#ihni does

[ihni]

BEHOLD! This year's gingerbread creation: Ginger the Octopus!

I bought a pepakura pattern from Papercraftfreakshop on Etsy (link here) and used that as a base, even though I had to adapt it a bit due to me making it in ... well, gingerbread.

The whole thing is 100% edible, and made out of gingerbread, icing (or is it called frosting?) and small chocolate candies only.

It has taken me ... AGES. Approximately about 30-40 hours? (just baking the pieces, one by one, took 15 hours over a weekend) But worth it. Look at her. She's so pretty.

(For progess shots and exclamation of regret, see here)

[weird-an]

Superpowers aren't common, but not so rare that no one heard of them. If the government gets wind of it, you'll get a great job there. If the power is of any use for them, of course.

Billy doesn't have a superpower. According to Neil.

"Growing fucking flowers isn't worth anything," Neil tells him when Billy first grows a rose on their front lawn when he is seven. "Stop being a useless freak."

Neil makes Billy mow the lawn and watch the rose getting cut into pieces. He's crying himself to sleep that night and wakes up with a poppy growing out of his pillow.

He's hiding it under the blanket until Neil finds it and takes the pillow away.

His mom lets him sprout little lilacs and monkey flowers. Hiding them from his dad, cheering at Billy when he does so. Like it is worth something. Like he's worth something.

But then she walks away and leaves him behind with Neil and Neil's words are the law and drier than any desert. So, Billy tries not to grow anything.

Home is cold and dark, not a good place for plants anyway. His fingers are itching and he dreams of jungles and endless flower fields, but he keeps it together. There's a little sapling trying to grow on his windowsill, stretching its little leaves towards the sun. Billy plucks it out every morning.

He tries not to be a freak, then later not to be a queer, too. He's failing at both.

It's actually easier in Hawkins. Billy doesn't want to grow roots here.

He's getting drunk, he's angry all the time, he's flirting with girls, he's in agony. The only thing growing in Indiana is his pain.

He tries to ignore Steve Harrington's pretty face until he somehow ends up on his couch. He thought there was a party, but he's alone. With Steve.

They talk, actually talk and not fight this time. Billy wants to kiss him. He's staying put on his place on the couch.

Steve tilts his head. "What's this?"

There's a snow drop on the couch. Growing out of the cushion. Tiny petals shining white.

Billy moves to pluck it out, to blight whatever is happening right now. Steve catches his hand. Holds it.

"Did... you do that?" His voice is filled with astonishment.

"It's nothing," Billy mumbles. "It's just some useless bullshit."

"It's amazing." Steve squeezes Billy's hand. "You're amazing."

Billy wants to say something, but he's got only Neil's words in his head.

Steve holds his hand for a while. The snowdrop grows a little bigger.

When Billy drives home, there's a passiflora trailing along his steering wheel.

"Not my car," Billy says to himself. It's been a while since it has gotten out of control. But he knows what that means. That the plants grow in his car and next to Steve. He doesn't have a word for it, but it makes him feel alive.

Based on a conversation with the lovely @ihni

[billyharringson]

The safety of rope

This is a Harringrove for Palestine fic for @ihni who requested Billy being tied up, miscommunication, and Billy basically being a spitting, feral cat when he's scared. Hope you enjoy it Ihni and thank you for donating for such a good cause.

Rating: Mature

Additional tags: Bondage, Rope Bondage, Safewords, Safeword Use, Light BDSM, Light Dom/sub, Gay Billy Hargrove, Billy Hargrove Needs a Hug, Soft Billy Hargrove, Billy Hargrove is Bad at Feelings, Bisexual Steve Harrington, Steve Harrington is a Sweetheart, Safe Sane and Consensual, No Sex, Miscommunication, Sub Billy Hargrove, Dom Steve Harrington, Abusive Neil Hargrove, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Harringrove for Palestine

AO3 link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/55968502

Full fic below the cut :)

Billy wasn’t a stranger to being tied up.

He wasn’t a stranger to being tied up by Steve even.

In fact, it was a rarity now that he and Steve even did anything without some kind of bondage or restraint. And he wasn’t complaining about that, giving Steve complete control of his body was one of the few things that made him feel completely safe.

But today was different. Today Steve was being gentle for some reason. Ghosting his fingers up and down Billy’s body almost reverentially as he maneuvered him into place.

“So pretty.” Steve cooed, tightening the rope around Billy’s left calf, pinning it to his thigh in a mirror of his right leg. “Such a good boy for me.”

Billy closed his eyes, tilting his head back so that he didn’t have to look at the almost loving smile on Steve’s face. “Shut up.” He whispered, mostly to himself. He didn’t need this; he didn’t want gentle. He wanted rough, wanted what they normally did, wanted Steve to take him out of himself, enough that he wouldn’t be able to think anymore.

“What’s that baby?” Steve asked, pinching Billy’s chin between his fingers and tugging his head down again.

Billy shook his head, testing the strength of the bonds tying his wrists to the bed frame, feeling the rasp of the rope against his skin.

