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dragonflylady77 · 3 months

Text

the bit that mattered

a Harringrove Corner Pride fic (all told in Robin's POV) and a present for @whenyouwishuponastar7 and @discodeviant

I was given the prompt 'enemies to soulmates' and then I stumbled upon this post by @imsodishy with tags by @gravegroves and I knew I had a winner. Also, as a matter of interest, I found the doodle by @ihni from the same post...

Oh and this other post by @ihni also inspired a scene in the fic.

Harringrove & Buckleway | 7.2k

Tags: enemies to soulmates, Robin POV, Billy and Robin are secret queer besties, fake dating to throw parents off the scent of queer teenagers, Steve's bisexual awakening

Robin helps Steve realize his soulmate was under his nose this whole time, he just had to give a guy a chance...

“Can you run that one past me again, dingus?” Robin couldn't believe the sob story Steve was telling her. She’d heard about the fight back in November, of course, because the rumors had made the rounds at school for over a month. But listening to Steve recount his version of what had happened was leaving a bad taste in her mouth.

“Really?” He sat on the metal stool they kept behind the counter for when they were the only ones on shift. Standing around in an empty store was murder on the feet.

“Come on, Steve, humor me,” Robin said as she refilled the container of sprinkles.

They’d been working at Scoops Ahoy together for a few weeks now, and Robin was pretty sure she was Steve’s only friend who was his age. Those kids of his kept coming in for free ice cream, and so he could sneak them into the movies via the back corridor, but Robin knew Steve didn’t consider them his friends. Not really.

Heather Holloway had come in after her shift at Hawkins Community Pool, and Robin had managed to serve her that one scoop of strawberries and cream without blushing too much. Heather was so pretty with her long dark hair and her big brown eyes and bright red lips… Whenever Robin dreamed about meeting her soulmate, it was usually a girl who looked like Heather. She’d never told anyone about it, and kept the soulmark on her right wrist hidden under the band of her watch.

Heather had asked the guy who was with her if he wanted something but he’d said no. Robin had seen him around before, at school mostly. She’d briefly wondered if maybe he was dating Heather but the way he kept sneaking glances at Steve made her think that it was more likely she was not the only queer teen in Hawkins. She was pretty sure Steve had no idea, about her or about the guy, whose name, Steve had said with the utmost rancor, was Billy Hargrove.

“I’m waiting,” she said, glancing at Steve before she checked on the glace cherries. He’d already told her all about the Upside Down, and while she hadn’t seen any proof, she knew that weird stuff happened in Hawkins, so Steve’s story about monstrous creatures from another dimension, and a girl who could move things with her brain, made as much sense as anything else she’d heard.

Steve groaned but he complied. “Fine. Mrs. Byers, Nancy and Jonathan took Will to the chief’s cabin. Chief Hopper and El went to the lab to close the gate and I stayed behind at the Byers house with the kids because someone had to. Then Hargrove showed up. Max freaked out, she said he was gonna kill her, so I went outside to talk him down, and like, make him leave.”

“He came to get his sister, must have had a reason, you didn't think of that?”

“She was terrified, Robin. And she was right. I mean, he shoved me to the ground then went into the house and attacked Lucas.”

“From what you said to me, he asked about his sister and you lied to his face.”

“Well, yeah, but…”

“Do you not see the problem here?”

“No! He attacked Lucas so I punched him then we had a fight and he broke a plate on my head. A plate, Robin! I still have a scar!”

“Uh huh,” Robin deadpanned, because she knew Steve enough to know he had a flair for the dramatic. That said, he had shown her the scar. It was nowhere near as big or noticeable as his antics made it to be, but she wasn’t about to tell him that.

“And then he used me like his own personal punching bag until I passed out from the pain. The kids told me Max stabbed him in the neck with that syringe she found on the dresser and told him to leave us alone. Then we went into the tunnels to help El.”

“And you took his car.”

“Max drove his car, yes, but I had nothing to do with that, I was unconscious in the backseat for most of the ride.”

“I will grant you that one.”

“Oh thank you, o wise one.”

“Don't get fresh with me, Steven. You really don't see how wrong that whole situation looks from the outside?”

“What are you talking about? Hargrove is the one who showed up and attacked us. He gave me a concussion, Robin. The guy is a psycho.”

Robin lets out a sigh. She felt like getting the whiteboard out to help Steve understand how wrong he was, but the You suck/You rule tally was ongoing. She looked around but the store was still thankfully devoid of customers. Mondays after lunch were mostly dead, affording her and Steve much needed bonding time. “Okay, so, let's recap, and please do not interrupt me.”

“Fine.”

“The guy shows up looking for his thirteen-year-old sister at a house he doesn’t know, in the middle of the woods. The only people there with his sister are a bunch of thirteen-year-old boys and Steve ‘the Hair’ Harrington. The same Steve Harrington everyone knows is a hit with the ladies and who is rumored to have slept with over half the female population of Hawkins High.”

Steve opened his mouth but Robin glared at him and he closed it again.

“I said do not interrupt me. I know neither of us has siblings, but I have girl cousins and I know that my aunt would not take it well if one of her daughters was alone in a house filled with teenage boys, my uncle even less so. You lied to him about the sister he was looking for, you antagonized him, and then you threw the first punch. Is it any wonder he fought back? And don’t answer that, it was rhetorical. That means it doesn’t need an answer.”

“I know what it means, thanks. I did graduate from high school.”

“Good for you, now shut up. From what I’ve heard your children say when you illegally let them into the back corridor, Max’s stepfather seems like a total hardass, and she’s sneaking around a lot. Which leads me to believe her big brother, the aforementioned Billy Hargrove, may well have been under orders to bring her back, or he was trying to get her home before their parents came back. Either way, it seems likely that the older sibling would have been left in charge of the younger one.”

“You don’t know that for sure. I mean he—”

“Steven MiddleName Harrington, I swear to the goddess…”

“Sorry.”

“So, in all likelihood, Hargrove was left in charge of Max, and she left without telling him, and when he came looking for her, it didn’t go well for anyone, then Max shot her brother up full of some unknown drug from a syringe left unattended—not very safe, but whatever—and you, what, just left him unconscious on the floor while you guys stole his car?”

“Um, yeah, I guess… when you lay it out like that, it sounds really bad.”

“Dingus, that is what happened. Bet his dad was super impressed with him when he got home with no car and no Max.”

Steve groaned, leaning on the counter and resting his head on his folded arms. Robin took pity on him. She put her hand on his shoulder and patted it awkwardly a couple of times.

“I remember that both of you looked rather beat up when you came back to school, though you came back a few days before he did.”

“I did?” Steve sat up and stared at her.

“Oh yeah. I told you before, I’m very observant.”

“Riiiight.”

Robin lightly punched Steve on the shoulder, as punishment for his disbelieving tone. She was way more observant than him, that was for sure. “So, what happened after that?”

Steve shrugged. “Nothing.”

“What do you mean nothing? I thought you said he apologized?”

“Oh, well, yeah. He drove up in his car while I was waiting for Dustin at the arcade, and he said he was sorry about the fight. That’s it. Max said he apologized to Lucas as well.”

“And?”

“And he’s been staying away ever since, like he told Max he would, the night of the fight.”

“After she threatened to pulverize his boy parts with that nail bat you keep in the boot of your car, right?”

“Yeah, well, I don’t really remember that part, cos, yanno, concussion from that plate he smashed on my head, but Dustin told me about it in great detail, many many times.”

“That kid needs to learn to shut up, I swear.”

Steve chuckled. “He grows on you.”

“Yeah, like mold,” Robin deadpanned, making Steve cackle.

*****

Three days later, Robin was deep in the stacks at the library when she bumped into someone, causing them to drop the handful of books they were carrying.

“Shoot, sorry, I wasn’t paying attention,” she said, crouching to help.

“It’s okay, Buckley. I got it.”

Robin fell on her ass from the surprise. “You know my name?”

“Uh, yeah?” Billy Hargrove said, straightening up and offering her a hand up.

Robin accepted the help, still in shock, then followed the guy to the closest study table where he’d left his messenger bag. She sat across the table from him, her eyes never leaving his face.

