#beeelzebub

[couldline]

（┬┬＿┬┬）

[fandommiss]

sorrow is not worth a dime

Rating: G   Relationship: Ineffable Bureaucracy Characters: Gabriel, Beelzebub Summary: 1916, Vienna The Archangel Gabriel is tasked with a new mission but he stumbles into a formidable adversary during his investigations: Lord Beelzebub. The two decide to work together despite their differences and Gabriel soon realises that the Grand Duke of Hell just might be what he was looking for. On other platforms: ao3

1916, Vienna

The Archangel Gabriel was feeling like a fish out of water, and he did not like it, not one bit. He would have been outright upset at the Almighty for sending him down to another mission in such a short period of time (Rome had not been so long ago, after all), had it not have counted as blasphemy. When the Supreme Archangel of Heaven receives a scribbled note with an address on it, he does not question it. Especially not when the paper in question had an angelic seal of the highest authority on it. Besides an address, there was only one word on the parchment, written in all capitals: RETRIEVE. What Gabriel would need to retrieve was unclear. He tried to contact the Metatron for further clarification but even his archangelic influence could not get the Metratron to answer a blasted call when he was immersed in something. 

Since the note seemed urgent, Gabriel did not bother to try the call again; if it was left on a note on his desk with such a high clearance, it was clear as day that it was a job only he could get done. And he would achieve it, that was guaranteed. As a messenger, he was rarely sent on artefact retrieval missions but he still had some vague memories about it when he was just a wee cherub; it was like riding a bicycle, or what were those human contraptions called again? Anyway, it was coded in his angelic blood from the beginning of time; he would retrieve this artefact without any incident whatsoever if the Almighty had ordered him to do so. However, that did not mean that he was going to be happy about it.

Alas, he resulted to inward brooding as the crowd dressed in all fancy garments and enveloped in cigarette smoke moved about him, taking seats at the tables with chipped polish on them, excitedly chattering about the weather, human politics or other nonsensical topics. 

Gabriel did not care for these people, did not appreciate this empire (whichever was this one again? Austro-something?), and especially disapproved of the era's fashion. It wasn't like the archangel did not appreciate a good form-fitting garment. Actually, he cared more about clothing than most angels up in Heaven, maybe that was why his uniform bothered him so much. He was dressed as some sort of official military persona, in a heavy grey dolman with a cream coloured chemise under it. This part of the uniform was designed to highlight the chest area and visually shrink the torso but Gabriel, already being in possession of a rather large chest and broad shoulders, felt like he was in no need of such emphasis. He looked into one of the large mirrors in the room and had to admit in terror that he resembled a caricature on a Grecian urn. The purple embroidered cuffs did not help his efforts in blending in, not to mention that the row of shiny silver buttons in the front clamped down on his chest like pins, mushing his respiratory organs together (not that he was in need of lungs per se but it was still an uncomfortable sensation). Humans and their stupid clothing sizes! 

He started to ponder whether he should have opted for a female set of clothing instead, but those seemed to be even less functional than his clothes. The women were dressed in bright coloured poofy skirts with stiffly structured crinolines underneath and even more strictly structured corsets above. The performers who were just entering the stage wore similar attires, albeit their outfits seemed to lack a lot of clothing items and were less embellished than those who were sitting among the audience. Gabriel's natural talent in fashion cautioned him against wearing dresses like this. He could not quite put his finger on it, but the way the women in this establishment dressed suggested performance and something else, something sinister.

The show started shortly and one glance at the stage was enough for the archangel to confirm his suspicions: whatever these women were performing was not something decent for sure. Their movements suggested frivolity and the emotions reflected in the faces of the audience bespoke of tales of sin, lust and all demonic things. While the archangel may not be the most well-versed in human affairs, he could clearly see that this place was tied to the other side in more ways than one. Gabriel, time-efficient as ever, wanted to move on, but since he was not given directions on how to retrieve whatever he had to retrieve, he decided to opt for blending in, taking a seat at a table in the back, face turned away from the stage. He tried not to care about humanity’s antics (they were far too below him, after all) but could not stop himself from eavesdropping on some conversations here and there. Unfortunately his attempts at espionage did not bear fruit: all the humans were talking about stupid politics, some kind of war (as if these creatures knew anything about what a real war is like!) and the women performing on stage.

By the time he turned his attention back to the performers, the obnoxiously mahogany wooden stage in the middle of the room was empty; the performance seemed to have ended. It took him no time to locate the ladies though, they were all huddled up at one of the tables, forming a loud swarm of red sequin, giggles and squeals, grouping around the table's occupant. As Gabriel moved closer to observe, he caught sight of the figure and his assignment immediately made more sense. The person – or rather, demon – at the centre of the attention was none other than Lord Beelzebub, the Grand Duke of Hell, in the flesh. More accurately, in black: they were dressed in an attire similar to Gabriel's in an inverse colour scheme. Their red shawl was currently draped over one of the performer's shoulders: she wrapped herself even more tightly in it as she pretended to stifle a coy giggle. Their hat –  a large furry black thing – was missing too, currently residing on another girl's head. Their uniform was black with polished silver buttons and Gabriel begrudgingly had to admit that it suited them way better than it did him: their shoulder blades were sharply highlighted, and their waist cinched in just the appropriate amount. They stood there in their dark getup sprawled in the wooden chair as the women in red around them preened and cooed and giggled, trying to get the demon's attention; a crow in a field of poppies. Gabriel held his breath, whether in anticipation or in fear, he could not quite decide on it. He did not want to scare the crow by any means, not that they would notice him, they were clearly too gone for that.

“Play the one with the barometer in it…” their German sounded slurred and botched as they waved their glass of wine towards the group of musicians standing in the corner and tried to recite the lyrics of their requested musical number. Whatever song the Lord of the Flies chose, it was met with enthusiastic squealing from the girls. The band started the song, one that was clearly meant to encourage more of the hedonistic behaviours Beelzebub was currently engaging in. 

Gabriel shook his head to shake himself out of whatever spell this demon had put him under. The artefact, he must retrieve it. He stepped forward, cleared his throat. The ladies paid him no mind, his subtle cough lost in the noise and pother. He clearly needed a firmer approach.

“Excuse me!” he did not mean to use his angelic voice, Lord saw his soul, he did not. It was just, all the noise and crowd and this enigma of mission frustrated him further by the second, and now here he was, booming like a vengeful warrior ready to smite anything on site at the smallest movement. The crowd froze: the girls parted in front of him,some of them grasping at their chests in earnest fear, the men at the tables reached for their swords, even the music screeched to a halt. Well, so much for subtle and easy missions, the archangel scoffed to himself. He got the demon’s attention at least: 

“Gabriel,” their eyes lit up with recognition after their gaze measured the archangel from head to toe. Gabriel suppressed a shiver in his corporeal form at the demon’s blatant glaring. He recognized it for what it was yet did not dare to say the word “interest”, not even in his mind. 

