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say-al0e · 2 years

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Put Up or Shut Up

Rating: PG-13

Summary: Steve hadn’t been looking for love when he drove to Eddie’s, certainly hadn’t expected to find it in the shape of you perched on the soft couch with kohl rimmed eyes and chipped black nail polish, but maybe that’s what made it so special. | ft. “You’re really not together?” “No.” “You wouldn’t mind if I asked her out, then?” requested by anon.

Pairing: Steve x fem!Reader

Warnings: Set in season 4 but no spoilers aside from Eddie/Hellfire’s existence. No physical description of reader other than dresses in black/alt style, Eddie’s the annoying best friend who is enjoying seeing Steve suffer (in a friendly way, of course), and, uh, I think that’s it?

Word Count: 6.1k

Stranger Things Masterlist

“No, man, you gotta tilt the - here, let me help.”

Steve huffed, the sound exaggerated and infinitely exhausted, as Eddie - who’d been content criticizing the decorations from the sidelines instead of actually hanging them for the better part of an hour - pressed his cigarette into the ashtray and crossed the backyard to reach for a corner of the homemade banner.

The paper was filled entirely with a hodgepodge of drawings - the only ones with any sort of artistic merit belonged to Eddie and Will - all in celebration of you. It included scribbled messages, little well wishes and inside jokes, as well as a handful of stick figures drawn in your favorite colors. Eddie was right, it was mostly crooked, as were the other decorations Steve had strung up since stepping into his backyard, but Steve knew it would make your day.

A small part of him hoped you might tear up - happy tears, never sad, elated at the thought and love that went into making the day special for you - just so he would have a chance to pull you into an embrace. It would give him an excuse to hold on to you tight, to wrap you in his arms and keep you close as you attempted to keep the others from seeing your red-rimmed eyes, and as pathetic as it was, it was all he could think about as he tacked his edge of the banner a little higher up the fence.

Though silence was unusual for the both of them, a hush that Steve had learned to anticipate when left alone with Eddie befell them as they worked. Their friendship was still uncharted territory, not exactly uncomfortable but not quite established enough to be completely at ease as they were both so different.

It was built around a shared fondness for a group of outcast children - no longer children, teens, edging into that age they both recalled with a grimace as they anticipated the hell they would soon be put through - and had moments of understanding, moments they were completely on the same page, but Steve was often reminded that Eddie had the upper hand.

Dustin, Mike, Lucas, and Will all deemed Eddie significantly cooler than Steve - Max called them both losers, El liked both well enough - and Steve blamed it all on Eddie’s hair and metal and fondness for Dungeons and Dragons. Still, that was of little significance when something even more devastating was happening.

Somewhere between driving Dustin to Eddie’s for what the fourteen year old menace deemed to be the most incredibly important conversation of all time - it wasn’t, it was about a one-off campaign Dustin wanted to DM, with Eddie’s blessing - and Eddie crashing into Family Video in search of a new horror film with you in tow, Steve developed a crush on Eddie’s best friend.

That first trip to Eddie’s trailer was the first time you met - not really; Steve was reminded that you were in his graduating class, that you sat a row over from him in at least two classes, but he spent most of his high school career with his head so far up his own ass that it was a miracle he’d remembered anything at all.

When Steve first saw you, you were perched on Eddie’s couch, dressed mostly in black and grinning as you watched Eddie and Dustin roughhouse in the living room. You looked markedly different than the last time he saw you - something he realized after taking a look through a high school yearbook when he couldn’t sleep, flipping pages until he came across a familiar face - but you still smiled at him, friendly in a way he hadn’t expected, and greeted him by name.

There was nothing there at first, other than an acknowledgement on Steve’s part that he found you attractive. Something about your look - messy eyeliner, dark nail polish, and silver rings all topped with a sunny smile - caught his eye in a way it never had before. The shorts and skirts you wore were different than the modest, muted tone pieces he’d seen you wear in high school and he could admit that he appreciated the change.

The more Steve was able to interact with you, however, the more smitten he became.

At first, your interactions were fleeting. Steve saw you with Eddie whenever he dropped Dustin off or picked him up, felt his heart beat just a little faster when you smiled at him and laughed every time you leaned in to share conspiratorial whispers about how the pair of you were being replaced by your respective friends. He saw you when you ventured into Family Video with Eddie, laughing as the metalhead sorted through the abysmally understocked horror shelf with a pout, before you seated yourself on the edge of the counter and asked about his day.

Slowly, and almost without his notice, you became a bigger part of his life. Dustin dragged Eddie - who, in turn, dragged you - into movie nights, all stuffed into the Wheeler’s basement or scattered around Steve’s living room. Robin invited you to swim with them, sat with you under the umbrellas on the deck and laughed as you watched the children gang up on him and Eddie. You began to wander into Family Video on your breaks from the music store across the street, usually with some kind of treat in hand for both him and Robin, just to spend a few moments with people your own age.

Steve imagined you all got along so well because you all lacked friends your own age - he had Robin, now he had you and Eddie - but he soon realized that he genuinely enjoyed getting to know you. It had nothing to do with wanting to expand his social circle beyond a group of children, he truly liked having you around. He enjoyed your company, soon realized that seeing you was the highlight of his days, and was almost upset when he realized that his initial observation that you were attractive had developed into a full-blown crush.

Initially, Steve tried to keep his crush to himself. It would go away - the feeling of liking someone again was novel, juvenile, something he hadn’t felt since Nancy, and he just needed time to get it out of his system, just as he had when he’d initially crushed on Robin - so there was no need to make things difficult. He was glad to have another friend, someone he could count on, and the more he was able to observe you and Eddie, the less likely he deemed it that you would be interested in him, anyway.

However, Steve’s poker face was dreadful, almost nonexistent, and the more time he spent with you, the more obvious his crush became to everyone.

Robin realized it first, not long after Steve did - a realization he felt certain was due to how difficult he found it to just be normal in your presence, how hard he found it to stop thinking about kissing you or holding your hand after he realized his feelings truly were less platonic and more romantic. She’d seen enough of his attempts at flirting over the course of their friendship to recognize the look in his eyes when you wandered in, could see the way his gaze followed your form as you flitted around the store, and was the one who broke the news to Steve that you were single.

Upon learning that you were just friends with Eddie - physically close, comfortable with one another, but just friends - Steve fell even harder and Robin resurrected her scoreboard from the dead. Each interaction with you seemed to earn Steve a tally mark on the ‘you suck’ side of the board but he decided he would take it, just so long as he was able to see you smile.

Eddie was next, slower to realize but able to catch each of Steve’s tells the moment he did, and was delighted by the turn of events. He wasn’t exactly fond of the idea of them together but he was amused beyond belief and made it his personal mission to irritate the hell out of Steve any time he had the chance. Eddie dropped hints so large they may as well have been anvils, hints that landed at your feet but never seemed to make you blink while Steve was constantly on the verge of an aneurysm.

The friendship you shared with Eddie was always physical - one of the reasons Steve initially assumed there was more than friendship between you - but he played it up any time you were in Steve’s presence, always keeping an arm around your waist or shoulders, and grinned each time Steve rolled his eyes.

If you noticed, you never said anything. Though, as time wore on, Steve began to imagine that you simply hadn’t realized. Like him, feelings weren’t exactly your thing - you joked that you sometimes felt like an alien, not quite in touch with them in a way so many other people were - and Steve knew that if anything were to happen between you, he would have to make a move.

And the more time you spent together, the harder it was for him to keep from acting on his feelings.

To everyone around you, it was obvious that you had more in common with Eddie. You shared the same taste in movies, music, books, hobbies; your sense of humor was the same, a little odd and a little sarcastic; you both looked like darkness incarnate, dressed mostly in black, but smiled more than nearly anyone else. Still, you and Steve complemented one another in a way that made his heart soar.

The pieces that were so different - the hobbies, the taste in music and movies and books, the general disposition - filled gaps that had evolved due to your respective comfort zones. Steve could count on you to introduce him to new things, things he would’ve never given a second thought otherwise, while he gave you a glimpse into more popular culture. You brightened his day, gave him reasons to smile that would’ve never occurred to him otherwise, while he encouraged the sarcastic streak he’d only seen you use with Eddie.

Time spent alone, together without Eddie or Robin or the kids, began to happen more often and Steve knew that he was fucked. He didn’t need to remember that he was throwing you a surprise birthday party, hidden away in his backyard with your best friend - with whom he had so very little in common, other than you and the friendship of a wayward teenager -, to be reminded of that.

Still, Eddie never passed up the opportunity to remind Steve of just how bad his crush had gotten.

“Y’know,” Eddie hummed, breaking the silence that had grown suffocating as they worked to string lights along the edge of the fence. “A pretty little birdie told me you like Bradbury.”

Steve wasn’t much of a reader - that was a fact most people knew - but you were and he could hear the implication in Eddie’s tone. A small part of him was elated that you talked about him, overjoyed that you’d talked about him to Eddie, potentially in the same way he talked to Robin about you, but the bigger part was embarrassed that he’d been caught.

The only reason he’d picked up a Bradbury book in the first place was because he was your favorite and Steve knew that was a fact Eddie also had tucked away in his memory. Eddie’s snicker made Steve roll his eyes, even as he felt an embarrassed heat creeping up his neck and settling in his cheeks. “I know this might surprise you, Munson,” he huffed, a little too defensive as he focused on tracking a strand of lights to the fence, “but I can read. I graduated, remember?”

“Ouch.” From the corner of his eye, Steve watched as Eddie recoiled dramatically and threw a hand to his chest. Ringed fingers clutched at the denim and leather, gasping all the while, and Steve sighed as he turned to face him. “Low blow, Harrington,” Eddie declared, though he was grinning as he spoke. “I’m just saying, I never took you for a contemporary American literature kinda guy, let alone a sci-fi kinda guy. I Sing the Body Electric! isn’t exactly a part of Hawkins High’s English curriculum.” Steve spared a glance at the worn paperback - sitting abandoned on the table, left where he’d tossed it the moment Eddie stepped into his backyard with a bagful of supplies - with yellowed pages and dogeared from his attempts to read through it, as Eddie snickered. “You’ve got it bad, man.”

Eddie was right - Steve knew that, had admitted it to himself - but he’d never dream of speaking that aloud. Eddie had enough ammunition as it was, could see right through Steve without him admitting what everyone already knew to be true. Instead of huffing something witty, snapping back with a quip that would make Eddie laugh, Steve turned his attention back to the remaining decorations.

“Yeah, yeah. Just shut up and help me get the lights up, dude. Everyone will be here soon.”

The party was a joint effort, something he and Eddie decided to do for you with little discussion, and he was glad this was where they’d ended up. As much as Steve loved spending time with you alone, he truly enjoyed seeing how seamlessly you fit into the group of misfits that he loved so much.

Though you were a relatively recent addition to his life, it seemed as if you’d always been a part of it and, as he waited for you to walk through the gate, he knew that he wanted you to continue being a part of it for as long as you’d have him.