“You gonna say something or you just gonna stare at me for the rest of the day? Only I have a shift at the pool in a bit.” He lifted an eyebrow at her, daring her to speak up.

“Oh, um, sorry. It’s just… how do you know my name?” She really, really, needed to know.

“You’ve been in my AP English class since I moved here and you play the French horn with the band every time we play a home game. Course I know your name.”

“Oh.”

“And…” Billy leaned forward, gesturing at Robin to do the same.

She complied, and watched, confused, as Billy looked around to see if anyone was near, before he whispered, “I’ve seen the way you look at Hank, and I can help, if you want.”

“Hank? I don’t…” Robin shook her head. The conversation was taking a surreal turn.

“Sorry, Heather. Holloway.”

“Oh.” Robin felt her cheeks heat up and it was her turn to look around, fidgeting with her rings.

“Don’t worry,” Billy whispered, both hands flat on the table. “I’m not gonna out you to anyone. I may be an asshole, but I wouldn’t compromise someone’s safety like that.”

“Ho-how did you…?” Robin stammered, glad she was sitting down. She felt like a breeze would have knocked her down. She hadn’t even told Steve, and he was her best friend. Maybe.

“Let’s just say you’re not the only one who has to hide who they truly are, for fear of repercussions.”

“When you say repercussions…?” She had to know. She had an inkling about Billy’s dad from some things she’d heard Max say but having confirmation she was right would be vindicating, especially the next time Steve brought up The Evil Billy Hargrove...

“Let’s just say I like being alive, Buckley, and leave it at that, ay?”

Ouch.

“Robin. And you must be joking. Please tell me you’re joking.”

“I had to tell the doctor I fell down some stairs and broke my wrist because Max told my dad she’d seen me sitting with a guy in the library at my old school, Robin, so you tell me. I was tutoring the kid in math but Neil didn’t give a fuck. Right after that, he moved us to this podunk town in the middle of fucking nowhere. Wasn’t fun driving with a cast, let me tell you.”

“Is that really why you moved here?” It seemed a bit far-fetched to her, relocating an entire family because of a misunderstanding like that.

“Well, Susan’s sister lives in Indianapolis, but Neil was more than happy to move me across the country to a less… permissive state.”

“Is California really better for, yanno, people like… like us ?” Robin whispered, elated her hunch had been correct and that she suddenly had someone her age to talk to about these things.

“Oh yeah. Well, I mean, it can still be dangerous, but, fuck, dude, me and some friends drove up to L.A. last year for the Pride parade and it was fucking amazing.”

“Oh my goddess… You have to tell me all about it, please!”

“Another time, friend. Right now, we need to come up with a plan for you, before I go to work.”

Robin’s cheeks were heating up again. “Oh, um, no, no, it’s okay, there’s no need.”

“Buckley, why do you think that Hank drags me to the stupid mall after every shift? It’s not for the ice cream, because her parents are loaded and she’s got a freezer full of nicer ice cream than your strawberry and cream at home…”

“Maybe she’s just your decoy so you can enjoy the view…”

Billy laughed and Robin startled. She didn’t remember ever hearing him laugh. They received glares from the librarian and a forbidding ‘shhhh’ that made them both silently snicker.

Billy sat back in his chair, the mirth now gone from his eyes. “The difference, dear Robin, is that the view I enjoy hates my everliving guts and I have zero chance in hell to ever close that deal, due to said view’s inclinations, while you, my musically inclined friend, don’t even realize how close you are to getting what you want.”

“You think so?”

“I know so.”

Billy’s watch started beeping, earning him another glare from the librarian, even though he silenced it quickly. “That’s my alarm. Need to get to the pool for my shift. I’ll catch you later. Think about what I said.”

Robin watched Billy leave, marveling at the absolutely unexpected yet terribly exciting turn her afternoon had taken.

*****

Steve looked like he hadn’t slept since their last shift together two days ago and Robin wasted no time telling him as much. He threw a dark look her way but said nothing.

“Aw, come on, dingus, don’t be like that. What’s keeping you from your beauty sleep?”

“This is all your fault, you know,” Steve bit out as he moved to refill the next container of sprinkles.

Robin didn’t understand why the store only offered sprinkles in the colors of the flag, but that might be because she didn’t really have a patriotic bone in her body. “How is it my fault?” she said, holding the jar of red sprinkles for Steve.

He glared at her as he put down the white sprinkles and picked up the red ones. “You made me feel guilty for something that happened over six months ago.”

“And? I didn’t realize there was an expiry date on figuring out you did something shitty and taking steps to fix it.”

“Oh, now I have to fix it as well?” Steve argued, spinning so fast the Scoops hat fell off his head.

Robin bent down to pick it up and put it down on the counter with a sigh. “Steve…”

“Robin. I draw the line at one concussion a year, thank you.”

“Oh my goddess, Steve, Billy isn’t going to punch you if you apologize for lying to his face.”

“One, you don’t know that, and two, since when are you on a first name basis with the guy? Pretty sure you didn’t even know his name when you made me tell you about the fight over and over the other day,” Steve said, fixing her with a stare that might work on his kids but didn’t work on her.

All the same, Robin was happy to be saved from answering by a slew of customers that kept them so busy they had to take their breaks at different times. Steve finished his shift earlier than her and she was only too happy to wave him off. The look he gave her before he walked out the door told her that he would demand answers the next time they saw each other.

Walking to the bus stop after her shift ended and cursing herself for asking her mom for a ride to the mall earlier that day instead of taking her bike, Robin startled when a vaguely familiar blue Camaro slowed down alongside her.

“Hey, Buckley. Fancy a ride home?”

Robin stopped and looked through the open passenger window with a grin. “Hargrove. Are you stalking me?”

“You should be so lucky. Get in, we need to talk.”

Dropping her bag in the back before settling into the passenger seat, Robin angled her body towards Billy. “Well?”

Billy threw the butt of his cigarette on the road then pulled away from the curb, waiting until they were back on the road into town to open his mouth. “Dropped off Hank at the mall after our shift, her mom is getting her a new outfit for our date on Saturday.”

What? Robin’s fingers dug into the leather seat under her. “A date? You’re going on a date with Heather? But I thought—”

“Relax, Robin, I told you I would help and I’m gonna. Me and Hank had a chat the other day after I saw you at the library and we came up with a plan.”

“Oh?” Robin wasn’t sure what else to say. She didn’t like feeling confused and so far both her interactions with Billy Hargrove had left her on the back foot.

“Yeah. Thing is, we figured if her parents, and my dad, think we’re dating, it will get them off our backs.”

“Okay…” That made sense to Robin. Being a queer teenager in small town America was scary if your parents weren’t accepting, and Robin knew she was lucky in that respect. Her parents were soulmates and they’d always told her they loved her and would love whoever her soulmate turned out to be.

“So the idea is that on Saturday night, I'm gonna pick her up, then pick you up, and we're gonna go over to the drive-in in Marion, and then I'll make myself scarce until the movie is over.”

“Oh god. You’re gonna… you’re… and she… oh god.” Robin couldn’t breathe. This was really happening. She was going on a date. With a girl. With Heather .

She didn’t realize Billy had stopped on the side of the road until he was crouching on the ground next to her, holding her hands and telling her to breathe.

“Deep breaths, Robin. That’s it. You got this.”

“I…I… oh god…”

“Hey. Calm down. It’s gonna be okay, you know why?”

“Why?”

“She likes you. She really likes you.”

“She does…?”

“Yeah. And you know what else?”

“No.”

“I’ve seen the way you look at her, and I’ve seen how animated she is when it’s just the two of us and she won’t stop talking about you. And I wonder…”

“What?”

“Your soulmark wouldn’t happen to be a flower by any chance?”

Robin eeped and she took her hands back to clutch at her right wrist. What the fuck was happening right now? She must be dreaming, there was no other explanation.

“No, dude, you’re not dreaming” Billy grinned. “I show you mine, you show me yours?”

Robin nodded because she couldn’t trust herself to keep her thoughts out of her mouth. Her eyes bugged out when Billy removed the watch he kept on his right wrist. His skin wasn’t as tanned under the strap and she immediately spotted the five point crown lightly etched on the inside of Billy’s wrist.

