#their horns also make for good handle bars ;)

[eggyboyoart]

Genshin OC that I drew

They're pretty epic slay if I do say so myself :D

[tgirltorment]

The trick about devils is that the high-ranking ones are often less concerned with inspiring sin and perversion within mortals as they are satisfying their own. You believed that by identifying the right patron and giving them what they want, you could make a deal with no clever loophole or catch. Make an offer, follow through, and come back unchanged and unharmed. Easy. And you knew just the devil to chose: a Devil Lord of Lust, one of the most self-serving of sins. Pride is too unstable, sloth might never hold up their end, gluttony is insatiable, but a Devil Lord of Lust? That you could handle.

You summoned them one evening to your apartment, offering your demands with clarity. "Beauty and power," was all you asked for. "In return, I offer to enter your service for six months." He chuckled lightly, eyeing you up and down. "One year," he countered. "And I promise you'll not be hurt. Not in a way you don't enjoy, at least." You shook hands, and the deal was struck. You were given a day to get everything in order, pay any outstanding bills, notify your family that you'd be away, and went to sleep. The next time you awoke, it was in a cage.

You noticed right away that your clothes were gone. Every so often a demon would pass by, leering at you through the bars. You also noticed that your were very, very, very horny. At first, you tried to cover yourself up, hide from the observing demons. But a heat began to build in your chest. You ached to touch yourself, to cum. You tried to resist. "Not in while they watch," you tried to think, but it was fuzzy. Strained. You noticed that the demons were naked too. Were they always naked? Looking them only made you hornier, so you tried to look away, but the image of their cocks was buried in your mind. Without thinking, you began to touch yourself, and by the time you noticed, it felt so good that you didn't care.

Against your will, small whimpers escaped your mouth. It felt so fucking good. The noises you made riled up the demons, spurring them to get off too. Cum shot through your bars, covering you, making you feel so warm. Why couldn't you cum? You were so close, so fucking close, but no matter how hard you tried, you couldn't get over the edge. You began to beg. "Please," you whined. "Please let me cum."

Eventually, your hands became too tired to continue and fell to your sides. You lay at the floor of your cage, covered in the cum of a dozen demons, unable to orgasm but so desperate. You didn't care anymore. You needed it. So you pushed yourself against the bars and let them fuck you, their cocks taking turns inside you, filling you with more and more cum. Cocks appeared in front of you too, right before your face, and, without thinking, you began to suck them. God, it was so hard to think with their cocks so deep inside you. But you still couldn't cum.

Eventually, they all had their fill and left you, broken and desperate and unsatisfied, squirming on the floor of your cage in a pool of cum, which you brainlessly began to lap up. Soon enough, a familiar form appeared and opened your cage. You crawled out and immediately offered your throat to the Devil Lord, too dazed to even beg. "My sweet pet," he purred, grabbing your horns. Did you always have horns? "You've been so good. I believe you deserve to cum now." You whimpered in excitement, you tail (tail?) flicking behind you. He led you to a throne where he sat down, stroking his cock. "Have a seat," he said. So you rode him, pushing his cock as deep into you as it would go, screaming as you came again and again, unable to stop bouncing. Your back arched and your wings flared as wave after wave of euphoria ran through you, the sweet release you'd been desperate for for so long.

One year would not be enough. Not nearly.

[asger-eerika]

Since all the other horny people for Dragon Daddy ate up last nights post, we are doing another, but in the middle of the day in my Chem class, because horny hours never stop baby.

~☆

BTW I put a fluff tag in here for a reason. I promise I'm not that insane but it's down by the fanart, marked by this ~♡ on either side x3

~☆

- Horns as Handle bars.

- using water to tease you, your made out of water so getting fucked in the middle of the day is plausible (let me be delulu)

- Praise but with an edge ("Awe, you can take more, can't you? Oh, such a good girl, etc.")

- Tail to control and restrict movement yk yk.

- Nest Building

- Growling? Growling.

- Heat, massive heat, like if he gets more of his power back *COUGH*

- Edging in the middle of working, like touching you all over and leaving you there when someone walks in and just... all day.

♡

♤

◇

♡ ~ Fluffy as well for my not smut people ~ ♡

~ Swimming with Neuv

~ Beach episode.

~ Helping him with work if an OC is a co-leader to him/can help with legal documents and or has the rights to view said documentation

~ massages (this is also viable for smut ehehe)

◇Fanart, again, all rights go to the people who created them, I myself did not make these, and yes, I did get them from my degen folder of this man.◇

Also, if you write something with the idea's above tag me ;3; please. I need more horny writing in my collection.

[candlewaxandp0lar0ids]

this is halloween || I.N. x reader

Summary: Working in a bar on Halloween sucks. What doesn't suck is your coworker Jeongin being shirtless in the name of it being a sexy costume (unless your boss made him do it, in which case you're prepared to murder him).

Word count: 3.7k

Genres: friends to lovers, coworkers to lovers

Warnings & Tags: mostly fluff, slightly heavy make-out session, mentions of customers being inappropriate with Jeongin.

A/N: hiiiii, welcome back on my blog! I hope everyone's doing good ^-^ I've written four small one-shots for Stray Kids' maknae line for Halloween (and the plan for now is to write four small one shots for the hyung line for Christmas/New Year's). Here is the first one, and I hope you'll enjoy them!

Seungmin · Felix

Working on Halloween night was rarely, if ever, a good experience, if you were in the service industry. You didn’t remember enjoying it even once since you’d started working, taking jobs wherever and whenever you could. It was easy to get hired for Halloween, and on crazy nights like that, tips always flowed in, but it was made barely worth it by the insanity you’d have to endure. The crowds, the noise, even the drunken people, all that, you could handle, but Halloween seemed to bring out the worst in people — or the worse of people, you couldn’t say for sure.

For fuck’s sake, a guy thinking he was a vampire had bitten you one time.

You couldn’t say you’d been surprised when the bar you’d been working at for close to a year had informed the employees that they were expected to wear costumes for the night. Up all night was always somewhat gothic-themed, after all. Plus, they weren’t asking for much. You’d merely been given a red headband with little demon horns on it and a note urging you to ‘dress sexy’. It had made you roll your eyes, and you had decided to only half humor the direction. After all, you’d be standing behind the bar for the night and you didn’t see a point in making too much of an effort.

When you’d gotten there, you had immediately known that had been the right decision. There were much bigger fishes to fry than your outfit, and neither your colleagues nor the manager paid you much attention. You were kept busy from the moment you set foot in the building to the opening, with not a minute to yourself. You only remembered to put the headband on as the very first clients stepped in through the doors.

After that, it was just an endless stream of people trying to get your attention and something to drink.

It was around midnight when you took your break.

Fifteen minutes, that was all you’d get — it meant both nothing and the world to you.

It’s as you’re sitting outside, quietly sipping on coffee that you need both to keep yourself sharp and to warm yourself up on this cold October night, that you’re joined by Jeongin.

You like Jeongin. A few years younger than you, he also joined a couple of months after you did. He’s sweet, hardworking, creative, and, as you find out tonight, has abs for days.

“What are you wearing,” is what comes out of your mouth when he walks towards you, even though your question should be ‘what are you not wearing’.

Jeongin glances down at his body like he forgot, then lets out a sigh as he, too, realizes that he’s very much shirtless — save for the suspenders that half cover dark nipples. You… take him in a little longer than you’d be comfortable admitting. Your eyes go from his large shoulders to the rock hard pectorals, to the well-defined abs that inevitably lead to the happy trail that disappears into his pants. Suddenly, you’re strongly aware of how close in age you are to him, even though you like to joke about how he needs to be taken care of.

He lets himself fall down next to you and the pout he gives you allows you to at least try to cling to that illusion a while longer.

“They asked me to,” he says. “Told me I’d be a sexy demon.”

Immediately, your spider-sense starts tingling. If there’s one thing you won’t sit for in silence, it’s one of your friends and fellow employee getting taken advantage of.

“Wait, did they force you?” you ask, brow suddenly furrowing. “Did they— insist or say something about your job? Because unless we signed very different contracts, I doubt that was in the job description.”

Jeongin’s eyes go wide.

He’s pretty. Shit, he’s really pretty, and he’s sitting so close to you that you can feel his body heat. It’s cold outside, but it was ridiculously hot in the bar, as is made obvious by the discreet sheen of sweat on his body.

“No, they, uh, they didn’t do that,” he says, sounding very sheepish now. “They just— asked.”

You click your tongue. They’d have to have known that he wouldn’t know better.

“I’ll talk to them. You shouldn’t have to dress in a way that makes you uncomfortable.” You gesture at yourself. “See, I’m wearing the stupid headband, but I’m not going to go out of my way unless they start paying me a lot better.”

Jeongin’s eyes follow the movement of your hand, and you feel very naked under his gaze as he takes in your body. Hm, you kinda wish you’d bothered to dress at least just a teensy bit sexier now. Then he looks at you again. Swallows.

“I think you look good,” he says. Then he smiles, and it’s such a sweet sight, cute dimples forming in his cheeks. Takes your breath away for sure. If it sounded more suggestive, you might be led to thinking that he’s flirting with you. It just seems genuine right now, though. Plus, now that you’re looking at him, you’re pretty sure he’s got at least three phone numbers written on his arms. The thought makes you wrinkle your nose in distaste. People tend to forget boundaries, when they’re wasted.

“I really need to get a word with Jin-Young,” you mumble through your teeth. A glance at your watch; your break is almost over and you don’t want to fuck your coworkers over, so you push yourself to your feet. You pat Jeongin’s shoulder, stopping yourself from lingering to feel the muscles under your fingers. Last thing he needs is yet another person disregarding his personal space. “You can throw something on, I’ll take care of it.”

He opens his mouth, closes it, opens it again.

“Oh, uh, it’s fine, you don’t have to do that—”

For a second, you hesitate.

“You don’t mind? Has no one been… gross?”

You openly eye the phone numbers, and Jeongin glances down like he’s seeing them for the first time.

“People are just having fun.” He shrugs, but avoids your eyes.

If the blind, white-hot rage that goes through you at his reaction is any indication of the conversation that’s going to unfold real soon, you might very well lose your job tonight.

“I’ll be back in a second,” you tell him. Again, he says something about how you ‘don’t have to’, but this time you ignore him.

Jin-Young’s in his office, hiding behind mountains of paperwork and muttering numbers to himself as he’s making sense of the receipts that he’s lined up in front of him. The thin pieces of papers jump when you slam your hands on the desk.

“What did you tell Jeongin about his costume?”

After first looking at the papers in complete disarray, like he thinks they moved out of their own volition, he slowly raises his towards you. You’d have sympathy for how lost he looks — Halloween’s hard on everyone in the industry, like you mentioned — if you weren’t so pissed right now.

“To dress sexy,” he says after some long seconds. “Like everyone else. Why? Did he not put any effort into it? Are you jealous about that?”

While you are vaguely flattered that people appear to think you look sexy in your bare minimum effort, that is not the matter at hand right now.

“He’s shirtless,” you say. “Who told him he needed to be shirtless?”

Finally, some light appears in the man’s eyes.

“Aah, that’s right! He asked what I meant by sexy, and that was one of the examples.”

“You pushed him to it,” you say through gritted teeth.

The accusation doesn’t faze Jin-Young whatsoever.

“I didn’t have to. He seemed quite excited about it, if you want my opinion.”

You don’t, typically, but that does throw you off.

“He seemed quite uncomfortable with it,” you say slowly, but it sounds more hesitant now. Jin-Young’s many things, and one of these things is a terrible liar.

“Well, what did you tell him?”

Wait a minute, is this your fault now?

“Nothing! Just asked what he was, you know, wearing. It— it caught me off guard.”

Jin-Young raises an eyebrow at you, and you defensively fold your arms over your chest.

“You know,” he says, trying to be coy and failing miserably as he leans over his desk, “I wonder why he liked the idea of doing it shirtless. It’s not like he doesn’t get attention when he’s dressed normally. Hm, it’s such a mystery. I guess we’ll never know.”

“Are you implying that it was because of me?” You can’t keep the skepticism out of your voice for the life of you.

“Oh, I wonder. Am I now?”

One thing you’re not going to do is talk about your love life with your boss, so you roll your eyes at him — he won’t fire you until the next day, and even that he’s unlikely to do — and walk out, saying something about needing to get back to work, which isn’t wrong.

In going back to the bar, you run face first into Jeongin’s smooth, hard chest, which is truly the cherry on top of everything that just happened. Strong hands grab onto your arms, stopping you from stumbling back, and concerned eyes plunge into yours, so deep you could drown in them.

“Shit, I’m sorry, are you okay?”

Great. You’re doing great.

“I’m fine,” you reply, squeakier than you’d like, “just need to get back to work.”

“What did Jin-Young say?”

That gives you a second of pause. You can’t just ask him flat-out in the middle of a shift on one of the busiest nights of the year if he likes you or not. You’re not wired that way.

“That he doesn’t see any issue if you’re not uncomfortable,” you answer instead of telling the truth.

Jeongin’s shoulders seem to relax, but the corners of his mouth turn down.

“Sorry, I really have to run,” you mumble, stepping out of his grasp. “If I don’t, Jihyo’s going to get crushed under all the customers. But I’ll— see you after my shift, okay?”

A spark of interest lights back up in his eyes. It’s quite silly, how happy and relieved it makes you all of a sudden. If, somehow, Jin-Young is right, and infuriatingly he often is, you’d hate to think that it was your comment that upset him. Which is why you allow yourself to tell him “Plus, it does look great on you”.

You do, then, turn on your heels and walk away like a coward before his jaw has even finished dropping.

The rest of the night is a blur, much like the first part. You do remember Jihyo glaring at you when you finally come back — you deserved that — and your legs and splitting headache very much remember that the customers did not let up once, but you don’t think you could give a single order you took that night.

Well, that’s a lie. You served far, far too many Bloody Maries, to the point where you ran out of tomato juice.

Still, your mind had mostly been trying to make sense of the various complicated thoughts that were swirling in your head all night. You had never allowed yourself to linger on the thought of Jeongin for too long. Of course you liked him, there was nothing to dislike about him. It wasn’t like the two of you hadn’t had moments.

New year’s day, the year before, when you’d known him for less than a week and he’d blushed terribly, refusing to meet your eyes, when the two of you found yourself under the mistletoe. Valentine’s Day, when you had covered for him as he was helping one of his friends who was in a crisis with his girlfriend at the time, and he’d gotten you roses the next day as a thank you. They’d come at a discount because it was the day after, he’d promised you.

Then, for your birthday, him and a few of your other colleagues had gotten you a cute necklace that he had told you, very smugly, that he’d picked out himself. He had an eye for these things, because as he tied it around your neck for you, you’d just fallen in love with it. He hadn’t been there for most of the summer though, and you had mostly written off the whole thing. The two of you didn’t see each other outside of work, and sometimes you lost touch with people, when you were a broke college student too busy trying to make ends meet to go out.