Everyone loved you, a fact that was made evident by the effort they all put into helping prepare for the party, and he could practically feel the excitement as they all began trickling into the backyard. The kids had a gift for you - a walkie of your own, just like the one he’d been gifted only a year prior - and nearly blew the entire surprise the moment they heard your car pull into the driveway.

Robin had been charged with keeping you distracted, something Steve knew she would do well - though he’d questioned it when Eddie first proposed the idea, wondering if she would distract you so well she forgot about the party or accidentally let it slip - and stepped through the gate first. He could see the struggle to hide her smile, the way she lifted her hand to her mouth to cover her face, and would’ve rolled his eyes had you not followed so close behind.

The moment you stepped through the gate, the world around him disappeared. You were all he could focus on. The dress you wore was one of his favorites - a dark blue one, just a little shorter than most of the others in your closet, that was always accompanied by that denim jacket covered in patches and pins - and he was left to wonder if you’d worn it because Robin told you you’d see him later. Each time he saw you, he was struck by how beautiful you were; could feel it weighing on his chest, heavy and warm, and curling around his lungs in the most pleasant way.

In the flickering fairy lights and fading sunlight, Steve could see the warmth illuminate your eyes. Just at the sight of all your friends, before anyone could even yell surprise, he saw a burst of something fond and so grateful it almost hurt cross your face as your lips parted in surprise. And when the disjointed yell filled the night air, rang in his ears and settled heavy on his chest, he could see that he’d gotten his wish.

Even in the low light, it was obvious that you were blinking back tears - as tough as he considered you, as tough as everyone saw you, you had a marshmallow heart, easily dissolved by those around you, and it only made Steve fall harder - and Eddie was the first to reach out for you. Though he only held you for a moment, Steve felt anticipatory jitters fill his stomach as you turned to him with a watery smile.

Before he could so much as blink, you closed the gap and tossed your arms around his waist. Steve exhaled at the contact - relieved to feel your warmth bleeding through the layers of your dress - as his own arms wound around your shoulders. His hands pressed to your back, fingers dipping beneath denim to pull you in closer, and he laughed quietly as you buried your face in the cotton covering his chest.

“You’re gonna get makeup on my shirt, you crybaby.” The tease came out softer than he intended, a whisper into the breeze and so fond he knew there was no way you’d take it to heart, as his hands brushed along the expanse of your back. He’d let you ruin every shirt in his closet if it meant having you this close, though that went unsaid as your shoulders shook in quiet laughter.

“M’not sorry.” Though he couldn’t see your face, Steve could hear the grin in your voice - a little watery and just as fond as his own teasing had been - and laughed a little louder as you wrapped your arms tighter around his waist. He was grateful you couldn’t see him, couldn’t see the pink dusting along his cheeks or the red tips of his ears, as you whispered, “Thank you. This is really nice, Steve.”

Desperate to regulate the beat of his heart, calm it to a reasonable hum, and swallow the butterflies swarming in the pit of his stomach, Steve squeezed your shoulder. “It’d be a lot nicer if you took a look around, sweetheart. I decorated.”

Behind you, Eddie scoffed and reached for the pack of cigarettes stuffed into the pocket of his leather jacket. When Robin shot him a look - one Max and El mimicked and held with a conviction that made everyone else snicker - he huffed and returned them as he clarified, “We decorated, Harrington. It was a joint effort, man.”

Steve felt the shake of your shoulders as you laughed, the puff of your breath warming his skin even through the fabric of his shirt, and never wanted to release his hold on you. You fit perfectly in his arms, as if you were made special for him, and the warmth of your body pressed to his filled his chest with an ache he hadn’t felt in years.

Still, there was a party to be had and the knowing smiles of all of your friends made him roll his eyes. “Yeah, I’m sure I wouldn’t have gotten anything done without your supervision, Munson.” Steve squeezed you once more, his fingers pressing into your hip as you laughed, before he released his hold on you and gently nudged you away. “Everyone helped with the banner. Go check it out so you can cry some more,” he ordered softly, grinning as he caught sight of your glittering eyes.

The smile on your face grew tenfold as you caught sight of the banner. It was unlike any Steve had seen from you before, so bright and happy that he’d gladly throw a thousand more parties just to see that smile again, and he couldn’t help but laugh as your eyes watered.

“I don’t expect gifts, but I hope someone got me a box of tissues. Talk about useful.” The joke earned a round of laughter - everyone was starting to realize just how soft you truly were, how easy it was to dissolve you into tears - as the kids wandered closer to point out their contributions to the banner.

Though you weren’t looking at him, Steve still raised a brow as he leaned against the small table filled with the widest selection of junk food Bradley’s offered. “We were supposed to get gifts?”

Steve grinned as you shot him a look over your shoulder, eyes narrowed playfully, and watched as you shook your head. “You’re the worst, Harrington.”

“Only for you, babe.”

The conversation tapered off then, left with fond smiles shared across the back yard and faded into a buzz of overlapping chatter as the kids swarmed you. He caught bits and pieces as they began recounting details of their day - little moments that earned a comment from Eddie when they mentioned Hellfire or a teasing gasp from Robin when teenage drama became the topic at hand - and he watched fondly as you took it all in stride.

There were gifts, he’d made sure of that. The walkie was the biggest - all the kids chipped in and, when they fell a little short, he, Robin, and Eddie picked up the slack - but there were a handful of little parcels, all badly wrapped, stacked behind the piles of junk. Eddie got you a cassette, some metal band you both loved; Robin, a new bracelet from the thrift store you both frequented. Will painted you a beautiful nature scene, inspired by a photograph you’d taken, Dustin had worked with Eddie to build you your own Dungeons and Dragons manual, and Max refused to tell anyone what her gift was but Steve knew it was bound to make you tear up yet again.

An increasingly familiar warmth, one he only seemed to feel in your presence, settled in the hollow of his chest as he wandered over to a lounge chair. It nipped at his skin like the warmth of summer - fitting, given the scent of your perfume, the way it always reminded him of a warm summer day - and crumbled the remaining desire to try and hide his smile as he observed the scene at hand.

Like him, you had a small family. Your parents were around, always eager to welcome him, Eddie, Robin, and the children into their home, but no siblings and few close friends outside of the people inhabiting his backyard. You once confided that you found solace in the chaos, found it comforting to be confronted with the chatter of a handful of children and a few seemingly out of place young adults, and he swore that was the moment he knew his heart belonged to you.

“You’re staring, Harrington. It’s getting creepy.”

Eddie fell onto the lounge chair beside Steve, soda in one hand and a cigarette in the other, as the kids competed for your attention. You’d been talking to Max, spent most of your time listening as she filled your ears with words he’d never even attempt to guess, and Eddie pointedly kept his gaze on you - eyes following your every move, watching fondly as you moved to ruffle Dustin’s hair - while he glanced down at the Coke in his hands.

There was no way to pretend he hadn’t been caught - no way to pretend he hadn’t spent the last hour observing you, watching from a distance as you relished in the time you were spending with everyone - but this was a conversation they’d had a thousand times already. Eddie caught Steve staring, poked and prodded until Steve got annoyed, and ultimately ended up leaving with you instead of leaving you with him.

Tonight was going to be different, though.

Steve ignored Eddie’s observation, deemed it unworthy of a response, and instead turned to him with a concentrated frown. “You’re really not together, right? No feelings, no secret crush, nothing more than friendship?”

A question repeated a thousand times, asked one too many times to be excused as casual interest on Steve’s part, that never failed to make Eddie roll his eyes. He took a sip of his soda before he sighed. “No.”

It was a conversation they’d had a thousand times by now but that didn’t stop Steve from asking a question he knew the answer to. “Then, you wouldn’t mind if I asked her out?”

Eddie scoffed as he finally tilted his head to fix Steve with a look he couldn’t quite read. Eddie sized him up, eyes narrowed in a concentration Steve wasn’t exactly used to seeing from him, before he laughed. “I wouldn’t,” Eddie assured him, “but it’s not like you’re going to. You were going to ask her to see a movie. Then, you were going to ask her to go to the diner with you. Then, it was that museum in Indianapolis she kept talking about. We’ve had this conversation so many times, I think I can have it entirely by myself at this point, Harrington.”

Steve knew what Eddie meant. The conversation was routine at this point, something they both expected to happy nearly every time they occupied the same space, but he still huffed as he cut his eyes at Eddie. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It means,” Eddie declared, standing and poking an accusatory finger at Steve, “that it’s time for you to put up or shut up, Harrington. Ask her out or stop asking me the same questions. Not to be a dick, man, but everyone knows. If you’re serious, it’s time to do something about it.”

As Eddie walked away, wandering in the direction of the group - eager to claim the attention of the children and buy you a moment - Steve reminded himself that the touch love act was just that. He’d tried being nice, coaxing and encouraging, and Steve was grateful that Eddie hadn’t given up yet.

Though he could annoy him to no end, Eddie loved you and had grown on Steve in a way he’d never expected. He wanted the best for both of you, his best friend and the guy who - he begrudgingly admitted - made her happy, and Steve was grateful for the push as he watched Eddie nudge you in his direction with a raised brow.

Robin met Steve’s as you crossed the concrete deck, brows raised and the question of whether this would be the moment burning bright, but he ignored it - rolled his eyes, even as his cheeks flushed a warm pink - and let his attention role solely to you.

Before he could so much as blink, you settled into the chair Eddie occupied only moments earlier and tilted your head to grin at him. The night had gone dark around you all, the air had grown cooler, but in the twinkling string lights, Steve still marveled at the brightness of your eyes.

“Hi, stranger. I feel like I haven’t seen you all night.” You hadn’t - Steve knew that - and he was partially to blame. As much as he’d wanted to monopolize your time, spend the night celebrating by your side, he’d been selfish. There were so few moments he was given to just sit, to observe without fear of being caught, and he’d taken full advantage of the chance to watch as you floated around his backyard.

“The kids have been glued to your side. Think Henderson’s annoyed Eddie gave you an out.” From across the deck, Steve could see the suspicious look in Dustin’s eyes as he watched the interaction. As much as Dustin loved Steve - and Eddie - he’d lamented Steve’s crush on more than one occasion and made it clear that if Steve fucked up, there would be no help as he sought redemption. “They all love you. You know that, right?”

That knowledge wasn’t the most important thing in the world and it changed very little - there wasn’t much to be gained from the love of a group of teenagers you known less than a year - but Steve was grateful that you treated it as if it was.

The curve of your lips, a soft smile that you reserved for him, blinded him. Nothing else existed, nothing else compared, and he nearly missed the soft laugh that escaped as you tilted your head to glance at the group who’d since set their sights on Eddie. “If I didn’t before tonight, I totally do now.” He caught the way your eyes lingered on the small mountain of treasure, the few little trinkets you’d been gifted, and felt his skin heat despite the cool night air. “I’m gonna have to stuff the walkie under my bed to get some sleep, though, huh?”

It was a moment of levity, needed as the air suddenly began to feel a little too stifling, and Steve laughed. “Oh, yeah. Can’t tell you how many times Henderson’s radioed me in the middle of the night because he was bored. He spent thirty minutes talking to me about Suzie last week.”

“It’s sweet,” you cooed, grinning at him as you reached out to grasp his forearm. “Young love and all. Max has gotten to the point where she’ll say something about her and Lucas before she realizes what she’s said. It’s too much for my heart.”

