#because heaven forbid those who work on her shift have to work a little harder

[baked-hylian]

Y'know, it's a shame when a workplace thinks they can own their employees

[wallwriterstuff]

The Little Ways You Say I Love You  ||Demetri Volturi x Reader||

Summary: Demetri is well aware how fragile humans can be and needs a little reminder that to touch you isn’t to kill you. Loving a vampire isn’t easy, but you find a way to compromise that suits both your needs. 

Warnings: None, for once it’s nice and fluffy

Words: 4071

There were certain things humans did that were very endearing. The way you scrunched your nose for example when you were confused or showing your distaste for something, and that sweet way you snuggled down into your duvet when you slept. It was also incredibly cute how excited you got when exploring somewhere/something new, eyes shining as you bounced about. Your sleepy confusion when you first got up or had been up too long, your sweet little sneezes and sniffles when the flowers in the garden invaded your nose, your habit of fidgeting – it was all still so new to him and Demetri would be lying if he said he didn’t find it absolutely adorable. Your humanity was something he had originally not batted an eye at – you were going to be a vampire in the end after all so what was the point – until you had started showing these little traits that left him falling a little harder for you every time he saw them. Then, of course, there were the downsides to mortality.

You got sick. You couldn’t go without eating lest you become sluggish and nauseated. You sometimes had nightmares when you slept and terrified him when you woke with a gasp or a scream. Your skin turned shades of black, yellow and blue when you hit your limbs off of inanimate objects - and Felix’s abdomen but you had both sworn a pact to never tell Demetri that was how your knuckles had ended up bruised – that Demetri never seemed to be able to steer you clear of despite his speed. If you tripped or hit them just right your skin also, heaven forbid, tore like tissue paper, tempting him with your sweet sweet blood. He was grateful that didn’t happen as often as you added to your collection of bruises. He was also well aware of how fragile your bones were, susceptible to shatter from the slightest pressure. In short, all the things he found so endearing could very easily be wiped out by illness, injury, and the common flaw of mortality that was, simply, that it wasn’t built to last.

Demetri was painfully aware of all of these things when it came to you, having accidentally left his fingerprints on your wrist for days after trying to make sure you didn’t step into the way of an oncoming car once. He had felt awful; it was almost painful to watch how slowly your skin faded back to it’s normal colouring, and he’d honestly had no idea you’d get so sick when he ran with you for the first time, feeling immensely guilty as he dared not put his hands on your heaving form lest he make it any worse. It was a pattern you’d noticed for a few weeks now and you hated it. Demetri had been nothing but good to you from the day you’d met him, a bit dismissive at first perhaps but very attentive when it came to your needs so you were never uncomfortable in your new home. You’d not had much choice once you’d been pulled from the tour group but to stay with him, especially after hearing the screams you should have been contributing to – nobody of sound mind would let you go with what you knew.

It was very obvious that Demetri had never really expected to meet you, and the sudden appearance of his mate had left him at a bit of a loss, especially when he realised you were human. You could almost see inside his mind in the early days as he watched you explore your new home with a mystified but doting expression, looking very much like a parent watching their child toddle about after finding their feet for the first time. What do I do with a human? The answer was very simple and you let him know soon enough, that if he expected you to fall hopelessly in love with him then you’d like to see the real him doing things he loved. He’d taken you out a lot after that, having to learn to balance your need for rest with his fun-packed dates. In all that time, from the first moment he’d accidentally bruised you (and consequently saved you from the wrath of a very angry Italian woman who was clearly in a hurry that day) pulling you out of the way of that car, he’d not touched you since.

You weren’t expecting the world from him, you knew it took a lot of self-control for him to even be near you some days, but you were only human. You were never one of those people who preferred their own company and had grown up in a family were physical touch was common place, whether it be from hugs or from cousins poking you constantly, you naturally craved physical contact and Demetri seemed to naturally withhold it. You knew it was out of fear for your safety, and you didn’t want to force him to spend long hours snuggling with you or do anything extravagant if it meant putting him through any sort of discomfort, but would it really kill him to hold your hand when you went out and about to places? Was it really the end of the world if he gave you a brief hug when you were upset? He seemed to think you’d collapse if he so much as breathed on you, or at least, that’s how it felt.

At first it had just been a bit annoying. It was a quirk of his you’d tried to learn to live with until it began to wear you down some. You had been given a three-month grace period to settle in, and time was very quickly passing you by. The longer it went on the less desirable you felt. Logically you were well aware your thinking was stupid, that Demetri was refraining from touching you for any other reason than simply wanting to ensure he didn’t hurt you, but the lack of contact forewent all logic to that lingering anxiety that perhaps your human self wasn’t enough to attract him. Maybe he didn’t want to touch you. You’d subconsciously tried dressing a little nicer and being a little more flirty just to see if it would encourage him to touch you, even if it was just his hand on your arm briefly, and you were disappointed to find that it didn’t work.

He’d been on a mission for his masters for the last few days, leaving you alone to wallow in your thoughts. You’d been lonely with all your usual friends gone from the castle and you knew full well you couldn’t expect him to greet you with a hug when he returned, though he would, in his own way, still greet you warmly. Vampires, you had learned, were eerily quiet, though you supposed they had no reason to be loud, so consequently when they weren’t around to make conversation with the castle was silent. Creepily silent. In an effort to chase away that silence, you’d turned to music. Demetri’s quarters were on the floor reserved specifically for the high-ranking guardsmen, and since they were all out there would be no Jane to pound on the door and demand you turn it down, or Felix shouting from his own room that her taste in music was horrible.