She scrambled to take off her own watch and share her own soulmark. “I’ve never shown it to anyone, not even my parents,” she said, her eyes tracing the familiar lines of the small violet. It had felt too private to share with anyone, not that she had many friends anyway.

“My friend Argyle back in Cali is the only one who knows about mine. Doubt Neil would take too kindly to this confirmation his useless son is a fa—”

“Don’t say that word,” Robin urged him. Then she remembered something Billy had said at the library. “Ooh!” She slapped a hand on her mouth then slowly let it drop. “A crown. I get it now. You think Steve is…”

“I don’t think, I know.” Billy sounded so defeated it broke Robin’s heart.

“How can you be so sure?”

“Basketball practice, Robin. Communal showers don’t hide much, even if you’re doing your best not to look.”

“Crap.”

“Exactly. So let’s focus on getting you and Hank together instead, alright?” Billy said, standing up again and putting his watch back on.

Robin did the same and waited until Billy was back in the driver’s seat. “Billy?”

Billy glanced at her then back at the road. “Yeah?”

“I, um, I was talking with Steve the other day at work, about that fight you guys had last November, at the Byers’ house, and I may have impressed upon him how wrong it looked for your thirteen-year-old sister to be alone in a strange house with a bunch of teenage boys, and, um, there is a slight chance that he might decide to apologize for lying to you and throwing the first punch, and yanno, taking your car while you lay full of unlabeled drugs on a dirty floor. Or something.”

“I’m sorry, what?”

“You heard me. So if he does, could you… not punch him? Maybe?”

“If, and that’s a big if, Steve comes to me to apologize, I promise to hear him out.”

*****

“Hey, dingus?”

It was Friday night, and Robin was lying on Steve’s couch eating popcorn from a giant bowl on the floor. He was sitting next to it on a cushion. Robin wasn’t really paying attention to the movie Steve had put on, too keyed up about the motherflippin’ date she was going on the next evening.

Billy was being the perfect wingman so she wanted to return the favor, and that started by testing the waters.

“Yeah?” Steve took a sip of his cola and turned his head to look at her.

“You ever think about what your soulmate might be like?”

“I used to. I had all these grand ideas about all that stuff, and for a bit, I even believed Nancy might be my soulmate.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah, but our soulmarks didn’t match, not even a little bit. And after that, I just… stopped.”

“Stopped what?”

“Looking. Hoping. If there’s a person made for me out there, I doubt they’re stuck in Hawkins, yanno? And since I’m never getting out of here…”

“Aw, Stevie, don’t be like that…” Robin patted Steve on the shoulder. “We’ll get out of this place, and you’ll find them, whoever they are.”

Steve let out a disbelieving snort. “Sure… As the person who started the You Rule/You Suck board, you know very well that my chances of that are about as high as my chances of getting into college.”

“What do you think they look like?” Robin asked, shushing him when he groaned his displeasure at her pushing it. “Come on, indulge me.”

“What don’t you tell me about your soulmate instead?” Steve pushed back.

“Um…”

“Ha! Not so keen to share now, are you?” Steve turned around to face her, his back to the TV, movie completely forgotten.

Robin sat up. This would make or break their friendship. She took a deep breath and threw herself into the deep end. “I’ve had the same image of who my soulmate is since I started middle school. I’ve always imagined her with long dark hair, brown eyes and—”

“Shiny red lips that match her work uniform and a first name that starts with H?”

Robin felt the tip of her ears heat up. Steve was watching her with his usual smile, and he wasn’t ordering her out of his house.

“I know I’m not the most observant person, but even I noticed how often Heather comes in for one scoop of the least interesting flavor we sell. And she’s hated my guts since kindergarten so…”

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you before. I wasn’t sure how you’d react, learning I’m into… you know… girls,” Robin whispered the last word, even though Steve admittedly already knew and they were alone in his house. It still felt like something she should hide; less so when she was hanging out with Billy, which seemed to happen more since that day at the library. They’d started spending their free periods together at the same study table of the seniors home room most days.

“You’re my friend, Robin.” Steve said. “Pretty much my only friend. And I’m not gonna risk losing that because we both like boobies.”

The serious way Steve said it launched Robin into a laughing fit and Steve joined her. When it ended, they were both sitting on the floor, her legs on his lap, the TV screen a flurry of static.

“Hey.”

“Yeah?”

“Can I see your soulmark?”

Steve shrugged. “Sure.”

To Robin’s surprise, Steve whipped off his shirt, dropping it on top of her legs, before lifting his left arm. He angled his head.

“It’s right there, on my ribs, by my armpit.”

Robin peered at the area Steve had indicated and, sure enough, there it was. A crown with five points, matching Billy’s perfectly. She couldn’t quite silence the ‘eep’ that escaped her and Steve frowned at her as he put his shirt back on.

“What?”

“Nothing. A crown for King Steve. Fitting.” She moved her legs off Steve and got back up onto the couch, her mind going a mile a minute. She needed to find a way to plant a seed in Steve’s mind, to help him open his horizon to a different possibility. She knew you couldn’t make a person queer, of course, but the universe had decided these two boys were soulmates, so she had to do something to help.

She tuned back into what Steve was saying.

“...left that king bullshit behind in high school when I realized I wanted to be a better person.”

“So it wasn’t just because you wanted in Nancy Wheeler’s pants?” Robin couldn’t help the snide remark, grinning as she said it.

“Oh my god, Robin!” Steve shoved her shoulder. “What about you? What’s yours?”

“A flower, on the inside of my wrist,” she told him, thinking how odd it was that two boys linked by fate had asked her the same question within a few days of each other.

“Dainty,” Steve said with a snort and it was Robin’s turn to shove him.

Still laughing, Steve stood to go put another movie on then took his spot in front of the couch again. “Hey, you wanna go for a milkshake tomorrow after work? My treat. You can help me figure out how I’m gonna apologize to Billy Hargrove without getting punched.”

“For fuck’s sake, Steve, stop making him out to be such a monster.”

“Sorry, I forgot you’re president of his fan club now. My bad.” Steve’s posture went all rigid and he kept his eyes on the screen in front of them.

Robin took a deep breath before she replied with something she would for sure regret. She forced a smile and slid onto the floor next to Steve, resting her head on his shoulder. “Dingus, you’re my best friend, you know that. But I think we’d both benefit from having more friends our age, and unless you really want to hang out with your ex and the guy she dumped you for, our options are limited.”

“But Billy, Robin?”

“Yes, Billy. He’s funny, he’s one of the top students at school, he drives a cool car, and he’s objectively, and by any standards, extremely good looking.”

“I thought you only liked girls.”

“I’m a lesbian, Steven, not blind.”

“I don’t know…”

“Well, I do, and I’m sorry, but I can’t go for a milkshake tomorrow.” Robin paused then whispered, “I, um, I have, um, a date.”

Steve spun so fast Robin fell over onto the carpet.

“A date! Oh my god, Robin! Is it with Heather? How? Wow! What the fuck!”

She sat up, rubbing her elbow that had taken the brunt of her fall. “Ow.”

“I’m sorry! You can’t just spring this on me like that! Spill, lady! I want details!”

“Yes, it’s with Heather. And, uh, it was set up by, um, a mutual friend. We’re going to the drive-in over in Marion. I’ve been kinda freaking out about it, to be honest.”

“A mutu—Oh. I see.”

“Do not start this again, I need my best friend right now, not King Steve’s high school vendetta.”

“Okay, okay, sorry.”

“Tell me something, why does he get under your skin this much?”

“I’m not sure what you mean.”

“Oh please, the mere mention of his name gets your hackles raised like no one else does. From what you’ve told me, it predates the fight you guys had at the Byers’ house. Did you seriously never wonder what it is about Billy Hargrove that makes you react so strongly?”

Steve’s eyes widened but he didn’t say anything. Robin patted Steve’s knee before standing up.

“I’ll get us another drink if you rewind the movie. I missed everything that happened in it so far.”

Steve nodded and moved to the VCR as Robin left the living room for the kitchen. She figured she’d done enough pushing for one evening.

*****

“Earth to Robin, need you out here, dude.”

