding as Billy grins. "Alright, goldilocks, tell your silly little story."

He does.

The green eyed boy in the powder blue shirt standing next to you in the supermarket recoils as if hit,

repeatedly,

by a lot of men, as if he has a history of it.

Steve leans back against the rusty iron pole, feeling the weight of the tetherball on one side of his head, and. The brush of golden curls on the other. He closes his eyes, feeling a voice more than hearing it.

That is not your problem. You have your own body to deal with.

The lamp by the bed is broken--

"Are you following?" Billy asks. He moves, knees drawn up so the book is balanced close to the curve of his chin. Close to the split in the universe. "We're getting into muddy waters here--"

"'S not that muddy."

"Sure it is." Billy's cheeks flush, pink paint across the bridge of his nose. He moves against Steve's arm, elbow knocking into ribs. "Tell me what you think is happening."

Steve thinks about it.

Knocks Billy's arm away gently, closing his eyes. "Read some more and then we'll talk."

Billy does.

The lamp by the bed is broken. You are feeling things he is no longer in touch with a nd everyone is speaking softly, as if not to wake one another.

The wind knocks the heads of the flowers together. Steam rises from every cup at every table at once.

Things happen all the time.

Things happen at every minute that have nothing to do with us.

Billy stops reading and Steve peeks at him through an eye half-lidded, curious. "Is that the end of the story?"

"Poem."

"Huh." Steve straightens, moving his legs this way and that. "Felt like a story."

Billy mirrors him exactly, closing the textbook and grabbing his pencil. "That's interesting."

And the way he says it. While flipping through his pea-green fivestar spiral, makes it feel wrong. Stupid.

Steve smacks distantly at the sky. "No it's not."

"Sure it is. Siken's poems are very lyrical. They paint images, vivid images, and sometimes I can imagine myself doing what the lines convey."

Steve grins. "You can imagine yourself in bed with another man?"

Steve isn't interested in the answer but he's interested in the feeling, the glint of emotion behind a wall of powdery blue. It doesn't seep through the cracks, though, it's contained. If Steve wants to find the center, he'll have to dig.

Billy doesn't miss a beat. "If that's what you think the poem's talking about, sure."

"Of course that's what it's talking about."

"How so?"

Steve laughs at that, rubbing against Billy's side. "You sound like a scholar."

"Is that so wrong?"

"No." Steve says thoughtfully. "'S cute."

Billy doesn't crack. Not in the way Steve's used to. No fingers in his hair, spinning spools of gold as he peeks at Steve through thick lashes. Instead he makes a note of it, whatever it is they're saying. Scribbling Steve's interpretation on one side of the blank page, dividing the two halves with a thick black line.

Billy intends to find the truth. "The protagonist is in love with the man at the supermarket? Is that what you're saying."

"I guess."

Billy rolls his eyes. "Your intent has to be clear. Poetry is all about interpretation; if you don't attempt to bridge the divide--"

"All right, Einstein." Steve plays along. "Sure."

Billy's eyes flash victorious as he clicks the pen trigger. "What makes you say that?"

"The way he's obsessed with him."

"The way the narrator is obsessed?" Billy leans forward, intent. "With the man in the grocery store?"

"What makes you deny it?" Steve wonders, folding his legs beneath him so they're crisscross applesauce.

Billy leans back against the pole, casual and easy. "I'm not the one failing English."

"No, but you are the poet." Steve counters. "Dude, I know you have an interpretation. I know you have thoughts, so. Just tell me."

Billy turns to face the playground.

Max skates circles around her girl, smiling in the way Billy does when he's got Steve pinned on the court. Like a predator. Pushing and pulling back just enough to leave the girl chasing after her, enough to catch herself before Max has a chance to get her claws out.

It's incredible, Steve thinks, how much Billy is just like his sister.

"I think he's using him."

Steve cocks his head, curious.

"The man with the blue shirt." Billy opens the textbook and reads the part about the lamp again, peeking up at Steve through frizzy curls. "The narrator says we are feeling things the man is no longer in touch with."

Steve leans forward. "Like love?"

Billy thinks about it. "No."

"Connection, then."

"If they're sleeping together it's more than just sex." Billy counters, "More than just carnality."

Which.

Steve frowns. "People fuck all the time without connecting."

"Really?"

"Yeah." Steve thinks about rattling down his list. The girls, the guys, the one night stands and bullshit post-game hook ups.

Billy fiddles with the edges of his notebook almost. Shyly. "People have sex because they're in love."

Steve snorts. "There's a million reasons to fuck outside of love."

Billy's eyes flash hard with.

Something. He bares his teeth. "Yeah? Like what?"

"I dunno. Breakup sex, makeup sex, sorry for burning a hole in your prom dress sex--"

"Gross."

"Point is." Steve looks at Billy. Studies him, the freckles across his upper lip, the scruff along his jawline. "Sex and emotion don't have to exist within each other."

Billy stares back at him, eyes wide and distant. Closed off.

He writes something on Steve's half of the notebook. "I disagree."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah." Billy tosses his pen to the ground. "Our narrator says the man in the blue shirt has a history of being hit by other men."