So you cranked the volume up.

High.

Then turned it back down because Caius’s face had unwittingly entered your mind and he looked even more irritated with you than usual.

After a few minutes of altering the volume to what you considered the optimum level, you finally settled back onto the sofa with the intention of just enjoying the music as you continued to read one of Demetri’s many books. By the bottom of the first page you were tapping your toe along to the beat. By the bottom of the third you were bobbing your head. By the time you hit page number five you were bopping side to side in your seat. You had abandoned your book entirely by page number seven in favour of grabbing the TV remote and using it as microphone, and you had an absolute blast. You imagined yourself on stage, a thousand adoring hands reaching for you as you sang your heart out and danced around the room, switching between air guitars and pillow dance partners. You could practically feel the way your mood shifted, the beginnings of your sulking long gone as your face flushed and your smile widened, nothing but the light, euphoric love for good music filling you from head to toe.

Then the ultimate karaoke song came on, and you squealed in delight as you uncaringly turned the music up far louder than you knew any of the ancient masters would like. You danced about the room, trotting like a pony and waving your arms to the beat as the intro played itself out, and then your microphone lifted, the fans went wild and you turned to point at them all, only to freeze. Demetri’s vibrantly red eyes were filled with mirth, his lips spread into a wide grin as he stood in the doorway, cloak draped over his arm. Mouth frozen open, you took a moment to feel the sheer horror at being caught red-handed.

“Please, don’t stop on my account.” He insisted, turning to hang his cloak up on the coat stand near his door. It hung neatly beside your own jacket and coat. He looked unfairly good considering he’d probably crossed hundreds of thousands of miles on foot in the past few days, not a hair out of place and pearl white teeth gleaming at you. You, on the other hand, were flushed bright red, hair falling in your eyes thanks to your dancing knocking it out of your neat style, and probably sweating a little.

“You…are back.” You said. Demetri tilted his head slightly, discarding his jacket next and rolling up the sleeves of his button up shirt.

“I am back.” He confirmed. You bit your lip, your embarrassment lingering still as he crossed to turn the music down slightly, to a more bearable volume for his sensitive ears.

“I missed you.” You told him honestly, fingers itching. You wanted to reach for him but couldn’t bring yourself to do it. Demetri seemed to sense your change in attitude, his amusement fading and being replaced instead by something that seemed to be an odd mix of confusion and concern. He came to stand before you, hand almost reaching for your arm before he retracted it.

“I didn’t mean to embarrass you my love, you looked like you were having fun.” He said. You couldn’t quite bring your eyes to move from his hand, the hand that had almost answered your silent prayers, that had very almost touched you. He’d been gone for three days, would he really deny you the contact you wanted if you were just honest with him?

“I was.” You agreed softly, tossing your remote control microphone aside and trying to pluck up the bravery to just do it. His hand was right there, loose and open. You could easily slip your palm against his. What was the worst that could happen? Well he could always snatch his hand away and reaffirm your ridiculous beliefs about being undesirable in every way shape and form but, what were the odds of that? You quickly stopped letting yourself think when your brain tried to work out the statistics.

“I need to shower, you’ll have some more time to yourself while I’m in there if that’s what you would like.” He assured you. You shook your head immediately, the last thing you wanted was for him to leave you so soon after he’d just gotten back. You took a breath and quickly reached for his hand, looking up at him with pleading eyes while he visibly stiffened at your touch.

“Dance with me?” you pleaded. Demetri’s crimson irises flickered to your joined hands briefly, his grip was non-existent, and you could almost feel him trying to pull away. Your heart quietly shattered.

“I’m not entirely sure how you would dance to this music.” He admitted. It wasn’t a resounding no at least and he still hadn’t forced you to let go. You bit your lip, a small flicker of hope igniting in your chest that must have shown on your face.

“Please try?” you asked, slowly lifting your joined hands so you could twirl beneath his arm. Demetri’s grip remained awfully loose and he almost seemed to flinch when you reached for his other hand, carefully moving your arms back and forth, hips swinging. You had no clue what you were doing either, you were simply compiling dance moves one on top of the other with no rhyme or reason, speeding up as you went. It was…honestly hilarious. Your discontent was very quickly forgotten seeing the effort Demetri was putting into this ridiculous dancing for you. His movements were gracefully awkward, his vampirism not letting him look stupid despite the fact that he very clearly should given the mismatched way his top and bottom halves were moving. You giggled at him and Demetri shot you a playful glare in response.

“What? You think this is funny? I am the height of trendy. My moves are so fashionable they’re ahead of their time.” He teased, letting you go in favour of pulling a ridiculous John Travolta pose, his head bobbing as he did the classic disco moves you were sure the human race had tried to bury in the film Footloose. You laughed, happily mimicking him with far less grace as the pair of you utilised the space in your room to full advantage. Demetri made no attempt to stop you whenever you grabbed him, your smile only widening whenever he let you take his hand to twist him one way or spin yourself about the next. You were exhausted, barely able to breathe through your laughter when you inevitably tripped over your own feet, colliding with his chest as the cliché moment demanded.

Panting and still giggling to yourself you were completely unaware he even had his arms around you until you tried to pull back and found yourself trapped in his embrace. Your giggles stopped abruptly, the shock clogging up your throat. With wide eyes, you looked up at him, slowly lifting your own arms to wrap back around him as he stared down at you with the most soft, vulnerable expression you’d ever seen on him. He looked entirely uncertain, his arms not quite loose but not tightly wrapped around your body either, as if he was fighting with himself to simply keep hold of you.

