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lovesickeros · 5 months

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☆ decadence divine [ act I ]

{☆} characters arlecchino, neuvillette, furina {☆} notes yandere, drabble, gender neutral reader {☆} warnings yandere content, stalking (implied), kidnapping (implied) {☆} word count 2.3k

ARLECCHINO

Arlecchino was wont to leave social gatherings to her subordinates– the private meetings were where she thrived. It was so much easier to lure your prey into a trap when you didn't have prying eyes and ears waiting for the barest hint of blackmail.

She clicked her tongue in distaste, her eyes narrowing beneath the mask of the fox as she set down her cup sharply. It was difficult as it was to draw them from the safety of their bubble– at the slightest hint of danger, her quarry would run. A chase would be fun, but she couldn't risk getting caught here. The political nightmare it would cause..it already gave her a headache. She had to be discreet.

They weren't making it easy, however.

Which is why she never liked crowds. But this chance didn't come by every day. She wasn't going to simply let it pass by because of a little danger. She'd have them eventually, it was just a matter of how. There were already numerous of her own lingering in the crowds, hidden beneath the masks that every patron bore. It was difficult to stand out amongst the flurry of masked patrons constantly shifting around the room, moving from one conversation to another, gliding from one dance partner to another.

Her heeled boots clicked sharply against the tile as she stalked through the crowds, keeping a wide berth yet always lingering nearby– she was sure they could feel the vague sense of being watched, but with the huge crowds..her lips quirked into a grin with the barest flash of teeth. There were a great many ways to break them in– she'd spent a great amount of time and mora to get anything she could for blackmail, if she so wished. She had the backing of the Fatui as well if she played her cards right– it wouldn't be difficult to convince them that they were a valuable target, and none of them would dare to question just what she did with them afterwards.

Perhaps a bit of play, first. Test the waters. She was familiar with playing the polite gentleman, despite her status as a Fatui Harbinger. Stage something for her to intervene, perhaps, to look the hero. The look of shock when she revealed the wolf beneath the wool..she could see it already. That wide, doe-eyed look as they realized the monster they've followed blindly like a lost lamb..she was beginning to see the appeal.

All it took was a few hushed words and subtle signals before the tiles started to fall in place, her hand gliding along their lower back as she leaned over their shoulder with a thin, predatory smile. She'd have to organize for the agent to be released later, her eyes following as the Gardes dragged him out of the room in a flurry of curses, but for now..she tilted her head to peer down at them, polite and almost apologetic.

"You aren't too startled, are you? Now now, there's no need to look so..scared, poor thing. I won't let another lay a hand on you," She cooed in a sickly sweet tone, the husky rasp of her voice whispered in their ear like dripping honey. "You have my word. Now, why don't we get you some fresh air? Come. Allow me to escort you."

Her lips pulled into a jagged grin at the relief in their eyes– the blind lamb following the shepherd as it led them into it's maw. Just a little longer, and she could finally have her own caged bird– a pretty thing to admire, to protect, to possess.

Something no one else would ever touch again. Something hers.

NEUVILLETTE

Neuvillette was not one for parties. The intricacies and delicate handling of public relations he oft left in the capable hands of Furina, rather then himself. It was only at her behest he even attended at all, but he still felt rather..out of place amongst the bodies constantly shifting through the ballroom like a constant rush of water from one end to the other, no rhyme nor reason to the flow. The only thing that kept him afloat among the tides was the mask of the deer obscuring his face– even if it was exceedingly difficult to truly hide himself among the crowds, most passed over him without second thought.

Though he had to be honest with himself, even if he couldn't bring himself to admit it to Furina despite her insistence that his attendance was mandatory. He had his own reasons for coming– selfishness that left a sour taste in his mouth. It was purely by chance he'd seen the briefest glimpse of them prior, and he..was intrigued, that was all.

He refused to let his thoughts linger on the sleepless nights he spent prying every piece of information he could from loose tongues and obscure documents, every moment he managed to squeeze in between trials spent lingering in their most favored locations– cafes, stores, restaurants, the like.

Now a masquerade.

He tried not to let the guilt gnaw at his conscious, but it lingered like an age old scar that still ached.

So he relegated himself to simply residing in the further corner, nursing a goblet of water like a fine wine, trying not to let his eyes stray to the brief glimpses of them through the ever moving bodies filling the center of the room, dancing like puppets in music boxes.

Still, his hand twitched in an instinctual desire– a need to clasp his hand in their own, to touch his lips upon their knuckles, to indulge in a moment of reprieve and unshackle himself from the mantle that bears heavy upon his shoulders. He seeks reverence, worship, but not of himself– but towards the one who had drawn the eye of the dragon amongst the waves of humans he'd seen come and go for a great many years.

No one could compare, he is certain. None have left him as breathless, as hopelessly infatuated, as the one who made him wish only to kneel at their feet in senseless reverence until he could no longer speak. A hopeless man, indeed, if he has never even truly met them.

Instead he's spent his time prying into their life from the shadows. Caution, or simple cowardice?

He dares not ponder.

Yet in his ceaseless pondering he'd blocked out the world without, failing to notice the figure stepping up beside him until their hand brushed against his elbow– just the briefest touch, but it had his pupils narrowing and his entire body tensing like a coiled spring. That touch..bliss. It left him breathless and lightheaded as he tilted his head to regard them, his lips parting in a shaky sigh. They are as beautiful as he remembers– even with their face obscured beneath the mask, he would never forget them.

