Here to harringrove it up. I've projected 70% of my personality onto these assholes, it's time to give them the happiness they deserve. socknonny on ao3
Just read ''watch out, love bites'' by @socknonny, and I gotta say, I think my favorite type of Harringrove fics are the ones who addresse Steve's mental health.
Don't get me wrong, I love to see Billy character's growth, or psyche exploration, but we already get a glimpse of what's going on for him in the show. For Steve, it is a bit crazy to me that we don't see him crash out or even just struggle a bit after everything he's been through.
I also like to think that Billy has a bit practice dealing with high stress/ trauma (even if it's with bad coping mechanism), where I can see Steve minimizing his own pains, or not recognizing his downward spiral.
I like the idea that they can bring to each other what they miss, and I really like to see some comfort for my boy Stevie.
oh this is so kind of you to use my little fic as an example of what you love <3 I completely agree, aren't explorations of Steve's mental health so deliciously juicy? Especially because Billy *knows* he's messed up, but poor Steve doesn't have a damn clue.
This week, we're highlighting @socknonny! All recs this week will be for her work.
@socknonny writes and creates podfics for the Stranger Things fandom, specifically Harringrove.
@ihni recommended her as her go-to pod-ficcer.
"Well they've read a few things I've written and I LOVE the way they read fics. I was hooked after they worked their magic on a poem I wrote, But really everything I have heard by them is so good. Their voice is so good and calming, and clear (to one whose first language isn't English) and easy to follow and understand.
Ihni highlighted her podfic, Notes.
Socknonny answered some questions about her creative process, inspirations, and work under the cut
Why Stranger Things?
I’ve played D&D since I was a teenager, and always love a good horror/suspense, so the show itself was well up my alley from the start. But in terms of fic creation, it was Billy that drew me to Stranger Things. He’s an angry, traumatized metalhead, dealing with his issues by lashing out at anyone who gets too close, and I could relate to those feelings even if I couldn’t relate to the actions themselves.
What's your favorite ship (platonic or romantic) to create for?
It’s Harringrove for this fandom, but I’m a multishipper at heart and I love seeing any number of combinations. I thoroughly enjoy Steddie, Mungrove, and all three of them together (can’t remember what we’re calling that? Metal sandwich?). I also enjoyed some Keg boys when that was popular (Tommy, Steve, Billy).
What's your typical writing process like?
Depends on if it’s fic or OF. If it’s fic, I find it a bit like poetry. I’ll have a feeling I want to illustrate, and I’ll kind of just sit down and meander through some scenes, led purely by vibes. I’m usually trying to explore some aspect of character, or sift through different situations to understand them better. I like to hear the character’s voices in my head as I’m writing. If it’s OF, I’m quite regimented these days. I plot out story beats, climaxes, character arcs, etc, and then dictate out a first draft (it’s much easier than typing for me). Then I have a whole set of worksheets I created to go through and edit.
How did you get started with PodFics?
I…. honestly can’t remember? Oh wait, yes. The first podfic I ever recorded was on my phone and it was a little tumblr ficlet for a different fandom. It had a really lovely response, with the writer inspired to make a part two, and so I kept going. Like with all fandom stuff, it was the community aspect that made it so wonderful. You’d narrate something, and people would chime in with commentary and share it around. Even if it’s only one or two people, it always gives me such a boost and I just want to do more.
What's your typical PodFic process like? Is there a tool you especially like?
Before I begin a project, I need to play around with voices a bit. I’ll adjust each voice according to different variables (how fast/slow, how nasally, how rough, what emotion/tone?) until I get one I like, and then I can start. I do a small singing warmup before recording, and then I can usually only get through about 30 recorded minutes before I’m fidgety. Editing afterwards takes about double the recorded length, for now. But I’m hoping to improve that as I get better at breath control and don’t need to edit out so many mouth clicks!
Is there a tool you especially like?
I often use Audacity, but I think Studio One has a better sound? I’m still working it out!
What has been your favorite project so far? Why?
Aaahhhh that’s so hard! For my fics, I probably enjoyed Ride the Lightning the most, because it’s one of the few times I wove spice into the plot, and so felt I could really dig into it. But I also reeeeally loved making ‘two-faced son of a bitch’, because it’s weird and emotional and poetic, which is my jam.
For podfics, I would genuinely pick ihni’s Notes. I know ihni recced it here, so it feels like I’m following that, but I really loved recording that one. It has lovely emotion in the words, and because it’s a poem I got to put soothing music to the back of it. It’s one I can happily listen to again, which is kind of rare with my podfics. Even my later ones, I know I would record them better/different these days and so I struggle to listen.