“Does it hurt?” Steve continued, his hands laying like brands on his hips. Like everything that Billy didn’t want to deal with right now.

“So what if it does?” Billy replied, eyes opening again. He levelled a glare at Steve, yanking at the rope until he could feel the burn of it against his wrists. “Ain’t that the point?”

Steve paused, resting back on his knees, looking almost disappointed. “Not tonight sweetheart. Tonight is about treating you like the sweet boy I know you are. Tonight I don’t want you to be in any kind of pain.”

Billy groaned, yanking harder until he was sure that he’d be left with rope burn tomorrow, unable to do much more in his current position. He could feel tears burning at the back of his eyes. This was exactly why he didn’t do soft and gentle, especially not with Steve.

They were supposed to just be fuck buddies.

There weren’t supposed to be feelings involved.

Steve wasn’t supposed to give a shit about whether he was in pain or not.

Steve was just a safe pair of hands. Someone willing to give it to him as hard and rough as he needed. Someone willing to call him all the names that made his stomach clench and his skin tingle. Someone who could pull him back together again afterwards, whilst ignoring the tears that always tracked down Billy’s cheeks by the time they were done.

If Steve started treating him like he actually meant something, then Billy would be a goner. More so than he already was.

“Billy.” Steve’s voice was hard, closer to how he spoke when Billy broke one of his rules.

Billy released a breath he hadn’t realised he’d been holding, relaxing slightly as he looked down at his pretty boy. This was closer to what he expected. Now Steve would be rough, and Billy wouldn’t be able to stop him. This was what he needed.

What he deserved.

“You’re a fucking disgrace. You disgusting faggot.”

The words his father had spat at him the night before came slamming back into his mind, and he zeroed in on the still developing bruises that covered his ribs. He was fairly certain that at least one of them was broken, he’d been struggling to breathe all day, the fire burning through his lungs leaving him practically vibrating with the need for someone to replace the pain with something else.

For Steve to replace it with something else. A kind of pain that he could revel in. Because pain inflicted by his father felt wrong, pain inflicted by Steve felt clean.

“Billy.” Steve repeated, resting a hand on Billy’s cheek. “Billy, look at me.”

“Just fuck me already.” Billy snapped, doing as Steve asked as he glared at him. “That’s why I'm here, stop with this mushy shit. Just use me.”

Steve stared at him for a moment, his large doe eyes filled with something so close to pity that Billy found himself snarling. “Billy…”

“Fuck you.” Billy hissed, tugging at his bonds again, wiggling against the covers like a turtle that had been flipped upside down. “Untie me.”

“No.” Steve’s firm response was enough to cause Billy to pause.

“What?” Billy’s chest was heaving, and he didn’t even know why. “Untie me.” He repeated.

Steve shook his head, shuffling forward until he was knelt between Billy’s legs. He began stroking up Billy’s sides again, keeping his touches light and gentle until he reached the spot just below his sternum where Neil’s latest punishment had really started to show, a dark black bruise in the vague shape of a boot. “I’m not untying you sweetheart; you need this tonight.”

“Need what? For you to give me blue balls and stop me from being able to do anything about it?” Billy asked, his voice growing desperate. He was suddenly aware of how exposed he was, lying on his back, completely naked, with his arms tied above his head and his legs strapped against his torso.

Steve was beginning to smile, the expression so loving that Billy let out an unconscious whine. “You need me to take care of you.” He said, cooing when Billy bared his teeth. “I want to take care of you, baby.”

Billy shook his head, tears now flooding his vision and undercutting his next statement somewhat. “I need you to either fuck me or go fuck yourself.”

Steve actually laughed at that, leaning forward and kissing him, soft and gentle. Completely different from every other kiss they’d ever shared. Billy couldn’t help himself, whimpering as Steve licked into his mouth. He kissed back, desperately trying to push it into the familiar, rough, needy territory that all of their previous kisses had. “I’ll fuck you, pretty baby. You’ve just got to be patient; I’ll make it so good for you. Show you just how precious you are.”

“I’m not.” Billy said before he could stop himself, the words choking out around his sobs. “I don’t want this.”

“Don’t want what?”

“You can’t be nice to me.” Billy was openly crying now, unable to stop himself. “I don’t… I don’t deserve it.”

“Shhhh.” Steve whispered, kissing all over Billy’s face and down his neck. “You do. Sweetheart, you do. You deserve the world, Billy. You deserve everything I can give you.”

“Stop it.”

“Say the word.” Steve said, murmuring the words against the warm skin of Billy’s collar as he sucked a dark bruise onto the juncture where his neck and shoulder met. “You know that you just have to say the word and I'll stop.”

Billy bit down on his bottom lip to stop from replying, hard enough that he could taste blood. He’d made a promise to himself when they started this, and Steve had demanded that he choose a safe word before they did anything non-vanilla. He’d promised that he would never say it. He wasn’t a pussy; he could take whatever Steve dished out.

Steve sat back, pulling Billy’s lip free and tutting as he noticed the blood glistening there. He swiped his thumb over his bottom lip, humming to himself. “Why do you want me to hurt you so bad, sweetheart?”