He’d come back in September, though, all tan and glowing and, okay, maybe your heart had given a little jump in your chest, but so what? Yes, Jeongin was hot. Big news. Maybe seeing him after two months meant that you weren’t that used to it anymore and that was why it got to you. But the tan had vanished as autumn set in more firmly, and your heart still insisted on doing that silly little thing sometimes when you laid eyes on him, or when he approached the bar with that wide, dimply smile of his.

It’s doing it tonight, as traitorous as ever, when you catch a glimpse of him in the very full room, still completely shirtless. Watching him isn’t helping with your conundrum though. You don’t have time to do it either way, but there are constantly women flirting with him, their whole body leaning towards him, and while you don’t blame them, not for a second, you can’t see what he’d have seen in you when he so clearly has his pick among all of them.

You’re not— you don’t lack confidence in yourself. You get hit on while on the job often enough that there’s no risk of that happening. You just haven’t had that much luck in the heart department. A guy like Jeongin, who’s hot, yes, but is even more importantly such a sweetheart, that’s… kind of unheard of, for you. Then, even if you do accept this premise, which you do very much question, for the record, there’s the fact that you work together, and if things go south, it could mean you would have to quit. You’ve been there before.

That’s if Jeongin even likes you. Jin-Young could have been wrong. You could be neck deep in delusion right now. You could be setting yourself up for the most crushing development of your life, because the more you’re allowing to think about it, the more your heart soars, and the less you can hide the ugly truth of your ridiculous crush on him.

Ugh. You’re going to kill your boss — that’s the most logical way out of this situation.

When you take your leave at 4 am, the bar is still bustling with life. It’ll be open all night, closing shortly before reopening at noon, but that is someone else’s problem. At least you can thank the past you for wearing flats despite the whole ‘dress sexy’ thing, because you’d be dead by now.

Jeongin’s putting a shirt on when you walk into the changing room, something that you find tragic but that’s probably for the best if you’re hoping to have a productive conversation.

“Got more numbers?” you ask, noting the doodling on his arms.

“I had to confiscate some people’s markers,” is what he sighs in reply.

“Maybe I should have gone harder on Jin-Young,” you mumble, anger filling you again at the thought. “But he said it was your idea to wear that, uh, costume, so I didn’t want to interfere, you know?”

Jeongin’s eyes turn into disks and it’s only then that you find yourself giving some credibility to what Jin-Young told you. Find yourself thinking that maybe, maybe?

“He… gave me the idea,” he says, slowly, eyes darting from the floor to the ceiling lights to the door on the other side of the room like he’s going to make a run for it.

“But among others, right?”

You’re doing everything you can to keep your tone light, turning your back towards him as you get your stuff from the locker, hoping that it makes your question sound casual and not like you’re fishing for information. Gosh, now you understand why kids slide across these little ‘do you like me? yes/no’ notes. This feels so silly. You’re a grown-up, you shouldn’t be dancing around the subject like that.

“Yes but that one was… Uh… Really low-effort.”

Right.

“He made it sound like he thought you were wearing it for someone in particular,” you say like you’d comment on the weather as you finish collecting yourself and turn to face him.

He’s still sitting there, frozen like a deer in headlights, eyes wide as saucers, staring, pleading for help. Your heart’s hammering in your chest. One of you is going to have to take the first step, and it’s the vulnerability of that step that terrifies you. You could have gotten it wrong. He could just be scared that you uncovered his crush on Jihyo, or Jeongyeon, or even on Changbin, for all you know.

Still, you’ll take the plunge. You glance at your nails like they’re a fascinating sight.

“I know I told you already, but I thought you looked great.”

He lowers his gaze immediately. It’s still not quick enough to stop you from seeing the wide grin that forms on his lips.

“Thanks,” he mumbles. It’s all… unhelpful. Could mean anything, and you’re all out of courage now. Then he looks up at you through black locks of hair, and you have to strain to hear what he says. “He was right.”

You blink.

“Who was?”

“I did wear it for you. Jin-Young told you, right?”

Regaining the control of your jaw after he just dropped that on you is way harder than it seems.

“Uh, yeah, yeah he did, what—”

“He just can’t keep his mouth shut.” Jeongin clicks his tongue as he gets up from the bench he was on, grabbing his bag as he does so. “But don’t worry about it, I won’t bother you.”

What?

“You don’t have to lie to make me feel better,” he grimaces, looking away once more. “It’s fine if you weren’t, um, into it.”

“No, I— I just told you.” Your mind flashes back to your first exclamation, and you’re not sure how to take it back or explain exactly what was on your mind without stuttering and making a fool out of yourself, again. “It caught me off-guard,” you explain slowly. “But I was very into it.”

Jeongin’s eyes are still wide, but they’re not filled with fear or surprise anymore. He takes a step towards you as you lean against your locker. You pray high and low that this is going where you think it’s going. As he gets closer and the air grows thicker between you, he seems to be searching for something in your expression that would tell him that he’s gotten the wrong idea, that he should step back. He still hasn’t found it by the time his body brushes against yours, and so he takes the next logical step.

His eyes close as he leans towards you, and you’re smiling when his lips meet yours. He kisses you slow and delicate, intent on savoring every second of it. One of his hands gently lifts your chin to get better access to you, the other coming down to grab your waist, and you arch yourself into him without thinking. The moment’s soft and sweet.

Then he gets even closer, and you wrap your arms around his neck, entangling one of your hands in his hair, and it turns a little less sweet. He goes from carefully tasting you to devouring you, pulling away from you briefly catch his breath before diving back in, his hips pushing you against the locker. Shamelessly, you allow one of your hands to come down to feel the muscles of his chest. He grins at that, nipping playfully at your lower lip, but that doesn’t mean you miss the shiver that runs through him then.

He grabs your hand before you get any lower though, and takes ahold of the other one before you can try anything else on that front, and easily pins them both over your head with just one of his. Then he keeps kissing you, long fingers running over your body oh so sinfully, without ever lingering too long. He takes his sweet time exploring you, and it’s only after a particularly suggestive movement of your hips that tears a moan from his lips, that he lets go of you, stepping away with a crimson blush marring his cheekbones.

“Sorry, I, uh, I might have gotten a little carried away.”

There he goes, not meeting your eyes, again, even after he just kissed the hell out of you.

“I was very into it too,” you hear yourself replying, and he chokes at that. You can’t help the brief laughter that spills from your lips. Cute.

“S-so, just so we’re clear, I’m not— I’d love to take you out. On a date.” He’s back again with the pleading look. “It’s not— it’s not just a physical thing.”

“That’s good,” you smile, leaning towards him in a suggestive manner. It’s just too easy to tease him. “I’d really like it if you took me out on a date.”

He frowns.

“If you keep looking at me like that, I won’t ever be able to do my job again and I’ll get fired.”

Again, you laugh. It just comes easy to you when you’re with Jeongin.

“Let’s see if you don’t get tired of me after one date before we start talking about you getting fired, hm?”

“That’s not going to happen,” he says, sounding far more confident than he has about anything else he’s said that whole evening, and wouldn’t you know it, there are butterfly swimming in your stomach now.

“How do you know?”

He leans in for another kiss.

“I just do.”

this might not make much sense and i'm sorry if it doesn't but i was just so happy to be writing again after such a long time :)))

i hope you all liked it and feedback in any form is always greatly appreciated!

permanent taglist: @lethallyprotected @jisuperboard

[peppermintquartz]

Eddie/Josh? Maybe.

*

"I almost didn't recognize you," Josh Russo says as he slides onto the bar stool next to Eddie, and motions to the bartender. "Gin and tonic, thanks." Turning back to Eddie, he asks, "What's with the moustache?"

"Hello to you too," Eddie drawls, sipping at his beer. It's a new one that Tommy's got him hooked on, damn the man. "I just wanted a change."

Josh grins and squints at it, making a show of examining the facial hair. "It suits you," he declares. His drink arrives. "A touch of Burt Reynolds, almost. Maybe a little Raul Julia also."

Eddie chuckles. "I'm not gonna be a Gomez Addams anytime soon." He dabs at his moustache with a napkin, aware of the foam caught on it. "And why are you here? This doesn't seem like your usual hangout spot." He gestures around at the faux rustic decor, replete with steer horns and riding gear on the walls. It reminds Eddie a little of Texas.

"Well, I was gonna go to a club with go-go boy dancers, but I left my feather boa on my ride over," Josh says, deadpan. The corner of his lips twitch. "My date suggested this place and no-showed."

"That sucks." Eddie leans forward on the bar counter and tells the bartender, "Put this guy's drink on my tab."

Josh makes a rude sound. "I don't need your pity, Diaz."

"Hey, you got stood up. I can comfort a guy who's down on his dating luck."

Josh goes quiet for a moment, letting the sounds of the other patrons swirl around them for a beat. "Still, not the worst date."

Eddie cocks his head, beer to his lips.

Perhaps it's the fact they haven't really spent time together outside of their contentious collaboration during Eddie's stint at Dispatch, but Eddie finds that Josh is softer and nicer outside of work. He guesses that's out of necessarity. Working at the dispatch center requires focus, empathy, and the ruthless ability to shut away feelings after each incident is handled, for good or for ill. And Eddie knows it's easier to be on-site to try to help, than to be on the other end being unable to do anything except wait for a response.

"One of the guys I went out on a date with jumped me, with his friend," Josh says suddenly, his fingers wrapped about his drink. Drops of condensation drips onto the coaster under the glass. "Beat me up and took my wallet, my security pass. You know the rest."

Eddie goes still. He does know the rest from Buck and Chimney. He had not known about Josh being baited and then beaten. "I'm sorry about that," he says, sincere and apologetic. He pats Josh's knee. "You'll find someone nice." Seeing Josh's surprise, Eddie adds, "Nicer than you were to me."

"I was pretty nice to you. Could've bitched you out in front of everyone for not following protocol, but I didn't."

Eddie laughs and shakes his head. "You're a good supervisor. And a territorial bastard."

"Yeah? What's your story, being here all alone? Where's your usual partner-in-crime? Or girlfriend?"

"Mm. No girlfriend now. I screwed that up. As for Buck, well, he's all loved up right now, so I am not asking him to hang with a pathetic schmuck on a Saturday night."

"Ooh, storytime? What happened with the girlfriend?" Josh wiggles closer, an eyebrow raised inquisitively.

Eddie tilts his head and raises his beer. "My fault. I wasn't ready to commit, and I, uh, cheated on her. Emotionally. It wasn't like I slept around while I was dating her." He winces. "Still, it was my fault."

Josh makes a thoughtful face. "Maybe you should just sleep around a bit instead then. If you aren't really ready to commit, then don't commit. Just go out and have fun."

"Have fun? The last time I just 'had fun', I ended up with a pregnant girlfriend who, okay, gave me the best kid in the world, and then after I married her I ran away from the family, and then she ran away from her son, and then she came back, and then she wanted a divorce, and then she died. And then I cheated on my girlfriend with a woman who looks like her, and traumatized my kid, and hence, I'm here alone at the bar, feeling sorry for my scumbag self, and therefore I will never have fun again. Ever. In my life."

At the end of his rant, he catches sight of Josh's stunned expression and sighs.

"Sorry. Didn't mean to dump all that on you."

Josh reaches over to hold Eddie's hand. His fingers are cold. "Better me than some stranger, right?"

Eddie wants to laugh, but for some reason Josh's hand on his stirs a funny sensation in the base of his spine. He manages a smile. "I guess. Really sorry though. Have another drink. You deserve something nice after listening to that."

"I've heard worse," Josh says. He hasn't removed his hand. "Just this week, I've heard, like, four stories worse than what you said. You'll have to fuck things up a lot worse to land you on the scumbag list."

Eddie stares at Josh, at the nonjudgmental expression, at the slightly teasing smile, and thinks, Why not?

He leans forward before he can think any further and presses his mouth to Josh's lips. They're soft, and Josh smells pretty nice, and he's pulling away before he can really sink into the kiss.

Josh's fingers flutter to his mouth. "What was that for?"

"Being nice," Eddie says, grinning. "Positive reinforcement of a behavior, all that stuff. Maybe that will get you to be nice to me whenever you see me."

Rolling his eyes, Josh says, "That was hardly good enough a kiss to change my attitude, Diaz. You want me nicer, you gonna have to earn it."

But there's a slight flush to his cheeks and he can't look at Eddie at all. Eddie thinks it'll be fun to try and see if he can make Josh turn pink again.

[queenlilithprime]

Gavin x Lily HCs and Art

I've talked to @campwillowpeakvn about a lot of these and I adore them smmmm

Even though Lily is a succubus, because Gavin is always flirting with everyone he's immune to their natural allure. This actually makes Lily feel more comfortable and confident in the relationship. They don't have to worry that he's just attracted to their species and not them!

Gavin and Lily have a butt load of ferrets!!!

When Gavin returns from Camp with a hot babe for a partner who clearly is head over heels for him, everyone is incredibly confused except for Malik who is very much approving of them!

Lily being a kindergarten teacher makes it easy for them to handle Gavin's cousins so even when they go to things with Hyeon's family, they manage to make a good impression by being good with kids... Even if they are poor and not the same class at all

Gavin and Lily love to cuddle and go out for dates

Lily's always stealing his clothes and always trying to dress them up

They have a game of ass slap going on to see who can sneak up on the other and smack their ass the hardest without hurting them

Lily will always find a way to either sit in Gavin's lap or snuggle up against their side, resting their head on their shoulder when together

Hyeon is always the first to find out Lily is a succubus even when they aren't ending up together!

Because he's so supportive of them right off the bat they trust him a lot and easily open up to them

As Lily reconnects with their power through the intimacy between them and Gavin, their horns, tail, and wings grow back!

NSFW Stuff!

They're each other's first times

Lily sometimes sends him nudes when he's in class without warning ❤️✨

Gavin learns very quickly where the clit is because Lily genuinely sits him down and explains anatomy 💀

They're both switches so it depends on mood and energy levels who is domming or if there's dominance at all

Sometimes they just have lazy cuddly sex while watching movies during date nights in their place

Whenever Lily pegs Gavin they gently tilt his head up, cupping his jaw then pulling his hair lightly while calling him a good boy

Hyeon being so talkative during sex makes Lily flustered and gets them off faster, they really enjoy his voice and the kind way he wants to make sure he's doing good

Once Lily regrows their tail and horns, those end up being used a lot during sex

i.e. Lily will wrap their tail around Gavin's cock while they pin his hands above his head, telling him how incredible he is and praising him while they line it up so they can ride him UwU

Hyeon also uses their horns as handle bars... Obvi ✨

Their wings aren't used as much except for when Gavin wants to take a bath with Lily, in which it's less NSFW and more sweet

[that-foul-legacy-lover]

Your bird adeptus reader posts have me gnawing at the bars of my enclosure theyre so good

Okay okey I see your Bird Adeptus Reader and I raise you one Dragon Adeptus Reader, bonus points for that “not quite mastered shapeshifting yet” human disguise that has reader running around with dragon features.

