#but like. helsik knows what's up

[yoakesan]

i beg your FUCKING pardon???????

[atrueneutral]

Feel free to just ignore this if the prompt is too horny but uh...

Mephistopheles having some fiends deliver a present to the boudoir (for Raphael or Haarlep). That present is a very confused, but also very naked, Tav who is all tied up with silk and has a collar and chain on her neck. (for her part, Tav isn't opposed to being in this... ah... position, but she'd have preferred Raphael or Haarlep be the one to have brought her here via invitation rather than... whatever this is)

I hope you don't mind a little humor! ---

Of all the strange situations Tav had found herself in (including the entire tadpole debacle), it was safe to say that this was the one of the strangest.

How it happened - well, frankly she’d been kidnapped!

It all started when she’d received a message from Helsik by way of a Scroll of Sending; the message wasn’t very descriptive outside of ‘please come to the Devil’s Fee at your earliest convenience’, and, thinking it was a job to add more (needed) coin to her pocket, Tav had gone immediately.

Into the Devil’s Fee she walked without a care in the world, only to have Helsik give her an empty smile and an emptier apology. Tav had no idea what the apology was for until two fiends burst forth from nowhere. They quickly rendered her immobile with a spell (before she could even think to defend herself), and she was subsequently blindfolded and spirited away.

By the time the blindfold had come off, Tav was naked.

Naked on a bed.

A bed in a boudoir.

A boudoir in a House of Hope.

Above her, a golden horned devil head was laughing at her predicament from where it was centered at the top of the velvet tufted headboard her back rested against. A lengthy piece of red silk hung fastened around its neck, and at each end were her bound hands. Her feet were in a similar state, ankles tied together by another piece of silk, and she was annoyed to feel a leather collar against the skin of her neck. Attached to the collar was a weighty chain that messily decorated the silk bedding.

It was an added frustration to see an unattainable, sealed note at the foot of the bed. She assumed it likely wrote out an explanation on why she’d been plucked and placed in Raphael’s gaudy boudoir.

For a split second, Tav thought to call out to Haarlep; the boudoir was mostly their domain, and maybe they would come and help her. But she wisened up and remembered that Haarlep’s definition of ‘helping’ was wildly different from that of a morally inclined person; she’d be inviting the incubus to tease her, grope her, and use her.

Which would be fine on a day where she’d been told in advance and had some semblance of knowing what-the-fuck-was-going-on.

It was probably in her best interest to call for Raphael, as embarrassing as the situation was. She expected he’d be equally perplexed by why she was in his House, naked, tied up, and in his bed.

“Uh, Raphael?” she called out meekly into the ether, thinking he could somehow magically hear her from wherever he was. “You, uh, around?”

After about a minute of getting nothing in response, Tav cleared her throat.

“RAPHAEL! You bastard! I’ll loot this place dry once I figure out how to untie myself!”

It took about fifteen seconds, but there was a burst of fire and embers - signifying the arrival of-

“What have we here!” trilled a voice that sounded vaguely like Raphael but assuredly wasn’t Raphael. “I thought I heard a guest yelling in the boudoir! And yelling without me?”

They tutted, and Tav inwardly cursed the gods.

“Not you…” she bemoaned. 

“Now why do you say it like that, little thief?” Haarlep faked a frown as they sauntered over to the end of the bed. The frown didn’t last; it flipped into a fiendish smile when they devoured the wickedly risque picture she made. “Have you gifted yourself to us? It’s good to see some results after master’s constant planning…”

“Aha! So it’s his fault I’m here!” Tav shouted like she’d deduced the perpetrator for a murder, but as Haarlep’s words further registered, the perpetrator suddenly looked like Raphael and the person murdered was her. “Wait - what do you mean ‘constant planning’?”

Haarlep continued to smile with mischief dancing brightly in their infernal eyes. They scooped up the note and slid a clawed finger under the folded flap, breaking the wax seal. Their gaze shifted from Tav to the words on the parchment.

The incubus grimaced. “And here I hoped you’d already signed yourself away to us.”

“Not today, I’m afraid,” Tav said. She awkwardly readjusted in her bindings. “What does it say? Who is it from?”

To her horror, Haarlep decided to join her on the bed with the note in hand. They crawled over, mattress dipping with each knee they took, and they situated themself over her so that their legs braced either side of her thighs - giving Tav a bird’s eye view of their barely clothed erection.

Haarlep (thankfully) shoved the note in front of her face rather than their crotch.

”I can’t read it,” she said dryly.

“Poor thing.”

To help, Haarlep read it out loud.

“Haarlep,

This mortal is a much better distraction to my son’s ambitions than you.

I suggest tempting her into a contract with your persuasive talents.

Lord Mephistopheles”

Tav swallowed. “This is a joke, right?”

Haarlep folded the letter and tossed it aside on the sheets. The back of their fingers came to caress her cheek. “Mm - no, little thief. It’s very real, as are you… here, tied up… helpless…”

“While that may be true…” Tav was beginning to feel nervous, and she resisted the urge to wriggle underneath them lest it provoke them. “Unfortunately, this situation isn’t as much of a turn on as it would be if I was here of my own volition.”

“It’s a turn on for me regardless.”

“Sure…” Tav officially hated the gods. She did not know how she was going to talk herself out of this with an incubus who was hovering over her restrained body with a hard-on, a lust-filled gaze, and an order to get her to ‘sign a contract’. She lowered her voice to a throaty whisper. “But you know what really gets me wet and wild, Haarlep?”

“Do tell…”

She raised herself up an inch by pulling on her bindings and stared at them with budding (pretend) lust.

“Not signing a contract.”

Was that jingling bells she heard entering the boudoir?

“Do you not want to stay here with me?” Haarlep purred, their hand trailed down to grip her chin while the other found and her collar’s chain. “You’d get to be master’s pet - my pet…”

They tugged up on the chain and Haarlep’s head moved in for the kill - intent on giving her an intoxicating kiss that would turn her to putty in their hands.

Shit.

“Ra-” Tav attempted to shout, but the cambion’s name was cut short by Haarlep’s smiling lips pressing against hers. The chain was given a light tug to force her closer, and their hot, forked tongue slid across the seam of her locked mouth… 

She did not know how long she could hold out; her lips were tingling in a pleasant way, her blood was racing, and the promise of pleasure was right there if only she would give in…

The lust she felt was no longer the pretend kind. 

“Haarlep, pray tell, who is your wayward plaything?”

Tav mentally and woozily cheered; it was Raphael!

“Was my warning not explicit enough? I will not tolerate you inviting in stray visitors because you’re bored,” continued her maybe savior. 

Tav could not see Raphael, as she was too busy being lip locked with a younger version of himself, and she wasn’t sure if he could see her with Haarlep’s wings and body in the way.

The chain went slack as Haarlep broke away. They relinquished their hold on her leash and discreetly swapped the chain for the nearby note. Between their bodies, the piece of parchment combusted into flames - destroying the proof of Mephistophele’s intentions.

Tav hissed as the melted seal dripped hot wax onto her chest.

Haarlep winked at her, and she responded with a glare.

Meanwhile, jingling boots arrived somewhere around the foot of the bed.

“Look who is here, Master!” The incubus said suddenly, removing themself from her body and moving over enough to reveal Tav in all her naked, restrained glory. “I wrapped her up like a little present! Just for you - specifically as she instructed…”

Heat crept up her body and flared in her loins.

Raphael, a talkative fiend who often talked too much, was rendered speechless and slack jawed. His brow furrowed and his nose scrunched while his mind worked to process what and who was in his bed.

It was a reaction that almost made up for being kidnapped.

His confusion cleared when his mouth snapped closed, and the look in his orange and yellow eyes turned insanely desirous.

“Uh, hello,” Tav said, giving him a polite wave while also trying to ignore the wetness that rapidly continued to pool between her thighs.

Her lips still tingled from Haarlep’s kiss, and the scene wasn’t too far off from a fantasy she’d had more than once. 

“What are you doing here, Little Mouse?”

“Isn’t it obvious?” Haarlep unhelpfully supplied. “She’s here to have fun with us!”

She was grateful that Raphael looked somewhat skeptical. “Is this true, my dear?”

“It’s kind of a long story…” Tav replied.

Raphael glanced at her silk bindings.

“Forgive me - I don’t see you going anywhere anytime soon?”

“Ah, yes. Touché,” she conceded.

“I want to hear it from you,” Raphael said, a warning threading into his tone. “Why are you here?”

She looked to Haarlep, and they seemed all-too-curious in what answer she would give. It was anyone’s guess as to why they destroyed the note from Mephistopheles, and Tav wondered if they would feel at all indebted to her for not spilling the beans.

“Korrilla told me it was your Name Day last week. I realize I’m a little late, but I wanted to do something extra special since it was your… wait, how old are you exactly?”

“Funny.” Raphael’s thin smile did not reach his eyes. “Try again.”

“I was kidnapped?”

Why did it come out as a question?

“Haarlep, do get the mouse’s lips moving, won’t you? I think I will get comfortable and watch…”

The incubus happily motioned to return to his previous position over her.

“Alright - hold on!” Tav yelled, causing an amused Haarlep to stop. “I’ll tell you the truth - under one condition.”

Raphael barked a laugh.

“Again you show up in my House uninvited, this time naked and fettered to my bed, and you think you have the right to demand conditions?” His gaze turned stormy. “You are lucky that my fondness for you extended into forgiveness the first time.”

“You’ll forgive me for this second time as well, I think.” Tav smiled mischievously and parted her legs to give both cambion and incubus a better view of her sex. “I’ll give you the truth, Raphael; what I’m asking for is that I be returned home, safe and sound after we… reacquaint ourselves - without the talk or the signing of any contract.”

“You’ve already honored your contract, and I have not yet come knocking at your door with another.”

She shrugged with a shoulder. “I’ve learned you can never play it too safe with devils.”

Raphael turned suspicious. “What are you up to?”

“Just agree, Master,” Haarlep said. They licked their lips. “I’m tired of waiting.”

Judging by Raphael’s dark expression and the stiffness in his breeches, he was also tired of waiting.

“Very well; I will return you to your home, safe and sound - albeit sore. No contract will be signed during this visit. Now, the truth.”

The words easily left her. 

“The truth is I want you to fuck me, Raphael. I’ve wanted you undiluted and raw since meeting you, and imagine my disappointment stumbling upon Haarlep on my first visit. You should know they said some very scandalous things about your… performance.”

The (undiluted and raw) darkness that overtook Raphael’s features would have frightened her… if she weren’t so turned on by it. It was a dangerous mix of desire and fury; desire for her, fury for Haarlep.

“What did you tell the mouse, Haarlep?” he asked, head canting with a piercing stare directed at the incubus. “About my performance.”

Haarlep did not immediately respond; Tav could tell they were frantically plotting how to navigate a floor covered in eggshells.

“The mouse asked if you were good in bed...”

“And you told her?”

It was Haarlep’s turn to be nervous, and Tav savored every second.

“And I said, jokingly, of course, that you… weren’t. A-ha!”

“I see,” Raphael said flatly. “Well, since I am not ‘good in bed’ your participation privileges for this bed have been revoked.” The cambion’s unblinking, penetrative stare turned to her as he stalked over to the side of the bed.

“It was nothing but a joke, Master! At least allow me the opportunity to watch you fuck and fill the mouse?”

“No.” Raphael picked up the end of the chain and wrapped it once around his hand. “She’s mine...”

Sinfully wet after such a declaration, Tav turned her head to throw a secretive wink at a pouting Haarlep before they resentfully disappeared with a burst.

There was a snap of fingers, and Raphael came to be instantly naked and was very, very aroused. A second snap followed, causing a flash of heat to singe her skin as her silk bindings went up in a puff of smoke.

The cat gave the chain a tug. 

“Come to me, my little mouse.”

Before her mind could be overrun by sex and pleasure, Tav thought of a note to (never) send back to Mephistopheles.

Lord Mephistopheles,

No need for a kidnapping; all you have to do is ask. I’ll be more than happy to return to your son’s bed, no contracts necessary.

Sincerely,

The Better Distraction

[animentality]

I have this melodramatic vision of the dark urge dragging Gortash's heavily injured ass back to Helsik's shop, post mephistopheles raid, and they have to patch up his wounds enough that he can limp home.

and when they touch his blood, feel it stain their hands, trickling down their arms, like it's seeping into their very flesh, they are suddenly very aware of the fact that for the first time in their entire life, they are repairing wounds, not creating them.

and they have been getting to know Gortash well over the past few months, maybe years, and maybe they've thought about killing him, maybe their urge has sometimes stirred around him, made them wonder what it would feel like, to have his blood on their hands.

and they'd inhale the smell, feel its weight, the warmth of it, and know that it shouldn't be special, but it is, because HE is.

and then they shiver.

but you know. not with the urge, but uh... something else.

