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princesssmars · 1 year

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Hiiii! If you don’t mind could you please do a Sam carpenter x fem/gn!reader, where the reader is just like completely overstimulated and someone from the friend group does something that just makes the reader like get super upset and makes them walk away and sam is kinda confused and goes to asks the reader and comforts them and stuff? If not then that’s okay!

trust me

a sam carpenter x reader

wc : 1533

cw : fluff. angst. reader is stressed. conflict caused by mindy but its justified so don't think i don't love her! italic bit thats readers thoughts. ethan slander fuck that little worm. (f/t) means fave takeout!

an : couldnt think of a title nahh 💀but thank you for the request im happy to do it! i hope you like this even if it might be a bit rushed bc i wanna help add to the sam tag since im obsessed with her rn.

when you first moved to new york city it was a whirlwind. new people, new things to see, great food. granted when you got off of your first subway ride a rat tried to fight you over the grinder you had in your hand, but you still loved it.

but of course, everything didn't stay sunshine and rainbows for long. the big apple was expensive, and finding a job that fit your schedule and was able to pay your side of the rent was tough. but you managed. kind of.

your roommate and close friend convinced you to see a therapist she had heard about from a friend, and you decided it couldn't hurt to try. the guy was helpful if a bit annoying, but it was worth it when you saw her coming out of her session. now NYC was filled with a plethora of hot people, but you swear when she made eye contact with you and gave you a polite smile you felt your brain melting.

you saw her a few more times before you introduced yourself. she seemed wary but told you about herself as well, telling you her name was sam and that she had moved to new york not long ago as well with her sister for college. she seemed nervous, but you were a stranger so you chalked it off as anxiety.

you asked her for her number and did a small mental celebration when she said yes, deciding to text her the next afternoon to not seem too desperate.

luckily your efforts paid off! she was a bit distant the first few times you talked, but after inviting her out for lunch at some new restaurant in brooklyn she warmed up to you quickly, even enough to introduce you to her sister and her friends.

it was only after a few weeks of knowing her that you found out what happened in woodsboro. you had an inkling that something bad had happened, the way sam was hesitant with phsyical affection, the caution they all took when locking their doors and carrying mace and tasers with them to get groceries. when sam had let you in to what happened with ghostface - her ex - and how he had almost killed all of them. you had let her know it didn't make tou think of her any differently, that you still cared about her and her past wouldn't change that. that moment had led to the first kiss between the two of you.

and you had meant what you said to sam, that you would stick beside her no matter what. but it still took a toll on you, that danger was following you and the people you had grown to care about no magter what.

the one thing you didn't expect was for them to expect the danger could be you.

it was supposed to be a normal friday night at sam's apartment, spent talking to each other and her friends and maybe watching a movie with some takeout after her appointment. nice and simple.

the door opens and you turn to see if it's sam, smiling when tara, chad, mindy and anika walked through the door. chad's roommate. ethan, wasn't with them this time and you let out a small sigh of relief. he seemed nerdy enough

"hey guys, everything alright?" you asked the group, noticing the down and wary looks on their faces. tara mumbled something before quickly walking into her room, chad hot on her heels. anika rested on the couch next to yours with a sigh, mindy sitting next to her and farther away from you. a bit odd, but you chalked it up to all of them being tired from school.

"something happened over at fordham. some girl from blackmore was found almost butchered in an alley." anika wrings hers hands together, a nervous habit she told you she picked up as a kid.

"jesus christ, do they have any clue who might have done it?" you ask.

"oh please, how many freaks do you you think like to nearly carve out peoples chest?" mindy scoffed, busying herself with something on her phone.

"you don't think it's ghostface, do you?" your voice was wavering against your will. after sam had told you what happened you did some digging into the masked killer, and its safe to say you were on edge until it eventually showed its face again.

she shrugged. "we all knew they were gonna find us again eventually. nows just a matter of determining who it is." she looked at you, and you felt the strain behind your eyes at how far they widened.

"i hope you're not saying what i think you're saying..."

"dont take it too personally, y/n. she accused me and ethan too." anika waved your worries off, and even though her normally peaceful personality would calm anyone down, it wasn't really working right now.

"i'm just saying, you're also new to the friend group, coincidentally moved here a while before us and had the same therapist as sam? and then started dating her? it's suspicious." mindy lists off the reasons she suspects you, and with each item you feel your chest tighten.

is this really what they think of me? a threat? does sam think of me like this? does she not trust me? does she not love me?

you don't register the sound of mindy's voice or the sound of the front door opening before you hurry from the couch to the bedroom near the back of the apartment - sam's room.

you sit on the edge of the bed and put your head in your hands, trying to calm the racing negative thoughts in your head. it feels like hours when its probably been a few minutes of you failing to calm yourself down when the door opens slowly and a weight sits down on the bed next to you.

"is it ok if i touch you?" sam ask from next to you, making sure to keep a good distance so as not to overwhelm you. when you nod and whisper out a yes she moves to sit behind your body, wrapping her arms around you and allowing you to fall back and rest on her chest.

"do you wanna tell me what's going on? it's alright if you dont, i'll still be right here."

her soft tone makes you squint your eyes hard, scared that she's trying to get you to let your guard down. but there's a little voice in your head that trusts her more than anything. that desperately wants to let her in. so you do.

"it's just...mindy was talking about ghostface and she was questioning me. i know that you've all been through so much but...if they can't, if you don't trust me then i don't know what i would do."

sam doesn't interrupt while you speak, fully paying attention to your words as you let her know what's bothering you. you're just about to walk back your statement because of her silence when she softly turns your body to sit sideways in her lap, bringing her hand up to cup your face and turn it so you can't look anywhere but her eyes.

"hey, i want you to listen to me, ok? you know mindy. she's just looking out for us, she didn't mean to antagonize you im sure of it. if anything i'm pretty sure if ghostface comes back she's more likely to suspect ethan right away, the kid weirds her out," she says, unable to help herself from smiling when you giggle at her words.

"but more importantly you know me. you know i'd never have anyone around me, my sister or our friends if i didn't trust them, yeah? i trust you and i love you, more than anything."

you cant help but tear up and smile at her words. sam wasn't one for frequent words of affection, so you knew when she said something she meant it. she lets out a small grunt when you throw yourself into a hug in her arms, tackling the both of you onto the bed in a heap of giggles. you spend the next few minutes laughing and sharing small i love you's and sweet kisses.

after you've both calmed down sam asks if you're ready to head into the living room, squeezing your hand when you give a strained little nod. walking together back to the living room, your face lights up at the smell of your favorite takeout, rushing to the couch to see everyone munching down on some food.

mindy turns her head around to see you and purses her lips awkwardly. "uh, i was hungry so i ordered some (f/t). there's enough for the both of you."

"she's trying to apologize for calling you ghostface." tara butts in while taking another bite of her food, ignoring when mindy slaps her on the leg.

"aww, it's alright cheeks. i understand." you tease the brunette with the silly nickname you gave her a few weeks ago, reaching over to squish her cheeks together like a kid. she sticks her tounge out at you but doesn't move to stop you, figuring she'll let you have this.

"yeah yeah whatever, sit down and eat your food."

you sit on sams' lap on the squished couch, ignoring the kissing noises and fake gagging sounds of your friends. in this moment, nothing anyone says can get to you.

i believe in the lost art of ending the fic with a cheesy bit. happy pride gaybos.

#scream #scream 6 #scream vi #scream x reader #sam carpenter #sam carpenter x reader #sam carpenter fluff

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moonshynecybin · 4 months

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I’m still thinkingggg about that ask bc like. imagine jorge in 2013. you’re being terrorized by a (almost) teenage prodigy (the title that used to be yours) and also that prodigy is fawning all over your legendary teammate who you have a strained relationship with but also is racing him no holds barred and you’re waiting with petty glee for the moment he turns all the media and societal capital he has against that upstart when he goes a bit too far…. fast forward two years and you GET that but you’re now older (by two years lol) and see things you didn’t before (you also get death threats) and the knowledge that you wanted that turns sour in your mouth

with jorge specifically i think it’s also like. he gets some therapy and maybe starts evaluating some wants vis a vis competition and life that might lay outside of what has been chosen for him in the past. like sepang for sure lays a lot of sympathetic groundwork— building a common adversary in a way (bitching about your crazy ass coworker is a scared bonding ritual imo) and lumping them together media wise into the same group. but there’s also jorge saying he didn’t fucking even LIKE marc until they were teammates, which is interesting to meeee as like YEAH you’re spending time together getting to know each other it makes sense that you’re gonna warm up. BUT. compellingly. marc also kicked his ass six ways to sunday on that bike, and traditionally in motorsport that does not inspire new feelings of friendship? especially after knowing someone like 6 years?? so i’m forced to look at what exactly changed in their relationship around this time and then use a lot of delicious psychological conjecture:

first. dani gone. a ghost is haunting that seat at honda and they BOTH know it. can’t talk with the guy they want to talk with so now they have to talk to EACH OTHER ! DEAL WITH IT

second. marc vs vale as a teammate undeniably a different experience. marc at that time was so overwhelmingly dominant ESP on the honda im struggling to see a reality where he bothers stepping to jorge in any way mind games wise (he’s not putting up a WALL in the garage he’s not doing corporate espionage for jorge’s workout routine. marc marquez maybe one of jorge’s more normal teammate experiences which is CRAZY.) AND jorge was at the end of his career and dani (his closest peer) had just retired… like i think he had an inkling. maybe got some new perspective just from getting older (and. therapy good lord. shout to jorge lorenzo for actually and for real getting therapy when so many other motorsports guys with weird relationships with their dads did not) and once he realized marc was actually and fr pretty nice off track i think that also helped… i think jorge will meet your energy in lots of respects ! like there’s marc as rival/competitor who he doesn’t know that well versus getting to know him and being like damn. alright guy. which is SO funny to me

#you are right too like marc was also literally 26 when they were teammates #i think yorg went okay jesus christ. u are a baby.#motogp #callie speaks #asks #there’s also some other factors in jorge’s 2019 season but i’m at werk i cannot source things… sowwy….

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theoryofweirdness · 5 days

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What if Dipper and Mabel Pines were in Super Smash Bros?

This is something I wrote several years ago and it's just been sitting on my drive. I posted it on Ao3, but recently became aware that Tumblr might be a better platform. So, here goes my first real post on this site.

Ever wondered what it would be like if Dipper and Mabel from Gravity Falls were playable characters in Super Smash Bros.? Well, wonder no longer, because here's my extensive idea for what their moveset would be like. Though sadly, I don't have art of this, since my digital art skills are... lacking, at best.

I also haven't 100% figured out all the nuances like how much damage every move does, so if anyone has any balancing-related suggestions (for that or anything else, really).

General Overview

Statistically speaking, the Mystery Twins would be fairly weak, with relatively low average damage and launch power, as well as being lightweight and not particularly fast. This makes sense as they are both (physically, at least) completely ordinary just-barely-teenagers with none of the inherent supernatural powers of most of the other child characters like Ness, Lucas, the Inklings, or the younger Links. Even though they are older than the younger Links (not sure about Ness/Lucas/Villager), the Links have the Triforce of Courage making them stronger and granting them the combat prowess of previous Links, Ness and Lucas have their supernatural PK abilities, etc.

The Mystery Twins make up for this statistical weakness with versatility due to their variable moveset. Many of their special moves are also able to temporarily either nerf opponents or buff themselves to even the odds. They are also significantly stronger when working together, since for most moves, they’ll attack at the same time, but even together, their raw damage wouldn’t be particularly excellent. The Mystery Twins would be a very difficult fighter to play effectively, but I’m hoping they’d also be a very fun one. I am aware that this fighter would be a nightmare to program and animate, but this is my imagination, so such paltry concerns as “budgets,” “programming,” and “animation time” mean NOTHING!

We'll start with their special gimmick, since that's key to understanding how this character works:

Gimmicks:

Mystery Twins Forever: This is basically the fact that they’re a two-part fighter, like the Ice Climbers, and work in much the same way, though with one notable difference. Using their D-Special when neither twin is KO’d will switch which twin is in front and under direct control (same as pressing [L] in Gnome Gemulets), changing most other moves.

Because of this, they essentially have two different movesets (similar to Zelda/Sheik from Melee and Brawl), meaning there’s a lot of versatility to this character, though of course it’s dependent on both twins being around. Though they are a single fighter, each twin is a separate entity and can be independently KO’d, just like the Ice Climbers. Try to avoid this, as it will both limit your move choices and make an already complex and statistically inferior fighter much weaker.

A KO’d twin respawns only after the other is also KO’d, or after using a Final Smash. If the current active twin is KO’d, you lose a stock (or point) and both respawn. KO'ing the non-active twin will not affect points or cause stock loss, but does replace the remaining twin's D-special with a different move.

On the fighter select screen, you can decide which twin will start as active, much like Pokémon Trainer can choose the starting Pokémon.

Special Moves

[B] Neutral Special (Dipper) - Growth Ray: Dipper turns the size-altering flashlight’s blue Growth Ray on himself, increasing his size for 10 seconds, with the same effect as the Super Mushroom item. Others very close to Dipper (such as Mabel) can also be affected. There is a 20% chance that Dipper fumbles the flashlight and points the growth ray forward (with the same hitbox as the normal shrink ray), not affecting him at all, but potentially growing other fighters who touch it.

Duration: 10 seconds

Backfire chance: 20% (1 in 5)

[B] Neutral Special (Mabel) - Shrink Ray: Mabel turns the size-altering flashlight’s pink Shrink Ray on enemies, creating a short-ranged cone in front of you that shrinks enemies hit by it, causing the same effect as the Poison Mushroom item for 10 seconds. There is a 10% chance that Mabel fumbles the flashlight and shrinks herself (and Dipper, if he's there) with the same hitbox as the normal Growth Ray.

Duration: 10 seconds

Backfire chance: 10% (1 in 10)

This move is of course based on the size-altering flashlight which Dipper created in s1e11: Little Dipper, though its function seemed both too powerful and too confusing to put into a single move, so I split its two options between the twins, on the grounds that Mabel also uses the flashlight in that episode, and it is her magic item in PinesQuest, in which case shrinking is the only thing it does.

Both rays have slight startup lag to take out the flashlight and aim it, so you can’t just surprise someone with a sudden growth. No other fighter can so easily buff themselves or nerf opponents, but overuse of this powerful move is inadvisable, as that gives enemies more chances to take advantage of it (though in team battles, you could also grow your teammates!), and also provides more chances for it to backfire. However, this is the main means by which the Mystery Twins’ low stats are directly compensated. The move can’t be used again (by either twin) until its current duration wears off (no matter what happened). Use it strategically!

[<B>] Side Special (Dipper) - Memory Gun: [EN] Dipper fires a short-ranged blue energy projectile (about the same range as Z-Suit Samus’s charged Stun Pistol N-Special) that deals small flinching damage. It also makes the target temporarily forget how to use their special moves, disabling them for 8 seconds. This can be reflected and also absorbed. The ray will have no effect on subsequent hits aside from the light damage until the disabling effect wears off. If the ray hits a fighter while they are performing a special move, it won't take effect until that move is over.