Steve’s voice pulled Robin out of her daydreams. She checked her watch to see her break had ended a few minutes ago. She hurried back into the main part of the store and went to work, scooping ice cream like it was her calling while Steve rang the orders on the temperamental till.

Once the after school rush had died down, she picked up the mop and did a quick pass on the blue and white checkered lino while Steve cleared rubbish and wiped melted ice cream off the tables.

“You’ve been spacey all day, Rob. Are you okay? I hope it means you had a good time on Saturday night.”

Robin smiled as she finished cleaning then took the mop back into the back room. She waited for Steve to join her, keeping an eye on the main doors through the small window behind the counter.

“So? How did it go? What movie did you see?”

“I have no idea what the movie was, we were too busy making out in the backseat of the Camaro,” Robin said with a happy sigh. “Best night of my life so far.”

“Camaro? Hargrove’s Camaro?”

“Yes, Stevie. I told you Billy set it up. He picked Heather up first, to make it seem like they’re dating, and get Billy’s dad off his back, then they picked me up. When we got there, he parked the car and went to read his book at the diner on Main Street.”

“That was very thoughtful of him.”

“I don’t know why you’re so surprised. He’s a good guy once you get to know him. Sure, yes, he’s got some anger issues, but anyone would, with a dad like his.”

“Like what?”

“Are you seriously telling me you’ve never heard Max talk about how much of a controlling hardass Mr Hargrove is? I only see your kids when you sneak them in and I’ve heard it enough times.”

“Um, no, I tend to just tune all their chatter out. So he’s bad news?”

“He’s the kind of guy who’s only got bad sides.”

“Oh, okay. Yikes.”

“I probably shouldn’t have told you, because it’s not my story to tell, but I needed you to understand.”

“Thanks. I mean it. I’ve, um, I’ve been thinking a lot about what you said, and I’m gonna apologize to him for my part in that stupid fight.”

“I’m glad to hear it, because he and Heather are coming over after their shift at the pool. We talked about going for burgers and I think you should come with us. It will help sell it a bit more if it looks like a double date.”

Robin chuckled at Steve’s impression of a deer in headlights. “Don’t worry, dingus, we don’t have to hold hands or anything.”

Thankfully, Steve had recovered by the time they closed the store for the day and met Billy and Heather in the food court. Steve took Billy aside briefly and got through his apology without getting punched, like Robin had predicted. The look Billy threw at her when they rejoined her and Heather was filled with new-found gratitude and Robin felt a bit like a miracle worker on a mission from the universe.

They headed out in pairs, Robin giddy with excitement, as Heather’s fingers kept brushing against hers as they walked out of the mall and into the carpark. Neither boys were keen to leave their cars there so they traveled separately to the diner.

They piled up in a booth, Steve and Robin on one side, Billy and Heather on the other, and ordered. They made small talk about the highs and lows of their day at work as they waited for their food. Robin was vibrating with excitement. Heather kept smiling at her as they ate, their ankles locked together under the table.

When Steve excused himself to go to the bathroom after they’d ordered dessert, Billy leaned forward across the table and smiled at Robin.

“I don’t know what you said to him, but thank you.”

“You deserve better, Billy,” Heather said in a clipped tone, red lips around her straw as she finished her strawberry milkshake commanding Robin’s attention.

“Hank, this is more than I thought I’d get, as little as it is. At least he’s not glaring daggers at me anymore.”

“I’d say you’re welcome,” Robin told Billy with an encouraging smile, “but I’m not done trying.”

*****

Things got better slowly over the next few weeks.

Billy told Robin about Steve showing up at the quarry and how they shared a couple of beers as they smoked some weed and talked.

During another double date at the diner, Steve and Billy got into a very animated conversation about Dune, Billy arguing the book is better, while Steve defended the movie, despite the fact that he had absolutely not read the book. Robin and Heather escaped to make out in the bathroom.

As summer turned to fall, they left Scoops Ahoy to go work at Family Video, and Steve lived through another one of his father’s lectures about his future. He moped around for days afterwards and Robin wasn’t sure how to help then one night, Billy showed up. Robin left them to it and heard later about how they’d raided Mr Harrington’s liquor cabinet and got so extremely drunk they’d passed out on the floor in the den, and woken up cuddling.

Billy told her he’d pretended to be asleep until Steve went to the bathroom, then he’d gone to the kitchen to make coffee and pretended it hadn’t happened.

Steve hadn’t mentioned it at all. Robin said nothing but took mental note of the daydreaming look on Steve’s face that appeared more often the day after he spent time hanging out with Billy.

Then one day, she arrived for her after school shift at Family Video and headed for the break room to dump her backpack and her jacket, and Steve followed her. He seemed flustered, unusually so.

“You okay, dingus? Did something happen? Mrs. Wheeler get too close again?” Robin asked, a shudder of distaste at the memory of seeing Nancy’s mom seductively running a finger along Steve’s hand as she’d picked up her change a few weeks ago. Steve had washed his hands for like an hour afterwards.

“You!” Steve started, pointing his finger at Robin and pacing the small room. “This is all your fault!”

“What did I do now?”

“You told me to give Billy a chance. You told me I needed to have more friends my age. And I listened to you, and we’ve been hanging out, and talking. About all sorts of stuff. And let me tell you, lady, you now have serious competition for your best friend spot, just saying.”

“Okay…” Robin still didn’t see what about that would warrant the state Steve was in. “I fail to see how any of this is a bad thing, dingus.”

Steve collapsed onto the rickety chair that sat by the equally rickety card table Keith had installed in one corner. Robin cringed at the loud creaking noise it made when Steve’s knee started bouncing in time with Steve running his fingers through his hair.

She knelt on the floor next to Steve, and reached up to get his hands free from the now tangled mess on top of his head, really concerned now. “Sweetie, what happened?” she asked softly, cutting through his mutterings.

“Dreams, Robin.”

“What kinds of dreams, Steve?”

The look he gave her was enough of a clue. “Oh, okay… It’s normal to have, um, graphic dreams, you know that, we learned about it in Sex Ed class.”

“Sex Ed classes didn’t exactly cover having graphic and detailed sex dreams about your male best friend, Robin,” Steve told her in a rushed whisper.

“Well… no, they did not. But there’s nothing wrong with having dreams.”

“But what does it mean?” He sounded haunted by it and it broke Robin’s heart.

She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and gave him a rare hug before sitting back down. “It doesn’t have to mean anything. Or it could mean that you like both, girls and boys, I mean. Or…”

“Or what?”

“Remember when you asked me about my soulmate and I pretty much described Heather?”

“Yeah.”

“Well, as it turns out, her soulmark is the exact same flower, only in a different spot.”

“I’m happy for you, I really am, it’s great, but that doesn’t help me much right now. I need the dreams to stop. I am going crazy. I can’t sleep, because every time I close my eyes, I…”

“Steve, sweetie, maybe the universe is trying to tell you to stop fighting it.”

“Fighting what?”

“You know that crown on your ribs?”

Steve closed his eyes and shook his head. “Don’t say it.” His knee was bouncing again, faster than before.

“Steve...”

“Don’t say it, Robin.” Steve opened his eyes again and he looked about to cry.

“I’ve seen its match.”

“You’re telling the truth, aren’t you?”

“I would never lie to you, dingus,” Robin told him earnestly. The ding of the counter bell interrupted her train of thought. “Fuck. You stay here, take the time you need, and I’ll go deal with the customers.”

“Thank you.”

“It’s gonna be okay, Stevie. You’ll see.”

She left him there, closing the door behind her as she stepped into the area behind the counter. Her eyes narrowed when she took in the gaggle of Steve’s children gathered on the other side. She let out an exaggerated sigh so they’d know she didn’t have the patience to deal with them.

“What do you lot want?”

The annoying kid who never shut up glared at Robin. “We need to talk to Steve.”

“Well, you can’t. He’s not here.”

“His car is outside.”

Robin shrugged. “Dunno what to tell you. I’m not his keeper. He’s not here and if you’re not going to rent videos, you can leave. Shoo.”

She stared them down until they left, grumbling as they filed through the door.

“Hey.”

