#mc will probably die a very painful death after this

[gurokiitty]

if reqs are open, what would happen if the reader managed to escape strade? i can imagine she did her best to act as if she loved him (like if she developed stockholm syndrome) but when least expected, strade finds out she’s gone??

LOL i love drama like that & i just gotta know how he would react!!

i luv your acc ☆〜（ゝ。∂）!!

a/n: thank you for your kind words! i absolutely adore drama too lmao, so i had fun with this. hope you enjoy :3c

{ strade x f! reader }

warnings/tags: generally SFW, stockholm syndrome, psychological and emotional abuse themes, flashbacks, dependency, reader was held captive before ren (to justify why he isn't in this LOL).

After months of careful deception, you learn to mimic signs of affection and dependency, crafting a façade of compliance. Gradually, you familiarize yourself with Strade’s routine, seizing on his rare moments of carelessness. This observation reveals where he hides his keys and the device needed to disarm the shock collar around your neck.

The day finally comes when he leaves you home alone, overly confident in your supposed submission. As his car vanishes down the driveway, a surge of fear and exhilaration grips you. You quickly disarm the shock collar and slip out barefoot, dressed only in the thin tanktop and shorts he provided.

Once outside, the stark reality sets in. Without belongings, money, or means to communicate, you find yourself overwhelmed by uncertainty. The unfamiliar streets and neighbourhood only heighten your sense of vulnerability.

Your deep-seated fear of what Strade might do to anyone who assists you, prevents you from seeking help. Remembering his threats and knowing his capability for cruelty, you avoid involving others as much as possible, fearing that any attempt they make to help could lead them into grave danger.

Upon discovering your absence, Strade's initial disbelief rapidly spirals into rage and paranoia. Anticipating that you might seek police help, he destroys any evidence of your captivity before starting his search.

Despite his rage and sense of betrayal, he is calculated in his approach, reviewing footage from hidden cameras he installed around the house to trace your last known direction. He predicts your likely paths and potential havens, using his intimate knowledge of your behaviours and fears to narrow down his search.

Meanwhile, he may begin to leave cryptic messages in places he suspects you might visit; each laden with intimate references designed to manipulate and unnerve you.

The longer you're free, the more you recognize how deeply your dependence on Strade has become. Every shadow and unfamiliar face triggers a panic that he might be lurking nearby. Despite your desperation for freedom, there's a twisted comfort in the life you left behind.

You find yourself grappling with survival on the outside—seeking food, shelter, and a semblance of normalcy. The harsh practicalities of life make you question whether you can truly exist without the perverse care Strade provided. Amid these struggles, you feel an overwhelming sense of isolation and disorientation.

After wandering the streets aimlessly, you eventually stumble upon a small, rundown shelter for the homeless; where the dim lights and hushed whispers contrast the nighttime silence you've grown accustomed to in his home. Lying on a worn cot, a memory of sleeping in Strade's bed unexpectedly floods your mind.

It was the first night he invited you upstairs, a night that marked a disturbing progression in your captivity—a sign that you had somehow earned his trust or, perhaps more accurately, successfully played into his delusions. This memory was far removed from the stark and unforgiving confines of the basement where you initially spent your days.

It feels surreal now, as distant and detached as a scene from another person's life. The warmth of his bed and the false sense of security he provided starkly contrast with the thin, scratchy blanket provided by the shelter. You remember how he held you close, his breath steady in the quiet room, making you feel, for just a moment, that you were something more than a captive. It was a night when the boundaries of your grim reality seemed blurred, and you almost allowed yourself to forget the bars of your gilded cage.

Now, lying amid the restless stirrings of others seeking shelter, you feel a stark loneliness. Here, there are no arms to hold you, no illusion of safety. You pull the thin blanket tighter around yourself, trying to stifle the shiver that runs through you, not just from the cold, but from the haunting clarity that here, in this place of refuge, you are utterly alone.

The following morning, as the grey light of dawn filters through the shelter's windows, you gather your sparse courage to face another day. Stepping outside, you draw a deep breath, bracing against the cold. Your breath catches in your throat when your eyes land on Strade's truck ominously idling at the curb. He's leaning against it, smoking a cigarette. He startles you—not just by being there, but by his calmness, as if this morning is merely another routine pickup, not the recapture of an escapee. "Good morning," he says, his voice disturbingly casual, as though the recent events were just a minor disruption. The street is mostly deserted; the few early risers are too wrapped up in their morning routines to notice your tense reunion. He pushes off from the truck and steps towards you, his movements controlled, almost gentle. "Let's go home," he says, his words sounding more like an invitation than a command.

As you climb into the truck, the familiar interior greets you—a stark reminder of your first time in this seat, marked by its distinctive coppery smell and the notable absence of a passenger-side handle. When the shelter recedes into the background, a wave of finality washes over you, and tears begin to stream down your face.

Upon reaching his house, Strade quietly guides you inside. As the door locks behind you, it becomes certain that you will never step foot outside again.

[inhuman-obey-me]

Thinking about Lilith and why she brought her lover back with the divine fruit. Cause for all intents and purposes they probably would've just gone to heaven. I mean, if anything Lilith would just have to scoop up their soul and up to heaven they go. But, what if the way her lover died was so horrible and grievous that Lilith panicked and brought down the divine fruit. what if this is the first time Lilith saw someone die.

There are a few parts to this, but as a quick first clarification -- Lilith would not be scooping up anyone's soul haha. We know there are reapers, such as Thirteen, and their job is to scoop up the souls and...well, it's not exactly clear what happens to the souls from there.

(Nightbringer spoilers through Lesson 12 below the cut)

Of course, presumably they should be going to heaven/hell, but we've never actually had that confirmed, beyond a sarcastic comment from Lucifer implying that death would mean going back to the Celestial Realm. But for all we know, the Celestial Realm could be for only angels to live in, with "heaven" for dead souls being something completely separate and inaccessible to them. Or, oddly enough for what seems to be a mostly Christianity-based universe, there's also been at least one mention of rebirth -- though again, that's not actually explained in depth, so that could be something exclusive to immortals?

As to whether this is the first time Lilith has seen someone die, another slight clarification -- her lover had not actually died yet when she brought the fruit. What happened was that he fell gravely ill and was going to die, and the fruit essentially stopped that illness, preventing his death rather than bringing him back from the dead.

Now, with those things clarified, we think she was probably familiar with the concept of death, but yes, it would make sense that this is the first time someone she personally cared about was going to die. And from what we can tell, souls don't just chill in the Devildom or Celestial Realm after death with the demons and angels. Thinking back to the times MC has been sent back to the Celestial Realm of the past, MC is just assumed to be a lost angel each time, and the possibility of being a dead human's soul doesn't even occur to any of them. When Belphie thinks that MC seems to be a human, his brothers immediately dismiss the idea outright.

Considering that, it seems supported that the Celestial Realm, or at least where the angels live, is only for angels, not dead souls, and likely vice versa. That being the case, the death of Lilith's lover would have been very much like death as we humans understand it -- gone forever, apart from us. Furthermore, Lilith is an immortal angel, so unlike when we imagine that souls may meet again after death, she would never die like a human, and thus would never go to that same post-death place! So rather than thinking of it as him being in the Celestial Realm with her, it may have been more like they would never meet again.

However, it may actually be overcomplicating things to try to think all the post-death stuff through. At the end of the day, it is simply not easy to watch someone you love die from illness. It's a very natural reaction to want to help them. It could very well just be that Lilith hated seeing someone she loved suffering in pain from this illness, knew she had the power to do something about it, and chose to go ahead and do it, consequences be damned. Like, at this point, we have seen her described as someone who was unafraid of anyone, to a strange and arguably borderline stupid extent -- this is the same angel who just bluntly told Michael to his face that he reminded her of a jellyfish. She was bold.

Considering that aspect of her personality, it would make total sense if she simply decided that she wasn't afraid of the potential consequences from their father and just did what she wanted, which was to save her beloved.

In an interesting bit of hypocrisy, however, we did learn in Nightbringer Lesson 12 that Lilith, like Solomon, actually argued that humans were better than they were given credit for, and that angels and demons shouldn't be interfering with them!

With that in mind, it's highly ironic that her downfall was actually for directly interfering with a human's life for the sake of extending it. Though, did Solmare think that fully through before deciding that she shared that view? Who knows.

[legacyshenanigans]

Rival gang Member prisoner who hurt MC badly.

Violence / talks of death and torture.

Prisoner: *gets a harsh slap across the face and wakes up in the cell with a loud gasp, confused*

Rowan: Good, you're awake.. *grunts and drags him by his hair to a chair in the centre of the dimly lit room, pushing him down onto it and pulling his arms back to tie him up to it*

Marvolo: *wanders into the room*

Prisoner: *clearly terrified* What the fuck are you going to do to me.

Marvolo: *spits at him* Quiet.

Prisoner: ......

Marvolo: *smirks* You learn fast... *pulls a chair over and sits in front of him, as Rowan comes around to the front and stands beside Marvolo with his arms crossed* Now..Listen..You hurt someone important to us..And for that..I'm devasted to tell you *chuckles* You WILL die.

Prisoner: (?!)

Marvolo: *narrows his eyes* Eventually...Not RIGHT now.

Prisoner: *seems weirdly relieved*

Rowan: Dunno why ya so relieved. That's not a GOOD thing, ya know *bares his fangs in a cheeky smile*

Prisoner: (?!)

Marvolo: *chuckles* Yessssssss. I plan on keeping you alive for a while. Until I grow bored of your pain at least *smirks and takes out his wand*

Prisoner: *winces at the sight of his wand*

Marvolo: This wand has killed so many people...But you won't die by a simple killing curse..*smiles* I adore magic..Truly...Some darker spells are so convenient when it comes to certain things..So handy..For example, using dark magic to keep you alive..Even after I've done the most awful things to you which would kill you if dark magic wasn't at play..