Steve’s mouth felt a little too dry, full of cotton and words he imagined should remain unspoken, as your fingers trailed over the back of his hand. He had no idea what shapes you were tracing against his skin, couldn’t focus long enough to decipher them, but that didn’t matter when you glanced at him from beneath your lashes and smiled.

“Who would’ve thought,” he hummed, a little breathless and with far less bravado than he intended, “that the pretty metalhead would be such a hopeless romantic.”

“I wouldn’t call it hopeless,” you teased, grinning as your eyes met. “Hopeful, maybe. An optimist, despite the black clothes and metal. I don’t think you have much room to talk, though, Romeo.”

The thud of his heart against his ribcage sounded a little too loud, felt a little too hard, as you shifted closer. The creak of your lounge chair and the scruff of metal against concrete should’ve grated on his nerves but when you shuffled close enough for him to smell your shampoo, everything outside of you ceased to exist.

“No, I think I’m pretty hopeless,” he teased, light but self-deprecating in a way that made you frown.

“Steve.” The chiding was soft, lacking the necessary heat, but he still flipped his hand to brush his thumb across your palm in apology, anyway.

“You didn’t let me finish, babe.” He levels you with an unimpressed look, lacking any real disappointment, as you shake your head. “Hopeless, but a little optimistic, too, especially when it comes to love.”

“That why you keep going on all those dates?”

Weeks had passed since Steve had last gone on a date. As hard as he tried, he couldn’t really fathom the idea of going out with someone who wasn’t you. But, maybe you had a point. He’d gone on a thousand dates - not really, but that’s what it felt like some days - in search of love, someone to hold close and make laugh.

As his eyes returned to yours, bright and warm even in the dim light, Steve smiled. “Maybe, but I think I know what people meant when they said you find love where you’re not really looking for it.”

Steve hadn’t been looking for love when he drove to Eddie’s, certainly hadn’t expected to find it in the shape of you perched on the soft couch with kohl rimmed eyes and chipped black nail polish, but maybe that’s what made it so special. There was no forcing it, no expectations beyond getting to know someone he should’ve known a long time ago, and though Steve was terrified to fuck it all up, he hoped you’d give him the chance to explore the warmth filling his chest.

“You think you’ve found love?”

The raise of your brows was wary, cautious, but a little amused as your fingers drifted higher to trace the band of his watch. He wondered if you really had no idea, if you really couldn’t see the way he looked at you, especially when it seemed so fucking obvious to everyone else.

“I’m not sure.” His answer was syrup slow, nearly a whisper in the darkness as he glanced at you from beneath his lashes. “But maybe you could help me figure it out, let me take you on a date.”

Wide eyes, blinking slow and a little dazed, lingered for a moment as your lips parted in surprise. Steve could see the flicker of emotion as you processed his request but before he could grow nervous, afraid of what your response might be, your mouth turned up at the corners.

“Depends, Harrington. Where’re you takin’ me?”

Steve’s grin matched yours, a little blinding and a little giddy, as he shifted his body just enough to reach for the small box he’d hidden. “This was going to be the plan for our first date. It gave me a deadline,” he explained, only a little heat flooding his cheeks as he passed you the box, “but it’s in three weeks and I don’t think I can wait that long. Maybe our first date can be at the diner, or the drive-in?” He missed the warmth of your hand immediately, wanted to chase it with his own, but knew that could wait as he studied you.

“The diner sounds nice, but so does the drive-in. Honestly, I think we could just sit in the park and I’d be happy to call that a date.” The honesty was not new - Steve expected blunt, soft but straight to the point - and felt a little dizzy as your words rang in his ears. “But now I’m curious.” He barely remembered the gift, a rectangular box that was lighter than anything else, until he heard your gasp. “Steve, holy shit.”

Two small pieces of paper - pieces he’d gone to Indianapolis to pick up, nervous all the while on the chance you turned him down - peeked out over tissue paper. They were tickets to see Tom Petty, an artist you both agreed on and listened to amicably in the solitude of his car, away from the teasing of Eddie and Robin and the kids, and he could see the glittering of your eyes as you raked a finger over the paper.

“It’s not metal,” he teased, grinning a little as he pressed his hand to your knee. “But I thought it could be fun. Neither of us have seen him so I figured we could make a day of it. Go to that museum and walk around the city a little, just to explore, before the concert. What d’you think?”

“I think I’m going to cry again. You gotta stop reducing me to tears, Harrington, s’not nice.”

“Not my fault you’ve got a marshmallow heart, babe. C’mere.”

Steve grinned, heart light and head fuzzy, as he pushed himself into a seated position on the lounge chair and held open his arms. With no hesitation, you closed the gap and settled on his lap with your arms thrown around his neck. He could feel your breath fan across his skin, sticky and warm and a little dizzying, as he inhaled the scent of your shampoo.

“Thank you, Steve. I’m so excited.” The words were muffled by his skin, spoken into his neck in a way that made him shiver, and he tightened his arms around your waist as he hummed. “Is tomorrow too soon for a date? I know we’ve both got to work but, you know, maybe after?”

“If I wasn’t worried the kids would trash my house, I’d take you out right now, babe.” He wanted to, would have were it not for the children shouting across the deck, but tomorrow would do. He’d waited months already, could wait less than twenty-four hours, and you seemed to be of the same opinion as you lifted your head to glance at the rowdy bunch as they cornered Eddie.

“That’s fair. Tomorrow, then. The diner, after work?”

When you looked at him like that, soft and sweet and so fucking pretty, Steve would’ve said yes to anything. So, he nodded. “It’s a date.”

As hard as he tried, Steve couldn’t keep the smile off his face the rest of the night. No matter where you went, it was never far and his hand rarely left yours. He was grateful that the teasing had been staved off - likely a kindness granted for your birthday, one that wouldn’t be extended beyond the night - but knew he wouldn’t be so lucky when you were out of earshot.

The next morning, when Steve wandered into Family Video with a spring in his step and a smile crinkling the corners of his eyes, he was met with the sight of Robin standing behind the counter. She held her board in one hand and a marker in the other. When he raised a brow, she drew a single tally under the ‘You Rule’ heading.

“Way to go, dingus. You got the girl.”

Steve Harrington got the girl and he was going to do all he could to keep you.

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Author’s Note: I’m playing softball for the first time in like ten years and I think I have heat stroke, send help. Or Steve. Either one works. I always get so nervous to write Steve. I feel like he’s so ooc. Ugh. I’m trying my best, I promise.

Taglist: @x-avantgarde-x, @thisisparadisemylove, @eddiesprincess, @slvdsjjk, @munsonlover, @tasmbestspdrman, @urofficial-cyberslut, @jxngwhore, @hopelesslylosttheway, @meaganjm, @lazuli-leenabride, @deiondraaa, @piscesmesss, @glowyskiess, @kiszkathecook, @missryerye, @solarrexplosion, @ofherscarlettwitchways, @lovedandleft-haunted, @trappedinlimbo15, @sweetiekitten, @bookfrog242, @gwendolynmary, @sage-bun, @zealouslibrariesparadiselight, @castiels-lilass, @tojis-little-brat, @emmah787, @theworldsendxx, @asuperconfusedgirl, @flores-and-sunshine, @passi0np1t, @laurathefahrradsattel, @hellf1reclub, @slut4yourmom, @niko-04, @hannirose-loves-you, @mrs-eddie-munson, @screambabe, @vllowe, @ryswritingrecord, @cheriebondy, @ryswritingrecord, @thewitchofthewilds140, @bootlegmothman420, @maruushkka, @honeymoonpython, @keenesbeans, @jess-bonn, @sammysinger04, @khaoticken21, @denkis-slut, @spiderman-berries, @lotus-es, @amortiff, @stardust-galaxies, @ure-a-sunflower, @1-800-ch3rry, @ladybeewritethings, @ynbutbetter, @hunnybunimdun, @breathinfive, @s-u-t, @s4ntacarlal0stk1d, @rae-iin, @pennamesgame, @stefans-wife, @voldieshorts, @frankie-mercury, @bbymochi1, @serendiipty, @saturnsworld01, @eddiemunson1sstuff, @valthevalkyrie-main, @crying-caro, @inglourious-imagines

If you’re not tagged, it’s because Tumblr wouldn’t let me!

#steve harrington x reader #steve harrington imagine #steve harrington fluff #stranger things imagine #stranger things x reader #stranger things fic #stranger things fluff #steve harrington x you #steve harrington x y/n #v's fics

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captain-ozone · 1 year

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MY VERY SPOILERY THOUGHTS ON THE LITTLE MERMAID

I’m going absolutely feral after seeing The Little Mermaid. My inner child has been FED, and I HAVE NO ONE TO TALK TO ABOUT IT YET so here I am to spew my thoughts. Spoilers below:

1. Halle was perfect. I will accept no criticism on this point. The only thing I cared about when this live-action movie was announced was that our new Ariel would have a voice to match Jodi Benson’s, and Halle did more than deliver. She epitomized the spirit of Ariel in every way. She was playful, she was inquisitive, she was joyful and bright and fun, she was so good at tugging the heartstrings (even without dialogue!!!) and appealing to our innate wanderlust and desire to discover and experience, and she was so so EARNEST in her portrayal I can’t even.

2. THE DEPTH THEY ADDED TO PRINCE ERIC’S CHARACTER OKAY!?!?! LIKE?!?!?! Okay, I will NOT GET OVER THIS. It was SO CLEVER of them to mirror Ariel’s journey with his desire to break free of his position’s restrictions. It worked incredibly well and did not once detract from our heroine’s spotlight. Rather, it ENHANCED their connection and sold me on their three-day love story in a deeper and more meaningful way than the original did (more on that below). ALSO ALSO ALSO SO COOL of them not to kill off his ADOPTIVE mother. ADOPTIVE. Marvelous choice! Truly. His mother’s fear of the sea gods offered a parallel to Triton’s fear of the surface world, and *CHEFS KISS*

3. Melissa McCarthy’s Pour Unfortunate Souls was a FUN TIME.

4. Awkwafina as Scuttle? Inspired.

5. MAX WAS ADORABLE AND THE STAR OF THE SHOW EVERY TIME HE WAS ON SCREEN. BEST BOY.

6. Wherever they filmed? The castle? Fucking gorgeous.

7. JODI BENSON CAMEOOOOOOO

8. Grimsby is the GOAT. Enough said.

9. NEW SONGS

I may get some hate for this, but I’m not the biggest fan of Lin-Manuel Miranda. Idk how to put this. He has an insane amount of talent, but for...untraditional musicals. I wouldn’t say he’d be my first choice to write new songs that fit the more traditional Broadway-like musical vibes that characterized so much of the Disney Renaissance.

That being said, The Scuttlebutt was the strongest of the bunch, I think. It was very much a Miranda song, and in most instances, I’d be a little irritated by how they included a song that has a style so different from the rest of the lyrical music we know and love from the original animated movie. But it worked here, likely because it was delivered by Awkwafina’s Scuttle and FIT the character.