This doesnt have to be considered a request but I feel compelled to share my thoughts with you in gratitude for the absolutely fantastic works you put out okey brainrot time lets go

Bumping foreheads with Foul Legacy like cats (lets be real here dragons are just lizard hardware running cat software) and having to be extra careful because of y’all’s horns so that makes it even more special. Or reader kneeling to like meditate or something, their tail is swishing behind them, and Legacy goes “!” before swatting at reader’s tail because he’s just Abyssal Moth Beast hardware running cat software.

A Dragon Adeptus would likely be very durable as well, so Legacy doesn’t have to worry about squeezing reader while cuddling or knocking into them by accident; they’re still soft and squishy and cute, but very very sturdy and able to handle all that Moth Affection.

Mutual purring, also another good thought. Legacy likes shiny objects, reader is compelled to hoard shiny objects: you really cannot lose in this situation.

It’s cat-like creatures solidarity babey!!

*unlocks your enclosure* i like the way you think anon

amongst dragons and dragon-type creatures you're considered a bit of an oddity. dragons are grand, powerful beasts that command attention or at least respect, like your secondary caretaker Zhongli (Cloud Retainer is still your adoptive mother- just because you're not the same type of adeptus doesn't mean you're not her child!) but you're smaller with softer scales and a long tail with a tuft on the end of it, still plenty durable and armed with sharp claws and adeptal powers, but you don't really have the same intimidating presence as most dragons. that's just fine with you, though- you're far more content keeping to yourself and spending time with Foul Legacy, who, in contrast, looks strong and vicious but has the softest, sweetest personality you've ever encountered, and that includes the few humans you've met and your fellow adepti

you both share several of the same habits, being essentially cats covered in either scales or armor with you being slightly more put together so you can listen to people's wishes and prayers, meditating for a couple of hours each day. whenever you sit down and close your eyes Foul Legacy always sneaks up behind you, not to spook you or anything, just to playfully bat at your tail as you work- you've taken to handing him a brush whenever he does, feeling him happily comb through the tuft of fur on the end. once he tied a little bell around it and broke into chitters of delight when you stood and instantly started jingling. you got your revenge by adoring his horns with some of the ribbons and ornaments you have for yourself- although, he seems to rather like it, so now you take a few minutes each day to pick out accessories for each other's horns, and you have plenty of shiny items to choose from

napping together is essential, particularly in sunny patches of grass. the warmth makes both of you drowsy and lethargic, Legacy nuzzling his head against your cheek and your tail wrapping around his leg. if you're particularly tired you'll change into your draconic form and completely curl around your very happy Abyssal beast, your purrs synchronizing with his. you also nap together in the most smushed clingy positions, since you want to be as close as possible- someone's face is always buried in someone's neck or chest, at all times. Legacy does make a point to be more alert in sleep than you are- you seem to fall into the deepest sleep whenever you doze, maybe it's something to do with you being a reptilian adeptus- just in case someone comes walking by, so he can wake you and help you cover your horns and tail

[victusinveritas]

From "THINGS I LEARNED FROM BALLADS" by Jim Macdonald ~

*Don’t ignore warnings. If someone tells you to beware of Long Lankin, friggin’ beware of him.

* If someone tells you not to go by Carterhaugh, stay away. Same goes for your mother asking you not to go out hunting on a particular day.

*Portents about weather, particularly when delivered by an old sailor who is not currently chatting up a country maid, are always worth heeding.

*If someone says that he’s planning to kill you, believe him.

*If someone says he’s going to die, believe him.

*Avoid navigable waterways. Don’t let yourself be talked into going down by the wild rippling water, the wan water, the salt sea shore, the strand, the lowlands low, the Burning Thames, and any area where the grass grows green on the banks of the great North Sea. Cliffs overlooking navigable waterways aren’t safe either.

*Broom, as in the plant, should be given a wide berth.

*Stay away from the greenwood side, too.

*Avoid situations where the obvious rhyme-word is “maidenhead.”

*If you look at the calendar and discover it’s May, stay home.

*The flowing bowl is best quaffed at home. Don’t drink with strangers. Don’t drink alone. Don’t toss the cups or pass the jar about in bars where you haven’t arranged to keep a tab. Drinks of unusual or uncertain provenance should be viewed askance, especially if you’re offered them by charming members of the opposite sex. Finally, never get drunk and pass out in a bar called “Cape Horn.”

*Members of press gangs seldom tell the truth. Recruiting sergeants will fib to you shamelessly. They are not your friends, even if they’re buying the drinks. Especially when they’re buying the drinks.

*If you’re drinking toasts, mention your One True Love early and often.

*If you’re a young lady, dressing yourself in men’s array and joining the army or the navy has all sorts of comic possibilities, but you yourself aren’t going to find it too darned humorous at the time.

*If you are an unmarried lady and have sex, you will get pregnant. No good will come of it.

*If you are physically unable to get pregnant due to being male, the girl you had sex with will get pregnant. No good will come of it. You’ll either kill her, or she’ll kill herself, or her husband/brother/father/uncle/cousin will kill you both. In any case her Doleful Ghost will make sure everyone finds out. You will either get hanged, kill yourself, or be carried off bodily by Satan. Your last words will begin “Come all ye.”

*Going to sea to avoid marrying your sweetie is an option, but if she hangs herself after your departure (and it’s even money that she’s going to) her Doleful Ghost will arrive on board your ship and the last three stanzas of your life will purely suck.

*If you are a young gentleman who had sex it is possible the girl won’t get pregnant. In those rare instances you will either get Saint Cynthia’s Fire or the Great Pox instead. No good will have come of it.

*New York Girls, like Liverpool Judies, like the ladies of Limehouse, Yarmouth, Portsmouth, Gosport, and/or Baltimore, know how to show sailors a good time, if by “good time” you mean losing all your money, your clothes, and your dignity. Note: All of these places are near navigable waterways. In practical terms this means that if you’re a sailor you’re screwed (and so are any young ladies you happen to meet). See also: Great Pox; Doleful Ghost.

*If you are a young lady do not allow young men into your garden. Or let them steal your thyme. Or agree to handle their ramrods while they’re hunting the bonny brown hare. Cuckoo’s nests are right out. And never stand sae the back o’ yer dress is up agin the wa’ (for if ye do ye may safely say yer thing-a-ma-jig’s awa’).

*Never let a stranger teach you a new game. No good will come of it.

*Sharing a boyfriend with your sister is a bad plan.

Having more than one True Love at a time is a non-starter.

*If you’re a brunette, give up.

*Not that being a blonde will improve the odds much.

*If your name is Janet, change it.

[feyhunter78]

I have two very... thirsty thoughts. But I'm gonna do two asks bc I wanna make it count (and bc they've got different vibes)!

Okay, so Emperor Miguel, right? Him sitting Y/N on his throne and eating her out (bc he treats his girl right!).

Bonus points for if he's demon!Emperor Migs. Using the potential horns as handle bars (gripping them like you're on a fucking roller coaster).

And him just being so attentive, giving praise the entire time.

"Mi reigna, you taste so beautiful-!"

"Keep singing for me, darling... I want the whole castle to know who makes you sound like this."

"One more - just one more, my love. I know you've got one more in you, please-!" As he whines, desperate to keep going.

Plus... biting up Y/N's thighs, marking her, showing who pleasures her.

...or, if one happens to be into degradation...

"Oh, you like taking the Emperor's tongue like this?" Smirking, teasing the entire time. "Like a little royal whore?"

"What a sweet slut, screaming for everyone to hear." Gotta love peppering both insults and compliments into the same sentence.

...also, afterwards: him praising his queen for doing such a good job, and moving so she can sit on his lap and just cuddle, hoping the whole court is unaware of how just mere minutes ago, the darling Queen doting on her husband was begging for his tongue to fuck her.

Or how the Emperor, with his sweet nothings and tender affirmations to his beloved, was eating her out like she was his last meal.

...I have many thoughts :]

-Red

AHHH I LOVE THISSSSS also I will give Miguel horns if y’all want it might make a poll to see how “demon” y’all want him to be bc I have ideasssss

[endless-summer-soldier]

something like that - part two [Steve Harrington x reader]

pairing: Steve Harrington x Reader

summary: after five long years, Steve can't get that special someone out of his mind. he can only hope that he'll run into her again when he visits Robin in Chicago

word count: 11.5k (sorry, may have gotten a little carried away with this one)

part one

March 10, 1989

Steve was zipping up his duffel when he heard the familiar honk of a car horn.

“HARRINGTON!” How he’d missed that voice. Steve collected his things and called goodbye to his roommates as he walked out of the shitty house. Eddie was leaning against his van with a warm smile on his face. “There he is…” Eddie said, imitating a proud father.

“How was the tour?” Steve asked. Eddie slid open one of the van doors and Steve tossed in his bag. 

“We had a rocky start but the last few shows went off without a hitch. We’re finally getting into a rhythm and building up our fan base.” Eddie had moved to Cincinnati about a year ago to pursue music full time. His band had just completed a mini-tour, hitting Columbus, Detroit, Cleveland, and Pittsburgh. They had a few nights off once they returned to Cincinnati and then they played a few shows in Indianapolis. While the rest of the band went home, Eddie headed for Bloomington to meet up with his high school friend.

“How’s school been?” Eddie asked, as he started up the van. Steve was in his senior year at Indiana University in Bloomington. While his father would’ve preferred he attended Notre Dame, he was relieved his only son decided to attend university. Steve wasn’t sure if college would be the right fit for him, but as soon as he walked onto the Bloomington campus, he knew he had made the right choice. Steve filled him in on how his semester was going and shared his excitement for graduation.

“Can you believe our girl’s turning 21?” The two were currently driving from Bloomington up to visit Robin at DePaul University in Chicago for her 21st birthday. They had a four hour car ride ahead of them and were scheduled to get to the city around 8PM. Robin hadn’t given them many details for the night other than hitting the bars and drinking copious amounts of alcohol. Steve had been looking forward to this weekend for months, not just to be reunited with his two closest high school friends, but because he was hoping Y/N might be there. He hadn’t seen her or spoken to her since that night at the lake all those years ago. A part of him was always tempted to ask Robin how she was, but he never did, hoping to avoid her sass and knowing gaze. Even if she wasn’t there, it would still be a great weekend. He was grateful the three of them still kept in touch and that their friendship remained intact despite going their separate ways. 

The boys didn’t miss a beat, catching up on the new and reminiscing on the old. Eddie pushed his van to its limits while Steve handled the navigation. They had made it about half way there when Eddie had to pull over for gas. Steve went into the gas station to use the restroom and grab a bag of chips. He also wanted to peruse their alcohol selection to see if there was anything gift-worthy for Robin. He looked through the sparse selection and wasn’t thrilled with his options, but ultimately decided it’d be better to show up with a shitty bottle of vodka than empty handed. He chose a frosted bottle with fake purple jewel on it that claimed to be a high-end Polish vodka. When he completed his errands, he walked out of the gas station to find Eddie finishing up at the pump.

“We’re making good time,” Steve stated as they headed back toward the highway. He checked his watch again and it seemed like they could make it into the city a little before eight. As soon as they merged onto the highway, Steve ate his words.

Eddie merely peered over to Steve and read his expression as you jinxed us. Steve tried to remain positive, thinking maybe it was just a minor fender bender that they were clearing out of the road. 

It wasn’t. They crawled along the highway for about 45 minutes before Eddie lost his patience. 

“I’m getting off at the next exit so you better find us another route.” Steve expected this would happen and had been marking some backroads that would ultimately lead them back to the highway, hopefully past the traffic buildup. 

“I’m on it.” Eddie cut over to the right a little early and followed a few cars riding along the shoulder. They exited the highway and were surrounded by fields and farms. Steve told Eddie to keep driving until they saw some more road signs so that Steve could determine where they needed to go. They continued down the road but then the van started to wobble a bit. Steve looked at Eddie with panicked eyes and Eddie responded, “It’s fine, she does that all the time.” His tone wasn’t quite believable though. A few minutes later it happened again and Eddie announced he was going to pull over briefly. Steve held his forehead in his fingers, stressed about their current situation. It suddenly felt like fate was trying to keep him out of Chicago. He wasn’t giving up that easily. 

Eddie got out of the van and circled the vehicle, inspecting it for signs of concern. Eddie knocked on Steve’s window, interrupting Steve’s desperate thoughts. Steve cranked down the window.

“I found the problem,” Eddie said.

“How bad is it?”

“It’s a flat tire.”

“Please tell me you have a spare.”

“Harrington, how irresponsible do you think I am?” Steve didn’t answer him and Eddie added, “Yes I have a spare. And I’ve changed a tire before.”

Steve climbed out of the van as Eddie opened the doors for the back, collecting his tools.

“Do you need help with anything?” Steve asked his friend. Eddie genuinely seemed to know what he was doing and Steve didn’t know that he would be of much assistance. 

“Nah, I’ve got it.” 

Steve peered off in the distance and saw a strip mall about a half a mile away. 

“I’m going to walk down there and see if I can find a phone to call Robin. Just let her know we’re on our way but maybe a little delayed.

“Great idea, I knew I kept you around for a reason.” Steve shook his head at his friend, grabbed the maps from the front seat, and  then headed down the road toward his destination. Maybe if he met a helpful local they could give them a good route to take. He hoped that by the time he returned, the car would have a new tire and they would be back on the road.

The walk didn’t take him too long and it gave him an opportunity to clear his head. He walked into a small grocery store and was greeted immediately. He let the motherly cashier know his predicament and she was more than happy to help. First he called Robin and the call went to voicemail. He left her a quick message letting her know they were running late and would meet them out at the bar. He just asked that they leave a spare key for them to be able to get into her apartment and drop their stuff off. Once he finished the call, the cashier, who’s name he learned was Cindy, gave him a good back road route that would lead them back to the highway when they got closer to Illinois. He thanked her graciously and walked back to Eddie and the van.

True to his word, Eddie changed the tire and was packing up the van, ready to get going.

“You did that quick,” Steve commented.

Eddie shrugged, “I basically grew up in a mechanic shop. I learned how to change a tire when I was five.”

“Impressive.”

“Did you get a hold of Robin?”

“Left a message on her machine. I told her to leave us a spare key and we’d meet up with them later. Annnnd a very nice lady in the grocery store gave me directions so I know where we need to go.”

“So efficient. We’ll be back on track in no time.” The two piled into the car and, once again, headed north to Chicago.

The duo did make up some time by opting to ignore some speed limits, but they still ended up more than fashionably late. They pulled up to Robin’s address, a row home in Lincoln Park. Eddie let Steve out of the car with the bags while he circled the block in search of free overnight street parking. Steve located the hide-a-key in a potted plant near the front porch and opened the door, dropping the bags by the front steps. He wandered around the house and into the kitchen, pouring himself a glass of tap water that he promptly chugged. There was a piece of notebook paper pinned to the fridge with a magnet that read, “Lily’s Bar, Lincoln and Altgeld St - meet us there!” Robin was always a great communicator.