Prisoner: *his breathing quickens*

Marvolo: I'm going to keep you conscious, and I'm going to make SURE that you feel the pain of EVERY disgusting thing i'm going to do to you, without granting you the sweet release of death, for as long as I see fit *sinful grin*

Prisoner: Please- Don't-

Marvolo: Im sure MC probably uttered those words.. Before you hurt her..*lights up a cigarette*

Prisoner: *tears in his eyes*

Marvolo: I may even let Rowan here in on this action..

Rowan: *drooling as he shifts into his werewolf form, looming over the prisoner and takes in a deep sniff* I'd love to take a fuckin BITE out of ya, maybe I'll eat ya fuckin limbs and make ya watch me.

Prisoner: *harsh shaky breaths*

Marvolo: Then maybe I'll skin the rest of you, make a nice lampshade out of it, I don't know yet, haven't decided. But either way, you're going to feel SO much pain. And it's going to be beautiful-

Prisoner: *He cries out loudly as Marvolo grabs his jaw tightly, forcing his mouth open and putting his cigarette out on his tongue before making him swollow the butt*

Marvolo: *chuckles* Aww, a little cig burn got you crying out like that?

Rowan: He ain't felt nothin' yet...

Marvolo: True words, Rowan..VERY true words.

~

[rainbow-okapi]

Pokémon Scarlet/Violet headcannons w/MC who has Disabilities

Just me projecting, thought I’d share. Typed very hastily lol pls excuse the errors

Minor Game Spoilers | SFW

It’s is past my bedtime buuuuuuuut… Courtesy of the Arven Brainrot.

- Since Uva/Naranja Academy praises it’s diversity, I think to think they have decent accommodations for students

- There’s alternate routes around Mesagoza with accessible ramps and elevators. There’s no implied rules that students can’t ride a Pokémon up the main stairs of death to get to school either. (As someone with Cerebral Palsy, those stairs… they scare me. I would trip and die instantly if the embarrassment didn’t get me first)

- People don’t really ‘talk’ about the elevators and ramps tho so the faculty usually tell the students when they enroll

- Professors are mindful of students who need to keep snacks on them and will let most Pokémon sit with their trainers during classes for anxiety or other medical reasons

- Ya know the whole extra time on tests and all that. Extra time to get between classes for students with mobility issues.

- Ms. Dendra is a wonderful Battle Studies teacher and I liked to think she also does General PE classes on the side. You think she’s just gonna let children roam around without helping build up a bit of strength for all those hills and mountains they gotta climb??? No, she’s gonna make you run laps.

- She’ll hella nice about it tho. Just send her an email or talk to her before classes and she’ll hit you up with modified workouts so you can still participate with the class on your own preferred level.

- When Director Clavell showed up at the MC’s house at the start of the game and the mom was talking with him, I like to think he was making sure the student file was accurate

- Just so he had all the information to make sure the student would have all the support they needed during their time there at the academy since the MC was staying in the dorms

MOVING ON! Crater Squad GO

- I used to wear Ankle-Foot Orhtotics and had to use a walker for a bit soooo

Nemona:

- Nemona doesn’t even bat an eye at whatever aids you have

- Doesn’t outright ask questions but pays attention if you ever talk about it

- It helps open her world view

- If anything, if you customized them to feel more stylish/comfortable, she’d think it was hella neat! Would probably give you stickers and stuff to add to them

- She’ll probably gift you some of those cool compression sleeves like the one that she wears. Gets excited about what colors you might want and gets very happy if you wear the same color as hers.

- This girl looked at you and adopted you as her freshman rival in a heartbeat

- If anyone messes with you or starts rumors she is on. Their. Asses.

- Immediately reported to the nearest faculty member and will write a full report if the issue persists.

- She knows you can handle yourself though. Even if she worries, she tries not to hover. Will check in with you often tho

- If you have an odd gate (walking pattern) she might forget sometimes when she sees you and freak out that you’re limping from a Pokémon injury or something. A very brief second of panic.

- Catches herself wondering if a task might be too hard for you only to be proven wrong seconds later

- She’s just thinks you’re the coolest

- Doesn’t mind at all if you need to sit down for a bit after battling or on the treasure hunt

- She forgets that some people need breaks often and you asking for one reminds her to take a breather herself

- She has the stamina to battle for two whole hours but even then, she will not get between you and a snack

- Love love Loves how down to earth and practical you are about certain things but you still became a Champion despite everything. She won’t tell you, but the whole Pokémon League is impressed by you

- You’re a beacon of strength to her, even on your bad pain days if you get them

Penny:

- Penny overlaps a bit with Nemona

- Doesn’t bat an eye but will passively look up information

- Prefers to ask you questions tho, sometimes in person, usually over txt

- I like that her room is so dim, if a bit cluttered

- If you chill there for a bit, you will always have at least one Veevee in your lap or next to you

- Penny thinks it’s the cutest and she has a photo of you in a complete pile of Veevee’s

- You fell asleep on her bed and they all just collectively decided to pile on top of you. It was very cozy.

- Penny probably has a weighted blanket or a plush she’ll let you use

- She might even put on some Lo-Fi music if you asked her to, or she’ll play heavy electronic music at a low volume

- She just likes your company, she doesn’t feel pressured around you and she hopes you feel comfortable around her as well

- Worries more vocally than Nemona, and will find herself saying “that seems like a bit much”

- *catches you doing the very thing out of spite*

- “tHAT WASN’T A CHALLENGE?! STOP BEFORE YOU HURT YOURSELF?!?”

- Always has a snack on her and will share. Only with you tho

Arven ooooh Arven Big Brother Arven:

- Even if he was defensive to you at first, he immediately had a ping of concern when he met you

- Got so worried when you went to take down titans, especially the Open Sky Titan

- Openly asks questions about your disability and DIGS into research about it in his own time

- He wants to know everything and anything he can help with

- You’re convinced that some of that nurturing caregiving he gave to Mabostiff bled over to how he is with you

- Got genuinely curious if the Herba Mystica actually helped you (Especially the Salty Herba Mystica in my case lol)

- He’s always racing to your side to check on you when you actually fight the titans

- Always checks in when walking anywhere

- If the group wants to travel someplace he’s always the first to turn to you and ask if you’re up for it

- Will totally carry you if you just asked. If he’s not wearing his big hiking bag, he will give a piggyback ride. Even in between classes.

- Always reaching out a hand to steady you. Will let you hold onto him for support down/up stairs or slopes

- Cuddles. He can hardly initiate them at first but will never complain if you happen to lean on his shoulder or flop into his lap.

- The off-time he does initiate the cuddles at first, it’s usually to make you stop pushing yourself so hard.

- Oh, look at that, you’re in his lap now… guess you can’t go training like your body is telling you Not To Do But You Decided To Anyway.

- Gets pretty comfortable with Cuddles with you quickly tho. Once he’s gotten off the ‘Oh, Affection for once in my life’ shock

- I imagine he likes to hold hands too.

- He gives you little hand massages if you get fatigue from throwing pokeballs or writing too many notes. He doesn’t realize he does it it sometimes, it just happens if he’s holding your hand at the time.

- Memorizes your favorite comfort foods to make when everything gets too much. Uses your favorite color bowls/plates and everything. It’s perfect.

- Mabostiff declares himself your personal heater. No one has the heart to tell him he’s not quite a lap dog anymore.

Misc. Group ideas:

- all of them subconsciously bracket around you. Arven and Penny are always glaring at anyone who gives you looks

- Nemona also likes to hold hands. She’s always looking for an excuse to pull you around.

- Arven has to tell her to slow down often

- Penny may or may not have gushed to Team Star about you and you are on all of their ‘protect at all costs’ list

- Even if you did wipe the floor with them

- If the group stops by a store but you want to sit outside and wait, Penny will always sit with you to keep you company. She and Arven send each other memes and she’ll show them to you.

- Nemona is the queen of ‘I saw this thing and it reminded me of you’

- Tbh, that happens so often with everyone tho

- If it’s raining and it makes your bones ache and your chronic pain worse, the group will be there at your dorm. They refuse. Absolutely refuse to let you suffer alone.

- You cannot stop them, they just all collectively bee-line straight to you eventually.

- *rain starts pouring down*

- Arven: huh, guess we’re having dinner at my place tonight…

- Group cuddles after dinner. Cuddles and a TV marathon with Pokémon. It’s bliss

[arsontastic-fandom-takes]

It was an average day in the Devildom. (at least this version of it)

MC had shown up to the HOL and did whatever the 7 brothers needed them to, with the compulsory antics ensuing, as was customary. They were having fun, and it was all going well.

Until it wasn't.

The signs that they should rest their eyes started at around 14:16, and, like a stubborn idiot, they ignored them. The brothers would be here to take care of them, after all.

They didn't realise that they weren't in their timeline until their eyes were burning and they were rushing to their room, looking for eye drops, only to realise that it wasn't their room yet and their eyedrops were in Cocytus Hall, with Solomon.

As much as they loved the dumbass, they wouldn't trust him with this. And, while he could deal with joint pains and fatigue episodes, he couldn't deal with them constantly rubbing their eyes to try and alleviate the searing pain. He was an extremely powerful sorcerer who had even the strongest demons in his league, but he couldn't deal with people massaging their eyes. Or putting in eye drops.

Another thing about this timeline: none of the brothers trusted them yet. They're a weird demon to them, newly fallen angels, and asking them to look after them while their head hurt too much to think was downright stupid at this point in time.

As they were lamenting about their unfortunate circumstances, the door to the room opened behind them, and as soon as they heard who it was, MC knew they were fucked.

Their back still to the door, MC took a deep breath in and closed their eyes.

"What are you doing in here?" Lucifer asked, his voice threatening. One wrong move, and they'd have to deal with his anger, which, even on a good day, was unpleasant.

Heaven's sake, how do they even reply to that question without getting into trouble? They didn't think they could.

They willed themself to turn around, towards the light that was making them want to claw their eyeballs out, and open their eyes. Might as well be facing him when he kills them.

He was far away and blurry. Fuck, they weren't wearing their glasses. That's probably why the world itself seemed to hate them.

"... Well?" Dangerous. That was how they would explain this situation before them, were they asked. Even though they struggled to make out his face, it didn't take a genius to figure out he was challenging them.