Billy blinked, opening his mouth to respond, but then Steve spoke again and anything he could have said vanished into the ether.

“Why don’t you want me to love you?”

Billy lay there, frozen, he wasn’t sure for how long, but Steve didn’t break eye contact once. He couldn’t breathe, feeling every emotion that he’d tried so hard to bury surging to the surface.

“You don’t mean that.” He found himself saying.

“Don’t I?” Steve asked, tracing idle shapes over Billy’s stomach until he reached one of the bruises.

“You can’t mean that.” Billy amended, flinching as Steve pressed against his damaged ribs.

“I do.” Steve said simply, seeming so sure of himself that Billy almost believed him. “And whatever he’s said to you, or done to you, to make you think that I couldn’t. It’s not true.” Steve ducked forward suddenly, until their noses touched. “And I'll spend the rest of my life proving that to you, if you’ll let me.”

Billy could feel his life crumbling away as he stared into Steve’s earnest eyes. He’d tried so hard to hide himself, to hide everything about himself that made him weak. His home life, his father, the lowly simmering obsession he’d had for Steve since they’d first met. And yet somehow, Steve had seen all of it.

And the fact that apparently, Steve still wanted to be around him after seeing everything, terrified him.

“Pumpkin.” Billy breathed.

Steve leapt into action instantly, undoing the ropes tying Billy’s wrists to the headboard. Then he moved to the ones wrapped around Billy’s legs. He tossed the rope to the floor, stretching Billy’s legs out and smoothing his hands down his tense muscles. “Okay baby, I've got you, I've got you.”

“Don’t…” Billy trailed off, not sure what he was about to say. Part of him hadn’t expected Steve to actually do anything when he said his safe word, so now that he was free, he wasn’t sure what to do. He held his hands against his chest, staring up at the ceiling as Steve lay down next to him. “I don’t…”

“Do you want me to leave?” Steve asked, like they weren’t currently in his bedroom. Like he’d be happy to let Billy stay in his room whilst he went elsewhere.

Billy shook his head. He might not know what he wanted, but he knew he didn’t want to be alone right now.

“Can I touch you?” Steve asked, pulling Billy into his arms when he nodded. He tucked Billy’s head under his chin, stroking through his hair. “I’m sorry.”

“Why are you apologising?” Billy asked, still at a loss. He felt oddly floaty, like his body didn’t currently belong to him. Any arousal he’d had when they’d started this had disappeared ages ago, but somehow he felt satisfied and limp the way he normally did after Steve had worked him over.

“You used your safe word, so I obviously went too far. I’m sorry if I jumped the gun, I've just… I've been wanting to tell you how I feel for weeks now.” There was a pause before he spoke again, his voice quiet. “I’m sorry if I ruined this.”

Billy closed his eyes, sinking into Steve’s arms as he began to cry. “I don’t know how to be with someone like this.” He admitted. “I don’t know how to… let you…”

“Let me love you?”

Billy nodded.

“You’ve been doing an amazing job so far.” Steve said, laughing quietly when Billy looked up at him. “I’ve been in love with you for months now baby.”

Billy gaped at him, they’d only been doing… whatever they’d been doing… for a few months anyway. “I…”

“You don’t have to say it back.” Steve said. “I know what we agreed to.”

Billy swallowed, feeling like he had something clogging in his throat. “You… know what I am.” He whispered.

“And what are you?” Steve asked, like he genuinely wanted to know.

The dictionary of names that his father had labelled him with flashed through his mind, mixing with the dirtier names that Steve had called him in bed. Faggot. Whore. Filthy degenerate. Slut. Disappointment. Broken. Worthless.

“Trash.” He said quietly.

Steve’s smile grew. “I know what you are.” He said, shaking his head.

“What am I?” Billy asked, heart clenching with fear. He wasn’t sure he wanted to know the answer.

“You’re mine.” Steve said, like it was the simplest thing in the world. “My wonderful, sweet, strong boy. My Billy.”

Billy let out a breath, eyes fluttering closed as Steve pressed a tentative kiss to his lips. He sunk into it, allowing himself, for this moment at least, to believe him.

“Can I stay?” He asked when they broke apart. “I don’t… I can’t go home tonight.”

“Of course you can stay.” Steve replied instantly, kissing him again. “You can stay as long as you want, baby.”

“Even though I ruined it?”

“Ruined what?” Steve was petting up and down his back with one hand as he spoke, cradling the back of Billy’s head with the other.

“I used my safe word… I stopped it.”

“You did exactly what you needed to do. That’s what your safe word is for baby. I’d be upset if you didn’t use it and just let me do something you hated.”

Billy didn’t respond for a long time, mapping the trail of moles spattered over Steve’s shoulder as he tried to digest that information.

“Have you… were there times before where you wanted to use your safe word and didn't?” Steve asked quietly. “Because you were worried that I would be upset?”

Billy contemplated lying, if only to see how Steve would react, but eventually he shook his head. “No.” He sighed, the action causing pain to stab through his chest. “I… but I was going to.”