Steve dug through his backpack looking for a fresh shirt that didn’t smell like Eddie’s van. He put on a printed button up and threw on his oversized denim jacket, needing an extra layer from the crisp March air. Eddie barrelled in a minute or two later, ready to party. Steve locked the door behind him and returned the key to its rightful hiding spot. 

Steve checked his map to figure out the general direction of their destination and found it wasn’t too far, he guessed a seven minute walk.

“You nervous?” Eddie asked him.

“Well I wasn’t…” Steve commented, remembering the potential upcoming encounter he was about to have. 

“Did you ask Robin if she was coming?”

Steve shook his head, “Didn’t want to be disappointed if she wasn’t. Figured I’d keep that little sliver of hope alive.”

“I’m sure she’ll be there. She’s Robin’s cousin and one of her best friends.”

“I don’t even know if she still lives around here. She could be at school in California or something.”

Eddie gave his friend a look, “We’ll find out soon enough. No sense worrying about it now.” As if Steve hadn’t been worrying about it the whole drive up. It was the build up that was getting to him. This big dramatic scene that had played out in his head. They had a moment together one night almost five years ago, and Steve hadn’t stopped thinking about her since. Tonight things would be different. In a perfect world, they would still have a strong connection and would be drawn to each other immediately. In a more realistic world, things would be awkward and they would never see each other again. Either way, it would give him closure and he could hopefully move on from this fantasy.

They approached a bar with wood paneling, tall dark windows, and a hanging black sign that displayed an outline of a shaggy haired woman. It was a dive bar with character and live music was flowing out the open door. Steve and Eddie handed their IDs to the bouncer and easily walked into the bar, in need of a few brews. They beelined it to the bartender and Eddie flashed his winning smile and was quickly greeted. He nudged Steve, “What do you want?”

“Budweiser,” Steve said absentmindedly, skimming the bar for his old friend and her very beautiful cousin. It was loud with the live music and packed considering it was a Saturday night, which put Steve into stimulation overload.

As Eddie flirted away with the bartender he added, “Hey, do you happen to recall serving a round of shots to a group celebrating a 21st birthday?” 

“Oh yeah.”

“They still here?” he followed up.

“I think they went upstairs to try and get a table.”

“Thank you darling. Much appreciated,” Eddie left a few extra dollars on the bar to show his appreciation.

“Laying it on a little thick there,” Steve murmured.

Eddie shrugged, “It’s the Munson Method. I recently developed it and found that if you butter up the bartenders early on in the night, they remember you, thus serving you quicker, and often providing more potent mixed drinks.”

“I’ll have to remember that one,” Steve chuckled, still skimming the crowd for a familiar face.

“C’mon lover boy,” Eddie said, taking the lead after recognizing the look on his friend’s face. Eddie headed toward the corner and up the stairs, where the sound of live music was replaced with the loud chatter of college students. The second floor was mostly tables, all of which were currently full and covered in beer bottles. There was a small bar along one wall where people were collecting cans of beer and plastic cups full of mixed drinks. 

A flash of pink caught Steve’s eye and he turned toward the corner to find Robin, sitting pretty in a hot pink feather boa and a plastic tiara.

“Found her,” Steve said, pointing toward the crowded corner. There were a lot of people surrounding her and Steve quickly looked for Y/N, but found himself disappointed with every glance. He didn’t see her. His heart would’ve skipped a beat if he even thought he saw her. Yet here he was, happy to see his friend but missing the butterflies in his stomach. 

Eddie and Steve walked over to the table and Robin’s eyes lit up when she saw them.

“MY BOYS!” she screeched when she saw them approaching her. She jumped from her hair to put her arms around their necks in a squished group hug.

She let them go and turned back to the group, “Friends, these are my boys.” Then she sat back in her chair and continued sipping on what looked like a Long Island Iced Tea.

“I’m Eddie, this is Steve.”

“I see you’ve been taking good care of her,” Steve joked, referring to Robin’s inebriation.

The group shifted to make space for them at the table and provided a dozen different names that Steve wouldn’t remember. 

Steve let out a deep breath, admitting defeat that his potential soulmate wasn’t here. He chugged the rest of his beer and went to the bar to get another. He would cope with alcohol. It was a bad plan, but it was what he needed tonight.

He stood at the crowded bar and looked for an opening to make eye contact with the bartender. There was a girl in a purple fringed jacket who was on the shorter side currently ordering and Steve slid in behind her, hoping he could order once the bartender filled her order. He saw the bartender pouring a line of layered shots which she then slid towards the girl. There were probably eight shots and he almost considered offering her help. But then she impressively bunched all the shooters together and grasped them in her talons, focusing on her grip before she took a deep breath and picked them all up. She turned quickly and ran full force into Steve, somehow only dropping one of the shots. He reached out instinctively and placed his hands around hers to stabilize the glasses. She looked up at him and Steve could’ve died right there. It was Y/N.

“Hi,” she breathed, her expression softening from frustration to shock.

“Hi,” he responded. 

“You probably don’t remember me. I’m-”

“Of course I remember you,” Steve smiled.  “Can I give you a hand?” 

“Um yeah, can you take some of these back to the table and I’ll grab a few more?”

“You got it.” Steve took six of the shot glasses and left her with one, as she turned back to the bar to order again. He placed them in the middle of the table and Eddie said, “Aw Steve, you shouldn’t have.”

“We have more coming,” Steve announced, so that people knew to wait before taking the shots.

“We?” Eddie asked, looking up at Steve. He merely shrugged and walked back to the bar, Eddie’s eyes following him. When he saw Steve sidle up next to a petite brunette, he had it all figured out. 

“Son of a bitch,” he muttered to himself with a smile.

Steve returned to Y/N’s side as she collected the remaining shot glasses. She ordered a replacement for the one she dropped, as well as two extra shot glasses for himself and Eddie.

“I’m gonna get a drink, do you want something?” he whispered into her ear as she collected the shot glasses.

“Yes, could you get me between the sheets?” Steve’s heart dropped into his stomach and his eyebrows rose.

“What was that?” Steve asked, not believing what he had just heard.

Y/N blushed, “The drink. Between the Sheets.”

“Oh. Ohhh, yes I will get it.”

“You didn’t think I was coming onto you this early in the night, did you?” she flirted with a glimmer in her eyes.

“A boy can dream, can’t he,” Steve added, sending her a smile back. She held his gaze for a moment then took the remaining shots back to the table, leaving him at the bar. He ordered her drink and a rum and coke and returned to the table.

He walked the drink over to where Y/N was sitting and considered lingering for a moment but decided to play it cool. He placed the drink in front of her and she turned around quickly to thank him. She looked like she wanted to say more but then Robin was tugging at her sleeves, pulling her into her conversation to settle an argument.

Steve gave her the signal to go ahead and stated, “We’ll catch up later.” She gave him an enthusiastic nod and then turned over to Robin.

He returned to his seat next to Eddie and tried not to make eye contact, ignoring Eddie’s knowing eyes.

“Someone looks happy,” he commented.

“Shut up,” he said, nudging his friend.

“Is this moment everything you hoped it would be?” Eddie teased.

“I’ll report back at the end of the night.”

“Fair enough.” 

Before they could continue their conversation, Y/N stood up and called for their attention. She held up her shot glass and signaled for everyone else to do the same. She gave a toast to Robin, but Steve didn’t hear a word she said. This was the first time he had gotten a proper look at her and she looked as good as ever. She was in a purple fringe jacket with a black corset top and black jeans. Her hair was straighter, but teased with side bangs that framed her face. But her smile was just as infectious as it had always been. He watched her, laughing with Robin, and longed to hear that beautiful sound again. He had to figure out a way to get her alone.

After a few more drinks (and a couple rounds of shots) Steve had loosened up and had a plan in place. The live band was still playing downstairs and he felt it was time to move the party to the main event. He enlisted Eddie’s help and Eddie ran over to Robin and took her hand, pulling her from her chair. He wasn’t sure what Eddie said to her, but he saw Robin’s eyes go wide and she called to the group and said, “Guys, there’s dancing downstairs!!”

The table all stood up and followed Robin and Eddie. Steve hung behind, letting everyone else go before him. Y/N walked over and stood next to him, watching the others head downstairs. 

“Dancing, really? Was this your idea?” she accused.

He shrugged, “I may have made a suggestion.”

“I’m glad you guys made it. I heard you had some car trouble.”

“Yeah, hit some traffic then got a flat. But we weren’t gonna let that stop us from celebrating Robin’s special day.”

“I know she’s wasted right now, but she’s so grateful you guys made it. All she could talk about all week was how excited she was to see her hometown friends.”

“Wouldn’t have missed it for the world.”

“How’ve you been Steve?”

“Doing pretty well. Finishing up my last semester and getting ready to graduate, which is crazy.”

“Where’d you end up?”

“Indiana. What about you?”

“Northwestern. Didn’t have it in my heart to leave Chicago just yet. How do you like Bloomington?”

“It’s been great. Very different from the Hawkins small town life, but still feels…I don’t know, comfortable?”

“That’s great! I’m so happy for you. And what-”

“Y/N! Come dance!!” Robin had barrelled back up the stairs and interrupted their conversation by pulling Y/N’s arm. She looked back apologetically at Steve and he gave her a smile, following their lead. He figured if he couldn’t talk to Y/N he could at least try to dance with her.

It was packed on the dance floor as college kids were flocking to the band. Steve imagined this is what it was like at the shows Eddie played. The girls were dancing with each other and some of Robin’s other friends and Steve found a spot with Eddie.

Steve waited for his moment and when Robin spun Y/N around and she landed a few feet in front of him, he slid in and put a gentle hand on her hip. She turned her head around casually to scope out who was touching her, and she eased when she realized it was Steve. She found his free hand and held it in hers, leaning back into him a little more. Then she spun into him so that she was facing him and moved her hands on his shoulders. They were in a slow dancing position but they were moving at pace with the upbeat music. He could feel the tension building between them and all he wanted was to taste her lips again.

He was pulled from his thoughts when the frontman of the band made an announcement.

“Alright, we’re gonna switch it up a little here and invite a friend up to the stage. Munson, get up here.” The crowd cheered, particularly the birthday crew, as Eddie clambered up to the stage. The frontman took off his guitar and passed it to Eddie, who strummed a few test chords. Eddie walked over to the drummer and bass player and they nodded their heads together before the drummer counted them in. The former frontman took a spot next to the bass player as Eddie took position center stage.

The song started with some aggressive, repetitive guitar chords that Eddie hit hard. Then eventually the kick drum came in, holding a steady beat.

Then Eddie started to sing, “When I get to the bottom, I go back to the top of the slide. I get to the top and I go for a ride. I get to the bottom and I see you again. I see you again.”

The crowd went wild at the Motley Crue cover and Eddie’s vocals were throaty and intense. 

“Do you, don’t you want me to love you. I’m coming down fast but I’m miles above you. Oh tell me, tell me, tell me, come on tell me the answer. You may be a lover but you ain’t no dancer.”

A flock of coeds had made their way through the crowd and were now salivating at Eddie’s feet and he was loving every minute of it.

“He’s really good!” Y/N nearly yelled into his ear. Steve hadn’t seen Eddie play in a while, and he had to give it to him. The guy knew how to work a crowd.

“Helter skelter, helter skelter, helter skelter…”

The song continued and included a killer guitar solo that Eddie absolutely crushed. When they finished the song, the crowd went wild, screaming and cheering as they drew out the final notes. Eddie gave a thank you to the crowd and high fived the other band members. The front man came back up to the mic and said, “We’re gonna take a quick break and then we’ll be back with some more tunes for you.” The crowd sighed in disappointment and then quickly flocked to the bar for another round of drinks. 

“Should we go find him?” Steve asked, wanting to give his friend a clap on the back. Y/N agreed and they moved towards the side of the stage, hoping they could intercept Eddie before his newfound fan-club.

They heard him before they saw him. He was buzzing off the natural adrenaline high and was speaking his praises to the band. When he saw Steve and Y/N waiting for him, he said his goodbyes and approached them.

“Where’d you learn to play like that?” Y/N cooed.

“That is all self taught baby!”

“You were incredible!”

“Seriously man, you killed it out there. One of these days you’re gonna be selling out arenas all over the country.”

Eddie put his hands together in a prayer position to show his gratitude. 

“So how do you know those guys?” Y/N asked.

Eddie shrugged, “I shared a joint with them somewhere in Ohio. They’re on the college circuit too. I recognized them and gave them a wave when we walked in, but I never expected them to call me up like that.”

“I think you’ve got some fans looking for you back there,” Steve said, signaling over his shoulder.

“Well it’d be rude to keep them waiting, right?” He smiled. Steve gave his pal a pat on the shoulder and watched him walk off.

“You want another drink?” Steve offered, hoping he could keep Y/N to himself.

“Yeah, definitely.” They wove their way through the crowded bar and Steve ordered them a few cocktails as he tried to shield her from the bustling crowd. He picked up the drinks and paid his tab, then led the way out of the crowd. He found a spot along the wall with a ledge where they could rest their drinks. He held his plastic cup up to hers and they cheers-ed, taking quick sips of their beverages.

“So are you liking Northwestern?” he asked, hoping to pick up the conversation where they left off. 

“Loving it. It’s north of the city, so it's a little quieter but I can come back into the city easily enough to visit family and friends.”

“Best of both worlds. What are you studying?”

“Psychology.”

“Tell me you’re going to school to be a therapist.”

She shrugged, “It’s possible.”

Steve beamed at her. “You are going to be so great at that.”

“I’m still coming to terms with it. It feels weird to follow in your parents footsteps, you know? Like is this something I actually want to do or is it just all I know.”

“Well, I wouldn’t know anything about that. But I genuinely think you have a talent for it. You’re so easy to talk to and I can tell you actually, like, listen to what I’m saying.”

“Oh yeah? As opposed to all the other girls you spend time with,” she teased.

“You’d be surprised. Half the time I think girls only talk to me because they like my hair.”

“It is really nice hair,” she added. 

“Thank you, but there’s more to me than the hair.”

“The handsome good looks?” she teased.

He blushed, “Well I don’t know about that.”

“I do. You’ve got a lot going for you. The girl you're dating right now is a lucky lady.”

“Oh, no. I’m not seeing anyone.” 

“Really? I just assumed…”

“Nah, I’ve been kind of hung up on someone and haven’t really dated much since then.”

“Oh,” she replied. He could see her brain moving, trying to understand where that left them.

Before he could reassure her, the crowd cheered again, signaling that the band had returned to the stage. The loud guitar riffs confirmed that. 

“Are you seeing anyone?” Steve asked her, hoping he knew the answer.