:)

(meanwhile Gortash is somewhere between conscious and unconscious, and he's not sure if he's hallucinating this, feeling the dark urge's hands on him, but he prays it doesn't end soon, even if that means bleeding out)

[orinfucker]

devilish intent

summary: being an adventurer in the lower city was growing quite boring, so why not sneak into the home of the devil himself! surely nothing could go wrong, right?

warnings: darkish content, manipulation, rough sex, throat fucking, threesome (harleep & raphael), degradation, dom!harleep, dom!raphael, biting, blood, overstimulation, begging, dumbification, fem!reader, breath play, dacryphilia, dubious consent, hair pulling, slight praise

note: i dont think there are words to describe how filthy this is. i've been working on this for awhile cus i was trying to find inspo but i'm pretty happy with how this turned out! enjoy <3

this is was a comically bad idea. what led you to make the decision to sneak into a devil’s home? boredom - an emotion that many other people would deem easily avoidable. a normal individual would go to a bar, perhaps take a walk around the city, maybe even find a companion for the night; but not little old you.

you’ve heard whispers around the streets of people sneaking into this so-called ‘house of hope’. at first, you brushed it off as some silly fairytale - there was no way that normal folk could find a way inside a devil’s house. well, that was until you had stumbled into the devil’s fee on a particularly stormy night. you had just stopped there to wait out the weather, allowing your now soaked clothes to dry off in the midst of this peculiar shop.

you found yourself carelessly browsing around the store, observing the various skulls and mementos scattered across tables. “ah, welcome to the devil’s fee!” a feminine voice spoke from behind the wooden counter, drifting your attention from the objects to the woman herself. “oh, um, hello!” you awkwardly replied with a wave of your hand, approaching the owner at the counter. she watched the way you nervously shuffled over towards her, an eerie grin manifesting itself on her face.

“are you looking for anything in particular, dear?” she paused, “or perhaps somewhere in particular?” you looked at the woman with a confused expression, what did she mean by somewhere? with a shake of your head you replied, “oh no, just waiting out the storm!” the woman frowned, but soon she began to smile again. “you look like quite the adventurer; have you ever considered going somewhere more, extravagant?” a sense of intrigue flooded your body before you sheepishly nodded at the strange woman. “where exactly are you talking about?” thunder erupted the moment you finished your sentence, your body twitching from the loud sound.

“why, the house of hope, of course!” she exclaimed with excitement in her voice. “i have the means to get you there without a soul knowing.” it was a convincing offer, you hadn’t had much excitement in months - so why not give it a shot? “i assume you’re not charging for free?” the girl laughed with a shake of her head. “of course not, i’ll take you there for the right price.” she hesitated before continuing, “fifteen thousand gold and i’ll give you the instructions.” you nearly choked on your own spit; fifteen thousand? maybe you were stupid, or just insanely desperate, but before you could think even further you were handing this stranger a pouch of gold.

“a pleasure doing business; here’s the instructions on how to make the portal, just head upstairs and it’ll all be there for you, dear.” her finger pointed to the staircase at the right of the counter as she handed you a small book, a piece of paper and a golden key. “ah, thank you..” she smiled at your pause before replying, “helsik, dear.”

you gave a polite nod before ascending up the stairs, a feeling of anxiety coursing through your veins the closer you got towards the door. you slid the key helsik had given you into the hole, a soft click! signaling that it was unlocked. you breathed in heavily before finally stepping into the room, rows of bookshelves filled the walls as various tables flooded the corners.

your eyes caught sight of a pentagram drawn in blood on the floor, the one you assumed you’d be using to enter this devil’s home. you began to read the list of items you’d need to grab as you aimlessly searched around helsik’s room to find them. after locating the variety of objects, you began to align them on the pentagon in accordance to how it was described.

you noticed how each item lit up into a hue of orange the moment you placed them on the point of the star, almost like they were set on fire. once the final object was placed, you watched as the wooden floor transformed into what you assumed was a portal; a void of black consumed the center as the rest of the star glowed a bright orange.

‘this is such a bad idea.’ you thought while placing the instructions back into your bag, your eyes scanning over the mass of black you’d have to eventually step into. with a nervous sigh, you stepped one foot into the center, and felt your enter body get sucked into the ground. your eyes squeezed shut for just a moment, and before long you felt yourself land onto what you assumed was your destination.

as you slowly opened your eyes, a wave of heat washed over you; beads of sweat beginning to spill from your pores. you finally began to take in your surroundings, a series of pillars pulsing with some sort of magic stood in each corner of the room you’d appeared in, and a massive door placed itself at the front of the room.

you slowly approached the door before lightly pushing it open, revealing what you assumed to be a dining room of some sort. various plates of food were scattered across the table, making your mouth salivate for just a moment. your legs began to move on their own as a sense of clarity washed over your mind - you had never seen a place like this on all of the journeys you’d been on. after walking throughout the halls for a few minutes, you stumbled across a doorway that was blocked by a magic barrier.

a frown appeared on your face, but you quickly noticed a opening that led to the outer parts of this odd place. you approached the ledge with caution before clumsily jumping onto the rocks below, steading yourself before walking amongst the ragged path.

as you began to grow closer to the blocked off room, you noticed a bed was placed against one of the walls. ‘must be the owner’s bedroom.’ you approached the railing fairly quickly, hoisting yourself atop it before quietly dropping to the floor. your eyes quickly caught sight of something— no, someone laying on the bed you had saw earlier.

anxiety rushed through your veins as you started to plan out your next move, maybe they wouldn’t notice if you snuck towards the doorway. with a shaky breath, you began to stealthily walk towards the front of the room. “and where do you think you’re going, little mouse?” your entire body froze in terror, a gasp escaping from your throat. “u—um,” you stuttered, unable to form a coherent thought to reply with.

“aren’t you just a cute little thing.” the voice spoke, their tone bordering on erotic. you finally found the courage to turn and face them, your entire body flushing with pink as you did so. their skin was a deep red, wings splayed across the pillows as horns protruded from their head. the most striking component, however, was the skimpy bondage that brandished their body.

a daring smirk spread across the devil’s face as their eyes seemed to see right through you, eyeing the entirety of your being. “i, um, didn’t know there was someone in here.” you finally spoke, trying to claw your way out of this mess before anything extreme happened. the devil was silent in response, the same expression cast upon their face as your eyes moved between them and the doorway. “i’ll just, um, make my way out of here!” a laugh erupted from the creature before you heard a creak come from the bed, signaling they were moving about.

“oh raphael is going to love this.” they spoke before leaning against the headboard, one of their arms resting behind their head as they peered at you. “come pet, i must know why you’re here.” with a nervous sigh, you walked towards the bed, sitting on the edge carefully before fiddling with the skin on your fingers. you felt their gaze burning into the flesh of your thighs before finally shifting to your face, their tongue coming out to lick the skin of their lips

. “go on, tell me why you’ve come.” you paused, unsure if you should be truthful or not. “i was, uh, bored.” silence filled the room, and for a moment you thought this might be where your end is, until laughter began to echo throughout the room. “oh that’s, that’s quite the reason!” the devil calmed themselves before leaning forwards, one of their hands brushing against the plump of your leg before landing on the sheets besides it.

“this is very naughty - what shall i do with you?” they paused for a moment to think, before a sinister grin clouded their expression. “how about we play a game, hm? if you win, i’ll give you everything you desire.” you looked at the devil, an anxious feeling rising in you. “and if i lose?” they stifled a laugh before trailing one of their hands against the side of your thigh, “well, you’ll enjoy yourself much more if you do.” you looked into their eyes for a moment, getting lost in them as they trailed their hand further and further up your thigh until it brushed against your center.

a whimper caught in your throat, and before long, you whispered a quiet yes, allowing the devil to play whatever game they had mentioned. they smirked before standing up from the bed and walking towards where you sat, towering over your quivering form.

“on your knees, pet.” your entire body felt like it was on fire, lust flowed through your veins as you felt yourself obey every word that left the devil’s lips. as you shifted from your spot on the bed, a hand rested itself on the top of your head, guiding your body to its knees. “such an obedient toy, we’re going to have lots of fun together.” as they reached to pull down the fabric that covered their cock, they paused for a moment before bringing their free hand to cup the underside of your chin, tilting it upwards so you could look in their eyes.

“would you like to know my name, mouse?” you nodded, feeling yourself melt into the devil’s touch. “i am harleep, raphael’s personal incubus.” harleep noticed your head tilt at the mention of raphael, forgetting that you had zero idea of who he was. “raphael is the master of this house, pet. it’s quite impressive you managed to get here without him noticing.” they watched you nod in acknowledgment, unaware of the consequences there would be when raphael did return home.

“such a naïve girl you are.” harleep whispered to themself before finally tugging down the fabric of their underwear, revealing the sight of their hardened cock. your eyes widened at the sight, and you felt yourself grow nervous at the thought of having to take it. harleep guided the tip of their cock to your lips, pushing it past them before finally entering your mouth. “gods - that’s it, take it down your throat.” your eyes glossed over with tears the further harleep’s cock moved down your throat, the incubus letting out low growls as they began to slowly thrust into your mouth.

trails of saliva began to drip from the sides of your mouth as their thrusts became more rough, the tip of their cock brushing against the back of your throat with each move of their hips. all you could do was gag and moan around them as they used your mouth like it was some toy, their hand tangling into your hair to support the weight of your head.

“you take my cock so well, pet. maybe i should- ah, keep you around.” you whimpered around their length, unable to utter a word as they sloppily fucked into you. harleep’s grip in your hand tightened as they started to let out animalistic moans, their head leaning backwards while the speed of their thrusts quickened. within a moment, you felt them push once more into your throat before feeling hot spurts of cum spill from their cock.

warmth filled your mouth as the liquid began to dribble down your throat, burning the flesh of it in the process. “good girl - swallow every drop of it.” you could barely breathe as harleep’s cock stayed pressed against the depths of your throat, forcing you take all of their cum. once they were satisfied, harleep finally removed themself from your mouth, leaving you to cough up wads of spit onto the ground below. they watched in amusement as you wiped the saliva from your lips, a look of disgust in your eyes as you peered up at the incubus.

“is that,” you began to cough once more, your throat aching from the abuse harleep had caused. “is that all you wanted?” before they could respond, you caught sight of their eyes drifting from your own to the front of the room, their expression shifting from lustful to one you couldn’t quite read. confusion washed over you until suddenly, the sounds of heavy footsteps began to approach from the doorway. “ah raphael, welcome home.” harleep finally spoke, and it was at that moment you realized how incredibly fucked you were.

raphael was about to greet the incubus before he finally noticed your disheveled form on the ground, his eyebrow cocking upwards as he looked over at harleep for a brief moment. “harleep, who is this pest on the ground?” the devil glanced back over towards you, eyeing your body before finally putting the pieces together in his head. “it seems they found a way in here, i’m shocked you didn’t notice them here sooner.” raphael hummed before approaching you, your body quivering in fear as the man crouched in front of you. “it seems harleep has already had their fun with you.” he paused for a moment to think, and you thought that maybe he would have some mercy on you and allow you to leave.