“You were going to use it?” Steve asked, his brows drawn in confusion when Billy shook his head again. “You… weren’t going to use it?”

“I didn’t want us to stop.” Billy tried to explain. “I thought… we were just getting our rocks off together, I didn’t… I didn’t want to do something that would make you stop that.”

“Oh, sweetheart.” Steve sounded heartbroken, his large doe eyes glistening with tears. “Why would you think that? Why would you think that setting boundaries would stop me from wanting to be with you?”

Billy watched as understanding dawned on Steve’s face. He never understood why so many people brushed Steve off as stupid, his pretty boy might not be book smart, but he understood people. He understood Billy, more than Billy understood himself most of the time.

“I love you.” Billy found himself saying, almost taking it back when Steve’s eyes widened. But then he was being kissed, feeling the curve of Steve’s smile even as tears dropped onto his cheeks. “I didn’t want to lose you, and I don’t know how to talk about this shit. So I just…”

“You’re perfect.” Steve whispered, kissing him again.

Billy snorted, tucking his head under Steve’s chin in an attempt to hide his blush. “Maybe you should tie me up more often.”

“I thought I already tied you up a fair amount but you’re right, if it gets you to say cute shit like that, then I'll tie you up as much as you want.”

[thissortofsorcery]

💞A different type of rec list ask game, to rep your own fics and other authors you enjoy.💞 Spell out your user name with fic recs. If the letter correlates to one of your fics you rec it (no duplicates use a different fic for repeat letters.) If you get to a letter you don’t have a fic title for you rec one you‘ve liked from someone else. 💖Send this to someone who might need a little love on their own fics or just like spreading the love.💖

Oh, my username is LONG, this is gonna be HARD (haha get it). Keeping it Harringrove to keep it simple (for myself. I have over 3k bookmarks on ao3)

The Green Hawkins Tigers Sweatshirt, by me. 1k, Steve comforts Billy after a run in with Neil.

Hook Possum, by @platypanthewriter. 16k, Steve's a camp counselor and there's a guy Possum Mascot he's very friendly with. This fic had me laughing and giggling from start to finish. It's ART.

I Had to See You, by me. Almost 2k, Billy and Steve broke up three weeks ago, and Steve shows up on Billy's doorstep. One of the fics I'm proudest of.

sad-eyed lady of the lowlands, by @whenyouwishuponastar7. 94k, Steve is a professional babysitter, and is hired to look after Max after she and her older brother move to Hawkins. This was the first fic I read from her and I FELL IN LOVE. Absolute masterpiece. Every time she posts new fics I run to read them so fast.

Shout At The Devil, by @writerwhowritesao3. It's actually a series (155k) that has me by the balls, but the first fic(68k) can be read on its own just fine. It's a retelling of season 2 and it's delicious. It also gives Susan a personality. I would tag just the first fic, but I don't have a J in my username and I HAD to.

Of Cats and Men, by @ihni. 39k, Billy hits a cat with his car, and has to take care of three little kittens. Steve helps. This fics is EVERYTHING to me. Billy and cats get me every time, right in the heart. You will need to hug your pet when you read this, though.

Run for the Shadows, by @shieldofiron. 36k, this fic is DELICIOUS. Friends with benefits to lovers, OBLIVIOUS STEVE. So oblivious. Pure of heart, dumb of ass. I had such a great time reading this fic.

Towel Talks, by @weird-an. 10k, after s3, Steve finds Billy in the community pool sauna. I love this one because An does caring Steve SO WELL. I was like this 🥺 the whole time I was reading it. It's so so good.

On Loving Billy, by lilpeas. I don't know their tumblr. 16k, this is THE break-up and make-up fic. It hurts SO GOOD, their emotions are so beautifully written out. It wrung everything out of me. Love.

for what you have tamed, by skoosiepants. Don't know their tumblr either. 10k. Billy is a cat and a dragon, and he keeps saving Steve's life. I LOVE magical realism, and this fic builds the world incredibly well. It's such a good read.

Sideways, by @robthegoodfellow. 46k. THIS FIC. It spins season 2 on its head so fucking well, oh my god. Rob is such a good writer, I've read this fic more than once and it gets to me every time. Their Billy is incredible.

Only The Freaks Come Out at Night, by shippingmyarmada (idk their tumblr). 67k. GREAT post s2 fic. You know I cry from happiness when I find a post s2 fic. This one is really, really well done.

Rotten Apples, by @weird-an. 14k. It's. a. WITCHER. AU. Do I need to say anything else???????? I love this so much. So much. You have no idea.

Camaro, by @lovebillyhargrove. I'm cheating a little on this one bc I don't know the name of the fic and I wanted to include it, and it's about the Camaro coming alive after season 3 and going on a killing spree to avenge Billy. It gets EVEN BETTER from there. Ana wrote this so well, whenever a chapter dropped on tumblr I lost my shit.

every night fucks every day up, by anonymous. 8k. It's a modern AU, and you know I love my modern AUs. Steve and Billy interact through snapchat. I have a soft spot for snapchat because i first heard about this app reading a Sterek fic in january 2014. This has nothing to do with the fic.