This move is based on Dipper’s use of the memory gun in s2e07: Society of the Blind Eye and s2e15: The Last Mabelcorn, and the fact that he evidently had it in his backpack all the way from s2e07 to s2e13: A Tale of Two Stans.

Damage: 2%

Duration: 8 seconds

[<B>] Side Special (Mabel) - Leaf Blower: [WI] Mabel uses a leaf blower to suck in objects and blow wind. Hold {B} to suck in air. The sucking grab box is visible, similar to King Dedede’s Inhale N-Special. She can’t suck in other fighters unless they've been shrunk down, but she can suck in projectiles and non-heavy items. If she sucks in a projectile, item, or shrunken fighter, the suction stops, and the object will shoot back out of the leaf blower when [B] is released, again similar to King Dedede’s Inhale, and with a similar sort of speed boost.

If Mabel doesn't suck in anything after 3 seconds or if you just tap {B}, she’ll blow wind in a cone straight out in front of her, causing a visible windbox similar to the Gust Bellows item, but smaller and weaker. Mabel can move left and right and jump once while holding the leaf blower. This move is based on Mabel shooting Jeff the gnome leader out of a leaf blower in s1e01: Tourist Trapped.

[^B] Up Special (Dipper) - Magnet Gun: Dipper fires a beam from Ford’s Magnet Gun (which he uses in s2e17: Dipper & Mabel vs. The Future) which can grapple onto ledges when used in the air. On the ground, it’s fired straight forward by default, but can be angled slightly up or down. In the air, it’s always fired at a 45° upward angle but will autocorrect toward ledges within a wide radius of the end of the beam. The magnet beam appears instantly at full length (though it will be interrupted by walls that can't be grappled onto) and can’t be reflected or blocked, but can be dodged.

If the beam hits an enemy, Dipper will either pull them toward himself as a command grab, or him towards them, depending on the difference in weight between Dipper and the target. If the enemy weighs more than him, he’s pulled toward them; if he weighs the same or more, the enemy is pulled toward him. When Mabel is present, she holds onto him and they collectively weigh twice as much for this move.

If Dipper is pulled toward another fighter, he'll automatically footstool jump off them upon contact, pushing the enemy down while gaining height himself. The same will happen if an enemy is pulled toward him while he is in the air.

If Dipper is on the ground and pulls another fighter toward himself, this special move can be canceled immediately into a grab when the enemy enters his reach, making this move potentially the longest grab in the game.

This move causes no damage.

[^B] Up Special (Mabel) - Grappling Hook!: [PH] Mabel fires her grapple gun upward, acting as a tether for recovery, which can also cause damage with decent launching ability. It’s a long tether that can grab onto ledges, basically the same as Joker’s default U-Special. On the ground, the hook is fired at a slight upward angle and has significant end lag as it retracts. In the air, it’s fired at a 60° angle by default but can be changed with directional input to 90° (straight up) or 45°. The area in which it will autocorrect to ledges is smaller than for Dipper's magnet gun. The hook can be reflected, but won’t bounce back at Mabel if it is; it just falls to the ground and must then be retracted.

Damage: 12%

Dipper’s Magnet Gun is better at horizontal recovery and can be very useful for combos, but doesn't actually deal any damage and its effects are very conditional. Mabel’s Grappling Hook is better for vertical recovery and actually deals damage, but has a lot less combo potential and more end lag. If both twins are present, they’ll hang onto each other and both be moved by either version of this move.

[vB] Down Special (both present and within reach of each other) - Tag Out: You switch which twin is under direct control. This can be used in the air (but only if the twins are within reach of each other) and is accomplished quite quickly, but does still leave you open for about a second. The newly active twin's Zodiac symbol (Dipper: blue Pine Tree, Mabel: pink Shooting Star, Stanford: red Six-Fingered Hand, Stanley: gold Mackerel) will appear on the damage counter, and will also flash in the air overhead when switching. If one twin is KO’d, this move changes (see below).

[vB] Down Special (Dipper alone) - Enter the Mindscape: [MA] Dipper casts the Mindscape projection spell from Journal 3 (seen in s1e19: Dreamscaperers, though in Smash it’s quicker, and he won’t say the words as that would give him away), causing his physical body to collapse, but entering the Mindscape as a ghostly, nearly invisible psychic avatar (inspired by what happened to him when Bill possessed his body in s2e04: Sock Opera). In this form, he can fly around freely with directional controls and pass through all parts of the stage, though speed is limited. The astral projection is intangible and immune to physical-, fire-, ice-, earth-, water-, sound-, toxic-, and wind-based damage, but not to magic-, electric-, or energy-based ones. However, Dipper’s real body is completely immobile and open to attack.

Pressing [B] again will immediately return Dipper to his real body. If you do so while overlapping an enemy fighter, that fighter will take heavy damage and become dizzy (like with a shield break; this is due to Dipper entering their mind and inflicting psychic damage). However, there is some end lag when you return, so don't get too cocky.

This attack cannot be blocked or countered. Fighters with higher damage will be stunned longer. If either Dipper’s real body or astral projection is hit, he’ll immediately return to normal (with end lag) though he’ll only be launched if the physical body is hit. You definitely need to keep an eye on Dipper’s real body when using this move, as well as watching out for attacks that can actually hit his astral projection, since they’ll deal 1.5x damage.

Dipper will be automatically returned to his real body after 12 seconds, but returning this way cannot affect enemies and will cause Dipper to become dizzy instead. If Dipper successfully hits someone or lets the move time out, there is a 20-second cooldown before he can use this move again.

If this seems a bit ruthless for Dipper, put it down to him seeking revenge for Mabel.

Duration: 12 seconds

Damage (non-launching): 25%

Immunity (x0 damage): PH, FI, WA, IC, EA, WI, SO, TO

Vulnerability (damage taken x1.5): EL, EN, MA

Cooldown: 20 seconds

[vB] Down Special (Mabel alone) - Attack Glitter: [WI] It’s pretty but it hurts! Mabel blows (or possibly coughs up?) a cloud of glitter into the air in front of her (based on the attack glitter used on Soos in s2e11: Not What He Seems). The glitter cloud floats in the air for 8 seconds, causing small, non-flinching tick damage over time and slowing down other fighters moving through it, similar to the Swirlix Pokéball summon (“I got glitter in my eye!”).

Hold {B} before releasing to gather more glitter and create a larger cloud. Though each cloud only lasts 8 seconds, there’s no cooldown (Mabel always has glitter), so she can make more than one at a time.

Damage (per tick): 1%

Normal Moves

If both twins are present, they will perform their neutral attacks at the same time, allowing you to set up “team” combos if positioned properly.

[A] Jab (Dipper): [PH, EN] A basic but quick 1-2-3 punch that can be used for jab-locking but is very weak until the third hit, which is enhanced with a glowing blast of power from the Gnome Battle Cuffs. Launches on the final hit.

This is Dipper's basic ground combo in Rumble’s Revenge, with the added power boost on the last hit being based on his charged-up attack from Gnome Gemulets.

Damage (1, 2):

Damage (3):

[A] Jab (Mabel): [PH] A one-two spammable swinging punch (similar to Villager’s Jab). It has slightly more reach than Dipper’s jab, as well as better damage per hit, but it's slower. Can launch on either hit at higher percentages. This is Mabel's basic ground combo in Rumble’s Revenge.

Damage (1, 2):

[>>, A] Dash Attack (Dipper): [PH] A fast side kick that launches diagonally upward at a slight angle. This is Dipper's dash attack in Rumble’s Revenge.

Damage:

[>>, A] Dash Attack (Mabel): [PH] A straight punch that's stronger than Dipper's kick, but launches at a lower angle and has more end lag. Same as her dash attack in Rumble's Revenge.

Damage:

Smash Attacks

When the twins are present and within reach of each other, they’ll perform a combined Smash Attack.

[<<A>>] Side Smash (Dipper): [SL] Dipper slashes downward with the Manotaurs’ bone spear (seen in s1e06: Dipper vs. Manliness, also his strength item in PinesQuest). Has less forward reach than Waddles, but a wider vertical hitbox, a sweet spot at the spear tip, and also less start and end lag. This is one of Dipper’s only moves that’s potentially stronger than Mabel’s corresponding one, if you land the sweet spot. Similar to Marth's S-smash.

Damage (min, sweetspot):

Damage (max, sweetspot):

Damage (min, normal):

Damage (max, normal):

[<<A>>] Side Smash (Mabel): [PH] Mabel sends her pet pig, Waddles, charging forward a short distance (based on Mabel's ground combo finisher in Rumble’s Revenge, which is itself based on her siccing Waddles on Robbie in s1e10: The Time Traveler’s Pig). Distance increases slightly with greater charge. Waddles moves the full distance whether you hit someone or not, before turning around and running back to Mabel for a hug. The run back is a sourspot that's much weaker. Waddles does not count as a projectile and cannot be reflected (he would never hurt Mabel).

The alternate costume of Stan (#8) uses Shanklin the Stab Possum from Lost Legends Part 4: Pines Bros. Mystery instead, to the same effect.

Damage (min, forward):

Damage (max, forward):

Damage (backward):

[<<A>>] Side Smash (Combined): Both twins perform their respective S-smash, with the active twin facing forward and the inactive twin facing backward.

[^^A] Up Smash (Dipper): [SO] Use awkwardness as a weapon! While charging, a lamb costume appears on Dipper and he performs the Lamby Dance. When released, he cuts to the end pose, causing a semicircular burst of music notes above and around himself that will damage and launch enemies. This is based on Dipper's ground combo finisher in Rumble’s Revenge, which is itself based on Dipper doing the Lamby Dance for the ghosts in s1e05: The Inconveniencing.

The hitbox is similar to Samus’s U-smash, but all at once instead of individually. Only the notes are a hitbox, but it’s pretty wide even on the sides, However, it's on the weaker side for a Smash attack.

Damage (min):

Damage (max):

[^^A] Up Smash (Mabel): [FI] Mabel fires a blast from a confetti cannon (used against zombies in s2e01: Scary-oke) directly overhead. Similar to Ivysaur’s U-smash, it can hit very slightly in front but is much better for anti-air. It’s stronger than Dipper’s embarrassing dance, but with a lot less reach.

Damage (min):

Damage (max):

[^^A] Up Smash (Combined): [FI] The twins perform both U-smashes at the same time, as Mabel gives an explosive confetti finish to Dipper's dance, combining the power of Mabel’s cannon blast with the reach of Dipper’s music notes.

[vvA] Down Smash (Dipper): [EA] Dipper casts a spell from the Journal that summons two zombie hands out of the ground on either side of himself, which can launch enemies directly upward. Similar to Megaman’s D-smash, though somewhat weaker. Based on Dipper summoning zombies during s2e01: Scary-Oke.

Damage (min):

Damage (max):

[vvA] Down Smash (Mabel): [BL] Swing a golf club in a wide-reaching attack that hits from back to front, covering nearly a complete circle around Mabel, with only directly overhead being uncovered. It doesn’t reach as far outward as Dipper’s zombie hands, but is faster and can actually launch enemies quite hard. This is one of Mabel’s only attacks that’s faster than Dipper’s corresponding one. It’s based on Mabel's mini-golf skills showcased in s2e03: The Golf War.

Damage (min):

Damage (max):

[vvA] Down Smash (Both): [EA, BL] Instead of causing damage, the zombie hands summoned by Dipper’s spell will hold enemies still, then Mabel swings her golf club to knock them out of the park, breaking the zombie hands and gaining a damage bonus as the trapped enemies can't defend themselves.

Tilts

If both twins are present, they will perform their tilts at the same time, similar to Ice Climbers.

[<A>] Side Tilt (Dipper): [PH] Two quick slices with a fireplace poker, based on Dipper's duel with Wax Sherlock Holmes in s1e03: Headhunters. This move is fast and has decent reach, but it’s not particularly strong. It’s useful in combos or as a “get off me” tool, but not for launching.

Damage (per hit):

[<A>] Side Tilt (Mabel): [PH] Swing a karaoke machine for a strong attack that can launch enemies quite well, but has both start and end lag. Based on her use of the karaoke machine as a “surprisingly good weapon” against zombies in s2e01: Scary-Oke.

Damage:

[^A] Up Tilt (Dipper): [PH, EN] Dipper jumps slightly forward with an uppercut. (This is a combination of the only time Dipper actually hits Rumble McSkirmish during their battle in s1e10: Fight Fighters, and his charged attack in Gnome Gemulets). It’s similar to Megaman’s U-tilt, having a sweet spot at the very start of the move (indicated by a flash of energy from the Gnome Battle Cuffs) and significant end lag. This is one of Dipper’s only moves with more end lag than Mabel's corresponding one. In fact, it's one of his only moves with significant end lag at all.

Damage (sweetspot):

Damage (sourspot):

[^A] Up Tilt (Mabel): [PH] Spin a stretchy sleeve overhead to multihit enemies, based on the charging-up animation for her charged attack in Gnome Gemulets.

Damage (per hit):

[vA] Down Tilt (Dipper): [PH] A very short and weak but fast and spammable kick that barely flinches enemies, much like Ness or Lucas’s D-tilt. It isn’t based on anything in particular, there’s just not that many actual times when Dipper fights things, so I’m pulling from other child characters.

Damage:

[vA] Down Tilt (Mabel): [PH] Mabel curls into a ball and rolls forward a short distance, similar to King Dedede’s D-tilt, though much weaker.

Damage:

Air Attacks

If both twins are present and within reach of each other, they’ll hold onto each other and use a combined air attack, improving both hitboxes and damage, though often at the cost of end lag.

[A] N-Air (Dipper): [BL] A basic aerial kick with a lingering whole-body hitbox, similar to Mario’s N-air (and many others). Based on the first hit of Dipper's aerial combo in Rumble’s Revenge.

Damage (initial kick):

Damage (lingering hotbox):

[A] N-Air (Mabel): [BL] A basic spinning move, similar to DK or Ness. She never does this in any medium I’m aware of, but it certainly seems like her style. Hits once but is stronger than Dipper's lingering kick.

Damage:

[A] N-Air (Combined): [BL] Mabel grabs Dipper’s arms from behind and spins him around right as he tries to use his normal kick attack, resulting in a spinning kick with greater than normal reach and a sweet spot on Dipper’s foot, though it does now have some landing lag (Dipper was not prepared for this).

Damage (middle):

Damage (sweet spot):

[A>] F-Air (Dipper): [BL] Dipper swings his hat in an arc from high to low, which somehow actually does damage. It's fast and has a wide hitbox, but is pretty weak. Based on the final hit of Dipper's air combo in Rumble’s Revenge. For alternate costumes without a hat (such as tuxedo and Gideon's suit), he’ll suddenly be holding his normal pine tree hat for this move. The Ford alts use an explorer-style pith helmet.

Damage:

[A>] F-Air (Mabel): [BL] A diagonal downward punch, similar to Little Mac’s F-air. Not as big as Dipper’s hat swing, but with more damage. Based on the first hit of Mabel's air combo in Rumble’s Revenge.