Honorable mention to Wild Uncharted Waters, only because WOW Jonah Hauer-King went OFF on that performance. This boy said “I get one musical number and I’m going to KILL IT” and he did.

Also very much liked the Part of Your World (Reprise II)! It tied everything together really nicely.

10. THE OTHER NOTABLE CHANGES I NEED TO SCREAM ABOUT

I LOVE THAT ARIEL HESITATED BEFORE CHOOSING TO GO THROUGH WITH THE SPELL.

I LOVE THAT ARIEL WAS FORCED TO FORGET SHE NEEDED A KISS FROM ERIC. --> THIS. THIS IS FREAKING AMAZING. I can’t even express how much more I felt for Ariel and Eric’s love story. How much more real it felt. How much more believable and true. I don’t buy in to one-day (or few-day) love stories very easily, especially when physical intimacy/attraction is a driving force. My little aroace ass dug the fact that kissing Eric literally was the last thing on Ariel’s mind. She got to be herself, explore this new world, AND do it with someone who appreciated her curiosity and found joy in how much joy she was experiencing, who could have just as much fun as she could. God. Goals.

I LOVE THAT ERIC KNEW SOMETHING WASN’T RIGHT WITH VANESSA, EVEN IF HE COULDN’T PUT HIS FINGER ON IT. Very reminiscent of Prince of Song and Sea by Linsey Miller (a YA AU retelling told from Prince Eric’s POV. It’s a fun, easy read, if you’re curious).

I LOVE THAT ARIEL ACTIVELY TACKLED VANESSA AND BROKE THE SHELL NECKLACE HERSELF.

I LOVE THAT ARIEL WAS THE ONE TO STAB URSULA. I LOVE THAT SO MUCH. WE LOVE A BADASS HEROINE WHO DON’T NEED NO MAN TO SAVE HER.

All of these changes were important and mean a lot to me. I think it challenges a lot of the issues people have with the original animated movie, in that, here in the 2023 version, no one can argue that Ariel made her choices because she was lusting after a man. Or that she’s a damsel in distress. Very good stuff there.

11. My critiques

Some of the cinematography was weird. The transition between acting scenes and singing scenes didn’t always flow right. They felt abrupt and awkward. I definitely worried a bit about the CGI too, and it wasn’t too terrible imo.

And my biggest complaint: idk what it was about the ending, but it didn’t *quite* hit right. In the original animated movie, one of the last bits of dialogue comes from Triton, when he says, “...how much I’m going to miss her.” The finale of the animated movie is then a spectacle of swelling music and a heartfelt case of “show” rather than “tell.” The hug between Ariel and Triton on the wedding barge is perfect. The way in which the mer-people come to witness the wedding and send off Eric and Ariel is perfect.

The live-action ending felt...a little too somber. It became too much about Triton letting go and not enough about Ariel and Eric setting off on adventure together or about their worlds colliding in peace. I wouldn’t say that the last conversation between Triton and Ariel in the 2023 movie cheapens the line “...how much I’m going to miss her” and the bittersweetness with which he gifts her back her human legs, but it came close. I would have MUCH rather had a little more from Eric and Ariel than from Triton. LIKE HELLO??? WHAT HAPPENED TO THAT RING GRIMSBY KICKED AWAY!??? THERE WAS SOMETHING THEY COULD HAVE USED RIGHT THERE. Or better yet: if they wanted to do something super touching, they could have had Eric’s mother and Triton do a short aside by themselves, or perhaps even have a sort of moment where they acknowledge each other with respect/compassion/understanding before we all refocused on Ariel and Eric for the grand finale. But nah, they did what they did, and I’ll be a bit salty about it forever.

But anyway. Overall, I was very pleased. My disappointment with the lack of emotional impact from the ending does not supersede my enjoyment of everything else.

If you made it this far, please share your thoughts! I’m eager to talk to people, because all my friends aren’t like me and didn’t go see it opening night, lol.

#the little mermaid #the little mermaid 2023 #halle bailey #jonah hauer king #melissa mccarthy #just some thoughts I needed to get out #please talk to me about this i'm desperate #someone tell me what they think about the ending #i probably missed some thoughts but this is enough for tonight #little mermaid 2023 spoilers

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knee-stockings · 1 year

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So I’ve been listening to lots of podcasts at work lately to break up the monotony of my office job. Mainly they’re horror, suspense/thriller, drama, that kind of thing. Trying to give ratings without spoilers~

(Check out updated pod recs here)

The Left Right Game (a journalist investigating an urban legend that gets increasingly more dangerous as they go): 5/5, this being one of the first ones I listened to set the bar really high tbh, it was great, immersive sound design, genuinely suspenseful and creepy moments, interesting plot, my only gripe is that I didn’t love the ending but I couldn’t dock a star just for that, highly recommend, maybe I’ll retire to Wintry Bay someday

Alice Isn’t Dead (delivery trucker goes searching for her believed dead wife, comes across supernatural towns and creatures and a conspiracy that goes way deeper than one missing woman): 5/5, so so good, enjoyed a lot, I loved learning the truth about the Thistle men, still don’t completely understand oracles but that’s okay, some delightfully creepy moments, this will be high on my recommendation list (also it’s by the Welcome to Night Vale people, which I actually haven’t listened to lmao)

Harley Quinn and the Joker: Sound Mind (it’s a Harley Quinn origin story basically): 5/5, very enjoyable, sound design great, plot was fun, I don’t know how accurate this story is to the original Harley Quinn origin story but I liked this a lot

The Burned Photo (two women try to fight a familial curse haunting their bloodlines): 4/5, not bad at all, I thought the sound design was great and immersive but I thought the monster’s voice was a bit goofy idk, the plot wasn’t bad though ofc it was pretty bittersweet and sad in the end, tho I think it was never going to be happy for everyone involved

Blackwood (group of teens investigate the town urban legend and uncover more than they bargained for): I can’t decide…3.5 maybe? It was okay. I didn’t love it or hate it, I’m pretty neutral about it. It was interesting enough

Gaslight (girl goes missing and then reappears to her best friend years later with little explanation): 3/5, feels like there should be another season, wasn’t as dramatic/suspenseful as I thought it would be (maybe that’s my own fault tho, from the description and stuff I thought there would be more to it)

Ice-Cream (teens suspect the friendly neighborhood ice cream man of abducting little kids and uncover a dark secret): 4.5/5, interesting and a lil creepy, there’s something oddly funny about hearing someone scream “fuck you Beelzebub” even in context, sound design is pretty good and voice acting is great, finale was also pretty good but I’m docking half a star bc of that very last bit and bc I said so, overall short n’ sweet, no pun intendo (I’m kinda glad that it’s only the one season and not super long, gives the feeling of not overstaying its welcome. Also in awe that they made it within like a month, gonna go listen to their other podcast Cascadia too)

Cascadia (submarine expedition to uncharted waters, gone wrong, we almost died!?): 5/5, by the Ice-Cream people so I expected great sound design and voice acting and said expectations were met tbh, yes god love the drama, ocean depths are inherently scary to me so this is top tier horror, season one was chef’s kiss beautiful and I heard season 2 is coming so I’ll be waiting eagerly for that

Listening now:

Within the Wires (season 1 is relaxation cassette tapes from another world, season 2 is a guided museum tour I think): also by the WTNV people, interesting so far, the plot that unfolded in the first season was cool to watch as it played out, but also I am so sad. I like it so far

Rabbits (girl goes searching for her friend who disappeared because of this mysterious Rabbits game): feels like a really slow start after a few episodes, I kinda wanna get to more action soon please

Wake of Corrosion (apocalypse where characters are trying to find other survivors and also answers): mild shrug, not sure what to make of it just yet. Only like 2 episodes in so I think I need to give it a bit

Ars Paradoxica (scientist accidentally invents time travel and is thrown back to the 1940s): pretty interesting so far, science is fun

Spoiler comment for Cascadia under the cut bc it's the one I just finished and I have Thoughts

As much as I enjoyed Cascadia, when I think about the expedition for more than 2 seconds I get confused. Not the whole alien thing, that’s fine, it’s Badger and Maria and their ulterior motives. Why in the world did Badger spend millions of dollars to make a submarine that’s faulty on purpose? And there was so much media coverage around it so the second something went wrong reporters were practically beating him over the head with microphones, so why risk so much bad press? Plus sacrificing three other talented divers who trusted him with their lives??? That’s the most confusing to me. There’s no way Badger foresaw them getting attacked underwater and losing Declan alone, so he must have been fully prepared to lose captain AND crew. Holden said that he saw Badger as a father, and yet he chose Holden to die? He said he handpicked them, so what did Holden, Alia, or Iris ever do to him to deserve being sent on a suicide mission? Doing all this just to get rid of Declan and be with Maria doesn’t feel right. Feels like there should be something more there. Tldr: surely Badger had another reason for conducting the suicide mission, right? Also since season 2 starts with Lila all grown up, a diver just like her father, I wanna know her opinions of her mother and of Badger. Did she learn about her mother’s betrayal? Is Badger still involved in funding deep sea diving or did the FBI take him out of that? Omg who’s the father of her little sibling…I’m so curious…

#ignore me #mimi reviews #the left right game #alice isn't dead #harley quinn and the joker sound mind #the burned photo #blackwood #gaslight #ice-cream #cascadia #within the wires #rabbits #wake of corrosion #ars paradoxica #i can't believe i had the patience to tag all these...

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therealtsk · 7 months

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What I'd Like To See From CONTROL 2

So, it's been over a week since Alan Wake 2 launched (dw, no spoilers!) and it's awesome! I absolutely love this game, and it's alongside CONTROL as one of my favorite video games. And since CONTROL 2 is (iirc) confirmed, I thought it would be fun to talk about what I'd like to see brought to the sequel based off of the improvements to their signature gameplay we saw in AW2. 1. Non-Human Enemies. Aside from the Hiss Warped, Mold-1, The Third Thing, and FORMER, Remedy has yet to really add non-human enemy designs to their games, and considering the New Weird/Horror genre they've leaned their current universe into, it feels like a major missed opportunity to get truly wild and creative with character design. One of my few criticisms of AW2 is that there are no truly monstrous enemies, only more corrupted humans and regular looking animals. While the design of the Mirrored Taken are a step in the right direction, I want Remedy to go further. 2. Better Finale This relates to my earlier point, but a problem that Remedy's games have had since, frankly, Alan Wake 1 is that the final "boss" fights are lackluster. While I enjoyed the boss fights in AW2 (especially the one with the well and the one with the flooding, you know who I mean) the last boss (and the final encounter in general) does feel a bit anticlimactic. CONTROL had FORMER, The Third Thing and esseJ as very unique fights, but again, the main campaign of CONTROL has another final encounter that struggles to feel exciting and unique, especially compared to the incredible Ashtray Maze sequence.

Remedy mentioned taking inspiration from Resident Evil 2 Remake for inspiration for how Alan Wake 2 would play (and mechanically, what I believe is the final boss encounter in AW2 plays out somewhat similarly to the final encounter with Nemesis in RER2), so hopefully they'll continue looking for more inspiration. I would mention a game that does boss fights well, but I honestly can't think of any third-person shooters with good boss encounters I've played at the moment. Something to discuss later.