What has been your hardest project so far? Why?
I wouldn’t say I have a particularly hard project, but I had a hard period when I was experiencing undiagnosed asthma and allergies. My voice stopped sounding right, and it was too hard to record in a dusty cupboard, so I had to stop altogether. I’ve sort of got that under control now though!
Have you ever had a creative block? How did you get over it?
Oh definitely. But imo creative block is just a problem you can’t identify yet. There’s something wrong with the work, and you need to sit on it for a while until you can resolve it. Which is frustrating at first, because your taste is better than your skill! You can see the problem, but you’ve no idea how to fix it. But I find the more you write and the more comfortable you get with your own style, the less of an issue those blocks are because you start to pick the problem apart with more intentionality. It might still take weeks or months to fix, but it doesn’t worry you the same, I feel, because you know it’s just part of the process.
Is there a big source of inspiration for you? Books? Art? Games?
Music and Science :D I love flowing through the emotions of a song, like ‘the price we pay (the promise we made)’ or using the same root inspiration as the jumping off point for a story. And I also love reading scientific articles or non fiction books, and discovering something interesting about the natural world, and then incorporating that into a ‘what if’. Even if that ‘what if’ is just a very small component of world building, like that species of flower that’s shaped/colored to attract a bee that went extinct ages ago. That could be magic, you know?
Is there an upcoming project you're particularly excited about?
I haven’t been active on this account for a while, so I don’t have anything big planned, but I would like to come back and finish my Billy x Dean crossover. I had just committed to continuing it when Destiel went canon, and ended up just kind of staring at the screen like, well what now XD Even though I’m a multishipper and it doesn’t bother me, that time was so wild it felt strange to continue. But I think I’m ready now.
Is there anything we didn't ask that you'd like to add?
Not that I can think of! Thanks so much for inviting me to chat here :) The questions were brilliant and I had a lot of fun thinking them through. And thanks so much to ihni for nominating me!
anyway, I was out before and found harringrove’s sleep masks. you’re welcome. (also, someone who can art, please draw them wearing these and I’ll love you forever)
I’ve sent out the links to the mini-zines to everyone who participated, let me know if you haven’t gotten it or if it didn’t work or if you have any other problems with them, yeah?
And also feel free to heap love upon your fellow creators, because everyone has been so creative! It’s a joy to look through them, let me tell you!
Also of course it’s totally okay if you want to post your own mini-zine or its contents on tumblr or twitter or wherever you like, for everyone to see. Maybe wait a day or two, though, so the creators get “VIP access”? :p
are you still accepting podfic commissions for harringrove for ukraine? 🤍
I am! I'm not sure if anyone is still tallying donations, but as far as I'm concerned it's an ongoing crisis and I have two podfic slots open still if you'd like to DM me details 😊 I'm on mobile so I can't link the post, but it should only be a couple down my page if you haven't found it already
< Pages 88-90 - 91-96 - Pages ?? >
Some pages for you guys! Idk why I am so much better with posting on IG- I always forget about posting on Tumblr too and I am REALLY sorry about that!
(Also; If you like my work and want to support me- my Patreon is the way to do that! ❤ ((I also started uploading the NSFW chapter there AND you can give me monthly Prompts over there that I’ll draw)) )
Some things I noticed in the new Stranger Things 4 trailer:
Spoilers ahead!
1. Max, Billy and the Creel house. It's obvious that the 3 share a spooky connection and are somehow entangled. We see her talking to Billy at his grave and then the scene immediately cuts to the grandfather clock with the UD veins that we know is located in the Creel house.
She is also shown floating in the graveyard in a position mimicking the one of out demonic looking friend from the beginning and end of the trailer.
The party later visits the Creel house. Notice that the the background in the shot of our UD demon and the attic of Creel house are in the exact same location. You can see the same beams holding the roof as well as the candles and crates in the background.
Conclusion: This is Billy, calling out to Max from the UD.
2. Having established that this is Billy he seems to have been corrupted by the Upside Down. However his left arm is still intact and it seems that the veins are growing on top of him very much like an exoskeleton.
Also notice that the right hand is an enlarged claw. We see this claw again in two more shots. One time when Max is running from something in the UD towards the exit wound of the portal.
And another one as it rises threateningly in front of the cheerleader character in an homage to the famous bath tub scene from Nightmare on Elm Street.
3. Steve seems to enter the UD through a body of water, meaning this will likely happen in the episode titled The Dive. We see him here floating in front of the portal and then in another shot as he gets spit out on the other side.