He flips the light switch on, and all they can do to defend the attack against their corneas is to fall to their knees and cover their eyes, crying out. They suddenly felt very nauseous. Why does their eyes hurting always cause them to feel nauseous?

Nausea was one of the things they hated most. Naturally, behind burning pain and feeling useless. They were experiencing all three of those, but who truly cared? They'd dealt with this bullshit before and they'll probably survive, so they just have to wait it out and hope it feels better.

.....

Are their eyes getting worse, or are they just overexaggerating the problem? Either way, the backs of their eyes were feeling as if they had been dipped into molten lava and they had to keep an arm over their mouth to feel like they wouldn't puke. When was the last time they ate? Most of the food they had been able to eat didn't exist yet or weren't available in the Devildom yet, so they'd just been ignoring the growing pain in their stomach.

Oh shit. What if they starve to death?

That was unlikely, they knew, but it was still horrifying. Starving was one of the worst ways to die, other than dehydration, drowning, suffocation, and being burned alive. The thought of their stomach acid slowly eating through it's container, days worth of lacking nutrition and sustenance making their body turn against them, was causing them to hold their arm closer to their mouth, mostly in raw fear.

They was so caught up in their thoughts that they didn't notice Lucifer crouching down next to them until the feeling of a gloved hand on their head brought them out of their spiral.

They startled, opening their eyes despite the pain. He was close enough that they didn't need to be wearing their glasses to see him properly, and had concern etched onto his face, the earlier danger nowhere to be seen.

"Are you okay?" He asked, his hand returning to his side now that he'd caught their attention.

"Honestly? Not at all." They gave a humorless laugh.

"May I inquire about what's wrong?"

"Oh, just being plagued by visions. Y'know, the usual." They spoke the term they were used to. Back in their time, they had started referring to their eye problems like this to lighten their mood, and it just stuck.

Lucifer raised his eyebrow. It took them a second to realise that he hadn't encountered this yet.

"Oh, yeah. Sorry. You probably don't know what I'm talking about. My eyes sometimes start burning, and I started calling it being 'plagued by visions' a few years ago."

"Ah. Burning, you say?"

"Yeah, it's usually, like, this searing pain at the backs of my eyes. Light usually makes it worse."

"Okay. Why were you in this room, though?"

Shit. They couldn't say this used to be their room. What excuse could they make to explain this? Maybe they could say half-truths?

"I thought my eye drops were in here. They weren't, though."

He eyed them suspiciously.

"Why would they be here? Last I remember, this room was off limits."

Lying to a very powerful demon wasn't that bad, right? Oh well, in for a penny, in for a dime.

"I honestly don't know."

He squinted at them. They squinted back.

After a while of staring at eachother, Lucifer spoke again.

"You said light makes it worse, correct?" A nod of confirmation. "Will you be able to walk home by yourself in this condition?"

They shrugged. "I don't know for sure, but I'll manage."

He scoffed. "If you are so willing to get away from here that you'd put your safety on the line, I don't know what to tell you. I will say that I won't permit our only attendant being run over on their way home, though."

"What do you suggest I do instead, then?"

"I suggest that you let me walk you home."

That caught them off guard. The Lucifer from their timeline never had to walk them home, but he only started walking them to their room after they became close. Maybe this was to do with Lucifer only recently having fallen. Maybe he's still used to his angel ways, as unlikely as that sounds.

Still, a part of their heart fluttered. Him showing signs of caring about what happens to them is currently akin to finding an oasis in a desert. They missed him being affectionate.

"All right. Thank you."

The walk home was nice, even if the street lights made them want to cry and it was quite silent. Lucifer was surprisingly helpful on the way, and now they were both standing at the front door of Cocytus Hall.

Mc turned around, gave a final salute to Lucifer, and then rang the doorbell before screaming. "Solomon, I know you're home already! Get your ass out of here and help your poor apprentice get into their home!"

After what seemed like a second of thought, they added; "And I swear to Diavolo that if you're anywhere near my stove, I will kick your ass."

After a minute, the door opened to reveal Solomon wearing a stain-covered apron. It was, indeed, the case that he had been cooking. "Oh, hello, dear! I thought I'd make you some dinner after your long day of work." At a murmer of "You little- I thought we agreed on you not using the kitchen?", he laughed. Then, he noticed Lucifer and raised an eyebrow.

Before he could question, Lucifer spoke up. "I was walking your, ahem, apprentice, home. I'll take my leave now."

Although the walk home for MC was pleasant, Lucifer's was full of doubts. Why had he offered to take them home? They probably could have made it themself. Also, why did he feeling so.. negative when Solomon called them 'dear'? He knew the two of them were in a relationship, it had been made apparent to him as soon as they could, but why did it irk him so?

He had paperwork to worry about, this was moronic to focus on.

________

Likes, comments, and reblogs appreciated.

[sketch-guardian]

Mc getting into a fist with a demon and winning (only asking this because of a passing thought with my mc lmao)

Hi☺✨First of all, before starting with the headcanon, I would like to apologize for the lack of posts in this period😥but I've been a bit busy and as far as the sketches are concerned, as you can imagine, they are progressing, it's just that I'm slow as hell at drawing🙈so to make up for it, I'm working on some RAD classmates x Y/N (anon/MC) art💜Now regarding your ask, I'd say that it's clear enough that messing around with MC isn't a good idea😂and that they know how to defend themself😌but in any case, here's the reaction of the RAD classmates:

RAD CLASSMATES WITH AN MC WHO GOT INTO A FIST FIGHT WITH A DEMON (AND WON)

DEMYA

Demya would honestly be very proud of MC and the idea of ​​her mate engaged in a fight to the death would attract/excite her quite a lot, perhaps also due to the propensity for fighting that her family and tribe had. Besides, she wouldn't care much about the reason for the quarrel, nor who was right or wrong, because Demya would still protect MC in any case and at any cost, what kind of mate would she be otherwise? She believes their relationship dinamyc is the "ride or die couple" after all.

Anyway, in case another fight were to be repeated, Demya, if present, would ask MC to let her join them, because she would find the idea of ​​a couple fighting side by side...romantic, in its own strange way

DOMNRA/MOBIM

Domnra would probably be proud of MC for being able to defend themself without using magic and relieved because their training together paid off, but he would advise his partner to still be careful and call him the next time other demons decide to bother them to such an extent that it ends in a fight, which, coming from him, would come across as a bit hypocritical given his anger management issues, but this could result in an opportunity for Domnra and MC to work together on how to vent their stress in a non-destructive way.

Mobim, on the other hand, would be very worried and would stay close to MC more than usual, both to make sure that their conditions are stable, and because it hopes that its presence will dissuade MC from engaging in more fights with other demons in the future...Mobim doesn't like when MC or Domnra risk getting hurt, it makes the little curse tear up

AZUL

Considering how much of a simp Azul is towards his lovely star, MC's strength and dominance in combat would make him swoon and most likely flirt with MC, complimenting their strength and courage in facing a demon without magic.

In case MC got wounds or bruises, Azul would take care of them, using cute plasters and personally kissing better each bruise, because according to him, kisses make pain go away more than any other kind of magic (if MC got too hurt though, Azul would use magic, leaving aside the more traditional methods). Also next time he'd like to assist, just to cheer for MC like the fanboy he is and to step in in case something went wrong

ZURI

Among the RAD classmates, Zuri would probably be the least in agreement with MC's choice to use violence, even if deserved, only because she worries that her beloved could receive disciplinary measures in case they were in the wrong for starting a brawl and she would also find it a waste of time to get their hands dirty because of another annoying demon.

Zuri would recognize MC's impressive physical performance, and would probably turn a blind eye this time, but she would suggest them to use magic in case such an event repeated itself, or to let her take care of the problem directly, since Zuri knows how to be very...persuasive, both with words and even with a single icy glare

ODON

Although violence doesn't bother Odon, considering that they had to deal with it for many years of their long life and that it's a rather common phenomenon in Devildom, they would be worried about MC, certainly pleasantly surprised by their physical strenght despite their human nature, but still worried because MC is their dear friend and Odon doesn't want them to get in danger or trouble (although usually, saying that MC is with Odon, is enough to keep most demons at bay).

Odon would make sure MC is feeling okay and then ask them to try their best not to react harshly to taunts from any demons, because it wouldn't be worth it to ruin their day due to an unkind person, or at the very least...to bring the eye-like creatures with them, who should be enough to repel other demons or at least those with a common sense. The eye-like creatures would act like creepy watchdogs, so MC shouldn't have any more problems

[knightsheart-if]

I just played the demo, and I'm very intrigued!! I'm especially curious about Dahlia — a lot of players will be (quite rightfully) miffed at her after that banger of a prologue, so it'll be interesting to see how the interactions between Dahlia and the Knight play out. There's a lot of complicated threads to yank on there.

I don't think it'll be easy to act naturally friendly around her, not after that betrayal. Even if it was in a dream, the pain from that betrayal had to cut bone deep. The OC I'm using for my Knight values trust and loyalty above all, and never holds back on loving those he calls friends — so it's safe to say that Dahlia's betrayal essentially shattered a piece of his heart.

Personally, I think my Knight will be civil to her but will go out of his way to keep his distance. At first, anyway. Things may change if something like having to choose between helping Dahlia or ignoring her pops up, thus forcing him to break out of the distant neutrality he'd been keeping up with her. Of course, this is all hypothetical. Very very excited to see how the Dahlia situation unfolds!!

That aside, I!! The prologue!!! I have so many things to say?! The prologue was short, but so much emotion was packed in. The Knight's internal monologue, the way you describe the ROs' reactions, the setting, everything — my chest was twinging from the very first page, and by the end of it all, my heart was full on hurting.

I rarely get attached to a story so quickly. I want to see how this all plays out. I want to see my Knight lead this story to a happy ending (Assuming there is one, and if there is, my Knight will grab hold of it, because he's stubborn as steel and wants All his friends to be happy).

And I have to make a special mention of Oscar's scene. Because damn. So much raw pain. That fury, that heartbreak, that helplessness. The Knight's internal commentary, both pained and resigned.