"Greetings, Monsieur– I hope I didn't frighten you too much." Their laugh made him feel rather faint, just the sound of their voice making his hand tighten around his cane. "..Not at all. I was simply lost in thought." He admitted apologetically, trying to reign in the urge to cup their face between his palms. A dangerous thought. He didn't want to scare them off when they'd provided him a priceless opportunity.

"My apologies, you must have needed something. It was rude of me to have been so absorbed in my thoughts to have ignored you." He continued, gently turning to set his goblet down– offer them his full attention, be a gentleman. The words rang in his skull like a ceaseless alarm, blaring and rattling his thoughts as he gently took their hand in his own. It was a split second decision– an indulgence, but he could simply not help himself. Even with his gloves between them, he felt like he was going to lose his composure just from such a brief touch..

He truly was a hopeless man before an altar, praying for a salvation he intends to bury deep beneath the waves– to keep it hidden in the darkness of the depths that only he can reach. A selfish man, he must be, to even think of it, but it is an itch that he cannot scratch. A need that must be satisfied. He cannot allow any hands but his own to tend to them, to know what it feels to touch them, to hear their voice and see their eyes as he prays– prays like a man starved, devotion born of desperation.

"I hope I did not make you wait too long." He smiles, soft and affectionate, like the bloom of spring beneath the winters chill– yet just as deadly, only masked by the sweet fragrance of flowers.

He had waited too long.

No longer.

FURINA

Furina was right at home amongst the crowds– where the masks obscured the identities of most, it was impossible to not recognize the charming banter of the Hydro Archon beneath the mask of the lamb as she graced the masquerade with her presence, speaking with a silver tongue to any who would listen. A truly enthralled audience fitting for the grandest of performers in Fontaine.

But her eyes lingered not on the people who's praise dripped from their lips like honey– yet so very bitter upon her tongue. Even the mask obscuring her expression did little to hide the longing that had her visibly deflating like a popped balloon. She hated all the eyes on her, really– it was suffocating. She was only putting on a show in the foolish hope that they'd finally pay attention to her. Just her luck, she supposes, that instead she's had to throw herself straight into the role of Archon without a pay off..

They hadn't even spared her a glance! It would be infuriating if not for the fact she couldn't even keep her composure just seeing them across the room. They didn't even have to look at her and she could feel the heat rush to her ears as she forced another smile at the crowd gathered around her. It was unfair how easily they could fluster her without even knowing it– her heart was thumping so hard against her ribcage she felt like it might burst.

Her only solace was the fact none of the patrons seemed to realize she'd clocked out of the conversation, her thoughts and eyes lingering on the distant figure– what a lovestruck fool she makes..it was a chance encounter she'd seen them during one of her outings. That was all it took to enthrall her, evidentially, try as she might to have ignore it for months.

They never left her mind for longer then a day, in the end, and she had to face the fact they had managed to enrapture her so deeply she felt like a newborn lamb learning to walk whenever she so much as thought of them. What an embarrassment! She..she was the Archon, she had a reputation to maintain, she couldn't be seen fawning over a human.

But oh, she still longed for it, beneath the veneer of a God. She'd watched them more times then she'd admit even to herself, wishing to find herself in place of those who'd hands were cradled so casually in their own– to hear their voice, their laughter, as often as she pleased..like a fine delicacy she so badly wished to taste, yet so far from her reach.

Would they think her pathetic for her infatuation? She pursed her lips at the thought, trying to bury the sour mood beneath her faux image of the Archon. Yet it lingered, and with only the quietest of excuses, she slipped into the crowd like a ghost– she needed to leave before she did something..stupid. Neuvillette would surely have a few choice words with her if she did, and she was inclined to avoid such a fate.

She..she just needed a moment to collect herself was all. That was it. She could go back to playing Archon for a little longer, she just needed a moment to herself. At the very least, the balcony had been regarded as off limits so late into the party– which gave her an opportunity to slip out of the public view for the briefest of moments. A welcome reprieve– she was starting to feel suffocated amongst the crowds.

Perhaps on instinct, she reached for the mask, lifting ever so slightly away..only to let out a startled yelp at the touch of a hand on her shoulder, the mask slipping back into place far too easily. It made her lightheaded, even now, but she dared not to dwell on it.

But when she turned sharply on her heel to chew out the person who'd followed her and had the gall to scare her..oh, she was done for, her ears flush with heat. The brief glimpse of their eyes beneath the mask, the curl of their lips as they smiled– her heart stuttered in her chest, and she was certain it had stopped all together when they clasped her hand.

"Y–you.." She wanted to be angry, to brush them off and leave with her rationality in tact, but the warmth of their hands on her skin rendered her speechless. She was no better then a fish on land, struggling to fill her lungs with air as she drew in a shaky breath. "Ahem, you caught me off guard. That's all. Surely you do not make it a habit to sneak up on people?" She huffed in indignation, trying to mask the fluster that threatened to break through her carefully crafted facade.

Ah, what a cruel twist of fate..she'd slipped away to escape their allure, but here they were, dragging her back into their orbit without even knowing how deep her infatuation ran. They were alone, too..it was a chance she wasn't sure she'd ever get again.

Maybe, just this once, she could do something for herself rather then everyone else.

She buried her guilt, the fear– buried it beneath the need to be seen.

"But if you want to make it up to me.."