Damage:

[A>] F-air (Combined): [BL] Dipper’s hat swing carries enemies downward into Mabel’s slightly delayed punch, which becomes a sweet spot that can spike diagonally.

Each hit does the same damage as when performed individually.

[^A] U-Air (Dipper): [BL] Dipper swings the Journal overhead from front to back. It’s a wide attack, similar to some other fighters’ “headbutt” U-airs, and can be used for juggling, but isn’t very strong, at least in comparison to other U-airs with similar hitboxes like Ness's.

Damage:

[^A] U-Air (Mabel): [BL] A back-flipping kick, similar to Mario's U-air. The twins' U-airs aren't really all that different.

Damage:

[^A] U-Air (Combined): [BL] The respective air attacks collide in the center for a strong launching blow, similar to Sonic’s U-air.

Damage:

[<A] B-Air (Dipper): [BL] Dipper kicks backwards with both feet, similar to Mario’s B-air. Not based on anything, really.

Damage:

[<A] B-Air (Mabel): [BL] Whip a stretchy sleeve backward for a long, but somewhat weak attack, similar to her Z-air.

Damage:

[<A] B-Air (Combined): [BL] Dipper holds onto Mabel’s stretchy sleeve while she flings him back, creating a sweet spot as he kicks outward.

Damage (sourspot):

Damage (sweetspot):

[vA] D-Air (Dipper): [BL] A downward axe kick. Can spike enemies at the start of the move and has more reach than Mabel’s stomp, but isn’t as strong. This is the second hit of Dipper's air combo in Rumble's Revenge.

Damage:

[vA] D-Air (Mabel): [BL] Stomp downward with both feet, which has more startup lag than Dipper’s kick, but is also stronger and has a longer-lasting hitbox, kind of like a smaller version of Captain Falcon’s D-air. This is Mabel's aerial combo finisher in Rumble’s Revenge.

Damage:

[vA] D-Air (Combined): [BL] Similar to their combined F-air, Dipper performs his attack slightly ahead of Mabel and can hit foes into hers.

Damage:

[Grab] Z-Air (Mabel only): [BL] Mabel whips a stretchy sleeve forward for a decent-reaching, though weak attack. Unlike most Z-airs, this cannot grab ledges.

Damage:

Grabs and Throws

If both twins are present, the throws are changed; otherwise they are the same for either twin.

[Grab] Grab (Any): A basic short-ranged grab.

[Grab, A] Pummel (Both): Mabel ties up the enemy in her stretchy sleeves while Dipper punches them in the face (or whatever else is at his eye level).

[Grab, A] Pummel (Single): Holds the enemy with one hand and punches them in the face (or whatever) with the other. Easier to escape than most grabs. Based on grappling in Rumble’s Revenge.

[Grab, >] F-Throw (Both): [PH, EN] Mabel grips the foe with her sleeves and Dipper punches them outward (obviously making use of the Gnome Battle Cuffs), causing the foe to snap back into a second, stronger punch that knocks them out of Mabel's grip. This throw hits twice, but does take a while.

Damage (total):

[Grab, >] F-Throw (Single): [PH] Weakly toss the enemy forward. This is based on throwing enemies in Rumble’s Revenge; it's the least effective attack.

Damage:

[Grab, ^] U-Throw (Both): [PH, EN] Dipper uppercuts the tied-up enemy into the air, then Mabel whips them back into the ground. Hits twice.

Damage (total):

[Grab, ^] U-Throw (Single): [PH] A basic and weak upward toss.

Damage:

[Grab, <] B-Throw (Both): [PH, EN] Mabel spins the enemy around a full circle with her stretchy sleeves, which can hit other enemies, similar to Mario’s B-throw, while Dipper charges up the Gnome Battle Cuffs, then punches them out of Mabel’s grip and backwards over her head. This is the twins’ strongest throw in terms of launching.

Damage:

[Grab, <] B-Throw (Single): [PH] A basic and weak backward toss.

Damage:

[Grab, v] D-Throw (Both): [BL] Dipper curls into a ball on the ground, then Mabel shoves the enemy, causing them to trip over him. Leaves the enemy prone. Based on when Wendy does this to Ghost Eyes in s2e18: [Weirdmaggedon].

Damage:

[Grab, v] D-Throw (Single): [PH] A basic and weak toss onto the ground that pops the enemy upward.

Damage:

Movement

(Speed and jump height are stated as an approximate comparison to existing fighters.)

Walking, running, and jumping animations, as well as idle animations, are taken from Gnome Gemulets.

[<>] Walking: Despite being light, the Mystery Twins aren’t particularly fast. They're probably similar to Lucas and Ness.

[<<>>] Running: Still not particularly fast, but better. If both twins are present, they’ll hold hands while running.

[^] Jumps: 2, a bit below average in height.

Wall Jump: No

[v] Crouch: They kneel down.

[v, <>] Crawl: Yes

[Shield, v^] Spot dodge: There’s nothing approximating dodging in any of their games, so these will probably just have similar animations to those of the other Smash fighters that share their proportions (Ness, Lucas, Villager, Inkling).

[Shield, >] F-roll: See above

[Shield, <] B-roll: See above

[Shield, <>v in air] Air dodge: See above

Ledge roll: If both twins are present, they’ll pull each other up, though the animation takes the same amount of time no matter what.

Miscellaneous

If both twins are present, they will perform a different, unique taunt on the Up and Down Taunts. For the Side Taunt, if both are present, they’ll do both at the same time.

Up Taunt (Both): A simple high five. This is a double reference, first to their end-of-level victory high-five in Gnome Gemulets, and second to Stanley and Stanford’s “high six.”

Up Taunt (Dipper only): Pumps arms up and down in a victory celebration while saying “Yeah-ha-ha!”. This is Dipper's end-of-level victory screen in both Rumble’s Revenge and the Take Back the Falls mobile game.

Up Taunt (Mabel only): Jumps up and down in joy.

Down Taunt (Both): Awkward sibling hug (pat, pat). Seen in both s1e01: Tourist Trapped, and s2e19: Escape From Reality.

Down Taunt (Dipper only): Dipper pulls out a magnifying glass and inspects something on the ground. References both the theme song and Dipper’s general investigative nature.

Down Taunt (Mabel only): Mabel snuggles with Waddles, just like in the theme song (and plenty of other times throughout the show).

Side Taunt (Dipper): Dipper opens his journal and writes something in it. The first time this taunt is performed on [name of as-yet-undecided Gravity Falls stage], it starts a Journal Entry on whichever other player is both next after you in the player order and not on your team. These will be similar to the Palutena’s Guidance conversations, opening a text box that resembles a page from the Journal at the bottom of the screen, where Dipper reads his observations about that fighter, with commentary from Mabel and occasionally other characters as well. I’m not sure whether I’ll ever actually write these out (suggestions welcome).

Side Taunt (Mabel): Mabel takes out both a sock puppet of herself and a puppet of either another Gravity Falls character or a random other fighter currently on-screen and plays around with them. The second puppet can be any one of Dipper, Ford, Stan, Soos, Wendy, Gideon, Pacifica, Robbie, McGucket, or other fighters present on-screen. If a Pokémon Trainer is present, the puppet can be of them or any of their three Pokémon.

Idle Animation: Same as in Gnome Gemulets (I don't remember what it is).

Stage Entry: The twins fall out of a dimensional rift, like the one Mabel falls into in Lost Legends Part 3: Don't Dimension It.

Origin Symbol: The Zodiac Wheel (duh). No, it’s not too complicated. What are you, a cop?

Kirby Hat: Since there are two potential N-Specials here, there are also two Kirby hats, as Kirby only inhales the active twin.

Dipper: The Pine Tree hat (duh). (Growth Ray)

Mabel: Mabel's hairstyle, with a Shooting Star clip on the headband. (Shrink Ray)

Palette Swaps/Costumes

All of Dipper and Mabel's palette swaps are alternate outfits that they (or others) wear throughout the show.

1) Dipper and Mabel’s most iconic appearance.

Dipper: red t-shirt, dark blue vest, Pine Tree hat, gray shorts, black sneakers, holds Journal 3 (unless otherwise specified, he’s holding Journal 3 in all of these).

Mabel: purple skirt, pink headband, magenta Shooting Star sweater, black flats.

2) Fancy dress outfits from the ball in s2e10: Northwest Mansion Mystery.

Dipper: tuxedo, brown dress shoes, no hat

Mabel: fluffy pink dress (if Peach, Daisy, and Rosalina can fight in ball gowns, so can Mabel), weird hat thing, high heels, uses a feather boa instead of stretchy sleeves.

3) Mystery Shack employees/Anti Gravity AU inspired.

Dipper: Soos's dark green Question Mark t-shirt, cargo shorts, and cap.

Mabel: orange headband, white t-shirt, Wendy's green flannel jacket, boots, uses a rope lasso instead of stretchy sleeves.

4) Secondary antagonists inspired.

Dipper: Gideon's light blue suit and Pentagram cape, holds Journal 2.

Mabel: Pacifica's purple shirt, skirt, jacket, boots, and hairstyle, uses a purple scarf instead of stretchy sleeves.

5) Pool outfits from s1e15: The Deep End.

Dipper: red swim trunks, white t-shirt, whistle, sandals, red-and-white “Night Patrol” hat.

Mabel: pink one-piece swimsuit with a yellow star on the chest, flip-flops, uses a jump rope instead of stretchy sleeves.

6) Goodbyes, based on the series finale. Dipper: same as #1 but with Wendy’s trapper hat instead of his regular one, and holding the blue Pine Tree Journal.

Mabel: red birthday cupcake sweater, pink skirt and headband.

7) Outfits from s2e13: Dungeons, Dungeons, and More Dungeons; Dipper: elf costume consisting of a green tunic and cape, pointed ears, no hat, replaces S-Smash spear with a sword.

Mabel: orange Ducktective sweater and headband, blue skirt.

8) Original Mystery Twins/Relativity Falls AU. Stanley and Stanford as kids, with their appearance from s2e12: A Tale of Two Stans/Lost Legends Part 4: Pines Bros. Mystery. Ford takes Dipper’s place, Stan takes Mabel’s. They have different voice actors and lines than the younger twins (applies to #12 as well).

Ford: white t-shirt, brown jacket and shoes, dark green pants, holds Journal 1, replaces Dipper's hat with a light brown pith helmet.

Stan: red-and-white striped t-shirt, jeans, missing tooth, band-aid on face, brown shoes, uses a rope lasso instead of stretchy sleeves and Shanklin the Stab Possum replaces Waddles for the S-Smash.

Additional Alternate Costumes (just for fun)

9) Evil versions. They have different voice lines and facial expressions. Dipper: Dippy Fresh, the twisted, ‘90s-stereotype version of Dipper created by Mabeland in s2e19: Escape from Reality, has a different voice actor.

Mabel: Anti-Mabel from Lost Legends Part 3: Don't Dimension It, wearing a black sweater with an x-eyed cat face on it.

10) Outfits from Dipper vs. Manliness. Dipper: Manotaur loincloth and tattoos; Mabel: Yellow skirt and headband with black lightning bolt sweater.

11) Trick-or-treating costumes from s1e12: Summerween.

Dipper: peanut butter costume

Mabel: strawberry jelly costume, Waddles wears his brown business suit costume.

12) “Modern” Stan twins; same as #8 but wearing downsized versions of their “modern” attire.

Ford: red turtleneck, brown trench coat, black pants, shoulder bag, holds Journal 1.

Stan: black Mr. Mystery suit, red string tie, eyepatch, and Mackerel fez, uses a rope lasso instead of stretchy sleeves.

13) Outfits from the Woodstick Festival in s2e09: The Love God. Dipper: dark red v-neck shirt, vest, jeans, sunglasses on forehead, no hat, holds Journal 3.

Mabel: Rainbow-striped pride sweater, purple skirt.

14) Outfits from s1e13: Boss Mabel.

Dipper: Mystery Junior suit (similar to Stan's #12), combed hair, eyepatch, no hat.

Mabel: blue business suit and glasses, Stan’s Mackerel fez, uses a rope lasso instead of stretchy sleeves.

15) Campaign manager outfits from s2e14: The Stanchurian Candidate.

Dipper: red “Team Stan” t-shirt, no vest, yellow visor.

Mabel: red-and-white striped sweater and headband, blue star-spangled skirt.

16) Inspired by my Reunion Falls AU fanfiction One Day Reunited.

Dipper: dark brown jacket (same as #8 Ford), red t-shirt, hiking boots, cargo shorts, no hat, holds blue Pine Tree Journal

Mabel: purple “Love Yo’self” sweater, yellow skirt, purple headband.

17) Reverse Falls AU version #1. They have different facial expressions and voice lines.

Dipper: similar to #4 but also with an amulet, holds Journal 2.

Mabel: light blue dress, amulet on hair band.

18) Reverse Falls AU version #2. Dipper and Mabel are replaced with Reverse Gideon and Pacifica, respectively. They have different voice actors and lines.

Gideon: Similar to Dipper’s #1, but with a light blue shirt instead of red, plus white hair and freckles.

Pacifica: tie-dyed shirt, ripped jeans, hoop earrings, bracelets, uses a scarf instead of stretchy sleeves, replaces Waddles in S-Smash with a chicken.

19) Gravity Rises AU inspired. Dipper and Mabel switch roles, Zodiac symbols, and movesets. They have different voice lines.

Mabel: blue-and-white Pine Tree t-shirt, brown pants, orange hoodie, holds Journal 3.

Dipper: dark blue t-shirt with a yellow Star over yellow long-sleeve shirt, black shorts, no hat, band-aid on face, sleeves of his shirt stretch just like Mabel’s sweaters.

Victory 1: Lower down from the top of the screen on Mabel's grappling hook, just like when they destroyed Gideon's robot in s1e20: Gideon Rises.

Victory 2: Do the short victory dance that happens when you solve certain puzzles in Gnome Gemulets, finishing with a high five (or high six, as the case may be).

Victory 3: Awkward sibling hug (pat, pat), same as the D-taunt. Yes, even the Stan and Ford alts do this.

FINAL SMASH

Like most of their moveset, the Mystery Twins’ Final Smash changes depending on which of them is present when it’s activated, though after using any of these Final Smashes, a missing twin will respawn. This is the only way to cause a missing twin to respawn without being KO’d.

Dipper only - Quantum Destabilizer: Dipper fires a straight shot from Ford’s Quantum Destabilizer, the super weapon with which he unsuccessfully attempted to destroy Bill Cipher in s2e18: [Weirdmaggedon], though it will certainly prove effective against Smash fighters. This is very similar to Dark Pit’s Final Smash; the narrow beam travels the length of the screen and will heavily damage and launch anyone hit by it, resulting in an instant KO if it takes a fighter’s damage above 100%.

Damage:

Mabel only - Imagination Unleashed: While mounted upon the dolphin-man-hallucination-monster Aoshima and karaoke singing either “Don’t Start Unbelieving” or “Taking Over Midnight” backed up by the music of her totally-a-different-art-style dream boys Xyler and Craz, Mabel unleashes her disturbing extraordinary imagination in a glittery tidal wave of rainbows, waffle soldiers, cat faces, stickers, flying sweaters, random stuffed animals, and of course, shooting stars. This is very similar to Wii Fit Trainer’s Final Smash, and is based on Mabel’s Mystery Power attack in Rumble’s Revenge.