3. More Unique Set pieces. This is more of "nice to have" more than I think something that Remedy could improve in their games, but given the extra-dimensional setting of CONTROL, having more moments of reality distorting and reforming around us ala the TV Set in CONTROL and many of Alan's segments in AW2 would really further the bizarre, unique atmosphere they've carried into their existing works.

I also think from a gameplay perspective, having sequences similar to Uncharted 4's tower collapse or Dead Space 2's train crash would provide some diversity.

#Alan Wake #AW2 #CONTROL #CONTROL 2 #remedy entertainment #i love AW2 so much #but i was a lilll sad there was no spooky deer monster in the woods #like come on we're even in the pacific nw! it's perfect #still a 10/10 amazing game thou

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tavyliasin · 4 months

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ATG 9 - Mouse? Rat.

(In which a mirror is met, and a trap is set)

Pairing: Haarlep/Tav SPICE Rating: 4/5 Content Warnings: Sex, BDSM, Power Play, Aphrodisiacs,

Spoilers Act 3, House of Hope Canon Compliance Canon Is Wobbly - Technically there is some canon detail of what House of Hope is like, and if we really stretch we can fit this in to the canon. But it's probably going off course, we're heading towards uncharted waters now so we can sail free. Canon gave us the start, the foundation, set our course out of the dock. Now we head on into our own waves, going where the wind takes us. Other Notes This chapter ends on a cliffhanger because it was getting too long to do everything I wanted in one go. So we have a split, then we will come back in write where it stops... Song/Mood The Cabaret of Dreams - Seven Spires "I will be your host this eve, So sit back, relax, and I guarantee If you take it, embrace it, succumb to the dark, Escape into a night where no one knows who you are, You crave it, awake it, the coeur bizarre, Lose yourself to the twisted art. Hey! Don't be afraid Hey! You'll be amazed Let your demons out Let your spirit free It's only gonna cost you your soul." ----- FULL CHAPTER BELOW THE CUT -----

It had been a day . That was about as positively as Tavylia could spin it as she prepared another hop across the broken rock face above fields of lava, once again questioning every single life choice that had lead her to this moment. Not much further, just keep going. That was the mantra now, one foot in front of the other, and hope you still had both feet still attached at the end of the day.

It had been a whole week, really. Their arrival in the city had been filled with more and more dangers. Even with Ketheric gone, there was still Orin and Gortash, the pair of them both more than willing to draw Tav to their side in order to destroy each other and claim power solely for themselves.

Then there was Raphael. Because of course he would be waiting wherever she went. ---

They’d first met again in a brothel of all places, which had done nothing to help Tav’s conflicted mood. He’d spoken to her the same way as always, not a single mention of the “dream” that plagued her mind in every quiet moment, and the constant slipping in and out of seductive flirting and vicious mockery was eroding the last shred of patience in her soul.

“And what if I don’t need to turn against the Emperor? He has kept all of us safe for a long time now.” She wasn’t sure she believed it, but contradicting Raphael was fast becoming her favourite hobby.

“I didn’t take you for that much of a fool , Little Mouse. Perhaps I should’ve offered you a bag of beans when we first met? That could’ve saved a lot of time.” Even as he sneered, it looked like he was half undressing her, body and mind. The scented perfumes in the room, the luxurious pool behind him, and the edge of a bed visible behind the dividing wall were all adding to a simple equation. The solution was not one that could be settled with paper, pencil, and abacus.

Fuck you, Tav thought, but her mouth gave different words to the sentiment. “You don’t even have beans, do you? Besides, everything about you screams that you should not be trusted, whilst the Emperor is capable of actually displaying compassion.” Oops.

“Oh good gods, you didn’t sleep with it, did you?” A look of horror crossed his face, and Tav could hear Lae’zel physically gag behind her. “Of all the depravity in all the nine hells… It’s using you, Little Mouse, selling you a sweet little story to get what it wants before it discards you, or worse it’ll turn you into a creature just like itself. I had thought you wished to avoid that particular fate, at least.”

Tav remembered, as he’d mentioned before, that Raphael had a habit of shielding them from the Emperor’s view. “Did it ever occur to you that I might be the one using him?” She was suddenly glad she had left Astarion at camp to relax today, as she didn’t want him to misunderstand what she said next. “Emotion can be a weakness, a weapon. If he were to turn on me, I already have another card in my hand.”

“Oh, very impressive, Little Mouse,” he replied, in the most patronising tone he could muster - an impressive feat given how patronising his usual tone was anyway, “you really think that will be enough? I can offer you something else, a trump card for your deck.”

“Don’t tell me, it involves another deal?” she glared, waiting for the other shoe to drop.

“So you do have a little intellect left in that pretty little head of yours! Obviously nothing in life is free, but we made a deal before, did we not? I kept my end of the bargain, you kept yours - quite the lucrative relationship, wouldn’t you say?” His smile widened a little, more small gestures almost like a bow. Always the same dance, Tav thought to herself, considering his words. Hold on did he call me pretty?! She pulled her thoughts together again. “I can’t deny that. The answer was hardly satisfying, though, and we’re still far from resolving that particular issue.” “Ah ah ah, Little Mouse, you know that I never promised resolution to the problem. I told you the meaning of what was written on your lover’s back, no more, no less. And you killed my old enemy for me, no more, no less.” “Fine. Deal done. What do you suggest this time? Just more words?” she couldn’t resist pushing him right to the edge of his patience, delighting in watching him lose his composure for just a moment as his jaw clenched a little too hard. The Cambion smoothed his hair down casually, though not a single strand had been out of place. “Actually, this time we will be needing more than a simple verbal contract. I’m afraid you’ll need to sign on the dotted line.” “I’m not saying yes without details.” Tav put her hands on her hips, glaring a challenge towards him.

“Always so ferocious, aren’t you? You can keep your daggers to yourself, for now. I’m not even asking for your soul, my aim is not to own you.” He smiled, with unnerving charm. “I’ll even sweeten the deal and pay may half in full first. A gesture of goodwill, if you like.” “Remarkably generous, for a fiend. What exactly are you offering?” Tav couldn’t help the insults, but her curiosity was piqued. “Orpheus.” He said plainly, for one horrifying moment making Tav wonder if he actually knew what had happened with the Emperor. If her reaction showed on her face, Raphael was ignoring it. “I can give you the means to free Orpheus from his prison, and in turn he can free you from the hold of the illithid creature and solve that little tadpole problem for you. He won’t take any convincing to help you with your final foe, either.”

“You sound very sure of yourself. What’s the guarantee he won’t just murder us all on sight for having the tadpoles in our minds in the first place?” “He won’t.” Lae’zel spoke up from behind her. Tav had almost forgotten anyone else was in the room. “Kithrak Voss. I’ll speak with him, I am certain he will aid us when the moment comes, and Orpheus will be on our side.” “See?” Raphael’s voice took on a musical tone for a moment. “You’ll be just fine . Besides, you’ve made it this far, have you not? I don’t make pointless bets, either. I have the hammer, a particular weapon that is the only way you can free the Gith Prince from his prison, and I’m willing to give it to you right now.” Tav considered him, eyes scanning every inch of his body language and expression for the barest hint of a lie. She found nothing. “And if it’s not my soul you want in return, what is it?” “The Crown.” He replied, simply and without any of the usual dancing around the point. It was almost unnerving. “Bring me the crown once you have defeated your foes, and consider our deal complete.”

Easy enough, on the face of it. But he was not the only one looking for it, and Tav wasn’t about to just sign anything without giving it a lot more thought first. “I’m not saying yes, but I’m also not saying no. I’m not foolish enough to erase a possible advantage, but I’m not about to just sign without reading all of the small-print.” “For once, Little Mouse, you’ll find the page to be really quite clear, no lines to read between, no secret catch. But if you insist on struggling pointlessly against the tide, well, just remember who to call when you’re running out of breath beneath the waves.” He held out one hand facing up, then briefly covered it with his other hand. When he revealed his palm again, a pair of small smooth stones glinted in the light. They looked fairly plain, and yet entirely identical. “Sending Stones. Simple little trick, consider it free of charge. When you are out of luck, preferably before you start growing tentacles, use this. Call out to me, and I will come to you. Then we can finalise our deal.” “That sounds remarkably fair of you.” Tav looked at the stones with suspicion, before picking one up and turning it over in her hand as if inspecting it for traps. “There’s no point overcomplicating things. I have what you need, and you can get what I want. Still, you ask for time, and I can be patient. For now. But consider, how long do you truly have left? Tick tock, Little Mouse, don’t wait 'til the final hour to beg at my feet. You’re smarter than that, at least.” He bowed with a flourish, though he didn’t break eye contact. “Until then, unless I see you sooner.”

---

Tav had almost slammed the door when she left, still feeling the smug look following her as she left the brothel. She had half a mind to spend some coin and a couple of hours with some of the staff just to blow off some steam, but there was little chance for peace with her companions insisting on talking over the pros and cons of the contract. Afterwards, another week had passed, but in that time the bitch Orin grew impatient and took Halsin from their camp, which is why Tav was now about to hop across a broken balcony in the middle of Avernus of all places. She didn’t want to imagine what he might be suffering through while they searched, so she had decided to try a new angle. The House of Hope. Raphael’s mansion. An expensive ritual to open the portal, but it had to be worth it. She would make sure of that. “Stay out here,” she turned to her companions as she eyed up the balcony above, “if I need help I’ll send you a signal.”

“I’m sorry? You’re waltzing in through the window of the devil’s bedchambers and you want us to, what, go and read a book while we wait? Darling I know you’ve been reckless recently but this is too much.” Astarion looked genuinely worried, like one step wrong and he would shatter. “You have your disguises, I have the scrolls Gale gave me. If you can find anything in his archives that could help us find Orin and get Halsin back…it’s worth the risk. I can handle Raphael, don’t worry. Besides, apparently he isn’t home. It should be easy to take a little peek at his secrets.” She did her best to reassure him, even though she knew they were getting desperate. “I’m with Astarion on this one, but I’m well aware that trying to change your mind is futile.” Gale turned back to his companions, preparing to leave.

Shadowheart also laying a hand on the pale elf’s shoulder behind him. “She’ll be fine, somehow. Gods know she’s manage to stay alive this far.” The cleric shot Tav the kind of look that said don’t you dare prove me wrong, I will not speak kindly at your funeral if you mess this up. “Stick to the plan,” Tav said, “it’s the best chance we have. Oh and stay away from Hope for now, she risks drawing too much attention. Rule 1, remember? I’ll meet you in the entrance hall later.” As the others turned back the way they’d come, Tav steeled her nerves, swigging from a potion of leaping to give herself the extra strength to make it on to the balcony edge. ---

Tav almost immediately regretted not trying to quickly switch outfits before stepping into the lavishly decorated room. She was fairly certain that Raphael wasn’t home, especially from how Hope had spoken when they arrived through the portal. The plan was just to gather a little information, maybe see what they could learn about Raphael’s own plans before deciding whether handing him an item of immense power was just a step too reckless. But reckless, it seemed, was becoming the theme of the day. She stepped through the open balcony door cautiously, peering inside the room.