#genshin impact #genshin impact yandere #genshin yandere #neuvillette x reader #yandere neuvillette #yandere neuvillette x reader #arlecchino x reader #yandere arlecchino #yandere arlecchino x reader #furina x reader #yandere furina #yandere furina x reader #fic tag #pats neuvillette this noodle dragon can be so pathetic #aiming for pathetic desperate and slightly guilty. it gnaws at him knowing he's keeping you like a bird in a cage #esp if you react extremely negatively hes like a kicked puppy #not outwardly but internally hes a MESS. sobbing crying wailing #furina and neuvi sopping wet kittens u found in a cardboard box in an alley #vs arle thinking abt all the crimes shes going 2 commit in the process w/o an ounce of guilt. blackmail? check. kidnapping? check.#a little murder for flavor. as u can see im coping horribly w being practically snowed in rn i need 2 be put down #its like 4 degrees out rn (fahrenheit) and getting colder ueueueue i am dying..........#only thing keeping me going is my furinameow plushie coming. eventually. staying strong just for her.................#also needs 2 be mentioned all the stories r separate ksjfkhdsf #no not everyone in fontaine is yan and trying 2 kidnap sorry for getting ur hopes up..#yet #anyway u cant convince me arle isn't bribing (or just straight up forcing) her agents into doing stupid shit so she can “save” you #and make you owe her #two silly goofy little creatures vs the personification of gaslight gatekeep girlboss (heavy on the gaslight)#also split this up in 3 parts bc. lol. lmao. im not writing 9 characters at once goodbye #also all the masks do actually have significance i have an entire essay on why i gave each animal to specific characters okay

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stbot · 1 year

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Jade + protecting Kit

#willow 2022 #jade claymore #kit tanthalos #tanthamore #kit x jade #i went absolutely feral making that last gif #the way jade looks at kit. and as soon as she turns away. kit looks up at her!!!#i'm a goner lads it's fine #anyway!#almost didn't include jade stepping between kit and graydon bc lol but couldn't not i love that little choice so much #and i HAD to include jade being the last to flee from the Bone Reavers bc hello??/#she literally waits to make sure Kit gets away safely first #too precious too pure #i love jade so much my noble kiddo #someday i'll get 1080p but until then i'm giffing off potatoes and idc!#i think i need a gif tag

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dungeons-and-dragon-age · 2 months

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Hiii everyone, say, how do your Hawkes go go about sharing their estate? If they do it at all? Is everyone free to come and go or are they more private? Or do they only invite their LI to stay? I'm curious!! :)

#lay rambles #my ocs #oc: liam hawke #oc: lilian hawke #both my hawkes are very social w their friends but i love comparing their boundaries around it #theres variation in rules for specific ppl with both of them ofc but theres still general differences #with liam its all very open and everyone can p much come and go whenever #they dont get extra keys (theyll get lost and he doesnt want randos finding them lol) but they know where to find the spare key #and bodhan and sandal and orana know to let them in whenever #hes very lenient in this this regard but he does have rules abt what he does and doesnt want them to do #mostly its about not making too much of a mess lol bc liam prefers to clean himself #(he doesnt trust the crew with his household and also he has particular ways of doing things and Hates when theyre done differently)#so things like keep your dirty garb at the entrance dont cook by yourselves (this was banned after they did it one (1) time lol) etc #also no fucking allowed. do that somewhere else for the love of the maker he does NOT want to walk into that in his own house #(and it also comes back to liam not trusting them with cleaning but also Not wanting to clean that up lol)#also he is not fond of them going into his room uninvited. most of the house is chill but that is *his* space #he accommodates these rules by e.g. having spare slippers and a little washing basin in the entrance hall for dirty shoes/feet #always makes sure to have snacks in stock that he knows they like #food will have notes abt what to leave for leandra/orana/etc but otherwise food is prepared with his friends in mind #and in general he'll make sure to adjust the space/routine in little ways to accommodate them #(air out when fen isnt there cus he doesnt like drafts; keep curtains open cus anders prefers open spaces; etc)#lilian on the other hand doesnt like when her friends come into the estate without a heads up (cept for emergencies)#but once they have her 'ok' its basically mi casa es su casa #dont yknow. overdo it and get too rowdy but otherwise do whatever #however. she also expects everyone to clean up after themselves. she aint here to play maid and youre all adults #also liam has a general 'please try to not be too wild when leandra is here' and lilian doesnt #not cos she doesnt care but cos leandra is bothered by sth she can speak up herself #oh and lilian uses the basement space as temporary refuge for anyone who needs it (mostly escaped mages)#also side note: both offered gamlen to stay but he refused (out of pride/remorse)#...this got long and i ran out of tag space lmfao so this is it for now xD

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vhvrs · 9 days

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good to see you again.

alts & process 🤲🫶

#late night with the devil #presuming thats a tag lol anyways i love you weird posessed girls forever #dork art #horror art #watched this a few hrs ago n needed to draw her...#sorry i am ovsessed w old film texture over 70sesque movie art its sooo fun #i thought ud saved a version of the render without alt lily in the bg but alas #is this spoilers? ill play it safe #late night with the devil spoilers #deleted my lnwtd tag bc it wasnt a tag but im mentioning lily here so she shows up in the tag

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thedogslegart · 2 months

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FRIEND MORMONAS💥💥💥💥💥💥 @morn1e <- FOLLOW MORN1E RIGHT NEOWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW BC THEYRE THE AWSOMEST 🤬🤬🤬🤬 AND THEY DONE DREW THIS ⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️

#i dont wanna tag due bc u might not wanna be in the tag but im gonna tag pepper lol #oc: pepper elson #oc: pepper #i need to wort out her fucking tags 👍#*tag dude #oc x cannon #.....tecnically? its dude and pumpkins daughter 😁😁😁😁😁😁💥💥💥🤬🤬💥💥🤬💥🤬💥🤬💥💥☄️☄️💥☄️💥⭕️💥💥⚡️⚡️💥☄️💥⭕️💥⭕️💥💗💥☄️☄️#postal 3 #<- with permission 😌

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romanticatheartt · 4 months

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*tiny HOFAS spoiler*

So while reading the book I came across these two paragraphs:

chapter 13 ^

chapter 81 ^

And they oddly reminded me of Feyre...