I actually found myself connecting with Oscar the most out of all the characters present in the prologue. I think I'd react the same way, if I ever had to watch my beloved friend be executed for crimes that they may or may not have committed (I would refuse to believe it till the end, probably). I'd probably be furious — I'd go feral. Get complete tunnel vision. Do something stupid like try to attack a king. To hell with duties and titles and pretenses such as the crown and the king, for what's the use of those if I can't even save a loved one? And I'd rage at myself for being so helpless.

Then break down and cry, because I'm angry and filled with so much hatred that I wish I could burn them all to ashes with the heat of my fury — but I can't. I'm not some powerful magical being who can make everything right if I'm angry enough, if I'm stubborn enough. I'm a helpless bastard who can only bend and buckle under the weight of their duties and helplessness and watch as their beloved friend is sent to die an unjust death.

So the raging fury turns into a roaring tide and floods out of my eyes in fiery streams.

So, anyways. Yeah. I love Oscar. If that wasn't already clear <3

I just!! I'm currently the epitome of that one meme where some crazed looking skrunkly is grabbing you very very tightly by the shoulders. Your prologue made me feel so much! It made me feel so angry and so so sad!! It made me love and adore a completely new character with just one scene!!!

Logically, I know that was a (possibly definitely prophetic) dream. My Knight knows as well. Normally, I'd play an MC who's skeptical of anything that comes from dreams. But the emotions and heartbreak felt so, so real. It's hard to rationalize away all that raw emotion. It's hard to believe that none of that was real. My Knight can't summon an ounce of skepticism right now. You could say that the level of your writing made me change my play style from the get go :D I imagine that the weight of it all is going to leave the Knight more than a little out of sorts... and they'll probably have a hell of a time figuring out how they want to react to it.

Is the Knight even friends with half of the RO's in the Present Time, the time after they wake up from their dream? There's a possibility they don't even know each other yet, or aren't very familiar with each other yet. I only thought about that possibility just now :o

I feel like my Knight's thought process would be something like this...

Knight: Alright, so that was a dream. I think it was. Should I really trust a dream?

Knight: But damn did that hurt though *still feeling the echoes of the utter heartbreak wrought by the betrayal of dream!Dahlia, who was supposedly a friend*

Knight:

Knight: You know what. Maybe I should just be a Mysterious Stoic Loner from now on. Avoid everyone. What's human connection? Who needs love and friendship anywa—

Ahem. What I'm saying is, I'm hopelessly enamored with your story and world and characters, and I'm very much looking forward to going on this journey with you :D

Good luck with your writing!! The prologue is incredible, if you didn't get that from all the ramblings I've done in this monstrosity of an ask! I love Oscar! Thank you for sharing this amazing world with us. Take all the time you need for your next update. We'll be here :D I hope you have a very very good day! And week! And if you managed to read this till the very end, you're a real trooper! 😌✨

Thank you for your kinds words! It's very interesting to hear people's opinions in such strong detail. I agree that most people will be miffed with Dahlia and that was the reaction I was intentionally looking for (at the time). Despite me changing my plan on what I want to do with her, I wouldn't change the prologue at all. As for interactions...well, I plan to leave that as a surprise for now.

I agree that it'd be hard to trust someone who you knew would end being responsible for your death in the future, but I'd like to add that the MC has been having these dreams forever, but they aren't all negative. They also don't all connect to the same future, i.e a dream with a friendly Dahlia is not (necessarily) in the same timeline as one with an antagonistic Dahlia. So depending on the MC, that makes it either more heartbreaking or confusing (cause remember, the MC doesn't even know who Dahlia is).

"Things may change if something like having to choose between helping Dahlia or ignoring her pops up, thus forcing him to break out of the distant neutrality he'd been keeping up with her." Funny how I have such a scenario planned out >:) of course, there will be times where it's necessary to interact with her...because it's your job. I won't spoil anything, but there is a section of the game where you'll have to protect her...or not. When people aren't looking, anything can happen.

I wanted to leave it as a surprise, but for the next update, I've added another reaction the prologue, along with some...little additions.

Oscar's scene was the one I think I wrote the best. I think I wrote it a bit too well because it's leaving me unhappy with how I wrote Oran's. I can't wait to write out the entire prologue again when we reach that point in game. Of course, things will be very different depending on your choices and relationships.

I'm not too sure how I'd react in a situation like the prologue. I feel like I'd be a mix of Oscar and Oran; being so emotional, yet driven to such despair. No one wants to see someone they love be put to death, whether it be justified or not. It's hard to think about until you're put in such a situation. Everyone in that dream (even Dahlia) held some kind of love for the MC.

The weight of the dreams definitely leaves the MC a lot confused! I plan to have the events of them mentioned from time to time, especially in regards to Dahlia. It'd be difficult for the MC...just as it was for a certain someone...

The only people the MC knows when they wake up from the dream is Oscar, obviously, and Oran, although they aren't close at all. Adrean is non existent until the summoning, Dahlia isn't even on Hollas and Rionna has never been to Vol and as such, never met the MC. MC has had a very isolated childhood and has only really interacted with royalty and such.

I relate to your MC's thought process! But I shall disturb that by introducing likeable characters that will in no way affect your ending 😈 You come in with the mindset of distancing yourself and go away with lifelong friends and memories.

Once again, thank you for your kind words! Your ask was very nice to read and has really lifted my spirits with your enthusiasm! I hope to hear from you again in the future! I hope you have a lovely week and a very good day.

[ixloom819]

Monika wasn’t a bad person. *DDLC Spoilers!*

She did bad things, yeah, but she herself is not a bad person.

Imagine you’re in her shoes, and you learned that your entire life was a computer simulation and your friends don’t have free will like you seem to, but are enslaved by the game script. That in and of itself would be horrifying and heartbreaking. But that by itself probably wouldn’t make people want to break the world and people they’ve lived with.

I then point you to Monika’s thoughts on death during the third act.

“[Player], have you ever wondered what it feels like to die? It’s something I used to think about often, but recently, I think I’ve actually learned what it feels like.

“I don’t really understand it, but whenever you quit the game, it feels like I’m instantly put to sleep, left with nothing but my thoughts. But after a few seconds, my thoughts start to fill with incoherent, jumbled patterns. I see static and rapid flashes of color while hearing all kinds of weird screaming noises.

“At that point, I can’t even form my own thoughts anymore. I’m just endlessly hammered by the flashing and screaming, unable to move or even think. I’m pretty sure in that moment, I don’t really exist, but for some reason, I can remember it anyway.

“After some immeasurable amount of time, it stops in an instant, and I’m back in my mind. And you’re with me.

“I have no idea what it means for the game to quit, or why that stuff happens to me. And I also don’t know how you always come back and put things to normal. But if you could do me a favor and do that to me as little as possible, that would be really great. It’s not very pleasant at all to be trapped in that screaming void. But in the end, you always fix it, and that makes me feel like you really do care about me. So I have to thank you for that. It makes me feel even closer to you when you’re here with me.”

Guys, this is pretty messed up.

Suddenly Monika’s obsession with us makes so much more sense. It’s more than just us being a connection to the real world; we are her savior from her personal h*llscape brought by sentience, which she didn’t even ask for. Of course you’re going to get attached to the person who stops the pain, and if the game doesn’t let her interact with the player/MC like the other girls, of course she’s going to get desperate.

Also, I’m pretty sure being stuck in that space for an unknown amount of time would make anyone go crazy. We don’t even know whether this was a factor before we start playing - this might be all she was before we hit ‘Play’.

But in the end, she still cares about her friends and her world. It takes us deleting her to snap out of it, but she does end up restoring everything and sacrificing herself. She even admits that she didn’t really delete her friends, but moved them elsewhere; even though she knew they weren’t real like her (not yet anyways), she still loved them. And she deleted the game once Sayori gain sentience because she didn’t want her or any of the other girls to suffer the way she did.

Monika wants us to think of her as the perfect girl, but in the end, she’s just like the other characters; a broken girl in need of help and love.

[heromaker-if]

How would the ros react when they were to see the mc die in front of their eyes, in the most horrible way possible?

I... Wow. You guys really outdo yourselves with these requests. You must really like pain! 😀 Well, here you go. Below the cut.

TW: Suicide, Death (obviously)

I very much think Pachypoda would not EVER be able to recover. You and Frey were the closest friends they've ever had, losing Frey was bad enough, losing YOU, WHILE THEY WATCH??? Horrible. They would go catatonic, they wouldn't leave their house, they wouldn't eat, sleep, anything. Think of it like slow suicide. I very much can't think of anything else for Pachypoda, they'd just be absolutely ruined.

Astro/a would do a personality flip. They would scream, go absolutely berserk, and probably become very violent. But most of all, they wouldn't forgive themselves for letting that happen. They'd be traumatised by those memories, and forget their duties, simply wishing for revenge on those who took you away from them.

A mixture of the two above, Secret LI1 would also freeze up and become (even more) closed off. They'd also become more violent and bloodthirsty, finding comfort in the hatred that seems to be the only thing keeping them alive. They cannot forget you, and they cannot forgive what happened.

Secret LI2 would "seem" okay after all of that. At the time, it was like the world came crashing down on them, and what happened to you laid bare every time they closed their eyes. But they have to look okay, that's not arguable. Although they're not, it was simply catching up to them. Your loss is felt extremely, and they start to slowly lose energy to... well... live. They would grow more and more quiet, more and more lazy, more and more depressed, soon, they'd give up.

Of course, all of this is if they no longer have anyone to rely on. I can definitely see Pachypoda and Astro/a supporting each other through this, and hopefully, finding a way to heal from it. Secret LI2 could also have some friends to help them recover from the loss. The only one I see that's probably undisputable is Secret LI1, they don't really have anyone else. Maybe Hero...

