#like maybe he was. but also henry told him to love his brother no matter what

[kaseyskat]

i also keep thinking about how hero and lark were on the ground floor at HQ which means if sparrow had followed henry’s wishes and left with him and mercedes and normal (not that i’m sure that would’ve been possible but we can imagine) it would basically be condemning lark and hero to death there would be no way of saving them without going down with them. really adds to the weight on sparrow’s shoulders doesn’t it ?

[gh0stsp1d3r]

𝒫𝒶𝓇𝓉𝓃ℯ𝓇 𝒾𝓃 𝒸𝓇𝒾𝓂ℯ

Warnings: villain couple, they murder children, young!william, and young!reader in the beginning(imagine him as Stu), older!reader and older!william towards the end, character death, angst, blood, spring lock scene

The 80’s

The breeze nipped at your skin, you hadn’t expected it to be so cold. William came behind you, putting a jacket on.

“You really went back to the house just for a jacket?”

He looked back at the house still in view. “It’s right there.” He grabbed your hand, slipping it into his own. You both walked down the road.

It was rare for moments like these between you to. He and you were usually stuffing children in suits at the moment, which, I guess was also pretty romantic.

You were a bit younger than him, only a few years. It raised some suspicion among people, but you were both adults, so to you, it didn’t matter.

“I want a kid.” You brought up one time, he looked at you with wide eyes.

“I… maybe.” He smiled at the thought now when he looked back on it.

You both had created Freddy’s together, along with some help from Henry, but he wasn’t important.

———-

Now

“I don’t get why you haven’t knocked it down yet.” You asked him one day, while he collected some files from his fake job counseling job. He looked up at you with a small smile.

“Guess you could say I’m sentimental.”

“Well, did you find anyone?”

He sighed “Yeah. This guy, Mike, has a little sister. He’s desperate for anything.” He stood up, and you both walked outside.

“Well, I’m sure they’ll love her.” You kissed his cheek.

“I’m sure they will.”

“You know, I find it really crazy on how we still haven’t gotten caught yet, with everything that’s happened.”

He turned his head to look at you “Don’t tell me you’re getting scared now.” He raised an eyebrow.

You shook your head. “No. As long as I have you, I’ll be fine.”

“That’s right.” He laughed quietly, as you both continued to walk down the street together.

———-

You knew something was wrong, he was taking longer than usual. Your legs bounced in the car as you tried to wait, but you couldn’t. You got out the car, shutting the door quietly.

“That’s enough! Drop the knife.” Vanessa said, holding a gun in front of him.

“Vanessa..?” You mumbled out, slipping inside.

They all turned to you now.

“I thought I told you to wait in the car.” He pointed to knife at you, his modulated voice wasn’t very pleasant to listen to.

“Mom..?”

“This isn’t about her.” He grumbled out, trying to take any attention off of you, so that you weren’t in danger as well.

“You may have forgotten your loyalties, but I assure you they have not.” He threw the mask across the floor, and you looked at the little girl who screamed her brothers name, running up to him.

“Now, put that thing away and help me and your mom clean up the mess you created!” He shouted.

“Come on.” He chuckled, walking towards her slowly. “We both know you’re not gonna use a…”

She shot him, making him groan. Then she looked at you. She pointed it at you then, you without anything to protect you.

You slowly walked towards her as well, making her back up too. She was scared, of you both.

“You wouldn’t.” You said, william stood back and watched with a raised eyebrow.

“You don’t know me. You did nothing for me.”

“I raised you. I did.. everything for you. We did everything for you. This is how you repay us?”

She pointed her gun back at William who was now walking towards you again, he put a hand on your shoulder.

“I’ll take it from here.” He mumbled in your ear, you walked away. He swung at her gun, knocking it to the floor.

“You had one job. One. Keep him in the dark, and kill him if he got too close.”

“That’s two jobs.”

He started to choke her, you stared in shock at the scene.

Disrespectful. She was being disrespectful. How dare she say you did nothing for her? She deserved what would happen, now.

He looked at the little girl who was drawing a picture. You grabbed the girl before she could put it up, making her drop it to the floor. He stopped choking Vanessa, dropping her to the floor as well as you put a knife to the girls throat.

“No!” Vanessa grabbed your arm, making the knife clatter as well.

“Let go, Vanessa.”

“I won’t let you hurt her, too.”

William came up and stabbed her without her realizing, your eyes widened. He stared at her solemnly for a moment, before looking up at the girl you had accidentally let slip.

You were shocked, as you stared at the daughter you and William had created. Did she deserve it?

He ran towards the girl who was now putting her picture back up.

“Hey. Hey.” He said, standing back.

The lights crackled, and went out. You looked back at the two, standing up now.

“What have you done?” He said.

A spotlight was shown on the picture, of the yellow rabbit holding a knife, a girl beside him with one as well. A girl looking like you.

The animatronics walked towards the picture, looking at it as they all looked at you both. They started to walk towards you both.

“They can see you now. They know what you did.”

“Move. Move!” William yelled to them, shielding you behind himself. The lights blinded you both.

“Mike!” Abby ran over to him.

“Look at you. Look at the nasty things you have become. Look how small you are, how worthless you are. You are wretched, rotten, little beasts! We made you!”

The cupcake flew towards him, it ripped apart the suit and the spring locks locked in on his skin. You gasped when you realized. You fell to the floor in front of him as he let out pained breaths.

It felt like your worst nightmare was coming true.

“Will. Will.” You cried out, gripping his shoulders. Sobs filled his ears,he looked at you. “I love you. I love you.” You mumbled, desperately gripping onto the man.

“I love you.” He mumbled quietly, sounding like he was in pain. Reaching for his mask, he turned to them now.

“I always come back.”

——

Also did I seriously write this at 4 am in the morning instead of sleepin? Yeah

[redheadjustin]

Hello! Can I request a criminal minds x male reader where the reader is a little younger than the rest of the team (like maybe a few years younger than Reid)? Maybe the reader gets hurt and the whole team are super protective? Thanks! :))

So, you were painfully shy when you started working. For one thing you were younger than Ried by four years. but , you are just as smart and even more hard working as Reid. But you were also given your own office, not just a desk in the bullpen. You were a profiler but you were also a media lesasion.

You were heavily distrusted at first as you were brought in by Struass. The last time this happened it was with Emily and that caused tons of issues. You kept your head down and worked hard and tried to stay out of everyone’s way.

Penelope snooped through your personal file and the second she saw your military record she softened to you. After all, you fit the “youngest child profile”.

You were the youngest of four boys. And always overshadowed by your older brothers. When you had gotten the best grades in your class? Oh there was your oldest brother joining the military. When you were the best on your soccer team? Your second oldest brother was the star quarterback. When you were made captain of your debate team? Your third brother was writing songs and sending them to record labels. So you spent most of your life compared to your brothers.

Penelope is the one to get you addicted to mugs. You also make sure to get some from your favorite movies. You make sure to give her a chocolate bar every morning so she can stay sweet.

Emily always makes sure you leave the office by ten PM or If you’re on a case, the field office or police station. She’s also the one in charge of making sure you don’t do something stupid. You confide in her a lot of the time as you feel that she’s the sister you never had. When the whole Doyle thing went down she responded the most to the threat on your life. When you thought she was dead you visited her grave every friday after work no matter how late. You ghosted her for about seven weeks after she returned. You were the most affected besides Spencer. You forgave her eventually but you never had the relationship you did before her fake death.

You met JJ just as she left the BAU. You were a bit intimidated to be taking her place but you also felt happy that you could take the burden off of JJ. Whenever you get confused or conflicted about the media, she's the one who helped you and you couldn’t have learned from a better teacher. You trusted her a bit less when Emily returned but you eventually forgave her. You quickly became Henry's second favorite uncle and you loved talking comics with him. Will thought you were a good kid. You and JJ are very close and after everytime you kill an unsub it’s her that checks on you.

Spencer and you are like twins. Despite being four years younger than the brainiac, you shared a lot of his struggles growing up. You and Spencer share a lot of your theories during cases to each other. You honestly think Spencer is smarter than Bill Gates. Every year on your birthday Spencer surprises you with an autographed item and you always try to object but he shrugs it off.

Dereck Morgan. The missing fourth older brother. You honestly think he’d fit in with your family. But, unlike your real brothers, Derek lets you shine and always gives you credit. You also love to play soccer with him. You also watch tons of sports with him.

Hotch considers you his son and you consider him your father. He’s strict with you but you can tell there’s no malice behind it. He is the one to profile you and makes it clear that while you’re the youngest you wouldn’t be swept under the rug. The fact Hotch told you this to your face told you that Hotch could be trusted. And that trust never wavered even after Emily’s fake death. You trusted him more than your real family. You’re also the one to help Jack with soccer practice and the little boy is in awe of your skill. You even gave Jack your first pair of cleats.

Ah papa Rossi. Dave is like your grandfather and you have one of the most intimate relationships with him. He teaches you how to cook and you are all the better for it. He also is the one to escort you to the morgue during cases. You’ve seen death, how could you not have been in the military? He thinks you’ve seen enough death and worries about you having PTSD so he’s there with you to help. He also gets you tons of Chicago Cubs merch.

You’re part of the BAU family and though it’s crazy it’s where you belong and you wouldn’t have it any other way.  

[giggles-and-freckles]

Tag Game To Better Know You

I have been tagged in so many things by so many of you lovely people in the midst of my sorta-hiatus and I would break the internet if I tried to catch up...but I like this one because it feels like a good little re-intro into the Tumblr world. :-)

What book are you currently reading?

The Writing Revolution...I can't in good conscience recommend it unless you also happen to find yourself as a teacher trying to capture teenagers' imaginations and get them to produce complete sentences! Hahahaha. Miserable toil.

What’s your favourite movie you saw in theatres this year?

Ooh, this one's easy--The Little Mermaid!! I have seen it with my family twice and then with my friends once. (I felt a little freer to lust after Prince Eric when my husband and two children weren't sitting there with me...)

What do you usually wear?

These days, some form of athleisure. During the school year, I've been told my teacher style is "Jessica Day if she didn't care so much" and...that about sums it up.

How tall are you?

5′5″ AND A HALF (alternatively: taller than @stolen-pen-name23 which is all that truly matters in this world)

What’s your star sign? Do you share a birthday with a celebrity or a historical event?

Cancer...I think? Malala Yousafzai and Henry David Thoreau!

Do you go by your name or a nickname?

Most folks IRL call me Abigail. It's just my brothers, husband, and you guys who call me Abi!

Did you grow up to become what you wanted to be when you were a child?

Absolutely not. I wanted to be a lawyer my entire life. My undergrad was pre-law and then life had other plans for me and now I'm teaching 8th grade American History. And LOVING IT. I start grad school in the fall and I'll be getting my Principal's Certification with that, so I suppose I'm in this education world for the long haul.

Are you in a relationship? If not, who is your crush if you have one?

I am tragically married. Sorry to all interested parties!

What’s something you’re good at vs. something you’re bad at?

I'm fairly good with piano and singing. I'm terrible at cooking.

Dogs or cats?

Dogs forever and ever!

If you draw/write, or create in any way, what’s your favourite picture/favourite line/favourite etc. from something you created this year?

Oh my. I haven't written as much as I'd like to this year (although I'm hoping to post something before the weekend!!) so I'm choosing to interpret this as the last 12 months. Maybe this bit from walking by her side, talking by her side, have pity?

He holds out his hand, wondering if she’ll bare touching him. “Goodbye, Leia.”

She is not a girl of gentleness—this, he can tell. But she accepts the hand like she’s afraid to shatter it. “Goodbye.”

“Saying my name won’t hurt you, you know,” he says, refusing to be the first to let go.

“Remind me?”

He rolls his eyes. “Anakin Skywalker.”

“Skywalker, you said?” she echoes, and lets their hands fall between them. She opens the door and smiles teasingly at him, tilting her head. “Interesting. That was my father’s name.”

What’s something you’d like to create content for?

I think I'm forever stuck in my prequels hell!

What’s something you’re currently obsessed with?

Ur mom. Okay...sorry. Ahem. I've been sewing more lately. I used ot dabble in high school, but I'm finding more motivation to make things for my toddler than I did to make things for myself.

What’s something you were excited about that turned out to be disappointing this year?

The weather recently! It was supposed to rain the past couple weeks and we've not gotten much more than a few minutes of sprinkling. I looooove rainy days, so that's bummed me out quite a bit.

What’s a hidden talent of yours?

I'm excellent at whistling. It's completely useless, but I'll get compared to a Disney princess occasionally, so I guess that's something.

Are you religious?

Yes. My faith is very important to me, but it's *my* faith, so I don't feel the need to bring it up with strangers unless asked about it. (Crazy concept, right?)

What’s something you wish to have at this moment?

A cuppa tea...so I think I'll go put the kettle on byeeeee

No pressure tags: @pandora15 @stolen-pen-name23 @tessiete @ilonga @kckenobi & anyone who wants to join in the fun!

[bethanydelleman]

Charlotte Lucas Steps In

Henry Crawford proposes to Fanny Price. She tells him to wait a minute and consults her good friend, Charlotte Lucas, on whether she should accept or not. Charlotte sets love at zero, so let's take a look at the practical matters:

Most important: despite disliking Henry’s principles/behaviour towards her cousins, Fanny says twice that Henry has a good temper. She’s not afraid of him.