I'm not saying it means anything because I'm no theorist lol but while reading these, only Feyre came to my mind.

Cthona holding an infant while her other hand hold an orb which represents Midgard and in ACOWAR we have Feyre fixing the Cauldron which we learn it's kill switch for Prythian (even tho we knew that but now there's a story behind it) so she -and Rhys- literally saved their whole planet. In another word its holding up because of their power...

Urd holding a black metal bowl in her hands and symbols are carved all over it. Cauldron also have patterns swirl on it. Those symbols runs all over Urd's body and we have Feyre having tattoos on her arms and in ACOTAR we've seen her body being painted in patterns.

ACOTAR -> chapter 13:

ACOWAR -> chapter 76:

Now we know Feyre had their entire *world* into the palm of her hand and not universe because back then we didn't know other worlds exist as well. But again this looks like Cthona, birther of worlds, holding the Orb in one of her hands, the other holding a baby and Urd, Goddess/Fate/Mother, holding a bowl in her hands...

idk what all this means, maybe Sarah only like the aesthetic. And I think it's so far fetched to say Feyre is a goddess (or semi-goddess?)... but it's all very interesting :)

cr: paintfaery on Instagram

#my very first post #🥹#and what better way to start?#feyre darling #english is not my first language #so forgive any grammar mistakes #idk if anyone has already pointed this out #I don't check what's going on in Feyre's tag but I know there's too much negativity for my liking #about her and other characters #and I'm not here for that...#pls don't make this about ship-war!#feyre archeron #feyre cursebreaker #high lady feyre #pro feyre #feysand #hofas spoilers #hofas #I needed to document this somewhere bc who knows maybe they mean something lol

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chaikajpeg · 14 days

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yor forger

#i used myself as a reference so im not showing the photos this time. apologies #i was originally shooting a reference for something else entirely. but realised i needed to pin my hair up #and ended up with an even better reference lol #also the breasts are not mine. unfortunately. i was laz-- i mean i had no time to research breasts anatomy so they're not very accurate #i don't want to put the mature warning on this bc i don't want people in the sxf tag think it's corn again 😞#this is artistic nude #i don't know how to draw yor in a more realistic style at all. i can't tell if i recognise her here myself #so if you don't either i understand why #spy x family #sxf #yor forger #yor forger fanart

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lovexmemonster · 10 days

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My uzi interpretation !!

#i keep making edits to this but i need to stop bc i have a commission to do i need to lock in #also i need to make N next so i can do a nuzi scene redraw #Ill put this in the tags in the morning maybe #ok extra rambling time #my art #BUT I HAVE A HANDFUL OF DESIGN NOTES FOR THIS #first I feel like she would have a more scenemo type of style for the reason of i wanna draw her in cute clothes #and her nails are painted like yuta aoi ftom the hit game ensemble stars #also her necklace is an actual necklacr i own hehehe #i almost gave her a ciel phantomhive phone charm but decided against it bc that would be too hard #to draw #but it was a possibility bc i have a book of circus ciel charm on my phone lol #I FEEL LIKE IM FORGETTING MORE #OH!! her and N have matching bracelets on their tails. this is so important #i may have made this drawing too. pink purpley #will i fix that tmrw idk #probably not i love pink #OKAAY goodnight i have my history final tmrw #wait this is very experimental btw idk if i will continue drawinf drones like this #this is more like my normal style but im undure if its a style i wanna commit to w em #i had to look up a random nightcore playlist for this #uzi doorman #murder drones #forgot to tag it when i woke up

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transvampireboyfriend · 8 months

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There's discussion of ronance under the cut! so if that's not your thing maybe skip this and the next part :)

part 1 - part 2 - part 3 - part 4 - part 5 - part 6 - part 7 - part 8

The sunset finds Steve sitting on a log, methodically breaking apart graham crackers and chocolate bars on top of a cooler.

Jonathan and Argyle are rolling joints beside him, sitting on a separate log and making light conversation with him.

Eddie's building a fire in front of them, a few feet away, just out of earshot. Steve loses the thread of conversation every now and then because he keeps getting distracted by Eddie's arms.

Some crackers and chocolate bars are unevenly split too. It's Eddie's fault that they're all wonky.

The taller boy (he will not let Steve forget this) is splitting a few dry logs into smaller ones using the cabin's axe.

He found and donned some leather work gloves, his tattoos shift as his arms flex, there are flashes of armpit hair every couple of swings, and there's sweat slowly dripping down his forehead.

Steve's doing his absolute best not to stare but it's very difficult.

When Eddie swipes the sweat off his brow and strips the gloves to bring out his pocket knife, Steve gets a coughing fit that Argyle has to bring him out of by clapping his back.

"Whoa there man, are you okay?" Argyle asks him,

Steve just franticaly nods as Jonathan snickers beside them.