“What?” she called, struggling to adjust to the noise coming from the amps.

“Are you seeing anyone?” he repeated, this time a bit louder.

She pointed toward her ear and yelled, “I can’t hear you.”

Steve sighed, but quickly recovered as an idea entered his head. He leaned in close and whispered into her ear, “Do you wanna get out of here?”

She looked up at him with an amused expression on her face. She stood on her tiptoes and he leaned closer to make it easier for her.

“And go where?”

He shrugged and moved his lips toward her ear again, “Anywhere.” She looked up at him as he kept his face close to hers. A smirk was spreading up her face and she held his eye contact as she said, “Okay.” They chugged down the rest of their drinks and snuck out of the bar. Steve made eye contact with Eddie as they left so that he would know not to look for them. Eddie gave him a wink and a smile and Steve shifted his gaze away from his friends.

The moment they stepped outside they were met with the cold air, but they could also hear again. 

“That’s better,” she commented, happy to be away from the hustle and bustle.

“Know any good spots around here? Maybe somewhere a little more quiet.”

She looked up at the sky and pouted her lips, thinking through some potential options.

“Mmm, I’ve got it.” She started walking down the street and took a few turns down some side streets.

“Are you planning on mugging me in this alley?” Steve asked, eyeing their surroundings.

“Oh stop, it’s a short cut.”

“You shouldn’t be taking shortcuts down alleyways late at night.”

“Okay, Mom,” she joked.

“I’m serious! Don’t put yourself in a dangerous situation.”

“Okay, okay. I hear ya,” she waved him off, but secretly she thought his concern was kind of cute. They walked back onto the main street and stopped at a small storefront on the corner.

“Here we are,” she announced. Steve opened the door for her and she stepped inside first. The bar was cozy and warm, much different than the establishment they came from. There were a few people sitting at the bar, drinking out of stemmed glassware. They took two empty seats at the bar and skimmed through the cocktail menu. When the bartender approached Y/N requested two glasses of water and she ordered a whiskey smash. Steve ordered the same, making it easier on the bartender.

“This is much better,” Steve said.

“I can actually hear you, which is nice.”

“You say that now,” he joked, “Get a few more drinks in me and I won’t shut up.”

“Well lucky for you, I’m a really great listener.”

“I know this about you,” Steve smiled. He was trying to figure out how to ask her if she was single. She was giving him all the signs that she was, but he still wanted to confirm.

“You never told me what you’re studying.”

“Education. I’m going to be a middle school history teacher.”

Her face lit up, “That’s amazing. I can see you being so good at that, you’re so patient. And I bet you’re great with kids.”

“I’ve had some practice over the years. And as much as they can be a pain, I’ve really enjoyed seeing them grow as humans.”

“There should be more teachers like you out there. Growing up we had so many teachers that just did the bare minimum, handing out worksheets or making us watch videos. They lost all the respect of the students. But I don’t think you’ll be like that.”

“I hope not.” 

“What do your parents think of your career choice?” Always with the hard hitting questions. Yet oddly enough, he didn’t mind answering.

“My mom has been very supportive. My dad…let’s just say he wasn’t thrilled. He loves to remind me that it won’t be easy to support a family on a teacher’s salary. I could care less about the money. I spent my whole life being the rich kid, wondering if my friends were hanging out with me just because I had the nicest toys and a pool in the backyard.”

She placed her hand on top of his, showing him her support. 

“Robin and Eddie don’t see you that way.”

“You’re right, they don’t. And they really showed me what it means to be a true friend. I was really insecure before I met them, and I was kind of a jackass. I was friends with terrible people and treated others outside my circle really poorly. And then I met Robin and she called me out on my bullshit. She helped me realize I didn’t have to try so hard and I could just be myself.”

“She’s really good at that,” Y/N added. “She did the same thing for me when we were growing up.”

“Really?” Steve asked.

Y/N nodded. “I was always really shy and worried a lot about what people thought of me.  And she taught me not to be like that. She told me that I was awesome and if people didn’t see that, then it was their loss. And slowly but surely I started to believe that myself, and that’s when I finally began to feel confident.”

 “I’m gonna have to thank her for that next time I see her. Your confidence was one of the first things I noticed about you. It’s extremely attractive.”

There was a brief moment of silence between them, nothing uncomfortable, just quiet. And Steve figured now was as good a time as any. “Hey, can I ask you something?”

Her brow furrowed, “Yeah, you can ask me anything.”

He tried to see if there was a more subtle way of putting it, but there wasn’t.

“Are you…currently dating anyone?”

She smirked, “Is that what you were trying to ask me at Lily’s?”

“That’s not an answer,” Steve countered.

“No, I am not dating anyone. You know how you said girls are mostly interested in your hair?” 

“Yes…”

“Guys are mostly just interested in my ass. Doesn’t make for a great dating pool.”

He thought about complimenting her ass, but it felt distasteful.

“I’m really sorry you have to deal with that. I mean, guys are assholes but you deserve better than that.”

“I’m starting to think that not all guys are assholes,” she flicked her eyes up to him at the comment. By now, their drinks were mostly ice cubes.

“Do you want to get another round?” Steve asked. 

“Actually, can we go somewhere else?”

“Sure,” Steve replied, knowing he would follow her anywhere.

“I want to show you my favorite place in the city.” Steve smiled. He wanted to see her favorite place. He wanted to know everything about her. And she seemed to be letting him in.

“This is it!” she smiled, arms spread out as she walked onto the shore of Lake Michigan.

Steve looked out across the lake ahead of them, stunned by the size of the water.

“Wow,” was all he could manage. Y/N turned around to find him stopped in his tracks, taking it all in. She walked back towards him and stood by his side.

“Amazing, right?” she said, peering up at him.

“I feel like I’m looking at the ocean…”

She nodded, “It has that effect on most. But if you get a clear day, you can just barely make out Michigan across the way.”

“That’s wild.”

“I know it’s not as quaint and picturesque as your lake in Hawkins, but it’s amazing when you consider there’s a full city right behind us.” Steve looked over his shoulder, peering at the illuminated skyline. 

“I can see why you like this place,” he commented.

“I always felt like the lake brought me a little bit of peace, away from the hustle and bustle of the city.”

They stood there for a moment, listening to the distant sounds of the city that contrasted with the calm of the water in front of them. At some point Steve took her hand and they walked further along the sand, sitting just shy of the tides.

“This is nice,” he said. He thought it before he realized he had spoken it out loud. But he meant it. They fell into an easy, comfortable silence. Neither of them needed to force conversation. He was happy just sitting there in her presence.

“I’ll give you another thirty seconds,” she stated.

“We’re leaving already?”

“Not exactly,” he looked at her, expecting an elaboration, “Just…enjoy the next few seconds.” Steve was utterly confused, which made it impossible for him to relax.

“Times up, come on!” she said, quickly standing up. She kicked off her shoes and tore off her jacket, throwing it onto the sand. Steve sat there still, wondering why she was running straight to the lake. She unzipped the back of her top and let the fabric drop to the ground. She turned back around toward him, wearing a simple black bra and her jeans. “Are you coming?” she asked playfully. She didn’t have to ask him twice, he would follow her anywhere. And her lack of clothing certainly helped.

She unzipped and wiggled out of her jeans, leaving them splayed across the sand as she ran toward the water’s edge. Steve couldn’t get his clothes off fast enough, despite the chill in the air.

“Are you sure about this?” he asked, finding it strange to be the voice of reason. “It’s gonna be freezing.” His shirt was off and he was working on his pants.

“Come on Stevie. Live a little,” she winked over her shoulder before running into the icy water. She shivered at first but powered through, knowing she had to force herself in to get acclimated.

Steve followed her lead, albeit with slightly less excitement. When the water hit his skin, he tried not to think about how cold it was. He focused all his thoughts on catching up with her and keeping her warm in his arms. When he reached her, she was out deep enough that she was treading water. 

“Took you long enough,” she smirked at him.

“I wasn’t sure if you were serious.”

“Didn’t think I was spontaneous?”

“Didn’t think you were crazy,” he joked. 

“Only a little bit,” she smiled back. They bobbed in the water together, eyes locked on one another, and Steve was contemplating what his next move was when she spoke. 

“I think about that day all the time,” she confessed. Steve almost told her that he did too, but she didn’t seem like she was finished. “I’ve replayed it in my head over and over again. And it all was perfect, but there is one thing that I would change.”

Steve tensed slightly, unsure where she was going with this.

“I wish I would’ve given you my number. I just had it in my head that I was going to be coy and mysterious and, looking back, that was stupid. And now I’ve spent all these years thinking about you after spending like four hours with you and…I don’t know why I’m telling you all this, probably because the cold-”

Steve heard everything he needed to hear. As she spoke he slid in closer and closer and a dumb smile was spread across his face. She felt it too, this was the confirmation he was waiting for. He cut her off suddenly, his hand cupping her jaw and his lips were on hers. He took her by surprise but she melted into the kiss almost immediately. Her arms wrapped around his neck and she brought him closer, wrapping her bare legs around his waist. His free hand moved to the small of her back and the skin to skin contact reminded him that they were scantily clothed. Whatever his expectations were for the night, this surpassed all of them.

He pulled away for a moment, connecting his forehead with hers as he caught his breath.

“I’ve been waiting five years to do that,” he spoke onto her lips. She smiled and let out a breath. “Well we can’t have you waiting any longer,” she said, leaning into him again. He held her tight as he kissed her again, giving her a playful nip on her bottom lip. She deepened the kiss, allowing him access into her mouth. She played with the hair on the back of Steve’s neck and he let out an unconscious moan, which generated a playful smile on Y/N’s lips, as she continued kissing him. 

Steve had almost forgotten about being submerged in ice water, until he noticed Y/N’s shoulders twitch in a shiver. He had lost track of how long they’d been in the water, which meant it was probably time to get out. 

He pulled away from her slowly and ran his hands over her shoulders in an attempt to warm her up. “Come on, let’s get you dried off before you catch a cold.” 

She nodded and he gave her a quick peck on her nose, which she giggled at. He reluctantly released her and she took his hand, guiding him out of the water. The minute the air hit the two of them they were shivering, teeth clattering at the cold, as they ran back to where they left their clothes. Y/N struggled to pull on her jeans and didn’t even bother with the corset, instead throwing on her jacket. Steve dressed quickly and she pulled at his arm, urging him to come with her, which of course was unnecessary.

They ran through the streets of Chicago, stopping only when there was a car approaching, and within about ten minutes, Y/N led him up the stoop of a brownstone. She easily unlocked the door and led Steve inside. All the lights were out, save for a single lamp, and the entire house was quiet.

“So this is my house,” she said in a sing-song voice. It was small compared to the spacious house Steve lived in, but it was still beautiful. And it felt like home. There were school portraits and family vacation photos strewn all over the walls. It could’ve been a set for a sitcom, it looked that perfect.

“Well this is cute,” Steve said, pointing to a photo of Y/N in her elementary school years. Y/N peered over and winced at the awkward childhood photo. 

“Oh god, that’s the worst one,” she said, covering her face with her hands. “I blame my mother for letting me out of the house like that.”

Steve chuckled, “Are you kidding? That girl would’ve been my third grade crush.”

She scoffed, “Maybe if you liked chapter books and jigsaw puzzles. I was pretty introverted.”

“And I always liked shy girls.”

She blushed and looked at him for a moment too long, wondering if he could read her mind. He didn’t disappoint when he took a step closer and gave her a sweet, affectionate kiss on the lips.  She looked up at him, a smile extending up to her eyes, and wanted to remember this moment. 

“C’mon, let’s get you out of these wet clothes,” Steve offered.

Y/N raised an eyebrow, “Steve Harrington, you big flirt.”

Steve blushed, “I genuinely did not mean for that to sound so sleazy.”

She simply shook her head and smiled at him, before she led him up the stairs. Her room was on the third level, so they made their way up two flights and walked past several closed doors. When they reached Y/N’s room, Steve couldn’t help but smile. Her room was exactly what he would’ve expected. There was a shelf full of books and a turntable with a crate of records under it. She had a movie poster of Ferris Bueller’s Day Off taped to the wall overlooking a small desk covered with writing utensils and pictures of her with her friends. But what caught his eye was a familiar looking Members Only jacket slung around the back of the chair.

“You still have this?” Steve said, pulling at the sleeve of the jacket. 

Y/N turned around towards him and a faint blush crept up her freckled cheeks.

“Oh, well yeah. I thought you might want it back someday.”

“Not deserving of a hanger?” he picked the jacket up 

“Um, sometimes it stays in the closet.” Steve read the guilty expression on her face and followed his instinct. He brought the familiar fabric to his face and gently inhaled.

“It smells like you,” he smiled.

“It gets cold here,” she shrugged. He looked at her in amazement and she couldn’t maintain his eye contact. “Are you enjoying this? Because it’s mortifying for me.”

“I am actually,” he smiled. “But it could be worse.”

“Oh really?” she challenged.

He merely shrugged, “You could keep a Care Bear in your closet because it reminds you of a pretty girl.”

Her jaw dropped into a smile of disbelief. “Are you serious?” He didn’t say anything, but instead gave her a tight lipped smile and an eyebrow raise as if to say “guilty.”

“Did you bring him with you this weekend?”

“Hell no. Wish Bear is not emotionally prepared to be reintroduced to the woman who abandoned him in the backseat of a car.”

Y/N couldn’t keep in her laugh. “Tell him I’m terribly sorry that I was distracted trying to find him a new daddy.”

Steve’s eyebrows rose as a grin spread across his face. “What was that?” he challenged.

She immediately put her head in her hands, “That…that came out wrong.”

“There are so many things I could say right now…”

“And on that note, I’m going to take a shower.” Steve said nothing as she rushed out of the room, cheeks burning red. She popped her head back into the room to say, “Oh, make yourself comfortable. I’ll be quick.”

“Take your time, sweetheart.”

Y/N showered quickly, letting the warm water melt off the embarrassment from the situation she just escaped. Steve was here, in her childhood home, in her room. She had no idea where the night was going, but she wanted to savor it. Enjoy every minute with him while she could, because she didn’t know what tomorrow would bring.

She emerged from the bathroom in nothing but a towel and took a deep breath as she stepped back into her room. Steve was looking through her crate of records and turned towards her as the door opened. Upon seeing her in just a towel he turned his back toward her, not wanting to make her feel uncomfortable.

“Sorry,” he instinctively apologized, “I won’t look.”

“Oh, it’s fine. The shower’s all yours anyway. I put some clean towels out in the bathroom for you.”

“Thanks,” he walked past her and inadvertently brushed her bare shoulder, sending a small shiver down her spine. He was grateful for the escape because the sight of her in nothing but a towel was too much for him to handle. 

Once she heard the water running, she changed into a pair of sweatpants and a Northwestern T-shirt and pulled her wet hair up with a scrunchie. Then she raided her brother’s room, in search of a pair of gym shorts and a T-shirt that Steve could wear. She folded the borrowed clothes on her bed and curled up with a book, attempting to distract herself from the boy in her bathroom, which proved to be difficult. 