Read to Me?, by lemonlovely (idk tumblr). 12k. Someone leaves books with marked passages at Family Video for Steve. It's SO CUTE. SO CUTE. I love it.

Yeah, It's Me, by @callieb. 29k. Another fic that's between s2 and s3, and this one is SOOOOO GOOD in that their relationship starts as a FWB that's kind of unhealthy and I just about died reading this. Happy ending though. Trust me, it's worth it.

And that's done! It took me over 2 hours to put this together lmao so go give these fics and these writers some love! They deserve it.

[dragonflylady77]

Questions for fanfic authors

I was tagged by @xthelastknownsurvivorx

How many works do you have on AO3? 47 (holy shit!)

What's your total AO3 word count? 80,885

What fandoms do you write for? Mostly Stranger Things (harringrove), then a tiny bit of Red, White & Royal Blue (firstprince), a Spuffy one shot, and a Power Rangers 2017 one shot.

Do you respond to comments? I try to, yes. Then I find some I forgot to respond to and I feel really bad.

Have you ever had a fic stolen? not that I know of.

Have you ever co-written a fic before? yes, a long time ago. I was beta-ing a Spuffy fic for my bestie Kitty and I kinda wrote the 3rd (and last) chapter of that fic. I read it again a couple of years ago and OMG the head-hopping was bad and the smut was kinda cringe.

What's your all-time favourite ship? harringrove!!!! Even if I've been reading a ton of firstprince (and some tarlos, and also Lizzie/Darcy), my heart belongs to Billy and Steve.

What are your writing strengths? dialogue, banter, happy endings, fluff (just ask @shieldofiron.

What are your writing weaknesses? actions scenes, full on MM smut (still scares me a bit).

First fandom you wrote for? um, does NKOTB RPF when I was in my late teens count? Otherwise, Spuffy.

no pressure tags @ihni @onthewaytosomewhere @lalazeewrites @biillyhargroves @spaceofentropy @thissortofsorcery @shieldofiron @robthegoodfellow @fizzigigsimmer @adelacreations @forever-fixating @kiwiana-writes @anincompletelist @billyharringson @camaro-and-smokes

[missroserose]

13 books meme

@introvertia tagged me in this (thank you, lovely, you're such a positive influence on my reading consistency <3) So let's talk books!

1) The Last book I read:

The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell. Absolutely destroyed me—90's science fiction, examining the paradoxes of faith and the difficulties of cross-culture exploration, seasoned with a hefty dose of grief and frustrated desire. Might as well have been written for me.

2) A book I recommend:

The Wicked & The Divine, by Kieron Gillen and Jamie McKelvie. A sprawling examination of the celebrity-industrial complex, cultural and individual objectification, and the dark side of fandom culture. Well worth reading through in its entirety.

3) A book that I couldn’t put down:

Starling House, by Alix E. Harrow. I'm a sucker for a fierce and driven heroine who makes things happen by sheer force of will, despite the odds being against her. Between that and the deliciously spooky atmosphere, I adored this book.

4) A book I’ve read twice (or more):

<i>Good Omens</i>, by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett. Hardly an original answer on this website, but it's a classic for a reason <3

5) A book on my TBR:

Victor Lavalle's The Changeling, thanks to @introvertia's recommendation. I know nothing about it but I'm looking forward to reading it!

6) A book I’ve put down:

The War of Art, by Steven Pressfield. I know that the accepted formula for self-help books is to present your one theory and explain why it solves every problem in the known universe, and I hate it, which is probably why I don't read a lot of self-help books. Needless to say, around the time this dude claimed that Hitler wouldn't have become a mass murderer if he'd followed the book's advice, I gave up in disgust.

7) A book on my wish list:

Honestly, I don't have many? I've been enjoying reading from the library, in part because my bedroom is already showing the strain of previous book-buying sprees.

8) A favorite book from childhood:

The Woman Who Rides Like a Man, by Tamora Pierce. I read the entire Alanna series numerous times but I think this was my favorite—I really loved seeing her come into her own independence and learn a new culture (and one that accepted her unusual gender presentation).

9) A book you would give to a friend:

Again, depends strongly on the friend...but I can think of more than a few who'd enjoy the old-school gothic fairytale setting and viciously driven heroine of A. G. Slatter's All the Murmuring Bones.

10) A book of Poetry or Lyrics you own:

Hm...does the script to Hedwig and the Angry Inch count?

11) A nonfiction book you own:

The Devil in the White City, by Erik Larson—they practically issue you a copy when you move to Chicago. (In fairness, it's a cracking read.)

12) What are you currently reading:

Skin Folk, a collection of short stories by Nalo Hopkinson. I'm also rereading (or re-listening to) Mike Carey's The Devil You Know, and enjoying it rather better this time around—I think the first time I tried it, almost ten years ago, I was expecting something more along the lines of The Dresden Files and wasn't quite old enough to appreciate the more emotionally battered and worn-down middle-aged protagonist. Now, being a decade older and having lived through a global pandemic and seen rather more of just how terrible people can be to each other...I think it's more my speed. And possibly good research for if I ever get my angel noir story off the ground.