“i—i’m so sorry for intruding in your home, mister.” your voice was barely above a whisper as you spoke, too nervous to allow yourself to speak any louder. “please, please let me leave; i promise to never come back here again.” you were practically begging at this point, your eyes pleading with the devil to have sympathy towards you. raphael looked towards you with a dark smile as you begged, enjoying how desperate you sounded before finally reaching his hand out to cup the side of your cheek. “i can’t just let you off easily, little mouse. you broke into my house uninvited - i think you deserve to punished.”

you shook your head repeatedly at his proposal, trying to yank yourself away from the man’s grip on your face. raphael clicked his tongue at your resistance, an annoyed sigh brushing past his lips before allowing himself to stand up, releasing his hold on you. “how disappointing, i expected you to be more compliant.” as he spoke, you took this an opportunity to attempt an escape, your legs shaking as you tried to make a run towards the door.

seconds went by before you felt the grip of a hand on your arm, a scream erupted from you as your body was thrown face down onto the bed, another hand knotting it’s way into your hair to hold your weight. “looks like we have a brat on our hands.” raphael hissed out, his nails digging into the flesh of your arm. you assumed harleep’s hand was the one in your hair, their grip bordering painful as drool began to leak from you lips from the pressure. “they were such an obedient thing for me.”

your legs thrashed around the sheets as you attempted to free yourself from their grip, yet it proved to be futile as you felt a heavy slap against your rear - causing a whimper to escape from you. raphael leaned across your backside, his lips brushing against your earlobe before whispering into your ear, “unless you want to get hurt, i suggest you stop squirming.” your legs went stiff at his threat, any resistance you once had vanishing from your mind. a satisfied noise left raphael as he placed a kiss against the back of your neck, lifting himself up from your backside.

harleep’s grip released from your head, allowing you turn it to the side to glance at the incubus, their eyes already piercing into your own. raphael’s hand gripped the back of your pants as he harshly pulled them down to your ankles, your clothed cunt now on display for the devil. his hand hand came up to brush against the fabric, rubbing the length of your cunt with his palm. whines slipped past your lips as his ministrations continued, you teeth sinking into your bottom lip to muffle your noises. “aht, don’t hide your voice from us, mouse.” you heard harleep say from besides you, their body now sat next to your own on the silk sheets of the bed.

you hadn’t realized your hips grinding back into raphael until a heavy hand came to grip your waist, stopping your movements completely. a finger slipped past the fabric of your underwear, teasing the lips of your pussy before dipping into your dripping hole for just a moment. “such a needy thing, aren’t you?” raphael spoke from behind you, his finger slowly thrusting in and out of your cunt while moans began to leave your mouth. “shut— ngh, up.”

suddenly, you felt raphael grip a handful of your hair, yanking your body until it was flush against his own. “shut that bratty mouth of yours.” a wave of confidence washed over your body while a smirk appeared on your face as you spoke. “make me.” it was silent for a moment until the grip in your hair lessened, the hand now trailing to wrap around the entirety of your throat, the pressure of it cutting off your airflow. one of your hands flew up to grab raphael’s wrist, desperately trying to move his hand away as tears welled up in your eyes from the pressure on your neck.

you caught sight of harleep moving to stand in front of you, one of their hands coming up to caress the sides of your cheek, wiping away the tears that now stained your face. the incubus slowly leaned down and captured your lips in a messy kiss, their teeth digging into your own as blood began to spill from them. your mind felt dizzy from the two sensations - raphael’s hand gripping your throat as harleep’s lips pressed against your mouth; it was all too much for your body to handle. not even a second later, you felt harleep break away from you as raphael’s hand released your neck, a sigh escaping you from the relief.

heavy breaths were all that filled the room as you slowly came back to your senses, your eyes blinking away the tears that were left. you felt raphael’s lips brush against your ear as he leaned forward, his hand still resting against the flesh of your neck. “are you going to behave now?” you quickly nodded your head in response, not daring to disobey the devil after his display just moments ago. his free hand began to trail down your front until it slipped into the fabric of your underwear, his fingers drawing slow circles on your clit. “words, pet.” whimpers left your lips at his ministrations, and you desperately tried to muster up a response. “y—yes, yes!”

a satisfied noise left raphael as his fingers began to quicken, your head falling limp against his shoulder at the sensation. you suddenly felt harleep’s fingers sneak into your underwear as well, teasing your aching hole before finally slipping them into you. moans escaped you repeatedly as the two toyed with your cunt, your eyes rolling into the back of your skull as you felt harleep’s digits reach the deepest parts of you. “you’re squeezing so nicely around me, mouse.” harleep exclaimed, the thrust of their fingers quickening as they heard you whimper at their words.

“what a filthy girl you are.” raphael groaned from behind you as his free hand began to slide underneath your shirt before finally reaching your breasts, his fingers roughly pinching at your nipple. jolts of pleasure coursed through your body from raphael’s touches, your stomach beginning to ache as your orgasm began to grow closer. “ngh— ‘m, i’m gonna cum!” you moaned, the walls of your cunt pulsing with every move of harleep’s fingers against them. your clit ached at the pace of raphael’s digits against it, your thighs squeezing against the two’s hands from the stimulation.

sweat dripped from your forehead as you felt the cord within you threaten to snap, just one more thrust and you’d be thrown over the edge. but, with no warning, you felt both of the creatures movements pause, their fingers sitting idly against your cunt. you let out an annoyed whine from the loss of movement, your head leaning back to peer at raphael with begging eyes. he looked down at you for a moment before switching his attention to harleep, a smirk growing on his face as he began to speak.

“do you think our pet deserves to cum?” raphael asked the incubus, his fingers beginning to tease your clit while he spoke. harleep thought for a second, staring into your doe eyes before looking back at the devil. “perhaps we should make them beg, hm?” raphael chuckled at their response as the two returned their focus to you.

they both looked at you, seemingly waiting for you to say something. your mind was clouded, not a thought swimming around in the innards of your head. “go on, beg.” you finally heard raphael say, his fingers speeding up the pace at which he toyed with your clit. harleep’s fingers began to move inside you as well, their eyes focused on watching them thrust in and out of your hole.

“pl—please!” you managed to huff out, trying your best to convince the two to let you release. “how cute.” without warning, you felt a slap against your cunt, a shocked whimper echoing off the walls. “but i’m not convinced, try again.” you sucked in a heavy breath, still recovering from the impact on your pussy. “please, please let me c-cum.”

harleep thrusted particularly hard after your words, a choked sob escaping you as their fingers brushed against your soft spot. “you can do better then that, little mouse.” once again, you gathered whatever words you could muster up. “pleasepleaseplease! need to— cum, can’t hold it!” you were practically screaming at this point, the knot in your stomach growing bigger and bigger as they started to speed up their movements. raphael’s lips brushed against your earlobe, his hot breath making the skin flush with red. “cum for us, pet.”

time seemed to slowed as your release finally washed over you, a series of whines and whimpers flooded the bedroom while your body shook with pleasure. the two devil’s continued to work you through your orgasm, their fingers abusing every part of your cunt. all you could do was allow yourself to be consumed by the feeling, every touch on your skin felt like pure bliss as you calmed from your release, the fingers of the two creatures finally letting up.

raphael left a row of kisses along the side of your neck while harleep consumed your lips in a fiery kiss, their tongue exploring the cavity of your mouth. you moaned into the incubus’s mouth before they moved away, your breath being taken away from the messy kiss.

your body melted into raphael’s as his hands began to caress your sides, allowing you gain back some strength. there were no thoughts left in your mind at this point, all you felt was lust and pleasure coursing through your veins. harleep took one of your hands within their own as they guided your body towards the bed, positioning yourself in their lap while they leaned against the headboard.

raphael watched as the two of you relaxed into one another, your back pressed against harleep’s front as their hands rested on the top of your waist. you could feel harleep’s cock pressed against your back, the organ slowly hardening the more you shifted against the incubus. the bed sunk as raphael crawled over towards you, his hand massaging the flesh of your thigh as he kneeled in front you.

your eyes began to feel heavy as you laid against the incubus, exhaustion washing over your body as your eyelids began to droop. “wake up, pet.” harleep spoke from behind you, their hand wrapping around your front as they trailed it down towards your sensitive cunt. raphael began to slowly open your legs, his tongue coming out to lick his lips at the sight of your pussy.

harleep suddenly took hold of your hips, lifting your body up to hover right above their cock. you could feel the tip brush against your clit, causing a whine to slip from your lips at the feeling. raphael watched as you attempted to squirm away from the incubus’s hold on you, your legs shaking as they practically straddled harleep’s cock.

harleep easily overpowered your movements, their hold on you tightening as they began to lower you onto their dick. you could feel your hole stretching open as you sunk down further, your fingers digging into the sides of harleep’s thighs the deeper they went. “t—too much!” raphael smirked at your words, watching as harleep’s cock was only halfway into you. “you can take it, dear.”

you took a deep breath in before finally feeling harleep’s cock bottom out inside of you, a hearty groan leaving them as their nails dug into the flesh of your waist. “so tight.” they practically growled out as your cunt squeezed against their length. your back was flush against harleep’s chest, ragged breaths leaving you as your body attempted to adjust to the foreign feeling.

harleep slowly started to grind their hips up into you, their cock brushing against your cervix with each move of their body. choked sobs left you as they continued their movements, and you could already feel an orgasm bubbling up inside of you. raphael crawled closer to your body as his hand moved up the length of your thigh before finally landing on your clit, his fingers slowly brushing against the nerve to add another layer of pleasure.

moans flooded from your lips as the two continued their assault on you, your cunt burning as harleep’s cock began to slowly thrust in and out of you. “cum— gonna cum!” you felt raphael’s fingers speed up at your words, his face drawing closer to yours before crashing his lips against your own. you whined into his mouth while his tongue slipped into your own, exploring the insides of it before quickly moving away.

harleep’s lips brushed against your ear before whispering a quiet ‘cum for me’ into it. your entire body shook with pleasure as you came, whimpers leaving you as your cunt spasmed against harleep’s cock. raphael’s fingers slowed and moved away from your swollen clit, a smirk on his face as he admired your current state. harleep, once again, grabbed the length of your torso to lift you off their cock, a hiss escaping you at the feeling.

sweat dripped down your forehead as your eyes connected with raphael's, his brown ones scanning the exhaustion present on your face. "turn around." he commanded, and you immediately obeyed. once you had adjusted yourself, a heavy hand landed on the small of your back before pushing down slightly, signaling for you to arch.

raphael's other hand was busy rubbing to fat of your thigh, watching as your cheek connected with the silk sheets right below harleep's cock. with a snap of his fingers, the remainder of his clothes vanished, leaving his hardened cock to press against his stomach. you could hear the bed creak as he positioned himself behind you, his cock now brushing against the flesh of your cunt.

you sucked in a quick breath as you felt raphael slowly entering you, a moan leaving his lips as your hole clenched around him. your fingers curled into the sheets the deeper he reached, the tip just barely brushing against your cervix before bottoming out. one of harleep's hands came down to soothingly pet your head as you let out a plethora of muffled sobs, your body shaking at the sensation.

raphael pulled away for a moment, his cock almost leaving you completely before thrusting back into you completely, the both of you letting out moans at the feeling. he moved at an almost monstrous pace, not giving you a moment to catch your breath. "s-slow down!" you could hear him laughing at your words, one of his hands now tangling itself into your hair as he pulled your body to press against his chest.

"slow down?" raphael questioned, a hint of mockery in his voice. "you say that, yet your clenching around me so nicely." you could feel his breath against your ear as he spoke, your fingers now digging into the skin of his thigh. harleep watched in amusement at the scene unfolding in front of them, their hand wrapping their cock as they began to slowly pleasure themselves at the sight of you two.

that familiar knot in your stomach began to bubble again as raphael roughly fucked into you, your walls burning as he refused to lessen his pace. he could sense that you were close to cumming at the feeling of your cunt spasming around him, and he took that as a chance to guide his fingers down towards your clit, rubbing the bundle of nerves with haste.

"fuck- raphael," you realized far too late that his name had slipped past your lips, yet you felt no shame in doing so. the devil chuckled as his hips pounded against your own, amused at your fucked out state. "so desperate, hm?" a whine was all you replied with, drool dripping from your lips as it pooled on the sheets below you. "you know, ngh- i think i'll keep you, mouse." raphael spoke lowly as he felt his own release approaching.

you whimpered at his words, the thought of having this again made your body shiver with arousal. "oh you'd like that, wouldn't you?" you nodded eagerly, not quite understanding what you just signed up for. "my own little plaything," he paused, his eyes connecting with harleep's for a moment before correcting himself. "our little plaything." just as his words finished, an orgasm washed over you, your body convulsing at the pleasure.

raphael quickened his thrusts at the feeling of your release, growls leaving him as he felt himself grow closer to the edge. just as he was about to pull out, a grin spread across as face before he leaned forward, his lips brushing against your ear. "do you want me to fill you up, pet?" you almost came again at his words as you nodded, your cunt clenching in anticipation. "pleasepleaseplease-"

he let out a small chuckle, "such an eager pup." raphael sped up his thrusts once again before finally feeling the knot snap inside of him, a whine brushing past his lips as his seed began to spill into your cunt. mantras of his name left you at the feeling of his cum coating your walls, the pleasure was unlike anything you had ever felt before. raphael stayed inside of you for a moment, allowing himself to come down from his high before finally slipping out of you.

your body fell limp against him, a feeling of numbness washing over you as you tried to regain some of your senses. raphael waited until your breathing had calmed down to move away, his clothes reappearing the moment he stood from the bed. "harleep, be a dear and get them washed up." the incubus hummed in acknowledgement as they also stood from their spot, beginning to search for a fresh pair of clothes for you to wear.

raphael's eyes drifted from harleep to you, admiring the number he had done on you. "get some rest, pet. i'll be expecting you to be ready for another round once i've finished my work for the day." he leaned forwards to leave a quick kiss on your forehead before turning to leave. "and harleep," you heard him say gaining the other devils attention, "do be gentle on them while i'm gone." your eyes widened, turning towards the creature who let out a chuckle in response.