"So?" Steve has trouble following at the best of times, and this.

The way Billy is worrying the skin on his fingers, nails catching and tearing in places they don't belong, feels important.

Billy shrugs. "Why would he sleep with a man without knowing his heart?"

"Maybe he just wants to feel something."

"Or maybe he wants to connect." Billy turns to look out across the playground once more, fingers tugging at the edge of his notebook. "Maybe he's existing in this bubble, like. This silent world with a tiny room where everyone is speaking softly out of respect. Maybe he chooses the wrong person because it's better than feeling half alive."

Steve knows they aren't talking about the poem anymore.

He tugs the notebook from Billy's hands, flipping through a million and one handwritten theories and observations. Billy lets him. Lets Steve look through his life and into his mind before handing the spiral back and asking, "Have you ever picked the wrong person?"

Billy doesn't say anything and then; "Yes."

"How come?"

"Everybody's wrong if you squint hard enough."

Steve nods, looping his arms around his knees. "And I'm assuming you didn't sleep with any of them."

He doesn't expect Billy to answer. It's not like they owe each other anything, honesty or otherwise. Billy leans back against the pole once more. From where their bodies are pressed together Billy feels feverish. Incendiary.

Billy clears his throat. "Or the opposite."

Which catches Steve off guard.

Billy watches him for a moment, eyes dark and serious. "I don't think the narrator sleeps with the man in the blue shirt. Maybe he intends to. Take the guy home, make a couple drinks, blaze trails into something previously unknown to him or maybe just. A feeling he hasn't felt in a while. But intimacy isn't always about sex."

Steve snorts. "I can't think of anything more intimate than being inside another person."

"But you are inside them, just. Not in the way you expected."

Steve glares out over the playground. The sun will be setting soon, blacktops and brown fields painted in shades of red and orange. The whole world will catch on fire but Steve feels the beginning, coals glowing bright red under the line of his ribcage when he turns to find blue eyes on him.

Dousing the fire, or maybe.

Raising the stakes. His eyes flit across Billy's forehead, brushing over his lips and coming to rest on his eyelashes. Feathery and soft, like the arms of a teddy bear. Steve licks his lips, going up in flame when Billy's eyes track the movement.

"I lied." Steve says.

Billy doesn't look away. "I'm not sure what you--"

"The first time a boy ever kissed me." Steve says. "When a boy kissed me because he wanted to, that was more intimate than anything I'd ever felt before."

Billy's gaze falls impossibly lower, tracing the swell of Steve's lips. "How did it feel?"

And he says it like.

He couldn't possibly know.

And Steve says, "Like my heart was taking root," like.

Let me show you.

Billy takes a deep breath. "I don't think I've ever felt like that."

"Never?"

"Not once."

From across the playground Max's answering laugh makes Billy's skin turn gold. Caramel, ice cream topped with sugar. Steve feels his body inching closer, mouth opening as if to taste love on the air.

[magniloquent-raven]

Fic Writer Questions

i was tagged by @cherry-toxic and @gideongrace ty both 💕🥰💕

How many works do you have on AO3?

15

which is a relatively small number but sometimes im still like, holy shit i finished 15 whole fics lmao

What's your total AO3 word count?

68,299 (time to post a 701 word fic and then never post again i guess)

How many fandoms have you written for and what are they?

well this is about to get mildly embarrassing lmfao. ive only got harry potter & stranger things fics on my ao3 and tumblr but if you want a full list, as a teenager i posted a shitty borderlands self-insert fic on quizilla, and hiccup/jack frost fic on ff.net.

and if u count fics that never got finished or published anywhere i dabbled in teen wolf, supernatural, dragon age, star wars, left 4 dead 2, skyrim, good omens, the mcu, buffy, wynonna earp, plus like, general disney/dreamworks crossover fic. and i started writing shameless fics recently, we'll see if i actually finish any. aaaand...i think that's it?

so...15?

What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

1. Wait for you, Burn for You

2. Find Our Way

3. Something to Hold

4. Room for One More Troubled Soul

5. Don't Know What I'm Gonna Do (About This Feeling Inside)

all harringrove fics except #4, which is probably only on the list because it's been on ao3 the longest lol

Do you respond to comments, why or why not?

oh god, i used to. i did when i was starting out, but then i just. i get self-conscious about what to actually say & leave shit to sit for too long. and suddenly ive got like 100 comments i havent replied to and i want to respond to them so bad but ive left them so long i feel weird about it now and it's a problem 😥

i want to start responding to them again, and every time i get a new one i tell myself im gonna but i never do cuz im fuckin awkward lmao

What's the fic you've written with the angstiest ending?

i......don't really do angsty endings. like, most of my fics end with smooches and/or love confessions lmao, i don't like leaving things off sad, even if it starts depressing as hell.

maybe this one? it still ends soft but without resolving the thing billy was angsting about, so.