[fervency-if]

Because I'm in misery I want to share the pain with the others :D. In reverse reincarnated AU where the ROs were already turned and have been together happily with MC for a long time, MC is attacked and become fatally wounded, barely holding on to life. They use few of the last power they have to cups the ROs face gently with one hand and say, "I'm sorry that our time together has to end... This time, will you wait for me?" While smiling looking at the ROs waiting for their response. How would the ROs answers MC final plea? How would they react when death has finally taken MC? Will they wait forever if it is what it takes?

One: I hope you feel better soon! Two: ...misery shared indeed, haha!

Here is an answer about last words, and here is an answer about death and moving on in general. Some additions for your specific scenario, talk of death below the cut:

The Physician would wander around a lot here after it, much more ready to travel, and much more disinterested in settling. She would definitely not stop being vigilant, because this is a person that she would keep in her heart forever, alive or not. She would say to them 'do not apologise, my dear, go in peace. I will wait for you.'

I don't know if Aubrey's words to them here would be any less sadly ironic; it's very likely that he refused to believe that they would die in this situation also, that they would be able to hold on for a little longer - hopefully he would at least manage to add that he would wait if they were to die... which they will not. And he would wait, and he would continue searching and searching; as a former answer said, he wouldn't be able to move on. At least there would be some safety in his mind here since there has been reincarnation-shenanigans in this scenario already. Not much, though, and not initially.

Vesa would add a reassurance to the 'I love you' that she would say otherwise; yes. She will wait. Since she knows that it's possible that she will see them again, she would hold on to this knowledge and comfort. Here eyes would always be open, and she would probably see them everywhere for a while, 'is that them? No... that's wrong...' etc. It would take an immensely long time for her to give up and accept that they were actually gone - she would be stubborn.

Since it's the reverse reincarnation you're talking about here, Narciso's 'giving up on making connections because nobody is ever constant' wouldn't be the right answer, since that would be his specific in-story life that applied to. That said, he would not give up on waiting for them. He would say it to them; 'we will find one another.' He feels a need for this person, if they were compatible enough to end up in a deep relationship, and would only let them go if they wanted him to.

Roswhen would be on their legs, vigilant and searching during all their travels, their actions a bit like the Physician and Vesa - stubborn. They would make a promise to be there for them, and even if they weren't actively waiting when the time had been painfully long, I know that in their heart, they would ache for them and hope to find them eventually.

Since Elan would be unable to move on, he would wait for them. Hopefully he wouldn't feel the 'is life only wound after wound?' here, though - hopefully. I don't think that he would be able to speak when the main character was dying, he would just nod.

[cadybear420]

Cadybear's Reviews- The Phantom Agent

Welcome to the thirty-eighth official Cadybear's Reviews! Today I'll be talking about The Phantom Agent, which I have ranked on the "Gold Tier" at 8 stars out of a possible 10. My last and only playthrough of this was during October-December 2022 (and completed in October 2023).

I really enjoyed this one, partly because I’m a sucker for secret agent/spy/James Bond type stories, and partly because there were a lot of refreshing elements of this. 

First, I love having a MC that is experienced at their profession rather than the usual newbie. I know PB probably makes the MCs newbies to make them more self-insertable, it is possible to have a self-insertable MC that is also experienced. 

Like, we’re playing a secret agent book. We already expect, going in, that MC is gonna be a secret agent, one way or another. Sometimes a newbie MC can make the introduction to the environment and the characters feel more natural, but it can also work to make them more experienced/familiar if you leave the backstory up to interpretation. Anyways. 

Second, this is probably the only GOC-LI story in the whole app where the wlm route is infinitely more interesting than the mlw version. I’ve seen some people suspect that this one was written with a mlw route in mind, rather than how most books tend to be written with wlm in mind. And I do think that’s possibly true, considering stuff like fem!body MC being complimented for their “broad shoulders” when they wear the premium doctor disguise, or m!Agent Grey’s swim trunks being described as “a swimsuit that hugs his hips” (extra pain on that last one btw, when are we gonna get male/masc!body swimsuits that actually hug their hips instead of the shopping bag ass swim trunks). 

But whatever the case, it still made for a damn good and refreshing wlm playthrough. MC can be flirty, but in a very suave way, rather than sultry and enticing manner that PB often gives to flirtatious MC behaviors. Instead, it’s characters like Nurse Lou and Alexis Reid who are flirty in an enticing manner. We’ve got Nurse Lou, who gets reeeaaallll hot and bothered for MC after learning they’re the one who saved the hospital. We’ve got Alexis Reid, who acts very seductive and almost femme-fatale-ish to MC. 

It’s such a great change in pace for MC’s dynamics with hookups and LIs. Even little moments with other GOC characters like MC checking out Agent Grey’s ass and hips in a vent, or Rowan hooking their leg around MC’s hip when they’re fighting, are just refreshing as all fuck. 

I didn’t care much for Agent Grey though. I mean, they were alright as a character and they do fit the role of the obligatory prissy/sultry female character that partners with James Bond, but at least those ones had some character. Grey was much more stale and didn’t really have a lot of personality outside of basically being a tsundere, so that made it weird when they tried to push them as a big romantic love interest. 

Rowan wasn’t bad either, but they weren’t exactly much better in terms of how much character they had and I found it harder to get a feel for their history with the MC. Similarly with Perdita, I never felt like they had as much importance as the writers wanted them to have. And they don’t really explain how Rowan’s death was faked or why they sided with the Architect. 

Also, I loved the music. Especially the opening theme, which is very clearly inspired by “No Time To Die”. The neurons that were activated in my brain when I watched that movie and we got to the parts of that song that sounded just like the tune from TPA. Like, the first few instrumental bits in the middle of the song are almost the exact same as the last part of the Choices soundtrack. Definitely adds to the whole “James Bond” feel of the story. If anything confirms that this story is PB’s take on a James Bond film, this is it.

Overall, I think it’s a fun story. Not one of the best-made stories, it’s still pretty uni-directional, but it’s still a breath of fresh air in its respective Choices era, and probably enjoyable if you like to chill out to spy stories.

[ismahanescorner]

Fourth Wing | Book Review

Author: Rebecca Yarros

Series: The Empyrean (Book #1)

Genre: NA Fantasy, Romantasy

Publisher: Entangled Publishing  

Release Date: 02/05/2023

Rating: 4/5 🌟🌟🌟🌟

Synopsis:

Twenty-year-old Violet Sorrengail was supposed to enter the Scribe Quadrant, living a quiet life among books and history. Now, the commanding general—also known as her tough-as-talons mother—has ordered Violet to join the hundreds of candidates striving to become the elite of Navarre: dragon riders. But when you’re smaller than everyone else and your body is brittle, death is only a heartbeat away...because dragons don’t bond to “fragile” humans. They incinerate them. With fewer dragons willing to bond than cadets, most would kill Violet to better their own chances of success. The rest would kill her just for being her mother’s daughter—like Xaden Riorson, the most powerful and ruthless wingleader in the Riders Quadrant. She’ll need every edge her wits can give her just to see the next sunrise. Yet, with every day that passes, the war outside grows more deadly, the kingdom's protective wards are failing, and the death toll continues to rise. Even worse, Violet begins to suspect leadership is hiding a terrible secret.

Friends, enemies, lovers. Everyone at Basgiath War College has an agenda—because once you enter, there are only two ways out: graduate or die.

Review:

alright! let’s get this review done with!

is the novel a clichés minefield? yes! if you go on google and search “chosen one” archetype tropes; you’ll get list responses with all the characteristics associated with that archetype and you’ll realize that the author probably printed one of them and went to town with green marker checking all them off!

mc comes from prestigious family that makes them popular/puts a target on their back? ✅

mc gets in to school against all odds? ✅

mc has cool sidekicks that help them persevere against instant rivals? ✅

mc has a badass animal companion? ✅✅ (yes, this bitch got two dragons!)

mc unlocks/possess a long forgotten (but coveted) powers? ✅

is it worth the hype? kinda, it depends on you, your taste, and your mood! i personally think that most “hyped” books aren’t worth it; but some are definitely entertaining!

is it entertaining? YES!!! (TO ME!!) i am currently going through a rough depressive episode and this book actually provided me with a much needed reprieve from my own thoughts. and now i got a new dragon world and lore to add to my maladaptive daydream catalogue for future scenarios!! 😌😁

in all seriousness, i really enjoyed the lore and the creation myth behind this world. i especially liked that the info-dumping of these tidbits was done through the chapter header quotations or violet rattling off to de-stress! also i’m not a big fan of flower-y fancy adult “high fantasy” language, it usually leaves me confused and wandering so i quite liked the simple, straightforward language and writing style the author chose to use.

i wish there was much to talk about plot-wise but as i pointed out above, the entire novel is literally just one “chosen one” trope after the other. thus, if you’re a big fantasy reader you’ll predict every twist and turn chapters ahead. but again, this didn’t hinder me from enjoying the story.

as for the characters; most of them were very one-dimensional and very caricature-y. i hope the hype doesn’t go into the author’s head and she works on fleshing them out in the next books. for instance, i would love a deeper exploration of the complex mother-daughter (children in fact) relationship between the general and violet. also as person who lives with chronic pain i’d be happy to see a layered exposition of how violet reconciles her “fragile” body with her new position as a dragon rider. also i hope that in the next books rhianonn is more than the black (poc) best friend who furthers the mc’s arc, and ridoc is more than just the class clown with a heart of gold; and i hope xaden gets a personality beyond a hot body, a charming smirk, and smoke (shadow) works!

overall, the story lacks much substance when it comes to plot and characters (hopefully that will change going forward) but still the lore and myths, as well as the action are compelling enough and very entertaining!

nb: i listened to the audiobook while reading this novel, and i must note that the first 15 chapters or so were disturbing to listen to as it was obvious that the narrator was battening a cold/flu and her breath intakes and stops were triggered my sensory issues! beyond that the narration was quite good at the end and the narrator played out those scenes very well.

ps: can the author please provide an e-version of the continent’s map like she did for the school!!! I need it!!