Damage (per hit):Both - Unite the Zodiac: A large image of the Zodiac Wheel, albeit missing the image of Bill Cipher in the center, appears around the twins. Any enemies it touches take Bill Cipher’s place in the center of the wheel. After a cinematic of the ten members of the Zodiac united around the wheel, a white pillar of cosmic energy erupts from its center, obliterating anyone inside. This is always an instant KO on anyone it catches… damage doesn't matter, no exceptions.

Since the Zodiac Wheel Prophecy was unsuccessful in the actual show, it’s unknown what would have happened had it worked, so I’m free to interpret it however I want for Smash. I don’t necessarily think this is what would have happened, but it works quite well for a Final Smash. The initial capture hitbox is a ring around the twins, and its limits are pretty obvious.

#gravity falls #dipper pines #mabel pines #stanford pines #stanley pines #super smash bros #moveset #what if they were in super smash bros?

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thecampjuicebox · 10 months

Note

Imagine how frustrated Haarlep would be with themself if they legitimately fell for someone. I think that might be the only way to fluster the dirty fiend. Lust and passion and indulgence, they know how to deal with. But love and tenderness and even the smallest inkling of emotional intimacy? I imagine Haarlep wouldn't hate it, just hate that they don't know what to do with it.

I mean, just imagine Haarlep puzzling over someone complementing their wit and just enjoying their company. Imagine Haarlep reacting to receiving aftercare for probably the first time in a long while. Imagine Haarlep receiving a thoughtful gift (like maybe Haarlep off-handedly mentions wanting to pursue a hobby and they later find supplies needed for said hobby gifted to them) with no string attached or any expectation of paying back the gift-giver. I would eat that kind of stuff up as if I were starving.

Anyway, thank you! Sorry for the paragraphs! Rambling over! Bye!

OKAY WAIT

You are truly on to something here. Haarlep fluff is my weakness and I am so so so so so excited to write about it whenever I get the chance. Baby deserves some lovins too!!!! (Might do a few parts to this, but for now I think Tav giving Haarlep a lil bath after sex just sounds so sweet)

Inferno Pt. 1

Pairing: Haarlep (m) x Tav (gn)

Rating: 18+, Minors DNI

POV: 3rd person

Warnings: Fluff, angst, very light smut, mutual pining, trouble accepting genuine affection, slight game spoilers (this fits in a weird spot canonically)

Chests heave in the throws of passion, sweat and sex mixing into a scent cocktail of epic proportions. Skin to skin, mouth to mouth, Tav and Haarlep ride the waves of their pleasure, completely enraptured by the sounds and heat between them. Frantic thrusts rattle the large bedframe holding the mattress up beneath them, Haarlep's wings creating a protective cocoon around their otherwise vulnerable bodies. It's become a normal occurrence, the two of them. Late nights. Early mornings. Enjoying each others' company and the animalistic fuck sessions they've grown so fond of. With Raphael constantly being busy after the fall of the absolute and Tav finding a new home in the House of Hope, Haarlep searched for newness. For "fresh meat to feast upon in trying times", as he put it originally.

Tongues wrestle for dominance in a display of conflicting power, Haarlep's hips quickening their pace to chase his end. Quiet grunts break through the warm air of the boudoir. Breaking their kiss, Haarlep takes a moment to stare down at Tav, a strange and unfamiliar warmth trickling through his limbs. Strange.. But almost comforting. Tav whispers sweet nothings into the cambion's perked up ears as they both finish and topple over the edge of ecstasy, Haarlep collapsing in his usual way against Tav's tired body. Trembling arms snake around Haarlep's torso as the two attempt to find oxygen once more, gentle fingers dancing along his spine, feeling the rise and fall of each vertebra and ridge on his hot skin. Now they lie there. Quiet. Enveloped in each other like lovers, a concept that is all too foreign to the Incubus. Love. Lust; Haarlep has known for centuries. But love.. Love is so new. So fresh, like a deep bite or the stab of a dagger. Sweet words and caring gestures typically feel like salt in the cuts. Not with Tav, however. Everything feels natural with Tav. Organic and gentle. As he relaxes into the being beneath him, his mind wanders. Their quiet breaths and the thumping of their heart nearly lulls him to sleep. A tired Tav slides their way out of Haarlep's grasp to move toward the bath, the sticky residue of sweat and spend coating their skin in an uncomfortably thick layer.

"Mm, care to join me, Haarlep? I hope it's still warm.. Hells, we're in the Hells.. Of course it's still warm."

Tav chuckles sweetly to themselves, their air of comedic cluelessness forcing Haarlep to crack a smile. The incubus lifts his head, eyes narrowing on the naked elf before him. A bath? How romantic. A shiver rumbles down Haarlep's spine at the thought and he stands, sauntering slowly toward the tub, fingers reaching out to wiggle into the eternally hot water.

"Wouldn't hurt, I suppose.."

The two settle their aching bodies into the water and Tav immediately moves closer to Haarlep, fingers searching the edge of the tub for a bar of soap and a rag. Haarlep's eyes flutter closed and he focuses on the warmth around him. The steam. The scents enveloping his senses. The gentle swish of the hot water as Tav moves about the tub. Why is Tav.. The soft brush of a soapy rag across his chest startles Haarlep from his rest, his hands moving out to quickly guard himself from the assumed intruder of his space. Panic creates a flurry in this chest, pupils blown wide. His wings spread out and fling water out of the sides of the large tub. Tav gasps loudly and takes a step back, teeth clasping down onto their bottom lip, hand barely keeping a firm grasp on the slippery bar of soap they'd used to lather the rag. A mixture of embarrassment and shame paints the saddest expression on their face and Haarlep's fluttering heart falls deep into his stomach.

"What in the Nine Hells were you just doing?"

"I was trying to.. Wash you.. I'm sorry, I-"

Regret settles itself into the crows feet at the corners of Haarlep's eyes. He frowns at the frightened elf, wings settling into the water now after their terrifying display just moments ago. Large hands reach out to Tav's wrists and tug them closer, the bar of soap slipping and falling into the tub, a small splash coating Tav's lashes in water. Haarlep chuckles. A sound Tav hasn't heard in such a genuine manner. Is he upset? Worrisome eyes lower to the rippling water between them. The reflection of Tav's face on the surface forces their eyes closed anxiously. The rag remains clutched tightly between both hands now, suds and bubbles slipping out through the cracks in their fingers and spilling into the water beside them in a mountain of sweet smelling foam.

"Well don't just stand there. Keep going."

Confusion bubbles up in Tav's throat but they oblige, approaching the sleepy cambion with the rag once more. Little swipes clean the mess from Haarlep's chest and he lets out a content sigh. He's never been taken care of this way. He's never been taken care of at all, as a matter of fact. The feeling is both comforting and so disgusting. He lies rigid now, lids blinking as he stares up at the ceiling, his hands carefully resting on Tav's hips to keep them steady in front of him. The rag moves carefully up his neck now. Gentle strokes swipe away the sweat from the night's previous activities. Pausing for a moment, Tav fumbles for the bar of soap. They huff in frustration as it slips comically out of their hands and back into the water multiple times, droplets of water landing all over Haarlep's chest, face, horns, and wings. He grins and swiftly reaches for the bar, sinking his claws into the slippery surface.

"Gotcha!"

Laughter erupts from the two occupants of the tub. Genuine laughter. Tav carefully takes the soap from the incubus's claws, rubbing the rag around its surface to create a soapy lather. Haarlep retrieves the bar once more and sets it on the side of the tub as a precaution, a grin from his previous laughing fit still lingering on his thin red lips. For a moment, all is okay. The normal rumbling in Haarlep's brain is calmed. Soothed, even. The rag moves along his cheeks to clean them off. Tav's free hand moves around the back of Haarlep's head to direct him to look at them.

"Don't want to get soap in your eyes.."

"Yes, that would burn like, well, Hell."

Another sweet giggle leaves Tav's throat and Haarlep could burst into flames right there, leaving nothing but a puddle of floating ash in the tub where he sat. He adores everything about Tav. Their smile, the shape of their body, their sweet voice. Their eyes, Gods, their eyes. Piercing and gentle, staring right through him. Reading him like a rare old Tome. Most importantly, their interest in him. Not his cock. Not what he has to offer in the sheets. Him. Haarlep's claws gently rake down Tav's sides, earning a shaky moan from the elf's parted lips. Their resolve falters for a moment before the rag makes its way toward Haarlep's wings, rubbing gentle circles around the cherry colored leather skin. Haarlep sighs happily, his tail subconsciously wrapping itself around Tav's plush thigh. The tip rubs against their sex, making their knees buckle beneath them. With a swift tug, Tav falls against Haarlep, his hands moving to the globes of their ass now to hold them tightly against his lap, one hand moving to adjust their legs to wrap around him. Their eyes meet, and it's like the room around them catches fire. Sparks, lightning, flames, all igniting at once. Haarlep's stomach turns.

The unfamiliar feeling rises up again. It burns in his belly. Snakes its way through his arms and legs. Tingles like Weave in his spinal cord. He clears his throat, pressing even further into Tav while his tail continues the slow back and forth friction against them. The sounds he earns from the specimen against him just fuels his fire and he sinks his teeth into the top of their shoulder, little rivulets of blood pooling in the indentations he left there. With a grin, he licks the broken flesh. Tav writhes in his arms in excitement, reaching their arms up to give Haarlep's horns a gentle tug backward, forcing his gaze to fall upon their needy expression. With a huff, the incubus licks his lips, eyebrows knitting together apologetically.

"I'm sorry, I can't help myself.."

"You don't have to. Not with me.."

#bg3 #baldurs gate 3 #baldur's gate 3 #bg3 fanfiction #bg3 fanfic #fic request #Haarlep #Haarlep x Tav #gn Tav #gn fic

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sunkenma · 2 years

Text

angel hair

wherein you and kozume kenma painfully misinterpret each other.

1.4k words, fluff / hbd kenma!

you like to believe that you and kenma are friends. as to whether he shares this same sentiment, you have no idea.

as one of kuroo’s closest friends from college, you and kenma inadvertently spend a lot of time together. from awkward first hang-outs getting to know each other, to spontaneous group study sessions in his dorm room, and to late night drives to appease kuroo’s random cravings, you can semi-confidently say that you two are friends.

semi-confidently, you emphasize, only because as of late, you two have been quite tense around each other. why this is the case is unclear, but you have an inkling that it could be due to his ridiculous lines that leave you bewildered, and your own blooming feelings that render you incapable of having a lengthy conversation with him.

“did i say something to offend him, yaku? maybe that’s why he’s been acting so weird…” you huff in defeat.

you and yaku are sitting in one of the library’s study rooms, waiting for the rest of your friends to trickle in. kuroo had sent a message out to the group chat about two hours ago, urging everyone to get off their procrastinating asses and join him on a late night study session. but really, you know it’s because he didn’t want to suffer alone.

“i mean… lev says all kinds of out-of-pocket shit, but kenma talks to him normally,” yaku shrugs, unintentionally shooting an arrow through your chest. “maybe he really does hate you.”

a look of exasperated annoyance settles over your face as you punch his arm, earning an amused laugh from him in response. unbeknownst to you, yaku loves pushing your buttons whenever it comes to the blonde gamer. you’ve never told him—or even kuroo, for that matter—about your little crush, but it isn’t like you need to. you’re as obvious as lev failing his first-year classes.

“but why would he hate me? is it because i ate his fries that one time? wait, is it because i used his hairbrush without asking him? kuroo does that too though!” you touch your hair absentmindedly, immediately recalling how unruly it is since you had no time to properly comb through it after receiving kuroo’s last minute invite.

“oh shit, my hair!” panic takes hold of your senses synonymously to how kenma takes hold of your attention as he enters the room with kuroo. yaku conceals a cackle under his breath, purposely deflecting the glare of irritation you send his way.

“hey, you guys got here early. that’s a surprise,” kuroo greets you two pleasantly, ruining your efforts to look presentable for kenma by ruffling the top of your head. “what’s new?”

he slinks into the seat next to yaku, leaving the spots next to you the only available seats for kenma. a dull greeting hangs off of the blonde’s lips as he slides into a chair beside you. he spares a quick glance to acknowledge you and yaku, before he’s back to tapping away on his phone.

“ah, the usual. stressing over ke—”

“over how long it took you guys to get here. where’s lev?” you interrupt yaku, kicking him with all your might under the table, as an indication for him to shut up.

“yeah, sorry about that. i got hungry on the way,” kuroo replies sheepishly, raising the sub he bought on the way to the library, “where’s lev though? did he get lost?”

as if on cue, the lanky first-year walks into the study room at that moment, prompting kuroo and yaku to scold him for coming so late. though their ensuing argument is undoubtedly entertaining, you can’t rip your attention away from the alternate scene unfolding by your side—kenma, finally putting his phone down and meeting eyes with you. oh, if only you could melt into your seat.

yaku notices this brief exchange, kicking your foot under the table this time to urge you to use this opportunity to finally talk and put your worries to rest. despite his meddling, he does his best not to listen in, wanting to avoid witnessing yet another painfully awkward conversation between you two. to him, you two are hopeless. hopeless and in love, yes. but mostly hopeless.

“how’ve you been?” kenma asks as he pulls his laptop and textbook out from his bag. he tosses a smile in your direction, small but enough to tame your earlier concerns of him potentially hating you.

“you know… managing,” you sigh pseudo-dramatically, to emphasize your fatigue. you mindlessly fiddle with your hair, twiddling motions that do not go unnoticed by kenma. “i had a few midterms this week so it’s been exhausting. how about you?”

“yeah, it’s been hell for me too. i’ve been locked up in my room all week studying, so kuroo dragged my ass out to make sure i get some fresh air.”

you laugh, sharing that yaku did the exact same thing to you. you brush your hair away from your face, hoping that in doing so, it can look somewhat more presentable. though, you fail to notice the way kenma stares at you in complete awe because of this simple motion.

his eyes shift away briefly, a gentle pink hue dusting his cheeks. this is the perfect time, he thinks. it’s now or never.

“by the way… is—is your family in the pasta business?” he starts quietly, his eyes refocusing back on yours. you tilt your head in confusion, finding difficulty focusing on what he just asked as you can’t help but admire the golden hue of his eyes. were they always that pretty?

he clears his throat, palms sweating to the point that he wonders if they’ll leave marks against his jeans. “b-because… you have angel hair.”

wait.

what?

heat climbs up your cheeks as you simultaneously try to interpret his words and formulate an appropriate reply. yaku, who couldn’t help but eavesdrop on you two anyway, barely chokes back a cackle. that’s definitely not helping right now.

“t-thank… you? they’re not but i do like pasta!”

yaku’s laughter grows in volume, now a faint dissonance muffled only by his hand as he tries his best to look elsewhere but at you two. kenma laughs tensely, the reality of him unsuccessfully using yet another pick-up line on you flustering him.

kenma finds difficulty in coming up with a follow-up response, instead sheepishly responding with an awkward, “i do too…”

he excuses himself shortly, under the premise of needing to ask kuroo some homework questions. at the same time, yaku slides over next to you, lips taut to prevent the chuckles from spilling out.