She was overthinking things, as per usual. She tried to convince herself that she was okay with having a one night stand with Steve, but she wasn’t sure that’s how she actually felt. She wanted more with him. The connection and chemistry was there, but the path forward was unclear. 

Steve interrupted her internal monologue when he emerged from the bathroom. And Y/N made the mistake of turning to look at him. He was glistening from the shower with his wet hair disheveled, yet somehow framing his face perfectly. There was a towel wrapped around his waist but Y/N’s attention was drawn to his firm pecs, covered by the slightest amount of chest hair that matched the happy trail that ran from his navel down to the edge of the towel. She wanted nothing more than to feel his body pressed on top of hers. Luckily, she was completely frozen by his bare form because her instinct was to take his hand and pull him towards her. 

“Good water pressure,” he smiled at her, breaking her trance.

“Oh yeah. It’s one of the things I miss most when I’m at school.”

“I’d be happy if I could get a third of that in my apartment.”

She contemplated her response, running different replies over in her head, but ultimately all she gave him was a smile. It’s not that things were awkward, but there was tension in the air and she was trying to tread lightly.

“So there’s fresh clothes at the end of the bed for you. Hopefully they fit, they’re my brothers and you’re probably close to the same size.”

“Thank you, I’m sure they’ll be fine.”

“And there’s extra toothbrushes in the drawer to the right of the sink.”

“You are truly a gracious host,” he smiled, collecting the clothes and retreating into the bathroom. He came out a few minutes later and she took his place in the bathroom, washing her face and brushing her teeth. Steve took a careful seat at the edge of the bed and waited, realizing this perfect night was coming to an end. He noticed she’d tensed up a bit recently, and he hoped it wasn’t because he was making her uncomfortable. He ultimately decided to follow her lead because he didn’t want to risk crossing a line.

When she walked back into the room, Steve finally took in her appearance. She was in sweats and a T-shirt, hair pulled into a messy bun, with no makeup on, and he was floored by her natural beauty. 

She caught his eye and said, “What is it?”

He smiled at her and shook his head, “Nothing, I just like looking at you.” She blushed and joined him on the bed, leaning against the pillows and pulling her knees into her chest.

“So…what now?” he asked her. She peered at the clock on her bedside table and realized it was nearing 2AM.

“I think now we just go to bed.”

“Bed it is,” he said. He nodded and stood up, wondering how he should end this night with her.

“What are you doing?” she questioned.

“Oh I just figured I’d go sleep on the couch or the floor or something.”

“Steve…don’t be stupid.” They eyed each other for a few seconds before she signaled for him to approach, saying “Come on.”

“Are you sure?” he confirmed.

“Of course I’m sure.”

He certainly wasn’t going to argue with that. She pulled the comforter down and slid underneath and he easily followed her lead. Once they were settled, she stretched out toward the side table and turned off the lamp. 

It was awkward for a beat. The double bed fit two, but in close proximity. They were both looking up toward the ceiling and Steve heard Y/N pull in a deep breath. She eventually shifted so that she was laying on her side facing him. He easily turned his head towards her and his hair fell over his eyes. Without thinking, she brushed the hair off his face. A verbal thank you wasn’t needed; it was communicated by the look in his eyes.

“I should warn you that I’m a bit of a restless sleeper,” she spoke.

“Not a problem for me. I sleep like a log.”

“The real question is do you snore?”

A smile spread up his face, “Now how do you expect me to answer that?”

“With a yes or no.”

“How am I supposed to know if I snore if I’m asleep when it happens?”

“Has anyone told you that you snore?”

“No, but I don’t think there’s many people that would know if I did.” 

“I don’t believe that for one second.”

“Why not?”

“Because…look at you. You can’t honestly expect me to believe you haven’t had hookups before.”

“I’ve had hookups before, just…not a lot of sleepovers.”

“And why’s that?”

He studied her face as he came up with an answer. “I don’t know. I think I didn’t want to give anyone the wrong idea. It seemed like if I spent the night, there was maybe hope that something more would happen. But I never met anyone I wanted more with.”

“Yet, you’re sleeping over tonight…”

“Well this is a completely different situations because I’m from out of town and-”

“That is not the answer I was looking for,” she interrupted his rambling. Now he shifted so that he was laying on his side, fully facing her. 

“Oh no, you don’t want me to get all sappy.”

“Oh I absolutely do. Girls love it when guys show their vulnerable side.”

“Really? I’ll have to remember that,” he joked. She playfully hit his chest in response. And they laughed for a moment before he gave her a genuine response.

“Y/N, I’m not sure if you’ve noticed, but I’m crazy about you. Always have been. You are the most beautiful girl I have ever seen, I was drawn to you the moment I first saw you, before I even knew who you were. And then I talked to you which made me realize you were someone I needed to have in my life. So to sum all that up, I’m here and sleeping over because you are someone special.”

Her cheeks naturally flushed as she smiled at him, and she turned more into her pillow in an attempt to hide her amusement.

“Come on now, don’t hide that smile from me.” He carefully slid his fingers between her cheek and the soft pillow, angling her so that she was facing him fully. She took this opportunity to lean in closer to him.

“Do you really mean that?” she whispered. She wasn’t sure why she was looking for confirmation. In her brain, this all seemed too good to be true. 

“Without a doubt.” He held her eye contact and she believed him whole-heartedly. She moved in closer, at a painfully slow pace, and then her lips finally connected with his. They melted into each other, as Steve easily wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her as close to him as possible. 

With every second that passed, Steve found himself growing more courageous. First he slid his hand under the hem of her shirt and placed it on the dip of her waist, drawing little circles on her warm skin with his fingertips. When she tugged on his shirt to pull him closer, he gained another boost of confidence. He pulled back for a brief moment, but before she could protest, he peppered kisses up her jaw and gave her earlobe a gentle tug with his incisors. She let out a heated breath and he smiled, planting a kiss behind her ear and working down her neck. 

With each new spot Steve explored, he lit a spark under Y/N’s skin. It was like he was thoughtfully stringing Christmas lights but the final result was that Y/N was getting very, very turned on. Steve paused for a breath when he reached the collar of her T-shirt.

“Can I take this off?” he boldly asked. She was flushed but didn’t have to think twice about answering. She sat up and Steve gently pulled the shirt up and over her head, careful to ensure it didn’t get caught anywhere. As she lounged on the bed in a simple bralette, it suddenly didn’t seem fair that Steve was still fully clothed. 

“Your turn.” Steve cocked an eyebrow at her suggestion, but easily gave in, reaching behind his neck to pull the shirt over his head. She couldn’t help but notice the flex in his bicep as he shed his tee and felt her attraction increase even more. His hair was perfectly messy, falling over his chocolate brown eyes that were currently fixated on her lips. 

She needed to feel his touch again. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him on top of her. He was careful not to put his full body weight on her, but she wanted the skin-on skin contact. He found a comfortable position where one of his legs rested on the mattress between hers. As he closed the gap between them, he could feel the anticipation emanating off her. The minute his lips met hers, she tightened her grip around him, wanting to feel all of him. He allowed himself to drop some of the weight he was holding up, which increased the contact between them. She loved the feeling of his bare chest on top of hers and she ran her fingers through his hair, forcing a small moan out of his mouth. As her arousal increased, she became bolder. She untangled her fingers from his hair and tucked her arms under his, giving her access to his back. He was currently tracing small circles on her side with his fingertips, barely tickling her and making her giddy. She countered his motion, taking it a step further by digging her nails into his trapezius and slowly pulling down. She felt Steve’s breath catch momentarily as she caught him off guard, but he recovered quickly, deepening the kiss. He pulled away, rubbing his nose with hers in an eskimo kiss, before focusing his attention on the spot where her neck met her shoulder. He leaned in close, his lips gently caressing her soft skin before he slowly sunk his teeth into her flesh. She let out a small gasp but held Steve’s head in place so that he wouldn’t pull away. Her entire body was tingling and she could feel her underwear dampening with every second and Steve’s current actions were only making things worse. As he shifted to come back up to her mouth, he adjusted his position and in doing so, his leg slid up and his thigh brushed between her legs. When he found her lips again, the friction between her legs continued as Steve’s thigh retained its position. And then she felt his erection pressing into her hip bone and she pulled away.

She leaned her head back and shut her eyes, “Fuck…”

“What is it? What’s wrong?” Steve looked at her, concern plastered on his face.

She sighed as she looked at him, “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be sorry. We can stop if you want.”

She rested a hand on his cheek, “Steve, I want this so badly and I thought I could be this cool, laid back girl who can have a one night stand but I just keep thinking about what happens tomorrow morning. I can’t give myself to you tonight because it will crush me when you leave.”

He turned into her hand and kissed her palm. He contemplated sharing the bit of information he’d been waiting to bring up all night, but he decided to wait. He didn’t want it to come across like he was trying to persuade her to change her mind. 

“You are very wise, my dear,” he smiled at her. “I already can’t stop thinking about you and I haven’t even seen you naked yet.”

She blushed and let out a small laugh, and he couldn’t resist kissing her again. He leaned in first with a peck and then gave her a soft, deeper kiss. 

“Will you still cuddle with me tonight?” she asked him, giving him her best puppy dog eyes.

“Only if I can be little spoon,” he teased.

“Nooooo….” she whined. He kissed her on the cheek and then fell back onto the mattress, pulling her tight into his chest.

“Settle in cuddle bug,” he said, kissing the nape of her neck. She made herself comfortable in the bed and intertwined her hand in his. She let out a deep sigh and melted into his arms.

“Goodnight Steve,” she said.

“Goodnight Y/N.”

The morning sunlight crept through the blinds, waking Steve from his peaceful sleep. He smiled when he found Y/N curled into him, her cheek pressed against his chest and her arm draped around his torso. A part of him thought it all might’ve been a dream, a trick his mind was playing on him after years of longing. Yet the evidence was right in front of him: the smell of her grapefruit shampoo, the sound of her steady breathing, and the feel of her warm, soft skin. He didn’t dare move a muscle for fear of waking the sleeping angel in his arms. 

He eyed the digital clock on her nightstand and saw it was around 7:30. He’d gotten less than five hours of sleep, yet he’d never felt more refreshed. He never wanted this moment to end, so he savored it by tightening his grip on Y/N and lightly tracing patterns on her back with his fingertips. She shifted slightly and let out a slight groan, a sign that she was waking up. Her eyes fluttered open and she squinted up at him.

“Good morning,” he smiled down at her.

“Hi,” she squeaked, “You’re still here.”

Steve looked down at her in shock, “Are you crazy? Of course I’m still here. Where else would I be?”

She shrugged sleepily and he kissed her forehead, tightening his grip on her and pulling her in closer. 

She let out a deep sigh, “I think I’m still in denial about…all of this.”

He nodded, “I had the same thought when I woke up.”

“Do you like coffee?” she asked, out of the blue.

“I love coffee.”

“How about I go make us some coffee,” she suggested, sitting up to stretch.

He nodded in agreement, “Do you want company?”

“Yeah, sure,” she smiled at him. As they climbed out of bed, Y/N took his hand and led him down the stairs. She expertly maneuvered the coffee pot while Steve took a seat at the kitchen island. 

“Sorry, I’m not a morning person,” she explained. 

“How’d you sleep?” he asked her.

She turned toward him and replied, “Surprisingly well.”

“Surprisingly?”

“I wasn’t sure how I was going to sleep with someone else in my bed.”

He tilted his head and looked at her funny, “Then why did you let me sleep there?”

“Because I wanted you there,” she said sincerely.

“Well I’m glad I didn’t keep you up.”

“I mean, you did a little bit,” she gave him a knowing smile, “but I didn’t mind.”

As the coffee finished brewing, Y/N poured them two cups and brought over some cream and sugar. She sat down next to him and took a deep sip of her coffee, needing a little extra courage for this next part. 

“So…what’s your plan for today?” she offered.

“Um, well I’ve gotta get back to Robin’s at some point. All my stuff’s there and Eddie parked his van there and he’s my ride home.”  

“Are you heading back to Indiana today?”

“Yeah, at some point. 

She nodded, thinking through her words and how to breach the subject on her mind. 

“So-” she started

“I should tell you something,” he said at the same time, not meaning to cut her off. He sounded serious and she felt her heart sink into her stomach, realizing this was all coming to an end.

“Go on,” she replied, eyeing him with curiosity. She almost didn’t want to hear what he had to say. This was probably why Robin seemed to keep them apart.

“Well I’m graduating in a few months, so I’m in the fun process of looking for a job. And I actually have an interview in a few weeks for a teaching job in Oak Park.”

Her eyes widened and she clarified, “Oak Park, Illinois?”

He nodded, trying to read her expression.

“So you’ll be back in a few weeks?” she smiled at him.

Steve tilted his head, not sure that she fully grasped what he was saying.

“If all goes well, I’ll be moving out here in the summer.”

Her face turned from contentment to pure joy as things finally seemed to be coming together. She had no words to express her feelings, so instead she reached out and wrapped her arms tightly around his neck. He embraced her around the waist and hugged her back, planting a kiss on her cheek.

“Why didn’t you tell me before?” she asked, as she moved back to her seat. 

He sighed, “I was trying to find the right moment. Early in the night, I didn’t really know what was going to happen and didn’t want to be presumptuous. And then you kind of pumped the brakes last night and I felt like mentioning it then would’ve seemed like I was just trying to get in your pants.”

She looked at him with soft eyes, realizing how truly considerate he was, “You are unbelievable.”

“Is that a good thing?” he asked, eyebrows raised. She responded by placing both hands on his jaw and pulling him towards her so that she could express her emotions with her touch. She captured his lips in hers, kissing him gently but with passion.

When she pulled away, Steve gazed into her loving eyes, “Can I take you out to dinner?”

She smiled and said, “Steve, it's 8AM.”

He rolled his eyes, “Not now. When I’m back in a few weeks.”

“Where are you gonna take me?” 

“I hear this city has some pretty good hot dogs,” he joked. She laughed and leaned into him. “I’ll take you wherever you want to go.”

She stood up unexpectedly and walked across the kitchen, grabbed something from a drawer, and walked back over to Steve. She took his left hand and pulled it towards her. She uncapped the pen in her hand and carefully wrote a series of ten digits on Steve’s forearm.

“Had to make sure you wouldn’t lose it,” she smiled at him. 

“You’ll regret giving this to me. I’m gonna call you three times a day.”

“It’s a good thing I like the sound of your voice,” she complimented. He placed his hands on her hips and brought her closer. She countered by placing her hands on his shoulders. She looked at him adoringly, wanting to run her fingers through his tousled hair.  

“What are you thinking about?” he posed.

She let out a sigh, “It feels like this might be the start of something special.” He leaned up from his sitting position to find her lips and she graciously accepted his advances. As they slowly pulled away, she added, “I really hope you get the job.”