“Demetri…” you whispered. It was all you had wanted now for weeks, and here you were finally, home. There was a sense of contentment growing within you the longer he held you, a rightness that his embrace offered that made it feel like he’d locked all of your troubles and insecurities outside of the little bubble he’d created. You snuggled closer, determined to make the most of it while it lasted, but quickly felt guilty for the selfish move when he stiffened, muscles rigid with tenseness. “I’m sorry.” You said, attempting to squirm backwards out of his grasp. He let go immediately, his eyes widening.

“Did I hurt you?” he asked immediately, eyes a little frantic.

“No!” you groaned, sounding more exasperated than you wanted to. Demetri frowned, picking up on it and looking equal parts confused and wounded. You sighed, crossing to the speaker and turning it off. The silence between you was deafening for a long moment as you organised your thoughts, trying to figure out what to say to him next.

“What’s wrong my love?” he asked quietly, “Please, talk to me.” He looked so earnest, like he really wanted to listen and figure out how to fix the problem. He was like a big puppy sometimes, desperate to give you love but unsure how to do it in an acceptable way. It made your heart ache and your cheeks flush simultaneously because you knew it was really your own problem, your own silly insecurities. Playing with your fingers, you ducked your gaze and took a deep breath, exhaling in a huff before looking back up at him.

“I need you to know you’re not going to hurt me just by touching me.” You said finally, “I’m not made of glass Demetri, I’m not going to shatter at the slightest touch.” Demetri’s brows tugged down into a frown.

“I am very capable of hurting you my love, I’m only careful with you to avoid that.” He answered.

“But you don’t avoid that, you avoid me.” You retorted, eyes dropping to the floor again, “I know you mean well and I don’t want to make you do anything you’re not comfortable with but…isn’t there a way to compromise? Something little we could do that just, that makes me feel like…” you stumbled over the words, knowing they’d hurt him greatly. Demetri was nothing if not dedicated to you and to suggest he wasn’t was practically blasphemy.

“Like…”he prompted. You swallowed, risking a quick glance up at him and feeling your stomach curl at the anxious expression on his face.

“Like you actually want me.” You said softly. The way his entire expression crumpled made you feel intensely guilty, so much so you felt tears spring to your eyes. You forced yourself to blink them back. You’d had such a good afternoon, you’d been laughing together without a care in the world not ten minutes ago and you’d just had to go and spill your guts to ruin it hadn’t you? You really hadn’t been expecting his cold hand to envelope yours, his eyes watching your expression carefully as he tested the smallest amount of pressure he could possibly exert to tighten his grip on your palm.

“I am careful with you because of how badly I want you.” He said, his voice quiet and earnest, “Please believe me, it was never my intention to make you feel undesirable. I still can’t honestly say I feel entirely comfortable with the idea of embracing you but…maybe, we could start with this?” he suggested, lifting your hands slightly. Your heart swelled, eye shining as you stared down at his fingers curled around yours, relished in the strangely warm coolness of his skin. You nodded earnestly.

“Please. I’m happy with just this.” You promised, squeezing his hand lightly. Demetri sucked in a breath.

“Are you sure?” he questioned. You nodded vigorously, unable to keep the smile from spreading across your face. You hadn’t wanted the world from him, just a small amount of contact comfort every now and then. Demetri looked utterly relieved you weren’t pushing him further, quietly content with his own brave leap.

“I’m sure…didn’t you need a shower?” you asked, cocking your head to the side. His lips twitched into the smuggest little smirk you’d ever seen on him.

“Maybe I’m not done holding your hand?” he suggested.

“Then maybe you can keep on holding it?” you smiled.

Demetri kept true to his word to, trying his best to introduce a little bit of physical contact throughout your day. He kept it at hand holding for a while, slowly testing the waters with a hug or two here and there. He had developed a nice little system of taps for his worse days, where the fear he’d hurt you was just a little too much, and you came to cherish the small but meaningful touch between you both that only the two of you ever understood.

Suddenly, three months were up. Demetri had prepared you well for what you’d face during the change theoretically, but nothing he could have said or done would have ever prepared you for the sheer agony of it all. You burned constantly, a raging inferno consuming every cell and every fibre of your being. You dared not scream though. You knew better than anyone how deep his fear of hurting you ran, that the anxiety in his eyes when he had pulled his teeth from your skin was nothing to do with whether or not you’d make it but had everything to do with the fact he knew he was causing you an intense, immeasurable amount of agony. He had never wished to do that at all, so you pursed your lips so hard your teeth cut your lips and you tasted blood, determined not to make him feel any worse for this than he probably already felt. Your fortitude was admirable all things considered and every time you envisioned Demetri’s heartbroken face it was renewed, your lips clamping once more after the agony had slowly worn them down and loosened the seal holding back your screams.

By the time the fire rescinded, you were so ready for it to be over you had considered, selfishly, begging for Alec to take the pain away, Demetri be damned. You went from the odd sensation of floating on fire to being lowered deeper and deeper in a cool lake, soothing the ache and the burn that had ravaged your body. Once the cold lake had stole your breath, you were catapulted to the surface, and your eyes snapped open. You were acutely aware of every little detail surrounding you. You could count the threads in the curtains surrounding the four-poster bed you lay on, trace the grooves in the wooden bed frame with your eyes. You could feel every stitch in the duvet beneath you, the softness of the interwoven threads leaving you in awe. Then there was the sound, the far off sounds of something scurrying in the castle gardens, of people talking and laughing, of music. Your nose twitched to life then to, a mixture of fruit and flora and cologne and fresh breeze and –

“Y/N?”