“Jesus!” Robin startled, not expecting Billy to appear in front of her. “Oh my god, wear a bell or something. I nearly had a heart attack.”

Billy chuckled and leaned onto the counter. “Sorry, Rob. Didn’t mean to scare ya. Is he really not here or were you just trying to get rid of the weird kids brigade?”

“Oh he’s here. He’s having a major freak-out in the break room.”

“Fuck. Is he gonna be alright?”

Robin and Billy had become pretty close over the past few months, as they bonded over shared interests and her secret relationship with Heather had progressed. She knew he’d made his peace with being nothing more than best friends with Steve, despite their matching soulmarks or his own feelings for Steve. She loved how much he cared for her favorite dingus, and she wasn’t about to start lying to him about Steve.

“I’m not sure. He was pretty shaken up.”

Billy groaned and rested his head between his arms on the counter. “It’s probably my fault.”

“What do you mean? What happened?”

He lifted his head and stared at a spot on the wall. “Last weekend, at the quarry, I stupidly mentioned soulmates. No, not like that , I just… asked him if he ever dreamed about his. Then he asked about mine. I stayed vague, for obvious reasons, but he kept asking and I may have snapped then driven off.”

“What the hell, Billy?”

“I know, I know, but I felt cornered, okay?” He ran a hand over his face then finally looked Robin in the eye. “I don’t know how much longer I can go on pretending he’s not everything I’ve ever wanted.”

Robin heard a click behind her and noticed Billy turning deathly white and frozen on the spot.

“Billy?”

At the sound of Steve’s voice, Robin turned around to find him standing in the doorway.

“Hey, dingus,” Robin called out with extra cheer in her voice. “Feeling better?”

Steve ignored her, his attention on Billy whose eyes hadn’t left his.

“Do you think we could talk?”

“Of course, pretty boy.” Billy cut himself off, and Robin spotted his cheeks getting pink under his tan. “I mean, sure, here, or…?”

“Here is fine.” Steve half turned, looking at Robin, a question in his eyes.

“I’ll cover for you, no worries.”

She motioned for Billy to follow Steve, and she’d never seen him look so scared. She closed the door behind Billy and turned the music up a couple of notches, just in case…

When they came out of the break room forty minutes later, they both looked disheveled and Steve was sporting a rather damning hickey on his collarbone.

He came to stand next to her at the counter and they both watched Billy walk towards the exit, though Steve’s eyes strayed decidedly lower than Robin’s. Billy pushed the door and turned to give them a little wave before he stepped onto the sidewalk.

“Not a word, Robin. Not a word.”

Robin mimed zipping her lips together but that didn’t stop her smile. She bumped her shoulder into Steve’s and he bumped hers back.

A large group of customers entered the shop and the two of them got to work, dealing with returns that needed rewinding, and issuing new movies. The job wasn’t exactly rewarding, they didn’t get paid much, but all that didn’t matter, because working together had led them both to find their soulmates.

And that was the bit that really mattered.

#harringrove #billy hargrove #steve harrington #billy x steve #dragonflylady77 #enemies to soulmates #harringrove corner pride event #hgc pride event #robin is the best wing woman #but she is so tired of steve's antics #billy and robin are secret queer besties

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troped-fanfic-challenge · 3 years

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JATP ROUND TWO FICS!

We received seventeen (17!!!!!) Fics for the Second Round of the JATP TROPED Event! These fics were fluff-filled and super fun, and we loved to see how you all challenged yourselves with the theme, tropes, and pairings!

Please try to read as many fics as you can! Take some notes, leave some kudos/comments for the authors, and help us vote on the winners!

Voting will be open until May 14th at 11:59pm EST! Vote here:

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/BZ3W5FT

Please rank ALL the fics in each question based on the USE of each trope, the theme, the fics overall, and the two bonus polls (best setting + most unique pairing)! Your #1 spot should be the best answer and your last spot the least likely answer for the question. The Best Overall Poll will determine who will be writing in the Final Round! We ask that you please rank EVERY fic, so we can avoid technical difficulties! A reminder that you must include a Tumblr or AO3 username/URL, and you may only vote once, we will NOT count multiple votes by the same person.

————

Okay, Campers, Rise and Shine! (Rated T) [Julie x Luke]

Summary: When Reggie launches a particularly ill-advised prank war at HGC Ranch, Luke's fully prepared to take it in stride.

When the days start looping, though, he begins to suspect that this might all be a little bit above his head.

In other words, he's at least 78% sure that the time loop isn't a direct result of Reggie's pranks.

Maybe 77%.

Oh, well.

At least he's not in it alone.

(The Groundhog Day meets Gravity Falls meets Summer Camp meets The Author's Own Distaste For Prank Wars AU that no one asked for. Ever. At all.)

Starting To Forget (Just What Summer Ever Meant To You) (Not Rated) [Flynn x Carrie]

Summary: Last summer didn't end on a positive note for Carrie Wilson - she and her girlfriend broke up on the last night of camp, and she's been miserable since. But it seems that the universe is intent on having her fix that this summer. Even if that means she has to live through the same day over and over and over again until she does.

Creative B.S. Was No More, Was No Less (Look Around, You're Gonna Miss What You Found) (Rated T) [Alex x Luke, Flynn x Reggie]

Summary: The midnight men move again

Don't know when

Best friends forever

In trouble again

Here's to you, here's to me

Over the rafters and we're free

--- Over the Rafters, Rick Schiffman

***

Alex and Luke go undercover on a mission to a summer camp in order to find a talisman that could endanger the camp and all the kids. While there, they bond with the kids and make peace with the fact that they broke up.

While Alex and Luke are away, Flynn accidentally fucks with time.

bitch but like romantically (Rated T) [Flynn x Carrie]

Summary: The dining hall’s exactly the same as it has been for two mornings now, and Flynn doesn’t hesitate to poke Willie twice on the nose and whisper “pancake” on her way past their seat.

His eyes widen and he whips his head around to follow them, excitement glimmering in their eyes.

“Really?” they blurt. Flynn rolls her eyes and nods.

or: flynn gets stuck in a time loop. {for troped jatp round 2}

down by the bay (Rated T) [Alex x Willie]

Summary: Over time, Camp Phantom has simply become known as a selective summer camp: one that took only the kids that Caleb saw promise in. And Caleb wasn’t exactly lying. He really did take only the ones he saw promise in, he simply looked for different traits than others might.

For example, say, hypothetically, a boy who could see the future. Or, hypothetically, a girl who could interact with ghosts. Or, hypothetically, a boy who could summon objects to him with a simple thought. Or, and this is completely hypothetical mind you, a boy who could manipulate time.

Those might be some traits that Caleb saw promise in. Just, like, as examples.

Time will tell (But only if you do it right) (Rated T) [Flynn x Carrie]

Summary: Carrie had been acting a little off for a week or so, but Flynn was pretty much known for seeing something in nothing, and that was probably what they were doing then. If something was going on, Carrie would tell her eventually.

Who knew all it took was a little bit of miscommunication to mess up time itself?

and so it begins (Rated T) [Bobby x Reggie]

Summary: It’s the first day of their second week at Camp Carolling (they’re spending an entire month, and they’re getting paid to be there!) when Reggie gets a little lost in the woods. During this misadventure into the woods, he finds an egg shaped rock, an inhabited cabin that may or may not be riddled with signs, and something that might be magic. He probably doesn't get paid enough to discover magic.

or, when they were thirteen years old, four boys met at camp carolling and eventually became a band that almost became something legendary. now, all four boys are coming back as counselors, three boys in one band and one boy in his own solo act.

so begins the reunion, though it doesn't go how any of them imagine.

Porcupine Day (Rated T) [Bobby x Ray x Rose]

Summary: It’s been fifteen years since Trevor broke up with Ray and Rose and they’re... not fine, but managing. But when Trevor to adds insult to injury and buys the camp across the lake from the one they once owned together, the two camps become locked in a bitter rivalry. With neither side willing to set aside their pride and work out their issues, the universe decides to settle their fates itself.