Just as Eddie settles down in a crouch and starts shaving wood off the sides of the smaller logs, the girls come back from their walk.

Nancy walks to Eddie, offers a handful of dry pinecones and sets about arranging the logs.

Jonathan and Argyle announce they need popcorn and go back to the cabin to make some.

Robin has something trapped inside her hands.

She walks towards Steve, stands behind him and leans down to place her arms around his neck. Her hands remain closed, so that whatever is between them is now right in front of Steve's face.

"Guess what I got" she says, leaning her chin on top of Steve's head.

"That better not be a skunk, Bobbie"

Robin giggles "Have your ever seen a skunk, dingus? My hands are tiny!"

"A baby skunk, then" Steve amends, tone whiny.

Robin snorts, "Shut up. Look,"

As she opens her hands a tiny light shines out of them. Steve gasps.

"Hi!" he says, waving his index finger at the firefly,

"His name's Harold," Robin supplies.

"What? That sucks" Steve accuses, trying to look up at her, but only jostling her head a bit.

Robin gasps, "It's a perfectly good name for a firefly!" she protests, digging her chin atop his head.

Steve ducks his head and half turns in her arms, gives her a look and then turns back.

"How are the wife and kids, Harold?" he asks the bug,

Robin doesn't miss a beat, "He's gay, Steve. You should know better",

Steve can't help but laugh loudly at that.

Robin rushes to close her hands back up,

"Stop! you're scaring him!" she accuses, though there's a smile on her face.

Steve sobers up and puts down the two cracker halves in his hands to pry Robin's hands open again,

"Harold, I sincerely apologize." he offers in a gravely tone.

The bug turns around in Robin's hands.

"I think that means I'm forgiven" Steve says, looking up at her.

Robin chuckles and gently places the bug on top of Steve's left knee, moving to sit beside him.

Steve smiles at Harold before looking at her from the side,

"You having fun?" Steve checks in,

Robin smiles at him, throws her right arm around him and leans her chin against his shoulder.

"I am!" she answers "How about you?" she asks in return, half hugging him.

Steve presses his cheek against her in appreciation, just for a moment before he answers,

"Yeah, I'm having fun too" he smiles,

"Good. I wasn't lying earlier, when I said that suits you" Robin points out, drawing back without letting go of him, to look up at Eddie's bandana still on his hair.

Steve feels his cheeks start to burn.

"Shutup." he mutters defensively "he's-" Steve turns to look at Eddie, who's now fanning the flames of the fire he started and fanning himself every couple of seconds, making the few strands of hair that fell from his bun flap about wildly.

Steve can't help the smile on his face.

"Great. He's just great" he says honestly, feeling a little in awe of just how much he really likes Eddie.

Robin lets go of him only to jab her elbow in his ribs,

"See!" she says "I knew you had to make a move!"

"You were right." Steve concedes, "Not that I'm- I just mean he didn't seem put-off or anything when I tried flirting a little,"

"Of course he didn't! Steve!!" she protests,

"I know. I know," Steve says, reminded of the many times they've discussed his insecurities.

He relays his conversation with Jonathan then, and she listens, pointing out that putting it all together definitely makes it clear why Eddie hadn't made a move yet, and how Steve definitely has a chance.

"Yeah. I hope so," Steve says,

Robin rolls her eyes at his cautiousness and watches Harold finally fly away. Her eyes fall on Nancy, across from them.

Steve moves his eyes away to finish breaking off the last couple of crackers from the bunch.

Steve can admit he felt a pang of jealousy the first time he noticed his best friend laughing too hard at something Nancy said, but he quickly realized he was jealous of Nancy, he was worried she'd take Robin from him. An irrational fear that he also went through with Eddie, when he and Robin got close.

Whatever attempt Steve made at reviving the spark between him and Nancy in the upside down, got flipped right side up as soon as they were out of that hellish time.

Which was fortunate, because Nancy was still in a relationship back then, and Steve actually didn't feel like trying to woo the girl that broke his heart years ago.

Not to mention, they were different people now.

And he could admit now that he had freaked out. He'd seen the prettiest boy he'd ever known smirking at him and calling him metal and Steve had felt himself fall violently, far quicker than he was ready to.

So he'd grabbed on to whatever solid ground he could find, and he didn't have much of that.

It was just stupid. They hadn't really talked about it but Nancy had dropped by Eddie's room at the hospital a couple of times, she'd seen how devastated Steve was and she was never dumb. Steve could see the realization on her and luckily, the relief too.

Slowyly but surely they've arrived back to a place where Steve is glad to have her in his life again. He wouldn't hesitate to have dinner with her any day now, and every one of their friends know what they have is purely friendship.

So when he noticed her half-flirting with Robin at their job again, Steve tried to communicate to her that same understanding and relief with the same look.

And Nancy seemed like she got it.

Steve's fairly certain she and Robin would be good together, he's told Robin as much, but she disagrees, denied that she was attracted to their friend at first, and now refuses to give them a shot.

When he looks back up Robin's still looking at her, her cheeks on the verge of a smile.

Steve, done with his task, wipes his hands on his jeans.

"Are you sure there's nothing there?" Steve asks softly, for maybe the fifth time since Robin and Nancy met.

Looking back at that time now, with his own feelings out of the way, Steve can see clear as day, that Robin was into her from the start.

Robin looks at him now, and her face falls into the same caught look it always does when this comes up. She sighs,

"Are you sure you wanna ask me that?" she counters

"Robbie!"

