#A/Bel

[witchcraftandburialdirt]

((I realized I really shouldn't ask anyone to judge Abel when I've literally NEVER posted that one full WIP of him. LOL Here you go for now. Subject to change of course. If only he wasn't such a bitch.

[boabelboo]

this is so shit i need [remembers suicide jokes are bad for my mental health] mouse bites to live

[foreverbaby25]

[animusrox]

[90's Sitcoms]

[witchcraftandburialdirt]

random hcs ask for abel this time:

worst trait.

best trait.

how aware of its nature is it?

does it feel any type of way about being a demon?

it is morally bankrupt. but does it realises so or is it simply a foreign concept?

═══ HEADCANON INQUIRIES ═══

Worst Trait

---Oh man this one is always hard for me to answer because of how A/Bel's...existence works. I've written this before but I'll just put it here: A/Bel is fundamentally inhuman, so its difficult to answer this as it ultimately doesn't really hold views that humans could hope to understand. Many villains are driven by something easily comprehensible to the human mind; love, power, safety--things everyone of us has felt at least once in our lives. A/Bel, though, is a demonic entity. It doesn't care about any of the things we care about and doesn't have any human motives--it can't. To it, humans are material to be used; meat. Hell--to say A/Bel views humans as a human views something like a cow is even an overstatement; humans are inherently compassionate--we are loving, we feel sympathy when we look into an animal's eyes, even if we've consumed it at a prior time. A/Bel is incapable of this, it doesn't have the necessary function in its mind to have that same level of connection. It can understand why that connection exists, but only in the same way a computer program understands code. It cannot feel it, it can only have the knowledge of it. To A/Bel, humans are like ants being paved over for new sidewalk--our deaths are inconsequential to it and it's sole purpose is to devour, to eat.

That was somewhat long winded, but I think its important to explain that speaking in human terms of morality-- everything A/Bel does is horrible and bad from the root of its actions. It manipulated and used its knowledge of the human psyche to exploit a grieving child before securing said child as a food source until death--and even then it will not let go. It dons aesthetics that, at the very end, will fade into nothing too; and those aesthetics only have one purpose--to give its vessel the slowly dwindling hope that a human could ever connect with it. That the weeks, months, years, and entire lifetimes MEANT something to it; right? Otherwise why would it stick around? But it doesn't...and its impossible. Hell it even uses Robin's late father's voice.

Robin, in himself, is the representation of how in the grand enormity of a compassionless existence--we do not matter to beings that fall outside of our own way of thinking. To any human, Robin's story is deeply traumatizing and horrendous, it naturally incites compassion and the want to protect. To a creature like A/Bel? Robin's vulnerability is the perfect nesting ground to burrow, and a canvas to create even more horror within...and everything about that is wrong.

So trying to grade his worst trait through the eyes of a human is difficult. Its actions and reasoning is so outside of human perspective I couldn't even try to understand it. The only thing I could ever say as worst is...all of it.

Best Trait

I alluded to this in another answer but I can put that here too and expand on it: Due to Abel coming into Robin's life at the ripe age of 15 - it has actually influenced quite a lot of his personality as, despite knowing better, Robin did naturally place Abel into the "family" compartment in his mind. It wasn't as though he had much choice. It walked beside Robin for an entire decade before both of their lives ended at the same time, but Abel - shockingly - used the last bit of its power to partially revive Robin in an act of mercy/love/survival (?) and it still doesn't know why it did such a thing.

It also, and this is very important: IT DOES NOT SABOTAGE HIM AS MUCH AS ONE WOULD THINK. I'd actually go as far as to say that it never does; Robin was never actually influenced by Abel once the contract was put into place. It did not ignite his obsession with getting his family back or his fall into darker magic, and it doesn't really push him to continue down the path he was on. It works to make Robin comfortable and happy in order to protect its meal, and gives Robin the means to an end to do certain things.

I would even argue to say that it has helped Robin in ways since it practically helped raise him. It was the influence he needed, weirdly enough. It comforted him, cooked him meals, taught him how to be confident - sure this all came from a place of selfish need for its meal but.... It did put legitimate effort into the act, it worked hard to make him feel safe, to make him happy (or what it could define as happiness since it cannot understand complex emotions), and to kindle his mind.

How aware of its nature is it?

Extremely. A/Bel and Robin both never forget what it really is throughout the entirety of their relationship. They don't speak of it outwardly but its something they are both highly aware of, and they do not even pretend otherwise. A/Bel also knows that it is a mask to wear and that its a recombinant lifeform, its a mish-mash of what Bel, the core, knows of humans. Without Robin being alive, A/Bel will also pass leaving just the core behind to continue onto its next meal, it isn't really "alive", it knows this and works hard to keep Robin safe because of it.