13) What are you planning on reading next?

Definitely The Changeling.

Bonus Round Shelfie?

I'm at a library right now but I might add one later!

Tagging: @klove0511, @sirsparklepants, @emiliosandozsequence, @skybound2, @ihni, @callieb, @lord-angelfish, @redmyeyes, @misschinablue, and @sea-salted-wolverine—no pressure, obviously, but I'd be interested in your answers!

[camaro-and-smokes]

Bookmark rec

Thank you @ihni for coming up with this idea and tagging me :)

Rules: Pick (at least) ten fics from your AO3 bookmarks, and post them with links and a note of why you like them or why you picked them (alt. your bookmark comment). Then, as tradition goes, tag ten people. Or something, whatever, I'm not your boss.

So here's my list. I'm horrible in describing WHY I particularly like something because I hate analysing fanfics. But I can assure you that each and every one on this list has risen tons of emotions in me. Happiness, sadness, compassion, pain and so on - all that good stuff. And my god HOW MANY AMAZING FICS I HAD TO LEAVE OUT!!! Check out my whole bookmark list for more.

-----

come a little closer (i want you to stay a while) by hazel1706 (12k / Harringrove/son-ish) I honestly don't know what to say about this fic. Not because it's bland but because I've read this...*checks history*... 30 TIMES OVER THE LAST 7 MONTHS. They wrote this for me as a gift in Harringrove Holiday Exchange 2022 and I've never read anything that matches what I like to read/write so perfectly as this fic does. There's pining and there's lemon and so many things going on inside the heads of the characters and and and... Mostly Harringrove with Harringroveson undertones + genderqueer Billy. It has everything I love and need and it's perfection. 💜

The Flatshare by CallieB (47k / Harringrove) Billy moves in with Steve and there's only one bed. But they haven't even met. The idea is so intriguing and unique that it just drew me in immediately.

First to Burn by boltblum (76k / Harringrove) Au where Billy moves nextdoor to Steve, and they grow up as friends. I'm bad in reading long fics bc I can't concentrate but this one kept me hooked throughout. And in the end made me sob uncontrollably.

Cherry by LazyBaker (58k / Harringrove) Billy has gender issues. That right there is like catnip for me, can't help it.

Hands Off the Merchandise by mounrtheantagonist (3,6k / Harringrove) This was the first fic I read that had Billy in lingerie in it. A new kink (men in lingerie) has never been unlocked so quickly as what it did when I read this.

love me the way you love water by lutes_and_dandelions (23k / Harringrove) Six chapters of pining. No other explanation needed.

Shit-faced by SunshineWarrior (8,3k / Harringrove) I'm a sucker for drunk confessions. And this is all about those.

Running scared by Thei @ihni (1,9k / Billy Hargrove) An embarrassing confession coming up in three, two, one: I love Transformers. *Hey! We don't always choose what we love, okay?* So, this has those vibes and I absolutely love this fic.

If I only Told You by CrossedQuills (68k /Harringroveson) Just. Amazing. I think I've read this too at least twice if not more.

within me, an invincible summer by bigdumbbambieyes (48k [WIP] ( Harringrove) This is just incredible. Billy wakes up after Starcourt with a new heart. So many painful and lovely things in this one.

And one extra because I just can't leave this out:

Like Magnets by Pondermoniums (53k [WIP] / Harringrove, Hellcheer) What if Steve and Billy had teeniest tiniest chibi dobbelgangers... This is so cute in so many levels that you have to read it to understand.

Who to tag... No pressure: @destroya2005 @discodeviant @disdaidal @lovebillyhargrove @shieldofiron @spaceofentropy @dragonflylady77 and anyone else who wants to share!!!

[gravegroves]

Do you have any fic recs of just some sad heart wrenching stuff?

I do anon, I sure do. And fucking brace yourself because it will make you want to commit murder. Literally the first thing that came to mind for this ask, a story that has been living rent free in my head since the evil (and massively talented) @ihni posted it (this fic). I'm not kidding when I say brace yourself. It's short, but GOD FUCK does it hurt. It made me so mad I'm flushing just from the memory of it. Mind the trigger warnings for real, then sit back and let your heart shatter.

(And in finding the link to the fic I realised there's a second and third part part that I must immediately go read. God's speed anon.)

[magniloquent-raven]

New ask game for writers:

Tell me which fic of yours was the MOST FUN TO WRITE (if you want to). Like, which one did you have a BLAST writing? Feel free to share, to rec, to tell us WHY they were fun, etc etc.