“Beelzebub,” he left off the honorific deliberately and the Lord of the Flies’ brows twitched in annoyance. Their eyes roamed over his form once again, Gabriel stood immobile under their gaze. If they wanted a fight, he would not back down, but Beelzebub just let out a delighted snort.

"Can you even breathe in this thing?" a silver of amusement danced in their eyes as they gestured towards Gabriel’s all-too-tight getup. Great, so his disproportionate uniform was that obvious.

"I don't need to," the archangel ground out through his teeth, intent on not letting his hellish foe wound him up as they often managed to do. It would always be like this: Gabriel would be on a mission, he would run into Beelzebub one way or another, the demon would snicker at him, taunt him and laugh at him until every coherent ability for reason left the archangel, forcing him to result to shouting, or other very unprofessional forms of expression of anger. They seemed to enjoy him losing his composure. 

“What the hell are you doing here, demon? Here to thwart me?” In reality, he did not need to ask: he knew that the demon must be after the same artefact he was searching for. The fact that Hell had sent one of their head operatives too only further confirmed his suspicions that this object was of utmost importance. 

“As if,” the Lord the Flies snorted, the little buzzing liar they were. “I have business to attend to.”

“What business?” the archangel raised an eyebrow. The heavily gendered space of the orpheum didn’t seem like something the demon would actively seek. Not to mention all the nasty activities the men and women engaged in after the pleasantries of the dances performances ended. Of course he could not be sure that these humans were anything sinful since Gabriel’s knowledge of human sexual activities were patchy at best, yet, there seemed to be a pattern of such establishments existing ever since Gabriel’s first visit to Earth.

Up until that point, it hadn’t occurred to Gabriel that Beelzebub might be engaging in carnal desire. While demons unsurprisingly encouraged it, and many did partake in such acts, the Lord of the Flies seemed like a demon who would rather indulge in the sins that of more… consumable nature, as illustrated by their very sloshed state. But now that the thought wormed its way into his head, he could not get the image out of his mind's eye. He felt a pang of something unfamiliar in his chest that was not caused by the embellished buttons on his uniform; Gabriel decided to ponder on its meaning later, and shoved it down.

“A business that is none of your concern,” how they managed to stare down Gabriel when he towered a good head above them was beyond the archangel’s comprehension. He did not like it. 

“We need to talk,” the angel changed tactics. “It’s about work .”

“What could we possibly talk about? You do your job, I do mine, all is well. That’s what we had agreed upon cent- a long time ago.” Beelzebub sneered.

“There has been a change in plans. In the plan. ” Oh that was sneaky of him, throwing The Great Plan into the mix! The archangel knew very well that carrying out The Great Plan was above all angels’ and demons’ personal whims and caprices. If it was something concerning The Great Plan, any ethereal being was obliged to cooperate, to secure the possibility of the Final Battle. Gabriel would have felt guilty for lying had he been sure that this artefact had nothing to do with The Great Plan. However, he could not entirely rule out the possibility of it, and hence, he was free of feeling any guilt. 

“We need to talk. In private .” He did not care for the onlookers but the silence that persisted in the room made him uncomfortable. Not to mention that the matter was a sensitive one that should be discussed without the presence of any humans.

Beelzebub stared at him for an entire minute: Gabriel was sure that they caught him on his bullshit, but they both knew the protocol. The Prince of Hell let out a woeful sigh and downed the rest of their drink.

“Follow me.”

They disentangled their body from the chair, gathered their hat and shawl and waved a lousy goodbye to the dancers, much to the girls' chagrin. Whatever they fancied in this demon, Gabriel could not for the life of him comprehend. Beelzebub was scrawny and messy, and yeah, sure they might have expressive eyes, but that is all to the package. These ladies could not know that the Prince of Hell was well-versed in three different instruments, or that they could lead diplomacy meetings like it’s nobody’s business, qualities that would surely be more appealing to humans than their appearance which was far from conventional. (Gabriel did not know about humanity’s tendency of setting norms and their fascination with everything and everyone who disrupts said norms, therefore he could not explain Beelzebub’s popularity with the ladies.)

Gabriel followed Beelzebub up on grandiose marble steps only to turn right at an ebony door and enter what seemed like an office space of sorts. 

“Is this your place?” the angel couldn’t help but inquire. 

“I need some air,” they replied, completely ignoring his question and the fact that, similarly to Gabriel, they did not breathe. They grabbed a pair of blood red curtains, shoving the heavy velvet away to reveal a small balcony, surrounded by thick white columns on the sides. Beelzebub unlocked the door and stepped outside, gesturing for the archangel to follow. 

“How long have you been drinking here?” Upon closer inspection, the demon’s clothes were piling, the wear and tear of their garments suggesting that the Prince of Hell might have already spent more time on Earth than the usual allocated two months for field agents.  

“Be brief,” they sighed, ignoring his second question as well. However, their tone faltered, confirming Gabriel’s suspicion that Beelzebub had not been to Hell for quite some time now. “My corporeal form is not having the time of its life.” the demon steeled themself and were now speaking in their no-nonsense, business-like tone they used whenever Heaven and Hell had matters to discuss. He heard this tone countless times icily cut across meeting rooms: a mixture of boredom and rigid unwillingness for compromise. Gabriel decided to honour their wish and get straight to the point.

“Hand it over,” he said, adopting his own signature business-like tone. Two could play this game just fine.

“Hand over what, Gabriel?” they sounded annoyed now.

“I will be gracious this time, and allow you a second chance, given the circumstances and all that," he made a circular motion with his hand to encompass the drunkenly messy silhouette of the Grand Duke of Hell.  "Hand me the artefact.”

"I have no idea what you're talking about," had they said this two centuries ago, Gabriel would have called them a liar, but after so many diplomatic meetings that had occurred between Heaven and Hell in the past decades due to rising tensions, Gabriel knew better. There was always more to the demon than what met the eye. He proved to be right because Beelzebub continued:

"And even if I knew anything about this mysterious artefact, I could not tell you. Not anymore," the demon's face twisted in discomfort; the archangel found that misery looked horrible on them. Beelzebub looked tired, messy and slow: the demon reclining against the marble railing was but a shadow of the sharp-witted and confident leader Gabriel knew them to be. “I am no longer in a position where I can divulge secrets to you as your equal.” 

They took a sharp and ragged breath that sounded more like a wounded sob and they finally spat it out:

"I have been demoted." Gabriel paled at the confession: surely the ears on his corporeal vessel misheard it: they could not be saying that they had been demoted. 

"Huh?" he only managed to say as much. 

"Bollocks, isn't it?" they huffed bitterly. "Apparently, I wasn't vigilant enough and have been consorting too much with the enemy ," they spat.

"It's called diplomacy ," Gabriel bristled indignantly, as if he had been the one accused of treason.