“Even if I don’t get this one, I can find another job in Chicago. But I really hope I get this one.”

“Tell me about the job!” she mused. He returned to her chair and slid closer to him, sipping on her coffee and he gave her the details of the opportunity. It was the first time she saw the passion he had for his career and it was incredibly attractive. He was so excited to teach in a public school in an urban environment and he wanted to help mold these young people who may not have been given a lot of opportunities. He explained that he knew he grew up with a silver spoon in his mouth and he wanted to give some of that back to others. He explained that it probably wouldn’t pay much but he’d have the summers off which would be nice. Y/N still had another year of undergrad followed by two years of grad school, which meant they’d have a lot of time to spend together during their breaks.

“You’re gonna get it,” she smiled at him.

“You think?”

“If you repeat that same spiel to them, they’ll hire you in a heartbeat. You have this twinkle in your eye which shows that you’re excited about the opportunity and you care about your future students.”

“Is that the therapist speaking or my future girlfriend?”

“Well aren’t you sure of yourself? You haven’t even taken me out on a date yet.”

“Oh I’m going to nail the date. In fact, I’d go as far to say that you just might fall in love with me by the end of it.”

She blushed and tried to hide her smile. All she could think was that she couldn’t fall for him on their first date because she was already in love.

[itsjustpoopeh]

and while i'm here at the library with the good wifi and a keyboard let me address something else to the toxic weirdasses trying to pretend it's ✨internalized misogyny✨ because "if tommy were a woman you would hate her yall hated all his other girlfriends"

hmm. no 💃🏽

let's go through the list of buck's girlfriends, which i personally disliked and why. you'll be surprised to find that i only hated one, and it had to do with the way kristen reidel butchered her character to make a self insert

Abby - i liked abby a lot. she was flawed and vulnerable and liked buck. she helped him mature and become a little more thoughtful, and i think let him figure out how much he wanted to be in a real relationship and have all those romantic experiences (hot air balloon date i'll always regret your premature murder). yeah she left him in an awful way and didn't bother to apologize and i hated her for THAT but during the relationship? nah fam i was rooting for those crazy kids

Ali - hell i REALLY liked Ali. smart, sassy, fun, also just liked buck and enjoyed his company. i didn't like her abrupt exit from the show but it's perfectly valid for someone to say "i can't handle the danger you're in and this won't end well for either of us if we try"

let's skip taylor and come back

natalia - i LIKED her at first. sure she was a little judgy about all his crazy ass shenanigans but uh... who tf wouldn't be? she wasn't judging him as a person, just being like "bruh wtf have you gotten yourself in to?" they didn't do a lot to flesh out her character because... well, see: kristen reidel and then this season tim had to dump her character bc she didn't want to come back (valid of her tbh)

aight and the TAYLOR of it all:

i liked taylor when she was introduced. i said it

or, to be more accurate, i enjoyed her character and what i thought the purpose of her character as a plot device was going to be

i will forever die on the hill that taylor kelly could have been an excellent recurring friendly antagonist. a ruthless, ambitious, snarky reporter, getting in bitch fights with eddie every time she shows up to horn in on the 118 for one of her investigations trying to climb the vicious corporate news ladder. getting in the way, occasionally helping out against her will, climbing buck like a tree in bar restrooms, then flouncing off until her next appearance. it would have been great

and then kristen reidel needed a self-insert, tried to redeem her with no actual work done on selling it, made her spineless, then turned her back into an awful unethical reporter when she needed to get rid of her, and worse, made her BORING AS FUCK doing it AND didn't accomplish any narrative purpose with it? nah fuck that shit.

and what i want you to notice is that NONE OF THAT HAS FUCK ALL TO DO WITH BUDDIE

godDAMN y'all are testing my nerves

[kat-the-meme-dealer]

i made a smash bros moveset for the lethal company boi. might post more if yall like it

Name: employee

Series: lethal company

Trailer Tagline: the employee makes the quota

Icon: im not sure if theres a proper symbol. but i feel like the employees mask would be a good one

Color swap palettes: we can use the existing suits wich are green, hazard, pajama, purple, bee, bunny, and since were one short lets have the masked as one (bonus note: maybe half the swaps can use the stop sign, and the other half can use the yeild sign lol)

Intro: appears in a beam of light as if teleported in then picks up a conveinetly placed stop sign

Alternate movement options: no

Attacks: (How will your fighter attack?)

A: swings sign like a bat

AA: again

AAA: overhead bash

A Side: jabs the sign striaght forward

A Dash: leaps forward with a kitchen knife

A Down: swings it along the ground

A Up: swings it overhead

Air Neutral: spins the sign like a baton

Air Forward: hjonk a squeeze horn

Air Back: jabs back with the signs post/handle

Air Up: swipes overhead with a kitchen knife

Air Down: slaps down the flat front of the sign. (yes it spikes)

Charge Smash Side: plant the sign in the ground and pull it back before letting it go SMACKing anyone in the way

Charge Smash Up: dig a shovel into the ground and use it to fling up dirt

Charge Smash Down: pick up some metal scrap and get struck by lightning

Grab: one handed collar grab

Grab A: a quick stab with the kitchen knife

Throw Forward: light a diy flashbang in the foes face blasting them away

Throw Back: scoop the foe up with a shovel throwing them back

Throw Up: place an extending ladder on the ground and toss the foe onto it causing the ladder to shoot up knocking em away

Throw Down: give the foe a facefull of airhorn before shoving them to the ground

Up Taunt: looks around as a blue light blinks on the helmets visor, as if using the scanner

Side Taunt: pulls out and reads a clipboard

Down Taunt: point at something random, might be a foe, might be an item on the ground...

B Moves: (What will your fighters B special moves and customs moves be?)

Normal B: inventory use (use the currently equipped item. ill list them in the down b)

Side B: shotgun (pull out and fire the shotgun. its a very poweful move against sheilds and also knocks you back a bit due to recoil, has a bit of a cooldown)

Down B: inventory (pull a chosen item from the inventory simaller to heros spells. heres your options: theres a pack of shotgun shells tat let you fire twice before cooldown, a can of spray paint that acts like pirahna plants poison cloud but smaller, the sun grenade wich is like a deku nut but with a bigger blast area, a TZP inhaler that gives you a buff to your speed and lag, the zap gun wich can be shot at a foe to hold them in place for a second, a circut beehive wich acts the same as the item and finally... random scrap. its just an item you can throw... note that all this is random of course youll only get 4 at a time to choose from and they CAN repeat.)

Up B: jetpack (lets you rocket in a chosen direction with little control. you can use it twice in a row before it runs out of feul sending you into freefall. if you run into someone with it the jetpack will explode dealing big damage to both the enemy and you! youll also go into freefall-)

Final Smash: bird barrage (pull a pirahna plant and summon an old bird to the stage that slowly lumbers around shooting at everything. YOU INCLUDED IF YOU DONT GET OUTTA THE WAY-)

Victory Poses: (How will your fighter celebrate they're victory?)

Option 1: is seen walking alongside a lootbug before just handing over some scrap to it. the little guy then scurries off happily while the employee just seems annoyed

Option 2: walks up holding a boom box in one hand and a gold bar in the other holding the latter up in the air

Option 3: the dropship lands infront of the camera and opens up revealing a group of employees doing the company jig

[revolvingfanatic]

HIIIII okay so I’ve recently found your fanfics a Puss in boots, and I’ve officially become obsessed just the way you write the characters and the Settings that they are in are so good and like the way you enter angst is so good. The one thing I do wanna see though no hate your literally amazing is maybe Puss in the wrong I like dynamic where death realizes he’s wrong for his past action reflects because that is so strong and I love that we love a good redemption, but I would also like to see Puss maybe Being a little too mean or biased, or assuming not out of being mean or wrong, but out of like trauma, his past experiences with dad, have now shaped his choices towards him, and he realizes how much it’s affecting the way he treats him I don’t know I’m just babbling at this point but anyways much love and support. Please keep fighting writing,living and much love.

Bumbleb33_s - my a03 name

Hi! First off, thank you so much! It fills my heart with joy to hear someone enjoy my work so much 💖 And honestly that’s a route I’ve purposefully avoided going with my fics because I like Puss so much and he did nothing to deserve all the traumatic stuff Death put him through, BUT, that being said, I did actually recently come up with an idea that would fit in with Puss being meaner to him than he deserves now that you bring it up. I doubt I’ll end up actually writing it out since I don’t have the time, but the basic idea is that the reason Death did what he did was because he knew Puss would die if he didn’t step in.

Like, I found out that Death only popped up at times that Puss could very well die (except probably the cave), like when Puss is drinking at the bar after the talk with Dr. Mendez (he could well have drunk himself to death with that “heaviest cream”), when he’s leaving Jack Horner’s with the map and flaming arrows are being shot at him, the battle where Jack is shooting unicorn horns, and the final battle. And maybe he knew the only way to get Puss to truly value his final life instead of relying on more and eventually tearing through those as well, was to teach him what true fear felt like, and challenge him the way he did.

BUT, since Death isn’t actually allowed to interfere to extend lives (going purely by the rules of this fic), and this would fall under that umbrella, he couldn’t make it seems like that was his goal, instead acting like he was insulted and wanted to just torment Puss before killing him out of spite.

THEN he needs Puss’ help with something really important, otherwise bad stuff would happen to a lot of people (like a continent getting destroyed or something, idk, lol), and Puss only agrees after Death signs a pact that he won't hurt Puss or his friends. Now, since Puss isn’t afraid that Death will kill him at the drop of a hat, he feels a lot more free to say whatever he wants, which is usually some kind of jab at Death’s character (like “I’ll handle this one and nicely ask for directions, because I believe that were it up to you you’d probably threaten them at sickle point, since that seems to be how you solve your problems.”, “Yes, we could actually try to win the challenge, but why do that when you can just unfairly overpower them with your godly powers like you did with me?”, “Stand back, you’ll just give them nightmares with nothing more than your stunning personality.” etc) as a way to get back at his tormentor.

Death can’t defend his actions though, as he can’t let Puss know the truth. That he actually really admired and respected Puss (and still does), which is why he stuck his neck out in the first place. And also Death is a nice person in general, and basically just played the part of an evil jerk when dealing with Puss before. So he just takes it.

BUT THEN Puss notices how Death acts throughout their quest/journey (especially when he thinks Puss isn’t looking/paying attention). That he’s actually kind, considerate, and cares about others’ feelings (even something like a bug, helping it by flipping it over when it’s stuck on it’s back, and putting a baby bird back in its nest that got tipped, etc), and tries to figure out how that made any sense at all, considering what he put Puss through just a few weeks prior.

Eventually he does figure it out though (maybe right after the end of the adventure, when everything is resolved), putting Death’s actions through the lens of what seems to be his actual personality and moral compass. When confronting Death about it, Death urges him to stop, to not say what he’s thinking, but he can’t actually stop Puss, and when the words are out in the open Death gets in trouble with the higher powers.

Not wanting Death to be punished for what he did to him, since he now knew why he did it, Puss maybe goes through some trials to get an audience with said higher powers, and works his charms to get Death off the hook. Then they become friends or fall in love or something, the end~

[crystalelemental]

Pokemon Team Characterization - Geeta

Earlier today, a Reddit post for Pokemon Masters asked about who the most popular of the less popular champions was.  The general results are inconsequential, if depressing to me personally.  What this particular story is about is a comment that mentioned Alder feels like he was designed to be weaker, with one of the reasons cited being he uses “off-meta” Pokemon.  Which is wild, because that’s the same reason people big up Blue.  Blue’s Pidgeot, a Pokemon which has always been bottom meta (barring its mega giving it short-lived half-relevance), is considered a prime example of his characterization as someone who really does care about his Pokemon, because he keeps what was his first capture all the way through the League, indicating some sentimentality.  Which is correct!  That’s how it should be.  Look at the team, and get a sense of what that character is about from how they construct their battle lineup.  But this never really comes up beyond Blue’s sentimentality, characters like Cyrus and Volo having friendship-evolving Pokemon to indicate the good in them, or claiming Red is the best because he “doesn’t need legends to win like other protagonist.”  Which feels like a very limited way to approach things.

But also it’s been like 20 years and no one’s really dug into teams to craft a sense of personality before that I’ve seen.  And if no one else is doing it, I guess it’s time to do it myself.  So I’m starting with the last winner of that poll, and the generally acknowledge least popular champion: Geeta.  I did a general analysis of her team before, so consider this a sort of spiritual successor.

Here is Geeta’s team, as listed on Bulbapedia.  The top left is her lead, the bottom right her ace that comes out last.  I’ll break this down talking about what I interpret for the lead, for the ace, and any general impressions from other Pokemon added in.

The Lead Geeta’s Espathra is one of my favorite leads.  I think this is exceptionally clever, if relegated to a game that makes it too easy to be over-prepared.

Opportunistic copies your buffs.  If you try to set up on her, she will copy those same boosts.  As a very fast threat, Espathra is difficult to outpace, which can make boosting a tempting choice, only to run into how badly you’ve played yourself.  Lumina Crash, as a sharp debuffing of special defense, doubled down on this.  Trying to accept playing defensively will run into the issue of Espathra breaking you down really fast.  Quick Attack handles finishing a job against Sturdy or something that barely survived, and Reflect as team support to block physical attackers, which are much harder for Espathra to handle.  While Dark-types are generally more resistant, Dazzling Gleam is the best bet to respond to them as well.

A lead like this shows that Geeta is someone who can get inside of the opponent’s head, and consider their possible actions.  From second 1, she’s set up immediate countermeasures to most methods of setup, both offensive and defensive.  She takes immediate, decisive action, while considering most possible angles of attack.  She is someone who’s thorough and deliberate, and takes advantage of an opponent who can’t respond quickly.

General Team (Avalugg, Gogoat, Kingambit) The remainder of Geeta’s team is largely bulky offense.  Nothing is particularly fast, but much of it is geared toward bulk.  Of note, however, is that very little emphasizes recovery.  Despite Avalugg having Recover as an option, Geeta opts instead for raw offense, choosing moves like Body Press and Avalanche, which utilize Avalugg’s strengths and weaknesses to full effect, dishing out better damage from physical defense and from going second respectively.  Gogoat is the exception to this, with Horn Leech and Bulk Up.  Notably, this is Geeta’s only form of setup sweeping.  I think of further note is that Gogoat’s coverage moves are...odd.  I know it gets Ground-type moves.  That would be infinitely more valuable as coverage, yet she opts for Psychic and Fairy, which ultimately do very little for Gogoat’s performance.  And of course, there’s Kingambit, which every likes to point out, should probably be last in her team to make the most of its ability.