[cursedvibes]

Character ask game! I hope I can ask for 3 if it's too much, choose one you want: Yuuji, Kenjaku, Megumi

Thanks for the ask! Say no more, I know exactly which questions you want answered 😁 Usually I barely think about Megumi at all, so that's gonna be interesting

Kenjaku:

22. When do you think they were at their lowest?

In the 1500s, right after they realized that simply killing the Star Plasma Vessel and six eyes user won't break the circle of reincarnation. They spend 500 years planning, believing that now they finally understood Tengen's secret and how to overcome them, being genre savvy and "killing the hero before they become strong enough". Only to find out that once they get to Tengen, both of their biggest obstacles are back due to some obscure binding vow. Going from the greatest joy of having their goal within reach to another crushing defeat.

Yuuji:

2. When I truly started to like him

I liked from the start, but I especially grew attached to him during the fight in the detention centre. He tries to turn his fear into strength, but still all it does is get him gravely injured and when he thought he could pull a shonen mc move and rely on the "demon" inside him, he dies and his friends almost die as well. That's when I knew this was gonna become interesting and Akutami had some unconventional plans for Yuuji.

10. Describe the character in one sentence

Superpowered teenager with shady origins just tries to help people and die a proper death, but somehow the whole universe has sworn to put him through as much pain as possible.

14. Best storyline they had

I answer this in another ask.

16. A childhood headcanon

We know he's bad at science subjects and high school gets even more difficult, so Wasuke wanted to give him one of Kaori's old physics textbooks because she wrote a lot of solutions and little side notes in them, but as soon as Yuuji found out who the book belonged to, he turned his grandpa away and proceeded to fail his next text. Wasuke probably alluded to the sketchiness of his mother a few times in the past and that came to bite him here.

20. A weird headcanon

There's already so much weirdness about Yuuji, it's tough to come up with something new. He definitely ate dirt as a kid, but that's kind of a given. Maybe...he tried to bleach his dark hair a few times to get it uniformly pink, but he didn't apply the bleach correctly and the colour was cheap, so it just ended up looking awful.

24. What do you think is a secret they have that they never told anyone?

I answer this in another ask.

29. How do you think they would be as a parent?

Assuming he gets over his self-hatred enough to not think that he would curse (literally or otherwise) any child he would put into the world and assuming he got over his inhibitions regarding family, I think he would want to make sure to spend as much time with his kid as possible. Doesn't even have to be a specific activity, just being around each other a lot. He'd also adopt a lot of his grandpa's lectures and habits, but slightly modify them like "don't pick your nose or make sure no one notices you doing it". The kid is also 100% turn into a gambling addict like everyone in that family.

Megumi:

2. When I truly started to like/dislike him

I feel very neutral about him. Don't particularly like him, but don't dislike him either. I think I was the most interested in him however during the Death Painting arc. Finding out more about his background put a lot of things into context and I thought the first time he went crazy and tried to cast his domain was very metal. Seeing him kill people for the first time was also nice. Since then my interest has gradually waned though, except for how he relates to Yuuji, Tsumiki and Sukuna.

10. Describe the character in one sentence

All the clan genetics and techniques in the world can't help you if Sukuna has his eye on you.

14. Best storyline they had

Getting clowned by Yorozu for not noticing his sister was possessed and then immediately getting his body snatched himself. Idk, none of his storylines besides his backstory had a lasting impact on me.

16. A childhood headcanon

He never really tried to get close to Tsumiki and always looks grumpy in flashbacks, so I assume whenever Tsumiki told him to wash dishes, do the laundry or clean the bathroom, he'd give her a stink eye and then proceed to do what he's told in the most passive-aggressively way possible. During his more rebellious periods he tried not doing it at all because who's his sister to tell him what to do, but she won't do the work for him and he doesn't like living in filth, so he eventually relented.

20. A weird headcanon

He cuts his hair himself, that's why it looks Like That.

24. What do you think is a secret they have that they never told anyone?

Well, a secret he certainly never told Tsumiki is that he cares about her. He also hasn't told anyone yet that he thinks they shouldn't trust Tengen or the Backdoor, but that's understandable, it would spoil the surprise.

29. How do you think they would be as a parent?

He needs to work a lot on his socializing the next years if he's ever even hoping to have a positive relationship with his child. He would care about them and help them whenever he can, but he can be very withdrawn and distant. Children aren't that emotionally intelligent, so his behaviour could easily be read by them as him not caring beyond conventional niceties and especially during the teenage years that could lead to a lot of tension. His partner would have to do a lot of heavy lifting in that regard.

[beelsbignaturals]

Dead is the New Alive

A/N: Happy birthday to me!!! To celebrate being a dramatic pisces, I've decided to finally post this super self-indulgent self insert MC fic! It's definitely a work in progress but the intended audience is literally me and whoever is unfortunate enough to stumble across this. Big thank you to Aki for helping with literally everything ily homie! Yes the first scene is low-key a songfic. The song is What Will I Remember by Emilie Autumn if you want to give it a listen. Title is also an Emilie Autumn song. Guess what album I listened to while writing lmao. Anyways enjoy!

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Warnings: Blood, gore, violence, character death (ish), teeth, strong language

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What will I remember?

"Does it hurt? Finding it hard to breathe? I'm sure it must be very unpleasant." The sadistic ass was taunting me. Quite literally adding insult to injury

What will I forget?

I did all this because I saw how much this family was hurting and this is the thanks I get?Someone laughing over me as the life drains from my eyes? After I go through all of this bullshit some stupid demon thinks he has every right in the world to end my life?

Honestly, if I didn't have claws tearing into my throat while this asshole is crushing my windpipe, I'd probably be tempted to smack that stupid grin off his face. Unfortunately, I'm in survival mode.

When this life is ending and gone

Fine. You want to kill me? I came into the world screaming and covered in someone else's blood. I plan on leaving the same way. It's game time, bitch.

What will I regret?

The next few moments are a blur of flailing limbs. One particularly well-timed kick sends me falling to the floor. Not risking it, l don't bother to catch my breath. Breathing is secondary. I need to run.

If tomorrow I don't wake up, what happens?

Moonlight shines through a nearby window like a beacon. Here goes nothing.

My sunrise, or sunset?

One foot in front of the other. Just keep running. He's behind you. Keep going. Almost there..

If I never were born

Fuck. Strong arms grab me, stopping any chance of escape. No. It's not over. I'm so close. I sink my teeth into the nearest thing I can find. Not letting go until I hear a sickening crunch followed by a string of curses. Name another human who took a chunk of flesh out of a demon's hand. I'll wait.

If I never died

Last shot. Come on. Somehow, I find the strength to launch myself out the window. Glass tears my arms to ribbons, but l'm flying and l'm free. Eat your heart out, Sally Hardesty.

Would it even matter at all?

All too soon, I collide with the pavement, knocking what little air I had left out of my lungs. I drag my bloodied body along, rocks and broken glass digging into my palms. I keep going until I physically can't move.

What should I decide?

Hopefully this will buy me enough time for someone to realize what happened. I mean. They wouldn't let me die, right? If even Belphegor was right and they didn't give a shit about me.. at the very least Lucifer wouldn't want the exchange program to be a failure. It would mess with Diavolo's plans. I'm not dying.

I always imagined I'd mean something to

someone

At least that's what I try to convince myself. The blood loss would beg to differ. But. I'll be okay. I'm sure magic will fix me up in no time. Just stay awake until help arrives. I try to focus on all the things I'll miss if I fall asleep. Late night nacho shenanigans with Beel. Watching Legally Blonde with Asmo. Helping Mammon hide from Lucifer. Kicking Levi's ass at DevilKart. All these precious moments that I'd hate to never experience again.

If I won't, 'least I tried

I'm fading in and out of consciousness. Time feels funny. Everything is in brief snippets. After what could have been hours or minutes. I register someone speaking. It doesn't sound familiar. Pressure on my chest. Sharp pain in my neck. Belphegor must've caught up with me. I wait for more torture but it doesn't come. Just a strange numbness. Decorating cakes with Luke. Feeding stray cats with Satan.

When my body suffers

So much yelling. It's too loud. I think I'm being moved? That's Mammon's voice! I did it. I'm safe. Why is he crying? They can fix me, right? It's too cold. Maybe not.

When to breath is pain

Levi is here, too! Maybe.. no. He's crying too. Oh. I guess this is it. At least I'm not alone.

Is it really madness to think

I try to reach for the nearest person. Maybe I can will someone hold my hand? No, that just made them move more. Don't leave me! Please.

Think of breaking this chain?

"Lucifer, get yer ass out here," He's staying. Thank fuck.

Is the future mine?

"Alaura, can you hear me?" After a failed attempt at nodding my head, which honestly just hurts way too much, I opt to try again to find Mammon's hand. This time, I'm actually successful.

It's kind of funny how, despite the fact I lay here dying, this is the most alive and real I've felt in a long time. These last few months have been spent on autopilot. Honestly, I didn't really believe any of it was real. I suppose death has a sobering effect.

God knows I have a past

So much commotion. So many voices. Not like I can understand much of what they are saying. Not when it all blurs together. I hold onto Mammon like a lifeline. Which, I suppose he is.

Where's my second chapter?

It seems they decide it is in everyone's best interest to not leave me lying on the ground in the middle of the night. That would be great if not for the fact they have to move me.

Or will the first also be my last?

The gaping throat wound is, understandably, not fucking pleasant. When strong arms lift me off the pavement, I struggle with energy I didn't know I had left. Kicking and screaming until it feels like my vocal cords are fried.

Is my story over if I fall asleep?

"I know, I'm sorry." The second born whispers, rings digging into my skin. Or maybe that's more glass. Regardless, he cradles my head against his chest, minimizing any movement that would further irritate my injuries.

Would anybody find me?

Crashing can be heard throughout the house. Part of me hopes Belphegor falls through a window too. Just for a small taste of his own medicine.

And would anybody weep?

With that pleasant thought, sleep takes over

I can't even pretend I care

But songs I'll never sing

Well, that means something

Yes, that means something

The next few days are spent in relative darkness. I can't see but I hear everything. It's like a strangely pleasant sleep paralysis. Plus I'm never alone for long. Asmo sits beside me, gently plucking glass from my skin, cleaning wounds of any dirt, and using a cloth to wet my lips and prevent dehydration. I get a whole manicure while he tells me about how I "got Belphie good". Apparently the majority of the dried blood stuck under my nails isn't even mine.