Well, shit, this is awkward. Laying on the bed in his full devilish form was Raphael, dressed in what could only be described as the sluttiest leather harness that Tav had ever seen in her life. He turned lazily to look towards her, eyes travelling the full course of her body with a hunger that she could feel , even from this distance. He beckoned her closer, but remained on the silk sheets, chalice of wine in hand. “A lost little mouse is running through the house, a thief in the night, greedy and here to take. Why are you here, little thief?” His poetry was familiar at least, but there was something else…different. “Raphael? You look… I wasn’t expecting you to be home, and certainly not dressed like that. ” She tried in vain to prevent her gaze travelling across his form, rippling muscles just beneath crimson skin, lined with veins and a few little ridges that marked his body as just beyond human. Of course, the large wings, tail, and the viciously curved horns growing from his forehead were decidedly less human than the form she was most accustomed to seeing him in. However, it seemed like her reaction had amused him, as he began to laugh. “Raphael? Ha! No.” The voice turned colder, a sharp edge to the speaker's words now. “You will have a far crueller master than Raphael, soon. But what inspired you to pay him a visit?” Shit, Tav thought, but if it’s not him…who the fuck-“Come on, little thief, out with it. Why in all the hells did you sneak in through the bedroom balcony of the Archduke Raphael? If you had an invitation, the door would be open to you, and you certainly are not dressed like someone who belongs in here . The disguise will not fool me, you’re no debtor either.” Despite the harsh words, they seemed more amused than furious. As if this entirely unexpected turn of events was entertaining, rather than an invasion.

“Well, I’m in a little trouble.” She began, hesitating at the fiery eyes seeming to burn through her. Somehow, this one was more intimidating than Raphael, shaking her usually cocky foundation. “ That , Little Thief, is obvious . Nobody is foolish to turn up in this House when they have any other option.” They took a sip of wine now, gesturing for Tav to go on. “I’m not here for his deals, not yet. I was looking for some answers first.” She paused again. It was extremely distracting to be stood there looking down at the almost naked object of several quietly kept fantasies just laying on the bed. It was unnerving. “Actually, the first question - if you’re not Raphael, who are you? And why do you look just like him?” “I am Raphael’s personal incubus, glamoured to look just. Like. Him. He’s so terribly vain, only wanting to sleep with himself, but you know what they say. Better the devil you know. Usually information does not come for free, but I suppose we shall consider this a trade. Names next, then? Mine is Haarlep. You would do well to keep that in mind, you may find yourself in need of it.” They licked their lips idly as they continued to observe her. “Your turn, Thief.” “Tavylia.” she replied, eyes drawn to their lips involuntarily. “Tav, usually.”

“Ah so it is you. The Little Mouse that has the cat’s fur standing on end.” Haarlep seemed more intrigued now, sitting up a little to take a better look at the increasingly uncomfortable elf stood before them. “I’ve heard all about you. ” The emphasis increased with every word, as each syllable travelled across the room with an enticing intensity. “Then you have me at a disadvantage. I know nothing of you.” She stood stiffly, trying to keep at least a little of her pride intact as their gaze burned right through her. “Of course not, I’m his dirty little secret. ” They laughed, draining the last of their wine and placing the chalice on the bedside. “And you have been quite the thorn in his side. He might call you Little Mouse, but now I look at you… Little Mouse doesn't suit you, no, you're more like a rat. You actually stand a chance against a cat, if you're clever enough. Unfortunately for you, I'm no house cat. You'll find me considerably closer to a tiger than to the pet you've been playing with until now.” Tav felt the familiar prickling of danger running up her spine, every alarm blaring in her mind that she had walked into the wrong room at the wrong time, but still another part of her had control and was quite unwilling to leave just yet.

“Well, my little Rat Thief, now the introductions are over…” They stood from the bed now, raising to their full height, wings stretching out behind them in an impressive display. Even their eyes seemed to blaze with a brighter fire than before, the heat making the air stifling. “Wouldn’t you feel more comfortable without those old rags?”

“I’m sorry, what?” Tav would’ve taken a step backwards, had she found any strength in her legs to move at all. “I told you, Rat, that I already know all about you. So you have nothing left to trade if you want more answers from me.” They stepped closer, the heat from their body almost unbearable, the scent of cinnamon drifting enticingly from their skin. “It is entirely your choice. I’ll allow you to leave, if you wish, empty handed. Or, if you really want to know some of Raphael’s dirty little secrets , we can play a game. If you win, I’ll tell you whatever you want to know,” their voice lowered to a seductive growl, “but you’ll enjoy it far more if you lose.” Stopping just short of where she stood, they kept their eyes locked on Tav’s. She took her time to consider their words, and what they seemed to be implying. If Raphael truly is only interested in sex with his own form, well I’m shit out of luck. He’s just been playing the angle for the contract… But an incubus? Far simpler, right? They desire lust, sex, and will naturally gain something from the act…but what? “Alright, Haarlep, but I want to know the rules first. ”

“That’s cute, that you think you can make a demand of me. I can see where your eyes drift, Rat, and I promise you I can be everything you dream of, and more. ” They let their gaze wander over her body now, a direct challenge. “I can even, if you prefer, take a softer form. Raphael occasionally enjoys the pleasures,” they paused as their body shimmered and transformed into what could only be described as a feminine twin of Raphael, voice to match as they continued, “the very many pleasures of the Archduchess. The choice is yours, but you must agree to the game before we can play, Rat.” The new nickname was beginning to grate on Tav’s nerves, and yet every time Haarlep spoke, she felt more and more drawn towards them. It was becoming impossible to lie, as if the truth of her desire were being drawn from within simply by being in their presence. “Usually, I do not mind the body I lay with, as long as the experience is worth it.” She swallowed now, her mouth suddenly dry. “But…I have found myself wanting Raphael, all of him.” “Well then, Little Rat, far be it from me to disappoint,” another gesture and the cambion form shifted again to the masculine shape that plagued Tav’s dreams of late, “you shall have what you desire. And you shall find it far more pleasant than the company of the Archduke himself . ” Tav found herself sighing involuntarily, taking a step towards them, reaching out to touch-

“Ah ah ah, Rat, patience. I will only give you two rules. The way out of our game is simple; the same as any other, if you wish to cede defeat, all you need do is say Meow. Or, if for some reason your tongue is unable to form the word, simply hum it. I will know, and you will be free to leave. From what I’ve heard, however, I doubt you will have use for it.” They reached out a hand towards Tav, stopping with their finger less than a millimeter from her lips, denying the touch that she craved. “My second rule, is that you only ever refer to me by my proper name. And I assure you, you will want to before we are through.” “Wait…” Tav spoke, desperate to do anything but wait. “What do you get from this?” “Simple. I get you. I’ve been watching for some time, listening, and you are so very entertaining. Am I not entitled to a little fun, too? I hear you even had fun with an illithid ! I must say I am impressed by that experiment of yours. Even I have not indulged in the particular flesh of a Mindflayer. But enough of that, what do you say? Will you step back out the way you came? Or are you going to take off those awful rags, so we can enjoy ourselves more freely.” Their finger still lingered tantalisingly close to Tav’s lips, without giving her the satisfaction of contact even if she moved closer.

“I…agree to your terms, Haarlep.” The incubus’s wing’s seemed to flutter slightly as she spoke their name, barely above a whisper. She was rewarded by the briefest touch, the tip of their nail tracing down their cheek to beneath her chin, lifting it towards them as they bend to speak close to her ear. “Excellent decision~” they purred, the reverberations of their voice alone travelling directly through Tav’s entire body, almost falling to the floor as their tongue teased the pointed tip of her ear, “now take your clothes off and lay on the bed.”

No sooner had they given the order, they stepped away leaving a vast emptiness in the space they had just occupied. They never took their eyes off her, but walked slowly around to the opposite side of the massive bed. The clothes were hardly enticing, but Tav knew when she was being tested. She removed each item swiftly, but with purpose and grace in her movements. At least she had been able to keep her own underwear beneath the debtor's disguise. She paused now, watching them for any reaction.

"I don't believe I told you to stop, Rat. Keep going…" Their eyes were burning with a cool fire, flickering irises reminiscent of the hells themselves burning within them.

Tav was torn between a curiosity to see what might happen if she stopped, and the greater desire at what may follow if she continued. An easy decision, and soon she was completely exposed, though grateful for the heat in the room.

"You needn't be afraid, little thief, I have no desire to harm you. At least, not in a way you won't enjoy…" The last syllable was drawn out like a brief growl, the fire in their eyes sparking once more as they noted her response. "Pleasure and pain are two sides of the same coin, after all, and it is such fun to balance on the edge."

Whilst they talked, Tav laid on the bed as instructed, feeling their gaze look beneath her flesh and to the potential it held. They looked like a hungry beast before a banquet. Haarlep moved to the end of the bed, taking another prolonged moment to examine every inch of exposed flesh, before they began to crawl across the bed above her. Their words earlier rang clearly in Tav’s ears, they stalked like a tiger, eyeing her like prey. Just the look they were giving her was raising the heat within her now. “You are so intriguing, Rat, so you’ll have no tricks here. It would be far too easy to charm you, seduce you with a trick to want me, but you’re already right here with barely a hint of coercion.” The sharp talon of a nail softly caressed Tav’s lower lip, the unspoken encouragement for her to part her lips. “And I’ve heard all about this tongue of yours - sharp words can rile him up, you know.” Now they pressed a thumb into her mouth, the tip of their claw just shy of piercing through but the pressure enough to sting with the sharp edge. “You’re welcome to try that with me, of course, but you may find yourself less able to speak before we’re done.” Tav moaned softly, the devil above her was a deeply erotic sight. They straddled her hips easily but kept the contact minimal, and she felt a strong desire to wrap her lips around the thumb that tasted of smoke and heat and cinnamon, but the moment she tried they pulled back again, leaving only a wanton moan in their wake. “Build up your appetite, Rat, you’ll dine well soon enough. But first I simply must know what is so fascinating about one little elf…” They almost seemed absorbed in their own thoughts as they bent to meet her lips, tasting the most chaste kiss and yet leaving a feeling of intense debauchery from just that simple contact. “Hmmm…” They ignored any reaction from Tav, shifting back a little now instead. Clawed hands gripped Tav’s breasts, pressure enough to hurt but simultaneously finding nerves that made her heart race faster. She was becoming impatient. “I thought an incubus would be quick to get to the point.” “Hah! Aren’t you adorable, I didn’t think you’d have the words now. You are aware that we carry a powerful aphrodisiac in our saliva? Perhaps such a small kiss is not enough to poison a ferocious little rat?” They eyed her closely, daring her to reply.

Tav was briefly reminded of a very uncomfortable moment in the temple of Shar involving a half eaten giant spider. She could feel the heat lingering on her lips, and almost heard Gale’s voice shouting at her in her memories- “Stop licking the damn thing!”

