Written for the @steddieholidaydrabbles December challenge.
Elf You
Prompt Day 20: Magic AU | Word Count: 1000 | Rating: T | CW: Language, Sentient Toys | Tags: Elf on the Shelf AU, Elf!Steve, Elf!Robin, Elf!Eddie, Elf Magic, Platonic Stobin, Crack Taken Seriously, Silliness, The Magic of Christmas
'Twas the night before December, and all is quiet except for the grandfather clock in the corner of the living room tick, tick, ticking as it edges ever closer to midnight. December is approaching, with only seconds to spare as the small town of Hawkins, Indiana sleeps.
When the clock strikes twelve, two little sets of eyes snap open, alive and alert for another holiday season.
Two little Scout Elves, but no shelf to be found. No, sirree. That's amaetur hour, and they've grown past those early pranks. No, these little elves use their magic to put on big productions. Bigger and grander each night, leading up to Christmas Eve.
They were born for this.
But right now, they've got to get their bearings after nearly a year of slumber.
Steve stretches, pushing his little fabric arms over his head.
Robin stands, trying to work the kinks out of her back. She'd been twisted in the tote of decorations, and now her back is killing her.
"Hey, Robbie, you okay?" Steve asks, walking over and looking at her.
"They've got to be more careful with me next year, I'm getting too old for this shit," she complains, sitting upright.
Steve helps her to her feet, and they dust themselves off. Being an elf is fun, but it's only for twenty-four days a year. The rest of the time they're shoved in a box in the attic. Dormant.
Shitty parents tell kids they flew back to the North Pole, but that's a goddamn lie.
The first night is hard. They don't have a plan for their nightly chaos. They have to do it on the fly, so they better get started, right away.
"Marshmallow mini golf?" Steve suggests.
"We did that last year!" Robin whines.
They're running out of new ideas. They've done everything twice at this point.
"How 'bout a messy kitchen?" another voice asks, and they snap their heads towards the sound.
"Who the hell are you?" Steve asks, putting his hands on his hips. This is their territory. "And…where the hell are you?" Steve asks.
They can hear him, but they can't see him.
"Yeah, interloper! Who do you think you are?" Robin demands, backing Steve up.
Steve looks around, but there's nobody there.
Not until Steve spots the box on the counter, brand new and unopened. Slightly wobbling.
Together, they pull open the cover, and there he is. Another boy elf, with dark eyes, and long hair, trapped behind cellophane.
"What's your name and what are you doing here?" Steve demands.
"I'm an Elf on the Shelf. We're gonna be friends 'til the end."
"Oh brother, he belongs on The Island of Misfit Toys," Robin says, snarky. "That's a Good Guy line. That's a whole different kind of magic doll. Not our department. So, clearly evil."
"I'm not evil," he says. "I'm an elf."
"That's what they all say," Robin says, looking at Steve. "Let's just leave him wrapped up. Problem solved."
Steve sighs and rubs his forehead.
There's a little name tag on the counter: Eddie.
"Well, you were an idiot, when you showed up, too," Steve tells her, crossing his arms, annoyed. Looking back through the plastic, "Your name is Eddie."
Eddie just nods.
"Why aren't you out of your box?" Steve asks him. Eddie has elf magic. He can teleport. Surely, he can get out of a fucking cardboard box. If not, oh, brother.
Eddie looks unsure, and Steve rolls his eyes. If Steve had fingers, he'd snap them, but he doesn't. So, he just thinks really hard and uses his own elf magic to get Eddie out of his packaging.
Robin looks at Eddie, "Well, it was nice to meet you. But we've got this house covered. They've got two kids, and we're two elves. We don't really need a third," Robin is explaining, when they all hear a baby cry.
Well, shit. There's three kids now. That's what happens when elf magic keeps you dormant most of the goddamn year. You don't find out about big changes until way after the fact.
So, new elf. Steve went through this when Robin showed up after the last kid, and now they're best friends. So, maybe this will be okay.
Then he sees Eddie dangling from the light fixture. Maybe not.
"Stop that, asshole," Steve says, jumping up, grabbing Eddie, sending them both to the floor. "Stop messing around, and help us think of something to do tonight," Steve demands.
"Cookie baking mess?" Eddie suggests.
"Been there, done that," Steve says, "that's first year shit."
Robin puts her hand on her chin, thinking, "We really don't have much time. We'll be able to plan better tomorrow. Marshmallow bath in the sink?" she suggests.
Steve groans. It's easy. But the kids like it, and their mom always has marshmallows in the pantry.
"How about a ski slope," Eddie says, and they both turn to look at him.
"Tell me more…" Steve prompts.
Eddie is looking around the kitchen, a little frantically, clearly trying to come up with a fully formed idea. Steve waits. Robin waits.
And finally Eddie pops up onto the counter and grabs the full roll of paper towels and takes it to the living room, and the couch, right near the tree. He stacks up two pillows from the couch on the floor, and stands back, thinking.
"Like this," he finally says, and gives the paper towel roll a good shove, unrolling it down over the pillows and onto the ground.
Steve looks at it.
Robin looks at it.
This could work.
"We could rummage through the Barbie clothes," Robin suggests and Steve nods. That's a really good idea.
Steve gets in the box with the Barbie stuff, and digs around until he throws out a snowsuit, some skis, goggles. A Christmas sweater. This will do just fine.
They all get dressed, and in place, ready for the kids in the morning.
Eddie might not be such a bad addition, after all.
Notes: Yeah, I don't know. They're elves. Magic elves. 🤣
This is the ski slope idea Eddie came up with.
"Friends 'til the end" is a Chucky catchphrase. Also, a magic doll. Just a very different one, lol. The Island of Misfit Toys is from Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.
If you want to write your own, or see more entries for this challenge, pop on over to @steddieholidaydrabbles and follow along with the fun!
If you want to see more of my entries into this month-long challenge, you can check them out in my Steddie Holiday Drabbles tag, right here!
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Steddiemas 2023
Well, friends here they are! All 31 prompts for the first annual Steddiemas!
For more details regarding each prompt head to the weekly prompt drops:
Week One
Week Two
Week Three
Week Four
Week Five
Now for a quick reminder about the rules:
Posting will begin on December 1st and end on the 31st. But don't worry late works will be accepted! Works include: fics, drabbles, art, edits, moodboards, playlists, anything goes!
When posting please make sure to mention @steddiemas in the post and tag #steddiemas so I can find and reblog your work!
When creating NSFW pieces, please be 18+ and tag all works with #steddiemasnaughtylist
For those posting on ao3, you can add your work to the steddiemas 2023 (steddiemas2023) collection.
Since this is a "steddiemas" celebration, steddie should be featured; however, I am open to works with other pairings/ships. Just make sure to tag accordingly!
Feel free to post every day or pick and choose which days to participate in! There is absolutely no pressure!
If you have any other questions don't hesitate to ask!
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