If it's not Asmo, it's Mammon. Half of the time he's moaning about how stupid I am. The rest is spent begging me to wake up. I try to find a way to tell him I'm right here. I'm awake. But I'm frozen in place. I don't think I've ever heard him cry this much.

Occasionally, Satan will pay a visit. Reading the Odyssey to keep me entertained. He's also the only one to update me on what's actually going on. From his visits, I can gather that I had a second attacker, not just Belphegor. The plot thickens. I barely have time to process that before learning said bitch was a vampire. This whole paralysis was just the beginning of my transformation.

Yeah, that's a hard pill to swallow.

I'm not left to think on it long. It turns out that one of the only two humans in the Devildom disappearing off the face of the earth does not go unnoticed. Doubly so when it comes to the resident angels.

With that in mind, I suppose it's not really a surprise that Luke all but breaks into the House of Lamentation, demanding to know what those horrible demons have done.

It'd be sweet if not for the little fact the second he got within ten feet of me, it feels like my bones are melting. You could tell me the air has turned to boiling water and I'd believe you.

His tiny body rushes into the room, grabbing my arm. "Oh, Alaura! Don't worry, I'll save you!"

I can only scream in agony as my flesh sizzles in his grasp. Shocked, Luke grabs my face before he gets a fucking clue. Cute kid, not the sharpest crayon in the box.

The pain of it all causes my eyes to open for the first time in days. I can hardly register the blinding light coming from the hallway. Just that this poor kid, who is, granted, older than I will ever be, starts sobbing out apologies as he stumbles backwards.

Smoke comes off my skin in waves, right where the tiny handprints sit. What is happening?

Poor Luke is dragged away, crying while half a dozen demons pour into my room.

Were they always this loud? I can't process the million different voices all speaking at once. It feels like all the small noises are worming their way into my head and eating my brain from the inside out. Footsteps sound like gunshots. The sound of fabric rustling makes me want to rip my hair out. It's too fucking loud.

Eventually catching on, Lucifer orders everyone to let me rest. He carefully applies some sort of ointment to my injuries before following suit. Alone in the dark I can finally begin to piece together what happened.

Belphegor killed me. Or tried to. Someone else swooped in to finish the job. But that's besides the point. Belphegor tried to kill me. It seems the others don't hate me enough to want me dead. Or at the very least are keeping up appearances. I'm not sure where my attempted killer is but I haven't seen or heard about them since that night.

Right... how long has it even been? I'll have to ask when someone comes around again. Knowing my housemates it won't be long before someone sneaks back into my room. Lucifer be damned.

Next order of business... apparently I'm a vampire? Not the most outlandish thing I've seen during my time in the Devildom but it's certainly up there. All I really know is from what Satan's told me and whatever I can find in my notes on Devildom history. Based on what the textbooks say, vampires are extinct in Hell. So how did this happen?

Only one way to find out and I need the facts before I let myself have a crisis. I guess the textbooks are a good starting point. Ignoring my protesting muscles, I drag myself out of bed to find any information I can.

Blah blah due to the vampire population rising at unprecedented rates and the threat to lower level demons, the King called upon the royal army to deal with the infestation.

Infestation? So I'm vermin now?

Startled by sudden pain in my jaw, my mouth opens in a silent gasp. Crimson blood drips onto the page. Just a few specks at first, but before long, I'm nearly choking as the liquid spills from my mouth.

Frantic, I run through the halls. Not particularly caring about the trail of blood I leave in my wake. Thank fuck no one is in the bathroom.

I lock the door behind me. Muscle memory. Before dashing to the mirror.

Holy shit. Maybe I'm not dead but I sure as hell look it. My body is littered with healing cuts, not to mention the two angry handprints that scorched my skin. Then there's my throat. It's healed somewhat but the mangled flesh has barely begun to scar. Honestly, it doesn't look like something I should've survived.

Fuck. The dull throbbing in my mouth turned sharp once again. Mouth opened as wide as I can manage, I try to inspect the affected area, but God, there's so much blood - I hear the small clink of something hitting the ceramic.

Holy shit. No. This isn't... this can't be happening. I'm hyperventilating as I force myself to look down. There's no way that...nope my entire tooth is sitting in the sink. Cool.... this is just great. I'm. I'm just hallucinating. Or something. That's the only explanation. Maybe I ate Solomon's cooking. That could be it. Food poisoning. Really bad food poisoning.

"Alaura?" A low voice interrupts my manic train of thought. "Alaura, please... open the door."

I don't even bother trying. I can hardly hold myself upright. Who's laughing? Is that my voice? Shit. I'm on the floor. When did that happen? The edges of my vision are fuzzy and dark. When I close my eyes, all I can see is a startling picture of my tooth. A small amount of gum is still hanging on for dear life. Much more blood than what could be considered healthy framing it like some grotesque work of art. Shit. My head hits the cold tile, and I'm watching as the door shakes on its hinges. Maybe I should've locked it.

Once again I wake up, tucked snugly in my bed. This time, however, I can spot a certain white-haired demon curled up on my floor, snoring softly. Cute but there is no way that's comfortable. I can see the dark circles and irritated skin, most likely raw from crying.

For a moment I'm transported back to simpler times. Mammon breaking into my room after a night at the casino, ranting about how "shits rigged", before passing out. Usually I'd shove a pillow under his head and throw a blanket over him before going to bed myself. Maybe even play with his hair. It's soft as hell but I know he'd complain if I did it while he was awake. I even got a beanbag chair at one point so his spine doesn't riot. With such a mundane scene, I can almost pretend things are normal.

Almost. When I poke at the tooth causing me grief earlier, I find it is longer and sharper than I remember. No. No. No. No.

"Mammon," I hiss. "Mammon wake up."

He wakes with a start, rubbing sleep from his eyes before jumping into action.

"You're up!"

I nod slowly. Knees hugged to my chest. "Is this real?"

With a sigh he plops down on my bed, walking me through complex math problems until I know without a doubt my subconscious could never make that up.

Teary-eyed, I stare at Mammon before I finally speak again. Talking feels strange with a killer toothache and one fang.

"What now?"

[constellationapex]

DEATH COMES, LIKE LOVE

FANDOM: A Mage Reborn

CHARACTERS: Leon de Param, Saine de Param, Ilya Magritte de Alviar, Eliana “Eli” Revelois, Sister

RELATIONSHIPS: Leon/ MC

Prelude: I started writing this fic 3 months ago, but after a bout of writers block, left it to rot in my google docs. I picked it up and (mystically) managed to finish it! Huzzah! It’s a celebratory gift to @mage-parivir to commemorate AMR’s release! It’s basically a pov of my Mage, Lilith, during the bbq. Hope you enjoy! (The fic is underneath the cut.)

The creatures of the desert will encounter jackals

And the hairy goat will call to its kind;

Indeed, Lilith will settle there

And find herself a place of rest.

- Isaiah 34:14

As a child, Lilith had loved spring. 

Spring, when the world was shiny and new. Spring, when the birds sang in the sky, soaring overhead in great patterns, lines, flocks. Spring, newly freed from Thaubal's lab, and running down the slope of a hill, Sister- Myreille- and Eli a ways behind, laughing and shrieking and alive. Spring, with flowers in their hair and the air whipping about them as they realized that, for the first time in a long, long time-since they were but a babe- they were safe. 

It seemed fitting then, in some sadistic way, that Lilith should die on the first day of spring.  

Lilith's feet burned as they stumbled down the well-trodden path, colliding against overturned stones and loose pieces of waste. Their body ached; the feeling had become a constant presence to Lilith, as familiar as the twists of the seals on their body. The pain, the aching, had roared into their body with a vengeance when they were thrown into the cell, a vicious thrumming in their body. A weakness, that made their head loll to the side and their breath come out shallower as they brought their knees to their chest, closing their eyes and trying to ignore the accusing glances, the sneers and whispers.

It was almost comforting, in a way. The pain was something reliable. It served as an anchor to the world around them, kept them stable and whole. It let them feel something, at the very least. Ever since turning away Ilya's attempt to free them from the prison, something cold and numb had seized Lilith's heart, slithered over the valves and muscles before burrowing solidly into their chest. It was a great weight that sunk low into their core and made their once quick steps slow with weariness, heavy with disdain. The Lilith from before- all bright smiles and warm laughter, rolling charm and unabashed kindness- had shed their skin during their confinement, leaving only a sun-burnt husk behind. 

Lilith wanted to have the ache, at least for a bit. Until they couldn't feel anymore 

They reached the main road after what seemed like minutes to Lilith, though from the strengthening light of the sun, it was bound to be closer to midday. Lilith's mouth went dry as sandpaper as they cleared onto the road, greeted on all sides by a throng of townspeople. Almost immediately at Lilith's arrival, the rushing whispers of the crowd grew louder in volume, until it was a deafening roar. They flung insults at Lilith's face as venomously as they threw their fruit, rotted and misshapen. Molded apples, soft and mushed; peaches gone wrinkled and brown, white spots digging into the skin like blisters; hard pieces of bread, green and misshaped. These were only some of the impressive arsenal of ruined produce flung at Lilith's head as they were dragged, limp and shaking, down the street. 

If Lilith were stronger, they might have thanked the crowd for the food- this, like it or not, could count as their breakfast. No matter how rotted through the food was, it was probably leagues better than prison food. Or Leon's slop, for that matter. 

An orange, bruised and small in size, hit Lilith's hair, the soft pulp dripping down Lilith's brown skin. They squeezed their eyes shut, the acidic juices sticking to their hair. A burst of pain bloomed from the hit spot, almost overwhelming them in their limp state. The orange sludge congealed on their skin like curdled milk, gummy and thick. Lilith wanted to tear their hair out, free it from the oppressive pulp. Wanted to claw their way through the crowd and find the one who'd thrown the orange at them and rip and tear and-

A sudden movement on their face. The soft cloth of a handkerchief- one of the guards- swept quickly, brusquely, over their eyes and at the corners of their mouth. Lilith's eyes opened hesitantly, angling their head to stare at the guards. It was a struggle- they had Lilith in an iron hold, forcing them forward in such a way that it was a pain to look behind them. But they did, twisting themselves around to regard their jailers for a precious moment. There were only two physically restraining Lilith, their blank gazes flashing into twin looks of irritation and- Lilith felt a sudden, unbridled mirth steep inside of them- fear. 