“ayo, looks like kenma doesn’t hate you after all! his flirting needs a lot of work though, yikes.”

“flirting?! are you kidding me? he thought my hair was so bad that he had to comment on it,” you wail, tousling your locks in frustration. yaku frowns, his face that was once overflowing with amusement now contorting into one of incredulous confusion.

did… did kenma’s attempt to flirt really just fly over your head?

meanwhile, kenma slides his chair next to kuroo, trying to tame the flames burning wildly on his cheeks. kuroo smiles and nudges him coyly.

“so, did you say it?” he asks.

“say what?” lev tries to join in, but is inevitably ignored.

“yeah… but the line was ass. i’ve been using the lines you and google have been giving me but i don’t think they’re working,” kenma grumbles, closing the tab of pick-up lines on his laptop. “maybe they just don’t like me, man.”

kuroo groans inwardly, wanting nothing more than to pit you two together in this study room alone so you can finally have a proper conversation without the fluff of pick-up lines and distractions. but he knows he can’t. he has to be patient. he can’t pressure kenma. after all, this is the first time his best friend has shown interest in anyone outside of his games.

“don’t think like that! why don’t you try actually talking to them?” maybe this time, he can finally convince kenma to talk to you without the cringey flirtations.

kenma shakes his head furiously, “sounds terrifying. just give me better lines next time.”

or... maybe not.

kuroo sighs, resisting the urge to slap his best friend. in his head, he’s already planning the next hang-out. perhaps then, kenma’s lines will finally work. perhaps then, you can talk without overthinking. and perhaps then, you two can finally be open and honest with each other.

wishful thinking, he knows. but at least watching you two awkwardly navigate your feelings is entertaining.

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prairiedawn · 11 days

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On the Fears and Children

The canon TMA characters believe that the Fears are relatively uninterested in the fear of children, and we see relatively few children appearing in Statements overall. Now, from a Doylist perspective that's because horror with children (under about fifteen--we're not talking about teenagers) as victims can be more disturbing in ways that the writers didn't want to get into most of the time, in the same way that they did not dwell on Fears related to sex, relying instead on the common science fiction/fantasy proxy of psychic assaults of various kinds to examine a lot of the same kinds of themes.

But in the Eyepocalypse, everyone is Watcher or Watched, including all of the children. And they're not all in the Dark--a quarter of the global population consists of children under fifteen, and I can't imagine the Fears would allow that kind of lopsided representation.

But in order for the Fears to feed, the people they feed on have to be afraid of them. This leads to the question: When, from a developmental standpoint, do each of the Fears become relevant to children, and what Fears dominate at particular ages?

Let's consider this at several different stages: Infants too young to crawl, mobile babies (under about 2), toddlers (2 and three), young school aged (4 to 6), elementary aged (7-10), and adolescent (11 and up).

So, to the youngest babies. Newborns come prepackaged with basically three major fears: Suffocation(the Buried), falling (the Vast), and abandonment (The Lonely).

The Moro reflex, in which a newborn is abruptly lowered a couple of inches, whereupon it will fling out its arms, draw the back to the midline, and cry is found in all neurologically "normal" babies (and is used to help diagnose some kinds of nervous system issues).

Newborns also seek out and mimic faces and will cry when left alone (some of us neuroatypicals weren't like that as babies, but we're talking averages here), along with several other presocial behaviors that function to keep adults nearby and attentive.

Suffocation is a weird one. Most babies develop a fear of suffocation very early, but when we are fetuses, a lack of oxygen causes us to breathe slower to conserve energy, since we're only breathing for practice. Some babies don't lose that tendency--which is dangerous and why we put babies to sleep on their backs.

All that said, newborns are not intellectually or emotionally sophisticated souls, and the Fears, in an Eyepocalyptic scenario, probably get more mileage out of threatening their caregivers than they do terrifying the infants themselves.

Mobile babies. Babies who can crawl and toddle have a lot more to be afraid of. The fear of falling gets much more pronounced as babies learn to crawl. They also develop a sudden, pronounced fear of strangers (or Strangers) and can be terrified by changes as simple as a caregiver wearing sunglasses or shaving their beard. There can be a bit of fear of the dark at this age, but it's really more fear of abandonment at this point. Babies this age fear sharply and simply and likely aren't too tasty for the Fears either. The part of the Spiral that is purely sensory overload might be able to scare toddlers, especially ND toddlers. The Fears are likely to use these children to scare adult caregivers more than the children themselves as well.

Twos and threes: Now we get into some genuine fear of the Dark. This is the age at which imagination usually starts to sprout--the first real solid raw material for the Fears to prey upon. The other fears don't go away--except sometimes the fear of falling (unfortunately). The earliest inklings of Desolation show up here as well--mostly in the form of changes in routine or losing loveys. If we define the Flesh loosely as including having to eat food that looks yucky, there's a little there to work with. Anyone who has interacted with a two or three year old knows how much they loathe being controlled (at the same time wanting boundaries, poor dears.) The Web could get some kid fear here--and we know the Web regularly targets children

Four through six: Some children are going to start fearing Corruption around this age, though for many, corruption won't really be something they care about for much longer. It's one of the things we deliberately train into them, with varying success. I would guess that this is about where we start seeing some fear of the Hunt--though I suspect that fear will be mostly found in kids who have actually been hunted by abusers, bullies, or in time of war. The Spiral could probably get some mileage out of the fear of getting lost.

This is the last age at which most kids actually like the Eye intrinsically. "Watch me! Are you watching me?" With the onset of school (and school shooter drills in the US) the Slaughter might have a chance to feed on this age group, but I suspect that the Slaughter isn't going to be a common Fear before the teens.

Seven to ten: This is the age at which many children start to understand death as a permanent thing that happens to everyone. The End might find some hunting here. This is also the first inklings of a sense of privacy, kids under six or seven (depending on the kid) kind of figure adults know everything anyway. This is also when kids are able to conceptualize being sane (or not), for the most part, so the Spiral could get some snacks here. Abstract thinking emerges, giving the Vast more to work with.

Eleven and up: The constant state of middle school embarrassment should provide a rich feeding ground for the Eye. Middle schoolers frequently Do Not Want To Be Perceived. The dysphoria aspect of the Flesh is strong here. Even cis kids at this age are often appalled at the rapid changes in their bodies. The Buried can take advantage of increased expectations and responsibility, and the Web is going to make a big resurgence in this age group as well. Kids this age and older are developing the full, tasty range of emotions, in some ways more intensely than adults. Why didn't Jon see the rest of them? Think about it. He was so upset by the Dark that he almost couldn't continue. I think he chose to see what he could endure. Right up to the edge of his endurance, but not beyond it.

#the magnus archives #the Fears #child trauma #children in the Eyepocalypse #bad things happening to small people

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inairbinad · 1 year

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I Don't Think It's Contagious

5.3k words, also on ao3

Just some Pre-Season 2 Platonic (obviously) Stobin-centric fluff because they deserved to be friends sooner. With Steddie and Buckingham pining sprinkled in. All part of my magical fairy dust AU where Barb lives. Never Quite as it Seems helps to set this up, but it's not necessary to read first.

Life had gotten weird for Robin in the tail end of her sophomore year at Hawkins High. Weird because not only had she and Barb revived their friendship, but eventually Barb also confided in Robin that she was a lesbian, and dating Nancy Wheeler. It was the first inkling that Robin had ever gotten that she might not be terribly alone in this godforsaken town, which was nice, if not wildly surprising. Then, to top that particularly stunning revelation off and to really make Robin feel like maybe she’d lost her mind, she ended up friends with Steve Harrington, of all people.

The revelation that Steve was capable of caring about people other than himself had come one dragging afternoon in the spring of '84. One minute things were normal; Robin was minding her own business and trying to get her shit from her locker and get out of there as quickly as possible. The mundanity got tossed like a salad, however, when Tommy H and Carol decided they wanted to cause a scene and harass Steve for deigning to talk to Barb. It seemed less about Barb, and more like she was just unlucky enough to get caught in the crossfire of the ongoing chill between Steve and his former minions. No one really knew why the three of them were on the outs these days, beyond the fact that back in November, Steve had abruptly started hanging out more with Jonathan Byers than he ever did Tommy H. anymore.

Robin watched the whole exchange while half-hiding behind her locker door, flinching at Carol tossing the d-word around, and then nearly having a stroke as Steve stood up for Barb. Even though Carol had just loudly declared for everyone to hear that she thought Barb had stolen Steve’s girlfriend. Steve shrugged it off, and said he’d rather be friends with Barb than the pair of goons that had followed him around like puppies for as long as Robin could remember.

That night, Robin tried to call Barb for the first time in years just to check on her. Whether what Carol had said was true or not didn’t really matter, and at the time Robin had no idea either way. Regardless, she felt the keen sting of being called out like that in front of a huge crowd of people, feeling the blow hit a little too close to home. Barb hadn’t answered her call, but Robin couldn’t exactly blame her there, either.

Then Steve and Barb had showed up the next morning, blasting We Are Family through the windows of Steve’s fancy car, and the former King had cemented his new reputation. No longer was he known as royalty, or The Hair. No, now he was Steve “Dyke Defender” Harrington, and he apparently wore that badge proudly.

It was enough to make Robin wonder if maybe there was something more to Bagel Crumb Boy.

Eventually, Barb got back to Robin, and they started talking again like no time had passed at all. Not only because eventually Barb admitted to Robin that the rumors about her hadn’t exactly been wrong, but also because Robin hadn’t realized how much she’d missed having Barb to talk to. Even though she hadn’t been brave enough to come out herself, yet, she knew Barb would be in her corner regardless, and that gave Robin a sense of peace she’d never really known before.

————

Now that it was the fall and she was starting her junior year, most mornings Robin woke up trying to make sense of how her life had changed so drastically. After a summer of hanging around each other thanks to the persuasive powers of Barb, somehow Robin had reached the point where she could consider herself Steve Harrington’s friend. That was surprising enough on its own, but she also liked him. He was funny, and they had startlingly similar senses of humor, and he really seemed to give a shit about Robin and her feelings, which was new.

Somehow, by complete accident, she’d ended up in a group of friends that felt like kindred spirits.

Before Robin knew it, she was in a world where she sat next to Steve Harrington at lunch every day, laughing at his corny jokes and watching him try to flirt with whatever girls still liked him, post-dethroning. There were still a lot more of them than Robin thought were strictly warranted, but that might have been her old friend jealousy perking up to say hello.

Today was different, though.

Today Steve was hung up on a boy. Or several, rather.

“Did you and Jonathan have a fight, or something?” Barb asked, following Steve’s gaze to where Jonathan Byers stood in the lunch line. Robin assumed that, like most days, he was only briefly stopping by to grab his food before taking it somewhere he wouldn’t have to interact with people much.

Sometimes Jonathan sat with them, too. But usually he used their lunch break to decompress and go take photos of something before he got thrust back under the fluorescent lights and rigidly dull boredom of a classroom.

It was one of the reasons Robin found Jonathan wildly relatable.

Robin still wasn't sure how exactly the little foursome of Steve, Jonathan, Nancy, and Barb had ended up being the best of friends, seemingly overnight, but she was pretty sure she'd get the whole story eventually.

“What?” Steve asked, startling at the sound of Barb’s voice alone, even though she was nearly talking at a whisper.

“You’re staring,” Barb pointed out. “And looking kind of miserable about it.”

“Oh. Well,” Steve chewed his lip, then quickly glanced around to see if anyone was paying the four of them any attention. They weren’t, because they were largely irrelevant, as far as social circles went. “We didn’t have a fight. I’ve just been having some…thoughts.”

“Dangerous,” Robin quipped, and Steve shot her a half-hearted glare. She took a little bit of pride in watching how the corner of his mouth twitched into a tiny smile all the same.

“What kind of thoughts?” Nancy asked, though she had that look on her face that she got when she already knew the answer.

“The kind that make me wonder if I’ve been hanging around you two too much,” Steve muttered. Robin snorted, knowing exactly where this was going.

“I don’t think it’s contagious, dingus,” she said, patting him on the shoulder. Although, even though Robin wasn’t out to any of the others yet, she did wonder if maybe their collective queerness drew them together like a magnet.

“What is?” Barb asked, not yet up to speed.

That was another thing about Steve—he and Robin seemed to ride the same wavelength at all times. Whenever the two of them thought something was obvious, it usually took an extra explainer for the others.

“I just think he’s cute, is all,” Steve sighed, and Barb’s eyes went wide. Not because they hadn’t talked about Steve’s realization that he was also attracted to boys already. They’d actually spent a good chunk of the summer on that revelation, particularly on rather scorching days spent lounging at the pool while Steve stared agog at most people who walked by. He’d ask Robin, ironically enough, if he was crazy when he found a particular guy attractive. She’d done her best to pretend to have taste in boys, in the name of being supportive while staying safely ensconced in her own closet. Nancy's way of showing support, by contrast, was doing enough research to convince Steve that being bisexual was, indeed, a thing.

Today, Barb merely seemed surprised to hear Jonathan’s name mentioned in the context of Steve's thoroughly examined sexuality crisis.

Nancy started easily nodding along, taking in Jonathan’s profile from afar. Eventually she said, “I can see that."

“You can?” Barb asked her girlfriend, her surprise growing bigger still.

“Yeah,” Nancy shrugged.

Barb stared between Steve, who was absently picking the crust off his sandwich and trying not to make eye contact with anyone, and Nancy, who was obviously trying not to laugh at Barb’s reaction. Finally, Barb landed back on Steve.

“You want to date Jonathan?” she whispered so low that Robin could barely even hear her, despite the fact that they all had their heads bowed together across the width of the lunch table.

“I didn’t say that!” Steve countered quickly. “I just…am noticing more, now, who I think is cute around here. Or letting myself notice, I guess.”

“Who else are we talking?” Robin asked with her eyebrows raised. She was honestly still flabbergasted that this was even something Steve talked with her about at all, given that she wasn’t out to him yet, either. But apparently all of her gay friends seemed to trust Robin to keep their secrets. It was enough to make her wonder if they had some idea about her, anyway.

“I mean, that new guy is hot,” Steve admitted as he leaned back in his chair. “He seems kind of like an asshole, though.”

“Definitely is one,” Barb muttered. “He’s already got Tommy and those guys hanging off him.”

“Right, see?” Steve huffed. “That's why I’m very much in a look but don’t touch mode right now.”

“Really? There’s no one at all you’d want to shove into a locker and make out with?” Barb asked. She had a glint in her eye that let Robin know Barb already had a candidate in mind, and she just wanted Steve to own up to it. The way Steve glared at her before determinedly starting at his sandwich again told Robin that he knew that, too.

“Okay, fine. Maybe this guy in my English class.” Steve mumbled it so thoroughly that it all came out as one syllable, though. Barb and Nancy immediately turned to Robin for her to translate.

“This guy in his English class,” Robin obliged, enunciating to the best of her ability.