She almost laughed, but Haarlep was bending towards her again. “Well, Rat? Do you want more of a taste?” Their claws gripped and pulled on sensitive skin, her chest flaring with a bright heat and pain. Tav remembered now the night she had danced with the Raphael’s true form, a dream more real than she realised. She reached up and grabbed Haarlep’s horns, pulling them in to a deep and passionate kiss. Their tongue danced between her lips, drawing out her breath, tasting every moan that started low and sang up through her throat. It was as if they were drinking in every single spark of her arousal through her lips, a taste of fire, cloves, cinnamon and smoke. Even their hands on her skin felt like the heated more, and she held on to the viciously curved horns until her wrists were snatched away and pressed down above her head. “Well well, you are entertaining…” Haarlep purred, licking their lips, “So, so delicious .” This time, Tav was lost for words, a fact that seemed to make the incubus smile with satisfaction.

“Good…good, little thief, though you might have bitten off more than you can chew this time. I was only going to give you a little, but you went ahead and took all you wanted.” They let out a low chuckle. “I hope you’re ready, you should be feeling it…right about now.” Tav’s head rolled back onto the silk pillows, pressing down as she bit her lip. She was feeling it alright. The it in question was a powerful surge of libido, which started in her mouth where their tongue had drawn their devilish designs on her own like a curse. It spread like butterfly wings opening through the centre of her chest, chasing on down to her middle with the fluttering of a hundred desires. By the time the heat pooled between her legs it was damn near unbearable, pulling her hips up desperately towards the incubus who still knelt over her, their hand still effortlessly pinning her arms above her head. It continued further still into her legs, which Haarlep easily pinned by hooking their feet over her shins. By the time the sensation of pure lust had reached every inch of her being, Tav barely remembered how to breathe, where she was, or anything beyond the deep aching need to be touched.

The entire time, Haarlep simply watched, holding her still, refusing any contact besides the easy restraint. Their tongue licked the taste of her from their lips, revealing the hint of sharp teeth for one tantalising moment. “I don’t think I need to ask what you want, now, do I?” Their voice was just beside her ear as they bent close again, still just keeping their bodies from touching. Their wings spread out behind them. “But I would just love to hear those pretty lips beg.” Tav groaned. This was torture, but she was beginning to feel that reckless confidence rising up in her again. The game was on. “Fuck. You.” She managed to hiss out between desperately quickened breaths. This is a bad idea, this is a bad idea, why am I antagonising the-“Not. Yet.” They replied, tail coming down viciously on her upper thigh like a whip. The pain stung, her eyes almost watered as she felt the hint of a bruise beginning to swell where the blow had landed, but the contact had also given her a taste of what she desired. Haarlep laughed, they knew this game well, and they were ever so intrigued by a mere mortal who would be so willing to play it. “Perhaps I should be surprised how you’re still alive,” they punctuated the pause in their sentence with another lash of their tail, “and you don’t even know yourself, do you?”

Despite their question, Tav wasn’t given space to answer as the game intensified. Tail lashing with brutal precision, dancing on the knife edge of agony and ecstacy ever time it struck home, the incubus ever watching her reactions. If she had the presence of mind to look more closely, she would’ve noticed their red skin now bore a few flecks of her own blood, but it didn’t matter. Nothing mattered beyond the maddening embrace of pure hedonism. “I am beginning to like you, Rat. You’re bearing this all so very well, you might just be my new favourite pet~” They bent to her neck now, pressing their heated lips against skin that begged for their kisses. There was no affection beyond the lie of a false love, and despite the look in their blazing eyes they did not devour her in one bite, nor did they treat her with patience or reverence. No, the incubus wanted to pull every nerve in her body like a puppet’s strings, and gods it was good .

Astarion was a practiced lover, focused on her, and leading her towards more experimental experiences by building the trust between them. The Emperor had looked directly into her mind and harnessed her hidden desires to bring them closer, an act she could only describe as respectful violation. The brief moment she had shared with Raphael showed her a kind of greed and selfish wanting that made her head spin every time she thought about it. But Haarlep? They were unique.

Haarlep’s touch was like fire dancing through her body, they lived and breathed pleasure, their entire being was designed to feed upon the shudders running through her body as they dug their clawed nails into her hip and traced a lustful path along her collarbone with lips, tongue, teeth . Tav struggled a little against the hand pinning her wrists, but it wasn’t freedom she wanted. Freedom was a word away, a word that almost sought her tongue to form the sound but was chased back every time by a fresh wave of utter delight leaving her drunk on lust.

“Ah you are refreshing, ” they breathed against her ribs, chuckling softly as another whip of their tail drew a fresh moan from Tav’s lungs, “and such pretty songs you sing, little thief, and you will sing mine soon~”

Their teeth grazed along over-sensitive skin, tongue flickering to press against tender flesh as they moved down to her breasts, releasing her hands now from above her head. She ached for the restraint, but found no breath to complain. Instead her hands balled into fists, gripping desperately at the decadent fabrics as the incubus reached the peak of her breasts with their wicked mouth now, their free hand beginning to tease her tense thighs.

For a few minutes, there was quiet. Haarlep finally stopped talking, their mouth busy drawing yet more infernal symbols with a quick tongue upon every inch of Tav’s exposed chest. She missed the voice, though, yearning for the deep tones to seduce her soul from her body-��Shit, and I in danger? The thought tried to find purchase in her mind, but it swiftly left the way it came as she felt a finger finally find the source of the searing heat below.

“My, my, little Rat, aren’t you just full of desire~”, their voice began to fill the still air once more, musical and intrigued, “do you wish for more? I’ll need you to speak up now~”

The teasing touch, circling but never entering, sparked a new fire in Tav. The insulting nickname enticing the stubbornness to rear its head. “Make me.”

The incubus growled, wings fluttering for just a moment with something like a warped mirror of irritation. This wasn’t enough to get under their skin, was it? But oh, the challenge had been set, and they were not going to let this one get away with it. Their tail cracked through the air in a vicious arc, landing a stinging blow across her breast, and at that same moment they thrust their finger inside.

Tav howled. An unhinged noise, the satisfaction of finally having something in that aching emptiness that needed to feel this, and the delicious searing pain of the cambion tail drawing blood from pale skin. But that was all - she was left breathless, wanting, as Haarlep pulled back from her, leaving only that one motionless finger waiting. If they so much as twitched their taloned fingertip within her, she might have burst there and then, but they didn’t.

“So, are you going to ask nicely, Little Rat? You might be able to sneak into this house but do not think you can so easily steal from me. ” Their eyes burned brighter, and if Tav had any sense of what was going on around her she would’ve noticed the flames raising from the bed. Not a true fire, this was an illusion, one that was beyond Haarlep’s control. The light highlighted every inch of their chiseled body, their wickedly curved horns almost glowing as they continued to glare at her.

All it took was a slight twitch of their finger, and a fresh wave of arousal stirred within her entire being coalescing into a single, desperate word: “Please…”“Good~” they purred, wings spreading a little wider, free hand raising into the air to summon-

Oh shit, Tav whispered in her mind, somewhere between a pleased expletive and a note of concern, those are vines-The living vines rose up from beneath the bed, entangling her wrists securely, others below her coiling around her ankles and knees, positioning her legs bent, held open, displayed for the fiend’s amusement. “Very good~” they continued, before lowering towards her abdomen. A teasing bite drew blood from the curve of her hip at the same moment a second finger found its home in warm flesh, both moving now and finally drawing the first climax out of her soul with a long low sound that was almost unrecognisable. Haarlep ate it like an appetiser, far from sated. And given their kiss earlier, Tav was also completely given over to her need now.

The room fell quiet once more, aside from the sound of a thrumming heartbeat and the lewd echoes of Haarlep’s talents, as they moved lower to give another kiss. Far from the chaste kiss of a first love, the incubus put their tongue to work in tasting everything even as their fingers built up an intensity of motion.

Every nerve was alight, the sting of wounds from their lashing tail still burned brightly, pleasure and pain dancing a tango in every inch of Tav’s body. Her mind was almost empty, entirely focused on the swarm of sensation that was devouring her consciousness almost as voraciously as Haarlep was devouring her-

---

Haarlep almost regretted enthralling Tav, the spell was hardly necessary, and they had only used it moments ago. Her mind was not allowed to drift now, they demanded that of her, demanded that she think and feel only them , but their peace was about to be disturbed.

They felt the air shift, the currents changing, charged with the familiar electric crackle of magic as the shimmering doorway appeared behind them.

“Well, well, well,” the master of the house spoke with an air of calm irritation, “I don’t believe we had any scheduled guests today. And what, or rather who , the FUCK do you think you are doing, Harlot ?” The insulting nickname made them bristle, even as they continued to pull a shuddering orgasm from Tav’s burning body with a feral scream. Still, this could work in their favour… They folded their wings and sat up slowly, leaving their hand still inside her to keep working her nerves as her mind focused only on them, entirely unaware of the new arrival.

Raphael’s expression was complex, unreadable, as he took in the scene before him. His personal incubus grinning back at him with his own smug face, lips still wet with her desire. Her. What the fuck was she doing here? In his bed? Exposed, wanting, and having the audacity to not even look his way for a second.

“Little Mouse?-” ----------- ----------- ENDING NOTES ----------- -----------

It felt bad to split the chapter, but it was also very necessary~ finally we bring Tav to play with Haarlep, and naturally Raphael knows something is going on... I fear writing this and its sequel fundamentally rewired my brain, and gods am I glad that it did~ Until tomorrow, loves, when you will have more... Oh, did I almost forget? This one gets a LiArt~

#baldurs gate 3 #bg3 #bg3 fanfiction #bg3 raphael #haarlep #bg3 tav #a tav's guide #fanfic #incubus #2 part chapter #LiArt #the worst doodles of smut #take away my crayons #I fear for your taste if you like those drawings but if you demand I supply #anyway here's wonderwall

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whistlingstarlight · 9 months

Note

Would you like to ramble about Pikmin? I've been kind of curious about it ngl (you're free to tell me anything and everything you'd like; I don't have something specific I want to know about)

OKAY LADS BUCKLE UP

Welcome to my TED Talk on why I love Pikmin so fucking much and I think everyone should give it a try, or at the very least watch Let's Plays (I will very happily provide links to my favourite LPs if requested).

So Pikmin 1 focuses on Captain Olimar, a freight worker from the planet Hocotate who crashes onto an uncharted planet whilst on vacation. He meets little half-plant, half-animal creatures he names Pikmin (after his favourite carrot brand, the pikpik). His ship has been destroyed, but with the help of the pikmin he's able to repair his ship.

Pikmin 2 picks up right after Olimar gets back to Hocotate. His company is in debt, and after a souvenir he brought home is deemed profitable Olimar's boss sends him (and a selectively mute employee named Louie, to return to the planet to collect enough treasures to repay the company debt. Spoiler-heavy Hijinks ensue.

Pikmin goes in a completely different direction, following new protagonists from the planet Koppai: Captain Charlie, botanist Brittany, and engineer Alph. Their home planet is overpopulated and starving, but food has been located on the uncharted planet (dubbed PNF-404, and it's their job to bring seeds home to restore food supplies.

Pikmin 4 is... a soft reboot, which I'm unsure if I like or not. Following Olimar's first crash landing, his distress signal was received by the galactic Rescue Corps who set out to rescue him. And like every previous ship to land on the planet... they crash. For the first time you create your own character, and it's their job to rescue both Olimar and the rescue corps.