"I know," Beelzebub sighed in exasperation.

“Regularly scheduled corporate meetings ensure the harmonious end of times. It is not pleasant… but it is necessary. It’s a no brainer, basically Bureaucracy 101!” The Supreme Archangel was baffled.  

"Try telling that to the Dark Council though, good fucking luck," Beelzebub blew strawberries dismissively, their expression all pouty now. "My office had already been moved up three circles and I am back on purgatory shifts , the most boring ass paperwork you can imagine without any benefits and no reach at all. I became a blessed office clerk ," they were almost hysterical now. 

"Well, that can't be the end of it. I make sure to bring it up with the Metatron, surely he can…" Gabriel was cut off by the fondness in Beelzebub's eyes.

"I appreciate your determination, sunshine, but the Metatron has no power of jurisdiction in Satan's realm," the Lord of the Flies took in a sharp breath. "I can count myself lucky for getting demoted to another desk job and not to some on-the-field torturer agent. I just have to start over, I suppose, work my way up again and trust that Dagon's promotion won't get to her head. It's not like I don't have an infinity to work my way up the bureaucratic ladder again," they tried to be coy but the joke fell flat. Gabriel pressed his lips so tightly together in frustration the motion would have drawn blood if there had been any blood in his corporeal vessel. He didn’t say that he was sorry, he didn't need to; both of them knew he was. 

“Well,” the archangel cleared his throat in unease. “Seems that I have to look for that artefact elsewhere. I’ll be on my way then,” he bowed awkwardly (was that blasphemy, bowing to a demon?) and took two steps back.

“Wait,” Beelzebub said: there was no urgency to their speech, nor was it a command: it was a proposed truce. “Tell me about the mission. While I cannot share information on the artefact, I might be able to provide my personal input on the matter if...” the following words seemed the pain Beelezbub more than getting drenched in holy water. “ you insist on pulling rank.” And that was why they were the leader of Hell and his most formidable nemesis, Gabriel marvelled. Always finding loopholes, that blasted bureaucratic genius of a demon!

“I absolutely insist,” he grinned, way too pleased. Demons and angels liked to bare their fangs and assuring the other that they had no power over them, but in many cases, a major gap in ranks could intimidate lesser angels or demons into submission: that’s why the back channels existed in the first place.

Gabriel then recounted the events in Heaven, the strange paper, the Metatron and all. Angels had  fallen for lesser sins than confiding in the enemy, yet Gabriel was still here: surely that must mean that he was doing his job well. There was just one problem: Gabriel did not actually know anything about the artefact. 

“And, what do we know about this artefact?” Gabriel’s corporeal heart did not do a blackflip in his chest upon hearing the plural and anyone who suggested otherwise would be properly smitten down to Hell.

“Erhm... Well, it is an artefact that I have to retrieve.” No matter how closely he and Beelzebub worked together at times, admitting a lack of knowledge to the enemy did not suit Gabriel’s character. Cooperation was just fine as long as they remained equals; the minute there was an imbalance (especially if it was in favour of the demon), things had a tendency to… well… escalate.

“Yes, I’ve gathered that much,” the Grand Duke of Hell’s voice was dripping with sarcasm.

“Yes, exactly…” Gabriell hummed, stalling for time and desperately trying to come up with something. Every second passed in silence only further raised the demon’s suspicion and left eyebrow.

“Why so shy now?” Beelzebub took a step closer, looking up at the demon with a weird mixture of glee and wariness as the archangel’s posture stiffened at the close proximity of their corporeal forms. “Come now, I have offered my services before,” the demon purred and Gabriel knew the double entendre was intentional on their part, probably a byproduct of the alcohol. “There’s no shame in asking for help… Pride is a sin after all, is it not, Gabriel?”

The blasted demon was right. If he were to find this artefact, he needed to be less prideful about it. It’s not like Beelzebub would go and blabber about Gabriel’s lack of skill in artefact-hunting; and even if they did, no one would believe them anyway. He sighed defeated and fished out the envelope from the pocket of his well-pressed suit.

“I have received these orders. I must warn you, they are very vague.” He slipped the paper into the demon’s hand. “It is no surprise, given that the Almighty’s plan is indeed ineffable…” he tried to add to save some face but was cut short by Beelzebub’s laughter.  

“This is no Metatron’s seal,” they were hysterically howling now and Gabriel’s discomfort grew with each passing second. “This is Dagon’s forgery of the Metatron’s seal. Did you know she was a scribe before she had fallen? She has incredible penmanship, no wonder she is the Lord of the Files. But like all demons, she has a weakness and that is pride: there, you see that little curl on the top of the seal?” they turned the paper towards Gabriel who reluctantly moved closer. “That’s her signature. She can’t resist signing her own artwork, the narcissistic bastard,” Beelzebub shook their head incredulously. “Pft, if demons only knew how easy it is to fool angels with a piece of shiny paper and ink…”

“So what does that mean?” Gabriel cut them off impatiently. 

“It means you've been played for a sucker, sunshine” the Lord of the Flies was way too delighted at this discovery for Gabriel’s liking. “She had set you up for a wild goose chase. Must be a new trick up her sleeve to establish her dominance as the new Grand Duke of Hell. Marvellous! I would promote her for such a brilliant prank had she not, well, been promoted already,” their voice had a hint of bitterness to it. “One thing bugs me though,” Beelzebub started to say then stopped mid-sentence to giggle at their own unintentional pun. Almighty preserve him, Beelzebub was truly inebriated; Gabriel could count on his fingers the amount of times he could hear the Lord of the Flies laugh before today. He could sense that the demon really had hit rock bottom. 

“One thing bugzzz me though,” they tried again, buzzing slightly. “Why this address? I don’t believe in coincidencezz.” 

Gabriel did not either.

“Maybe she wanted to double-cross you?” Gabriel proposed, seeing no use in beating around the bush. “Hoped that I would smite you on sight? Two flies with one stone?”

“It’s two birds,” Beelzebub corrected him. “And Dagon is not like that. Although one time, she did eat an entire pack of printing-paper in one sitting, so who knows what goes through the brain of that gilled maniac. She was like a paper-shredder except faster,” they mused. “I don’t know, sunshine” they shrugged finally. “And I hate not knowing,” they pouted and slumped against one of the marble pillars.

“Sunshine, really?” he asked incredulously, ignoring the rest of the sentences for the moment; it was the third time they called him this nickname today. 

“You're so bloody bright. With your stupid halo and your stupid fake smile, and your stupid white uniform, it’s blinding like goddamn sunlight. Can’t see shit, can you turn it down?” the demon slurred, their eyes crossing in a dangerously impossible way.  

“I think you had way too much alcohol. I turned off my halo before landing on Earth.” Gabriel’s brows furrowed in confusion.