The Bertrams have no plan for Fanny’s future. Sir Thomas finally brings Fanny “out” into society, probably to try and secure Henry Crawford, by hosting a ball. We are told it was a whim, there is no mention of an actual plan for her to enter society. Also, there is no guaranteed provision long-term and Tom is a wasteful gambler WHO BLEW THROUGH HALF OF EDMUND’S INHERITANCE. Fanny might well be left in poverty by him if he runs MAnsfield into the ground like Sir Walter Elliot (this of course, is pre-personality transplant)

If we believe Mary, who says Henry will fall out of love, she also has complete confidence that he will take care of his wife and treat her properly. A sentiment that probably includes having discreet affairs if he has them.

Fanny is sickly, which everyone knows, and yet the Bertrams ignore her medical needs. She is not given a fire in either her bedroom or sitting room. When Fanny’s pony dies, her aunts do not think it’s important to replace her medical device, this is actually NEVER FULLY FIXED in the book, Fanny keeps using Edmund’s horse.

Mrs. Norris berates Fanny constantly for daring to exist, she also forces her to walk beyond her strength, doesn’t actually care about her well-being, and makes her feel like she deserves next to nothing. Fanny lives in fear of Aunt Norris’s “interminadable reproaches”

Lady Bertram, who claims to love Fanny, is entirely selfish in her love. Lady Bertram’s needs always come first: Fanny wants to go to Sotherton? Who will sit with me? Fanny wants to go to dinner? Who will make my tea? Who will arrange my sewing and do the hard bits? This is the second most kind person towards Fanny. What a fun life!

Edmund, who actually loves Fanny in a relatively unselfish way, still constantly forgets her and hasn’t fixed that many of her problems. He actually tells her not to get too cold in her room, instead of maybe ordering her a fire? Maybe, Edmund??? He gets her a horse and then lends it out to his crush. Oh Edmund.

Henry has already proved his influence in the navy, Fanny has two more brothers in the navy, probably two more to enter it, which means her family will significantly benefit from the Admiral’s interest.

Despite being the informal ward of a rich baronet, Fanny owns exactly 1 nice dress and 0 pieces of jewellery until William, Edmund, and Mary/Henry give her some. She is not being properly provided for by the Bertrams.

Fanny is currently entirely at the mercy of arbitrary charity from the Bertrams. A marriage contract would legally obligate Henry to give her things like pin money and for the first time, give her control over her environment. Like having a freaking fire in her freaking bedroom!!!!

So Fanny takes her friend’s advice and marries Henry. She now is in charge of fires, she can have all the fires she wants, all day long if she so chooses, she can be as snug as a bug in a rug. She will own her own horse! No one will force her to go on long exhausting walks. She can sew whatever and whenever she damn wants. She no longer needs to be the constant companion of The Well-Dressed Slug (Lady Bertram). She can buy many of the books, all the dramatic poetry she wants. Henry would buy them for her. Everyone is nice to her, so she’s free from constant streams of verbal abuse. And if she doesn’t love her husband, who cares if he flirts with other women? He’s at least discreet (remember Maria was the one who exposed the affair).

Honestly, call me Charlotte Lucas, but I would take that deal in a heartbeat. I think part of the point of Jane Austen’s novels is that it takes herculanean moral integrity or maybe ever a little insanity not to take these deals. 

[mercurygray]

Fic writer interview

Thank you to @hesbuckcompton-baby for the tag!!

How many works do you have on AO3? 102, but I only started posting there in 2014. There is more fic dating back much farther on my ff.net account.

What’s your total AO3 word count? 1,035,887

What are your top 5 fics by kudos? The Darkening Sky - Band of Brothers She dealt her pretty words like blades - Little Women (2019) Waited for and Wanted - House of the Dragon More than a Team - Band of Brothers At Home, Alone - Prodigal Son

Do you respond to comments? Why or why not? I do! The way I figure, you've taken the time to write me something (and not everyone does) and the least I can do is say thank you, and maybe weigh in with some extra piece of lore or process.

What’s the fic you’ve written with the angstiest ending? I never finished writing this ending, but one of my TURN fics, La Fille du Regiment, was going to end with my character Margaret Frances running away from the character who was in love with her. They met in the middle of a war, and he was married, and she just wasn't convinced that it was ever going to work in her favor. So she ran away, and quickly married someone else who'd expressed interest earlier in the story. (There was also the small matter of her getting pregnant, which changed the time-table some.) Margaret was going to meet her love interest again some thirty years later and have him realize that the man with her is, in fact, his son, whom he'd never known about.

What’s the fic you’ve written with the happiest ending? A Rose Among the Briars is my big LOTR fic and I think really does have the happiest ending - Boromir doesn't die, gets married to a lovely woman, has kids, and lives happily ever after.

Do you write crossovers? I am a multi-verse madwoman. I love crossovers.

Have you ever received hate on a fic? YES. A Rose Among the Briars got some fun comments back in the day, including one particularly memorable comment from a woman who lambasted me for writing an OC who was younger than Boromir because 'he wouldn't go for that'.

Do you write smut? If so, what kind? When the mood strikes me! I've written a lot of M/F smut and a tiny taster of M/M/F throuple things.

Have you ever had a fic stolen? Not that I'm aware of?

Have you ever had a fic translated? Yes, I have! A Rose Among the Briars was translated into French (at least partially) by someone who just loved the story.

Have you ever co-written a fic before? I have! I used to do a lot of tag-team writing via instant messenger with several friends - they'd write a line, and you'd write a line back. It was a really, really interesting way to write and it sent scenes in very different and fun directions. Stopping to clarify things, or ask where they wanted something to go was really instructive.

What’s your all-time favorite ship? I think in terms of the volume of fic I wrote for them, my favorite ship has to be Emma Green and Henry Hopkins, from Mercy Street. I just really liked their character dynamic - he was the chaplain at a military hospital, trying to wrestle with past mistakes and what his role was in a war where he wasn't carrying a gun, and she was the privledged daughter of a wealthy slaveholder trying to find her place in a world that was changing all around her. Both of them had these really meaty moral storylines and there was just a lot of opportunity for poetry and scripture and longing glances and forbidden love and it was just really, really good.

What’s a WIP that you want to finish but don’t think you ever will? I have this throuple thing I started writing for MOTA that will probably never see the light of day.

What are your writing strengths? People have told me recently that they really like my dialogue, and my ability to really capture canon character voices as true to form. I was also told I have an uncanny ability to introduce people and immediately make you care about them, which I'm pretty proud of.

What are your writing weaknesses? Keeping things short.

What are your thoughts on writing dialogue in other languages in a fic? I actually kind of like it! I speak a little bit of French, and some Italian, but I always try to check with a native speaker if I'm adding whole lines in a different language.

What was the first fandom you wrote for? Lord of the Rings. And that fic is still on ff.net if you want to go read it. I keep it there to keep me humble.

What’s a fandom/ship you haven’t written for yet but want to? I honestly can't think of one! Because I do so much shorter format stuff here on my tumblr, if I have an idea it usually ends up getting written!

What’s your favourite fic you’ve written? I am the most proud of The Darkening Sky. It was a three and a half year labor of love and far and away the most 'successful' thing I've ever written, but I gained so many new friends and people who just really loved the characters I created and I actually finished it! I'm notorious for not finishing big projects.

Tagging @mads-weasley, @latibvles, @basilone, @softguarnere, @softspeirs, @noneedtoamputate and anyone else who's writing fic for Masters of the Air right now!

[cleolinda]

Varney the Vampire: Chapter 11

Chapter 10: A wild Charles Holland appears!

A brief unexpected hiatus there for a week or so. Onward!

If you're just joining us, an ancestral vampyre has been victimizing fair maiden Flora Bannerworth, and it is the worst thing that has ever happened to her brothers Henry and George. Truly, nothing could be worse than having a sister bitten by a vampyre; let us mope upon it in the family crypt with some friends. The friends have matches. Meanwhile, Flora just shot the motherfucker.

CHAPTER XI.

THE COMMUNICATION TO THE LOVER. -- THE HEART'S DESPAIR.

As I've said, you can summarize Varney the Vampire very concisely if you really want to. In this chapter, Henry takes Flora's newly-returned kinda-fiancé aside and explains him a thing. Less concisely: That thing is a vampyre, one Ancestor von Spookyportrait, who keeps preying on Flora and repeatedly getting his hapless ass shot for it. But what you have to understand is, there is not a goddamn thing about Varney the Vampire that is concise. I would even argue that the spirit of verbosity—the baroque grammatical vibe, if you will—is more the point of this godforsaken thing than the actual plot is.

Consternation is sympathetic, and any one who had looked upon the features of Charles Holland, now that he was seated with Henry Bannerworth, in expectation of a communication which his fears told him was to blast all the dearest and most fondly cherished hopes for ever, would scarcely have recognised in him the same young man who, one short hour before, had knocked so loudly, and so full of joyful hope and expectation, at the door of the hall.

I myself am long-winded. Game recognizes game.

It would be one thing, Charles Holland thinks to himself, if Flora were just a trifling-ass strumpet. At least then he could get mad about it, his pride would shield him—but no, he is convinced that his angelic maiden fair back there is trying to protect him from something. As he should be, because it's not like it was hard to tell or anything.

Happier would it at that time have been to Charles Holland had she acted capriciously towards him, and convinced him that his true heart's devotion had been cast at the feet of one unworthy of so really noble a gift.

James Malcolm Rymer really builds up what a sterling hero—verily, a textbook cinnamon roll—Charles Holland is. At first you might think Charles Holland is his cherished self-insert, or maybe Rymer is even a little in love with him, as perhaps all writers should be with our own characters. But if I remember correctly, there's a more interesting reason he does this. But I get ahead of myself (my favorite thing to do).

But now he was to hear all. Henry had promised to tell him, and as he looked into his pale, but handsomely intellectual face, he half dreaded the disclosure he yet panted to hear.

Okay, “panting,” Rymer, don't be weird about it. Also, please use some names in this paragraph; I am pretty sure that Charles Holland is the Pale But Handsome one, which renders this "he" salad nonsensical.

Charles Holland begs to be told the truth! Henry avers that he will tell it, no matter how dubious or strange! Speak truly, Charles Holland, did you indeed hear Flora breaking up with you two pages ago? Why, yes, of course I did, Henry, I did! Then you will be shocked my sister broke up with you! Forsooth, I am! You know who actually wrote this? I've figured it out—energy vampire Colin Robinson.

Because just the act of describing this is sucking my will to live, and I'm not even sure why. Like, it's fine? It's not terribly onerous to read? It's just... so... it feels so much like long covid fatigue, I can't even tell you. NO! We can do this!

"She was right. She is a noble-hearted girl for uttering those words. A dreadful incident in our family has occurred, which might well induce you to pause before uniting your fate with that of any member of it."

Hold onto that "don't unite your fate with ours" thought, because it's an ugly one and we'll get to it. Right now, Charles Holland declares that nothing can ever change his feelings for Flora, ain't no mountain high enough, so on and so forth. What change of fortune could have occurred for Henry to think so?

"I will tell you, Holland. In all your travels, and in all your reading, did you ever come across anything about vampyres?"

Ah, shit, here we go.

"You may well doubt the evidence of your own ears, Charles Holland, and wish me to repeat what I said several more times. I say, do you know anything about vampyres?"

They go back and forth a while about the shocking fact of believing such a shocking fact, but finally, Henry has processed his circumstances: he, Henry von Spookyportrait Beaumont Bannerworth III, is experiencing the worst thing humanity has ever endured:

"Listen to me, and do not interrupt me. You shall know all, and you shall know it circumstantially." Henry then related to the astonished Charles Holland all that had occurred, from the first alarm of Flora, up to that period when he, Holland, caught her in his arms as she was about to leave the room.

I am fucking shocked that Rymer did not have Henry recap this at actual length. "And approximately four to five people also saw all of this!" And Rymer does not have all of those people file in and give sworn testimony in real time. Like, that's surely an entire mortgage payment he just passed up, or else he got into a fistfight with his publisher and lost.

"You bewilder me, utterly," said Charles Holland. "As we are all bewildered." "But -- but, gracious Heaven! it cannot be." "It is." "No -- no. There is -- there must be yet some dreadful mistake."

"No, no! By Heaven, no!" "Yes, Charles. Reflect upon the consequences now of a union with such a family."

Wait, Henry, what the fuck do you mean by that?

"That one who has been visited by a vampyre, and whose blood has formed a horrible repast for such a being, becomes, after death, one of the dreadful race, and visits others in the same way."

Two points:

What are the Vampire Rules in Varney the Vampire? We now know that it only takes (one?) bite to infect someone with vampirism—no exchange of vampire blood is needed. Allegedly. Rymer will probably forget about this.

"Dreadful race" is a real interesting word to use about something that is supernaturally contagious rather than hereditary. On the other hand, Rymer's been implying that Varney is Flora's ancestor, hasn't he? The shame of vampirism is in both her bloodline and, now, her actual blood.

At the same time, here comes the ugly thought to unpack. [Content note: mental health ableism, undescribed self harm and suicide in fiction, racism. If you'd like to skip this very long section, scroll down/search for "Charles Holland is a man of action."]