"no promises, they are truly irresistible."

[crossdressingdeath]

[Notes from Himberloo, a street beggar employed by the Guild as a spy, on activity at the Devil's Fee antiquities shop. The report concludes with the following.] Though the majority of my report concerns the visits of well-known patriars to Helsik's establishment, aristocrats who might be blackmailed to keep such visits secret, there was another visitation that I feel should not be overlooked. The arms dealer Gortash, along with a known Bhaalist leader, met yesterday with Helsik for a considerable period. Upon leaving the shop, I overheard Gortash to remark, "What did I tell you? If Helsik can get us into the House of Hope, she can get us into Mephistar, too."

The first thing I notice about this is that apparently Durge was a known Bhaalist leader. The Guild at least knew who they were. Imagine you're chilling in your tavern and a well-known (at least in the city's underbelly) associate of Enver Gortash and leader of the murder cult in the sewers just walks in casually. Possibly with a Harper in tow. How do you even respond to that. Where do you start. I choose to believe Nine-Fingers recognizes Durge and is just like "You know what? I don't want to deal with this right now, if they're going to pretend they're no one important I will go along with it."

Also, this suggests that Gortash and Durge went to the House of Hope at some point before the Crown heist. Is this a third heist that they did? Did they rob Raphael? Was their test run for Helsik's abilities stealing from Raphael? I love the idea of Gortash getting some revenge on Raphael by testing out his and Durge's ability to steal from devils on the House of Hope. And I kind of love the implication in "What did I tell you?" that Durge didn't think Helsik would actually be able to get them to the Hells, I bet they and Gortash bickered about that constantly until they actually went to Helsik and she proved she could do it. Maybe that's why Durge growled at her the first time they were there, they were just mad about being proved wrong. Although the two of them maybe shouldn't be openly discussing their plans in the middle of the street. This Guild spy is just sitting here like "These cultists are up to something" and they have no idea how right they are.

[feniksido]

For some reason my post about the Heist in the Hells has been getting some traction recently so I thought maybe it's time to talk about my actual thoughts on what I would like to see in the hypothetical Heist in the Hells DLC (my personal hell)

I was trying to figure out a whole bunch of stuff about Mephistopheles and the 8th layer of the hells! First, the vaults are in Mephistar, a citadel on top of a Glacier named Nargus, which is piloted by Mephisto all over Cania constantly on the move. Mephisto has his slowly melting throne at the very center of the glacier, and the rest of the city is like a mini-hell with 3 terraced levels where the lowest level is with “lowly least devils” and mid tier for mid devils i guess and then hellfire masters and nobles and the wizards on the third higher levels. It’s heated on the inside of Mephistar! It has baths and scented fires (not sure what they smell like but I assume something other than fire?)

The rest of Cania is just like barren wasteland full of just the weirdest left over arcane energy cus of Mephisto’s experimentation, its cold as fuck and it has constant surveillance against spies, mostly spies sent by Dispater, mr THE Arms Dealer of all the planes, so you know that motherfucker mephistopheles is very used to these types of people showing up and trying to go into the vaults and such

NOW Helsik very specifically used the words “I punched a portal into the Archdevil’s dusty vaults”, so I assume it was directly into the vaults that they fell into. I'm not sure how this is even possible but i'm not one to ask questions that i will never understand the answers to (lying, im seething) 

However, regardless of the fact that I don't know how Helsik the queen that she is did that, she did do it. I imagine the vaults are huge and incredibly elaborate and probably several stories? Layers? Deep. The items and scrolls and information must all be neatly cataloged and kept track of in the most particular way because Mephistopheles is nothing if not obsessively controlling of all his knowledge and information

However the whereabouts of the actual physical objects must be like.. Constantly changing or magically protected so that those with no authorization cannot find their way through the vaults

Mephistopheles’s filing system is… insane but i do think he would keep track. Or make someone else keep track. He’s very busy. He typically hands down experiments he ran out of time to deal with in his busy schedule to his lessers so I wouldn't put it past him to have someone else also take care of the cataloging. The Crown of Karsus is NOT high on his priority list so i understand how this was potentially feasible to Gortash and The Dark Urge

Actually Talking about the heist itself now: 

I imagine that if a whole heist dlc (don't think we’re getting one but a man can dream) did happen it would start with a bit of exposition. Probably explaining a little bit of the Letters between Durge and Gortash. Specifically these ones:

Then we cut to a scene where they’re already at Helsik’s place. They’ve discussed the plans in depth, they’ve been doing test runs for this in the House of Hope and now it’s time for the real deal. 

Helsik “punches” the portal into the Vaults and they jump in. The portal closes behind them, Helsik will not allow herself to be implicated in anything. They take in their surroundings; they have to be quick, although it is heated inside of Mephistar the frigidness of Cania cuts deeper than anything Baldur’s Gate could ever manage. I imagine that they, having never been here before, look for something that can help them navigate/orient themselves in the vaults. Perhaps that whole cataloging system I talked about earlier. You can choose to ignore it and just go straight forwards checking every room making it substantially harder and less efficient which makes Gortash a little pissy at you for not taking his advice and helping him look for that or you can look around for one but the actual system for cataloging is encrypted 

Maybe a mini puzzle game can take place here, like the one with the brain in Moonrise Towers 

The thingy would then lead deeper into vaults where they would fight Gelugons (the main residents of the 8th layer also known as ice devils) and other assorted devils including pit fiends and pain devils. Maybe a couple dire polar bears also who knows who Mephisto but on his security team

At one point i want to come across an ice devil that much like Yurgir in the house of hope in act 3, can be convinced to side with you and become a temporary ally (perhaps it holds resentment towards Hutijin, mephistopheles’ second in command, and just got sick and tired of the monotony and wants to stick it to the man, i just want a devil in my party even for a second) 

If you manage to successfully persuade this devil to join you, Gortash might be impressed and tell you about how tricking a devil is no easy feat, you can ask him to elaborate on that and he might tell you a bit about his time in the house of hope as Raphael’s unwilling guest Who knows

Moving on, I’d like several more puzzles to delve deeper into the vaults, some that lead nowhere some that lead exactly where you need to go, if you did the earlier puzzle Gortash will be able to guide you and say which ones lead nowhere and which ones are the ones you need to do 

Eventually I want a mechanically engineered door to be the next hurdle which Gortash takes upon himself to solve on his own since he’s more well suited towards this kind of thing, during this, rounds and rounds of incoming security swarm around you both, and Durge has to defend Gortash while he works on getting the door open. Much like the quest for Halsin looking for Thaniel in the Shadowfell, you gotta keep the portal open but instead of “keep the portal open” its “keep Gortash alive and not distracted”

When the rounds of enemies are done you get a little cutscene where you see Durge being overwhelmed by the many devils and it cuts to Gortash who has just opened the door and he takes less than a second’s pause before he decides that instead of going through the door and escaping to relative safety on his own, leaving durge to die he helps durge and they are both able to get through the door sealing it behind them, now in relative safety, they both take a second to breathe 

You as durge now can talk to Gortash and have the dialogue options to say Thank you, scold him for dragging you away from the bloody slaughter, or question his decision to come back for you

I THINK IN MY MIND that the response for all these options would basically be the same, because Gortash is a well practiced speaker and knows exactly what to say but his body language would sort of give him away for the way he’s feeling about the option you choose 

Thanking him would lead to a more defensive “pushing away” way of saying “I still require your assistance, we’re not done. Don’t expect it to happen again.” tsundere ass but like imagine that but better written 

Scolding him would get a sorta like “I cant fucking believe this” as if he expected durge to be a little more practical about things and not lose focus in the madness that was that slaughter and rampage, like i said still the same but just “Argh! I still require your assistance! We are NOT done. DO NOT expect it to happen again if you intend to act this way.” He needs you to focus, not lose yourself in blood

Questioning and challenging his decision but not outright saying you disapprove would probably be playing right into the whole “equals who challenge each other” thing that he likes to do so it’d probably make him slow down, talk slower, make him really think about why he did it and do the thing where while talking he can't look at Durge in the eyes so he looks off to the side or down at the floor “I still need your help. We’re nowhere near done. Let’s not expect this to happen again, yes?” Like acknowledging that yes that was in fact weakness that neither of their masters tolerate (because obviously the correct thing a baneite would have done is let the bhaalspawn die so that he alone already so close to the crown could take it for himself) and almost regretful that he didn't have a better excuse

You continue forward and finally come into the room with the Crown of Karsus and the portfolio labeled “Accelerated Grand Design”, there they encounter a boss fight, probably not mephisto himself cus they’d be dead tbh but maybe a simulacrum or something idk here things get a bit dicey for me cus what the fuck! How do they get out? I thought maybe they do the fight and once they grab everything they need or want they maybe have an enhanced cloak of dimension door or maybe a scroll of teleportation or something to get them out of the deep deep VAULTS themselves and into a place where they can “safely” create another circle on this side with the components and specific instructions Helsik gave them 

They’d arrive home back in Baldur’s Gate and celebrate their victory briefly and bada bing bada boom the dlc is over. If i had it my way at the end right there those two idiot geniuses would get so horny from the powerrush and bloodlust they just experienced that they end the dlc with durgetash fucking nasty 

[mslanna]

Secretly pining Raphael reacting to Tav saving his life. When he asks why they did so and/or what they want in exchange for saving him, Tav very clearly almost admits that they did it because they care about him, but they catch themself and, even though it is very obvious that the both of them know exactly what Tav was just about to say, the adventurer "corrects" themself ("I did it because I- Because you're my ally."). Tav then quickly tries to excuse themself; poor thing feels awkward and embarrassed because the cambion has not made his feelings for his little mouse clear at all.

they/them Tav without body configuration character death (not Raphael or Tav) of screen death, blood read it on AO3

Tell Me Why

"They were my incubus," Raphael growls.

"I know," Tav replies flat.

"They have shared my life and bed for over two centuries."

"I know."

"And you killed them."

Tav only nods. There is nothing to add. They did indeed kill the incubus. The body lies on the tiled floor of the boudoir, red blood looking like just another ornament in the room. It is a shame, Tav thinks. It was nothing personal. Tav holds out the dagger they used to kill Haarlep to the cambion. "Enchanted," they say as if it is an explanation.

Raphael takes the dagger and scrutinises it closely; more closely than he looked at the body of his incubus. "A rare and precious item," he comments. "Few are strong enough to enchant weapons against incubi."

"It cost me a pretty bit." Tav shrugs. It cost its former owner his life so an assortment of sprains and bruises doesn't feel worth mentioning. And nightmares. But there are always nightmares ever since the elder brain.

"How much? Asking as an interested investor."

Tav shrugs their tunic off one arm and displays the scar curving around their shoulder before vanishing into the small of their back. "Nothing a good potion and healer can't mend."

The devil's eyes burn along the scar, flaring bright when it vanishes from view. "I can remove the scar, you know."

"It's a good reminder to be careful." Tav smiles wistfully. "And it was worth it."

Korrilla and Tav pieced together information painfully over the last weeks. Testing if there were alarms connected to a portal opened through Helsik had been touch and go. Sending a rat with a message attached to its foot had been close to suicide.

But they had found the alarm and where it went. And who benefited from this delicate information. The incubus had their own network of spies and indebted souls. And like Raphael, they had ambition. It is a shame. Tav prods the body with a foot.

"Here." Tav hands Raphael a bundle of letters and notes. That is more explanation than the dagger, or at least explanation of the why instead of the how. The cambion hasn't attacked or otherwise threatened them yet. Tav wants to keep it that way.

Raphael picks through the papers. Every now and then, he harrumphs with displeasure. He looks up when Korrilla bursts into the room. She catches her breath and stares at the body.

"So I am not too late. Good. They gave me the slip in Cania." She walks around the body as best as possible. One if its claws still grips the silken sheets of the bed, fingernails ripping at the soft fabric.

"Cania?" Raphael's voice is cold at the eighths hell's wastes.

"Haarlep planned to take over the House of Hope," Korrilla explains. "With a little help from their – sugar daddy."

The temperature drops at the mention of Mephistopheles.

"Better check up on any recent arrivals," Tav says into the silence. "Haarlep smuggled in their people for a while now. A list of those we could discover is among the notes."

Raphael picks out the paper and studies it with narrowing eyes. Finally he looks at the two mortals. "Good work."

"On to more pressing matters." Korrilla bows curtly and leaves the other two with the corpse.