Your head snapped right, lip curling back over your teeth as a warning growl slipped up from your chest and rumbled in your throat. It took you a fraction of a second to place the features of the man before you, the dark red eyes, the sharp jawline, the chestnut brown hair…

“Demetri.” You said, blinking in shock at your new, melodic voice. He chuckled slightly, but his eyes remained somewhat sad. He was in awe of you as you zoomed to an abrupt stop in front of him, giggling at your newfound speed like a child, but there was something in his eyes that spoke of an intense amount of guilt you had trouble placing. His hand was soft and warm against your cheek, nothing like the cool temperature you were used to feeling from his flesh, but you leaned into his touch regardless, surprised he’d so willingly given it. Then you remembered, you were a lot more durable now, weren’t you? He was far less afraid of breaking you and probably more wary that if you weren’t careful, you could break him. You almost flinched, the sudden, intense stab of terror that you might accidentally crush him both ironic and bringing a level of understanding you’d struggled with before.

“I am…awestruck. You are magnificent my love,” He said, voice soft and wistful, “Can you forgive me?” Forgive him? Your face fell into a frown? Forgive him for what? For changing you? You’d already forgiven him for taking you out of that tour group long ago, happy beyond belief to be with your mate and not six feet under somewhere, even if you did miss home. You felt it even more acutely now, how right it was to be with him, to be near him, to be touched by him. You decided whatever he wanted forgiveness for didn’t matter. You wouldn’t even ask him to qualify what he meant. This was a fresh start for both of you now and you were ready to take it, to start eternity with him by your side. So, you reached up to the hand cradling your face and gently tapped the back of his hand twice. Demetri’s lips twitched, and they pulled higher and higher until his face had split into an adoring smile.

There were many things he had found endearing about your humanity, but the little ways you said I love you were perhaps his favourite.

[sheadre]

I’m in Love with an Angel (Lucifer Morningstar x Reader) One-shot

Summary: You’ve been roaming the world since the ancient times in the Eastern world. Your kind was hunted so in order to survive you hid yourself amongst humans. When you were in danger, Lucifer saved you, that’s how he knows what you are. However, he never showed you his devil-face before, this time though is different.

Word count: 3074

Warnings: angst, fluff, alcohol, song-fic

Los Angeles became your new home after moving again. You never thought that you would want to stay in one place for more than a few years. You were afraid of growing attached to others, maybe even fall in love again. After all, you were a fox spirit, a kitsune or as your old home called your kind: huli jing. For thousands of years you roamed the world, aware of never growing old compared to the humans. You were quite jealous of them to be honest. They got to find their partner, have kids and watch them grow up, they got to grow old with their partner and have friends.

I'm in love with an angel, heaven forbid Made me a believer with the touch of her skin

I'd go to hell and back with you Stay lost in what we found Worlds apart we were the same Until we hit the ground

Maybe I'm crazy, maybe I'm weak Maybe I'm blinded by what I see You wanted a soldier but it wasn't me 'Cause I could never set you free

So fly on your own It's time I let you go, go Go!

You tried to hide how lonely you were but those who were around you and started to like you could see it easily. Ella for example. She was kind and bubbly and gosh, always tried to set you up with someone. However, you were suspicious that today was a different case.

“So the victim was killed before their head was cut off which means, it was-“

“Not just a message to Mr. Del Pozo but it wasn’t torture like there was a reason which both Del Pozo and the killer knew” Chloe finished the sentence. You still had no idea why you had to be there because you were on Vice, not on Homicide. But you were ninety percent sure that it had to do something with Ella and her fantastic ideas.

“Alright, who could’ve wanted to send this message and why?” Dan asked curious.

“Maybe because it was one of Del Pozo’s man? A neighbor said that he saw them talk in front of Del Pozo’s house a few times” you asked turning Chloe’s attention to you. Her eyes were looking at you sharply like she wanted to pierce you through with something pointy. You kind of felt the same way right now to be honest. A few days ago you found Lucifer looking and smelling like hell, all shit-faced with a bottle of Jack Daniel’s in his hand. You had no idea why he looked so broken but it quickly turned out that his partner was the reason just like many times before.

Flashback ~

You were totally pissed because you had to give your almost finished case to Chloe as the guy was killed before you got to him. You seethed in anger and tried not to hit the panel of the elevator as it rode up to Lucifer’s penthouse. He was the first person who made you show your true form to him and you believed him to the Devil even though he never showed you his Devil-face.

“Lucifer, do you have something strong that will knock me out like- What the actual fuck?! Lucifer, are you alright?!” you hurried over to him as the Devil was sprayed out on the floor like a starfish wearing pajamas (cashmere pajamas). Only one of his feet were in his slippers, the other slipper was on the counter as he stared up at the ceiling. You knelt down next to him and leaned over him to look him in the eyes. “Lucifer?”

“She hates everything that I am…” he mumbled as he turned on his side toward you and curled into a fetal position. You hesitantly lifted a hand and combed the stray strands out of his handsome face.

“Did she see you? Did you show her?” you asked quietly as you petted his soft brown curls. His hair was so soft gosh… your heart jumped in your chest and you had to stop yourself from pulling away abruptly. “Lucifer, what happened?”