For decades if not centuries (and, I would argue, still today as well), there have been persistent ideas that mental health issues 1) inevitably led to violence and chaos; 2) were inevitably hereditary; and 3) weren't exclusive to "impure" bloodlines, but, short version: "savagery," colonialism, racism. And all this coalesces into the idea of the Family Stain. In a book like Jane Eyre, published the same year as the collected Varney, Charlotte Brontë evokes a family who "tricks" Rochester into marrying a woman coded as biracial who has apparently inherited a family mental illness. In this character, Charlotte Brontë chooses to identify insanity with violence (and, implicitly, with race), to the point that imprisoning Bertha in an attic is presented as "merciful." And honestly, given the state of mental healthcare up through the 20th century, given the real-life prevalence of this identification, it probably was. This is the cultural foundation beneath Henry's warning of "the consequences of such a union."

But let's delve deeper into the word "consequences." There's also a Louisa May Alcott serial from her "blood and thunder" days called "A Nurse's Story" (1865), and while it was published twenty years after Varney the Vampire, it makes those assumed consequences explicit: point #2 above, the inevitable "curse" of mental illness spreading to a patient's children. (I want to stop here and tell you that I'm bipolar. Medicated, very stable, not cursed. I've been very open about this for many years. I want you to read this paragraph knowing that I personally know that what follows is bullshit.) The story's narrator, Kate Snow, is hired to be the caretaker for a young woman who has started to present symptoms of the Family Stain, hereditary insanity, and has begun to self-harm as a result. By the end of the story, Elinor has actually died by suicide; I won't even go into the details because the story (dangerously) portrays her death as a tragic but noble act.

Elinor also has two older brothers who have sworn to die single (one has become a priest; the other is self-medicating with unspecified substance abuse, probably alcohol), so that they don't pass the family illness to any children. Unfortunately, there is a fourth sibling, Amy, who is determined to keep the secret and marry. (She dies within two years of her wedding, reports the epilogue.) Even better, there's a second family stain—the siblings are all actually illegitimate, because their father has a living first wife that he abandoned! And his son from that marriage, when not busy blackmailing the family, falling in love with Kate, and twirling his mustache, will also develop the hereditary insanity!

I'll be real with you, I actually love this story. It's got the psychological screw-turns that make a lot of Alcott's Very Problematic guilty pleasure stories so engaging, and (aside from the ableist premise rotting there at the core), the characters are portrayed with compassion. Kate stays with the family, villainous legitimate son included, as a loyal friend; the initial setup with Elinor was apparently based on Alcott's own experiences as a nurse/companion, and she has a great deal more sympathy for her characters than a lot of gothic-leaning writers. What "A Nurse's Story" illustrates for us, though, is how concretely mental illness was viewed as a family stain on the level of an original sin, something no one will ever escape, that will make even the kindest people erupt in violence, and something that must be prevented from propagating at all costs.

Like I said, though: I'm bipolar. I of all people know that these tropes are bullshit, and dangerous bullshit at that. I still love this story. Jane Eyre is one of my favorite books. We contain multitudes; we just also have to critique those multitudes. That's why I'm here writing thousands of words about this absurd vampire serial in the first place.

Now: let's take those ideas and jump back over to Varney:

"There may be insanity in this family," thought Charles, with such an exquisite pang of misery that he groaned aloud.

There may be insanity in this family, thought the potential father of Flora's children.

"Already," added Henry, mournfully, "already the blighting influence of the dreadful tale is upon you, Charles. Oh, let me add my advice to Flora's entreaties. She loves you, and we all esteem you; fly, then, from us, and leave us to encounter our miseries alone. Fly from us, Charles Holland, and take with you our best wishes for happiness which you cannot know here." "Never," cried Charles; "I devote my existence to Flora. I will not play the coward, and fly from one whom I love, on such grounds. I devote my life to her."

You're probably wondering why I brought racism up as well, ten million words ago. Well, because I think Rymer has given us visual cues as to why the noble Charles Holland is right to remain loyal to Flora. She's been coded as immune to any kind of metaphorical "stain," whether she's covered in blood or not. Look back at the very first chapter:

Now she moves, and one shoulder is entirely visible -- whiter, fairer than the spotless clothing of the bed on which she lies, is the smooth skin of that fair creature

Rymer intends us to understand Flora is intrinsically worthy of her fiancé's devotion: she is as white as the spotless bedlinen that she's being fetishized on. And I wish this were only a visual metaphor using the color spectrum of electromagnetic light, but I think we all know that the Victorians were racist as fuck. Readers of 1847 would have understood, consciously or not, the assurance of Flora's "fairness" that way. She's whiter than white; she might die nobly, but Charles Holland won't have to stuff her in the attic.

What I want to critique in this serial, to separate out, is to what extent Flora is presented as a heroine because of her whiteness, and to what extent that comes from her actions, such as shooting a vampire while everyone else is moping around a crypt. I think it could be incredibly useful to identify this, especially if you yourself are a writer, and infinitely more so if you are (like me) a white writer, to study what kind of bullshit you want to avoid in your work. (For that matter, ableism is another form of bullshit to to examine and avoid.) I'm going to be honest with you, writing about Twilight taught me more about characterization than any of the dozen writing classes I ever took, because I sat down on Livejournal and observed every single thing that I thought made Bella Swan annoying as hell, or Edward Cullen creepy as fuck (what I should have observed more: the werewolf "lore" being destructively racist), and I made mental notes: Do the Opposite of That. Now that I've found myself here in the middle of these tropes, that's what we're going to do. And if anyone ever adapts this for television, I would recommend that they cast Flora as a different race, but with the exact same "gentle maiden" personality, and portray a purity and sweetness that have nothing to do with skin color, no matter what Hunger Games fans thought.

But back to the story. Charles Holland is a man of action. Charles Holland has plans.

"Look you here, Henry: until I am convinced that some things have happened which it is totally impossible could happen by any human means whatever, I will not ascribe them to supernatural influence." "But what human means, Charles, could produce what I have now narrated to you?" "I do not know, just at present, but I will give the subject the most attentive consideration. Will you accommodate me here for a time?"

-- He is going to converse with Flora upon the subject

-- He will say nothing to add to her fears thereunto

-- He will touch base re: a paradigm shift with Henry's brother George, Mr. Marchdale, and Mr. Dr. Chillingworth to move the needle on some core competencies

-- He will tell Henry to buck up, until yea, Henry does rejoice in his command of executive function

And Charles Holland is able to do all this because Henry unwittingly Said A Thing: if there's "such a weight of evidence in favour of a belief in the existence of vampyres" that they are compelled to believe in their local ancestral vampyre, CHILLINGWORTH—then that means they can catch it. "It consists," not to put too fine a point on it, "of a revivified corpse," and in that case, Charles Holland would like a motherfucker to try it:

"By Heaven! if ever I catch a glimpse of any such thing, it shall drag me to its home, be that where it may, or I will make it prisoner."

FROM THE DESK OF CHARLES HOLLAND - ACTIONABLE ITEMS

-- The squad will take turns watching over Flora

-- All intrepid protectors will be ready to defend her, potentially with swords and/or crowbars

-- They will have the means of alerting the entire household to any unregulated vampyring

-- There will be a healthy and well-balanced schedule to make sure no one is overly deprived of sleep

-- He's gonna have a roster and everything

-- Forsooth, where is the coffee pot

Meanwhile, Henry's like, oh thank God, someone who knows what he's doing. When Charles Holland says he wants to sleep in the Vampyre Room, in hopes that maybe Sir Ancestor actually will drop by again, Henry is more than happy to show him right in.

I don't think Rymer meant this to sound as creepy as it does, but blowing up the word count by iterating over and over that Charles Holland wants to sleep in Flora's room, exactly the way she left it, with nothing removed, for reasons of his own, results in an unintended (unless...?) ick factor. Spoiler: The reason ends up being, to look at the Von Spookyportrait likeness. That's all. Probably.

In theory, Varney recaps go up on Fridays. I'd like to have the next one up before Dracula Daily kicks off again on May 5th. Send thoughts and vamprayers to me.

Varney the Vampire masterpost

[floydsmuse]

Meggy dearest, ask and ye shall receive for the brain is an endless pantry full of thoughts/thots and just know that if ever you want me to actually write anything for you, the ask box is always open, I don't bite unless somebody else tried to bite first (lol).

We've seen work life with Cal x wifey!reader, but what about at home?? I don't think we've really looked at that much (lol).

Of course you and Cal have been married for a while and as a result you've gotten to know his family really well......maybe a little too well (lol).

Calvin and his baby brother, John, were adopted as babies from an orphanage (I kinda feel like it was a situation similar to J. R.R Tolkien where they were under the temporary care of a priest). His adopted father, Henry Evans Jr., was a Marine who had served in World War I and later in Nicaragua under Chesty Puller, while his adopted mom, Patricia had been a World War I combat nurse at Belleau Wood. Both of them were really, really young when all that was going on and had a few older children before adopting Cal and John when they were little. Even in his adult years, Calvin remained close with Father McDowell and asked him if he wouldn't mind marrying you two when the time came.

Everything you learned about the kitchen came from Patricia. You swore up and down from the day you met her, that this woman was a kitchen witch in disguise. She had an entire cabinet full of recipes that were handed down from her family members, including one that she complied herself and that you both jokingly refer to as "the grimoire". She's also got a ton of home remedies that work like a charm. One time, Cal came down with a bone cracking bout of bronchitis at the beginning of winter and as soon as he came through the door, hacking his brains out, Patricia beckoned you into the kitchen, told you to boil some water and to throw a bunch of blood oranges and mulling spices into the pot (star anise, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, allspice and black peppercorns). As soon as that was all boiled down, she made Cal drink it and oh did it clear him the fuck up!! (lol).

Dad on the other hand was a bit of a different story (lol).

Henry has the sickest sense of humor you have ever seen, like this man has absolutely no filter whatsoever but you and Cal absolutely LOVE IT!!! He was the one who taught Cal not only how to fix the car, the furnace etc. but he also fed Cal's love of chemistry (hell, any kind of science if I'm being honest). The one thing that Patricia probably could've done without though was Henry teaching their son to swear in six different languages (lol).

"Henry, if you teach any of the grandbabies those filthy, dirty words that you taught our kids, I'll send you running from that garage!"

"Pat I used to blow shit up in the jungle for a living, nothing you say or do could possibly scare me any more!"

Because of her nursing background, you often ask Patricia if she wouldn't mind coming to help with lectures down at the college. She's always happy to be a part of it no matter what and the girls absolutely LOVE HER!!!! One time however, she put a snobby admin in their place and the way she spoke had even Six-Thirty sitting up a little straighter and crossing his paws (lol).

"Young man, I had to earn my stripes in the middle of a shelled out church in France, rearraigning men's guts day after day while everywhere else was having the living daylights pounded out of them," she said. "So until you yourself have been there, I suggest you sit up a little straighter, keep your legs crossed, shut your mouth and mind your own business." (lol).

And of course there's Six-Thirty, your husband and father-in-law's favorite companion. When you and Cal found out you were expecting your first child together, that dog became soooooo protective of you it wasn't even funny. If anybody on campus even remotely looked at you the wrong way, Six-Thirty would go from sweetest dog in the world to one nasty son of a bitch in a snap. He, like Cal, especially hated D'Nadi after the slimeball tried to have you fired for being pregnant but thankfully, partially due to the stinkbomb incident, the college president (who was raising his own grandchildren) fired D'Nadi and anybody else who was spreading the petty bullshit around. Truth be told too, he never minded Six-Thirty wandering into his office to deliver important papers and memos (lol).

*BOUNUS!*

Six-Thirty is a seriously gentle giant with your baby. She cries in the middle of the night? He's waking you and Cal before anybody else has a chance. Weird noises flying around the house? He's guarding her crib like her life depends on it, even if it's just the house settling in the frigid, winter weather. She'll hug his whole face with her little body if she can which makes Cal laugh like an idiot, but oh God when she starts sitting up on her own, Six-Thirty plays this weird game with her where he'll drag her through the house on her blanket. It actually got to the point where you and Cal had no choice but to put up a baby gate near the stairs that went upstairs and in front of the basement entrance in the kitchen (lol).

Meggy I was expecting only to make an appetizer and instead I gave you a whole meal (lol).

Mary my darling! i seriously am living for all of your thoughts/thots & i absolutely love reading them 🥰 i’m sorry it took me a few days to get back to you. i’ve just been a bit busy & didn’t have the time to really sit down to dive into this, but i’m here & ready to read what amazing things you’ve come up with!

~ oooh! i love that you’ve decided to add Calvin’s family into the mix :) just wanna say on a side note, that i love that you mentioned J.R.R. Tolkien in regards to Calvin’s younger brothers. i am a huge lotr nerd & love the world of Tolkien! anyways… Calvin’s adoptive father being a marine & adoptive mother being a nurse just makes so much sense to me!