Tav looks at the door. They should be going as well. They shouldn't be here to start with. But it is what it is. "Well, good to know I was in time." They smile brightly. "Should get going."

Raphael reaches out and stops them in their tracks. His fingers burn long marks into Tav's skin through their tunic. "One more thing."

Tav's smile turns brittle but stays in place. "Yes?" It was better than the automatic "anything" that bit through their lips. You do not toy with devils. And much less do you let them know how much you like them, especially when they do not return the feelings. Which devils can't. And Tav is deep enough into their own undoing to allow Raphael to hasten it with even more smouldering looks and lingering fingers.

"Why?" Raphael paused. "Your contract is fulfilled, little mouse. You are free. And yet you return. And now – this." He gestures at the corpse between them.

"It was you who called on me." Tav smiles at the memory. A dinner worthy of kings and queens. An evening they would never forget, getting pampered by the devil they knew. Unfortunately, not a devil they were allowed to do.

"I promised we'd dine." Raphael returns the smile. "It was only logical to repeat such an invigorating experience."

Invigorating. Not the word he used back then. Tav always suspected he enjoyed himself from the start. To finally have confirmation was encouraging. "It was nice," they agree. "Is."

"Isn't it just." Raphael hones his charm in on them. "But it is nary enough to warrant such – engagement."

If only. Tav sighs inwardly. They can't think of any good argument that doesn't look spun from thin air. Not to mention they'd all be. The devil has them on a leash whether he knows it or not. "Well." Tav tilts their head.

"Well?" Raphael moves around the corpse with predatory anticipation.

Does he know how? It isn't impossible, the devil is close to reading minds the way he puts together minuscule clues. And if he knows, what is it to him? Tav regards his hungry visage. "Maybe it is?" they volunteer.

"Still bribable with food?" He raises a brow.

"It was a good first move." Tav smiles at the memory. "I like where it led me and, well, also I car- cannot lose such a valuable ally." Tav chickens out after the last second.

For a moment it seems as if Raphael's face falls. Then the wolfish grin is back on his face. "Far be it from me to bereave you of that." He puts an arm around Tav's shoulders. "And one good turn deserves another, does it not? Let me prepare something special for our next meeting."

Fire creeps into Tav's cheeks. The devil's tone is innuendo and temptation. Hot desire shoots into their crotch. Maybe they should have said something after all. Well, there was always next time. "That's not necess-"

Raphael interrupts their squeaked reply. "My treat. You deserve. Trust me."

[bitethedevil]

I know a lot of people claim that Raphael is a bit of an idiot. I mean I get it, the guy is biting off more than he can chew with his grand ideas of taking over the Hells and all of that, but I really don’t believe he’s stupid. I mean the guy is clearly successful. His ambition might get the best of him but he is smart.

One thing that particularly gets me is how he keeps mentioning that Tav and the companions will “come knocking on his door”. He also mentions that he keeps the hammer in the House of Hope, and also their contract if one chooses to take that route. Like sure, that specifically has a gameplay function as well, but it’s not just that one time. There’s just multiple times where he alludes to them coming to visit him. Not to mention when you look into the scrying orb thingy at Helsik’s he looks straight at you, smiling. The bastard is up to something but I can’t for the life of me understand what.

Obviously if you do go to the House of Hope he gets pissed (if you do steal the contract or hammer). The endgame here is that either you or him die (although Raphael in his arrogance would never think that the latter could ever happen). Him killing us and our companions doesn’t really achieve anything for him. It would make him lose his best opportunity at getting the crown.

It really seems like he’s almost goading the player into coming to the House of Hope. But why? Am I missing something or am I just going crazy?

[himbodruid]

A Devil and A Bard

Part 2

Raphael x F!Tav

Raphael x Haarlep x Tav

Named!Tav | Bard!Tav

You can read part 1 >here<

A/N: this chapter contains 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ and has p in v, along with double vp. Just some Raphael brain rot that may stray from canon. Im a devil knot truther

18+ ONLY, Minors absolutely DNI

Chapter 2: In which the bard gets…distracted

When Lore returned to their shared space in the Elfsong, Astarion was on her almost immediately. Thankfully, it appeared the rest of the companions hadnt returned yet.

“You smell like the hells, what did you get yourself caught up in?”

“None of your business,” Lore sighed. The comment was half hearted, as she could never find herself to stay irritated at the spawn. After a single shared night of awkward intimacy, the two had become fast friends. It helped that they had somewhat similar traumas, though Lore knew that what he suffered had been far far worse.

“Oh, come now, darling. Of all our companions, you know I will keep every sordid detail a secret.”

And he had kept the secret. While calling her a pretty little idiot.

Which is what she felt like now, sneaking into the House of Hope. Of all her fool-brained ideas, this one was probably her worst. It had taken only a small fortune to convince Helsik to allow her access to the portal, but she didn’t miss the skeptical eye Helsik gave when it came to light that Lore was to travel to the hells alone.

Upon entry, she had met with a rather…scattered patron who gave her clothing so that she might fit in with other debtors. Lore thought she heard her name to be Hope, but with the half-mad rambling she couldnt remember.

It didn’t take long for her to get thoroughly lost. Keeping track of where she was going was never her strong suit, and it was even worse within the gilded halls of Raphael’s house. Thankfully, it appeared the master of the house was still out on business. Lore had no doubt he could probably sense her presence here, in fact she was sure he kept meticulous track of every single debtor in these halls. He was kind of a control freak that way. But it didn’t seem like her presence would be an issue. Yet.

Lore stood in the center of the only room she recognized and huffed. Hands on her hips, she twisted this way and that, trying to come up with a plan. Where did devils even keep their contracts? The bedroom?

She recalled seeing a couple of rooms that had been shrouded in a mist-like magic that prevented entrance from everyone. Why he couldn’t just use a regular locked door, she didn’t know. But that was as good a place as any to start.

If she could remember where the blasted thing was.

A hot breeze traveled down a corridor, bringing the scent of the hells with it. She followed the direction it came from and found herself at a balcony overlooking Avernus. The sight would be breathtaking if she wasn’t on high alert, waiting for Raphael to appear at any moment and destroy her for breaking in.

Leaning out over the edge of the balcony, Lore thought she could see an adjacent balcony peeking over an outcropping of rock. Steeling herself, she hopped the railing and crept along the rock to the other side. There, a grin formed on her face. She found it! The bedroom lay in front of her. It almost felt too easy. She vaulted over the railing and walked into the room, puffed up and rather proud of herself. Only, she had forgotten to be cautious in her pride.

“A lost little mouse is running through the house.” Shit. “A thief in the night, greedy, and here to take. Why are you here, little thief?”

Lore froze at the first rumblings of his voice, but once his speech was done, she turned to Raphael. Her eyes widened when she beheld him, and she felt heat rush to her face. “Ra-“ her voice caught, and she cleared her throat. “Raphael?”

The half-nude cambion chuckled darkly from where he was sprawled lasciviously on silken sheets. “I am Haarlep, Raphael’s personal incubus. Glamoured to be an exact copy. You, however, have not answered me.”

Lore squinted skeptically, observing the fiend in front of her. His voice didn’t hold the same kind of gravel to it that Raphael’s did, and he did indeed appear to be a slightly younger version of Raphael. Still, the cambion was known for his tricks.

“Why do you care why I’m here if you say you are who you claim to be?”

Haarlep let out a delighted laugh. “I can see why he likes you! Tell me, little mouse, would you like to play a game? If you win, everything you desire shall be yours. But if you lose…let’s just say you will enjoy yourself much more.”

The fiend stood from the bed, sauntering over to where Lore stood with cat-like grace. A predator stalking his prey. He loomed over her, and she was dismayed to find that he had the same kind of magnetism that Raphael had. She neglected to answer his inquiry though, instead choosing to observe the incubus.

“If you are glamoured to be a copy of Raphael,” she started slowly. “Then why are you both younger and slightly taller?”

Haarlep’s brows shot upwards and then he broke into raucous laughter.

“Oh my dearest pet, you are absolutely a delight. I could tell you the reasons, but what fun would that be? Perhaps you should play my game and add the answer to your prize, should you win. After all, the way your gaze flickers across my face, I can tell you would love nothing more than to experience being kissed by the master.”

His teasing sent blood rushing to Lore’s face and she indignantly replied “For your information, I have already experienced kissing Raphael.”

“Well, well, well, colour me shocked!” came his chuckled reply. Lore furrowed her brow and crossed her arms.

“Are you trying to say I'm not enticing enough to have engaged in such activity with Raphael?”

Haarlep’s hand went to his chin and he looked her up and down with a deep hum of thought. “You are a beauty to behold, but the master tends to have very particular tastes. Take myself, for example, as his personal incubus.”

“I'm going to choose not to take offense to that,” Lore huffed.

Haarlep chuckled at her affected affront. “How about this, little mouse! A change to my game, as it were. If you can manage to seduce the master, then you will win whatever it is you seek. Even if you lose,” he growled those last words, moving closer to her and hovering his mouth just above hers. She tilted her head back in an automatic reaction, earning a predatory grin from him as he repeated the last words. “Even if you lose, you will win. After all, how could you possibly settle with kissing the master just. One. Time.”

With a frustrated sigh, Lore gave in to his flirtation and pressed her mouth against Haarlep’s. He immediately coaxed her mouth open and thrust his tongue against hers. Lore vaguely remembered something she read about incubus and succubus saliva having an aphrodisiac effect, but that brief flash was drowned out by the heightened sensations of his body pressing against hers.

He lifted her so that her legs wrapped around his hips, her arms going to wrap around his neck so that her hands could filter into his hair. While she clung to him, Haarlep carried her to the bed, dropping down atop her as soon as her back hit the silken sheets. A snap of fingers, a flash of heat, and she suddenly lay naked under him. Her body was so riddled with lust that she didn’t even have the common decency to be embarrassed at her state of lewd undress. He sat up on his knees, his eyes taking in every curve of her body sprawled before him.

“Such a delicious little treat. The master better get here before I devour you.”

“How will he even know I’m here if he’s away on business?” Lore hated how breathy her voice had become, but gods the visual of this false Raphael resting at the apex of her thighs just did things to her mind, though the bastard remained clothed in his harness. He trailed a clawed finger from her knee to inner thigh with a self assured grin.

“Everything I do to you while in this form, Raphael will be able to feel and hear. If you are lucky, he will be curious enough to see what little mouse has been caught in the trap. If not, you will have to surrender your body to me.”

“I will surrender my body, but not my mind,” she stated firmly.

“Excellent.”

With that, his harness flashed away in a simple snap of his fingers and he lowered himself onto her. The ridged length of his turgid cock rested heavily against her pelvis. Gods but he felt massive, Lore wondered if he would even be able to fit. The thought melted away as his tongue plunged into her mouth once more, and she moaned against him. Haarlep’s hands roamed her body, his claws scraping lightly against her flesh and sending shivers through her. One hand ventured lower, lower, until it reached between them and dipped into her folds.

“So wet for me already,” he chuckled against her mouth. “And we’ve only just begun.”

Fanged teeth nipped down her neck, across her collarbone, and finally found its way to one of her pert breasts. Haarlep took the pebbled peak of her nipple between his teeth and tugged. Lore hissed out a breath, arching her back so that more of the mounded flesh pressed into his mouth. In an embarrassing lapse of control, Lore found herself moaning Haarlep’s name while her hand clenched into his hair.

“Such a touch-starved little dove,” he growled, rolling his tongue around the one nipple and switching to the other. He was right, Lore was touch-starved. Besides the kiss with Raphael, the last time she’d had any kind of intimate contact was with Astarion at the tiefling party. The other companions found solace in each other’s bodies, but Lore couldn’t bring herself to let go like they had. Now she briefly wondered if it was because Raphael had gotten under her skin when the group had run into him at Last Light. She hadn’t missed the way Raphael’s eyes had traveled up and down her form then, and had wondered what had been going through his mind. The thoughts had haunted her, giving in to fantasy and lewd dreaming.

“Let him hear you through me, pet.” Lore had clenched her jaw to keep from making the mewling sounds that built up at the back of her throat from Haarlep’s administrations. “After all, the game is to lure him here, is it not?”

Haarlep’s hot tongue trailed down her stomach while his blazing eyes remained locked with Lore’s. Lower, still, he went. Until his teeth sunk into her inner thigh, just above her mound. She hissed out a moan, throwing her head back into the silken sheets and arching her back. Gods how her body thrummed for him. And then his tongue lathed at her core and her head snapped back up. She hated the sensation when it had come to other partners, but Haarlep’s practiced tongue spread heat through her. The fact that he looked like Raphael also probably helped. He lapped her up, working her until she wasn’t sure how much more she could take. And then he stopped, much to her dismay.