“She saw me and then she ran away and now… now she’s terrified of me! Even tried to… to send me back to Hell…” Lucifer groaned.

“Lucifer, she’s human, of course, your other side would terrify her. Even I freaked out Linda when I showed my true form to her! Compared to you I only have fluffy tails and ears, that’s not that scary!” you gestured around in the air. You hoped that maybe you could make the atmosphere lighter somehow. However, Lucifer just groaned making you look at him in sympathy and pity. He was clearly so in love with Chloe and vica versa, because you’ve never seen Chloe be so happy before those few days they had something going on. “But if someone truly loves the other, then they will come back. She just needs some time to process everything.”

“You haven’t seen my face, (Name), you have no idea what she’s terrified of” the Devil replied as he sat up on the marble floor.

I'm in love with an angel who's afraid of the light Her halo is broken but there's fight in her eyes

Walls are built to keep us safe Until they're crashing down Worlds apart we were the same Until you hit the ground

Maybe I'm crazy, maybe I'm weak Maybe I'm blinded by what I see You wanted a soldier but it wasn't me 'Cause I could never set you free

So fly on your own It's time I let you go, go

Go!

“Then show me, Lucifer and I will know” you smiled at him gently with a nod as you cupped his face in your hands. He needed a friend and you promised that you will be there for him if he needs you. Especially after he stopped hunters to kill you. Under your hands you could feel his skin harden and you watched as his face turned red and edgy, cheek bones and eyebrows protruding, red eyes blazing into your skull. It was scary as all hell but he was the same Lucifer you loved, the same devil who saved you, protected you and have been your friend for years now.

You could tell his surprise at the missing fear in your eyes, your hands remaining on his cheeks. You never pulled away, never backed out, never rejected him.

“You know… you would be the kids’ favorite during Halloween” you chuckled as you took every nook and cranny, every little detail.

“You don’t… think I-“

“I see the man who saved me, I see the same man who has been my friend and who never let me down, who always came to rescue me” you shook your head. “You’re important to me no matter how you look like Lucifer, understand?”

The Devil just nodded with a small, happy smile playing on his lips at your words as his more human-ly face came back. The whole night, you spent on his side, helping him into bed and putting away any alcoholic beverages. As you watched him sleep soundly after you managed to get him out of the shower which was both embarrassing and slippery, you smiled sadly at him. You were aware of their bond, that Chloe was his supposed soulmate, that they were meant for each other. Though you wished that it would be you, that it would be you who had a soulmate. You gently kissed his temple and wished him a good night before you left to go home and get in bed too.

End of flashback ~

“Ella, why is Strong here in the first place?” Chloe turned to Ella who looked back and forth between you two. You turned to her too with a curious expression.

“Argh! This argument and bitchy atmosphere is rotting the air in the precinct around you guys! I wanted you two to make up! You were getting along so well!” she whined before looking at Dan for help but he was out the door by then. You face-palmed exasperatedly, tired of everyone trying to make you and Chloe friends again.

“Ella, it is nice that you tried but we don’t have to interfere with each other” you motioned between you and Chloe. “We work in completely different departments. Plus we’re adults, no need to gather us around like kindergarteners.”

“This time I have to agree with Strong” Chloe nodded before she stood up and left the room. You dropped your pen on your notebook and sighed heavily. Ever since she noticed that Lucifer’s attention shifted to you too, she made your work harder and acted bitchy sometimes. Not always though.

“Okay, you have to tell me what’s going on” Ella pulled a chair out and sat down.

“Nothing’s going on” you groaned. “Chloe just realized that this time, pushing Lucifer away will make him turn his attention to someone else. Which I’m not as happy as everyone – Chloe included – thinks so. He’s been super awkward around me. I want my friend back, Ella.”

“Oh, Lucifer is like that. He’s gonna try to woo you until Chloe gets too pissed off and-“

“Yeah, I get that… I’m a replacement” you grabbed your things quickly standing up as fast as you could. “But it’s getting on my nerves lately so tell Lucifer if you see him that I’m gonna scare all of the girls away from LUX if he won’t stop with all the gifts.”

You marched out of the conference room and went back to your desk. Work filled your every minute these days as the new captain kept giving newer and newer cases. You barely got a drug baron behind bars, a new one took its place. You sighed heavily as you worked away on your computer and tried to avoid thinking about how much your chest was hurting when you admitted that you were just a replacement to Lucifer.

Walls are built to keep us safe Until they're crashing down Worlds apart we were the same Until you hit the ground

Maybe I'm crazy, maybe I'm weak Maybe I'm blinded by what I see You wanted a soldier but it wasn't me 'Cause I could never set you free

So fly on your own It's time I let you go

So fly on your own It's time I let you go, go

Go!

Suddenly Maze appeared with a man and gave the man over to one of the officers. She looked around and spotted you, her lips pulling up in a smile making you dread the next half-an-hour. You groaned when she messed up your organized stack of papers by putting them on the new cases.

“Maze, you can bother me, you know that but could you please not mess up my work?” you whined as you started sorting the papers again.

“Lucifer can’t shut up about you, Strong” the demon pointed at you with a mischievous smirk on her face. “Have you shown him something nice?”

Even though her gaze fluttered your ego and helped your self-esteem, you still had to say no to that. She kept suggesting that you and Lucifer should sleep together even when it was obvious as an elephant in the middle of a playground that Lucifer and Chloe had something going on. You crossed your arms in front of your chest as you leaned back with furrowed eyebrows.