"Dingus!"

"I want you to be happy," Steve tries,

"Even if it means I make a move on your ex?" she asks, her voice bitter,

"She's my friend too, Robs!" he protests,

"She broke your heart, Steve,"

"Years ago! And-"

"Not that many," Robin interrupts,

"And!" Steve emphasizes, "We're different people now,"

"You were practically offering her six babies not a year and a half ago," Robin points out,

"And you and I both agreed that that was a little bit crazy of me and a clear lapse in my judgement." Steve reminds her, "She doesn't want that. And I don't want that with her. I don't want anything with her beyond friendship and you know it,"

Robin doesn't look convinced.

"I don't care what you say. It would be weird." she says,

"Not for me, if that's what you're implying," Steve tells her,

"You've said that about other things when you did mind!" Robin accuses,

"And you've called me out on it!" Steve counters, "And I'm working on not doing that anymore. And it's not what I'm doing now!"

"I'm not gonna put my happiness before yours," Robin tells him,

Steve turns to her fully, straddling the log between them,

"I'm not asking you to do that, Robbie. I'm asking you not to put MY happiness before yours." he says, "Not even!" he amends, "I'm asking you not to put my comfort before your happiness."

Robin grimaces.

"What if you do mind? Down the line?" she asks,

"You can't base your decisions on hypotheticals." Steve protests, growing impatient, "And especially not on hypotheticals about my feelings, Rob!"

"Don't be an asshole. You're important to me!" she protests,

Steve sighs.

He reaches out and takes one of Robins hands in his own.

"And you're just as important to me," he tells her, "but i don't need you to protect me Robin. I'm not made of glass." he looks into her eyes as he goes on, "Yeah, maybe I'll be uncomfortable at some point, but I've been uncomfortable before and I'll be uncomfortable in the future,"

"I don't wanna be the cause of that," Robin says quietly, squeezing Steve's heart.

She moves to stradle the log too, facing Steve.

Steve offers her a soft smile.

"I know." he says, rubbing her knuckles in an attempt to reassure her, "You wouldn't be. Even if I saw you and Nance happy together and it made me uncomfortable, it wouldn't be because you decided to be with her, or because you're happy with her, Robs. It would be because she's my ex and she broke my heart. That's not on you,"

Robin looks like she wants to say something else but then changes her mind.

"It would be weird," she insists half-heartedly.

Steve understands what she doesn't say, that she wants him to let it go.

"Okay." He concedes, taking her other hand and lacing their fingers. "Fine then. I won't bring it up again. I just ask that you don't- Don't think of me as this, this responsibility, okay? I don't wanna be that, I wanna be your best friend." he says, tugging on her hands a bit.

"Idiot." She calls him with a hesitant smile, clearly still awkward with displays of affection.

Steve chuckles. She tugs his hands towards her,

"I love you" she says.

It's not lost on Steve how this requires effort from her. He brings their hands to his lips and kisses the back of her palms, one and then the other, making her giggle.

"And I love you," Steve tells her, he untangles their hands and returns to his previous position, reaching for the big bag of marshmallows sitting next to the cooler.

"Now help me roast these," he requests, opening the bag, "this is as far as I came when I was little"

"Oh, did you have a maid that roasted your marshmallows growing up?"

"I hate youuuuuuu" Steve complains, and throws a marshmallow at her head.

part 6

#steddie lake fic #steddie headcanon #.#WE NEED A FIREFLY EMOJI #lmk if Nance isn't actually in a relationship in this last season???? i don't actually know this is just what i gathered off like that gif #of her hugging jonathan lol #n e ways as always #ooc #also let me.know if the timeline is confusing with that year and a half comment #the idea is Nance and Jargyle already went back and then came to Hawkins again this summer. and they're leaving again soon #does that make sense?#idk #not using the steddie tags bc this is not that much steddie #we'll get there tho i promise #🦟💡?#oh no it's 🪰🔥!#it was there all along

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journey-to-the-attic · 19 days

Text

3rd anni req 16: lucifer, dad, aunt / home visit

ao3 link

note: finally got back to these! very quickly: lisa (aunt) has met satan and belphie but no one else, and zhao (dad) knows all the brothers already and specifically knows lucifer better at this point - the background things are stuff i intend to write in future. also i wasn't completely sure if the request wanted zhaolu, so i left it ambiguous (this would be pre- any relationship anyway, so take it as you like!)

∎ ∎ ∎ ∎ ∎

“I’m back! Where’s— huh, Lucifer?”

Lucifer lowers his glasses and polishes away the fog. “Welcome home.”

“...hi?” I dump my bag by the door and change into my slippers, then return to the kitchen door. He’s still there. “What’s the occasion?”

After all, last I checked, Lucifer had some pretty strict rules about hopping between worlds - special occasion birthday visits not counted, of course. At this, though, he just smiles mysteriously.

“Nothing in particular.” He takes a sip of his tea, then quirks an eyebrow at me. “Well? Tell me about your day.”

…sure, I decide, because as much as I’m suspicious about his reasons for being here, I’m still happy to see him. I pull up the chair opposite him.

Lucifer hasn’t been up here that many times, especially compared to Mammon or Satan (the latter who visits whenever he’s allowed, and the former who visits even when he isn’t) - but he looks completely at home in our kitchen. Oddly pleased with himself as well, though I have no idea what about.