And throughout all of this, you are teeny tiny! The Hocotatians, Koppaites and all other planetary explorers are only a few inches tall, giving you a completely new perspective of Earth. Because yes! This uncharted planet is Earth!

Each Pikmin game introduces new varieties of pikmin, creatures, and beautiful environments. Throughout all the games you travel through forests, gardens, puddles and snowdrifts. The series starts off with a feeling of complete isolation and loneliness, but over time as you steadily visit the planet with more crewmates that sense of loneliness decreases, but the planet still feels dangerous and hostile.

The music in this series is amazing too, ranging from peaceful overworld themes to tense boss battles. Even if you don't decide to play any of the games or watch a Let's Play, I recommend listening to tracks from the series. These in particular are some of my favourites:

The Forest of Hope - Pikmin 1

The Valley of Repose - Pikmin 2

The Wistful Wild - Pikmin 2

Garden of Hope - Pikmin 3

Distant Tundra - Pikmin 3

Blossoming Arcadia - Pikmin 4

Serene Shores - Pikmin 4

Dandori Battle - Pikmin 4

And whilst not necessarily my favourite tracks, the Boss Battle from 3 and Groovy Long Legs from 4 are great examples of adaptive music if that's your thing!

#thanks for the ask Emmy!#if this interests you I will happily talk abt it more👀#pikmin #asks #second to none

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fonulyn · 1 year

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fon’s 2022 in fic

i debated with myself for a while whether this post is worth making because it’s hours of work for a small handful of notes but i’m a list-maker by nature so here we go :’D this was also a weird year because i went and polished up all of my old tumblr ficlets to post them on ao3, so this is a huge mess of new fic, old fic i edited, old ficlets i mashed together and edited, old ficlets which i added thousands of words to so maybe they count as new fics after all, and the like, lol.

so i’m not even going to try and give an estimate of how many words I wrote this year. not as much as I wanted. probably more than i feared.

under the cut you’ll find links to fics including;

29 Chris/Leon

33 Piers/Leon

7 ot3 (Chris/Leon/Piers)

4 Krauser/Leon

1 Krauser/Leon/Chris

1 Chris/Jill

here we go;

Chris/Leon

(what can I do now except) see this through | M | 4k | Leon has what he thinks are unrequited feelings for Chris and he tries to drown them in some trusty vodka. Spoiler alert: it doesn’t work.

found a way to let you go | T | 2,6k | Sometimes love isn’t enough. Sometimes breaking up is the best thing for everyone involved. This is one of those times.

welcome home | M | 900w | Chris comes home from a mission and gets a nice welcome.

always meant to be | G | 600w | Chris tries to set Claire and Leon up, but in the end gets set up himself.

if I sing you a love song | T | 1,3k | Chris finds his old guitar and plays for Leon.

to have and to hold (to care and to carry) | T | 1,2k | Three times Chris carried Leon and one time Leon carried Chris.

(you know how to make me) feel so good | E | 1,2k | They have sleepy midnight sex.

blow your mind | E | 1k | Chris has never sucked a dick before. Leon volunteers to help.

a little help | G | 430w | Claire is tired of Chris and Leon doing nothing about the big dumb crushes they obviously have for each other.

smooth operator | T | 1,1k | Leon hits on Chris while drunk. The next morning he expects to be embarrassed to death, but it works out better than he feared.

bent like a pretzel | T | 650w | Leon is the flexible one, but Chris is still the one who manages to get his foot in his mouth.

you get what you give | T | 2,6k | They get to grow old together and be there for each other.

the art of a good shot | G | 1,2k | Chris and Leon use their shooting scores as a totally-not-awkward way to flirt. (No-zombies AU)

sail these uncharted seas (of awful attempts at flirting) | T | 900w | A Halloween party, a sailor and a pirate, plus some bad bad flirting.

men in tights | T | 1,1k | Another Halloween with questionable costumes.

try to go to sleep | T | 1k | When they get back from China, and Chris doesn’t sleep for the first three weeks, Leon doesn’t really know what to do.

a little bit of desperation | E | 1,7k | Chris gets hit with sex-pollen. Thankfully Leon is there to help.

chasing your direction | T | 1k | Leon’s old friends visits, and Chris can’t stop himself from being jealous.

bruises and promises | T | 700w | Chris gets himself hurt and Leon is angry.

some things never change | T | 870w | Leon takes care of Chris.

simple things | T | 500w | Chris has a thing for Leon wearing glasses.

the real legends | T | 656w | They survive another rough mission, together.

you are the one | G | 1k | Chris is insecure and Leon reassures him there’s no reason to be.

what could be | G | 1,1k | A baby is left on their doorstep, and they spend a day with her.

at three in the morning | T | 1,4k | There is only one bed. Finally.

won’t you take me back to paradise | E | 1k | Leon gives the best head Chris has ever had.

in the mood for a dance | G | 1,5k | Claire forces Chris and Leon to take dancing lessons.

got some places to see | G | 900w | Chris, Leon, Claire and Jill go on a roadtrip.

something solid, something good | T | 1,4k | Chris is invited to spend Christmas with Leon’s family.

Piers/Leon

three words to last forever | M | 3k | Leon is too slow and gets slashed by a monster. (”choose your own ending” with three possible endings, two with MCD, one without)

you can see me through | M | 5k | Leon and Piers get together after Piers returns from his trip through time to Raccoon City.

call me what you like but I'm a fool (forever falling for you) | G | 1k | They may be playfighting over a pillow but really, they're just happily married.

only the courage to continue counts | E | 93k | RE4 AU: Leon isn’t sent to rescue the president’s daughter alone, but with a partner. He’s not so sure what to think of this Nivans guy. (features also past Krauser/Leon)

a new life | T | 7,4k | They finally get their long awaited baby.

heal the scars and change the stars | M | 12k | Even though they’ve broken up, the feelings haven’t gone anywhere. Maybe getting back together was always going to happen.

let the walls come down | M | 6,6k | Piers gets shot, Leon confronts Ada, and some secrets come out.

make me believe in tomorrow | E | 8,7k | Piers’s sister visits, and they talk about their plans for the future.

and together we’ll make it | T | 4,2k | Leon finds an infected baby, and somehow he and Piers end up keeping her.

carpe diem (seize the day) | E | 2,6k | They wake up one morning with boobs and vaginas instead of their dicks. They decide to make the best of it.

live for today and for tomorrow | T | 6k | Leon almost dies from a stab wound, Piers panics, but at least it ends happily and they finally get together after all the pining.

already taken | G | 800w | Piers wakes up at the hospital and thinks he’s hitting on the gorgeous nurse.

happiness is made not found | E | 7k | Piers asks Jake to be his best man, Leon makes a confession to Sherry, Chris is a good bro, and Piers and Leon get to enjoy domesticity together.

give me hope, make me strong | T | 1,4k | Piers and Leon seek shelter in a small cabin during a snowstorm. It would almost be romantic if Piers wasn’t bleeding so much.

the problem with dishwashers | M | 1,4k | Piers promises to fix Leon’s dishwasher but ends up “fixing” Leon’s “dishwasher”.

try a little tenderness | T | 1,7k | Piers is sick, cold meds make him a little loopy, and Leon is there to take care of him.

breathe, trust, and see what happens | E | 5,9k | They have some summer fun, get a big scare, talk retirement, and cheat at Mario Kart.

for hope I’d give my everything | T | 1,9k | Piers and Leon bond over surviving being infected.

safely away from the world | G | 1,1k | Leon wakes up miserable and in pain. It’s made a little better when he gets quality snuggles.

as dust settles | T | 1,2k | Piers and Leon get stuck in a basement under a collapsed building. Leon might be bleeding, but he still finds enough energy to flirt.

no more coffee | G | 550w | When Piers drinks coffee, he gets insufferable, and Leon is the one who has to deal with him.

close your eyes and you will find | T | 2,6k | Leon has trouble sleeping. Somehow Piers helps just by being there.

gonna show you tonight | E | 3,2k | Leon has a bit of a competency kink. And maybe a tiny thing for Piers’ arms. Good thing Piers is always willing to indulge him.

you are the question and the answer am I | E | 2,8k | Piers calls Leon cute, Leon meets Piers’s dog, and they have some sleepy sex. All the good things.

a taste of something more | E | 1,5k | Piers can’t sleep, so Leon helps him work off some tension.

exactly what it seems like | T | 1k | Chris accidentally ends up with Leon’s phone and finds out Leon is dating Piers.

the worst kept secret | T | 1,6k | Piers is a clingy drunk and in the morning doesn’t even remember how embarrassing he was. Good thing Leon loves him anyway.

yee haw! | E | 1,3k | Ride ‘em cowboy; aka Leon wears only a cowboy hat and a gun belt for Piers. They both have their fun.

and I was loving you | T | 1,9k | Five times Piers gets a little kiss on the nose, and one time Leon does.

(like a thief) you stole my heart | T | 3,6k | Glimpses of their relationship developing throughout the years as they grow more and more in love.

the sweetest gift | G | 1k | Piers brings Leon chocolate for Valentine’s Day.

you gotta take care, it’s a new romance | G | 700w | Leon can’t sleep. Piers is there for him.

Piers/Leon endgame, starts off with friends-with-benefits Chris/Leon

to feel again | M | 19k | After Chris accidentally breaks Leon’s heart, Leon is fully prepared to nurse his bruised feelings alone. He’s less prepared for the way Piers is apparently dead set on being there for him to help him through it. He’s the least prepared for when he realizes he might just get his happy ending, after all.

ot3 (Chris/Leon/Piers)

sweetly seduced to sleep | T | 1k | Leon gets tricked into healthy sleeping habits.

last chance garage | M | 8k | Chris, Leon and Piers try to make sense of over a decade worth of yearning. Somehow, they make it work.

all those little moments | T | 1,8k | They get to enjoy some domestic, carefree happiness, for once.

where the past meets the future | T | 4,8k | Chris and Piers find out how exactly Leon became an agent.

your arms open wide | G | 850w | Piers comes home exhausted.

picture this | T | 1k | Piers accidentally sends near-nudes to Chris instead of Leon.

let the water wash away | T | 800w | The three share a soft moment in the shower.

Krauser/Leon/Chris

it's gone so fast | E | 2k | Chris keeps getting invited into Krauser and Leon's bed. Inevitably, Chris develops feelings.

Krauser/Leon

made to remind | E | 1,6k | Leon says the wrong name in bed. Krauser reminds him who he belongs to.

then, now and always | E | 2,2k | Krauser does not do feelings. Instead he flees.

my fall will be for you | M | 2,8k | Krauser and Leon almost get a happy ending.

better with you | T | 600w | Krauser makes a sudden confession.

Chris/Jill

ravishing | E | 4k | Jill deserves to be worshipped like the goddess she is, Chris gets the honor of doing just that. (aka feelsy smut lol)

here’s to hoping for a better 2023 :3

#my fics #chreon #nivannedy #ot3 #metaltango #kreon #idk what to tag really #2022

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