But then his teeth found her other thigh, and she cried out. Whether pain or pleasure, she didn’t know. The line seemed to blur when it came to a devil such as him playing with her.

“That’s it, mouse. I can feel that the master is curious, now. Cry out for him, and I am sure he will come.” The double entendre of Haarlep’s words sent another shudder through her and she let out a whimpering moan. Her hands clenched into the sheets beneath her, and Haarlep continued giving bites along the length of her body until he lay over her once more. The head of his cock rested against her folds, and as much as she tried to pull him into her, he remained just out of reach.

“Raphael, please,” she whimpered, her mind so gone to the sensations of him that she didn’t even realize she had called out the wrong name. His hips pushed forward, but his cock didn’t enter her. Instead the ridges dragged tauntingly upwards against her clit and mound.

“Yes, pet. Call for the master. Make him wish to see you hot and writhing, begging for more,” Haarlep growled into her ear, but then he pulled away.

Her protest died on her tongue as he flipped her over and positioned her so that she was on her elbows and knees with a view of the mist shrouded doorway. Haarlep mounted her from behind, his teeth grazing her shoulder blades and the back of her neck, her raven hair spilled to the other side. Lore’s legs were spread wider and then-

“F-fuck,” she cried out as he entered her fully in one single thrust. He was big, but somehow he was able to bury himself to the hilt. The burning stretch of him nearly sent her over the edge, but he remained infuriatingly still until the threat of her climax abated.

“Oh yes, little mouse. The master is definitely tuned in now,” he said, pulling back and thrusting hard into her with a grunt. She was no longer conscious of the sounds she made, so lost was she in the sensation of the ridges on the underside of his thick length. His hips worked her into a frenzy, always pausing when he felt her on the edge of spilling over. She was rapidly traveling towards overstimulation and the cries of pleasure poured from her unbidden.

She didn’t even realize they had an audience until Haarlep hauled her up, her back against his chest and his arms wrapped firmly around her to hold her in place while he shallowly pumped in and out of her.

Raphael stood near the door, watching them with an expression Lore couldn’t read. His arms were crossed and he leaned casually against the frame, but said nothing. Her heart thundered in her chest as she observed him observing them.

“Isn’t she just glorious, master? Beautiful, impaled on your cock,” Haarlep growled aginst her ear. Lore whimpered, feeling a climax building rapidly once more while Raphael just continued to watch on. Her hands frantically reached for Haarlep, trying with all her might to ride his cock into an orgasm, but he stilled. Again. The bastard.

“Nuh-uh-uh, little mouse. It’s only fair that we save that honour for the master is it not?”

Lore whimpered her complaint, her body strung tighter than a bow at the continuously denied pleasure. When she tried again, Haarlep punished her further by removing himself entirely.

“Poor little pet. If you want it so bad, perhaps you should beg the master for your release.”

Her eyes, half-lidded by desire and pleasure, found Raphael’s. His face remained impassive, but he pushed away from the doorframe and approached the bed at a languid pace. His eyes remained locked to hers, though she couldn't read his expression with how sex-addled her brain was.

“Raphael, please,” she whimpered, squirming against Haarlep’s hold.

“Tell the master what you want, little mouse.”

“Haarlep wont let me cum, Raphael,” she whined. “Please.”

Lore could see hunger ignite in Raphael’s eyes. In an effort to entice him further, Lore turned her head so that her mouth found Haarlep’s. The action had its desired effect, and suddenly Raphael burst into his cambion form in a flash of hellfire. He climbed onto the bed to wrench Lore’s face from Haarlep’s and devoured her mouth with his own in a fit of possession. He pressed forward until Lore was thoroughly sandwiched between the two fiends- Haarlep’s chest to her back as she laid on him, and Raphael’s chest to her own as he pressed atop her.

“You play a dangerous game, but oh, you sing so sweetly little bard,” rumbled Raphael as he tilted his head to nip at her neck. Haarlep’s teeth found her neck on the opposite side and she was lost to the pair. Her moan rang out into the room and she snaked her arms around Raphael’s shoulders. When she attempted to wrap her legs around his hips, she found that they were restrained by each fiend’s tail.

And then she felt…oh..oh gods. Lore threw her head back and cried out as both cocks nudged against her slit. First she had fully expected each to fill both holes, but instead they stretched her to the point that pain and pleasure became one and the same. She didn’t know how much further her cunt could stretch, but Raphael and Haarlep thrust into her in tandem- when Haarlep pulled out, Raphael pumped his hips forward.

“Fuck, Raphael,” she cried out, her breath being stolen from her as the pain quickly converted into pleasure. In just a few more thrusts from each fiend, she was thrown over the edge of the most violent climax she’d ever experienced. Her entire body shuddered and twitched of its own volition and black spots danced in her vision. Grunts and growls erupted from Raphael and Haarlep as her cunt milked both of them, though neither fiend released in response to hers.

In fact, Haarlep removed himself from her body, his mouth finding Raphael’s while she came down from the high. Raphael continued thrusting into her, though each stroke was short and shallow and drove her to overstimulation.

Haarlep’s hand found her chin and turned her head so that he could thrust his tongue into her mouth, and soon after turned her head so that Raphael could have his turn. Raphael’s hips pressed forward and the ridges of him dragged so deliciously against her inner walls. As he tilted his hips forward, plunging again to the hilt, something felt…off? Not in a bad way, but there appeared to be some kind of bulge at the base of his cock that hadn’t been there before. Or was she remembering Haarlep?

“You’re in for a real treat, pet,” Haarlep murmured into her ear by way of an answer to her unvoiced question. “The master doesn’t knot just anyone.”

Knot? Lore wasn’t familiar with cambion anatomy, but she wasn’t entirely sure she wanted to know what a knot was. But gods, Raphael felt so good, pumping into her with slow and methodical thrusts. Her legs were released from the tail restraint, only for Haarlep to hook her knees over his arms and spread her wide for Raphael.

And then he thrust forward so violently deep that she arched her back and cried out. What she thought must be the mentioned knot locked him into her and Raphael’s thrusts became constrained, short and quick as allowed by the knot.

“You take my cock so well, little mouse,” Raphael growled to her. His hips pressed so hard, so close into hers that she didn't know where he ended and she began. His cock twitched, and then she felt hot ropes of cum released into her with a guttural growl from Raphael. He relaxed his hips for a brief moment, only for him to snap forward again with a grunt, releasing a second time in such a short span of time. The throbbing movement of his cock deep in her sent Lore over the edge again, and she clung to him while her body trembled and milked him for everything he had to give. Her climax sent another zipping through him and yet another round of heat was pumped into her.

“So fucking good, my little songbird,” Raphael all but whimpered as he nuzzled into her neck.

“You take the master’s cock so beautifully. Sing for him little mouse,” Haarlep praised. Lore whimpered in response, not sure how much pleasure one mortal could even take.

Raphael’s mouth found hers again and he thrust his tongue into her mouth in the same tempo that his hips pumped his cock into her. And then yet again, she could feel him throbbing inside her as more heat scorched into her.

“Gods, Raphael,” she whined. “I’m going to leak your cum for months.”

“Good,” he growled. “Mine. Haarlep, leave.”

Raphael’s growled command was met with no complaint, and soon it was just Lore crushed beneath Raphael with his cock buried so impossibly deep in her.

Raphael’s hips snapped forward again and his teeth sunk into her neck. He marked her, inside and out, so thoroughly claiming her. Another orgasm rocked through her and her limbs trembled with the effort of keeping them up and wrapped around Raphael. Her nails dug into his back with the effort, leaving scratches in the wake of her fingers being knocked from their grip with his thrusts. Her voice rang out into the empty air of the room, no longer restrained by timidness. Many times it was Raphael’s name being chanted in time to each pulsing thrust.

Twice more his cum painted her inner walls, and twice more her cunt milked him for every last drop.

After what seemed like ages, Raphael’s body was finally convinced that Lore was thoroughly bred and the knot subsided. Exhausted, he collapsed atop her, and Lore couldn’t muster a complaint while so completely sated. His weight on her and his warmth was nice, and this lulled her into sleep faster than she could think of the repercussions of their frenzied coupling.

[bg3-bitching]

so. okay. bg3 & asian characters. for our purposes i will be talking about helsik and cazador—note that they are both characters with east asian features. this is because, as far as i know, there are no south/southeast asians (at least, not with speaking roles). this is the first of our problems.

quick harper branthos mention btw. i love him. he's not got enough of a speaking role to be relevant here but i love him all the same

let's look at helsik from the devil's fee. during your first conversation with her, she mentions being a follower of "lord mammon". she requests payment for information, and will tell all for obscene prices. it's basically daylight robbery. also, for people who don't know, mammon as a character represents greed and avarice, and is often depicted as one of the princes of hell. she embodies the east asian (usually chinese) scammer trope—she tries to get you to give her all your money and then some. so like. that's not a great portrayal of asian people, and she's maybe the second one we've seen so far?

then we have cazador, who is. at least visually based on fu manchu which isn't a good association lmao (fu manchu is a fictional supervillain who uhhh. embodies the evil genius/mad scientist trope. the stache cazador has is named after him). so that's a bad look! not to mention that over the game, cazador has been built up as an evil, manipulative, abusive shithead who is also the villain of the favorite white boy's narrative. his whole shtick in the later half of the game is the rite of profane ascension, a demonic rite in which he must sacrifice seven thousand souls for power. so not only is he the source of all the favorite white boy's problems, but he's power-hungry as well.

wow! you may be thinking. what a weird coincidence that these two characters are tied to diabolic rituals!

isn't it just? it's almost reminiscent of how east asian people have been called yellow devils in the past!

sorry about the sarcasm but it's just tiring at this point. thank you, larian! thank you so much!

Good fucking God Almighty.

Larian how do manage to fuck up the only two notable Asian characters in the game that badly??? (It's by not having anyone Asian be prominent in making the game) ((I also hate how broad the term 'Asian' is, as if Asia is monolithic))

Since he was brought up, I want to say how uncomfortable I feel seeing and using the word "slave" to describe Astarion's situation with Cazador. Yes that is technically what he was, but should we really be saying a white man is a slave? ESPECIALLY when his "master" (big yikes) has POC features? It's giving "Persecution Flip" trope.

Thank you for sending this! It's good for people to see these harmful tropes and stereotypes so they can spot them when they happen.

[flamemittens]

maybe for morgayne and gortash?

Flower Language prompts from here!

Gortash x F!Durge. 1.3k words. *Act 3 spoilers*.

*Now extended and on AO3*

Black-eyed Susan - "Revenge tastes sweet, and so are you."

The first time she meets with him is shortly after the coronation ceremony.

Her companions do not want her to go alone, but Morgayne insists. It is better this way. There is an inexorable pull towards the man that she finds she cannot ignore, and he seems to have at least some of the answers she seeks—if he is telling the truth. They have heard the rumours—from whispers that coil in dark corners, to braver shouts that ring off the buildings and cobblestoned streets—all over parts of the city and its outskirts; in his rise from upstart lordling to city ruler and protector, he has used everything and everyone—whether at his disposal or not—to ascend.

She finds him upstairs in his office, as promised.

He assures her that their plans can still be brought to fruition. He confidently directs, explains to her what they should do, and Gods, that evasive something in her wants to listen. It is all so frustratingly, distantly recognizable. Hypnotic, in a way.

There must be more to it, she thinks. To them. She recalls the torn page she found in the Moonrise mindflayer colony, and its frenetic, tormented penmanship.

“Lord Gortash. Who were we to each other? Really?”

He seems to wince, for some reason, at her use of his title. After a brief silence, he finally offers his answer.

“I meant what I said in the audience hall. You can use that as a reference if you wish.”

Morgayne frowns. “As strange as it may seem, that does not make things much clearer. I only have more questions.”

“Well then. Allow me to fill in some more of the specifics for you, in a way that leaves no room for interpretation.”

“Please do.”

“Have a seat, then.” He sees her hesitate, and adds, in a strangely gentler tone, “I insist.”

They talk for an hour before she takes her leave.

--

She returns to him again a day or two later. She doesn’t really know what draws her there; perhaps it is this nostalgic, tenuous thread of intimacy and trust that she cannot yet determine the root of.

They talk further.

“How are your memories?” he asks, after a while.

Morgayne sighs. “It’s like trying to complete a puzzle but all the pieces are broken, scattered, and some will forever be missing. However, some things are coming back to me, I think. Slowly.”

Something like delight flares in his dark eyes. Something like hope.

She stays for longer this time.

“How was your Archduke, darling?” Astarion asks later as he sidles up to her on her return to the Elfsong, amusement plain on his beautiful features.