Day After Day (After Day After Day) (Rated T) [Alex x Willie]

Summary: When Alex met Willie just after their senior year of high school, they spent a wonderful three months dating before their relationship ended in a blaze of glory. Now, four years later, they meet again as counselors at a summer camp. The only problem? Alex keeps reliving their first day together. The day that Luke had declared "Prank Day."

This is not how Alex pictured his summer going.

clocks move faster (it's all we're after) (Rated G) [Julie x Luke]

Summary: Julie likes it when her friends are happy, so when she realizes she's stuck in a time loop, she uses her knowledge to make sure everything works out for everyone... except she conveniently forgets to factor herself (and Luke) into the mix.

Touch of Magic (Not Rated) [Alex x Luke]

Summary: When everything stands in Luke and Alex’s way of getting to be with the people they love, they have to repeat the day over and over until they can get the happily ever after that they want.

The play's the thing (that goes wrong) (Rated T) [Alex x Willie]

Summary: Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow creeps in this petty pace from day to day for Macbeth, but not so for Alex and the production of Hamlet that he is directing and starring in. And while he's stuck repeating the day of the performance over and over, mishaps of all kinds befall the cast.

anything, anything (for another run with you) (Rated T) [Alex x Willie]

Summary: The moment Alex steps foot in Camp Greenwood, he knows that this summer is a bad idea.

He knows it as soon as he sees tan skin, long hair, and a tie-dyed crop top at the check-in table.

Willie.

the camp counselor/exes/prank war/time loop fic of your dreams (unless you read all of the other troped round 2 fics lmao)

there’s a glorious sunrise, dappled with the flickers of light (Rated T) [Julie x Luke]

Summary: What comes next happens in slow motion. Luke’s foot catches on the last rung of the ladder. Julie watches as he stumbles a step forward, barely catching himself before falling on his face. The ladder clatters to the floor below. The trapdoor, no longer propped open by it, falls closed with a loud thunk, the lock clicking into place. They’re stuck.

“Luke!” she exclaims loudly. “Look what you did!” Julie drops to her knees in front of the trap door, desperately trying to fit her fingers between the wood and the stone to pry it open again. Of course it doesn’t work.

“What?” he snaps back. “I wouldn’t be up here in the first place if it weren’t for you trying to fuck us over.”

or: ex-best friends Luke and Julie, working as camp counselors at rivaling camps, find themselves stuck in a time loop

the daughter of apollo (Rated T) [Julie x Luke]

Summary: (the JATP x Camp Half Blood AU that nobody asked for)

maybe the world isn't ending (maybe it's been postponed) (Rated G) [Julie x Luke]

Summary: Alex runs his fingers through Willie’s hair. “I think it’s best to just leave them to their own prank war at this point. Let’s not forget that time Julie put hot sauce in the coffee pot and my mouth was on fire for an entire hour.”

“You’re exaggerating, Alex-”

“I most certainly am not,” Alex cuts Reggie off.

“Or how about the time Luke tried to put glitter in Julie’s bed,” Carrie joins in, “but got my bed instead? I can appreciate some glitter, but even I know when enough is enough.”

“Suffice it to say,” Willie finishes after they’ve passed around a dozen or so more memories of pranks from the summer, “we’re all done being your collateral damage. Whatever Julie has planned for you tomorrow, Luke, you’re on your own.”

It's the last day of camp and Julie has one more prank planned for Luke. He just doesn't know what it is.

Here We Go Again (Rated T) [Julie x Luke]

Summary: Julie blinked as she stared at the place Euterpe had disappeared. What did that even mean? What journey? Old places and lost faces? What was she talking about? But before she could dwell on the questions swirling around in her mind, the sky full of stars began to move, shifting in place and descending until they were all around her. Julie felt her feet leave the ground as she rose up and up. One star in particular was burning brighter than the others, growing bigger in front of her.

It grew and grew, until the light was blinding and Julie had to throw a hand up against the harsh light. She closed her eyes as the light surrounded her and then she was falling. Falling down, down, down.

#troped: jatp #round 2: fluff #jatp fanfiction #submissions #round 2 submissions #round 2 voting #troped: voting

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theamberfang · 4 years

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710

The Heroes CCL playoffs began today, so I’ve been watching that. I’ve noticed that I particularly enjoy theorycrafting about drafts. Even if I’ve played very, very little of the game myself, I’ve probably watched a few hundred hours of competitive gameplay by now (including HGC from years ago, as well as other events). I also know enough to occasionally disagree with the people providing commentary—which I don’t say as a point of pride, but as another example of me being active in my spectating. Though, I’m mostly just highly skeptical whenever commentary deigns to call anything “bad”; it’s so much less meaningful than trying to discuss why something might have been done, rather than just calling everything that they disagree with “bad”, even if it visibly doesn’t work out (because we’re talking about a game of incomplete information; so there are steps that lead to misjudgments and mistakes).

#daily journal

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barbosaasouza · 6 years

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Tespa Co-Founder Adam Rosen on Heroes of the Dorm, Hearthstone, and What's Next

With the school year coming to a close, that means it's also time for collegiate esports to take a break. But for the folks at Tespa, there's never any downtime. The organization dedicated to growing the college esports scene is coming off one of its biggest years ever and just wrapped up a wild month that included Heroes of the Dorm and the Hearthstone Collegiate Championship.

Shacknews previously checked in with Tespa co-founder Adam Rosen back in February, following the exciting Overwatch Fiesta Bowl. With another pair of events in the books, Shacknews checks back in with Rosen to reflect on Heroes of the Dorm, the Hearthstone Collegiate Championship, and also on what's next for Tespa.

Photo credits: Blizzard Entertainment

Shacknews: I want to start off by talking about Heroes of the Dorm. How do you feel the event went overall, especially compared to past events?

Adam Rosen, Tespa co-founder: Overall, I think the event went extremely well. It was really special for us to be able to take this competition, which now has four years of history, and bring it to Blizzard Arena, which I think really, from our perspective, represents the evolution of entertainment at-large. It was really exciting looking back and seeing all the changes that we've seen over the course of those four years. So comparing the responses that we got from year one from outsiders, media, and universities to the response that we have today from this event. I think it's amazing. And this year was also really exciting for us, because we were able to reflect on that growth a little bit and realize how pivotal Heroes of the Dorm has been in the evolution and the growth of collegiate esports, but also esports abroad.

Shacknews: How do you rate the Blizzard Arena in terms of turnout and atmosphere compared to some of the Heroes of the Dorm venues used in the past?

Rosen: So we sold out completely at Blizzard Arena and I think we sold out faster than we've sold out any other event previously. One of the things I love about Dorm is that the fanbase is so passionate. One of the things that we found as we were there and as I was meeting fans who were attending, I learned that there were quite a few people that prided themselves on being at every single Heroes of the Dorm, which to me is amazing. What we see is that fans who are coming to Heroes of the Dorm are so passionate, so dedicated, so energetic about collegiate esports. They're people who show up, who four years ago were college students themselves, and through programs like Tespa and Heroes of the Dorm, they've been able to go off and do amazing things within the esports industry as a whole. So I think a lot of that is fueled by that overall passion by folks who are attending.

Shacknews: Universite Laval won it all this year, the first Canadian team to not only make the Heroic Four, but also win Heroes of the Dorm. What does it mean to Tespa to have such strong Canadian representation and what was the original process for Tespa expanding into Canada all those years ago?

Rosen: So for us, we love that a Canadian school has won Heroes of the Dorm. We never had a Canadian team make it to the Heroic Four before and it's really interesting to us to see that Canadian schools are able to perform at the top level of competition, even though they're much fewer in number than U.S. universities, which are, by far, the majority of participants. I think one of the reasons why it's really special to us is because it really speaks to the level of competition this year and the playing field as a whole, which is getting a lot closer.

I look back to the very first Heroes of the Dorm, and I think if we were to look throughout the 64 teams that participated, there's a huge gap in terms of skill. This year, we were able to see that a lot tighter. I think throughout the competition we were able to see teams that we thought would do well. You got your UCI, which has a varsity team with scholarships and an arena that they have dedicated practice space in. You got your LSU, which had previous champions as a part of their team and everything going for them to win and to see those guys upset and see a team like Laval, who nobody had really been looking at as a clear frontrunner beyond this year, I think it's really special. And I think it speaks to the level that the competition as a whole is evolving to.