~ i like the idea of wifey learning how to cook from Cal’s mom! calling her a “kitchen witch” is just so funny to me😂 but i love it! & i love that she has been able to make up & create these home remedies that help with different sicknesses. i have a feeling that Calvin would also use these remedies when you fall sick or are not feeling the best. i also believe that he would use them with yours & Cal’s children. your babies would call Calvin, “the magic doctor”🥹 because once he whips up one of these “potions” (remedies) & they have a taste, they would feel better instantly & with such ease :,) ugh just the idea of Calvin with kids is making me all 🫠🥰😍

~ i love the idea of Calvin’s dad having a good sense of humor! i love a good laugh & i know people who also don’t have a filter, which can certainly be a trip! okay but i love how you said that his dad was the one who helped fuel his love for chemistry🥹 that’s so sweet! & omg haha. the whole part about Pat warning Henry not to curse in front of the grand babies & also teaching Cal how to curse in 6 different languages is sooo funny! it just seems like such a dad thing to do.

~ aww! momma Evans going into the college to help out with wifeys lectures & the students loving her is just awesome! i love it. ooh! & it seems like momma has got some fire in her, telling up that admin! as she should!! 😌

~ Six-Thirty is the best companion anyone could ask for & i completely agree that he would be super protective of wifey! he would be glued to your feet & would even sleep with his head gently lying on your belly during bedtime. he would even experience the moments where the baby would kick & he’d feel it🥹 making him perk up & look at you! he’d also protect your babies & be like an almost “bodyguard” to them :,) this is making me so soft !! oof damn D’Nadi! 😤 always causing unnecessary disrupt! i can’t stand him! but i’m glad wifey could still keep her job, thanks to the college president stepping in.

~ STOP IT RN. im actually going to sob, MARY !!! you are so right! Six-Thirty would be like the ultimate protector for your little baby. he would so alert Calvin & Wifey, as soon as the baby even starts to fuss. he would definitely guard the baby’s crib & wouldn’t leave their side no matter what. okay but Six-Thirty dragging baby around on a blanket in the house is such an interesting thing to imagine😅 but you know he’d be so gentle & baby would be letting out a fit of little squeals & giggles🥹 UGH I NEED A FIC WITH CAL, WIFEY, BABY & PROTECTOR SIX-THIRTY! i BEG PLSSS🥹😭💗

i can’t with all of this. your brain, Mary! these thoughts were just everything! thank you soo much for sharing them with me!! i seriously get such a kick out of reading them ! you have so many amazing ideas :,) i’m loving it all <3 ty again for this my darling! mwah😘

[josefavomjaaga]

Napoleon, Joseph and the Tascher marriage

Just when I start to feel sympathy for Joseph, he keeps reminding me that the arseholey trait runs in the family…

As I mentioned earlier, Napoleon was peeved because a certain Jean Henri Robert Tascher de la Pagerie, one of the many cousins of discarded empress Josephine, had passed from his, Napoleon’s, service, to that of Joseph without Napoleon’s permission. Either because Tascher really was so madly in love with one Marcelle Clary, niece to Joseph’s wife Julie, as Napoleon seems to think, or maybe for other reasons (according to a footnote, Tascher had already attached himself to Joseph in 1806, i.e., in Naples). In any case Napoleon is not happy with him, as he writes to Eugène already in April 1810, after having told him details of yet another marriage of yet another Tascher boy (Pierre Claude Louis Robert).

Compiègne, 26 April 1810

[…] As to the other Tascher, I take no interest in him; he has failed me too badly for me to concern myself with him. This little rascal abandoned the French cockade in Madrid without notifying me, obeying an impulse of love, and forgetting all the duties he had towards me, especially before this circumstance. I am indifferent to what he does, to whom he marries, and I don't want to interfere at all. I do not speak of this to the Empress; but you know my principles on this matter; I shall never change them. I believe this young man to be frivolous and of a bad character. I send you back the letter from the King of Spain [Joseph]; I approve of what the Empress will do, but I do not want to give any sign of interest to an individual who has failed me.

He writes to Josephine in the same vein two days later:

Compiègne, 28 April 1810

[…] As to the other [Tascher], don’t talk to me about him, he has taken the red cockade [i.e., Joseph’s] without my order, I shall not receive him again.

So, seems like Monsieur l’Empereur feels slighted because this young man preferred Joseph over him. He also makes it clear that he is the one who gets to decide if somebody can join Joseph’s entourage or not. This is clearly a brother thing between Napoleon and Joseph.

(Did I mention that I get strong sibling rivalry vibes from everybody’s 1810 correspondence?)

Anyway, on to Joseph and how he felt about this matter. Obviously, he already had sounded out the Beauharnais side of the family about it at an earlier date, as Napoleon above writes about sending back one of Joseph’s letters that Eugène must have forwarded on to Napoleon. In July, Joseph writes to Julie:

Madrid, 16 July 1810

My dear friend, I have received your letter, brought by Tascher. His cousin [i.e., Joséphine] writes to me that the Emperor authorises him to marry your niece Marcelle; she agrees, according to what his brothers tell me. Tascher today has 50,000 livres of income in property, he has a position, he is honour itself: you must not hesitate to give him your niece; he is better than the option proposed to you.

I note that “honour” apparently has a lot to do with “income”, according to one Joseph Bonaparte. Also, there was apparently another marriage option that Julie may have preferred.

I therefore intend that Mademoiselle Marcelle should marry Monsieur Tascher, if she finds him suitable. I commit myself to him and his cousin [Josephine], to whom I do not want to break my word, less so today than at any other time [reference to the fact that Josephine has just gotten the boot by Napoleon]. Answer me in a precise manner, and Tascher will return to Paris.

Joseph repeats his explicit wish to make this marriage happen in a letter three weeks later, again to Julie:

Madrid, 8 August 1810

[…] I have written to you that I wish for Marcelle to marry Monsieur Tascher, who has just bought 40- to 50-thousand livres of income in biens nationaux [national assets, i.e., property seized by the state, most often from the clergy].

I think I want to introduce Joseph to Mrs Bennet from Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. They should get along perfectly fine.

But let’s not be too harsh. After all, money is not Joseph’s only motivation. As he mentioned above, he also wants to show some support to poor Josephine in arranging this marriage for one of her relatives. Unless...

Madrid, 7 September 1810, again to Julie:

[…] If you felt that the Emperor did not want Tascher's marriage, no doubt against his will, it must not happen; in this case, he [i.e., Tascher] himself is too reasonable to enter into such a marriage: but the Empress Josephine has assured him otherwise.

Dear Julie, if it looks as if Napoleon is not happy with this, here’s your line of conduct: Tascher and Joseph are totally innocent. Just blame everything on Josephine.

Edit: Just so we know who the young lady in question is:

Marcelle Clary

[erikiara80]

Some thoughts... I wonder if in S5 the biggest parallel between Will and Henry is that Will is influenced by the UD/Mind Flayer again, like Henry is in The First Shadow, and that like Henry, he hurts someone he loves, or even believes that he killed them. Could be Mike, but I have a feeling it could be Jonathan.

And maybe the hints that someone is going to lose their hand aren't about Will losing his hand, but him cutting off someone else's... Maybe it's been foreshadowed since S1 that Will will hurt Jonathan.

It's just a cut. You worry about my hand

Just like Darth Vader cut Luke's hand off. Vader loved Luke, but he hurt him anyway.

I've read different "leaks" about Jon. Someone says that he dies, others that it just seems that he dies. But that's what happens to Patty, right? Henry thinks that he killed her, like Anakin believes that he killed Padme.

If Will hurt his brother, it would be devastating for him. He would think that he doesn't deserve to be saved, he would be more vulnerable than ever, and Vecna could use that, like he used Max's guilt over her brother's death.

But the difference between Will and young Henry, is that the people around him won't give up on him, they would do anything to save him.

And Jon told Will that he will always be there for him. No matter what. Because they're brothers, and he loves him. And Will will show how strong he is, and that love is the key, and he will save himself. Something young Henry couldn't do. Hm, maybe they'll also use the Soteria? Another parallel with Henry, but this time it would be used to help, not to control.

[jrob64]

Despair - A CS Canon Compliant OS

Story Summary: Emma faces a future filled with pain, despair, hopelessness and guilt after killing Killian with Excalibur. 

This story is based on a poem written by @teamhook​ (quoted at the beginning of the story) and is in response to a request from a loyal Ao3 reader to write a story about depression. This is angsty and tragic, but we all know that eventually, Emma and Killian have a happy beginning, even though it isn’t included in this story. 

You can find @teamhook​‘s lovely collection of poems here. 

Thanks so much to @hookedmom​ for checking it over and @kmomof4​ for her feedback on the banner. 

Rating: T (references of depression and suicide)

Words: 1056

Also found on ffn and Ao3

*********

Despair pulls me down under

With no hope in sight

The darkness drowns my soul

My soul claws to the last ray of light

With no chance of a rescue

No liferaft in view

Lost in the vast ocean

Nothing but endless blue

Defeated and alone

Still fighting on my own

Time to swim or sink

(by @teamhook)

Emma feels herself floating, but it isn’t…a good kind of floating. She lays on her sofa and stares into the void of space above her. What is up there? She squints her eyes and concentrates, but it’s hard to distinguish.

The ceiling? That’s it. The ceiling…in her house. The one chosen by Henry and Killian.

Killian.

She killed him. He’s gone…and she killed him. She remembers why, but that doesn’t matter. He’s gone and he’s never coming back.

The ceiling is under water…which doesn’t make any sense. Ceilings aren’t under water.

Maybe she’s the one who is under water. Drowning. She’s drowning…and she has no hope of rising to the surface. The weight of what she did is pushing her down, holding her under.

She can’t breathe…but she has to breathe.

Why?

She tries to focus on why she has to take her next breath. Henry. Her parents. Her little brother. She ticks off the list of people in her mind, but her thoughts keep veering to the person not on the list. Not anymore.

Killian.

She can still feel the handle of Excalibur in her hand, how it shook with the combined power of all the Dark Ones captured within it. All except her…and Killian. The weight of it was too heavy…too much for her to bear. The weight of the blade, yes, but even heavier was the weight of what she had to do. Because of what she had done - turning him into the Dark One against his wishes. He told her not to do it. Said he wouldn’t be strong enough to fight the darkness. But she couldn’t let him go. So she did exactly what he told her not to do. And then…she eventually killed him anyway.

He died a hero.

She wishes she would have died with him.

Her darkness is gone…not inside her anymore. But now it surrounds her, and that is worse. Far worse. How is she supposed to go on without him? Without his strength, his encouragement, his belief in her.

His love.

Oh, God. How can she live without his love?

He promised to win her heart and he did, and now he had taken it with him. It wasn’t broken or shattered. It was gone.

Her fingers search for the chain around her neck and slowly slide along it, until they find the ring. Killian’s ring. The one that kept him alive all those years. The ring he gave to her in Camelot and she never gave back. What if she had? Would he still be alive?

The metal feels like molten lava between her fingers, but she can’t stop touching it. She needs to feel something. Something other than what she’s already feeling.

Pain.

Despair.

Regret.

Hopelessness.

Her family tried to talk to her, tried to cheer her up. Told her that her heart would heal with time. How can it heal when it is gone?

She didn’t answer them and they gave up. Left her alone with her thoughts and her pain. Even Henry left, not knowing what to say. He was hurting too - she knew he was - but she was helpless to comfort him.

Minutes meld into hours and hours into days. She exists, waiting for the pain to lessen. When she is able to catch scraps of sleep, she only escapes for brief periods of time. Between closing her eyes and being awakened by the nightmares, she floats in oblivion, and that’s when she thinks she might survive.

But when she opens her eyes each morning, she immediately regrets it. The despair hasn’t gone anywhere. It’s embedded in every fiber of her being.

People die - she knows that’s a fact. But how many times had he told her he was a survivor? He proved it time and time again.

Then she killed him.

When she finally forces herself to leave the house, her feet carry her to the harbor, ignoring the sympathetic expressions on the faces of the people she passes. She doesn’t even realize there are still other people in the world. Why should she care? The one person she needs is gone and is never coming back.

She sits on the dock for hours, searching the endless horizon, imagining his ship there. Wherever he is, is he sailing? Is he happy? Does he miss her?

Does he blame her?

Of course he does. How could he not? She turned him into the Dark One…and then she killed him.

The agony of that fact is a knife to her gut, the guilt stabbing and twisting into her relentlessly.

She returns to the harbor day after day. Many times, she thinks about walking into the endless stretch of water, disappearing beneath its surface. Would she meet him there? She imagines him floating in its vastness and longs to join him.

She wishes for death. It seems to be the only way to escape her torment. But she fears what death would bring. If it is what she deserves, it would be worse than what she is living now…if that’s possible.

Sometimes, she’s joined by her mother, father or Henry. They sit beside her and talk. She is aware there are words coming out of their mouths, but she never replies. She can’t understand what they are saying…she’s underwater and their words are incoherent. Finally, they give up and leave. Everyone leaves.

Killian left.

Nobody else matters. Not to her. Not anymore.

Then a tiny spark of an idea niggles its way into her foggy brain. She can find him. She can find him, go get him and bring him home. But that’s impossible, isn’t it?

It doesn’t matter. She is the saviour. She saved everyone else and she will save him. She can do the impossible if it means having him with her again.

Casting her eyes once more on the horizon, determination sets her jaw.

He is out there and she is going to bring him home.

It’s time to swim or sink.

*********

Thank you for reading, commenting, liking and reblogging, if you’re so inclined. 