“Say it a little louder, Rob,” Steve grumbled at her.

“Okay, dingus. THIS GUY—” she started at an absurd volume, but Steve clapped a hand over her mouth with a truly tortured sounding sigh. It perked Robin up innumerably.

“You should talk to him,” Nancy suggested, cheerfully redirecting them with practiced skill.

Steve was already shaking his head, though. “I can’t do that.”

“Why not?” Barb asked.

Because even if he did, he runs the risk of getting shoved into a locker himself, but in the bad way. And probably much worse, if he’s too obvious about it, Robin thought cynically. She kept her mouth shut, though.

“Because he probably hates me,” Steve said.

Robin rather sourly admitted to herself that this was likely true, too. At least, it probably was if this guy hadn’t already been one of King Steve’s worshipers. And if he was one of those, that likely meant he didn’t deserve the actual Steve that Robin had come to know.

Weird, Robin told herself. She still couldn’t adjust to liking this guy enough to think he deserved the best a boyfriend or girlfriend could give him. But she did.

“Why would he hate you?” Nancy asked.

“Because most smart people around here do,” Steve said glumly. “And he’s really smart.”

“Um,” Barb cleared her throat, then leveled Steve with a stern look. “You’re sitting with possibly three of the smartest people you’ll ever meet, Steve. None of us hate you.”

“But you all used to,” Steve pointed out flatly.

“And now we know you,” Barb argued. “And that changes things. Right, Robin?”

Barb kicked her under the table, and Robin jolted up out of her slouch.

“Right!” Robin agreed. Even though she wasn’t entirely aware of how to deal with this new version of Steve Harrington, she had begrudgingly admitted that she actually liked him a lot quite a while ago. “You’re much less of an asshole than I thought.”

“Thank you,” Steve deadpanned.

“You’re welcome,” Robin said in as chipper a tone she could muster. “They’re right, though.”

“About?”

“The mystery man,” Robin clarified, even though she couldn’t believe she was doing it. This felt like playing with fire, but the funny thing about that was that it still warmed her heart. “If you talk to him, get to know him, he won’t hate you. Maybe he already doesn’t.”

————

After school, Robin was having particular trouble wrestling her bike lock open. She really needed a new one, but she also couldn’t afford it. She was about thirty seconds from giving up and walking when Steve crouched down beside her.

“Need some help?” He asked, flashing that annoyingly charming smile of his at her before he got to work unsticking the lock. He didn’t wait for Robin’s reply, she noticed. She didn’t argue, though, instead choosing to watch the way some of his stupid hair flopped over his forehead while he freed her bike from its prison. The lock finally popped open with a click. “There.”

“Thanks,” Robin said, taking Steve’s offered hand as she dragged herself up off the ground. He held on to her for just a fraction too long, probably aware that Robin took at least an extra two-to-three seconds to get her bearings compared to everyone else.

“No problem,” Steve smiled again, then leaned against the brick wall of the school. Robin tensed. She only ever saw Steve lean against things when he was flirting. “You want a ride? We can go get some ice cream, or something?”

“Um,” She stalled, now seeing his helping hand and the gentle grip on her waist in an entirely different light. Especially when he kept smiling at her like that. “What happened to the guy from English class?”

“What?” Steve asked, pinching his eyebrows together in confusion.

Robin didn’t quite feel like waiting for whatever telepathic thing they had going on to kick in, so she just said it outright.

“Just because I don’t think you’re a douchebag anymore doesn’t mean I think we should date, is all,” Robin managed to get out.

“Um,” Steve scratched his neck and let out a small squeak of a laugh. He looked almost apologetic, and Robin realized she’d probably taken a wayward turn, somewhere. “I wasn’t asking you out. Just thought we could…hang out. Like friends do? Like we do?”

“Oh,” Robin said, feeling like an idiot all of a sudden. She’d gone and had a minor freak out just because Steve leaned against something. She thought maybe the only way to stop the mad awkwardness spreading like a virus through her mind was to tell him the truth, and soon. It was starting to make Robin paranoid, letting people think she was straight. Which was ironic, because it used to be the other way around.

“Yeah,” Steve nodded with a small smile. “Oh.”

Robin shuffled her feet uncomfortably, feeling like maybe she owed him an apology now, but Steve saved her the trouble.

“So. Ice cream?” he asked again, still wanting to hang around her for some reason.

“Sure! Right. But, um,” Robin chewed her bottom lip. “What about my bike?”

“It’ll fit in the trunk,” Steve shrugged, then nodded in the direction of his car, inviting Robin to follow.

“How come I’m the only one you let eat in here?” Robin asked around a mouthful of mint chip, twenty minutes later. They were sitting in Steve’s car in the parking lot of the local ice cream shop, since Steve insisted their cookie dough was better than anything Dairy Queen could come up with. “I’m the clumsiest person you know, waving the messiest thing you can eat around your leather interior.”

“Buffalo wings are the messiest thing you can eat,” Steve corrected her with a grin. “Or maybe crab legs. Not ice cream in a cup.”

“Okay, rich boy,” Robin groaned. “Answer the question.”

Steve rolled his eyes at her and shoved another spoonful of ice cream in his face before he bothered to reply.

“You might be the clumsiest person I know,” he admitted without fanfare, “but I also happen to like you the best.”

“What?” Robin asked, nearly choking. “Really?”

“Yes, really,” Steve scoffed like that should have been obvious to Robin. It totally wasn’t, though, especially since he wasn’t trying to hit on her.

“Why?” she blurted.

“You’re cool,” Steve started, but had to pause in light of how loudly Robin snorted. He didn’t argue with her disbelief, though. He just kept going. “You’re funny, you’re crazy smart, you’re always honest, and you don’t fuck around with people’s feelings. I’m always laughing with you, even when no one else gets our jokes. You’re kind of my best friend, Robin.”

Robin really didn’t know what to make of that, except for the fact that she was surprised to find she felt the same way. That didn’t mean she wouldn’t give him some shit for it, though.

“Oh, am I?” She asked, tone teasing.

“Yes,” Steve grumbled. “Am I not yours?”

“Pft,” Robin blew out a puff of air. “Not even close.”

“No?” Steve gasped, putting on a pout now.

“Nope,” Robin said simply.

“Not even top five?”

“Eeeeh,” Robin wobbled her hand midair, like maybe Steve could tip the scales if he tried harder.

“You’re meaner than I thought,” he said flatly, but couldn’t hold a grin off his face for too long. Neither could Robin.

“You’re nicer than I thought,” she countered. Steve chuckled to start, a soft appreciative little laugh. But then they made eye-contact and lost control of themselves. They tumbled into silly, senseless laughter, just spurring each other deeper into whatever they both found so hilarious in that moment. Robin wasn’t even sure that she knew, beyond maybe being on a sugar high. She only knew Steve’s laughter was contagious.

It always made her feel lighter, to be around him like this. So by the time they both calmed down, she decided to be upfront with him.

“I haven’t really had a best friend,” Robin admitted. “Not for a long time, anyway. Maybe not since Barb, the first time around.”

“The last best friend I had was a dickhead, so,” Steve lifted one shoulder in a shrug, “maybe they're overrated.”

“They’re not,” Robin disagreed, hiding a smile by staring down at the spoon in her hand. Eventually she was brave enough to look back up at Steve, to find he looked both confused and hopeful all at once. It was pretty cute, in an overwhelmingly platonic sort of way. “You’re mine, too, dingus.”

Steve’s smile was all-encompassing, taking over his whole face in an instant. Robin still didn’t know how to handle the little bubble of warmth in her chest that it gave her, so she gave him an affectionate punch on the arm, and changed the subject.

“Speaking of which. Do you have notes from Click’s class?” Robin asked of the only class they shared together. For the second year in a row, the powers that be at Hawkins High decided that Steve and Robin were on the same skill level for learning history. Robin wasn’t sure what that said about either of them.

“Um, no?” Steve answered, surprised like it was the first time someone had ever asked him for notes. “No one’s ever asked for my notes, before.”

Robin bit down on a laugh, not wanting him to misconstrue it as her thinking he was stupid when it was really just his voicing her exact thoughts again. They’d only declared each other to be best friends all of a minute ago, but Robin knew Steve was sensitive about that. In fact, she was kind of surprised he didn’t have notes.

“How is that possible?” she asked. “You’re constantly writing in that class!”

“Doodling, mostly,” Steve laughed. “Why don’t you have notes, smarty pants?”

“Oh, I haven’t been paying attention in there all semester,” Robin answered a little too quickly. Now she’d have to come up with a reason for that, because Steve was absolutely pursing his lips to ask.

“Why not?”

“No reason…” Robin hedged. Just because they were best friends didn’t mean she was quite sure how to admit that she liked girls, and that Tammy Thompson so thoroughly distracted Robin that she turned into a bumbling buffoon at every turn. For two semesters running.

Steve could have pressed it, Robin even expected him to, but he took his time finishing his cookie dough before saying another word. Then he surprised her.

“Want to know a secret?” he asked, smiling at Robin conspiratorially.

“Obviously,” Robin said.

“The guy from English? He’s in history with us, too,” Steve admitted, and Robin felt her eyebrows shoot off her forehead and into orbit. She barely had time to squeak before Steve continued with a worried look on his face. “Don’t tell Barb or Nance, though. Barb already suspects who it is and if she finds out for real she’s gonna make me talk to him. Like that would ever go anywhere.”

That was a lot to process, but Robin didn’t really feel the need to make it clear she understood the concept of a secret. Of course she wasn’t going to tell anyone else. Instead, she asked, “Why are you so hellbent on thinking this guy hates you?”

For some reason, Steve’s mouth pinched right after Robin said hellbent, and she thought there might be a clue to suss out there. She started sorting through her mental Rolodex of everyone else that was in that class with them. The problem was she rarely paid attention to anyone but Tammy in those hours, let alone any guys. Usually Robin’s lens of focus was limited to the chain of her staring at Tammy staring at Steve. Apparently she’d have to extend that to see who Steve was staring at, too.

Robin picked at the last dredges of her ice cream and wondered if maybe anyone would ever stare at her.

“It’s not just that,” Steve sighed. “I mean. Even if he doesn’t hate me, and we end up friends? It’s not like I can actually shove him against a locker and make out with him.”

“Well, maybe not with anyone around,” Robin amended.

“What are the odds of him being into dudes, too?” Steve let out a bitter laugh. “I mean, really. This is Hawkins.”

“I wouldn’t make too many assumptions there, Steve,” Robin all but whispered. Even knowing she was about to tell Steve the truth, all of it, and knowing she was safe to, Robin still felt her throat closing up around the words.

“Why not?” Steve asked softly, not missing how her demeanor had changed for a second.

Robin took a deep breath, then let it out in a rush.

“Because apparently there are more of us around than I realized,” Robin said, turning to give Steve a tight smile. She managed to keep her tears from spilling over, which she counted as a win. Robin sat there, holding her breath and waiting, as Steve paused to absorb what she was saying. At first Robin thought she hadn’t been clear enough, but Steve mouthed the word ‘us’ to himself, and his eyes widened as he put the pieces together.

“Oh,” he breathed, before breaking out in another little smile. “Really?”

“Yes, really,” Robin nodded. She felt like her whole body was full of pins and needles.

“That’s cool,” Steve mirrored her nod, smiling at Robin like she really was his favorite person. It finally made her relax again.

“Thanks,” Robin chuckled. "I know you're a staunch defender of us lesbians."

"That's me," Steve deadpanned, but offered Robin a wry smile. She reached across the center console to ruffle his hair, relishing the relief of having finally said it aloud to someone flooding through her. Steve made an affronted noise, quickly turning to fix his hair in the mirror, and Robin just laughed at him harder.

“Is there anyone that you want to shove up against a locker?” Steve parried once he felt he had his pride and joy back under control. When Robin’s only response was a groan, his eyes lit up again. “Ooooh! Who!”

“Nope,” Robin rejected this idea on principle, shaking her head furiously as she did.

“Oh, come on,” Steve whined, really pouting now. “I’ll tell you mine!”

“I already know yours,” Robin scoffed, bluffing. To compensate, she rolled down her window and threw her empty ice cream cup into the trash can they were parked next to. Then she folded her arms across her chest and tried to give Steve a stern look.

“Nah,” Steve shook his head after narrowing his eyes at her for a beat. “You don’t know.”

He was right, of course, but Robin was sure she could figure it out if only she gave it enough thought. So she stared Steve down, thinking about the kind of people she already knew he found attractive. Nancy, for one, but that wasn’t entirely helpful considering he tended to like any pretty girl. He did tend to skew towards brunettes, though. Then of course there was the Jonathan revelation, which was interesting. Robin would have assumed Steve liked more polished types, like him. But the new guy, Billy something or other, wasn’t exactly preppy, either. His whole vibe screamed badass, even if it wasn’t necessarily in a good way. There were better options for pretty but with leather in Hawkins, even Robin had to admit.

Then Robin remembered how Steve’s mouth pinched when she’d said hellbent. Almost like he thought she might say hellfire. She broke out in a victorious grin, already knowing she had Steve figured out.

“Eddie Munson?!” she half-shrieked. Even if Robin hadn’t already been sure, the way the tips of Steve’s ears turned pink would have convinced her.

“How did you…?” He didn’t even bother to finish the sentence, opting instead to stare at Robin, mouth agape.

A whole litany of examples of proof came flooding into Robin’s mind at that point, like that bit of information clicking had opened a door to all the shit she must have subconsciously picked up on and filed away when she was wondering what Tammy Thompson’s lip gloss tasted like.

She was happy to list them for Steve’s benefit.

“You stare, for one,” Robin said, ticking off fingers. “You laugh at his obnoxious jokes, even when no one else does. I’ve seen him make you blush, more than once, come to think of it. And you kind of have a type.”

Steve just kept staring at her, without objection. Robin thought maybe she could stun him out of his silence, since that was how she’d put him in it in the first place.

“For what it’s worth? I think you have a shot,” she said. Robin didn’t know much about picking queer men out from a crowd, obviously, but Munson spent a whole lot of his time paying attention to Steve, too.

That only seemed to stun Steve further, though. He grunted, sort of, though it sounded a little bit like a whimper. Then he turned the ignition and pulled out of the parking lot. It didn’t seem like they were headed anywhere in particular, but Robin didn’t mind.

After a few more minutes of silence, Robin was starting to worry that she’d broken his brain when Steve finally spoke again.

“You don’t have to tell me who you like,” Steve said simply, rescinding his earlier demands. It seemed like he was actually starting to drive in the direction of her house, now. “But I am glad that you told me about you.”

“Me too, dingus,” Robin said. It was possible she’d never meant anything more sincerely.

By the time Steve pulled up beside the curb outside her house, Robin threw caution to the wind.

“Tammy Thompson,” she admitted aloud, for the first time ever. Somehow it was more nerve-wracking than telling Steve she was gay at all.

“What?” he half-yelled, twisting around in the driver’s seat to face her. “How? Why?”

“She’s pretty!” Robin defended her taste as much as Tammy. She kind of thought that would have been enough for Steve, but he was still eyeing her skeptically. So she added, “And she can sing.”