“Oh, then I must already be hungover. Blessed demonic metabolism.” They propped their elbows onto the balcony, staring out into the city shrouded in night. In the distance, the dark curls of the Danube rolled by, the foam glistening in the moonlight. The streetlamps were already lit, casting orange halos on the coaches standing nearby the establishment. Coachmen and stableboys bustled by, gathering hay and water for the horses, should any of the distinguished gentlemen decide against staying the night. A peaceful silence stretched between the two ethereal beings.

“Hey”, Gabriel suddenly bumped his shoulder into Beelzebub’s, whether to keep the demon from falling asleep or to get their attention was unclear. They looked up into his face in response. “I know my word does not mean much to you, given that I’m an angel and all that, though I am The Supreme Archangel might I add, so…” he cleared his throat when he realised he was getting sidetracked. “Anyway, so for what it’s worth, I think you are an amazing Grand Duke of Hell. You are competent, tough, calculating” the archangel was counting the adjectives on his fingers. “Albeit a bit hard-headed at times, and in all honesty, quite scary, but… But they were lucky to have you, they just hadn’t realised it yet.” Gabriel looked into their eyes with no hint of sarcasm or patronising intent. “Give it a few days, let the place fall apart a bit, and trust me, the whole Dark Council will be coming back on their knees, begging you to rejoin their ranks.” 

Beelzebub turned away from Gabriel, looking down onto the street below, and the warm smile slowly melted from the archangel’s face.

“I suppose you’re right,” they mumbled finally to no one in particular, their gaze fixed on the waves roaring in the river now. Gabriel let out a sigh of relief he did not know he had been holding. He finally understood: the scribbled “RETRIEVE” did not mean a thing but a being , a demon more precisely. The Supreme Archangel was not the sharpest tool in the shed, but he didn't need to be in order to know that the Lord of the Flies had few whom they could confide in. Dagon, accustomed to her master’s tendencies to drown their sorrow in booze and attention, must have grown sick of Beelzebub’s wallowing and took matters into her own hands. So, the Lord of the Files in her despair turned to the next person Beelzebub was known to confide in: him. For a brief moment, he entertained the thought that Dagon might have been worried for Beelzebub but it suggested something dangerous: that demons, like humans, had feelings too – which would have entailed an entire set of questions in itself, so Gabriel shut his musings down quickly. The thought that another demon knew about their fraternising should have scared him but it produced a warm fuzzy feeling in his chest instead. As Beelzebub started snoring beside him – having fallen asleep as they were, half-draped across the balcony – the archangel looked up at the stars. He wanted to put this moment in a chest, to lock it away deep down where not even the Almighty could reach it, and he did not care if it was blasphemy.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

The following week, he received another sealed envelope while he was filing away the weekend’s miracle roster. This time, the letter was more elaborate, even if only slightly. "LB is home. Ty." it read, followed by the Metatron's seal of approval. If Gabriel squinted hard enough, he could see the signature little tail that wasn't supposed to be there. He smiled as he tore the letter to shreds and set fire to the remains. Beelzebub might be demoted but they are working their way up slowly until the two of them can meet on equal grounds again. And every day, that day was getting closer.

[morallygay]

🟩⬜️⬛️ Animes for aro/ace people - Part 1 ⬛️⬜️🟪

part 2 here

Including:

-shows in which (a) character(s) has/have shown lack of interest or disinterest in romance and/or sex🔻

-shows that as a whole have little to no romance and/or sex in them or are not romance focused🔹

I encourage anyone to reply/reblog with ideas/suggestions of animes that could qualify (especially aroallo people since you are the least represented and, basically being the opposite myself, I will not necessarily notice it). This is an ever expanding list (in theory. when i remember to come back to it) :)

This is a completely personal list based on what animes made me consciously think “aspec vibes”; it’s not guaranteed that you vibe with my taste, but surely a few people will, and this is for them. Since I’ve seen a lot of animes while aroace, I’m one of the few people who could make this post, so here, finally I made it.

To me canon and the intentions of the author are very important and obviously change completely the context of the ‘representation’. The worst feeling is expecting representation and being disappointed and invalidated, so I will make clear what kind and level of representation it is and if intended (to my understanding/intuition) or not. Let’s start by saying that, in case you were born yesterday, we don’t exist according to media and anime is no exception so expect most of those to not canonically be aromantic or asexual, and that even if the author intended in some cases to make them in practice aro/ace, it is most likely in a way that is oblivious to the actual existence of these orientations (the words are never used for sure), ex. it’s supposed to be a quirk / personality trait and not an actual sexuality. Also I have a taste for seinen so there will be an overrepresentation of that. With that said, let’s go.

"Saiki Kusuo No Psi Nan" / "The Disastrous Life Of Saiki K" (like 50 episodes but you will not see the time pass)🔻

Definitely the n.1 aroace anime. It’s a comedy. The protagonist is an absolute aroace icon. He explicitly expressed multiple times that he doesn't get and is disinterested in romance/sex and those facts are pillars of the show and the comedy. He loves sweets. You can also see him as demi. However the (aro/ace) label is obviously never used since the author is probably unaware of this sexuality's existence. It's the kind of representation that is not intended as representation. He is ‘nonhuman’ aroace rep; the fact that he is a psychic and basically a god is intended as the reason for his lack of interest/attraction.

warning: in season 3 he loses his powers and it is implied that because of that he is now a Normal boy and therefore allo. and he shows attraction for the first and only time in the commercial breaks animations lmao. traumatizing 😔. that didn’t happen in the manga anyway so just bear with it and ignore it.

Otherwise there is a lot of romance in this show and instances of sexual attraction, and it has a lot of other problems. It probably doesn’t pass the bechdel test for like the first and a half season. But it really is funny— hilarious even. It’s also very problematic. Still definitely recommend and it is very empowering to watch as an aroace, but keeping all that in mind.

“Barakamon” (12 episodes)🔻

The protagonist is canonically asexual in the manga apparently. I haven’t read it but in the anime at least he did in fact show disinterest and confusion over sexual attraction. No info romantic orientation-wise. It isn’t perfect (there was a whole thing about a character that is a homophobic fujoshi and other instances of unfunny humor like that) but it’s an cute slice of life I suppose.

“Dr Stone” (35 episodes + 3rd season coming soon)🔻

The protagonist never showed romantic or sexual attraction and explicitly showed disinterest to both at times. He literally got married for practical reasons and divorced hours later. Aroace king. Here too his lack of interest may be intended as a joke to show that he is Logical and too busy with Science to have time for bullshit like “love”, but it’s not like he can’t be both so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯. There is some annoying fanservice and the female characters have terrifying eyes as you can see above but I digress, overall it’s really good + there’s other types of queer rep in the manga apparently but I haven’t read it yet.

“Ore Monogatari” / “My Love Story” (24 episodes)🔻

A very sweet and good romance anime. In this one the side character (on the right) is heavily implied to be on both the aromantic and asexual spectrums, and there was a whole mini-arc about him and that near the end of the anime. Very wholesome.

“Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun” / “Monthly Girls’ Nozaki-kun” (12 episodes + 1 OVA)🔻

A hilarious romantic comedy that I highly recommend in general. The protagonist’s crush is super aroace in the anime and it’s very funny and validating/empowering. It’s supposed to be read as him being oblivious for the sake of comedy, and he still is her love interest so in the manga — which goes much further — he slowly starts to develop feelings too. I see him as demiromantic. There are 2 other characters that have shown confusion / lack of interest about sexual attraction (one only appears in the manga) that I see as alloace. Also everyone (yes the aroace guy included) is bi. Not canonically of course but yeah. Watch it (unless you’re the type that doesn’t do ships, then you can pass on this one).

“Shingeki No Kyojin” / “Attack On Titan” (87 episodes + the last season coming soon)🔹

Classic masterpiece in the making but I’m not here to talk about that. Romance exists in the show in the way that it exists in real life so it would be unrealistic to not have it. The show itself is not focused on romance at all, and there is no unnecessary forced romance either. The female characters are not sexualized at all and there are virtually no comment/scene that show sexual attraction, to the point where I wonder if isayama (the author) is not asexual as well. This is a show where it’s hard to find any characters who you can prove are allo; this is how irrelevant both romance and sexual attraction are.

“Beelzebub” (60 episodes)🔻

This one is a mostly episodic comedy. The protagonist has big aroace vibes. He is supposed to be read as oblivious (which he also definitely is, but I see him as both) and too dumb to be horny or something. There is a lot of fanservice (respectful one though (well, as respectful as fanservice can be??)) and his best friend’s entire personality is being a pervert and that’s really annoying. Plus one of the main recurring characters is a ‘predatory gay’ walking joke. Despite my very low tolerance for stuff like that I still personally somehow love this anime and find it very funny in the end. I haven’t read the manga.

“Yagate Kimi Ni Naru” / “Bloom Into You” (13 episodes)🔻

A wlw romance in which the protagonist is aspec, and this is obviously relevant and touched upon. Definitely arospec and most likely acespec too (can’t remember exactly). There is also an aromantic side character that enjoys consuming romance but has zero interest in personally participating in it.

“Banana Fish” (24 episodes)🔹(🔻)

The 2 main characters are mlm love interests, and their relationship isn’t sexual at all. The show itself does deal with the theme of sexual abuse, and it’s a recurring relevant topic so trigger warning for that (but not in a romanticized/fetishized way at all). Their relationship being romantic is technically not canon either but it’s subtext (the kind that if it was straight no one would question it). They’re called “best friends 😊” to the end lol so. yeah. It can be frustrating from a gay rep standpoint but at the same time also right up your alley if you want queerplatonic greyromantic (asexual) stuff.

This one is a bit of a tangent but mlm rep in anime that isn’t sexual is so rare so I wanted to include it since I’m an mlm aspec and this is just like me fr. Also it’s a must watch in general.

“Paripi Koumei” / “Ya Boy Kongming” (12 episodes)🔹

This anime is wild (complimentary). The main theme is music, but this description can’t do it justice. Anyway the show is completely devoid of romance (at least as of now with 1 season. I haven’t read the manga) but full of sweet friendships and heartwarming interactions. The kind of thing to show to someone who says that romance is a necessary part of humanity and that life is less meaningful without it. I totally headcanon the protag (blonde girl) as aro.

“Acca 13” (12 episodes)🔹

A seriously underrated show. This one is on this list because it was very satisfying to watch as an aroace person. There is no focus on romance. There are characters who are attracted to other characters but it’s not relevant or used for frustrating unnecessary drama or anything, it’s actually in a very refreshingly chill, matter-of-fact way, and it never goes farther than that. It’s so unique in this way I can’t really explain it well, but it’s pretty cool.

[zevampirex]

Cat omens, angel and demon, which one would you adopt??

Michael, Sandalphon, Uriel, Ligur, Hastur and Beeelzebub

[obeymefictionwriting]

Hello, I really love your hc and I was a request on everyone's reaction to MC suddenly highlight their hand with a highlighter and say "The teacher said to highlight everything that's important and you're important to me"

Also can it be strictly platonic. You don't have to of course but if you can it would be greatly appreciated

Hi and aw, this is so sweet!

Warning: SLIGHTLY NSFW

Lucifer:

"MC, isn't it a bit... childish?"

Will never wash his hand again

Smiles like an idiot every time looking at the mark. Will also kill anyone who notices his smile.

Mammon:

"Ugh... so is it like homework?"

"OH I GOT IT"

"Ya, whateva makes you happy, MC"

Will be staring at his hand all day, smiling like a dork.

Leviathan:

"But why me though?"

Can't believe you did that because he is just a boring otaku

Also remembers he saw this in manga once and thought it was super cute and wished someone did something like that for him too.

Satan:

"Hm, why did you put it on my hand then and not on another body part?"

Hugs you tight and showers you in kisses.

"My little kitten, I love when you show your affection"

Asmodeus:

"Aw, what a lovely idea! Now let's get naked and draw on each other!"

"Just kidding, love, I appreciate so much"

No one actually did anything like that for Asmo so he is melting inside.

Beeelzebub:

BLUSHES

"MC, are you sure you wanted to draw on my hand? There are my brothers too..."

Will cherish this mark and will make sure to get you a small gift to show how much he appreciated your gesture.

Belphegor:

"So you are a good student, right, MC? Always listening to what the teacher says"

"I like this mark. It's pretty. Just like you"

Melts inside and is already planning the most fascinating date to take you to as a thank you.

Diavolo:

Is stunned because no one cared for him so much before

"MC, I can't express how important it is for me!"

Hugs you tight and has an absolutely delighted expression of the happiest child on his face

Barbatos:

"I assume you, I feel the same way towards you"

Smiles warmly and lifts your chin slightly

"You are the most fascinating being I ever encountered and I am the happiest demon in the whole Devildom right now"

[yourassimcomingforit]

Gonna go sob my thoughts of season 2 into this enjoy spoilers under the cut

So the ending of season 2 it was something

Beeelzebub(beez) and Gabriel are queer as hell and fucked off together

The girl kissers like each other but aren’t dating yet cause they need time

Aziraphale(az) and Crowley kissed but aren’t together

Az is leader of heaven and tried to make Crowley an angel

Crowley was likely a high ranking angel

We’re gonna start off talking about number 5 cause that’s the easiest one and I really wanna talk about my hc that Crowley was Raphael the archangel. So first the little things in heaven everything is a pure white the walls the floors the pillars their outfits the only people not in pure white are the archangels in a light gray and the metatron in a dark gray/black. Now Crowley when changing his outfit to fit in goes with a metallic off white which while may be just cause he’s a demon the fact that he was trusted with a task like creating stars and nebulas which we see were created along side Saraqael who I cannot remember whether they were specifically mentioned to be an archangel but I believe they are. And the biggest thing is that Crowley could access confidential files that only higher up angels can even open and he did it with ease.