Tagged by the wonderful @ihni 💜💜💜

I have such a hard time choosing favs, but here's two that I liked for very different reasons:

how does it feel (with me inside) honestly i just generally enjoy writing smut, but this one was special because it's SO self-indulgent. Because sometimes you just gotta write the kinks you wanna see in the world 😂 (also i had a lot of fun with the banter between Steve and Billy)

that ficlet I wrote about Eddie and Wayne for Father's Day, because I love some good angst, but more importantly, I ADORE these two and their dynamic, and I loved writing Wayne's perspective!!

tagging @mayalaen @ghostlynimbus @mothellie @ocalaghan @paperbodiesamongthestars if yall are feelin it 💚💚💚

[ihni]

You know how like, really old clay tablets are a Thing and is the reason we know a bunch of stuff from how things were, thousands of years ago?

I keep thinking, in a couple of thousand years, what will be left of the world we live in today? Paper won't last ... Neither will digital storage. Metal, yes probably. Plastic? I don't know.

Anyway, I've been thinking we should put important things on clay tablets, because obviously those things last!

So today I made a couple. Just cause. And what did I put on them? What is important enough to save for the Future?

Random comments that I've gotten on fanfics I've written, of course. :)

And also an excerpt from a fanfic I've written (Baby steps, because I'm still proud of it), because why the hell not? XD

Now I just have to let them dry and then hope they survive the burning. :p (then ask to be buried with them when I die to confuse the archeologists of the future)

[weird-an]

Steve likes coffee. He can drink it at any time of the day, without milk, straight from the can. Doesn't matter.

Steve likes coffee. That's the only reason he stops by the new coffee place next to the Arcade nearly every day. If he's not dragging Robin with him, he's getting something to go. Because the coffee is that good.

Not because the barista is Billy Hargrove. Not because he wears a tight black apron, white shirt underneath. Not because he first scowled at Steve when he came in, but then realized Steve wasn't there to annoy him, but to drink their coffee. Not because last time Billy put a cookie next to his cup without saying anything.

They don't talk. According to Robin they just stare at each other whenever the other isn't looking. Steve tells her she's imagining things. (She's not. But he's not sure what's really going on.) She tells him he's ogling Billy and probably dreams of him wearing the apron and nothing else. (That happened only once. Not that she needs to know that.)

Today Steve comes in alone. To find out if Robin is right.

"Same as usual, Harrington?" Billy asks. Moving to the coffee maker without waiting for Steve's answer. He's got a straw between his lips, chewing on it. Steve wonders if it's a replacement for a cigarette.

"When does your shift end?" Steve hands him the money.

Billy freezes. "Half an hour," he says, a smirk forming on his lips.

That's weird. The sign at the door says the shop is open for at least one more hour.

"Maybe I could buy another coffee...for you then?" It's a simple plan that has been forming in his head for days now.

Billy stops chewing on the straw. "Sounds good," he finally says, hesitating for a second then grinning at Steve. "But I also want some cheesecake."

"My treat," Steve grabs his mug and winks at Billy.

Billy raises a brow. "King Steve's buying me sweets, I better put on my best outfit."

"The apron is enough," Steve blurts out, face getting hot.

Billy laughs. It's a nice sound. Steve has never heard it before. Now he wants to record it and listen to it every day.

He takes a sip from his coffee. It's a bit sweeter than usual. But it's not a new blend or whatever. He just really likes coffee. And maybe Billy Hargrove.

-

@ihni Aprons are great. This is a self help group now without wanting to get better.

[lazybakerart]

Last sentence game

tagged by @disdaidal <3!!!

yyh:

"I was raised," Hiei says mildly, and to Kurama's surprise, does the un-demon and awfully-human finger quotes, "by bandits. I know enough."

fem-harringrove:

Steph tightens her grip on Billie's curls, each polished pink nail doing the easy work of pulling another moan from Billie's stripped dumb self.

harringrove:

"Robin, he's gonna make me suck his dick. I know it."

tagging: @weird-an @ihni @saiyuri-dahlia @adelacreations @introvertia @gravegroves @ariesbilly @dragonflylady77 @harringroveheart

[catharrington]

Little King Trashmouth (and his raccoon friends) by Glitter_Bug.

The porch light may be dim, but it's easy enough to see that both of the trash cans have been pushed over, their lids rolling away and their bags spilling everywhere. One of which is rustling and shaking and...moving. Because there’s definitely something there.

Steve reaches behind him, pushing Billy back towards the house. It's like trying to push a damn brick wall.

So Steve steps forward instead. And then he sees it.

"Oh!”

A striped, fluffy tail is poking out of one of the ripped trash bags. It looks a lot like Mr. Richardson's grouchy tabby cat from over the road, so Steve gives the fluffy butt a gentle nudge with his big toe.

“Hey, go on. Get. Shoo."

The creature attached to the tail does not budge. Steve nudges again, a bit harder, and the cat disappears even further into the bag.

Steve kneels down, grimacing as some trash water soaks into the knees of his jeans, trying to coax the cat out with a gentle stroke, and then a bit more of a tug when it doesn't work.

He wonders if it's stuck, got its head lodged in a can of tuna or something, so he reaches in even further, managing to grab the kitty by the scruff of its neck and pull it gently backwards, grinning in triumph when the animal allows itself to be manhandled with a surprising lack of fuss.

Steve stands up, his arm outstretched in front of him, holding a fat, fluffy...critter by the scruff of his neck.