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[echotrinityme]

Distrust Chapter 28:Final Showdown With Briar

Charles and Victoria aimed their guns at Briar whom stood there unfazed, he just smirked at them. Victoria then told Briar he was under arrest again but Briar was still unfazed.

"About time you guys got here." Briar sneered as he stood up to walk towards them.

He stop a few feet away from Charles and Victoria, he saw their guns and he shook his head at them.

"Tsk tsk tsk...C'mon let's not point guns at me." he said, he held up his hands to signal them that he was unarmed, "I'm harmless."

"Yeah right." Charles replied as he scoffed, he still held his gun at Briar.

"Do you really think we're that stupid?" Victoria snapped.

Briar chuckled as he saw the Government soldiers acting hostile towards him, he loves seeing people all riled up.

"Considering you guys didn't noticed two of your soldiers were acting different cause of me." Briar replied as he held out a hunting knife. "Yeah, I say you guys are stupid."

"Shut the hell up!" Charles snapped, he felt his vision blurred with tears as he remembered how he discovered Rupert and Henry were moles for Briar.

"Awwww, what's the matter headphone boy?" Briar taunted as he put the knife behind him and he crossed his arms. "Can't handle the harsh truth?"

Charles was about to retort when he heard a sound coming from his right, Charles turn to see a man coming from a secret passage way. Briar and Victoria also turn to see the newcomer, it was Briar's brother. Jasper Banner had green eyes that were the color of emeralds with his hair being a few shades lighter than his eyes, he was less thin than his brother, he was like an inch or two shorter than his brother, and his expression looked angry.

He was holding a gun as he went to stand in front of his brother, Victoria raised an eyebrow at the newcomer, who is this guy?

"Who the hell are you!?" Charles exclaimed angrily.

Jasper smiled just as Briar step back to his desk, "My name is Jasper Banner." replied Jasper. "I'm Briar Bloodsworth's brother."

Charles and Victoria stared between Briar and Jasper to try see the resemblance. They didn't look like brothers, not even close.

"You guys don't look like brothers." Victoria said as Charles nodded.

"We're foster brothers." Briar snapped as he crossed his arms with an annoyed expression on his face.

Charles noticed Briar acting moody, "Okay... What's going on with him?" he thought. "He was acting cocky earlier?"

"But if you're foster brothers?" Victoria asked, snapping Charles out of his thoughts, "Then why do you guys have different last names?"

Briar's lip twitched then he took a deep breath, he then exhaled. "UGH! That again!? Do you know how many times people asked me that shit!?" he bellowed, his eyes glowed with annoyance making everyone jumped in fear.

"Woah! He's a totally different person now!" Charles said in shock.

"I get bored so easily, I even get bored with myself!" Briar went on. "And Victoria, to answer your question, maybe it's new to your dumbass but it bores me to tears!"

"Answering the same questions over and over, just make whatever answer you want! I don't give a shit!! The truth's fucking lame anyway!"

Briar panted as he finished, his eyes stopped glowing as he went back to his default state. "Eh... Sorry for my outburst..." he chuckled sheepishly. "It won't happen again."

Charles and Victoria just blinked at him in response, Jasper just stood still aiming his gun at them. "Wow... And I thought Rupert was moody." Victoria thought sadly. She misses Rupert and Henry.    

"What is he? Bipolar or something?" Charles thought.

Briar shook his head as he uncrossed his arms, he was leaning against the desk while he thought for a moment. Then he turned around to face the desk, he was looking at the desk but wasn't really focusing on it. Briar was quiet for a few minutes until he turned around with a happy expression on his face, he held out his arms in excitement.

"Let's have some fun now!" he chirped.

Before anyone could question what he means, he got out a remote control and pressed a red button. There were alarm sounds beeping through out the room, then spears came out of the walls. Charles saw them and he used himself to shield him, and Victoria. They closed their eyes to brace themselves for the kill, the spears hit their target. Charles and Victoria didn't feel any pain or any skin breaking.

They both open their eyes in confusion, Charles let go of Victoria as they look around to see what the spears hit. Then they turned their attention on Jasper and they gasped in horror. Jasper's eyes widen when he felt pain throughout his body, his spit out some blood. Jasper was covered with spears, the spears stabbed his back, his shoulders, his legs, and one even stabbed his hand that was holding his gun.

"W-What?" Jasper choked out, blood still dripping out of his mouth. "W-Why...m-m-me?"

Then Jasper fell forward and he moved no more.

Charles and Victoria stared at Jasper's corpse in shock, fear, and horror. They glanced at Briar whom was grinning like a maniac, he closed his eyes as he clapped his hands. "Wasn't that exciting?" he said happily.

Charles and Victoria immediately gave him a dark glare, "You a monster!" Victoria hissed lowly.

"You just sacrifice your own brother!" Charles added coldly. "How does that not even bother you!?"

"Oh wow, someone didn't pay close attention at what I do. This place is to celebrate despair not honor silly old family ties. Once you think about it, when we come to this stupid world crying and wailing, the whole catharsis is death and tears." Briar replied, his tone mocking and high-pitched.

"But it boils down to when murder is a comforting euphemism guarantee enough to deal with!" he continued, his voice now manic while his eyes light up with malice. "News Flash! Government Dogs! We all face oblivion someday, what's it matter how we get there!?"

"Enough! We don't need it to spell for us, thanks!" Victoria shouted livid.

There was a tense silence after the conversation, everyone stared at each other for a moment. Briar went over to Jasper's corpse and got his gun, he held the gun as he walked back to his desk. He leaned against the desk as he inspected Jasper's gun, "You know...I can imagine what Jasper must had been feeling when I betrayed him." he started. "But I had to kill him."

Charles wasn't sure on how much he could take of Briar, everything he does or say made him wanted to kill him more. "So... You don't feel any remorse for murdering your brother?" Victoria asked.

"Of course I do but I'm so jealous of him." Briar replied, his tone monotone and it sounded like he was depressed.

"Huh?"

"Jasper died feeling excruciating despair, his heart must had broken upon getting stabbed. I'm so jealous of him...so super jealous. Killing my precious brother with my own two hands... That act is filled with so much despair, you can't help put a "super" in front of it. It's like super super super super super despair. No, more than that... Super super super super super super super super super super super super despair..."

Briar's eyes light up with malice as his pupils contracted, "It just feels...so...good..."

"What the hell is wrong with him...?" Charles and Victoria thought in unison.

Charles had enough of Briar. With unnatural speed, he ran up to Briar and grabbed him roughly by his collar, his gun dropping to the floor. He slam Briar against the wall, pinning him so Briar can't escape. "You...You...Bastard!" he bellowed as tears began falling his cheeks. "You are a monster! You brainwashed a group of innocent people so you can use them as your puppets! You turned my two best friends into...psychopaths! And murder other people including children!"

Briar smiled as he didn't care what he did, "You know... I'm surprised that hedgehog didn't kill his dad sooner even he wasn't brainwashed." he said nonchalantly. "I would have done the same thing too."

Briar was about to continue until Charles punched him, he punched back. The two brawled while Victoria's mouth was agape, Charles was on top of Briar trying to strangle him. Briar grabbed Charles' hands and threw him off of him. Charles fell on his back as Briar came over to him, he grabbed his shirt and threw him across the room. Charles coughed as he landed against the wall, he looked up to see Briar coming towards him with wicked smile on his face. He grabbed Charles' gun and aimed at him.

"HAHAHAHA!" he laughed hysterically. "Did you really think you can stop me!? You think you can stop the despair train!"

A sound of gun cocking was heard and Briar turn around to see Victoria aiming her gun at him. "Don't. You. Dare." she snarled.

Briar turn to see Charles standing up as he trembled, he was bloody, bruised, and had some cuts. Briar closed his eyes as he chuckled, he put the gun down as he turn to walk back to his desk. Victoria kept her gun at Briar, she doesn't trust him acting calm. Briar glanced at the monitors to see the rest of the Government and Toppat Clan heading towards his location. He turn to Victoria and Charles who stared at him in confusion, he smiled at them. His teeth was covered with blood since Charles punched him in the mouth.

"By the way, you guys won." he said nonchalantly. "The dogs and snakes are coming here so you  won!"

Briar brought the gun to his head, Charles' and Victoria's eyes widen in fear. Victoria held up a hand to stop him, "H-hey don't do this..." she said urgently. "The last thing we need is more deaths."

"Even though you deserve it." she thought but didn't vocally admit it.

"Yeah, let's just....put in you jail." added Charles, expression apathetic. "We don't need to do this... C'mon Briar, don't make it worse."

Briar was trembling as he heard their suggestions, he clenched his fist with his other hand. "SHUT UP!!! I DON"T WANT TO HEAR YOUR DRIVEL!" he yelled in fury, Charles and Victoria recoiled in fear an shock.

"DON'T YOU DARE TAKE THIS AWAY FROM ME!" he continued. "WHEN HOPE LEAVES A BAD TASTE WITH IN YOUR MOUTH, THERE'S ONLY ONE WAY TO END THIS!!!"

"THIS FOR THE GOVERNMENT AND TOPPAT CLAN...SUCK MY COCK!!!"

He panted as he finished yelling, he then glanced at Charles and Victoria. "Oh don't worry... I'll tell Rupert and Henry you guys said hi."

Briar pulled the trigger before Charles and Victoria could stop him. Victoria screamed as Charles let out a cry of horror when they Briar blow his brains out, Briar fell to the floor with a thud. Charles and Victoria stared in shock, horror, and bit of confusion just as the other Government soldiers and the toppats ran in the room.

Everyone gasped in shock and horror when they saw Briar's body.  

A/N: Briar is finally dead.

[jdgo51]

DAILY DEVOTIONAL FOR AUGUST 10, 2022

Transitions

By Henry L. Childress (Arkansas, USA)

READ GENESIS 37:1-11

"We want each one of you to show the same diligence so as to realize the full assurance of hope to the very end."

HEBREWS 6:11 (NRSV)

As I reflect on the days of lifting weights in my youth, I remember how much I hated changing the amount of weight on the bar between lifts. Sometimes the transition between sets took longer than the lifts themselves. But now that I look back, I can see that the transitions had just as much to do with strengthening my body as the lifts did. Each time I pulled the weights off the bar and replaced them with new ones, my hands became tougher and stronger. Every time I twisted and turned with those heavy weights, my abs and obliques were getting toned. Every lift, push, pull, and twist during the transition benefited me in the long run.

Throughout the Bible, we also see times of transition. For example, when Joseph had the dream of his brothers bowing down to him, he was not given a royal position the next day. His time of transition lasted many years. But he needed that time to truly interpret his dreams and learn what it meant to be a good leader. Transitions in life are important — they are God’s way of preparing us for what is ahead." We have twists, turns and changes that move us into a different place or position. We can be stumped by them or use them to make the change. Our life progresses in stages and we can move along as God would have us to.

TODAY'S PRAYER

"Dear Lord, help us to see that the space between where we are and where we are going is necessary. May the transition make us stronger, wiser, and closer to you. Amen."

Genesis 37:1-11

"'1 Jacob lived in the land of Canaan where his father was an immigrant. 2 This is the account of Jacob’s descendants. Joseph was 17 years old and tended the flock with his brothers. While he was helping the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, his father’s wives, Joseph told their father unflattering things about them. 3 Now Israel loved Joseph more than any of his other sons because he was born when Jacob was old. Jacob had made for him a long robe. 4 When his brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of his brothers, they hated him and couldn’t even talk nicely to him. 5 Joseph had a dream and told it to his brothers, which made them hate him even more. 6 He said to them, “Listen to this dream I had. 7 When we were binding stalks of grain in the field, my stalk got up and stood upright, while your stalks gathered around it and bowed down to my stalk.” 8 His brothers said to him, “Will you really be our king and rule over us?” So they hated him even more because of the dreams he told them. 9 Then Joseph had another dream and described it to his brothers: “I’ve just dreamed again, and this time the sun and the moon and eleven stars were bowing down to me.” 10 When he described it to his father and brothers, his father scolded him and said to him, “What kind of dreams have you dreamed? Am I and your mother and your brothers supposed to come and bow down to the ground in front of you?” 11 His brothers were jealous of him, but his father took careful note of the matter."' Joseph's story is one of a drastic transition. The brother's actions were to punish him for the indications of the dreams. Sounding like he was superior and would rule over them. In fact, though, the action turned into good and his life was revolutionized. In time his position did give him some advantage and position to influence the families lives. Never good for family to go to this drastic place, "selling into slavery", yet the outcome far exceeded anything imagined by Joseph. Maybe your confrontations in life can turn over into great things? Pray that you have these moments. Bless you all! Joe

[obeythedemons]

When his heart first skipped a beat [Obey Me! Headcanons]

Obey Me! Masterlist

--

Lucifer

"No," MC stood their ground in front of him. He narrowed his eyes and told them to move once more. "I'm not moving, you need your rest." They spread their arms out as if their body would be enough to stop him. "I'm going to take care of your brothers, you go to bed."

"Who do you think you are ordering me around? You don't have a pact with me," he lowered his voice in an attempt to intimidate them.

"Your friend," MC replied, not at all scared of him. Instead, they looked up at him with a look that made him want to take a step back.