4. Speaking of the other side, the group seems to spend a longer amount of time there.
We have shots of them biking through the UD, Dustin dirtied up and covered in Spanish Moss (?) Eddie playing the guitar on the roof of Hoppers trailer well as Steve fighting monsters in a dried out lake or swamp (notice the boat in the bg). Possibly the trailer and the lake are also the location of the scenes where Max is in peril.
5. Steve might to be the first and possibly last to enter and exit the UD. In the scene where he says "See you on the other side." to Nancy they are in the UD and he looks quite apprehensive.
Something might go wrong and he might be stuck there. He also loses his shirt and jacket and lends Eddie's DIO denim west. Compare to his outfit when he enters Kreel house.
6. However, as seen in photos taken on set while filming, Steve does seem to resurface from the upside down and appears in a scene back in Hawkins where the citizens and the group of friends stock up on weapons.
AS does this Billy Hargrove looking guy with Dacre's proportions and the exact same outfit and scrape wounds as Steve.
My personal theory here is that Steve is left behind in the UD for some episodes and somehow manages to either bring Billy with him physically and gives him his clothes since he seems to be changing out of them into the oufit in the last picture (possibly bc the west and sweatpants are the only things that fit Billy) or we have a situation where he only brings back his consciousness/spirit/soul whatever and they share a body leading to a mirror situation where Steve and Billy are shown in the same costume.
Okay, so a month and a half ago I had this idea that I wanted to make some mini-zines, and possibly trade it with other people who also, perhaps, wanted to do that. And well, now I wanna get that whole thing started.
The easiest thing, I think, would be to keep it digital. Ie, everyone who wants to join in this trade, makes a minimum of one mini-zine, scans it (or makes it digitally in the first place; whatever works for you) and sends it to me. When we’ve reached the end date, I’ll combine it somewhere and send along the link to everyone involved, so that everyone gets access to everyone else’s mini-zines. One can then print them and assemble them to one’s heart’s content. Ta-daa! Instant mini-zine collection, without having to rely on the post to do their job.
So, if you’re interested in joining, please do this:
1. Send me a message so I know you’re interested.
2. Make a Harringrove mini-zine (I linked to a couple of tutorials in this post, but there are like a ton of them so just google it and you’ll be fine). You can draw, paint, write, cut&glue, make collages, make photo manips, goddamn embroider stuff … use your imagination, and have fun with it! The only staple is that it’s supposed to be Harringrove themed.
3. When it’s done, either scan it (if it’s done phyiscally) or save it, so it’s a digital file in the size of approximately an A4 sized paper.
4. Send it to me (over tumblr or discord, or - if it’s too big for that to work - write me a message and I’ll give you an email address). The last date to do this is, hm, say June 5th (to give everyone some time).
5. Once everyone has sent in their mini-zines, I’ll put all of them in a handy folder somewhere and send out a link to it, so everyone gets access to everyone else’s, too. To print, and keep :)
Obviously, you’ll have to be okay with sharing your work like this with others, and be okay with other people printing them.
And yes, you can make several if you want to, that’s just fun.
And yes, of course you can share it publicly too, after, although I’d ask you to wait until after everyone’s gotten the files for the zines, please.
Anyway, this is just for fun and very low-pressure, but if anyone’s interested in doing it with me, send me a message! Could be fun, right?
I’m gonna tag those of you who showed some interest when I wrote the last post, but no pressure if you don’t wanna do it! @lazybakerart @opaldraws @magniloquent-raven @cherrydreamer @scoobydoo-ghoulschool @monsdasarah @hungryfoxx @peanut-booi @shebaren @edith-moonshadow @memes-saved-me @katesierra @socknonny @callieb @introvertia @drinkingbeerfroma @prettyboybillyhargrove @catharrington
Pairing: Harringrove/pre-Harringrove (Enemies to Friends)
Rating: Teen
Summary:
“Dude,” he said, more baffled than angry. “Did you just try to bite me?”
“I’ll do worse than that if you untie me,” Hargrove growled, as if making threats from the position he was in was somehow normal.
“Yeah, because that makes me want to untie you,” Steve snarked back without thinking. Then he sighed and dragged a hand through his hair. He didn’t sign up for this shit. “Listen, yes this sucks, but it’s only for a couple of hours. Why don’t you just chill?”
“I’ve been fucking kidnapped, you fuck! I’m supposed to play the finals right now, not kick back and relax while being fucking tied to a chair!”
or
Steve’s teammates kidnap the opposing team’s star player to secure a win in the finals. The star player in question is not impressed.
Notes: Thank you so much to @ihni for requesting this one <3 I hope you enjoy!!
There are two more slots left if anyone else would like a podfic!