It's not Mr Richardson's tabby. It's not even a cat.

It's a damn raccoon.

He turns to show Billy, waiting for the sneer of disgust or a huff of annoyance. And instead, Steve watches as Billy melts. Instantly.

"Oh. My. God!" he gasps, and Steve blinks as Billy’s voice leaps up a few octaves, his hands flying up to his face.

"Oh oh oh! He’s so cute. Steve, look! Look at his squishy face and oh my god, oh my god his little hands! Oh he's a baby!"

(Thank you so much @ihni for your donation to harringrove for Turkey! The request was for a moodboard for one of the lovely fics from @cherrydreamer aka glitter_bug. And we all love little king trashmouth so so much, I picked that one!!! Thanks to both of you for bribing such joy and warmth into the community and for donating 🖤🖤🖤)

[brawlite]

get to know you better game! answer the questions and tag 9 people you want to know better.

tagged by: @ratfink-kryptonite and @likemmmcookies — thank you both for the tag!

last song I listened to: snuff, by slipknot

currently reading: i recently started a dune reread, but next on my list is never whistle at night: an indigenous dark fiction anthology.

currently watching: going to reiterate what @likemmmcookies said with, "does rewatching x files count"? bc i very infrequently watch anything at all, so this is pretty noteworthy. the last thing i watched other than x files was ghost adventures.

currently obsessed with: rose jam on sheep milk yogurt; the x files—specifically krycek whump; this new pork belly recipe we tried; costco boxed wine; the thought of cutting my hair & dying the blonde part green; the rapid approach of spring

tagging: @havenofearoficecoldbeverages @ihni @entelechies @destronomics @prairie-grass @thenameisgreed @formerlyanon @veliseraptor @icannotreadcursive

[bigdumbbambieyes]

some fav Harringrove writers:

Carerra_os (@jellyfishloveletterghosts) - delightful and fun, really good with aus (especially fantasy), has re-readable fics

Thei (@ihni) - probably better known for art, but has really good stories and also does poetry (a tricky thing to do well)

WeirdAn (@weird-an) - fics, ficlets, and even art inspired fics. Lots of different (but well done) flavors for those picky about tags/tropes

Antarc (@steviespanties) - likes bottom Steve and does it well

Jad3w1ings (@billyharringson) - so many fics, so little time. Including WIPs you can subscribe to now

peterqpan (@platypanthewriter) - longer fics, makes you feel emotions, Hook Possum is a good one to start with

Mid_Nightmare (@midnightmare-fics) - fun and hot stories, did a bunch of bingo fics

there's a whole lot more, but they all deserve comments, likes, reblogs, and kudos ^_^

omg another one with personalized messages!! thank you so much for this, anon - these writers will be thrilled to hear your love and support!! and i agree, all of our writers deserve all the love 🤍

i’m inviting people to give shout-outs to their favourite fic writers, send me an ask (anon or not)!

[ghostlynimbus]

Title: Homecooked

Main Pairing: Harringrove

Rating: T

Tags & Warnings: Billy-centric, Complicated feelings about parents, food, cooking, implied/referenced abuse, Neil Hargrove is mentioned but not present, other tags TBA, Rating May Change

Summary:

Billy hates apologizing almost as much as he hates cooking. So, naturally, he decides to apologize to the people he has hurt with some home cooked food.

AN: This is actually one of my oldest Stranger Things fic ideas, but because I ended up projecting a bit more on to Billy with this than originally planned working on it has been incredibly slow going. It's been nice having it on the WIP poll though, so here is the first 300ish words.

ART: Ihni made some wonderful art a while back inspired by an old post about this idea.

Part 1

Billy hates cooking, but maybe only because he once loved it so much.

His mom was never like… a chef, or anything. Billy never had any delusions about her being the best cook in the whole world or anything stupid like that. And to be honest, his mom didn't actually cook all that much.

But the times that she did, those memories stuck with him. 

Memories of how she would stand beside him in the heat of their narrow little kitchen, teaching him how to make recipes that she herself only half remembered. She always said she’d learned them from some cookbook or another that she had read years ago, and she had a special smile, one with just a hint of mischief to the quirk of her lips, that she would use only when she would make up parts of the recipe that she couldn’t remember. 

She would always hold her breath whenever she let him cut anything, the same way she would when they would go over bridges or through tunnels. For luck, she told him once. 

Billy never worried back then that she thought he’d mess it up and ruin the ingredients, at the time he was confident in the knowledge that she was just worried he might get hurt. 

And when everything was said and done Billy and his mom would go out and sit on the porch. They would watch the seagulls and the passing traffic and they would eat the results of their culinary efforts till they were both stuffed so full they couldn’t stand to take even one more bite. 

Billy has less memories of cooking with his mother than he would like, and the memories he does have have all gone hazy and rose colored with too much time. 

Thinking about them now is a horrible mix of painful and comforting that makes him not want to ever revisit them again, all while simultaneously also making him wish he could climb into the memories and live out the rest of his days there.

So, Billy hates cooking.