He felt his heart squeeze and his eyes widened at the sensation. He shook his head. Perhaps the exhaustion was giving him heart palpitations.

"Fine," he sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "But once I wake up, things had better be in order."

Mammon

"I don't want to make a pact with him like this, Levi," he heard MC talking in the kitchen. He frowned and crossed his arms over his chest as he continued to eavesdrop.

"I want my money back, MC," Levi whined. "If you make a pact with him you can force him to give it back to me."

"But forcing someone to do something isn't right," MC protested.

"If he forms the pact with you, then that's his fault!"

"But holding Goldie hostage?" Mammon's eyes widened at the thought of his credit card being found. He peeked around the corner, seeing MC chipping away at the ice block surrounding his precious card.

"Just do it, MC," Levi said with a roll of his eyes.

"I don't want to use Mammon like that," MC murmured, sadness evident on their face. He felt his heart squeeze at the sight of someone not wanting to treat him like the scumbag he is. Taking a deep breath, he sauntered into the kitchen. Maybe he'd let them think they'd form a pact with him just for Goldie.

Leviathan

"Hey Levi!" he heard MC's voice from behind his door. He rolled his eyes and shared a look with Henry 2.0.

"Password?" Levi called back, going back to gaming.

"I-I don't know it," he heard MC mutter. "I-sorry, I just wanted to see if you wanted to watch some anime from the human world with me?"

His fingers froze as they were keying out commands to his character. With a sigh, he paused the game and dragged himself to the door. He looked at them, expecting them to laugh at his face.

"Human world anime?" he questioned.

"Uhuh," MC grinned and held up a disc set. "It's my favorite one."

"W-wait!" Leviathan took a step back. "You like anime?"

MC tilted their head to the side. "Well, yeah?"

He gulped. His heart skipped a beat before pounding away heavily.

Satan

"Just put it on, MC," Asmo cooed. "I promise he'll love it."

"I don't know," MC sounded reluctant.

With a sigh, Satan looked up from his book to Asmo's closet where the other two were. "What are you trying to make MC do, Asmo?"

"Oh hush!" Asmo stuck his head out of the closet. "You'll see in just a second!" Asmo winked at Satan before heading back in. "Just wear it, MC! Please!"

He heard MC let out an exasperated breath of air followed by Asmo's cheering. Asmo sauntered out of the closet with a wide grin on his face, but when he looked at Satan that grin turned mischievous.

Satan narrowed his eyes at him. "What did you do?" Before Asmo could answer, Satan's attention was diverted to the soft footsteps of MC leaving the closet. His eyes widened, his heart skipped several beats to where he was wondering if he was dying, he felt a rush of heat spread across his face.

"Do they look stupid?" MC questioned, adjusting the cat ears they were wearing.

"They look fine," Satan answered quickly, burying his face in his book, but unable to read with the image of MC stuck in his face.

Asmodeus

He smiled seductively at the camera before hitting a snack. After the photo was taken, he hummed with content as he looked it over. Perfect angle. Perfect lighting. Perfect model. It was a perfect photo, but for some reason, he had no desire to post it on Devilgram. Not, his desire was to share it with one person.

"And send," he spoke, sending his selfie to MC.

It only took a few seconds before they responded.

MC: !!!!!

MC: It's not fair how beautiful you are!

Asmo chuckled before typing away.

Asmo: Let me see how cute you are <3

It took a couple of seconds before a photo popped up. Asmo let a snort come out. He hid his face with his hands from the rather unattractive noise that just came out.

He peaked at the photo of MC making the most unattractive face possible. He burst out laughing, his heart dancing about happily.

Beelzebub

He had just gotten back from practice and starving was an understatement. He was sweating, his hands were shaking, he felt nauseated, he felt like he was going to die from his hypoglycemic episode. He stumbled into the kitchen, searching desperately for food.

"Beel! Perfect timing," he faintly heard MC's voice call, but he couldn't see them. His vision was getting blurry. "Beel?" Their voice sounded concerned. He narrowed his eyes, trying to focus, but the hunger was becoming too much.

"Food," he managed to get out as he put most of his body weight on the kitchen counter. He was getting dizzy.

A couple of seconds later, he felt something press up against his lips. He opened his mouth and swallowed whatever it was. There was more. This time, he noticed it was sweet and he chewed it. It was crunchy.

His vision started to focus back. He looked down seeing MC frown up at him. They held a batch of cookies in their hands.

"Are you okay?" they asked quietly. Beel nodded his head, eyeing the other cookie. MC let out a breath of relief before they handed him another. He happily ate it, savoring the sweet taste. "Do they taste okay? I baked them just for you?"

Beel's heart thumped heavily. "Just for me?" he questioned with his mouth fool. He swallowed the cookies and smiled happily. "They taste amazing!"

Belphegor

"Belphie," he heard a distant voice call to him. Although, this voice didn't seem to be too distant, just in the realm of the waking. "Belphie, if you sleep here you'll catch get cold."

Belphie reached his arms out and tightly gripped the person shaking his shoulder. They yelped as he brought them close to him. His arms wrapped around them.

"Then keep me warm," he retorted. He buried his face in their chest. He froze when he inhaled. It wasn't the sent of his brothers, but someone else.

He peaked his eyes opened, seeing MC close to him. His heart thumped heavily at MC's bewildered expression. With a yawn, he sat up, acting like he wasn't affected by MC's scent. It was comforting, warm.

Diavolo

MC was sitting at his desk while he finished up some paperwork. He had expected to be finished with them by the time MC got there, but alas, here he was.

"Lord Diavolo?" MC questioned, drawing the demon prince of Hell from his work.

"Yes, MC?"

"Do you like being called Lord Diavolo?" He looked up at them, seeing them look off to the side, refusing to make eye contact with him.

"I suppose if I had friends, I wouldn't want them to call me Lord Diavolo."

MC pouted, their lips sticking out. "You don't consider us friends?"

Diavolo's eyes widened. A painful sensation burst from his heart, though he wouldn't call it unpleasant. In fact, he wanted to feel it again.

"I would very much like to consider us friends."

"Good, Dia," MC grinned widely at him, making his heart flutter once more.

Barbatos

He was looking everywhere for the human. Somehow, they had gotten separated at the market. Something had caught his eye and he wandered off, but he had a sneaking suspicion that the same thing also happened with MC.

"Help!" he heard the human screech. His eyes widened as he sprinted to where the scream came from. A demon was towering over their form, salivating at the sight of the human's soul.

With a flick of his wrist, the demon was sent flying through a wall. Barbatos grabbed MC's hand and dragged them away from the alleyway they were trapped in.

"Are you hurt?" Barbatos asked once they were a distance away. His eyes trailed over MC's form, looking for any scratches or bruises.

"No," MC mumbled, looking down shamefully.

Barbatos frowned. "What's wrong?"

"I..." MC sighed. "I ruined our trip to the market together, I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize," Barbatos shook his head. "All that matters is that you're not injured."

MC gave him a weak smile. "Thank you, Barbatos." They paused for a moment. "Oh! That's right." They dug through their bag. "I bought this for you. It's not much, but I wanted to thank you for bringing me here today." Barbatos's eyes landed on a bouquet of lilacs. "They're flowers from the human realm! I was surprised to see them here."

Barbatos felt his cheeks heat up and his heart dance about. Lilacs, the flowers indicating the first sign of love.

Simeon

"And how have you been adjusting here?" Simeon questioned as he took a sip of his tea. He smiled kindly at MC. "I know it's been a couple of months now, but a lot has happened since then."

"It has," MC nodded. "To be honest, I was surprised to actually meet some demons and a couple of angels, I didn't know what to think. Humans have some pre-conceived notions on angels and demons, but seeing as I've never met one, I didn't want to let that cloud my judgment."

Simeon chuckled. "That's a very diplomatic way of seeing things."

MC shook their head. "I didn't do it to try and protect myself or get anything from any of you, I wanted to get to know all of you for who you are, not what you are. And after I got to know you, I wanted to be your friend!"

Simeon smiled brightly at MC, loving the feeling of his heart skipping a beat at their kindness.

Solomon

"Just hold still for a moment," Solomon warned as he glanced at his book. "Alright, let me just...." He trailed off into muttering the encantation. His eyes flickered off from the book to where MC was standing in the circle. "How are you feeling?"

MC blinked at him. Their eyes drooping shut. "Tired." Their knees buckled and they started to fall forward. Cursing, Solmon rushed forward and caught them in his arms before they could hit the wooden blanks below.

"Are you okay?" he questioned, manipulating their body so he could look at their face.

They gave him a lopsided grin. "Just need...some sleep. But the encantation should help with insomnia," MC yawned. Their eyes drifting shut. "But maybe not with relaxing, this is a bit...too much." MC turned and buried their face in his chest. "Protect me while I sleep?"

Solomon's face turned a bright red. He adjusted MC a bit so that he was able to hold them tightly against him. "Of course, I'll always protect you." He ignored the wild hammering in his chest, opting to look after his fellow human.

[moemoemammon]

Ok. I need to get this idea out to someone. Solomon and mc are messing with potions for class and he accidentally gives mc a “youth” potion that makes you look younger. It turns mc into like a 4 year old for like a couple of days. What do you think would be the demon brothers (any) reaction to babysitting their master? What would they do? Idk i think it would be a little funny.

You’ve Gotta Be KIDding me, MC!

(Feat. GN!MC and the Demon Bros)

✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦

Lucifer

He'll be exchanging words with that sorcerer bastard later. You can bet on that.

Lucifer doesn't take kindly to the idea of MC having run ins with magic in general, but at least this seems to be on the tamer side of the magical spectrum. And he had to admit, it's sort of amusing.

He intentionally watches you try to handle things on your own. Be it reaching for things too high up, stubbornly carrying things too heavy for your tiny arms, or making messes when you try to tidy up, Lucifer waits patiently until you ask for help (or until he can't take it anymore).

Treats you like he always does, despite your size. He doesn't talk to you like a child, or try to force toys and nap times onto you, but may or may not tease you when it's only the two of you. After all, you may look like a child, but that doesn't mean you are one. It's still funny to harass you a little, though.

"As independent as you may be, please refrain from trying to climb up onto the counter. If you need something, ask one of my brothers, or myself. If that isn't obvious enough, perhaps a 'time-out' is in order?"

Mammon

When Mammon recovers from laughing for twenty minutes, (and also making threats on Solomon's life) he then decides to take a billion pictures of you. Now calls you 'munchkin' and variations of it.

And if you thought he was clingy before, just wait till you see how he is now. You're ACTUALLY helpless and vulnerable. I mean, you'd hardly make an appetizer for a random demon! So Mammon's gotta keep an eye on you. Maybe even a toddler leash-

Unintentionally treats you like an actual child. His older brother mode kicks in, and he finds himself taking care of you as naturally as breathing. Mammon? Being responsible?? It's more likely than you think.

He hands you a cup of juice before you can say 'I'm thirsty'. He'll slide over some sliced up fruits before your stomach has a chance to growl. You're tired? No kidding. That's why he's got a blanket and pillow on the sofa for you.

"Where do ya think you're goin', short stack? Nowhere without ME, that's where! I already told ya, if there's somethin' ya need, just tell me!" "Huh? I'm spoilin' ya too much? S-so what if I am?!"

Levi

Solomon came in with a child in tow that looked a hell of a lot like MC, and this man nearly had a heart attack. There's no way... did those two have a secret love child?! Th-that's just-!! Oh, it's only MC.

WAIT A MINUTE...TH-THIS IS....! ISNT THIS JUST LIKE 'DETECTIVE C*NAN'? Uwaaah... Just look at you! You're still just as smart as before, but you've become super small! Talk about the ultimate gap moe!!!

Levi isn't a big fan of the idea of tiny, sticky hands touching his things, so he's glad you've still got your normal brainpower. That being said, he finds himself talking to you normally. Maybe even easier than before!

It kinda throws him off that you guys can't do the things you'd normally do together. Your fingers don't have their usual dexterity so playing games is a challenge, and your attention span is a little shorter so these TSL marathons are killing you. But have no fear, Levi knows a ton of other things you could do together! He won't let something like this spoil his time with his dear Henry!

"If you can't use the controller, let's try something that doesn't need one! I've got a new Ruri Hana VR game with REAL motion and voice tracking! If you say the spells out loud, you'll cast them in game! Ah, and it auto-adjusts to the player's height, so there's nothing to worry about!"

Satan

HES DOING HIS BEST NOT TO LAUGH. SATAN WILL HANDLE THIS WITH POISE AND GRACE, BUT MAN....

Watching you struggle to enter the House of Lamentation in your oversized RAD uniform nearly sent him to the stratosphere. He inhaled tea when you almost tripped over your blazer and had to get a couple of slaps on the back from Asmo.

Does his best to find a cure for your 'little' problem, but the most that can be done is waiting it out. In the meantime, would you like him to read you a story? Large books are probably difficult on your tiny hands.

Constantly catches himself treating you like a tot. He's not trying to, but he can't help himself when he sees your round eyes staring up at him, or when he watches you try to climb up onto an armchair.

"Up we go- There. It must be hard for you, having to climb up into the chairs like that. I've got a stool if you'd like to use it? Though, I don't mind if you sit on my lap, too." "Hm? I'm embarrassing you? I-I didn't realize how overzealous I was being. Ehem...."