“Everyone else assumes that I’m sleeping with said Devil but nope.” you replied. “What are you here for anyway?”

“Just brought in a wanted criminal and right now I have nothing to do so… don’t you want to I don’t know… hang out?” Maze asked wiggling her eyebrows making you chuckle.

“Only if we won’t end up in a questionable place with a questionable person” you sighed with a small smile on your lips but you were already standing up from your desk. Now that Chloe took another case from you as criminals and shady people ended up dead more times than you could bring them in alive, you had nothing to do right now. Not in the precinct anyway.

The last few days you avoided Lucifer at all cost. To be honest, you weren’t sure if his attention turning to you and wooing you was a good thing. You knew that it was just a temporary situation while he found his way back to Chloe. You knew that once he was accepted again by Decker, he would forget about you in less than a second and so you wanted to keep yourself from falling for Lucifer. For thousands of years you avoided falling in love not because you didn’t want to but you had no choice. Humans had a certain life-span while you would never age as you were a spirit, a mythologic creature, some even said a demon but the real demon was sitting next to you on the passenger seat.

Maze told you to go to LUX because she wanted to grab her knife so you were parking in front of LUX. You sighed as you waited for Maze to come back when she texted you. You furrowed your eyebrows but jumped out of the car and ran inside after reading the message: LUCIFER NEEDS HELP! NOW!

You kept pushing on the elevator button and waited in the elevator impatiently. Your muscles tensed when the doors opened and you jumped out just to see Lucifer sitting by the piano, candles lit all around the living room.

“Hello, (Name)” he perked up when he spotted you.

“I should’ve expected all this” you sighed heavily as you held your forehead. You wanted to run out the way you came, your body tensing as you watched Lucifer approach you. He was ravishing in that suit, his brown eyes looked deep into your (e/c). Your heart wanted to break in two, knowing that all this was for Chloe. Maybe not today but soon. Because you’re just a replacement, a momentary comfort. “L-Lucifer…” you whispered and he must’ve seen your pained expression when he stopped dead in his tracks.

“Everything alright? Are you hurt? What is wrong, darling?” he leaned down concern lacing his deep voice as his large hands grabbed your shoulders.

“Why?” you averted your gaze. “Why are you trying so hard? When this is not real… when this all is meant for Chloe?” You felt your face heat up as you tried to stop your heart from thumping so loudly in your chest. Other women in your place would be jumping in Lucifer’s neck trying to bind him to themselves but you were different. You roamed the world for many years besides… you definitely was not someone who was worthy of his attention or affection.

“How the bloody hell would it not be real?! What more do I have to do to make you see that I want you?!” he pulled away angrily. Your eyes widened in surprise, your head snapping up to watch him take a few steps back and turn around. Your heart was thumping even faster and harder against your ribcage but in pure hope. It was like someone lit a candle in your chest and now it was burning like a furnace. “I’ve been trying to tell you- tell you that I- that I- ARGH!”

“Lucifer…”

“You reject me just like the detective because of what I am, right? You can’t bear to look at me, to stay in my presence, can you?!” he exclaimed, his voice was broken as he looked back at you with tears gathered in his eyes. You vigorously shook your head as tears rolled down your face and you approached him with trembling hands.

“I can’t accept all this because… because I’m so afraid that one day you will go back to Chloe just like every time before” you cupped his face in your trembling hands trying to blink the tears away. “I’m afraid to accept this because I’m afraid that you will leave me for her… because she’s your soulmate while I’m… I’m just a wandering spirit.”

“(Name)” Lucifer breathed as he pulled you to his chest. You stood there frozen in his embrace with your face pressed against his suit jacket. “I let her go… I realized that she just can’t accept me for who I am. She betrayed me by considering to send me back to Hell. You, (Name), you were the only one who was always by my side, been the shoulder for me to lean on, given me an embrace when I needed one. Her heart was always closed for me and I had to pry it open but you… you let me in without a second thought, without a doubt.”

“That’s who I am, Lucifer… no one should ask for permission to be someone’s friend” you replied snaking your arms around his waist.

“I know…” you could hear the smile in his voice.

“By the way… what makes you sure that you can just ‘let her go’? After all, she exists… for you” you whispered but didn’t dare pull away from him.

“I’m not vulnerable around her anymore” he replied as he pulled away from you a little to look into your eyes. Amenadiel’s theory was that angels were allowed to choose their paths, make their own choices and if they lost their powers or wings it was all of their own doing. He told you that Lucifer being vulnerable around Chloe was Lucifer’s own choice. If he wasn’t vulnerable around her anymore… then it meant that he really… didn’t…

“Oh” you mumbled a little bit shocked. Though you had no time to say anything else as his lips met yours. Your breath hitched in your throat at the kiss. You haven’t felt like this ever since… Your heart thumped in your chest as you kissed him back, your hand sliding up to the back of his neck while the other curled into his shirt.

You felt so warm in his arms but it felt natural like you belonged there yet it was a foreign sensation. You’ve never felt so loved, so warm, so accepted before not even in his arms five hundred years ago. Not even in the first and you thought last love in your life could hold you like this. It felt so good because Lucifer really, utterly wanted you. Only you.

End ~

[starfolk7]

(I think this will take a while for you, but i got curious xd) Ornstein and Rowena

Oh my god. You’re right, this is gonna take me a while. It’s gonna be a long one. Apologies for the lack of a read more line. *cracks knuckles*

Which deadly sin are they?