A little smile stays on his face through one, two, three stories - he asks me to show him the pictures from a school trip to the maritime museum, and to send him the one of me sitting in a model submarine so that he can show the others. In return, he has a video of Mammon trying to teach a roc to swear.

“You can do it,” encourages the blurry Mammon on the screen, holding a little biscuit just out of reach. “C’mon, smart guy!”

The roc tucks its beak into his wing sulkily and doesn’t make a sound. Mammon tries fruitlessly for another little while, then ultimately throws up his hands and walks off.

Whoever’s behind the camera doesn’t move - they point it at the roc and wait silently. Sure enough, after barely a minute, it mumbles, “Son of a bitch.”

“He still hasn’t figured out its trick,” Lucifer says as I laugh. “It learns, but it doesn’t want him to know he taught it.”

“Does it have a name?”

“Would you like to give it one?”

“Ohh, can I?” I lean forward and peer closer at the roc in the video for a moment. “Mmm… Connie. Looks like a Connie.”

“Connie it is,” He says, smile widening.

At that moment, Dad totters unsteadily into the kitchen, lugging a cardboard box. Lucifer rises from his seat, then pauses.

“Careful— careful, mind! You’ll do your back in!”

“I have it,” Dad says through gritted teeth, and finally sets it down with a rather worrying crash. “There. Thank you.”

“You haven’t let me do anything,” Aunt Lisa says, disgruntled. A split second later, as if sensing him somehow, she turns and looks Lucifer directly in the face.

He freezes on the spot. Aunt Lisa scans him, and I can see her mentally taking notes on everything she sees - red eyes (weird, but could be contacts), extremely tall (unusual, but not impossible), and distinctly too well-dressed for having tea in someone’s kitchen.

“Hello,” She says smoothly, and if I didn’t know better I’d think she was completely unperturbed.

Lucifer clears his throat. “Hello.”

Neither of them make any move to introduce themselves. I catch Dad’s eye. He’s wearing the face of someone who completely forgot he had a guest over.

“Um,” He says. “This is Lucifer.”

Aunt Lisa barely blinks. “I see. Hello, Lucifer. Should I call you Mister?”

“No, that won’t be necessary.” He’s starting to look distinctly uncomfortable. I guess Avatar-of-Pride street cred only counts in the company of people who actually know what that means.

“I’ve heard a lot about you,” She says, folding her arms and leaning back against the counter. “From your brother. And your other brother.”

“That does not narrow it down,” He replies stiffly. She snorts.

“Tea?” I ask, then hurry to the sink without waiting for an answer. “I’ll put the kettle on.”

Dad taps the counter nervously as it begins to hiss. Then, probably a little too late, he adds, “Lucifer, this is Lisa…”

“Ms. Cassidy to you,” She tacks on sharply, and Dad and I exchange wide-eyed looks.

Neither Belphie nor Satan got the surname-only treatment. Heck, most of her clients don’t get the surname-only treatment. Then again, Satan and Belphie are quite possibly the worst demons for Aunt Lisa to have gotten her first impressions of Lucifer from, even if they didn’t just outright lie for fun.

I try to remember what I might have told her about him. It’s not like I’ve given her any horror stories, but I guess there are a lot of Lucifer traits that only become likeable once you’ve gotten used to his personality...

The kettle finishes boiling. I clear my throat and occupy myself with making the tea. Maybe I should be doing more to dissolve the tension, but I kind of don’t know how - besides, I didn’t even know Lucifer would be here today. I haven’t had any time to prepare a defence for him - no powerpoint, flashcards, anything...

Dad fiddles anxiously with his watch for a moment, then suggests (though he sounds more like he’s making a plea), “Everyone - sit down?”

Aunt Lisa gives Lucifer one more long look, then shrugs and pulls up a chair. Lucifer waits for her to sit down properly before doing the same.

“So what do you do for a living?” She asks him smoothly.

He opens his mouth and pauses. I realise that I don’t actually know the answer to that question, either - does he count as a government worker? Something teacher-adjacent? Actually, the others aren’t in employment, either. Where do they get their money from?

“I’m…” Lucifer deliberates over his words for a moment. ‘Deputy head of the student council’ probably wouldn’t sound very impressive, but technically 'second-in-command to the prince' isn't a title he officially has, and could arguably belong to Barbatos. “Ahem...”

“He works for Diavolo,” I say helpfully. “The prince.”

“The prince,” Aunt Lisa repeats. The corner of her lip twists slightly. “And what do you do - polish his shoes? Put on a jingly hat and dance?”

It isn't the 1600s anymore! Lucifer’s mouth tightens. Before he can get out a scathing reply, I interject again, “He does admin and stuff.”

“Oh, so you’re the paperwork guy,” She says with some dry amusement, pausing briefly to give me a smile as I set her tea down. “And are you busy? Managing hell, I mean.”

“...we don’t run the whole Devildom from one office.”

“No, I suppose you don’t.”

I opt to stay by the counter as the exchange continues, like a game of extremely terse ping-pong. Dad - watching all of this with a kind of slowly mounting dread - abruptly starts rifling around in the cupboard.

“Biscuits,” He says a little breathlessly, setting a plateful on the table with a loud clack!, effectively breaking the momentum of the match.

Aunt Lisa breaks eye contact with Lucifer for the first time in the last ten minutes to give Dad a fond smile. “Thanks, love.”

Lucifer shoots her a funny look - which I'm pretty sure he doesn't think anyone sees - and schools his expression straight back to neutrality when Aunt Lisa turns back to him. She pushes the plate forward a little.