Pairing: Harringrove/pre-Harringrove (Enemies to Friends)
Rating: Teen
Summary:
“Dude,” he said, more baffled than angry. “Did you just try to bite me?”
“I’ll do worse than that if you untie me,” Hargrove growled, as if making threats from the position he was in was somehow normal.
“Yeah, because that makes me want to untie you,” Steve snarked back without thinking. Then he sighed and dragged a hand through his hair. He didn’t sign up for this shit. “Listen, yes this sucks, but it’s only for a couple of hours. Why don’t you just chill?”
“I’ve been fucking kidnapped, you fuck! I’m supposed to play the finals right now, not kick back and relax while being fucking tied to a chair!”
or
Steve's teammates kidnap the opposing team's star player to secure a win in the finals. The star player in question is not impressed.
Notes: Thank you so much to @ihni for requesting this one <3 I hope you enjoy!!
There are two more slots left if anyone else would like a podfic!
So, two things we Harringrovers have in common: we all love our two boys, and we're all really bloody good at coming together in a crisis to support an important cause. We've done it before and in light of the situation in Ukraine right now, I'm asking us to do it again.
The best way we can realistically support Ukraine right now is by donating money to one or many of the various organisations rallying to support them. These include:
The Ukrainian Army
The Ukrainian Red Cross, which does loads of humanitarian stuff, from aiding refugees to training doctors.
Revived Soldiers Ukraine, which funds medication and medical supplies for army hospitals on the front line.
The UN Refugee Agency, which provides life-saving protection to families forced to flee their homes.
I'm going to be running this drive a little differently than some of the others we've participated in previously, because we're on a real time crunch here and it's absolutely essential to get as many donations as we can as quickly as possible. For that reason, we won't be operating under sign-up or posting deadlines - we want to get the ball rolling straight away.
If you'd like to donate in exchange for content:
- Check out the masterlist of content creators (this will be added as a reblog to this post) and contact your chosen creator(s) directly to negotiate what you'd like them to create and how much you'd like to donate. You'll also be negotiating when you'll receive your piece - more on that below.
- Send a donation to one of the organisations linked above and take a screenshot. Send a picture to your content creator.
- Sit back and wait for your piece! I'd like to ask all donors to be patient with content creators, because I'm rolling this out with very little notice and some people may not be in a position to start work on a new piece right away.
If you'd like to participate as a content creator:
- Send me a quick message to let me know, and I'll add your handle to the masterlist of creators (to be reblogged to this post).
- Create a post detailing to your followers what you're willing to create - be it art, fic, gifsets, podfics, you name it! You'll be able to set your rate for donations (a suggestion for fic would be $1 for every 100 words, for example) and specify what you will and will not be willing to create in terms of ratings, tropes and prompts. You can copy and amend my post if you'd like to!
- HERE'S THE BIG DIFFERENCE: You will also be negotiating with your donors when you'll be able to create your piece for them. Don't overextend yourselves! Because of the immediacy of the crisis, I'm not setting a deadline for when creations need to be done, and I'm asking all donors to be patient and just get their money in as quickly as possible so we can help sooner rather than later. I know some people may not be in a position to write/draw something right away, but I'd hate for that to be a reason they choose not to participate when with a little patience they could do so in a few weeks instead.
- As soon as you have received a screenshot of a donation, send it on to me - I'm active here and on Discord.
- Get working on your creation! I'll be making an AO3 collection for fics as well.
Whatever you do, please share this post and tag #harringroveforukraine - both here and on Twitter if you can! I don't have Twitter but I know it's a format a lot of people use, and the more people we can reach, the more money we can raise.
I’m participating in the Harringrove donation drive for Ukraine; here’s the rundown:
Offering 3 podfics, no word count cap.
$5 USD donations for fic under 2k. For fic up to 20k, choice of donation between $10-30 USD. Anything over 20k, your choice of donation from $30+
(I recognize these figures are a bit loose. I’m trying to keep it accessible since we’ve been in crisis for so long, while still being impactful because this is urgent.)
Delivery on podfic will depend on length, but I’ll keep you updated and can always send numerous embarrassing bloopers to keep you entertained while you wait.
Only up to M rating, no E
If the fic isn’t yours, we’ll need permission from the author
You can hear my podfic examples here and here
If the fic squicks me, I reserve the right to ask for a different one (but I’m not easily squicked so don’t stress)
Will not podfic anything with an Archive warning
Process
DM first to make sure there are still slots open
Once confirmed, please donate to one of these places or the charities listed by @callieb here
Screencap the donation (blank out personal details!!), send it to me, and I’ll get to work.