“He is not my Archduke” she counters flatly, feeling none of the conviction she tries so hard to imbue the words with.

--

“I heard you went to the Hells today” Gortash begins the next time she visits him. “You’ve been busy, my dear.”

“Yes” she confirms.

She tells him about it all, of Helsik, of Hope, of Nubaldin. Of what the self-important rock gnome revealed before she was compelled to sear the flesh from his bones, to burn away his smug grin—but not how she later felt she had been told part of the story before. That she keeps to herself for now. She speaks of the Master of the House, and how she robbed him blind.

Any other eyes on the scene would think he is not reacting, but she sees something subtle in the set of his jaw, the rise of his shoulders, the pitch of his eyes. How one clawed gauntlet grips the edge of the table, pressing marks into the oak, how the knuckles on his other tightly fisted hand are turning white. How he won’t even look at her, his gaze fixed on the floor as she talks.

“Raphael is dead” she finishes.

His eyes flick to hers eventually, the tension bleeding out of him faster than it bloomed.

“It’s…curious, isn’t it” he muses.

She doesn’t need to ask what he means.

--

As per their agreement, she goes to him after her duel with Orin.

She tells him what happened, down there in the dark. How she defied her father. How she lay there, drained and dead on the cold, bloodstained stone. How she came to be here now, telling him about it all.

“You have our—your revenge, then. And your freedom.”

She takes a mouthful of the Marsember Blush, lets it linger on her tongue before swallowing. It’s a balmy evening, and the wine is as refreshing as it is spicy.

“Yes. It would seem I do.”

He studies her with an almost unnerving intensity over the rim of his glass.

“I always knew, Mori.” is all he says.

That’s the name engraved on the inside of the ring she wears on her right hand, she thinks.

Her Archduke looks tired tonight.

--

The letter arrives the next afternoon, precisely crafted if a little concise, and mildly fragranced like his coronation invitation. She takes it to a quiet corner to read, drinking in its scent. His scent. It is one line, with an Upper City address at the bottom.

M Come to this address tonight. I can promise you it will be worth your while.” E

Later, she slips away from the others, but is intercepted by Jaheira on the landing outside their rooms. The older half-elf appears concerned. She can’t say it isn’t justified.

“I feel we are losing you.”

“Interesting that you should say that. I feel I am finding myself.” She packs as much of an apology as she can into her smile.

Jaheira looks as if she understands somehow. “Be careful, cub” she says, after a beat.

A short time later, Morgayne reaches the building in question. It’s a sprawling, well-appointed manor like many of those in the Upper City. She glances down one side of the building, spotting a tall trellis thick with ivy that scales up to a balcony. A fragment comes back to her then—heavy rain, gloved fingers slipping on the wood before finally reaching stone.

On entering, she is welcomed and led upstairs; she notices the guards, yes, but also the minimal staff, the thin coat of dust over almost everything—he does not come here much anymore, she recognises.

She is ushered into what she is informed are his personal chambers.

Gortash—Enver—sits at a desk, nearby a large chaise that faces an unlit fireplace. Multiple pages of what looks to be Steel Watcher schematics are spread over its surface. A decanter and tumbler, both half-filled with amber liquid, sit at his elbow. He is casually dressed, save for his golden gauntlets.

“Ah, there you are. You found your way here, at last.”

He rises as she approaches, walking around to stand in front of her.

She sees it all then, plain on his face. Relief. Pride. Desire.

He leans in with a confidence, a lover’s closeness that she supposes he has already earned, long ago. Something clicks into place as she smells the whisky on him—it’s less a moment of realization and more of a punch to the chest that steals her breath away—it speaks of the past, of hushed conversations and affection and trust.

The air seems to become warmer, thicker with every passing moment. He’s orchestrated all of this, she knows now. A tableau of echoes just for her.

She believes it all, feels the truth in it.

He kisses her then, and she kisses him back. It’s clumsy at first, like a musician trying to recall a once beloved tune, but she falls into the familiar rhythm soon enough. He trails his mouth along her jawline and pulls her flush against him, as one hand slides round the back of her neck and up into the base of her braid—the cool metal against her warm skin is…grounding.

“Stay here” he murmurs into her ear. “Where you belong. Don’t go back to them.”

And Gods help her, she stays.

[mightymizora]

Also I planned this and shared with some folks and others might find this interesting!

In my little canon world Gortash has many lovers, and I compiled a little list of his favourites!

Everybody listed here happened multiple times over a time period, so people like Haarlep which was a very set period and one off seductions like Liria (the name I gave to the elf whose head can be found in the workshop in Moonrise) don't count here.

Neither technically does Manva Warhelm, though she sits on top for always being on his mind sue me.

Putting under the cut because Enver Gortash is a bad, bad, bad man.

Bane. I mean this goes without saying. Visits from his God are always eventful. 

Musahn Mensahn (Human) a Calishite importer of people who docks every few months. One of the few people Enver is actually fond of, Musahn is a shrewd, cultured man who spins a good yarn and is an attentive, gentle presence in his life. Afternoons with him are like a little holiday.

Del Dawnstar (Dwarf) A young employee at Mistress Yare’s flophouse in The Wide, Enver has been seeing them since they were a teenager starting out. Their position fluctuates; on the one hand they will do anything he asks of them as long as their price is met and he has been able to shape them to his tastes, but on the other hand, sometimes he likes a bit more of a fight (features in Let Me Adorn You)

Hester Ashenheart (Dwarf) A servant in Gortash’s household. He knows Hester does not like him, but that is part of the appeal on both sides. She has found herself in his bed on a number of occasions, often when he has received a less than pleasing letter - and she bears the brunt of the worst of his temper (Features in The Portrait)

Franc Peartree (Human, deceased) Franc and Enver have been working together for around a decade and have been lovers for almost all of that time. Franc has been a close supporter of Enver’s rise across business, politics, and religion, and their affair has always been one of a mutual understanding of his place.

Kruugar (Half-Orc, deceased) Kru is a mercenary who has worked for Enver across jobs. This one is pretty much just physical, and Kru has a prosthetic that Gortash fitted himself as a prototype (having also cut off his arm)

Kerrie Lovelace (Half-Elf) Gortash traded Kerrie and her brother Ellyan from Calimshan, and let her be bought by Karlach Cliffgate in what he saw as a very funny and misplaced moment of chivalry. She went on to become Ulder Ravengard’s mistress, which then sparked his interest; he blackmails her for her company when he feels he wants that particular feeling of power, and she cries all the way through, which is exactly what he is looking for (features in The Portrait and Ammunition)

Ivo Thorngrove (Halfling) A very shrewd moneylender, Ivo has been working with Enver for decades. They had a much more physical relationship when both men were younger, which has petered out into something more familial for the most part, though Ivo can sometimes be persuaded…

Helsik (Dwarf) A completely transactional, only occasional relationship when he wants something. He admires her business sense. 

Wisteria Jannath (Human, deceased) Another transactional relationship, Enver nonetheless enjoys her sharp wit and warmth, and her understanding of what their relationship is.

Ettvard Needle (Human) Editor of Baldur’s Mouth. Enver met Ettvard when working on improvements to the efficiency of print and they formed a close working relationship which became closer when he joined the Banite church. 

Ffion Goldgrind (Dwarf, deceased) Another working relationship, he sees Ffion when he needs a heavy reset.

Fariza Linnaker (Human) Technically his wife. Fariza was kidnapped and held as collateral for ransom to attempt to get Lady Ruth to hand over some of the family’s gold. She did not play ball, a move that Gortash deeply admired, and instead suggested that he keep her if he really wants the investment of the Linnakers. She has gone from locked up in a safehouse, visited only by Manva who “trained” her in what to expect should she live, to being locked up in his estate. He loathes her weakness.

Avery Sonshal (Human) Avery is a recent addition, an ambitious young man who is a Banite “friend of Gortash.” Enver doesn’t think much of him, but he takes a cock well and is eager to please, so is also easy to subjugate.

[animentality]

seen some posts joking about gortash’s “anti-anxiety coat” due to the immune to frightened enchantment, and its probably not that deep or meta but i actually do find it a compelling look at how he really does walk around almost supernaturally fearless. like even when you threaten him he brushes it off like its funny or just nonsense, if worth reacting to at all! even when you meet him at the morphic pools to face down the netherbrain, his words convey a lack of confidence in winning but his tone and body language do not. and i think part of it is that he is insane (affectionate) but also, possibly, the power of the anti-anxiety coat lol.

he also does things like robbing the crown of karsus from the personal vault of the archdevil mephistopheles, and befriending a bhaalspawn on purpose. things that normal people or even average villains probably wouldnt dream of attempting, and he pulled them off near-flawlessly. but if he’s so effortlessly unflappable, why the coat enchantment right? the game could have made “immune to frightened” an inherent feature, but they made it something he only gains from his equipment. it’s just interesting to think about!

and since i am thinking about it… if we imagine that he is genuinely prone to anxiety or panic attacks, and has difficulty controlling it enough to be worried about appearances in public and have a whole enchanted coat about it, what do you think he’s actually scared of? does he have more of a generalised anxiety thanks to growing up in hell and etc, or do you think there are specific things that really get to him? is it other people? politics, secretly? the idea of powerlessness?

ironically i think the dark urge would probably be the only thing that genuinely does not scare him in the least, and couldnt if they tried.

I think that he was a scared little boy when his parents sold him to pay off their debts.

I don't believe his parents, when they said that he was a spiteful and hateful wretch from birth. Nubaldin says that they sold him to pay off a petty debt.

Now either of them could be lying, but I fail to see why Nubaldin would lie to you. He has no reason to, he just thinks you're one of the spirits of the damned.

Gortash's mom, on the other hand, would lie because she hates Gortash for tadpoling her, and it would be her justification for what she did to him. Plus, she's hoping you can save her, so she has to make herself look sympathetic.

So I think Gortash was hurt and abandoned, and enslaved by an awful devil, who allowed his servants to beat him black and blue. Everyone in the House of Hope is a miserable wretch. The Archivist mentions that his spine was like...I think punctured or broken for making a mistake?

And we know Nubaldin used to "bruise his knuckles" on Enver's "whimpering face."

So he must've been terrified, all of the time he spent imprisoned in the House of Hope. Of being punished, of being trapped there forever...

So when he manages to escape one day, slipping out due to a silly mistake on Nubaldin's part...

What's the first thing he would do?

Try to attain power. But not just because he's scared and wants to feel powerful! I actually have another theory.

See...some people data mined the game and discovered that Gortash might've been intended to be in the House of Hope at some point... because Raphael still has his contract.

So he's still not free of Raphael, even though he escaped him.

He has a note on his body, indicating that he might've been speaking with Helsik about going back, so he could get his contract, presumably.

Now imagine this poor lost young man...whose parents sold him. Who spent his childhood being tortured by souls of the damned and the devil and his servants.

He would never ever want to go back there. Not in life, not in death.

So what does he need to do?

Become powerful.

Strong enough to raid the hells, and either kill Raphael, or at least steal back his contract. so what does he turn to first?

Weapons. The black market. People who know about slipping in and out of the hells, and how to kill monsters, demons, and all other manner of creature.

Then, he needs to curry favor with a powerful god. One who can help him. One who can use him, for his fear and desperation. Who is a good god to turn to for that?

Bane. God of tyranny. Someone who could have use for him, if only he was clever and ruthless enough. And young Enver Gortash has a lot to prove.

And he would be drawn to the power of Bane, the ability to force others to submit to your will.

And the Dead Three?

That's even more power for him to obtain.

Siding with Ketheric, finding the Dark Urge...

I mean.

Listen.

Just on a character level, a powerless abuse victim seeking power does make sense...but I also think.

Wouldn't it be interesting, if he was doing all of this, so that he could both obtain power for himself...and also obtain the power he would need to kill Raphael?

Just food for thought.

Anyway.

Off topic.

Back to the subject of his cloak...well.

He would never want to be afraid again.

Fake it till you make it. Maybe he made or bought the cloak with the no fear enchantment so that he could fake confidence and power, until he actually had it?

Either way, it makes sense with his backstory. It's also so goddamn sad.

Also, he should be afraid of the dark urge, but isn't. Maybe that's why they were drawn to one another.

[linka-from-captain-planet]

The L Word: Faerûn, Part 3: The Chart, Pre-Canon

Previous part.

Having explained the overall premise and basically who "Alekto" is, it's time for the real meat of The L Word: Faerûn which is who's fucking who and when and why.

Thus, in more or less chronolgoical order, the pre-canon (pink lines) relationships/hookups/drama is as follows...