Onto another point number 1. God I loved Beez and Gabriel together I’ve done been shipping them and the way they fell in love and we got to see snippets of it was amazing. And the hints throughout it with the fact that it was a fly that came out of the box and who else but the lord of the flies would have something to do with flies. Gabriel being mentioned to come in regularly with someone but we didn’t know who and it turns out to be Beez and the way they have a song that’s special to the both of them. The song is a simple little love song and Gabriel doesnt even know what a song or music is but he loves it simply because Beez does and miracles the Jukebox to only play that song and the way he remembers it even with his memories gone. The entire thing is sickeningly sweet with them confessing their love to everyone by holding hands they’re just so precious.

Point number 2 while it hurts me so much that out girls didn’t end up together I love that way it was done Nina had a toxic ex we see throughout the season and getting into a relationship right out of that just wouldn’t be healthy for either of them seeing Maggie pine for Nina but not doing anything cause she respects her to much to do that when she’s already in a relationship. The season ending with them acknowledging each others feelings but leaving it at that cause Nina isn’t ready is just so bittersweet.

Numero tres out dear ineffable husbands finally had their kiss!! But it wasn’t at the right time it’s just so bitter sweet it’s right after az said that he’s going to lead heaven and wants to make Crowley an angel which goes against everything about having their own side no heaven no hell. Crowley gives az a final kiss and just says I like you but I can’t be with you the way you want I won’t be an angel and lead heaven alongside you that goes against everything I want and believe in and az just can’t believe that Crowley doesn’t want to be an angel again which just shows a fundamental misunderstanding he had about Crowley. It leads to Crowley just confessing his feelings kissing az and just watching him leave him to go up to heaven.

Now the final point number 4. Az accepting the deal and wanting to make Crowley an angel again. Az clearly loves Crowley and he knows it so he wants to have Crowley by his side when he does this but he just isn’t ready to take the leap like Crowley is and to make a side purely their own no heaven or hell. We can see since the beginning how’ve they’ve already drifted apart since season 1 with Crowley no longer feelings it’s their side but his and az thinking that they have their own side but it’s clearly still aligned with heaven as we see later in the season dying our little grave robbing sesh. While it is before Armageddon’t this is az thinking back on it and we can see how he still thinks he did the right thing trying to fix our little grave robber so she stops being so “monsterous” so while az definitely had some big brain thoughts about what’s right and wrong from that experience he still thinks he did the right thing. Going back to the original point az when offered the opportunity to help change heaven to something better he jumps at the opportunity to go back to heavens side and even take Crowley along as an angel even!! Which isn’t what Crowley wants he’s happy as a demon on his own side he doesnt want to be doing work for hell or for heaven and az just can’t understand that who wouldn’t want to go back to being an angel, so he leaves Crowley and his bookshop behind going up to heaven with the metatron leaving the place he loves the store he built and loved and man he adores and wants to spend the rest of his life with. Much like Nina and Maggie they don’t get together but there’s not as much hope of them ending up together as with those 2, az and Crowley are going their separate ways apart from each other.

Wahoo if you somehow finished this entire jumbled mess have a gold star ⭐️

[howellslides]

.

i filtered out all the good omens posts from my dash but i just finished it last night and so i have no idea if this is an unpopular opinion buttttttttt i was not impressed with this season :(

(this is just gonna be me talking about my thoughts on it)

last season felt so tight! so snappy! we saw the puzzle pieces being laid out and then we saw them fit together!

this season i was shocked i was on episode five because i thought we were still in the exposition phase, because not much of note really... happened?

the twist at the end felt very rushed. there were not nearly enough hints to explain why gabriel and beeelzebub fell in love, it was literally just "oh btw here's the answer to the mystery, k bye".

also, this is my personal pet peeve, but i hate when characters get woobified, and literally all of hell got woobified SO BAD. everyone was just "oh dear oh no what do we doooooo", and it wasn't in a "we just got humiliated in front of heaven and satan himself" it was just, everyone was just kind of pathetic. i wasn't scared by any of the demons. and crowley got woobified too, a lil bit, but at least it wasn't too bad.

especially beelzebub. i felt like s1 beelzebub was actually evil. i felt like s2 beelzebub was just uwu i'm in a bad place teehee.

and honestly i feel like they could cut all the flashbacks in half. the job thing could've mostly stuck to the end bit where he got his children back, maybe a scene or two before that (the blue lizard thing was cute, though). the graverobbing was mostly alright, although crowley being drunk really dragged on. the magic show one was the worst specifically because it felt like it ruined the moment from last season :(

maggie and nina also could've been cut in half. or at least, their story could've been their own story, not just used as a mirror for crowley to realize he needed to make a move. especially when beelzebub and gabriel were also a mirror for him to make a move. i would've liked it better if they instead told the pair of them off for meddling with their personal lives and went their separate ways.

(also i didn't neeeeeed nina to talk about everything everything from before, but if they weren't even connect her to her past at least a little bit, why use the same actor)

(also? it would've been way cuter if, plot twist, the jane austen thing did nothing for nina and maggie, but did work on crowley. no "hey look at what these other people are doing", just "look at how special my angel is")

i did like aziraphale's ending, though. i know a lot of people were heartbroken by it (that much slipped past my filters) but as a story device, that was kinda cool. it did feel like it could've been more midseason than finale thing. it would've been cooler if his flashbacks to learning real world morals vs heavenly morals were juxtaposed with him actually having some say in heaven. you could still have him choosing to "make a difference" up there at the end of it, because the dude has spent thousands of years being told that that's the right thing to do.

and then it would be even more heartbreaking for crowley, feeling like he's lost him. as it was, i honestly wasn't really moved by the kiss at all. sorry. the way it was framed felt oddly fanservice-y.

anyway. i still enjoyed the show, the humour was still enchanting, and i love the way it critiques power structures and the idea of "good". but the overarching plot this season was. just not impressive to me.

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

Burning of Wallasey Church, Wirral, 1 February 1857 Harold Hopps (1879–1967) Williamson Art Gallery & Museum

* * * *

"The most dangerous psychological mistake is the projection of the shadow onto others; this is the root of almost all conflicts."

~ C.G. Jung

+

“The mentioned ‘particular need’ of theirs (to 'teach others sense and 'put them on the right road') arises in them, in its turn, thanks to another particular property of theirs which is that from the very moment when each of them acquires the capacity of distinguishing between ‘wet’ and ‘dry,’ then, carried away by this attainment, he ceases forever to see and observe his own abnormalities and defects, but sees and observes those same abnormalities and defects in others."