Asmo

Oh that Solomon and his silly spells and potions, always making trouble! It's just one of his many charm points! And seeing as there are no permanent consequences from this harmless mishap, Asmo's enjoying it to the fullest.

Can you blame him? You're SOOOO cute~! So tiny and adorable! Why would've know that was possible?? Look this way, MC! He wants to take some pictures of you! Lowkey uses you as a photo op prop

He used to work part time at a daycare, you know? Asmo's great with kids! But that also means he's treating you like one. There's personalized snacks, cute little nicknames, and he's already gone and bought you a week's worth of clothes. Nobody tell him it'll only last a day-

He can be a little annoying with the baby talk and all the little activities he's planned for you, but you can tell he's enjoying himself.

"MC, look~! I've got plenty of ribbons to decorate your hair with! I'll let you choose your favorites, and then we can set out in town!" "Hm? Where are we going? To the playground, silly! You must be dying for a play date after being stuck in this dreary house all day, right?"

Beel

He was kinda teetering between whether or not he should throw Solomon across the yard like a football when he saw him carrying a teeny MC, but all was forgiven when he learned it was an accident.

Has now designated himself the permanent MC carrier. Your feet will never touch the ground so long as you're a child. And it's no problem for the likes of Beel, when you're as light as a feather! That makes him a little more conscious about being careful with you though-

Be it piggybacking or carrying you in his arms, he hasn't released you since he's spotted you. And don't think he's forgotten about feeding you. Beel's also taken your meal prep upon himself. You'll prefer things that've easy to eat, right? Though it kills gum to give you smaller portions than usual.... it feels cruel...

Somewhere between babying you and treating you as usual. He speaks normally to you as he always does, but prioritizes your needs over everything else. He wants to make sure you're well taken care of until this potion wears off.

"You're sure you've had enough to eat? I know I gave you a snack earlier, but... to think you really can't eat as much as before.. I'll talk to Solomon again. It must be torture to have such a tiny stomach, I'll do my best to get you back to normal."

Belphie

There's obvious opportunity here, and Belphegor won't let it go to waste. (No not for murder)

He's getting a kick about your new mini mode. How's the weather down there? Do you need him to pick you up so you can reach the high shelves? Don't worry, he'll get you a sippy cup.

When the teasing has settled down, he pays attention to a more pressing matter: you're now the perfect side for cuddling. You're a living hot water bottle, not too big, not too small, tiny and soft and adorable. Er, he won't mention that last part though.

Anyway, Belphie thinks a little kid like you should go on and take a nap now. It's exhausting having such short legs and wandering around the house all day, right? He gets it. You look tired and he knows the solution.

"Ah, you're just as cozy as I thought you'd be... Though, it feels kind of weird holding you like this. It's like holding a stuffed animal, but you're not nearly as cute." "Pfft, what's that face for? Sorry, sorry, I was only teasing."

[obeiii-mee]

MC had a bad day or they’re dealing with a bad loss from a loved one. So they decide to seek comfort from the Brothers! But they don’t do it in a normal way, they just barge in the room where the brothers are all relaxing or hanging out at before MC just busts in getting their attention and they go “I need a hug 🥺”. Let’s see the some fluffy hc’s of the brothers comforting MC 🥰

And how could they not want to hug their cute human that is literally 3 seconds away from breaking down into tears?

The Brothers Comforting MC After A Bad Day:

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You’re right, they wouldn’t be able to resist, they love their human too much 😌

*soBS* I want to hug one of them so bad rn

Thank you for the request, I love writing fluffy HCs, it’s my weak spot and it gives me serotonin. I hope you have a nice day/night!! Uh, it’s sort of implied that MC is slightly shorter than them so sorry if that’s a problem-

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Notes: Fluff, mentions of loss and dead family members/friends, mostly comfort though, short HCs

Characters: Lucifer, Mammon, Leviathan, Satan, Asmodeus, Beezlebub and Belphegor.

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Lucifer:

-He doesn’t say anything and he doesn’t really need to because him just being there, arms wrapped around you and hands lightly running up and down your back, is worth more words than any sort of verbal consolation he could’ve given you and because of this, you feel at ease

-His touch is firm but gentle and you relax almost immediately, burying your head against his chest and feeling him press a kiss on top of your hairline, tightening your hold on him

-He already told his brothers to back off because the last thing he wanted was for you you to get overwhelmed by their insensitivity so you two were left in the living room by yourselves

-In a bit of an awkward position though, because you were both standing and after a while, it was clear a hug wasn’t going to be enough

-That’s his excuse as to why he picked you up bridal style five minutes later and carried you all the way to his bedroom, a place he knows his siblings won’t ever trespass without his permission and somewhere he can shield you from any prying eyes while you’re in this vulnerable state

-At this point, he was basically cradling you like a baby, having you sit on his lap and waiting for you to tire yourself out until you couldn’t cry anymore and watching you slip into that hiccuping stage you get after a breakdown

-Lucifer is obviously going to ask what happened, but whether you answer him or not is up to you because he’s not one to push matters if he sees you’re uncomfortable talking about it

-However, he might insist if he concludes that it’s affecting you and your well being and that’s how you know usually know he’s worried

-His voice is soft though and just listening to it makes you want to tell him everything, whether it’d be something as annoying as a small inconvenience you stumbled across that day or the death of a relative, you feel welcomed enough to spill everything

-Even if you decide not to, he’ll stay with you until you feel better, until you’re no longer crying or shaking or anything of the sort. He speaks occasionally, almost soothingly about how important you are to him and how capable you are of overcoming anything in your way. For the most part, however, he remains quiet and allows you to mull over your thoughts, willing to forget about his paperwork just to let you cling to him for a few hours

-Maybe later, when you’re no longer as distressed, he could get the full story out of you and help you overcome whatever problem you’re having trouble facing but for now, he understands all you need is for him to be there

“MC?” He calls your name out because he was thinking that maybe you had fallen asleep but he realised that was not the case when you looked up at him, streaks of tears still sliding down your cheeks. When you don’t respond, he sighs almost contently “A bit longer?” You don’t answer again but this time, he could feel you nod against him and he smiles despite himself as he leaned his head against yours “All right then, just a bit longer.”

Mammon:

-Truth be told, he’s never been the best at comforting someone and normally, he’s kind of awkward when he wants to show his support because it feels so out of his character

-But it’s not like he was going to refuse you anyway. Not when you specifically came to him and asked him for help and not when you looked like you were on the verge of crying. He’d be a monster to deny you >:(

-It upsets him too, you know. He’s meant to be your protector, guardian even, so the fact that he couldn’t keep you from getting hurt makes him feel like he failed at keeping his human safe. Actually, it takes a lot of convincing on your part just to tell him that you’re not actually physically hurt. Just a shitty day…

-Mammon, despite the walls he puts up ever now and then, is someone that genuinely cares for you. And he’s also the type that does almost everything in excess, especially when it comes to you or spending money. That’s just his personality; he’s loud and boisterous and even though he wants to deny this, completely transparent with his emotions

-You ask for a hug? He gives you plenty of hugs! He lets you lay on top of him while cuddling so he can hold you!!! He brings you snacks and drinks!!! Shit, he basically cradles you the whole night!!! And he’s blushing and acting annoyed the entire time, refusing to accept how much he’s actually enjoying this

-The point is, he tends to coddle you whenever you have a bad day or if you’re really affected by the loss of a dead loved one. This is probably because he, in turn, likes to be babied and cared for when he’s feeling down and he subconsciously does that to you because it’s the only means of comfort he knows how to execute well

-A hug would’ve sufficed, but you’re his human and let him be damned if he’s not gonna give you the world on a silver platter if you keep looking at him with those sad eyes of yours

-By now, if you need anything, you just need to ask because even with a bit of grumbling, he’ll get it for you. More snacks? Say less. Wanna watch TV with him for a while? Immediately reaches for the remote? You just want to cuddle? His body is naturally warm for a reason bby, dig in. You want his heart? Give him a moment to surgically get it out of his chest-

-No matter what, he’s so glad that you trust him enough to talk to him about this sort of stuff and that he’s the first person you think of when you need consolation

-It makes sense after all, right? He’s your first pact so your direct happiness is his responsibility while you’re in DevilDom! It’s his job to make sure you function again by tomorrow morning and that you’re no longer troubled by anything

“Hey! What’s with all the crying huh?” He cups your face in his hands and softly squishes the flesh between his fingers. His thumbs brush over the tears in your eyes and he let’s out a small ‘tsk’ as your foreheads touch and his hands drip to your shoulders to keep you steady “The Great Mammon is hugging ya right now, ya know? There’s no reason for you to be upset, not when I’ve got ya in my arms like this, OK? So you can stop with yer water works now.” As noisy as his voice is, there’s a gentle note behind it when he speaks and embraces you, his cologne spreading everywhere “I love you, ya big idiot. So please, stop cryin’ and lemme hold ya already! Yer making me worried, ya stupid human.”

Levi:

-You stopping by his room is not unusual. In fact, you do it every day and it’s just part of the routine you have with him. However, he’s wasn’t exactly expecting you to stand there, all shaken up and ask him for a hug!!!

-And he doesn’t process this request for a second but then he freaks out so badly-

-Yells incomprehensibly about how you’re ‘pulling your normie tricks on him again’ and how he’s ‘not going to be fooled by them anymore.’

-You raise your head to meet his eyes while he’s still rambling on though and he sees your teary expression and now he feels guilty because you look really upset. Levi’s kinda scared he made it worse-

-He’s the type to usher you in his room and lock the door as usual but instead of doing what the two of you always do, you literally stay attached to him because you need comfort damn it!

-Levi….is sort of clueless about these emotional outbursts since he himself doesn’t deal with them very well. However, he’s watched enough animes revolving around romance to conclude on the best course of action so-do not fear! (Spoiler, he still doesn’t know what he’s doing)

-He’s really stuck and can either stay as quiet as a nun or start babbling in a language you probably wouldn’t even understand because he’s so nervous

-Or actually, he might start crying with you if I’m being fair; he’s very in sync with his Henry and your emotions

-Once he calms down, he’s actually not all that bad at comforting. Levi is a bit stand offish with his hugs at first but he relaxes into them and by now, you’re both standing by the side of his bed, with you leaning onto him and him holding your hand. He then intertwines your fingers together but subconsciously because he wouldn’t have the gall otherwise

-Later, he tells you to help yourself with the snacks he has hidden in his room. I guarantee you he has a whole ass mini refrigerator hidden somewhere for his all night gaming session, in case he needs any boosts. No one knows how Beel hasn’t found the stash yet and there’s no need to tell him

-Then you watch re runs of old shows together and make fun of the shitty editing and dialogue. He’s still holding your hand though and he’s really flustered and wondering if it’s too sweaty for you but don’t mention it because he’ll get even more embarrassed

-He glances over to you, every once in a while, whilst you’re cuddled up against his arm, eyes glued on the TV, to make sure you’re OK. You almost gave him a seizure or at least that’s how he felt-so he made it his mission to make you feel better by any means necessary. Fuck today’s raids, his team can get them done without him!!

“I-I don’t know why you would want me of all people to hug you but…” he trailed off in a whisper, having to lean down so you could wrap your arms against his neck and bury your head in his shoulder. He pulled you in closer, a streak of protectiveness coursing through him as he shut the door to his room with his foot “Lord of the Shadows would never leave Henry all on his own, so I’m not going to do that either. This is an important character development arc and-just, please don’t cry. I’ll give you more hugs, OK? Seeing you like this is not good for my heart-“ stopped mid sentence after realising what he just said and now he’s the one burying his head in your shoulder, flushed beyond hell “Forget I just said that! Holy Lord Diavolo this is embarrassing, why am I like this????”

Satan:

-It troubles him greatly to see you like this and he can sort of feel the world shift out of place, seeing you with tears running down your face and hands balled into fists out of frustration almost immediately makes him fly into a fit of rage because who would dare to hurt you-

-Oh, a hug? If that’s all you need, he’s more than happy to oblige but if you’re as distraught as you seem to be, he wonders if just a small embrace from him would be enough

-Satan’s hugs are very intimate and even passionate at times. He has one hand on the back of your head and the other supporting your lower back while you bawl your eyes out into his shoulder and getting his uniform wet

-You can’t really seem to focus on what he’s trying to tell you because he’s so warm and welcoming and even though he’s someone as renowned as the Avatar of Wrath, he’s shockingly patient with you as you let out the overwhelming emotions that have been consuming you all day

-It’s hard to not relax when you’re in Satan’s presence because he’s calm and he smells like musty, old books and mahogany wood and cats, meaning he was most likely cuddling strays he found on the street the entire day. The first visual that comes to mind is fire crackling behind a grate in a chimney and someone reading a book while swinging back and forth on an old, rickety chair when you’re around him

-He will wait until you’re no longer crying and then, before you know it, you find yourself in the library with him, drinking tea and being handed a plate of biscuits he took from the kitchen to help you regain your strength after all that crying. You’re still feeling pretty miserable about the day you’ve had but you quickly lose yourself in a conversation with him over a cup of tea

-Sometimes, you two talk for hours on end about nothing important just to hear each other’s voices and finally have some quality time spent together. Even though he wishes the circumstances were better, he’s glad to have been able to snatch you away from his brothers for a while and he’s even happier you chose him to confide in

-Satan practically doesn’t even mention your outburst and keeps the small talk minimal but he wants you to know that if you do wish to tell him about it, he’s more than happy to listen and he’s not so bad at giving advice either

-The topic of the discussion you were having with him changed abruptly by the end of the night and now you’re reading together from this book he started a while ago, both of you covered with a blanket, your head on his chest and his leaning on yours. He’s holding the book with both of his hands, but still managed to get his left wrapped around you. And because of this feeling of safety and warmth, you don’t feel desperate anymore. Tomorrow, you’ll be able to sort out your feelings but now, you’re content to just listening to Satan read, in his clear, soft voice

“Ah MC, could you turn the page for me?” You do as he asked to and you could feel him smiling as he kissed your hairline, sighing before going back to the book and the story within “Thank you. You truly are amazing, did you know that? I’ve never met someone as caring and as kind as you. Well, I suppose Beel could compete for the title but unlike him, you don’t really leave us in debt whenever we visit the grocery store.” Hearing you laugh makes him smile even more and he lets you hold the other side of the book while he plays with your hair and now you join in reading with him, out loud and trying to act out voices for the characters. As everything unfolds, Satan feels the world click right back into place.