Do you write crossovers? If so what's the craziest one you've ever written?

hahahhha.............i don't really do them anymore, but i already said i was into the whole animation movie crossover thing, so. yeah, i did lol. it was when i was in high school so of course i did one that was like, every disney character ever and they're going to school together. which really isn't that crazy a concept, but it was a lot of movies to write in so maybe that counts

Have you ever received hate on a fic?

nahh, not rly. i don't get around enough to attract anti attention lol, tho i did get one of those "👎" comments when someone was going around doing that, which lbr, is so low effort it barely counts 😂

Do you write smut? If so what kind?

yea sometimes. i do get the occasional horny idea lmao. mostly "what if touch-starved character + tenderness" or someone having lots of feelings while they're fucking. someone is usually billy lbr. i've also got a couple "what if someone got tied up and treated right" ideas but i don't think i've actually published any of those lmao

Have you ever had a fic stolen?

don't think so?

Have you ever had a fic translated?

i have not

Have you ever co-written a fic before?

yea, kinda! a collab with a friend of mine for fun

What's your all time favourite ship?

i...don't know? i get emotionally invested in characters more than the relationships themselves lol. i don't even know what ship i've been invested in for a long time, most of the shit i shipped as a kid i don't give a fuck about anymore lol.

except fuffy, actually. i've always shipped buffy/faith

and if we wanna go with fandom i've actively stuck with the longest it'd be harringrove. cuz ive been here and writing shit for yall for over a year now when i usually would've cycled thru a couple fixations by now lol

What's a WIP that you want to finish but don't think you ever will?

that's a mean question lmao how dare you. i honestly don't know, i have a lot of wips and i want to finish all of them. i know i won't but there isn't one specifically that seems less likely than the others so idk

What are your writing strengths?

uhhhhh.....i mean i've been told that my characterization is good? like, ppl being able to picture the actual characters when they're reading n stuff, so that's nice. and i could write introspection forever, u don't even know man, i get in the zone. i love getting in a character's head and picking apart their emotional state

What are your writing weaknesses?

writing dialogue really trips me up because i get picky about word choice lmao. i can be writing uninterrupted for twenty minutes cuz it's all a character's inner monologue but the second they gotta speak out loud im sittin there like ok what words sound natural and how much would they be willing to say etc. etc. suddenly it's an hour later and i've written three lines of dialogue. plus i tend to edit as i go so i'm always stopping and going back and rewriting stuff instead of just finishing the damn story

What are your thoughts on writing dialogue in other languages in a fic?

no thoughts head empty

lmao for real tho idk? i mean there's that one trope, when someone says nice stuff in a language the other person doesn't speak because they're pining and not sure if they're allowed to say it outright, that shit's cute. im sure all the google translated dialogue has been annoyin as shit for native speakers lmfao but yeah

What was the first fandom you ever wrote for?

probably harry potter but i literally have no idea. i started writing fic in my early teens and that time of my life is a big fuckin blur lmao

What's your favourite fic you've written?

ngl i think my fav fic is one of the multi-chapter wips i haven't published lmao

BUT. if i gotta pick something yall have read, this one. just a lil guy. plant dad billy and domesticity. it's cute and i like it. maybe also this fic that i wrote for valentine's day. i wrote basically the whole thing in one day and i was really proud of myself lmao, and i just really like headcanoning backstory for billy & that fic is rly just about him growing up, so

tagging @rvspberryjvm @wingedbears @paperbodiesamongthestars @platypan

if yall wanna! 💕

[memes-saved-me]

I hope Steddie overtakes Harringrove on Ao3 and I hope it happens soon.

I hope they do their little celebratory dance and be absolutely insufferable for a time, even more than they normally are. And then… I hope they piss off.

I don’t care about the number of fics—no person with more than three brain cells does, I hope—but I do very much care about Harringrove fans being bullied and treated like shit by a fandom that tries to boast some kind of moral high ground (as if all those noble defenders of morality didn’t mercilessly bully a young woman to the point she felt pressured to reveal private emails from her employer). Recently I saw a whole wave of my favorite creators posting awful comments they got on tumblr or Ao3 and it makes me so damn tired of this show’s awful fandom.

So yeah. I hope they get what they want (especially since what they want is something no sane person gives a damn about…) and stop perceiving us as some kind of threat or competition or whatever. I just want this dumbass one-sided race to finally be over so they shut the fuck up lol. (Yes, I know they probably won’t because for some reason they are unhealthily obsessed with us, but a girl can dream…)

Yes exactly. I really don't give a shit about them being no.1 and even if it did matter I'd love to see the actual number of fics compared to the random spam ones. (I would have a giggle if ao3 removed all the spam and their numbers dropped because it would piss them off)

We always just joked about being No.1 because we get so much hate but in reality who cares? As long as there's nice fans and great content who cares about numbers? Seriously, they're obsessed to the point its embarrassing

I've said this before but it isn't a ship war if only one side is attacking the other while we sit here like 🤨 "damn okay". We really just want to be left alone but they're determined to act worse than Billy ever did so let them spend their sad little lives posting about a fictional character they claim to hate

I genuinely think a lot of these dickheads have only seem S4 because of Eddie and go off other anti bullshit instead of idk watching the show itself?? I really don't care if you hate Billy, that's fine but attacking strangers on the internet is literally bully behaviour? Saying abuse victims deserve to die or deserve to have been abused because they relate to a fictional character is so fucking wild I've never seen anything like it