(over 100 years ago) Isobel and Aylin meet, piss off Isobels' dad, and lose each other, exactly as occurs in canon. Similarly, Jaheira lost Khalid as in canon.

(? years ago because these are just for seasoning and timing doesn't really matter) Helsik and her #1 rival/frenemy/LOHL Korilla have been on and off forever. They don't know they're desperately in love. Helsik has definitely also ~encountered~ Harleep and Mizora is too nosy and obnoxious to have never crossed paths with Harleep, and crossing paths with Harleep seems to mainly mean one (1) thing.

(c. ~30 years ago to ongoing) The long, rocky relationship between Alekto and Florrick was laid out already in the previous segment, since it explains much of the backstory for the entire TLW:F concept.

Alekto, Florrick, and Naoise Nallinto are also connected as part of a polycule. Alekto is more or less monogamous, but flexible enough for a well-definied poly relationship if desired by her partner. Florrick is definitively poly, and she and Naoise have been involved consistently for quite some time, including during Florrick and Alekto's relationship. Driven by their connection as city-dwelling wood elves, they find each other grounding and enjoy spending time together, but aren't compatible enough to be very serious. Florrick and Naoise remain involved with one another, even though Alekto split away some 10 years pre-canon. Alekto and Naoise had little in common, so they rarely spent time together without Florrick, but consider each other acquaintances up to the present day.

(c. ~30years ago to just before canon). Shadowheart and Nocturne were long-term sweethearts, each other's rock in the harrowing environment of the cloister, although if asked, either would downplay their feelings for each other in accordance with their lady's teachings. They never really broke up, but rather were on-and-off due to Shadowheart's sessions with the Mirror of Loss and having to often rebuild their not-a-relationship from scratch. Due to this, the eternal denial of their true feelings for each other, and the overall culture of sexuality in the cloister, they both often were involved with other members of the cloister (represented as Mirie on the chart but could be really anyone/multiple people) both individually and also there were definitely orgies.

(~20 years-5 years ago) Florrick and Nine-Fingers Keene also had a rivals-and-lovers situationship going, as a gung-ho younger Florrick hoped to make a name for herself in the Flaming Fist by taking down the rising star of the criminal guild, but things got sexy and dramatic fast. It has been several years since they last slept together, but the sexual tension endures. (For what it's worth, I think Nine-Fingers is in her mid-forties as of 1492.)

(~13 or so years ago). Teenage Hoodlums Karlach and Skoona were a casual, infrequent thing before Karlach went under Gortash's wing.

(~10 to 1ish years ago) After Gortash betrayed Karlach, she found some kind of fun, comfort, companionship (against her better judgement) in Flo the Garotter. Karlach would never admit they were ~together~ at all let alone for that long, but if you look at the facts, they don't lie.

Now look at Allandra Grey and tell me that woman is not running some kind of racket out of that temple!! Obviously Nine-Fingers would have a finger in that pie, and a finger in other things if you know what I mean. The city could NOT handle them together, it's like how the horses in Macbeth start eating each other to signify a rift in the natural order. Umberlee probably drowned a lot of people over it. Of course (not pictured) the Polycule From Hell that is Nine-Fingers' Ladies and the Umberlee cultists is alive and (not) well.

Now in the peri-canon realm (within the 1 year prior to), we got a lot going on in the Harper Corner:

Jaheira and Nine-Fingers have had a little casual thing going on for several years, nothing serious; Jaheira doesn't want a new one and only because she already had her one and only. They have some fun, they share information, they pick this thing back up in a couple months.

Now with the Harpers, Jaheira isn't out looking for anything, but you know when you're working so closely with people, and the stakes are so high, and the nights are so cold... shit just kinda starts happening. So Talli and Jaheira developed a bit of a thing while working together to mobilize the Harpers to go to the shadow-cursed land and take on Ketheric. Talli's a good gal, salt of the earth, humble, hard-working; she's ready to settle down but Jaheira is so far beyond settling down that it's just... not a good situation for either of them. Feelings hurt, Talli rebounds with Lassandra and that's really fine, but they just didn't have enough in common to build the kind of relationship either of them want, but they made for good bedfellows while it lasted.

Meanwhile, at one point Jaheira and Isobel get drunk, start reminiscing about their lost loves, and have sex. It WOULD be a secret they both take to their grave if literally everyone didn't know about it.

In the tiefling region, sorry but Lakrissa has bag-fumbler written all over her!! Of course she and Alfira flirt, but Lakrissa fails repeatedly to seal the deal and you know Alfira doesn't make the first move (hence why they have no pre-canon connection). (Also Alfira was desperately in love with Lihala in the most hopeless, idol worship crush way, but this was 100% one-sided so not on the chart). It also doesn't help that Lakrissa's ex-teenage-sweetheart from Elturel, Xeph, is also in their caravan. Xeph dumped Lakrissa because Lakrissa wouldn't get serious about her, a mistake Lakrissa claims she will never make again, but... bag-fumbler. Lakrissa also has some bouts of low self-esteem and since her post in the grove overlooks Aradin's crew camp, I imagine she got into a little something with Remira even though Remira, like Aradin, is a piece of shit (but she is also hot, so).

Lastly, we of course have the Minthara-Orin thing which is honestly not my cup of tea whatsoever, but exists and is thus on the chart. Just because I wanted her on the chart, I feel like Minthara and Roah Moonglow have banged at least once in the goblin camp since Minthra would need to blow off some steam with someone hot and also clean.

And of course Z'rell needed to be on the chart, so the question was, who could handle her? The answer was obviously Araj, whose unflinching craziness yet delusional serenity would be a fun and equal match to Z'rell's intensity. They smashed like 2-3 times in Moonrise.

Next: The Chart, Act 1

[crossdressingdeath]

Lord G, Yes, if necessary, I could get you back into the House of Hope - for the right price, of course. Though I doubt they'd be happy to see you again. You didn't exactly leave on the best of terms. However, you know your business better than I - or anyone else. H Devil's Fee

Oh, now this is interesting. What business did Gortash have in the House of Hope? This is presumably a fairly recent letter, since he's carrying it on his person (and it doesn't seem like the sort of letter that he'd have any emotional attachment to), so it's probably not from back when he and Durge were going around pulling heists on devils. Was he planning to get his own revenge on Raphael (before the party beat him to that particular punch, anyway)? Was there something he wanted to steal from him? Why was Gortash in negotiations with Helsik to go back to the House of Hope, and did he start planning this before or after the party turned up? Because I won't lie, given this is a Durge run I love the idea of him seeing his old heist buddy turn up and going "Okay we have to celebrate this with a big one." And what better celebratory "welcome home" heist than utterly humiliating Gortash's old captor?

[pagesfromthevoid]

this is me trying | g.d. | 3

Ex!Gale Dekarios x fem!tav

Bargaining --individuals may attempt to negotiate or bargain in an effort to avoid the pain of the loss. They often turn to a higher power. It can provide a sense of temporary relief, but ultimately, it cannot alter the reality of the loss.

Word Count: 1.2k

Warnings: Raphael needs a warning in and of himself. Bargaining of souls; suicidal ideations

Series Masterlist | Talk to Me! | AO3

“I’ve done it before –snuck into his home,” she reminds Helsik, leaning on the counter. Her movements are erratic, her eyes darting around the room as she whispers. “You know I can do it. I got you those gauntlets  –I’m not gonna steal anything, not this time but –what do you want? I’ve got plenty of gold now.”

Even though the diabolist does not give a number, Tav still dumps a pouch of gold onto the counter, then another –then another.

“I need to get into the House of Hope. I need –I have to.”

Helsik stares at the pile of gold in front of her, brows raised in both greed and confusion. The last time Tav had been here, she had been far less desperate and far more convincing –more confident too. But as the diabolist looks over the Hero of Baldur’s Gate, she must come to the same conclusion most people had when they saw Tav:

She is broken.

There is a bit of hesitation, but not a lot, as Helsik slides the pile of gold into the drawer of her counter. Then she slides the necessary ritual items over.

“Try not to die, hero,” is all she says as Tav snatches the satchel of items and runs up the once familiar steps of the Devil’s Fee.

*****

The portal into Raphael’s home spits her out directly in front of his archive, where the doors are open and a handful of debtors look on vacantly. Most are tending to the house, some are sneering at her as she presses forward into the House of Hope. Raphael will be less than thrilled that she, once again, has broken into his home –but she has a hell of a deal for him this time around and she is desperate.

She hesitates a moment outside the door of the boudoir –once again, a familiar feeling creeping up her spine as she recalls the last time she was here; recalls when he had scolded her for doing something so reckless like sleeping with an incubus.

Tav had thought he would leave her for that.

He hadn’t.

Sometimes she wishes he had. Would it have made his departure easier?

“Come back to play, little mouse?”

The barrier blocking the door shifts then disappears, leaving it up to her to step inside. Haarlep is lounging in the restoration pool, naked and in Raphael’s form like the last time she’d seen him. 

“Where’s your master?” She asks, tone clipped as she steps up to the edge of the pool.

Haarlep wades over to her, peering up at her from his new perch at her feet, cheek resting on his arms. “Oh, somewhere I’m sure –we could play with him and see if he’ll come running, if you’d like. I know I have been dying to see you again.”

A knot forms in her stomach, and Tav knows that this isn’t anything more than a reaction to the incubus and his effects on people. She has felt phantom hands and touches several times since they last met, and while his effect on her now is tempting, the reminder of him using her body to pleasure others immediately makes her blood run cold.

“Or I could kill you, and find him myself.”

“You remember what happened last time you broke things of mine, little mouse.”

She whips around, eyes narrowed at the cambion that stands in the doorway. Raphael looks, as expected, displeased that she is there without permission again. When he steps forward –no doubt trying to look intimidating and angry –she stands in place, staring him down.

“I’m here to bargain with you, Raphael,” she states, stepping forward to meet him now. Toe to toe, he is significantly taller than her. Stronger than her. More wicked than her. But she has something on her side that he doesn’t:

She is crazier than him.

She is more desperate than him.

She is more than willing to risk everything to get her life back. 

“And what could a little mouse offer the cat that he does not already possess?” Raphael coos, leaning down close to her. Their noses almost touch. 

“The crown.”

Raphael draws back, brow furrowed in both disgust and disbelief. “You had your chance, mouse. I recommend –,”

“I can get it back,” she cuts in, reaching up to grab the front of his tunic. Raphael’s expression shifts to confusion as she touches him. His claws pry her fingers from him —and for a moment, as his eyes catch a glimpse at her nails, Raphael sees the truth behind the mouse’s bargain: bitten down to the quick, bruised, maimed from herself. Empty. Desperate. 

Instead of dropping her hands, he simply looks over the offending appendages as she continues to ramble. She doesn’t notice that Raphael does not care what she has to say. “Gale –he…I know he took it. I know he went back on our deal, and he broke the contract and you didn’t get to collect your end. I never intended for that to happen —truly.

“I can get it back,” she repeats, voice rushing out now. Her words are frantic, watery from holding back tears. She doesn’t even realize Raphael is touching her —if she had, wouldn’t she have pulled away by now? “I just —I need you to get me to a portal to Elysium. You don’t even have to help me enter. You just —I can’t —there’s no documentation on how to get there, or enter, or travel.

“But if you bring me there, I can get the crown back from Gale. I can bring him home, and fulfill my contract and if I fail, then —well that’s that, isn’t it?”

“That is…that,” Raphael finally manages to say, dropping her hands away from him. “Unfortunately, little mouse, I have no interest in your soul any longer.”

“What?” Tav blanches, tear stricken eyes wide as panic begins to set in. “No, no, no —but Raphael, I’m the hero of Baldur’s Gate. My soul is invaluable. I am promising it to you —I am giving it up if I fail —why —I don’t —,”

“What use is the soul of the great hero when the soul is barely existent anymore?”

Tav’s hand reaches up and clutches her chest —over her heart where one would assume the soul rests —and looks blankly down at it. “My soul…it’s fine. My soul is fine. I am fine —,”

“I have no use for your soul or the crown, mouse,” Raphael repeats, adjusting his tunic back into place. “I have no desire to accept your deal.”

“But —I thought —you wanted it before —,”

“When it was whole,” he snaps at her, eyes narrowed and dangerous. “In the quiet corner, the cat watches his prey. But the mouse falls ill and cannot run away. No longer a challenge, the cat loses his thrill. A sickly little mouse holds no interest still.”

“Raphael, please —,”

But the cambion snaps his fingers and flames engulf Tav —sending her back to the room in the Elfsong that she still lives in. She sways on her feet a moment before dropping to her knees, eyes blank and unseeing. 

So much for bargaining.