After a lot of deliberation, the one that fits Ornstein the most in my mind is Pride. While he was a successful Captain of the Knights of Gwyn and thus probably highly aware of the needs of the surrounding people, he tends to think himself superior, especially when he first meets Rowena. Here is this bumbling little Undead human, dragging this sword on the ground, and she thinks she can walk into that cathedral and win against those that served their Lord under much more dire circumstances? The thought is, to him, laughable. Still, he has a fair bit to learn from her, and not about anything he expects.

Which of the seven virtues are they?

Diligence, no question about it. Does he have to be somewhere in ten minutes but with no clearly feasible way to pull it off? He’’s going to make that appointment, so help him. Did Gwynevere tell him to look after this Undead girl and make sure she lives to see the Kiln? Yes. Does he like the idea? Far from it. Will he do it anyway? As much as he likes to think he could walk away, he wouldn’t dare stray from his duty, no matter what it is. Unless something dire caused him to do so, that is.  

If confronted with the need to choose: goodness or kindness? Do they believe in a distinction between the two? (Think the Witch vs the Baker from Into the Woods.)

Kindness is a way to measure the goodness of a person. There are other factors that go into this, of course, but that is a main avenue of determining the quality of someone’s character, provided the circumstances aren’t wildly out of the ordinary. 

What do they have the least tolerance for?

When you’ve been a Captain for so long and you’ve probably overseen many other knights in addition, your tolerance for incompetence gets rather low. Hence why he has such a hard time not correcting Rowena on every little thing she does. However, he’s starting to figure out that she responds rather well to gentle prods in the right direction as opposed to harsher forms of criticism. At least then she doesn’t start showering him with insults and the occasional obscenity. 

I also like to think that his tolerance for loneliness is actually kind of low. He probably spent so long amidst the other Knights of Gwyn, and then suddenly, that company is just gone. In addition, no one really knows how well he got along with Smough. Enough to fight off the Undead that wandered into the cathedral, yes, but beyond that? Who knows? What I’m saying is, he needs more socialization and refuses to acknowledge it. You can only spend so long lost in your thoughts before the lack of company begins to change you. 

Which flaws are they aware of? Do they consciously work on them?

He’s. So. Stubborn. This is only magnified by the equally stubborn Undead he’s traveling with. He’s getting a little better about conceding to some things, but there’s still that major part of him that just sits there and says “my method is better” or something along those lines. Half of the problem is acknowledging it, though. Heaven forbid someone tries to call him out on it. 

What view/belief are they most wrong about?

I think he’s got this skewed perspective of humans. It would stand to reason, since he was basically among gods and he himself was granted a special soul. In comparison, humans are just...wow, they’re annoying and in the way. How a good chunk of them have survived this long is beyond him. The Undead Curse doesn’t help things, and he’s only further baffled by Rowena’s actions. But there’s still plenty of room for him to grow. Perhaps his view of humans will change. 

Their opinions on loyalty?

Loyalty is so important to Ornstein. If you’re sworn to a person or a task, you keep to them/it unless something catastrophic occurs to the bond. He has a few issues determining what exactly those catastrophic terms are, but it’s something he keeps in the back of his mind. Regardless, it’s a good chunk of why he didn’t stop Rowena from punching Patches into the ground. Sure, he stopped her from outright killing him, but Patches broke a bond of trust. Honestly, Ornstein would have been shocked if Rowena didn’t lash out. 

So you know their lawful/chaotic good/evil alignment. Do you want that to be a rule they function by for the entire work, or will they be challenged enough to shift into a different square?

As it stands right now, Ornstein falls under the Lawful Good square overall, in my opinion. However, it’s entirely possible (and very probable) that he will at least fluctuate between Lawful and Neutral Good, if not shift entirely. Gotta leave room for powerful knights to grow in different ways, y’know?

Unless all of your characters have devoted a lot of time to puzzling out their philosophy, no one’s perfectly consistent. How are they hypocritical? Where do they contradict themself? Will they be challenged on it?

Ornstein has a pretty solid policy on loyalty, duty, all of that. However, he likes to make it rather apparent, at least to Rowena, that he’s not enjoying this particular duty. I’m fairly certain he aspires to show some level of compassion, as well, but it falls rather short when it comes to the Undead. There’s a particular exchange that’s pointed this out already:

“Running errands for the damned, are we?”

She shot a glare at Ornstein, who was just as still at the bonfire as when she left. “They are not damned. Not if I can help them.”

“While you actions are admittedly admirable for someone of your ineptitude,” he started, “you cannot help every being you come across. You have your own quest to embark upon.”

“That doesn’t mean I have to let others suffer along the way.”

The level of suffering that the surrounding Undead are saddled with aren’t immediately apparent to Ornstein, and because of the previous Undead that have attempted to kill him, and the bonus of Rowena, he’s not as inclined to devote his energy to caring. You could say that the time he spends with Rowena challenges this point quite a bit. 

How does their personality present conflicts and challenges in their setting/story?

The fact that his goals and Rowena’s goals initially conflict presents a good amount of conflict. Neither of them want anything to do with each other, and he sees her as wildly inferior to himself. It makes working together that much harder. Their vitriol is starting to wane, but given that they’re both stubborn and have different views of the world, they’re still going to have plenty of conflict down the line. Certain circumstances will also force his hand on things that will create personal conflicts. Many, many personal conflicts. He’s going to have more issues than a tabloid stand, and he already has enough.