You also asked about our expansion into Canada and I think Heroes of the Dorm is one of those programs that... when we think about Heroes of the Dorm, I think it really represents, at a very broad level, what esports is all about. It represents the idea that you can be a student on campus who loves gaming, who wants to meet like-minded people, they can get involved, they can realize there's a pathway to play, and can pursue that passion all the way up to that big stage. For us, when we think about a program like Heroes of the Dorm, it makes sense for it to be acceptable to not only students in the U.S., but students throughout North America. It's been an interesting expansion for us, but I think it's paid off and we're super excited that a Canadian team has finally come out on top.

Shacknews: Does Tespa hope to continue growing internationally? Any countries in mind for the future?

Rosen: We aren't looking at any particular countries right now, in terms of what the next evolution is. But we're constantly looking at really understanding how we can continue to grow and continue to expand. I think as we look at North America right now, our program has grown to 260 chapters from the community side and we've reached 1,500 chapters from the competitive side and I think what we've proven is that there's this tremendous amount of interest on college campuses. There's a tremendous amount of interest, not only from students, but from administrators, from communities that are following these schools, and we think that has really helped to foster the growth that we've seen, looking back over the past four years. We're confident in looking beyond, looking into other regions, that there's just as much potential there. We don't have any specific targets that we have our eyes on yet that we're ready to talk about, but it is something that we're looking at.

Shacknews: Briefly touching on the tournament itself, were there any moments or matches that you can remember that made you think "The pro HGC teams can really learn from these kids?"

Rosen: Yes! It was the Cho'gall pick that happened!

twitch_clip

I think one of the interesting things about Heroes of the Dorm is that the students who are playing are willing to take risks sometimes. They're willing to try crazy strategies that maybe no professoinal would try in that situation. I think a lot of times they're willing to take some of those risks. And as we saw with Heroes of the Dorm, it can pay off, right? It surprises everybody and it's not only a fun experience for the players, but it's also really exciting to be able to watch as a spectator.

I think beyond that, I think one of the things that was also really interesting to me about the college students who were participating and made it to the Finals, they were just so happy to be there. They're enthused to be able to see something they've poured their hearts and souls into for the past year pay off and be recognized in such a public way. And a lot of them, it's very clear when I would go up to them and talk to the players, ask how they were doing, a lot of times they would say that they weren't sure about the competition and how they'd fare, but they were super excited to have the opportunity to play on that level. And I think that level of fun and that level of wanting to be there for the sake of participating in the competition is infectuous and I think everybody in Blizzard Arena during Heroes of the Dorm could feel how exciting and how fun it was and any player in the world could learn from that.

Shacknews: Now I want to dive into Hearthstone, having just concluded the Hearthstone Collegiate Championship. The 3v3, best-of-5 Conqueset format has been interesting, simply because it ensures that every class is played. Is that the main goal behind using that format?

Rosen: One of the things that we wanted to do was create a format that helps to highlight the elements of the team format. So typically, when we look at Hearthstone, it's typically played in a 1-vs-1 format. You have one player playing against another player.

One of the things that's really special to us about the team format is that we're able to see a lot of changes in the way that the game is played. We're able to see players start to specialize. We're able to see some people come together who are good at building decks, others who are good at research, others who are good at crunching numbers. And I think the Conquest format that we had, in terms of having every deck that's played actually represented, is really special because it helps to highlight the different strengths and weaknesses of the individual players. And it also helps to give each player their spotlight. We see that they're working together as a team, but still, every player is bringing something unique and different to the playing field.

That's one of the reasons that we like that format, but the other reason is that it's really fun to watch, with all teams having to come to the competition with nine really awesome decks prepared. I think it introduces a whole other level of strategy and a whole other level of interest when you're watching. It's a lot of fun and having the opportunity to see every deck represented in some capacity is really exciting.

Shacknews: There was a much more casual and intimate feel to this year's Hearthstone championship weekend. Is that mostly because Hearthstone is more of a laid back type of game in itself or is part of it to provide a contrast to the more raucous Heroes of the Dorm atmosphere?

Rosen: I think it's a little bit of both. When we look at our esports portfolio for collegiate esports, we're hosting leagues for six different games. We have Blizzard's competitive titles and we also have Rocket League and I think each one of the games is a little bit different. Of course the gameplay is different. The team structure is different. But also, each game has a unique look and feel. Each game has a bit of a special community and one of the things that we like to do from a competitive standpoint is that we like to really be able to honor what's special about the game. I think Hearthstone is a game that's super accessible. It's about friends coming together, playing, getting better, and competing against each other, but doing in a communal, almost family, setting. And I think the Finals this past weekend was a really good way to showcase that. You didn't see this, but a lot of the players the entire time came in as strangers and they left as friends. They were spending all of the downtime playing together, laughing around, joking, and I think that's really part of the fundamental nature of Hearthstone as a game, is the way that it can bring people togehter, even if they are competing at the highest level of collegiate competition against each other head-to-head.

Shacknews: That's a good way to segue into some of the players themselves. I want to talk about some of their stories. For example, you had a grad student from Stanford who's taken time out from her dark matter research. So I wanted to ask you, what individual stories from any of these competitors have you seen that have really made an impact on you?

Rosen: I'm going to take this at a broad level first. As a whole, one of the stories that I really appreciate is not just the player who's playing now, but also looking at how the player got to where they are and where they go in the future. Looking back at Heroes of the Dorm for the past four years, I think it's really interesting to see people who started their careers with Heroes of the Dorm and where they've gone today.

I think if we were to look at a lot of the players who are playing on professional teams, a lot of the players who are participating in the active divisions in North America, a lot of them got their starts through Heroes of the Dorm. This year, we had our closing ceremony where we were joined by two of our previous champions. We had Fan [Yang] from the very first year in 2015 and we had Michael Udall from 2016. Both of those players after participating in Heroes of the Dorm went on to participate at the highest level. Fan actually went on to win the World Championship later that year at BlizzCon. From there, we've been able to follow their stories, where Mike Udall has now started a team, he's the team captain, he's rallying other players together, he's really building a career around esports and all of that was possible because he got his start in Heroes of the Dorm.

I also look behind the scenes. We had one of the players from Illinois the very first year in 2015. He was a player who made it to the Finals, hadn't really done anything in gaming before, his name was Patrick ["Balarius" Benassi]. After the Finals, he looked at his campus and he didn't have a Tespa chapter on his campus. So he started a Tespa chapter and it quickly became one of the largest in his region and then afterwards, he started working with Tespa officially as a tournament admin and rose his way through the ranks. This year, he was actually one of the leads of the Heroes of the Dorm program itself. All from starting back as a player who wanted to play because he wanted to have a good time with his friends all the way towards coming into a position where he can help create these experiences for others. I think that's really special that programs like Heroes of the Dorm are able to provide that pathway where students are able to find their future, whether that means a future through gaming as a player or the future from an organizer perspective, whether that's production, administration, or operations, or even being the product lead for a competition like Heroes of the Dorm.

Shacknews: And lastly, what's next for Tespa?

Rosen: Now that our leagues are wrapped up for the previous year, we are all in full planning mode for the year ahead. We're super excited about the upcoming academic year for 2018-2019. Looking back this year, we made a ton of huge progress. We had six leagues, we gave out $1 million in scholarships, we partnered for the first time with major organizations like Fiesta Bowl, we partnered with Raycom Sports for a TV show that we distributed to 80 markets across the U.S., and what we're doing is looking at all of these major advancements that we've made and going back to the drawing board. We're looking at those things and saying, "Great. We had an amazing year. How do we make it better next year? How do we make it a better experience for students, how do we make it a better experience for the universities who are now forming varsity programs around these leagues, and how do we make it a better experience for the viewers? For the spectators who want to come in and be a part of the college experience, even if they aren't college students themselves?"

We're very deep in planning. We don't have any specific plans to talk about for what the upcoming year looks like, but we're super excited near the end of summer to be able to unveil everything.

The college esports season has concluded. Come back in August to learn more about what's next for Tespa, as well as the beginning of the new college esports seasons for Overwatch, StarCraft, and more.

