I know this is like, the only thing I ever send you an ask for, but it's because I'm excited about it, lol. <3 - Talanashta
And I am so, so pleased you like it so much! I save the juiciest bits for you 😉 Enjoy!
“We’re—oh my god.” Robin drops her face into her hands, ears glowing red. “I am not dating Steve. I’m—oh would you look at that!” Robin shouts suddenly, pointing behind Dotty and Angela towards the church.
Dotty turns out of reflex and sees Angie do the same, certain there’s going to be a child who’s tripped, or perhaps some sort of tussle over the ice cream—some of the children can be quite the handful, though they’re good children all told—but there’s nothing of note.
She turns back, saying, “What are we looking at, Rob…in…?” and Robin is gone. Dotty sees her sprint away towards the street—stop to look both ways—and continue running, crossing the road and heading straight for their mutual apartment building, fussing with keys and throwing the door open and shut behind her.
Tags: Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, Slurs, Parental Jim "Chief" Hopper, Anxious Billy Hargrove, Hurt/Comfort
Summary:
Max gets Hopper to show up when Neil goes a little too far one night. The Chief takes her and Billy in for the night (and maybe more). Now Billy has to come to terms with everything that's happening, and of course Steve has to show up while he's trying to deal with it all.
“C’mon, kid,” the Chief said to him, gesturing toward the kitchen. “Let’s get you some ice for that face, and then I’ll show you where you can sleep.” Turning to Max, he said, “You can head on in with El for the night.”
“Thanks, Hop,” Max mumbled and hurried off through the door to, he guessed, El’s room.
This rec is a part of Artist Highlights. Our feature d artist this week is Talanashta.
Know a stranger things artist that deserves some love? Submit through our asks
Tags: Beards (Relationships), Fake/Pretend Relationship, Platonic Soulmates Robin Buckley & Steve Harrington, Prompt Fill
Summary:
Steve loves Robin more than anything, and he'd do whatever it took to keep her safe. Even fake-date her.
“When you asked me out,” she started, being mindful of the fact that her parents could potentially wake up and overhear, “did you mean it when you said you’d marry me?”
“Well… Yeah? I wouldn’t have said it otherwise,” he answered.
Robin took a deep breath. “The answer’s ‘yes,’ I’ll marry you!”
The other end of the line was silent for a moment. “Like, right now? It’s 3AM.”
This rec is a part of Artist Highlights. Our feature d artist this week is Talanashta.
Know a stranger things artist that deserves some love? Submit through our asks
Better late than never 😂 Have some more of New Neighbors! Quite a few of these have been queued up if you want more ❤️
In any case, Eddie jolts a bit and doesn’t quite turn all the way round as he walks towards the cases, a smile slowly growing as he does. He looks quite charming, actually, now he’s smiling. More boyish.
Omg, super excited for this idea!! I love outsider POVs! - Talanashta <3
I am getting increasingly attached to Dotty and the folks in the building as I go 😂 thanks for your patience, here's some more The New Neighbors in Apartment 2B!
A few moments go by, and Dotty can hear some shuffling, but the door to apartment 2B remains shut. She huffs to herself, reminding herself of when Robby moved in last year for college, his first time without his parents to handle it all, how he had no clue all the niceties that society demands. These new folks are hardly older than that. They’re not keeping her waiting on purpose, they did just move in, they’re practically children still. She knocks again.
This week, we're highlighting @talanashta! All recs this week will be for their work.
@talanashta writes, and makes graphic designs at @talanashta-graphics.
If you want to see all their work, check out their website! (which they also designed and maintains)
We're highlighting Talanashta for their incredible Stobin dynamic.
We strongly recommend checking out their UnderTale crossover fic -- Fallen Down, which they also did a bunch of fantastic graphics work for.
Talanashta answered some questions about their creative process and their work under the cut
Why Stranger Things?
I had read a few Stranger Things fics way back when the show first came out and knew a bit about the show, but at the time I hadn't been drawn in. (This was immediately post-season 1.) But then as the show continued, and Steve became a bigger part of it, and Robin was introduced, I got sucked in fast. I love both of them so much!
What's your favorite ship (platonic or romantic) to create for?
Stobin. They are my OTOTP, above any other pairing in any other fandom, and I'd like to think that comes through in my works. I have so many emotions about these two, it's ridiculous. Pretty much if I've got both Steve and Robin in one of my fics, that's it; they're the main focus.
What's your typical writing process like?
I have a bit of a hodgepodge of styles. It really depends on if I have a plan in mind or not. Sometimes I'll write with a super detailed outline and stick to it, but most of my works I just go with the flow and write where my creativity takes me. If you ask anyone, though, I'm a notes person. Any of my fics that involve actual planning end up with pages upon pages of notes.
What got you started on making graphics?
For the things for my site, I just wasn't finding resources out there that were what I wanted, so I started making my own. Plus I wanted my accounts to have my own creative touch on them, instead of someone else's.
What's your typical designing process like?
Vibes. 100%. I have a couple styles I like, so I pick a theme or color scheme and just build on those. Like for my seasonal stuff, I'm just like "What's Halloween-y? Pumpkins? Toss some of those in there then!" I use Canva (the free version) for making most of my graphics, but I use Krita for anything Canva can't do.
What has been your favorite project so far? Why?
Fallen Down is for sure my favorite. It's very fun to see these two familiar characters going through a very new situation like this, interacting with other characters I love. It's got a bit of mystery, some adventure, friendship, the works. I also have a very loyal fan of the story who leaves me very detailed comments that always make my day!
What has been your hardest project so far? Why?
Kinktober. I've been doing creative writing for over 15 years now, but I only recently dipped my toe into occasionally writing smut, and boy, did I struggle with it. It's like any skill, and I just didn't/don't have a lot of practice. I ended up only filling a few prompts for it and called it good.
Have you ever had a creative block? How did you get over it?
I don't have too many issues with that, in general. I feel I'm a pretty creative person. Over the years, though, I've learned a few tips to help when I come across a stumbling block. If the story isn't flowing, I go back a few paragraphs and try again. Usually, the direction I'd been taking the story in just wasn't the right one, so I don't force it.
Is there a big source of inspiration for you? Books? Art? Games?
Stranger Things isn't my only fandom, so some of my inspiration comes from what's going on in other fandoms. I read a lot of fanfiction if I'm being honest, and that shapes a lot of my ideas.
Is there an upcoming project you're particularly excited about?
My Eddie Munson Big Bang fic! I don't want to spoil anything, but it follows middle-school Eddie just after he moves in with Wayne. In the fic, their neighbor at the trailer park owns a dog. It's a very "horse girl" fic, with Eddie and this dog and their developing friendship. It's got some angst, but it works towards a lot of positive feelings and a happy ending.
Is there anything we didn't ask that you'd like to add?
If anyone out there reading this ever wants to talk about any of the things I've put out there (my site/coding, my fics, my art) or ask more questions, feel free to DM me! I'm always happy to chat.
Will starts receiving letters in his locker from a secret admirer who claims to be in love with him, but who could it even be? He keeps writing back, hoping he won't get his heart broken in the process.
This rec is a part of Artist Highlights. Our feature d artist this week is Talanashta.
Know a stranger things artist that deserves some love? Submit through our asks