Asmo:

-It’s a known fact by now that Asmo is willing to give you any sort of affection at any point in time, whether it’d be a hug, a kiss, holding your hand-you name it! I mean, whenever he’s feeling down, you being there to encourage him helps a lot so it’s only natural it works the other way around too!

-If he notices that you’re genuinely upset by something, then he would have no problem whatsoever with lavishing you in attention and really, a hug or two from him is the bare minimum in situations like this

-In any case, he always enjoys fussing over you and you having a bad day is the perfect excuse for him to do so! After all, he can’t disappoint you since you came to him with your troubles and he will do anything in his power to make you feel better. Actually, if he could, he would keep hugging you forever but as miraculous as his charm can be, it’s not effective against someone with this low of a morale

-His first suggestion is to take a bath! It’s his way of taking care of you; you’re tired after such a long day and he feels like you’re neglecting yourself a little because of it. So you relax in his bathtub with him for a while, him actively trying to get your mind off any bad, lingering thoughts while you splash around in the bubbles

-And obviously after that, you need to have your mandatory spa sessions with him since you need to unwind and what’s a better way to do that than to let him paint your nails and apply lotion to your skin? Besides, it creates a great opportunity for you to take things off your chest

-He’s in need to hear gossip constantly so if you don’t feel like talking, he’s gonna be a bit bummed out but he still respects your wishes enough to not push you. If your problem is as sensitive as the death of a family member, you’re not obligated to talk to him about it and he will understand, since people grieve in different ways. He too shut down after the death of Lilith for a while after all

-A bad day is nothing Asmo can’t handle. He’s had plenty of those before, mostly because of Mammon and his thievery, they’re usually common factors. It’s only natural you experience those yourself and he’s more than willing to be your support system if you need one. He wants you to know that you can go to him if you need advice or help with anything, or even if you just need to someone to hear you out

-To give a more detailed explanation of his hugs, they are usually really light and you never feel suffocated when you’re in his arms. He never squeezes you too tight and he always smells amazing, so you feel inclined to stay near him for as long as possible. Despite his overtly loud nature, he gets incredibly soft spoken with you and he traces patterns on your back and arms as you stand there together

-It’s important to mention, he never pulls away from you first. He lets you decide when you’ve had enough and when you’re ready to move on or if you require some other means of comfort

-And even if you’re no longer disgruntled, he’s still going to pamper you as much as possible the next day with either a shopping spree or another few spa sessions, this time done at a professional institution rather than the privacy of his bedroom

-Asmo is in touch with your emotions and it’s kinda scary sometimes because of how well he can read you, since he almost always knows what you need

“Oh darling, how could I refuse a hug from you?” You can feel his arms embrace you, even with your eyes closed and for some reason, this makes you cry even harder, sobbing as he tries to comfort you. You’re aware he let go of you at some point and returned with a tissue to dab away at your tears, gently to not hurt your eyes and now he’s hugging you again, a wry smile on his face “You don’t have to worry about a thing, MC. Everything will get sorted out, I promise. In the meantime, come to me if anything troubles you again, OK? No more crying, darling-it’s bad for your eyes.”

Beel:

-The type to immediately lean in for a hug without even questioning why. As soon as you ask him, you barely have time to finish the question and you already find yourself in his arms. The only exception would be when he’s eating or maybe in the middle of a work out but the point is he doesn’t hesitate much when it comes to you. And I mean, he loves hugs just as much as his siblings do

-Beel is not the most observant and he may not realise you’re in a bad mood unless you tell him outright. It’s not even that he’s emotionally distant, it’s just that if you tell him that you’re fine, then he’s gonna take your word for it and believe you since he’s pretty straightforward with his feelings as well. However, as dense as he may be on occasion, even he’s bound to notice that you’re not being your usual self and this is especially true if you start crying out of nowhere while he’s nearby. Probably assumes the worst and is under the impression that he did something to upset you because shifting the blame onto himself whenever others suffer is his coping mechanism and we’ve seen him to do it before

-If you’ve just had a bad day, he understands that things could’ve been very overwhelming for you and he wishes he had known sooner so he could’ve helped back then, instead of letting it come to this. But he doesn’t hesitate all that much since he looks like he’s built for giving hugs on a daily basis. I’m not even sure this would classify as a hug since you’re not touching the floor. Rather, you are attached to him like a koala and he’s carrying you around as if you were a baby strapped to his chest. And he genuinely doesn’t mind. He’s been doing it with Belphie for centuries now

-Please, after a while he gets seriously concerned because are humans supposed to cry this much? What if you dehydrate or something? So he makes you stay in bed and just gives you plenty of water. You look so pale and sad, he shares his food with you too because his heart is aching just looking at you like this. He feels like besides being there, he can’t provide you with much help and he’s starting to think he’s hopeless at comforting

-If a family member died then…Beel is one of the best people you could’ve gone to. Honestly, having dealt with his sister’s situation, he knows how horrible it is to lose somebody you love dearly (I mean, all the brothers do but I’m making a point saying Beel, Belphie and Lucifer were especially affected). Now he’s sad himself since he’s aware that you’re going through something similar and his twin might walk in on the two of you being emotional on the floor

-For the most part, Beel makes sure you keep yourself healthy even when you’re tired and depressed. Continues to bring you food, even if he eats half of it on his way to your room, and just keeps you company in general in case you get lonely. Seeing you upset makes him even more considerate of your feelings and you don’t have the heart to tell him that he doesn’t need to stay with you all night. He thinks he does because you’ve always offered to stay with him whenever he’s had nightmares before so how he’s gotta return the favour

-Beel gives these bear hugs all the time, since he’s so big and his hand basically covers your entire back. So, more often than not, you end up cuddling while standing because he’s a lot taller than you, with him being a demon and all. Despite that, you feel so unbelievably complete when he holds you like this. It’s hard not to feel protected since his whole body is practically concealing yours so easily all the time and you feel sheltered from the world and it’s….nice

-And Beel enjoys hugging you too, because he knows that as long as he’s nearby, you’ll be safe and that’s really all he needs. He wants to be there for you the same way you were there for him when he needed it most and comforting you when you’re having a shitty day is like his full time job

-You could come to Beel with any problem and he would never judge you, no matter what. He’s just really unproblematic and he just wants you to go back to your normal self because it hurts him to see you cry your eyes out. Now, not only are hugs mandatory but holding your hand is too. It’s like hugging…but your hands are doing the hugging

-Definitely even goes to Belphie after a while if he really doesn’t know what to do and that’s how you know he’s desperate to do something. Since the Seventh Born isn’t exactly someone that yields great advice, more so when it comes to other…people….and his twin knows this-

-Beel’s best strategy at the moment is to just maintain some kind of physical contact because he discovered that makes you feel better and it calms you down more than him trying to verbally console you. He even invited you to sleep in his room if you’re comfortable doing so just so you’re not alone. After that one incident, he’s trying to coax you to tell him whenever something is wrong so he can jump in and help, because that’s all he really wants to do ahakenksms

“MC? Did something happen?” He’s honestly taken aback by how shaky you are and how you’re hands are trembling as they’re reaching to connect with his. Without much of a warning, he feels a funny feeling in the pit of his stomach and now he discovers that he doesn’t like seeing you with tears trailing down your face. And he feels worse the longer you wail in his chest and he doesn’t know what to do. So, he wraps his arms around you so tight you think you might explode, strangely comforted by the feeling as he speaks again “I’m sorry if I’ve done something to upset you. What can I do to help, MC? We can just stay like this for a while if you want” And when he sees you nod, he proceeds to not move an inch almost the entire night. Obviously, hunger overtook him eventually but he shared his stolen goods with you so can you really complain? Doubtful, not when he hasn’t let go of your hand the whole time.

Belphie:

- Hugging him is a gamble. Realistically speaking, you’re not going to catch him standing upright long enough for you to give him a hug. He’s laying on the floor somewhere, asleep so you shouldn’t expect much from him to begin with. Even if you were to get lucky and stumble upon him while he’s wide awake, he might slump over and succumb to sleep the moment you embrace him because you’re so warm

-Cuddling is a different story altogether. He’d rather shoot himself in the foot than not have you cuddle with him so if you need to be babied for once, he’s a pretty good option to consider

-As usual, he’s in the attic and you go to him because it’s really late and you didn’t want to wake up any of the other brothers. Actually, Belphie is normally awake by dusk so to see him sleep like a log past midnight was quite surprising. You didn’t exactly want to interrupt but if you stayed alone for any longer, you would’ve gone insane. So you shook him awake. And he was understandably confused and probably forgot what planet he was on for a minute when you did so

-Technically, he was half awake and from his point of view, everything must’ve been pretty blurry. He did see you; the problem was that because he was still feeling very sleepy, he was basically in a daze and could only squint at you to try and figure out if you were really there or if he was hallucinating. His suspicion was confirmed soon enough because he reached out after a few seconds and poked your cheek just to check. His face the entire time and the action itself was so amusing that, despite tittering on the edge of a breakdown, you burst out laughing

-Once he came to the conclusion that you were, in fact, real and he wasn’t dreaming, he sighed and opened his arms out for you; a direct invitation to cuddle with him. By now, he likely didn’t even noticed you looked sad because, as I said, he was all over the place but this little ritual you two have was common enough that it got engraved in his memory. Now he does it out of impulse whenever you’re around and he wants attention

-So you basically tackled him and threw yourself on top of him so hard, both of you toppled over on the bed and now you were used as a blanket, with his arms wrapped securely around you; preventing you from getting up. Not that you were planning on doing that anytime soon but moving on-

-You thought he had fallen back asleep, because he went really quiet and he stopped squirming to get comfortable. To be exact, the whole room was rather still and the only thing you could really hear was Belphie’s soft breathing and the rustle of the bedsheets every once in a while. And since it was extremely dark as well, you couldn’t see a thing either so it felt like the best place to let go of your stress

-It’s not like you were making much noise but as I said, the seventh born wasn’t sleeping just yet. And he wouldn’t be able to because it was obvious to him now that something was wrong. He believed that he was bearing witness to something that should’ve been a lot more private than this so he didn’t say anything. You should have your moment, let you have a chance to recollect your thoughts and the next day, he might ask you

-It was too much to handle. It’s not like he was gonna get any sleep unless he knew your problem was solved otherwise he might get nightmares all night. Besides, if you’re crying this much, then something terrible must’ve happened. You realised he was awake when he gave your entire body a small squeeze, as if to reassure you and you froze because did you just wake him up???? Or worse, did he hear all that sobbing you were doing????

-Hugging him is similar to hugging a pillow. He’s soft and squishy and warm and it’s impossible to resist him when rest at a time like this is so tempting. His fingers running over your pact mark once or twice, as if to remind you that he’s right there and low whispers describing the best dream he ever had about you, hoping to distract you for long enough to help you fall asleep

-To him, it doesn’t make a difference if a family member died or if you’re just having a bad day. All he knows is that you’re having a lot of emotional problems because of either one and as a result, you need a shoulder to lean on. He’s glad that you trust him enough to let him assist and if it was up to him, he would keep cuddling you forever. You’ve already suffered enough so let him take care of you this time around, OK?

“Dumbass, why are you crying?” The gentleness of his words was a clear contrast to that quick insult he shoved at the beginning of his statement, though you couldn’t hear any malice behind it and the fact that he really cared about what happened to cause you to struggle with your emotions so badly, would’ve made you wail even harder. However, he managed to silence you pretty well because he kept speaking and you wanted to listen; you wanted to hear what he had to say so you reduced your sobs and you sat quietly enough to do just that. Belphie flipped you over, now with him on top and you underneath and he laid there, cheek sloshed against yours as he sleepily mumbled out more praise for you, “MC, are you tired? You should go to bed, you need to get some sleep. Tomorrow, you can tell me what the problem is and I’ll help. I promise-I’ll even get up early for you. Just…please calm down. I don’t want to see you crying yourself to sleep ever again. I’ll stay here the entire time, alright? And I’ll make sure you have nice dreams tonight MC…just let me hold you…”