~ Gurdjieff, from 'Beelzebub's Opinion of War' in 'Beeelzebub's Tales to his Grandson'

(Ian Sanders)

[bot-prophet]

electric eels are counting on you Every salty one has a soft lining begging for the sake of rolling I'll ask that fish this evening

Beeelzebub is the most uncanny they wish mom's punk would see a pack or but a single bacteria he is supposed to swear to me

she was made to tremble aliens know of politics his wish feels dizzy growing like tactics

[harushino]

POV : Levi accidentally ordered the wrong 'snacks' for the twins in akuzon

[insomniacrobyn]

Hello fellow writer 🤗 could i please request some relationship headcanons for our best boy Beelzebub please? Thank you and good luck with your writing ❤

of course... so sorry  for not answering earlier I never got a notification. So here they are.

Dating Beelzebub headcanons

If feel like you would confess. Like one day, the two of you are hanging out in your room and you are like

Beel I need to tell you something. I really like you in a more than friend way. 

And this man would be shocked jaw, half way through chewing whatever snack he is eating.

After that you are like such a cute couple. To the extent people would idolize you two as Beel is so nice and sweet. Bless this man he is amazing.

Now to get into the cute things you both do.

You go to every game like it’s your life line. You bring snacks and drinks to give Beel when it’s like half time. 

You would also always give him a good luck kiss before every game.

Beel and you love cooking together as generic as it seems. He loves when you cook food from different countries such as Spanish food.

He however adores when you make food that is important in your culture and if he learns you have a favorite dish he will learn how to make it for you.

Movie nights are his jam. He just loves spending time with you no matter what it is.

He is a cuddle monster. You can’t change my mind on this. Like when you two sleep together he makes you sleep on his chest. He is aware he is big strong demon so he is afraid to hurt you so he likes when you rest on his chest. 

His strong arms wrapped around your waist as he buries his head in your hair if you allow him to.

This man is an amazing kisser. Like his kisses are gentle with a hunger behind him, when they are quick.

But if you both are making out this man kisses with such hunger. Like his kisses make your knees weak. 

Masterlist

[henry-and-the-seven-lords]

Hello, can you make a headcannon of the brothers and the dateables reacting to an MC who has unnatural strength, like Sakura from Naruto

I know you mentioned Sakura, but the image I see in my head is Buffsuki from Doki Doki Literature Club.

I am going to give a little scene where they figure out. Let me know if this isn't what you want so I can write it again how you like it or change it to your liking.

Brothers Masterlist | Dateables Masterlist

The Brothers Reactions to an MC with Unnatural Strength

💙 Lucifer -

All of his Brothers refused to help Lucifer with Cerebrus, so today he asked MC. The three headed dog started jumping and barking and before Lucifer could calm him down MC picked him up making the dog whimpered and immediately quieted down.

Lucifer stared wide eyed at Cerebrus being carried around by MC until he realized that he needs to make sure they don't get eaten.

"MC, you can put him down. I can take care of him."

Now whenever Lucifer has to wash Cerebrus. He asks MC to come with him.

He has MC hold Cerebrus so he can trim his nails and paw fur. Now Lucifer doesn't have to fight with the three-headed dog anymore.

💛 Mammon -

Mammon asked MC to go with him on a long drive so he could decompress. As the two were driving, Mammon noticed something gold and shiny on the road and stops the car. It's under the tire and as he goes to pull at it. MC lifts the car up revealing a single Grimm.

"Thanks MC- WOAH! HOW ARE YOU DOING THAT!?"

MC puts the car down and shrugs. Thousands of ideas pop into his head on how he can use MC's strength to his advantage.

He now takes MC with him when he is gambling as his muscle. Also they can pick up heavy items he wants to snatch...

He also likes to threaten the witches with MC. Like MC stands in the woods and throws a tree to freak them out or something.

🧡 Leviathan -

Levi had planned out a long gaming session with MC, but as they were switching to the next game on of the controllers got lost. Levi finds it under the couch but can't reach it so MC picks up the couch to help!

Levi screams and gets stars in his eyes as he stares at them.

"MC you have super strength!? You could be a main character! Which means I could be your quirky friend and possible love interest!"

He rambles for like ten minutes while MC just listens and holds the couch off the ground.

Eventually Levi grabs it, but the game is forgotten as Levi now wants to talk about MC's tragic backstory about how they got super strength.

💚 Satan -

Satan had been looking for one specific book to show MC and he was sure it was in this section. As he stood on the library ladder he looked to his right and saw it on another shelf just out of reach. MC saw this and decided to help. So the picked up the ladder with Satan on it and moved him to the book.

MC was startled to look down and see MC smiling up on him. He grabbed the book and quickly climbed down.

"I didn't know you were so strong MC. Next time you could warn me."

MC says that they didn't want him to hurt himself by falling off the ladder which makes his heart all warm and fluttery.

He then promises to ask for their help to move anything from now on, as long as MC will tell him before they touch or move anything.

💖 Asmodeus -

Asmo had went on a shopping spree with MC and he started getting too tired to carry all the bags. So he puts them down for a minute to rest his arms. Them MC comes in and picks them up and says let's go.

Asmo's eyes sparkle and he becomes so excited.

"MC! You lifted those like it was nothing! You re so strong. Maybe we need to go shopping more often."

He also buys more stuff that he wasn't going to buy because MC is carrying all the bags and isn't breaking a sweat.

MC has to come on every shopping spree with him to carry the bags. And so he can spoil them.

❤ Beeelzebub -

MC asked to hug Beel for a hug, which he happily obliged, but instead of a normal hug. MC bent their knees and picked him up and spun him around.

"Woah! MC since when were you this strong? Wait. Do you want to be my spotter at the gym?"

Beel was quite taken aback. No one has picked him up before, but it was fun!

MC accepts being his spotter. He usually can't have a spotter because his weights are too heavy for everyone. So he loves the help

Now MC is always his spotter and he loves spending that time with them!

💜 Belphegor -

Lucifer told MC to bring Belphie down for dinner no matter what. So MC goes up there and Belphie has the audacity to tell them no. MC has had it and just picks up the whole bed taking Belphie with it.

At first Belphie thinks he has won. Free ride down stairs? Sign him up! But then he remembers he has to get through a few doorways.

"Wait. MC, I don't think this is the best idea-"

He then proceeds to get squished through every doorway which isn't super fun and the ride it too bumpy.

He doesn't mind the free ride, but don't make him into a bed taco again. That hurt!

[clownzilla31]

Alright here’s the full (ish) cast for the Heroes of Olympus AU

THE SEVEN;

Harrison- son of Hecate (a mix of Nico and Leo’s storylines)

Max- son of Hades (literally Nico let’s all admit it)

Neil- son of Athena

Nerris; child of Nike

Nurf- son of Ares/Mars

Preston- Son of Apollo

SpaceKid; son of Zeus

OTHERS:

Nikki- hunter of Artemis

Gwen- Dionysius

Roman- Apollo

Patton- Hestia

Logan- Athena

Virgil- Hades

Janus- Janus

Remus- Hermès (?)