Gogoat being her second suggests to me that, when her immediate plan fails, Geeta’s the kind to step back and operate with more deliberation.  She’ll take things slow and get the measure of a situation, trying to buy time to properly assess the next move.  It may also indicate a sort of overconfidence; she didn’t think she’d need to come up with a backup plan.  The lack of sensible coverage implies she’s not necessarily quick on her mental feet, and requires that time to make more sound judgments.  Considering the next three, I think she generally gets there.  She’s able to take stock of what’s present, and emphasize strengths while covering weaknesses.  She gets a generally full picture, but her approach is still fairly...brute force.  She wants a quick resolution; something that’s do or die.  She’s not someone who backs down, stalls for time, or gets defensive.  She’ll push ahead regardless.  She’ll take an early minute to come up with a Plan B, but she’ll always keep going.  If from there it’s a loss, then you take that loss and wait for another chance.

Her Ace Glimmora as the ace is widely considered a bad move, given that its Toxic Debris does nothing for her that late in the game.  Its coverage moves are very sensible, but again, it’s raw power with no real embellishment.  This being her Tera Pokemon, it shifts to Rock, a type notorious for being good offensively, but atrocious defensively.  It’s also an exceptionally rare Pokemon in Paldea proper, with significant ties to the crater.

The emphasis on offense is, again, just her MO.  She plays a bit more aggressively.  The decision to go against Poison, a much more defensive typing, suggests a sort of unwillingness to back down.  Geeta is someone who always pushes forward.  But at the same time, the insistence that it be her ace, her last Pokemon to bring in, suggests that, although she can leverage strengths and weaknesses as seen through Avalugg, there are certain values or structures she’s unwilling to compromise.  Some things just have to be done a certain way; there’s a certain rigidity to her thinking that can be seen as highly inflexible.  But it’s important to her, and she’ll hold to it come hell or high water.  As for the crater connection...

Where The Team Is Found All of her Pokemon correspond to specific areas in Paldea.  Gogoat early in the east, Espathra early in the west, Avalugg at the mountain, Veluza at the lake, Kingambit in the north, and Glimmora in the crater.  The wide-spread focus on where they’re found implies a general appreciation for her region; a sort of love for all it has to offer.  But of interesting note is...they’re all common.

Skiddo and Flittle are super common.  Veluza’s really common at the lake, even if less so than Tatsugiri (which I wish she had but oh well).  Kingambit itself is hard to acquire, but Pawniard are like the most common thing in the bamboo forest.  Bergmite are not hard to find.  And within the crater, Glimmet and Glimmora are exceptionally common.  The fact that, barring Glimmora’s surface presence being non-existent, all of her team is common?  It suggests an appreciation for the mundane and every-day.  In contrast to a champion like Cynthia, whose team is largely comprised of the hardest stuff in the region to find, Geeta champions what’s most easily found.  Not even necessarily the glamorous or marketable every-day.  She doesn’t have an Arboliva, which is both common and a sort of mascot evolutionary line for much of the region.  Just...regular old common stuff you’d find anywhere, and wouldn’t be exceptionally celebrated.

Geeta is someone who takes joy in the simple things.  While she’s someone in a position of significant power, who is very driven to perform well in her career, the things she enjoys most are the little things, like seeing the students of the academic learn and grow as trainers.  In a way, it’s that emphasis of “everyone starts somewhere, and can grow into something exceptional.”  Kingambit is a decent example; that thing is hard to get to evolve because it takes some dedication and know-how.  The base form may be common, but putting in the effort to build something exceptional is how Geeta operates.  She’ll take anything at what it is, and make it shine.

But I think there’s also a connection to the whole treasure theme of the game, in Glimmora.  Going into the crater is a rarity.  It’s not something anyone gets to do, and it’s a very unique experience.  One that she apparently cherishes, given that Glimmora is her ace; the one she insists on using last as her most precious partner, despite how little tactical sense it makes.  It’s a sentimentality she carries with her, and a reminder of a cherished memory.

Summation Geeta’s team suggests someone who is able to carefully consider all possible outcomes, and produce a countermeasure to address as many obstacles as possible right away.  She’s someone who, when a plan goes wrong, falls back and tries to take a slow, measured approach before responding, but often falls back to more direct approaches.  She’s able to conceptualize strengths and weaknesses, including her own given the implied understanding of her need to step back after an initial setback, and operates well with them in mind.  But at the same time, there are things she won’t compromise on, even if it’s directly to her detriment.  She enjoys the things that are mundane and ordinary, but cherishes unique experiences more than anything, and may be rather sentimental at times, letting emotionality override her generally logical and structured nature.

If anyone has a different read on her, I’d love to hear it.  I actually really like Geeta, in spite of her being fairly bland in the base game, so it always bums me out to remember she’s unpopular.  Hearing from others that like her would be a nice change of pace.

[everydayyoulovemeless]

Cass SFW Alphabet

➼ Word Count » 1.2k ➼ Warnings » None ➼ Genre » Romantic

A - Affection (How affectionate are they? How do they show affection?)

Cass usually shows her affection by buying you drinks or punching your shoulder when you do something she's impressed with. Sometimes when the two of you stay late in a bar, she'll lay her head on your shoulder while one of you talks. Cass likes to show affection through the little ways she touches you—subtle and passionate.

B - Best friend (What would they be like as a best friend? How would the friendship start?)

She's very defensive, always wanting to question the people you plan on working with before you go and sign anything. The friendship would most likely start with you fighting back against the people in the Silver Rush. That showed her that you were there for her just as much as she was going to be there for you.

C - Cuddles (Do they like to cuddle? How would they cuddle?)

No. She'll throw her arm around your waist or shoulders, but she'd rather not get that touchy.

D - Domestic (Do they want to settle down? How are they at cooking and cleaning?)

She wants to settle down when she finds a stable job that she enjoys doing, she’ll most likely end up being a brahmin or big horn herder. She's average at cooking, she can fix up something edible, but don't expect her to make anything gourmet. Cass likes to keep things generally organized, but she won’t go out of her way to clean the place up.

E - Ending (If they had to break up with their partner, how would they do it?)

She'd just be upfront about it. No point in sugar coating it.

F - Fiance(e) (How do they feel about commitment? How quick would they want to get married?)

She feels weird about commitment. She'd like to get married, but she's also uncertain about making a big decision like that. She likes to take her time with her partners before making anything official.

G - Gentle (How gentle are they, both physically and emotionally?)

Not very. She likes to keep things honest and if you're going to be with her, you're going to need to be able to handle the truth, however harsh it might get.

H - Hugs (Do they like hugs? How often do they do it? What are their hugs like?)

Her hugs are strong and reassuring, but she’ll only really hug you when you’re sad. It’s more of a way for her to comfort someone rather than a greeting.

I - I love you (How fast do they say the L-word?)

It'll take her forever for her to tell you she loves you. She’s too scared of being vulnerable so you’ll have to say it first.

J - Jealousy (How jealous do they get? What do they do when they’re jealous?)

Cass gets jealous quick and isn’t afraid to make that known. If she thinks the other person crossed a line of some sort then she’ll start shoving them around and confronting them.

K - Kisses (What are their kisses like? Where do they like to kiss you? Where do they like to be kissed?)

She loves just directly kissing you on your lips but would get slightly flustered if you kissed her hands.

L - Little ones (How are they around children?)

Surprisingly sweet? She’s the perfect wine aunt and gives kids solid advice all the time.

M - Morning (How are mornings spent with them?)

Working usually. Cass likes to get most things done in the mornings and is doing that the second she gets up.

N - Night (How are nights spent with them?)

Drinking and playing caravan. It might just be because she's owned one, but she's stupidly good at the game and loves playing.

O - Open (When would they start revealing things about themselves? Do they say everything all at once or wait a while to reveal things slowly?)

If you ask, she’ll probably tell you. It all kinda depends on her mood and whether or not she’s been drinking.

P - Patience (How easily angered are they?)

She doesn’t have much patience at all. She likes it when you get straight to the point otherwise she feels you're both just wasting time.

Q - Quizzes (How much would they remember about you? Do they remember every little detail you mention in passing, or do they kind of forget everything?)

A little bit of both, Cass remembers things she deems are important like your birthday or your favorite things, but she couldn’t care less to remember where you grew up.

R - Remember (What is their favorite moment in your relationship?)

She loves traveling with you. To her, there’s nothing better than the two of you giggling and talking to each other as the sun rises over the dunes in the distance.

S - Security (How protective are they? How would they protect you? How would they like to be protected?)

Cass is VERY protective and sleeps with a rifle next to her bed just in case anyone barges in thinking they could take either of you on. She’s always on the lookout for any possible danger and is quick to step in front of you if she feels that you’ll get harmed.

T - Try (How much effort would they put into dates, anniversaries, gifts, everyday tasks?)

You’ll get a little affirmation of sorts and she’ll do most of your chores for you, but she’s not too big on gift-giving.

U - Ugly (What would be some bad habits of theirs?)

Shouting and impatience. Cass has a habit of letting her stress overwhelm her and it can get nasty fast if she doesn't handle it correctly. Outbursts and drinking aren't healthy coping ways and she needs to learn to focus her negative emotions on something else.

V - Vanity (How concerned are they with their looks?)

She cares about looking presentable whenever she’s going to meet with someone of importance (usually business related), but if she’s just traveling out in the Mojave, she’s not going to care.

W - Whole (Would they feel incomplete without you?)

No, Cass is fairly independent, and nothing would change if you left. She’d feel sad at the loss, but not incomplete.

X - Xtra (A random headcanon for them.)

She so desperately wants to find someone who'll stick with her for the long run. She feels like she's been running around on her own ever since her mom died and she was left alone, so your relationship with her means more than you could ever understand.

Y - Yuck (What are some things they wouldn’t like, either in general or in a partner?)

Over-sexualization or sexism of any kind whether it be toward her or someone else. She thinks it’s a bunch of bull and doesn’t have time for it.

Z - Zzz (What is a sleep habits of theirs?)

She has a pretty standard and healthy sleep schedule as she prefers to stay on top of things. She goes to bed around 10:30 to 11:00 and wakes up at 6:00.

[asmrtist-brainrot]

Party Stalling

David and Asher don't really seem like the bachelor party types?

More like wedding party.

So here's a drabble I thought would be funny, though it's not too good.

Also just made a couple of OCs... Their names are also kind of funny - I'm sure you can guess what their names are inspired by.

Reader is Angel + Gender Neutral

~ Dari

"Come on Jack." Mirin scolded from their spot next to him behind the bar, scowling in annoyance.

It wasn't the first time he hit on a customer, wasn't the first time he'd gotten pissed at a rejection. Usually he wasn't such a shithead and good against assholes, but when it came to flirting - it was weird and gross how the switch flipped.

"Shut up, it's gonna be good."

Jack was also a petty fuck and it made Mirin wish everyday that Marguerite was behind the counter to control her brother instead of currently bouncing the door. From the other side of the bar, their third mixologist, Gin just shook his head and continued to serve a handsome man with fake horns and his cuddly partner.

They glance at the person he'd flirted with.

Eyes lidded and dreamy, sobering somewhat at the look on their coworker's face. Soft cheeks and body wrapped in nice clothes, slightly mussed and flushed from the dancing.

You were cute.

Mirin felt quite irritated as you were tipping them and he swooped in to be pain in the ass.

Not to mention you brought up being engaged.

"Sorry," The asshole's smile was nearly shit-eating as he spoke "but you're being too rowdy and I'm going to have to ask you to leave, you're disturbing the other patrons."

You blinked, once then twice, then frowning - though for just a second before a thought rolled over you.

The picture of mischief.

A glimmer in your eyes and smile on your lips that made them a little wary.

"Okay," You shrugged and slid the 20 towards Mirin regardless as you almost mourningly said "just lemme grab my fiancee and friends."

Mirin eyed the ring on your left hand in amusement, but the itch of irritation came instead. They slapped Jack's hand from grabbing their tip - tucking it into the breast pocket of their work polo.

You got down from the bar seat.

"Martin's gonna be pissed you lost their business." They warned him, starting to make a long island.

Their cheeks warmed at the pretty woman that ordered, she awkwardly tucked a stand of hair behind her ear. Shyly leaning towards them when she was served.

"I'll deal with him." Jack watched you leave with a satisfied smirk, only to pale.

Mirin's curiosity was enough for them to look at what he was balking at and gaped at wall of a man. He was sitting down with a group of men dressed somewhat similarly to him - leather jackets and jeans. But as he rose, he towered over the other party goers. You approached him without fear though, arms sliding around his neck.

His expression is fond but hardened briefly as Mirin assumed that you explained what just happened.

They could almost hear Jack's teeth chattering in his head, it's enough to make them snort as the man glared in the direction of the bar. They swore the guy was going to shit bricks.

But the expression fell away instead to mirth when he looked back down at you. He nodded before glancing over to the DJ stand and waving his hand.

This DJ, some guy named Hudson, was hired on behalf of a wedding party that someone was throwing.

Mirin choked on a cackle at the realization.

Hudson nodded at David and the music screeched to a stop and he got on the mic, "Sorry party people but it looks like the party of David and Angel Shaw are moving out. I was hired by them so I gotta go too."

Other patrons booed and Gin snorted a laugh from next to Jack, as he mockingly cracked, "You'll handle it, yeah?"

"Oh, sounds like that's our cue Freelancer," The horned man sighed before hopping to his feet and purred "I'm sure the Solaires have some other place we can be a... Public disturbance in."

"Shame," His partner mumbled, handing Gin what seemed to be a crisp 10 "I liked this place."

Jack sputtered, looking around in slight panic.

The group the man was sitting with stood as well, gathering their coats and seemingly joined by their own companions. But then another small troupe of well dressed individuals, and a set of two other couples.

"David, where are we going from here?" One of his compatriots asked, voice heavy in a Bronx-type accent. Frowning a bit as he draped his arm around the hips of presumably his partner.

"Vincent, Sam, any ideas?" The tall man, David, looked over at the second group, who were pressed and dressed in their Sunday best.

One nodded towards the door and hummed in a southern drawl, "Fred brought up a good place further up on Teakettle, they got good food too. Maybe we give Hudson a break before he restarts the party."

"I know that place!" Another rather big man piped with a grin "Dames and I found it while on a date."

"Well, what're we waiting for?" Another piped energetically, who Mirin recognized as Asher - as he ordered everyone a round of shots at the beginning of the night. "Let's get going!"

There was collective noises of agreement as the party of Shaw started to collect their belongings, the music began again only on a playlist as another employee scrambled to fill the air. Mirin's sides split from their giggling at Jack's horrified expression, Gin leaning over the bar and snickering at the turn of events with glee.

"I can't wait to tell Martin about this."

Jack sputtered, completely and utterly dumbfounded as to what just occurred.

Mirin was disappointed to see the pretty girl leave too, joining up with another young woman and a man

They pouted, shuffling to clean the last of her drink.

It took them a second to realize that there was scrawl on the napkin, glittery blue ink smeared by the moisture of the cold drink - tucked under the tip.

They smiled.

"Text me? XXX-XXX-XXXX

- Kelsey"