“She sounds like a muppet, but okay,” Steve drawled.

“She does not!” Robin exclaimed. Despite her indignation, she couldn’t quite keep the laugh out of her voice. Steve caught it, and laughed with her.

“She totally does,” he chuckled, then tilted his head at her. “I totally thought you were gonna say someone like…I don’t know. Chrissy Cunningham.”

“Chrissy Cunningham doesn’t even know I exist,” Robin said scornfully. “Talk about playing above my league.”

Steve was wildly shaking his head back and forth, though.

“Nope, nope, nope, nope, nope,” he said. “No talk like that in my car. You’re very much worthy of a Chrissy Cunningham. Plus, even if she doesn’t know you now, I bet she’d want to. She likes everybody, as long as you’re not a complete asshole.”

“So does that mean she hates you, then?” Robin opted for the joke instead of continuing to debate the merits of her switching to crushing on everyone’s favorite cheerleader.

“Asshole!” Steve volleyed back at her with a laugh.

“And me too, apparently,” Robin grinned.

————

Robin still didn’t have any notes for Mrs. Click’s class, so she was really trying to focus on anything but Tammy, and Steve, and now Eddie, so she could actually take in some of this crap she had to memorize long enough to repeat it back on a test.

It wasn’t going great, because now she was invested in the Steve and Eddie story line. Particularly since they were passing notes back and forth at the moment. Every time Steve bit his lip or tinted slightly pink, Robin was dying to know what they were saying to each other. But every time she kicked the back of Steve’s chair to try and get his attention, he shooed her off and went back to scribbling out a reply to Eddie.

Eddie, for his part, seemed equally affected by Steve, as he frequently slouched even lower in his chair or hid a smile behind his ever-growing hair whenever he read one of Steve’s replies.

They were almost sickeningly cute. She was happy they were getting along, at the very least, but it seemed like flirting from where she was sitting.

“Oh, you’re asking for it, big boy,” Eddie said then, looking up from whatever Steve had written last with a little bit of astonishment in his eyes.

Robin rolled hers. Definitely flirting.

Even though she was happy for Steve, it still sent a pang of jealousy coursing through her. She wondered if Steve was just abnormally lucky, or if she wasn’t looking in the right places for a crush that might acknowledge her. When she realized she was drifting away from the point of this class again—history, not finding a girlfriend—she gripped her pencil so hard it snapped the tip off.

Groaning aloud over it, Robin leaned over to try and find another one in her bag. Before she got it fully unzipped, though, someone tapped her on the shoulder.

Robin looked up to find none other than Chrissy Cunningham smiling down at her over the edge of her desk. Robin stared up at her for half a beat too long, noticing how Chrissy's signature ponytail dangled over her shoulder and gave Robin a lungful of the citrusy smell of her shampoo.

“Here,” she said, offering Robin a spare pencil. Hesitantly—probably too hesitantly—Robin reached up and accepted it. She was pretty sure she was gaping at Chrissy’s having acknowledged her, though, because Chrissy laughed a little nervously.

“Sorry, I was staring a little,” she whispered. Then she paused, eyes widening, and course corrected. “At your bracelet, I mean! It’s really pretty, by the way. Um. So I noticed the—” Chrissy stopped to mime snapping a pencil in half, adding a little cracking noise along with it.

It was adorable enough to be a whole new kind of distracting.

“Right,” Robin managed a smile that she hoped was friendly and not completely creepy. “Thanks.”

“Anytime,” Chrissy smiled again.

This time, Steve had to kick Robin’s desk to get her to even remember what world she was living in.

#platonic stobin #steddie #buckingham #robin buckley #steve harrington #eddie munson #chrissy cunningham #stranger things #fanfic #dani's drafts #petals!verse

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harbingerscry · 9 months

Text

John Price x Informant!Reader

Harbinger is the codename of my COD OC and this is technically part of her story I turned into an insert for others to enjoy. Feel free to comment! As this is my first time posting my work; Please be kind. Also, I know absolutely zero German and relied on a translator.

None of Taskforce 141 knew who they were exactly. Laswell spoke highly of their efficiency and quality of intel, but the only inkling they had as to who they were was their call sign, 'Harbinger'. A warning call, a signalling of something approaching.

Normally if a new operator was joining the team it was only Price who dealt with them, so Soap, Gaz, and Ghost were confused but elated when Price told them they were to report at 06:00 for a meeting with Laswell. After all, who didn't love a visit from her?

However, Price seemed a bit out of his element in the meeting room, pacing at the front of it like a nervous dog. It made Ghost sit a bit straighter and caused Gaz and Soap to look at each other quizzically, if Price was like this it meant they might be in for a 'treat' good or bad.

It was 2 minutes past meeting time that Laswell walked in, a shorter figure slightly obscured behind her. (I canon Laswell being about 5'7 as it isn't officially listed anywhere I have looked). As soon as the door shut and grunts and greetings were exchanged all eyes but Laswell's zeroed in on the still partially hidden person within the woman's shadow.

All it took was a huff of amusement and a tilt of her head for the person to step out. They were most definitely not expecting a short but curvy woman to step out. Standing at only roughly 5'3 and eyes filled with soft mirth. She looked as though she had just stepped out of a coquette mood board on Pinterest. She had to be in her late 20's, possibly early 30's at the max.

All it took was one look at her for Price's face to go from hard as stone to complete shock. "(Y/N)??" All heads snapped to Price and back to the woman they now know as (Y/N). The mirth in her eyes only seemed to grow as a cheeky smile broke out on her lips, causing her one dimple to shine. "John." The name was said with such a fondness it almost gave everyone in the room whiplash.

Even Laswell seemed taken aback by Price knowing her prized informant, after all, Laswell was one of the few privileged to know her on a personal level, past the call sign of Harbinger and the multiple masks that come with it. "Harbinger, it seems you're...acquainted?" What would normally be a statement was posed as a question in light of the revelation. Harbinger couldn't help the giggle that left her as she smiled. "Yes, though it has been quite a while." She turned her whole body to face Price, seeming to ignore all the eyes on her. "Ich habe dich vermisst, mein Schatz."

Laswell and the boys, excluding Price, looked between the two in confused silence before Laswell cleared her throat. "That will make this easier then, Harbinger, as you know, is one of the best informants I know." As Laswell speaks Harbinger looks away from the still stunned Price to pull out two thick manilla folders and a USB from out of her cross body bag. "She has agreed to work personally with The 141 as we hunt down Makarov."

"That I have. These folders contain everything I have been able to dig up on every shell company working under Makarov. Including their hired personnel, bank records, recent movements, and relations to one another besides Makarov." Harbinger then holds up the USB that had been sitting on the table until then. "This contains all the information I have on Makarov himself. It is not as much as I would like, but it's what I have for now while I wait for more."

Ghost, who was seated closest to where the folders laid on the table, looked to Price who seemed to have finally come back to himself. "Right then, let's have a look." Price announced as he nodded to Ghost. Gaz and Soap were glancing at each other, the two looked akin to brothers that just found out their dad has a girlfriend. Ghost, wanting nothing to do with the private conversation beside him, passed a folder and the USB down the table before opening the remaining folder himself.

It didn't take long for Soap's voice to ring out after reading some of the intel. " 'ow did ye even get this?" "I second that." Gaz quickly said, eyes focused on detailed maps of multiple facilities, even guard rotations were marked. Harbinger's eyes shifted to look at an imaginary point as she thought, not quite sure how to answer without giving too much information. "I know people in both high and low places, I cannot say much else." Gaz and Soap couldn't help but glance at her, but Laswell didn't seem the faintest bit surprised. She likely knew as much as them but didn't question it, so neither did they.

"Why, (Y/N)?" The question rang heavy in the air, Price once again addressing the woman that no one knew his relationship with. It was obviously not a simple ‘why’ though, instead something unidentifiably deeper, to Gaz, it only solidified the connection he had made. "There are many reasons, John. Einige lassen Du am besten ungesagt." Her once mirth filled eyes and smiling lips dimming and lowering, a silent plea to address the question later.

"You know I barely speak German." Price huffed, it was obvious there were many things he wanted to ask, but now was not the time to air out their personal business. He nodded in silent recognition of her plea, looking to Laswell so she could continue with the original meeting. She was quick to take back the reins, not letting the atmosphere stop her, there was a job to be done after all. She was quick to begin explaining the upcoming mission with the intel gathered and announced the date and time they were set to leave out.

It was after everything was said and done that Price looked at the still lingering Harbinger. The boys had filed out, heading off to probably (most definitely) gossip and create a conspiracy about what just transpired. Laswell, understanding the need for them to talk, was likely waiting close by. (Y/N) came with her after all and would likely leave with her too. "Been quite a while, Love...you look well." Price, no, John spoke first. His voice carried a tinge of sadness, but also an undeniable fondness and sense of relief. "Thank you Schatz, you don't look too bad yourself." Her eyes shining as she looked at him, you would have thought John Price hung the moon and stars by the unbridled adoration in her gaze.

"Thought I'd never see you again,would have thought you were dead if not for your family reassuring me. Where have you been all this time? " John couldn't help but let his emotions show as he crossed the room and closed the distance between them. His eyes filled with desperation, scanning (Y/N), looking for the faintest clue of damage or change. His normally steady heart felt like it would burst out of his chest at any moment. The love of his life was alive, something he had been questioning for the past 2 years.

A sad smile formed on her lips as she watched his movements, not able to bring herself to chastise his worry like she once would have years ago. "Everywhere, and yet nowhere at the same time it feels. You never left my mind." (Y/N) only hoped he knew what she meant, that he could feel the heaviness of her heart and the honesty in her voice as she studied his face.

John seemed satisfied with his inspection of her, his eyes snapped to her own, those beautiful blues of his she always admired harbored a storm of emotions. Betrayal, anger, worry, relief, love....complex but so telling all at the same time. Seeing that was enough for (Y/N) to surge forward and practically bear hug the taller man, the love of her life. The only man to ever make her feel weak inside and out.

It took all of a second for John to wrap his thick arms around her in turn, pulling her head into his chest and holding her as if his life depended on it. This is one of the few moments he allowed himself to be vulnerable outside the safety of his flat. The woman felt too much like home for him to be able to slip into his role of Captain. To her he was and ever would be John, possibly Johnathan when she got angry and needed a longer name to call him.

He knew no matter how angry he was at her, the love they held for one another was everlasting. Through the arguing, the long deployments, the secrecy of each other's work, they always came home to the other, clinging to one another until they each felt whole again and balance was restored. Though now it seemed the secrecy was no longer needed, the thin veil had been ripped off unintentionally, leaving them exposed to one another. The fears and worries they had tried to protect the other from seemed almost silly in this new light. The biggest question was how they move forward from here.

Ich habe dich vermisst, mein Schatz. - I have missed you, my darling.

Einige lassen Du am besten ungesagt. - Some best left unsaid.

#john price x reader #cod mw2 #x female reader #female reader #x reader #captain price x reader #modern warfare 2 #john price #captain john price

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rufflesandbows · 2 years

Text

In the Den of Dragons (Part III)

Aegon II Targaryen x Reader

The month is dwindling away faster than you can keep track with your head in the clouds. As you enjoy your time with Aegon, you are still required to humor Barston with a once a week date. Normally it doesn't go well. However, a surprise visitor crashes the date, alleviating your headache, and sparking your envy.

Warnings: Misogyny, old timey views, inappropriate language Word Count: 4000

(Part 1) (Part 2)

Two weeks had gone by so fast. All your mind was consumed with two things: the marriage and Aegon.

Others found it charming how you and the prince had become such friends. The vulnerability you had shown must have triggered some glimmer of a conscience in him. How pure a concept. What a miracle. You were often speaking with one another now, Aegon requesting you to where he was so he might amuse you on whatever was happening. No one seemed to have any inkling of what was truly happening when you managed to be alone with him, behind a closed door. You hoped. The Queen had gone back to ignoring you at least.

He won’t ever love you. Sir Erryk once warned, very quietly in the deep night. He was the only one who knew the truth in it’s entirety, but was sworn to Aegon’s secrets. Those secrets included you. You politely responded I’ll be leaving soon. What we do here won’t matter then, will it?

Erryk gave you a look, a cross of pity and warning, but said no more.

Lunch today was set up for another date with Barston. You nearly slapped the medicine from his maestor you were in such a foul mood, entirely brought on by the very thought of being in the same room as the Clay Keeper. The last two, as the first, had been utterly insufferable. Your father was supposed to arrive in King’s Landing soon, and he was going to get the lecture of a lifetime.

In the meantime, you slipped into Aegon’s room earlier in the morning than usual. The only way to ease the sharp knot forming in your skull.

He’d left the Keep maybe a total of four times since the liaisons had begun. Each time you were tense through the night. Caught between jealousy and chiding yourself for being jealous. He wasn’t yours to keep. And he was Aegon. What were you thinking imagining he’d have any sort of loyalty to you? You were not special to him.

When he’d leave, he always came back with the scent of his adventures clinging to him. Be that in a high end brothel or low. In a bar or in the gutters. You could recount his time in the night you became so familiar with them through him.

Quietly approaching, careful not to wake him, you leaned over Aegon and could smell the incense mixed with wine, a bit of perfume and not much else. It seemed that when he left, he’d only gone to catch up with friends, likely with a woman presented on his lap. Perhaps they did a little more than sit and talk, but the little relief you felt made you smile.

You crawled on the bed and pressed a kiss to his cheek. Another on his jaw. When you kissed his neck, Aegon gave a hum as he lightly shifted. You moved on top of him, his hands naturally falling on your waist as you kissed down his collar, a smile growing on him. “It’s a bit early, isn’t it?”

You started working your way back up, softly admitting by his ear, “I missed you.”

“I’ll have to take you with me next time. You might of enjoyed the show.” Aegon cupped the back of your neck as you drew close, turning in to kiss your lips. Just as quickly he snapped back with a grimace, “Oh! You taste awful!”

You took back, defensive despite knowing your mouth and every little bubble up your throat was coated in that vile decoction. “I had breakfast! You can still taste it?”

“Did you drink aged milk with your breakfast?”

You grumbled miserably, “No.” Dropping your cheek to his chest as obviously he wasn’t going to want to kiss you now. Disappointed, you curled up around him, arms and legs hugging him tightly and you got comfortable. Resting there and savoring his heat before you were to face Barston.

Aegon slowly grew tense. His hands on you tapping anxiously. You found he often got awkward after a while of your insistent cuddling. As if there was a specified time limit one should hold another. He had to find some way to escape your strange behavior. “So… what chores are you supposed to be doing?”

You scoffed. “Preparing your bath.” That was going to be something you wouldn’t miss in leaving. Pampering fully grown and capable adults as if they were children.

“Are the others behind the door or-”

“I told them to stick to their regular chores. I wanted to spend some time with you before… you know.”

“Ah. One of those days, huh?” You nodded, as well felt his legs growing restless under you. “Probably wouldn’t want to see him smelling of me.”

You lifted your head to look at him, how innocently he looked back as if he wasn’t making all this awkward. In spite of his ways, you carried a sense of teasing. “What’s the rush? Why do you want me to leave?”