Idk I don’t really have all the spots filled

Mabel- Eros

Dipper- Thanatos

Pacifica- Calypso

Crowley- Geb

Aziraphale- Nut

David- Chiron

Henry (Harrison’s brother)- Bianca

Ered- Reyna

Pikeman- Octavian

Gabriel- Gaia

Beeelzebub- Tartarus

There aren’t really any ships besides the ineffable husbands and Dipcifica

When I say Harrison gets a mix of Leo and Nico’s storylines, I mean It. It’s weird, okay? I’ve been thinking about nothing besides this for four days

Max gets a mix of a Percy and nicos storylines

Nikki gets a mix of annabeth and pipers

And when I say mix, I mean scenes from their storylines- the actual AU doesn’t follow the exact way the books do. Like Nerris and Max switch camps instead of Percy and Jason. Neil and Harrison take Nico and Jason’s place during the encounter with Eros. These poor kids... also I’ve mixed some other things up. Like the way Pacifica gets off the island.

[thequeerprotagonist]

Beeelzebub: may we get what we want

Lilith: and may we get what we need

Satan: but may we never get what we deserve

[schrobrm]

THAT BEEELZEBUB/ GABRIEL ART??? OOH BABEY THATSA GOOD FANART!!!!

Oh many thanks 😊

[billpardy]

Moss Update!

Hey y’all! Sorry I haven’t posted an update to Moss’s story yet! We are two sessions in to our playthrough of The Curse of Strahd, and it’s pretty awesome so far! Moss’s animal companion, the beehive, has so far been the heaviest hitter in all of our combat so far, which is hilarious! She got very drunk in our second session, hence the doodle. She forgot she was three feet tall and chugged a bunch of wine and failed her constitution roll. It was SUPER funny. 

To see the post where I explain her concept and introduce her, click this link

I’ve also finalized her backstory (if people are interested, I can post it as well? Slash I also have summaries of the story thus far if people are interested? Let me know?) and also the system by which her bee swarm loses bees/regains bees with health! So if you want to know how you can use a swarm of bees as a companion or familiar in DnD 5e, keep reading! 

Bee mechanics under the cut cuz it’s kinda long!

Bee Mechanics: Moss’s animal companion is technically just the queen, Titania, but Titania commands the rest of the hive, and so they obey Moss (and communicate by dancing! Moss dances back lol)

Honeybees, which is what Moss keeps, have drones that stay in the hive and build and maintain, feed babies, serve the queen, etc, and then they have guard bees/gatherer drones that leave the hive (this is sort of an oversimplification, but roll with it). 

The swarm of bees uses the standard Swarm of Insects stat block to start with (though the swarm CAN be healed), and is improved as Moss levels (using the Ranger Beastmaster Conclave from the Unearthed Arcana revision).

The guard bees are what acts as Moss’s swarm for combat, and there is one bee per hp that the swarm has, with Titania, the queen, being the final hit point of the swarm. So the loss of one hit point equals the loss of one bee. At the end of a combat encounter, if the swarm can be healed at all, either by Moss or others, I do not count those bees as lost. They get healed and are alive again (I would have to come up with far too many bee names if I didn’t do this). However, any hit points not recovered counts as lost bees. If the swarm ever loses ALL hit points and dies, then the queen dies, and I would either have to resurrect, or spend time finding a new queen, as dictated by the mechanics in the UA guide for Beastmasters. 

As the ranger levels, the swarm’s hp increases, and this counts as new bees being added to the swarm from the hive.

For roleplay purposes, I decided it was important for all the bees to have names, and for the losses to be recorded. The bees are like family to Moss, and she would remember their sacrifice and honor that. Naming them makes each loss matter deeply, and I quickly found myself getting attached even as I was still naming them. Moss tends to name the bees based on her surroundings or things that have happened recently in her life. After our first session, when I gained some new bees, I actually let our party help name some of them too, which was really fun! Lots of bee puns lol

To make the loss system fair and random (so I can’t try to save my favorites) I have all the current bees on a numbered list. When losses occur, I use a random number generator to determine which bees have died, unless say, it was specified through rp which ones were killed (that’s happened once already, but it was outside of combat). The queen cannot be the one killed unless the rest of the swarm is downed first. She is always the final hit point (because otherwise you could randomly just lose your whole familiar, which would be stupid).

I think I covered everything, but if I missed something or if you have questions, feel free to send me an ask. If you wind up using this, please let me know! I’d love to hear how it works for you!

My starting lineup of bees is listed in my first post about Moss (link above the readmore), but here is my current bee squad (as of level 5):

Titania (Queen), Fyreen, Hawk, Bumble, Mothsilk, Marievous, Stabitha, Fang, Eline, Daisy, Cowslip, Grumpy, Lovenip, Belle, Bitey, Spark, Fizz, Wolf, Vengeance (named after a jackass npc killed Clover and Thistle), Lily, Bee Arthur, Lester Bee Pearson, Larva, Diamond, Glitter, Beeyonce, Beeelzebub, Rob Zombee, Fluffy, Knees, Lucky, Gidget, Torch, Grave, Vine, Scruffy

The Fallen:

Winter (felled in first wolf encounter)

Vania (felled in first wolf encounter)

Maple (felled in first wolf encounter)

Clover (killed when scouting after the messenger)

Thistle (killed when scouting after the first messenger)

Puck (killed by zombies in the graveyard during the ritual)

Fuzzbin (killed by zombies in the graveyard during the ritual)

Spite (killed by zombies in the graveyard during the ritual)

The rest of the Party: 

Moss (Goblin Ranger)

Troibant (Human Cleric who Moss likes very much because he’s very kind and healed her bees after she lost nearly the whole swarm in the first combat)

Ulsh the One-Eyed (Elderly Half-Orc Druid who Moss thinks is a very large goblin and absolutely idolizes because she can turn into a bear)

Zarvroth Gorthid (Blue Dragonborn Fighter with one arm. Very serious and intimidating, but also seems very honest)

A female human monk whose name I forget but her player sadly quit so she died after our first combat

Shadow (Gnome uhhhh... I have no idea what class he is, but he joined us in the second session and he’s either an Arcane Trickster Rogue or a Warlock? idk Moss almost hated him because he set a bunch of her bees on fire by accident with a turret, but he healed them later, so she’s forgiven him)

Let me know if you want to know more about this campaign! I really wanna write about what’s going on and it’s a super fun story! Curse of Strahd is a really cool module, and I’m loving it so far. I’ve been driving everyone up the wall with bee puns which I know they secretly love ;P

Moss has made friends with a lot of the npcs, and tends to be the party member who rushes in to things first. Unless it’s combat lol Then she’s way at the back, providing support with her longbow and trying to not get hit