Alrighty, onto Rowena!

Which deadly sin are they?

Wrath. Wrath all the way. As kind and forgiving as she can be, Rowena can unleash a terrifying sort of fury. If Ornstein hadn’t stopped her, she might have flat out murdered Patches brutally. She’s sought out revenge at least one other time, not counting the times in her life before she was afflicted by the Darksign. She can be a vengeful and petty young woman when she wants to be. There’s usually some sort of reason behind it, but either the reason is childish or she takes her actions too far. It’s only gotten worse on this journey, since nearly everything and everyone is out to kill her. There’s a lot of pent up frustration that she hasn’t fully expressed, and she probably won’t admit to much more of it until later.

Which of the seven virtues are they?

Kindness. Rowena is full of compassion and empathy towards her fellow Undead, and she goes out of her way to help them, even though she has plenty on her own plate to worry about. She’ll even do small things to make others happy, like bringing them simple gifts or holding a nice conversation with them. She’s slowly learning to apply this kindness to Ornstein, but it’s a work in progress.

Side note: Kindness is apparently also considered to be one of the Knightly Virtues. Make of this what you will. 

If confronted with the need to choose: goodness or kindness? Do they believe in a distinction between the two? (Think the Witch vs the Baker from Into the Woods.)

Rowena believes that people’s actions speak more for the kind of person they are than the promises they make. Someone can tell her all they like that they’re going to be a good person, but she’s more inclined to believe them if they’ve been kind to her or someone else before. Bad actions are redeemable to a point. Then again, her tolerance for said actions has gotten considerably lower since starting her adventures...

What do they have the least tolerance for?

Cruelty. She has basically zero tolerance for people that hurt others just for the fun of it or for their personal gain. She has memories of hunting others down for doing this in her time before the Undead Curse. Seems like this has carried over to her current journey.

Rowena also can’t stand to be told what to do for very long. She’s very much accustomed to figuring things out for herself, so following strict rules and facing constant scrutiny is a huge source of stress. 

Which flaws are they aware of? Do they consciously work on them?

Rowena is painfully aware of the fact that she’s stubborn and loses track of her surroundings if she’s caught up in a whirlwind of emotion. But again, she’s spiteful to the nth degree, and she will build a fortress out of spite if she feels the situation calls for it. She’s slowly working her way out of that habit, though. No one’s going to succeed if she keeps it up, and Ornstein is pretty handy to have around. 

What view/belief are they most wrong about?

She tends to glorify the people like herself and side-eye the beings who had all of the power. In a way, it’s reasonable, considering her position and what she’s had to deal with. However, it also clouds her judgment and hinders her progress. So, she’s kind of right, but not completely right. Her protocol needs a bit of tweaking. Not everything is quite as black or white as she likes to think it is sometimes. 

Their opinions on loyalty?

Very important. It’s a subject she and Ornstein agree on. She’s been tempted to run off and ruin his duty, not to mention all of the times she’s threatened to poison him, but she doesn’t. She learns how important it is to him, so it’s one of the first signs of consideration for him when she settles into her journey with Ornstein and doesn’t run off into the void of Lordran. Besides, he’d probably find her pretty quickly. She’d get stuck in a tree or on a cliff and he would just shake his head before helping her down.

So you know their lawful/chaotic good/evil alignment. Do you want that to be a rule they function by for the entire work, or will they be challenged enough to shift into a different square?

Currently, Rowena is sitting pretty in the Chaotic Good square. Rules can and will be broken. Well, the rules that are left in this dying land, anyway. As long as it helps someone, including herself, and works towards solving the problem at hand, she’ll probably do it. However, there’s probably a few things that would occasionally dip her into the Chaotic Neutral square. For the most part, though, she’s Chaotic Good. 

Unless all of your characters have devoted a lot of time to puzzling out their philosophy, no one’s perfectly consistent. How are they hypocritical? Where do they contradict themself? Will they be challenged on it?

She preaches kindness, but has trouble going through with her own philosophy when it comes to people she’s none too keen on being around for long periods of time. Even though her anger towards Ornstein is starting to soften, she hasn’t exactly treated him well. It’s going to take a lot to rectify that attitude.

How does their personality present conflicts and challenges in their setting/story?

Her entire being creates conflict. Rowena escaped her home and wandered the world until she was snatched up and thrown in the Northern Asylum to rot for eternity. When she finally did escape, she faced a multitude of horrors. She was forced into the role of the Chosen Undead simply because no one else had really made it that far. She had nowhere else to go and not many people to trust, so she threw her faith into Frampt and rushed headlong into Anor Londo, hoping that her life would become marginally easier. Instead, she begged for Ornstein’s mercy, was saddled with said knight as a travel companion, and has to learn how to reconcile her own personality with his, lest they end up murdering each other at their earliest convenience. They’re stubborn, and she’s downright exhausted from everything she’s had to deal with, but her options are limited, and the thought of going Hollow terrifies her. She wants to end the curse, and this is the only way she knows how. It’s worth trying. Still, the thought of failure cuts at her drive. Basically, she’s a tiny bundle of fear and confusion and she’s not having a good time. Nevertheless, as frustrated and clueless as she is, she presses forward. Sitting around isn’t an option she can afford.

Welp, that’s the second Dark Souls related essay I’ve written in...three days? I don’t mind, though. It’s really fun to think about these things and write them down! Plus, I love these two a lot.