“I don’t want you to leave! It’s just… I don’t know,” He grabbed your hips and moved them over his, pressing with eagerness yet he wasn’t even roused. “feels like we should be doing something at least.”

You glanced down at your connected bodies. “I’m holding you.”

“Y-yeah.”

“I like holding you. It makes me feel better.” Those big eyes of his looked around, down as if he was just made aware you were on top of him. It seemed all words were lost, looking to you for some sort of confirmation. You started pulling back, “My prince, if you don’t like it-”

“No-no! I do! I do like it!” In a rush he caught you, leaving you to straddle his lap, his hands roughly gripping your waist as if you might be stolen at any second. Amused by your cheeky ploy, he chuckled, slowly relaxing. “Usually people get a decent fuck in and can’t wait to leave the room once it’s done.”

“More customers means more money.” You shrugged. Yet the light in his eyes faded, glancing to the rest of his room with little joy to be had. You could ask him, but you worried he might shy away. Selfishly, you had come here to lift spirits, not dampen them. Reality was going to flay you alive on your wedding night, the least the world could do was let you hover above it until then. “Maybe you should invest in a small pet.”

He raised a brow to you, a sharp smile returning to him, his hands roaming your body. “Maybe I’ll make you my pet.” You scoffed and rolled your eyes, Aegon sitting up and wrapping his arms around you, suddenly very comfortable with just touching. “You think you wouldn’t like that? I’d get you everything you could desire. The finest dresses and the most glittering jewels. I could make you happy.”

You brushed his long bangs back and cupped his soft cheeks. “You already make me happy.”

Aegon gripped you tighter, the smile on him timid, a unique sight on him. He dropped his head on your chest, his arms holding you tight as he nuzzled into you. You enjoyed being held so tightly, holding him back and savoring the silence of it. After a long beat of being wrapped up in you, you heard Aegon through muffled words, “You really think you can convince your father to drop the marriage?”

“I don’t understand how he ever accepted.” You bitterly huffed. But you tried to relax yourself, combing through his silver hair and reminiscing out loud. “He trusted my council before my arrival here, he still should.”

“It’s been a year.”

“But I came here to learn more of politicking and the state of things. So I might return with a plan of raising our status and our wealth back to what it was, with the allies to support it. It would be ridiculous for him to have forgotten that.”

“And yet he’s matched you with a man who shouldn’t be matched with anybody.” When only silence returned and your hands stopped moving, he tried to pet down your rush of anxiety, moving so he could speak more clearly. “I just don’t know if you should have your hopes so high. You don’t know what’s going to happen when he gets here or what’s changed in a year.”

“My father will listen to me.” You assured yourself more than Aegon. “He’s just been listening to the wrong people since I left. Or worse, listening to himself. I’ve always brought him to reason before.” A stirring behind the door made you jump, looking over your shoulder. You had hoped by coming to Aegon, you’d relax. Now you wanted to drag him away and hide from the world for the rest of your days, pretend like none of your situation existed.

“I best call for the others.” You reached out, running your fingers along his jaw until he looked up at you with those big pretty eyes of his, making you smile. Hesitantly, he returned it. “I’ll be fine. Don’t you worry about me.”

~~~

“What is this talk you went bawling to the prince about your marriage?”

You nearly burst with a sardonic laughter. He was just hearing about it now? With clenched teeth, you were grateful for sitting far across the table from Barston. His skin leathery and peeling dry from the sun, yet somehow he’d not obtained any tan. Just a permanent burn, pink red like wine stained on white cloth. His brow was so low you could hardly see his spiteful eyes, of which matched his thin bitter frown splendidly. Despite his lacking choice in apparel, he was enjoying the luxuries of the Keep and Kings Landing with ease. At lunch he always demanded it be a full table, and picked at it endlessly yet it seemed to contribute to his strength and towering height rather than any gaining of weight. Not once did he make an offer to you or ask what you might like. Such things were irrelevant. With a controlled sigh, you spoke politely. “I, admittedly, felt quite a bit of shock over the announcement and-”

“Why should you be shocked?” He grunted, guzzling on honeyed dates one after the other. “You were always bound to be married off. If anything you should have been preparing for the day since you were born. Marrying a lord and fathering his heirs is your greatest purpose. What is to fear of that?”

“I have been waiting on the day, of course-”

“Have you been taking your medicine?”

You rolled your jaw to ease the tension in it. “I have, yes. But you had asked me about the prince-”

“I don’t want you wearing white or green on your wedding gown.”

“... they are my house colors.” The sage green willow on a crisp white field. There were once rumors of the ancient willows whispering to your family. Gathering secrets on their leaves that your ancestors used to gain great advantages. Cleverness had once been a big trait of your house. Once. It had been well over a century since someone in your family had done something truly impressive to be remembered by. Not like the ancestors that traveled the world and returned with great fortunes and beautiful paramours. The first Master of Whispers, named by Aegon the Conqueror himself for his political prowess. Even a mythical tale that they tricked creatures made of ice into returning stolen children.

That was all far in the past. Your house had since lost most of its wealth and respect over the decades. Stolen by a repeat of poor leadership.

Barston grunted, “It clashes something awful with reds and browns of mine.”

Nonsense. You could make it work just fine. He just wanted to strip you of anything familiar. Make you forget you were more than his belonging. “I was not aware you were so adept with fashion.”

He stopped eating to glare at you. Yet it was difficult to tell since he was always glaring. His tone however, had dropped to a threatening gravel. “Don’t get cheeky with me, girl.”

“I was paying you a compliment-”

“I can taste the venom on your tongue from here.” Unable to deny it, you remained silent. “I’ll not stand for any backtalk from my wife. Don’t think I won’t have you whipped.”

You remained silent as the heat of your anger thrashed inside. So violently you wanted to react. To set the table on fire, crack the stone beneath your feet and send the entire Keep crumbling on top of him. Yet you dug your nails into your palm and stared at your crumb ridden plate. Once you were able to wrestle back the hot tears of frustration, you asked, “When will my father be arriving?”

“Soon, I imagine. Must have been delayed, or side tracked.” He grunted. “It won’t change anything. You women think you can twist your tongues and make men bow to your whims. My money is worth far more than your words, girl. Remember that.”

“Worry not, Lord Barston. I remember everything you say.” You sneered.

“Hope I’m not interrupting.” A far too cheery and familiar voice came. You almost felt like you were losing your mind as Aegon smiled at you and took an open seat beside Barston.

The old man sat up straight, trying to put on an air of dignity. “Not at all, prince Aegon. Your presence is always welcome. Please, have whatever you like.”

A brow on Aegon jumped as he look at you, his smile broadening as he was in on the joke. He could at least be subtle. Barston wasn’t a complete idiot. Lightening up you gave him a forced smile. “There is plenty to go around, my prince.”

“Don’t mind if I do.” He reached in and grabbed a ripe peach. “I just wanted to see how the happy couple was doing, and congratulate you on your upcoming union.” He motioned to Barton, “Will you be having a grand show of it? Or a tourney perhaps?”

As he took a large bite of the peach, you bite your lips. How long you went off to Aegon about Barston wanting to just whisk you away back to his mud hut. Not even giving you the courtesy of fine gifts and praise for a single day. Surely that would boost your ego too far to be treated as a proper woman for even a single day.

Barston looked at you, sensing your disapproval. You didn’t say anything and let your soon to be husband explain himself. This man who so easily berated you, suddenly too stiff to move and speaking carefully.

“Uh, no. Much as it is a special occasion, I must be returning by the end of the month. The Reedmarsh has been without its Lord for too long already.” It was nice to see Barston finally behaving himself. See him a little shook up, a little uncertain. A wonder then how he’d feel about your familiarity with those he trembled before.

Aegon was being a bit noisy in his eating of the peach. You weren’t thinking anything of it until you glanced at him, just to see he was looking directly at you as he sucked and licked at the soft fruit. You were amused as he was trying to be sensual and clearly aimed to arouse you, but really he was just making a sticky mess of himself. Fighting back a smile, you asked, “Aegon, what are you doing?”

He shrugged innocently, his mouth half full. “I’m eating.”

“You’re being quite the tramp about it.”

Out of the corner of your eye, you saw Barston flinch in shock, his mouth slightly agape and for the first time, you saw he had green hazel eyes. Aegon gave you a pout, setting the mauled peach on his plate. “I was trying to impress you.”

You chuckled, “I’ll say, that peach is thoroughly ravaged.” Honestly, watching him nonchalantly lick up and clean his fingers had far more of an effect on you. It was a more familiar sight, making your face heat at the memories of only a few nights before. The scene had the added benefit of seeing Barston utterly appalled and helplessly silent. You steepled your fingers and rested your chin on them, leaning closer to Aegon as you teased him, “You know, I heard a rumor just before lunch that you acquired quite a large debt from gambling last night.”

As his thumb slipped from his lips, he became awkward and looked away from you. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“I heard your mother was quite… livid, is the polite word.” He made a stressed expression, unable to even look at the table. “You wouldn’t be joining us just to hide from her, would you? Hm? Is the prince of the Realm a craven?”

Barston made a very audible choking sound, his knuckles white on the table, pressing so hard you were surprised the wood didn’t crack. His face was more red than you’d ever seen it before, a deep red tomato standing out on his brown attire. “How can you speak-”

“Call me a craven all you want, my mother is ferocious when angered.” Aegon was sat lower in his seat, ankle resting on his knee, having brushed off your accusation with ease, now chewing at his nail.

Much as everyone would doubt, you knew Queen Alicent would try to be strict with him, and that it served little purpose. It only pushed Aegon to leave the Keep for longer and indulge deeper and darker vices. If things weren’t smoothed over between them, you might not see Aegon for the next two weeks. Not until you were long gone to Reedmarsh, never to return. You thought a moment before coming up with a plan. “Stop me if I am too bold, but what I would do is go back to my princely room. Get a sizable and ornate box and fill it with gold, silver and gems. You have a plethora of old gifts collecting dust, I’m sure that won’t be difficult. I’d take that box and preferably offer it on the high council, but if I couldn’t make a formal presentation, I’d take it to Lord Beesbury. I would say, I feel awful about the debt, and I wish to give a donation to cover the expenses. He’ll politely take enough to cover the debt, and try to give back the rest. I’d refuse. I’d push it back and insist this is a donation. I’ve taken far more than the most recent debt in the past. This is compensation.”

Barston leaned over the table, seething at you between clenched teeth. “That is too bold. You speak of conspiracy.”

You let out a high gawk of surprise. “Conspiracy? No one is getting hurt or deposed. In fact it adds to the crowns revenue!”

“You speak of manipulating the Queen.” He said. A quiet air of threat as if the guards would spring at any moment and drag you both to the dungeons. Aegon kept a watchful eye at the new couple already bitterly snapping at one another.

“How is paying for his own debt and gifting a surplus a manipulation!?”

“It is your intentions. They are not genuine nor honorable.” Barston was trembling to restrain himself. He wanted so badly to openly scream and berate you, slam his fist on the table or throw it to the ground entirely. But he wouldn’t while royalty sat next to him.

How the Gods damned you. What a pleasure it would be to live as royalty.

“What matters is what is written down. The intention will be irrelevant when it has a very real and even helpful impact. The trinkets are of no worth to the prince, but they will have great worth to the crown and the smallfolk.” You turned to Aegon, “It would be better than showing up with nothing.”

He gave a nod and a reluctant frown before rising to his feet. “Very well. I better find a way to sneak back to my room before Sir Erryk finds me. Enjoy the rest of your lunch, my lady.”

As he walked by, he reached out and quickly drug his fingers, still soaking wet and sticky from the peach and his failed attempt at cleaning them along your cheek. “Ah! Aegon!”

He laughed as he quickly walked away, flashing you a bright smile as you quickly grabbed your napkin and started wiping down your face. A small giggle slipped through your lips. Once Aegon was out of earshot, Barston slammed his fist on the table, making everything jump. “How can you speak to the Prince so formally? Have you no respect of rank!? Are you such a spoiled and arrogant-”

“The Prince Aegon prefers natural conversation.” You said simply, still trying to scrub the stickiness off your face. “He finds people who are too formal fake and annoying. His words, not mine.”

Barston was huffing through his nose he was so worked up. Yet he didn’t say anything. Slowly, he sat back, looking between you and where Aegon had left to. “I did not expect you to be so close to the Prince.”

Such a sentence could be interpreted in a few ways. You weren’t sure if he knew of Aegon’s reputation, but you knew Barston as prideful as he was suspicious. When your father finally came to Kings Landing, you wouldn’t have to bother knowing anything about him again. “I have been living in the Red Keep for a year. I bathe his little ones and give his wife company. I bring his mother breakfast and wash her dresses. It should be no surprise I am close with the Royal family.”

You stared one another down hard, the meal holding all the gravity of a battlefield awaiting action. “You may go.” He said. “I’ve lost my appetite.”

With a polite bow, you left, positively glowing. A nice change from leaving these dates. Feeling uppity through the rest of your chores. When it came time to deliver Aegon his nightly wine, the moment the door shut and you set the decanter down on the table, you were warmly embraced from behind.

“You are a gift from the Gods, you know that?”

You chuckled, pouring a cup as Aegon buried himself against your neck, sending all the hair to rise as he peppered kisses there. “All went well then?”

“Her temper cooled as soon as I set down the box.” He rested his chin on your shoulder, staring off rather than taking his cup. “She even said she was proud of me for taking responsibility for my actions.”

“Must have been nice to hear.”

He was silent as thoughts you were not privy to danced in his eyes. You were patient, content with just seeing him. There was a tick in his gaze and everything shifted. Aegon pulled back enough to turn you around in his arms, a sultry lilt in his voice. “For your efforts, there should be a talk of your reward...”

“Reward?” You said innocently. “I need no reward. I only wish to serve my kingdom as best I can.”

Aegon didn’t by it. He gave you a nod and pulled back completely, taking his cup of wine with him. “Alright then. Goodnight.”

You couldn’t hide the pout on you even if you tried. “What?”

“Oh? What?” He mocked your surprise, relaxing on his bed and sipping his drink. “Maybe you do want a reward? Hm? Maybe you do want me up your skirts? You want my hands on you? You want my mouth on your cunt?”

You should be used to his brazen filthy talk by now, but still you felt your cheeks heat, took a very coy stance in swaying your skirts. “I wouldn’t dare ask for something so specific but if that’s what you want to do, it would be awfully rude of me to refuse a gift from the prince.”

“What a sweet girl you are.” He reached out to you and you eagerly jumped onto the bed, Aegon nearly spilling his drink as you enveloped him completely. Giggles filling the room before you kissed him, this time without him grimacing at the taste of the medicine.

(Part 4)

#hotd fanfic #hotd imagine #hotd x reader #hotd x you #aegon ii x you #aegon x you #aegon x reader #aegon targaryen x reader #aegon ii fanfic #aegon ii x reader #my writing #aegon imagine #aegon fanfic #I stand by that Aegon isn't touch starved but he is intimacy starved #I stand by it cause I like it and I want to #to all of those who read this filler chapter #you are the MVP's #you are my beloved

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