“Custard cream?” She suggests sweetly.

“...thank you.”

She quirks a brow and settles back, focusing on her mug. Lucifer regards her carefully, then lifts the biscuit to his mouth.

As soon as his mouth is full, Aunt Lisa asks, “How much does the prince pay you?”

Lucifer’s face twitches. Having to hold up the illusion of courtesy is clearly beginning to get to him. He drains the last of his tea, then releases a sigh.

“Whatever it is you want to say to me, say it.” He doesn’t bother answering her question. “Say it. There’s no need to beat around the bush.”

“Alright.” Aunt Lisa fixes him with a cold look. “I don’t like you.”

A long pause. Dad dithers briefly, then sits down as well. Rather than mitigating the tension, though, it only seems to manoeuvre around him, like water around a rock in the middle of a river - no more words are said, but they’re both staring hard enough for the tension to practically become verbal. One after another, while they don't think the other's paying attention, both Aunt Lisa and Lucifer shoot him mildly apologetic looks.

“You’ve only just met him,” I decide to come to Lucifer's defence, seeing as he doesn't seem to intend to do it himself. “You don’t really know him."

“From what I’ve heard, I don’t want to.”

Lucifer’s brow creases. Then realisation dawns, and he turns to me with an unimpressed frown. “Satan and Belphie?”

“Probably Satan and Belphie,” I confirm with a mild grimace, and he gives another, longer sigh.

“Ms. Cassidy,” He starts after a moment, perfectly collected again, “I hope you realise that my younger brothers aren’t going to give you objective assessments of my character.”

She snorts. “Does Zhao think it’s cute when you use big words?”

“Have another biscuit,” Dad mutters before Lucifer can respond, shoving the plate towards her with maybe a little more force than necessary. “...A-Ke, can you let Hyde in?”

“Eh?” I listen for a moment. Sure enough, there’s a scratching from the kitchen door.

Hyde meows loudly as soon as it opens, then slips in before it can shut again. He scans the room with enormous green eyes, notes the foreign person, and immediately makes a beeline in his direction.

“...hello,” Lucifer says in mild surprise as Hyde rubs his cheek against his leg. “Where did you come from?”

He leans down to give him a scratch behind the ears. Aunt Lisa watches all of this with what can only be described as an air of betrayal. I don’t know what she was expecting - Hyde’s the friendliest old man any of us know.

Hyde’s favourite treat also happens to be cheese from our fridge, so I get him a little chunk and wave Lucifer over. He seems relieved to get away from the table (though he'd never admit it, of course). Under my whispered instruction, he crouches down and gingerly proffers the cheese in an open palm.

“You’ve met already,” Aunt Lisa notes, then turns her stare on Dad, who quickly looks in the other direction. “How many times has Lucifer been in your kitchen, Zhao?”

“I haven’t counted…”

“And you didn’t think I’d want to meet the man who kidnapped your daughter?”

“That’s not fair,” I object. “I got summoned. And it was Diavolo, not Lucifer. That’s different.”

Aunt Lisa turns to look at the two of us, still crouched beside Hyde, who’s devoured his cheese and is now sniffing at Lucifer’s sleeves for more. The look on her face is… dangerous. “Do you think that makes it any better?”

I’m just trying to make things less tense. I blink at her nervously, then reply, voice tiny, “No?”

Lucifer glances at me, then sighs and stands up straight again. Hyde lets out a dismayed meow, but immediately forgets about the non-existent cheese he was looking for as I start scratching his chin.

“Ms. Cassidy,” Lucifer says, suddenly sterner now, “I realise that we made several ill-advised choices, but IK was not involved in any of those decisions. I’d appreciate it if you left her out of this discussion.”

“Not involved? They happened to—” Aunt Lisa cuts herself off, then folds her arms. “No. Fine. I've plenty to say, mind - I just promised I wouldn’t go on about it.”

Hyde trills and flops down on his side. I run my hand down his fur as he purrs, keeping one eye on Lucifer as he crosses the room to take his seat again.

“We made the decision before we’d met IK," He says. "Now that I understand - I’d be furious if I’d been in your place, too. I don't blame you.”

“Understand what?” She asks, challenging.

Lucifer doesn’t falter. “Believe it or not - IK is an irreplaceable part of our family.”

I quickly look down at Hyde to disguise a smile. Aunt Lisa doesn’t seem to have a response for that - after a moment, I hear a crunch, and look up just in time to see her give him a begrudging nod, biscuit in mouth.

Neither of them says anything. Lucifer picks up his cup, then sets it down again.

“Mrs Prescott has a new rabbit,” Dad says a little helplessly as the silence stretches on. “Across the road. It’s very cute.”

“That’s nice, Zhao,” says Aunt Lisa.

“What’s its name?” Lucifer asks.

Panic crosses his face. “I… don’t remember.”

Hyde’s purring slows and quietens. He looks backwards at Lucifer, then twists to look at Aunt Lisa. I play idly with one of his paws, then stand up.

“Bake Off’s on tonight,” I say. “Let’s watch it together, shall we?"

#i was a little stuck on what to write so i settled on aunt lisa being an instinctive lucifer hater lol #also zhao has quite a small part in this and that's bc i've got stuff planned for him and lucifer in other things #3rd anni event #obey me #writing #obey me lucifer #jtta ik #jtta zhaoxi #jtta lisa #first time i've tagged her before dang #i still need to draw her and some other jtta side chrs actually

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