Tespa Co-Founder Adam Rosen on Heroes of the Dorm, Hearthstone, and What's Next published first on https://superworldrom.tumblr.com/

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juliandmouton30 · 7 years

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3XN unveils staggered residential high-rise with spaces for Toronto's LGBTQ community

Danish firm 3XN has revealed its design for a 153-metre-high apartment building in Toronto, including a dual-level glazed plaza to host public events in the local area.

Retractable glazed walls surrounding the plaza will open onto a prominent corner of the Canadian city's Church and Wellesley district, known as the hub of its LGBTQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer or Questioning) community.

The architecture practice formed the design for the two-storey public space following a series of sessions with locals. It was decided that it was necessary to provide a space to host activities and events, such as the city's annual Pride Week celebrations – the largest in Canada.

Auditorium-style seating will face a stage on the ground floor, as well as form a large staircase to the first floor. This top level will also host social activities and provide views across the surroundings.

"We took a radical approach to the design process by engaging the community in at the earliest opportunity," said 3XN co-founder Kim Herforth Nielsen. "In fact, this was before our team had even started to sketch ideas."

"Inviting the public into the design process proved to be a powerful resource and have made significant contributions to the project we couldn't otherwise have achieved," he added.

"After the first meeting with the community it was clear to us that we had to design something that could animate the corner of Church and Wellesley. We therefore took a bottom-up approach to designing a high-rise focusing on how we could give something back to the city."

Designed for Canadian developer One Properties, the 43-storey-high Church and Wellesley tower follows a slew of large-scale projects in Toronto.

Earlier this month, Hariri Pontarini and Pinnacle unveiled its proposal for a tower trio on the city's waterfront and Foster + Partners announced that had began work on a skyscraper set to become Canada's tallest. Proposals by Henning Larsen, BIG and Frank Gehry are also at various stages in the city.

While the base of 3XN's tower will host public activities, the upper levels will be occupied by rental apartments. The architects have separated this upper structure into four blocks of different sizes, which step back from Church Street to create garden terraces on the eighth, 13th, and 19th floors.

This staggered facade will move the massing of the tower away from the commercial street and its low-level retail developments. A straight vertical facade will face Wellesley Street, similar to the other tall buildings found around Downtown Toronto.

Metal panels will clad the exterior of the tower, but will be punctured by large windows and terraces belonging to each of the apartments.

The homes will have their own kitchens, but occupants will also have access to larger communal lounge, kitchen and dining room to host gatherings with friends, or socialise with other residents. Other communal amenities include a theatre room, saunas, a gymnasium and yoga studios.

Herforth Nielsen founded 3XN in Aarhus, Denmark in 1986, along with Lars Frank Nielsen and Hans Peter Svendler Nielsen. The firm now has offices in Copenhagen, Stockholm, New York and Sydney.

Church and Wellesley, which is slated for completion in 2021, marks its first commission for a high-rise building in North America, while projects elsewhere include a tower in Aarhus that will be almost as tall as the Danish city's cathedral and plans for an aquatic centre in southern Sweden.

Hariri Pontarini and Pinnacle propose tower trio for Toronto waterfront

Project credits:

Local architect: Graziani & Corazza Architects Landscape architect: Ferris + Associates Planning consultant: Bousfields Structural engineer: RJC Engineers Mechanical engineer: MCW Consultants Civil engineer: WSP Geotechnical engineer: EXP Services Transportation engineer: BA Consulting Group Vertical transportation: KJA Consultants Wind: RWDI Acoustics/vibration: HGC Engineering Energy model: EQ Building Performance Building envelope: BVDA Engineering

The post 3XN unveils staggered residential high-rise with spaces for Toronto's LGBTQ community appeared first on Dezeen.

from ifttt-furniture https://www.dezeen.com/2017/10/18/church-and-wellesley-3xn-residential-high-rise-toronto-canada/

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dragonflylady77 · 2 years

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(header by @dirtbagdefender )

Harringrove Master List

Harringrove micro poetry on Ao3 (series)

Grease 2 AU ramblings

Harringrove Story Challenge chapter 5 by me

Fics:

Why fight a guy (when you can kiss him instead) [previously titled Steve can't take it anymore] - on Ao3

Never fall for a straight guy - on Ao3

A frankly ill-timed visit - on Ao3

definitely better than being dead (July 4 fic) - on Ao3

i wanna do everything with you (harringrove 24h relay race fic) - on Ao3

i got you a whole flower shop (valentine's day fic, Florist!Billy) - on Ao3

i know how i feel about you now (HGC valentine exchange, present for @spaceofentropy, Limo driver!Steve) - on Ao3

Mr Steve and the Monster Hunter (Harringrove Big Bang fic) - on Ao3

The Birthday Wish (Billy's birthday fic) - on Ao3

Not-So-Blind Date (harringrove 48h Relay Race Fic) - on Ao3

the bit that mattered (HGC Pride event, present for @whenyouwishuponastar7 & @discodeviant, enemies to soulmates, Robin's POV) - on Ao3

what's my name again? (July 4 fic- Amnesiac!Billy, post Starcourt) - on Ao3

the pull in his chest (Stranger Things Big Bang soulmates AU, post Starcourt) - on Ao3

you got it (Kings of Nowhere Harringrove Zine) - on Ao3

Harringrove Summer Bingo Fics (Masterpost here)

ready or not (C1 - hide and seek) - on Ao3

camping disaster (A1 - camping disaster)

i don't put out until the third date (B3 - ice cold cocktails) - on Ao3

a slippery mishap in the shower (A2 - black eye) - on Ao3

a royal wedding (C3 - blazing sun) - on Ao3

i'm in your corner (B1 - professional basketball) - on Ao3

what are your intentions with my brother? (A3 - dare romance) - on Ao3

not on the menu (B2 - free space) - on Ao3

Billy Hargrove Bingo Fics below (Masterpost here)

I have plot notes for 2 more squares (Tarzan AU and Phone sex so I will update if/when I get to them)

Pizza my heart (Billy Hargrove Bingo - A1 Hate sex) WIP - on Ao3

Steve's pick (Billy Hargrove Bingo - A2 Love at first sight) - on Ao3

Snowball fight at the old junkyard (Billy Hargrove Bingo - B3 Snowball fight (ch1) & A3 - The Party approves (ch2)) - on Ao3

Nobody puts Billy in a corner (Billy Hargrove Bingo - C2 Dirty Dancing AU) WIP - on Ao3

Text posts:

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Stuff I wrote for other fandoms

RWRB drabbles

Power Rangers 2017 fic

Spuffy missing scene fic

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Important Posts I love & Lists of HG fics by trope that I put together

Steve's hairy chest fancam vid by @shieldofiron (who is the bestest)

Dacre Smoking (direct your thanks towards @prettyboybillyhargrove for this one)

Neil Gets Dead Fic list (nothing I wrote but handy list!)

Ghost!Billy (handy list compiled by me, written by other people)

Ace HG (another list collated by me)

Merfolk HG (I like lists, okay?)

Camboy AU (you know you wanna read)

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barbosaasouza · 6 years

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Tespa Co-Founder Adam Rosen on Heroes of the Dorm, Hearthstone, and What's Next

Photo credits: Blizzard Entertainment

Shacknews: I want to start off by talking about Heroes of the Dorm. How do you feel the event went overall, especially compared to past events?

Shacknews: How do you rate the Blizzard Arena in terms of turnout and atmosphere compared to some of the Heroes of the Dorm venues used in the past?

Shacknews: Does Tespa hope to continue growing internationally? Any countries in mind for the future?

Shacknews: Briefly touching on the tournament itself, were there any moments or matches that you can remember that made you think "The pro HGC teams can really learn from these kids?"

Rosen: Yes! It was the Cho'gall pick that happened!

twitch_clip

Shacknews: And lastly, what's next for Tespa?

We're very deep in planning. We don't have any specific plans to talk about for what the upcoming year looks like, but we're super excited near the end of summer to be able to unveil everything.

Tespa Co-Founder Adam Rosen on Heroes of the Dorm, Hearthstone, and What's Next published first on https://superworldrom.tumblr.com/

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