That being said, due to this acknowledgment it does keep its guise on VERY heavily towards other people. Humans cannot tell A/Bel is anything but a normal person, maybe a bit bizarre but nothing else. A/Bel is a tool, an instrument and a means to an end. Nothing more, nothing less.

I think this also comes through quite a bit when A/Bel speaks about Robin to others, ever since its conception it has never once called Robin by his name. It usually refers to him as "the boy" or "that one".

Does it feel any type of way about being a demon?

A/Bel is a biological tool, an instrument and a means to an end. Nothing more, nothing less. Despite its mask, intelligence, decision making and personality it is important to remember that A/Bel is just something to be worn and used for this momentary blip in the actual entity's existence. At the root A/Bel has as much individual will as a wrench. So it doesn't really...feel anything about it. Unless wrenches think.

The only time this becomes an actual issue is in modern au. Its been firmly established that A/Bel has returned to due Robin's soul being recycled and him being alive brings A/Bel back as was the basis of their contract, which lasts an eternity. Now its dealing with something it was never supposed to, it knows it died; and it isn't really sure how to..process it. So! It's feelings may change now that it has experienced the terrifying concept that is mortality but that's for the thread to toy with.

As of current its grappling with the issue quietly since it only really has Evelynn to discuss it with. So. Yikes!

It is morally bankrupt. but does it realise so or is it simply a foreign concept?

A/Bel, mask and core, cannot really...grasp human feelings in the same way we do, particularly complex ones. It can tell that humans would disagree with its methods but it doesn't understand why, nor does it try to. It also recognizes morally unwell characters and their influence on the world around them, it doesn't know why - again - but it has had conversations with Robin about having relations with more dangerous individuals and why its a bad idea. Ultimately its probably just to serve its need for keeping tis food safe but alas, it serves its function as being what Robin needs.

It is a mask that changes depending on the contract it makes and what its vessel needs, until modern au's explorations are complete this answer is ultimately impossible to come up with as its never had to recognize itself as alive or really think about what life means to it. However I don't think it will ever have the same revelations as @agonizedembrace's Evelynn - it might break its existence if it does. But! That's something to play with more in the future.

[mostly-funnytwittertweets]

[fidjiefidjie]

📷 Art du jour 📸

Scènes surréalistes des deux photographes Daniel Rueda & Anna Devís

👋 Bel après-midi

[daughterofsarenrae]

it is so fucked up that men's gymnastics outfits dont have sparkles. this is why we need feminism

[i-m-snek]

Yeehaw!

[witchcraftandburialdirt]

🔮 (for Viktor, same thing again)

Put a 🔮 to hear what my muse’s first thoughts were about your muse.

Robin Oh Gods above, is my hair alright? --Why am I thinking about my appearance right now? I stand before greatness and I am wondering about my hair. Idiot. So....this is Viktor, the man who Heimerdinger has taken up as his assistant...Another Zaunite! Yes! This is wonderful--finally! To finally have someone who knows what home is like! Ahh, I have so many questions for him--Ah--Is he talking to me? Oh Gods--my throat feels dry. Ah--did my voice crack when I spoke? Was it obvious? Why am I so nervous? Would it be rude to ask him to join me for tea? Maybe a game of chess--is that too forward? Would he find any of my works interesting at all? --Brain! Stop! You are making it worse! It's fine, Robin, you have met other scientists before. Why can't I talk?

____________________________

Abel Hmm....what a frail being, sharp mind, shite body. Are all those from Zaun either weak in terms of body or emotion? And for an immortal yordle to take this human under his wing...I suppose there has to be some sort of gifted part of his mind, I do wonder how long he has been here for. This seems to be the vessels first time meeting him...he's nervous--ah. Or..no. They've met before in the medical wing. Most likely due to this ones condition, I'll have to speak to the vessel later about it, and inquire why, even now, he seems somewhat twitchy whilst speaking to this man.

[atomic-chronoscaph]

Designs by Norman Bel Geddes (1930s)

[ysabel277]

Who would like to put me on a food marathon? 😊

[mischieviem]

Forced myself to draw other characters

[witchcraftandburialdirt]

"What happened to you?" either muse!

What Happened To You?

A sigh left him as Abel glanced over his shoulder to her, standing up with hands in his slacks, the base of his shoes and pants riddled with blood as he revealed the injured party before him. "I had a few things to take care of for Miss Velveteen is all, nothing to worry about." The man brushed off his suit jacket before noticing a knife had been plunged fully through his palm, although no blood wet the blade.

A snort left him as he tugged it free, the flesh almost instantly reviving back to a normal state as he examined the knife. "Mmm...nice blade," Abel cooed, taking two steps forward, his heel digging into the man as he stepped on him, a single pained groan revealing that he was still alive. The disguise chuckled and positioned himself on a nearby call, lighting a cigar as he put the knife into his suit's inner jacket.

"Go on then, Eve. Dinner time."