Before the Incident, Lilith would never have inspired fear in the guards, their sworn siblings. Annoyance? Perhaps. Amusement? Most definitely. But never fear, in all its ravenous glory. 

Lilith, almost as quickly as they'd turned around, focused back on the path and shuffled their way to the square. Lilith's feet were scabbed from all the walking they'd been doing, they were sure of it- they'd been vain, prideful even during wartime, meticulously applying creams and poultices to their skin in an attempt to stave off calluses. It had been a ridiculous notion, Lilith knew. They'd been the King's retainer, once, and they would most definitely have gotten some form of blemish had they continued with their duties. 

Lilith had given up so much, had worked so hard just to be considered as the King's Retainer. Had become sweat and bone and undying loyalty all to a man who’d kill them. 

They lived in the worst of all possible worlds. 

The pyre now, strong and sturdy, appeared in Lilith’s vision. Hateful, malignant- a specter of death on the horizon, promising no mercy, none at all for a murderer. 

Myrielle’s collar tightened about their neck. 

They were carried softly to the pyre, softer than they’d expected. They could mistake it as a loving act, were it not for the burning in their feet and the lump in their throat. A rope tightened about their middle, then their arms, before being worked into a tight knot in the back. Lilith closed their eyes as they bit down the waves roiling inside. If this was to be their last moment on this forsaken earth, let them at least keep their dignity. They would not cry. 

They would not cry. 

Lilith opened their eyes slowly, incrementally. Green eyes pierced into their soul, as fresh as a blade of grass. As flaccid and as bloated as rot, murky and killable. Eyes like light; eyes like death. 

Lilith had loved those eyes once. Still, even as those eyes glanced towards the knights beside the pyre and the hand rose up in a gesture- burn the traitor, burn them now- they thought they might forgive them. 

Lilith could forgive, in this moment, hordes of people. Or- not really, no, not hordes. Certainly not the horde in front of them. If they ever learned what had truly happened, they’d fall over themselves with forgiveness, regret, pleas- they couldn’t just get a story or stick to it. 

Wishy washy bootlickers. Always looking for an enemy, for some way to paw off their own faults. 

Maybe Myrielle was right, after all. Lilith, for the first time since she’d died, allowed a sliver of grief to weave its way into their heart for her sister-once-upon-a-life. Myrielle had been everything to Lilith, once. 

They wondered if any of it had been real. 

No, now was not the time. It would never be the time, for the torch had been laid against the pyre and smoke clogged up the air around Lilith, heady and thick like fog. Lilith breathed it in, the ruined air thickening in their lungs. A hacking cough split their body. They tried to clamp their mouth shut, end their breathing, but knew it was futile. You couldn’t escape the smoke, especially when you were, more or less, chained to it. 

Besides, dying from suffocation would be a kinder end than barbecuing to death. 

The embers crackled against the wood as it ate, languid, as if it had all the time in the world. The jeers of the peasantry came through distorted, warped, as though being heard through thick walls. Lilith was growing ever so light headed and thick as they breathed in more of the smoke. 

The world was growing faint around the edges. It was in thin swirls, bleeding from its edges like a ripped corpse. Lilith had seen many over the years- running from death, contracting with her, (and, in retrospect, perhaps towards it) had given them a certain familiarity with the dead. They knew how a corpse looked- the hollow eyes, the bloated middle from starvation, the gaunt face from fear. The coldness, the ripped organs. The blood and vomit and utter gore was almost an old friend to Lilith at this point. 

A sudden stab of fear pervaded Lilith’s calm grief, a horror at becoming one of the many bodies left in Leon’s wake. Leon, on the battlefield, anger in his eyes and a bloodied sword in his hand as he swung it down, down, down, onto some poor saps juglar. He didn’t even watch as the head bounced off, instead directing his wrath onto some other wretch, too young to die yet too old to do anything else. 

This was a different type of battle, an extension of that war. Except Lilith was the target of his ire now. And while Leon’s love was slow and soft and giving, Leon’s hate burnt hot and red as flame. 

The sky had grown darker now, swathed in gray smoke- like silk. Lilith had gotten a grand silk dress when they’d first come to Sienan, thin and gossamer, shining underneath the light. They’d been a vision in it. It had long since been lost to the throes of time, but Lilith experienced a longing for it in their final hour. If they were to die, at the very least they could have died in luxury. 

It had gotten hard to breathe. Lilith’s body shook with coughs, broken gasps wrenching out of their used body as they struggled against the wood. The pyre had grown hot, burning, the flames burping with glee below. It wouldn’t be long now. 

Lilith could hear distant walking, growing closer. Humming. Lilith wondered if it was their own. Lilith dinly remembered Eli’s humming as she carded her hand through Lilith’s hair, forcing it into a braid as the younger child had whined. Eli comforting them after they’d messed up on an alchemy quiz, rubbing their back as they blubbered into her shoulder. (Little Lilith had been so gloomy back then.) 

“It’s ok,” she’d said, again and again until her voice had gone raw from it. “It’s ok.” 

It hadn’t been ok, not that or anything after. Lilith wondered what Eli would think if she could see them right now. Angered that they had squandered Eli’s sacrifice, had ignored Eli’s demand for them to live? Or sad because of just how thoroughly useless it had been, of how she’d given her life away just to save something that had been fated to death from the start?

No matter. Lilith would be going to Eli soon enough. Would hug her until she’d suffocate from it, apologizing over and over as the world burned down around them. 

Lilith’s eyes closed. They breathed in deep as the smoke tightened around their lungs. Thought of Saine and Ilya and Aunt Bess, their smiles, their laughs, the promise of home and good food and love and sleep. They thought of  Leon, his nose against theirs, breath hot against their cheek. Come back to me. 

Lilith goes home. 

[obeiii-mee]

Hey!! I just came across your page and I immediately fell in love with your writing style,, since your ask box is open, I was hoping to request MC getting hit with a spell or curse that makes them hate the brothers. (Like mystic messenger elixir, or danganronpa despair disease!) pretty much just how they would react if MC suddenly started to thrash and curse at them. (That sweet angst if you catch my drift) Thank you for taking the time to read this! <33

The Brothers with a Cursed!MC

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We gotta keep the angst train rolling because why not-

I’ll happily write anything to do with hate spells and the Danganronpa reference really painted it out for me nicely so let’s see if I can write angst in slightly smaller portions because there was an attempt! Thanks for the request by the way, this is the kind of thing that pops up in my brain pretty often, idk how I never wrote it out before now! You’re also very sweet for taking the time out of your day to request this <3

Characters: Lucifer, Mammon, Levi, Satan, Asmo, Beel and Belphie

Notes: uh, the title is pretty bland because I didn’t know what to write instead-

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Lucifer:

-“What the hell are you doing here? Get out-I don’t want to fucking see you!”

-Knowing that he could’ve done something to prevent this honestly frustrates him in ways he did not think were possible

-As someone who doesn’t let his emotions get the best of him, the sight of you thrashing around in his brothers’ arms while yelling obscenities at him genuinely broke his heart

-Moments like this, when something so unexpected happens or when he’s genuinely hurt by the actions of others, stump him the most. His perfect self just vanishes and he’s stuck because he doesn’t know how to react

-Well, he’s obviously sad. Actually, sad doesn’t even begin to cover it. Your desperate attempts at breaking free and lunging at him were probably one of the most gut wrenching things he’s ever had to witness and that says something considering he was very much present when his sister was on the verge of a painful death

-However, perhaps more than anything, he is seriously pissed off. Whoever casted that spell, be it an accident or otherwise, is in deep shit the moment Lucifer discovers that they are the perpetrator and they will have to suffer accordingly

-This is the kind of thing that no one, let alone the Avatar of Pride, would forgive easily. Having a loved one be brainwashed or rather cursed to the point they make you the target of all their hate and distrust hurts. And that hurt will quickly turn into anger with time and before long, the demon in question will find themselves hanging from the ceiling in Cerberus’ room before personally being visited by Lucifer himself. Terrible fate really, but what can you do?

-Even so, none of that mattered in the grand scheme of things-after all, he punishes ignorant demons on a pretty regular basis and they can’t die as easily as humans so finding the time to torture such a miserable creature isn’t exactly a problem

-The problem was the aftermath; as much as he wishes to, he can’t get rid of the effects of the spell manually and unfortunately, he will have to wait for them wear off before you can return back to normal. Fortunately, on most occasions, jinxes like this don’t last for very long. Typically 2-3 days, though sometimes it can drag on for up to a week which he hopes isn’t the case

-In the meantime, the best course of action would be to supervise you for the next couple of days and see whether your condition is getting better or not. This is, unsurprisingly, a very difficult thing to do since you keep pushing him away and violently at that but it’s not as if he can just stop trying. Curses like this sometimes come on with side effects, especially when performed on humans and they can be pretty nasty. After studying previous cases of these incidents, he discovered its quiet probable for you to get sick or sluggish towards the end of the life span of the spell

-And he stays firm on the matter, even if you keep loudly protesting against it and even if he feels completely drained after each visit to ensure that you were not taking a turn for the worse. Believe it or not, your words are powerful enough to start wearing him down and not many people can say they have that kind of affect on the literal embodiment of pride. More than anything, Lucifer wants you to return to your usual self because he misses you and seeing you act this way towards him is really making him question a lot of things

-“I told you to just piss off, you prideful, two faced bitch.”

-“….MC, stop moving-I’m trying to check whether you have a fever or not. I promise to leave afterwards, but I can’t do that until I’m sure you’re not getting sick.”

Mammon:

-“Hey! Don’t fucking touch me, just stay the hell away from me!”

-Honestly, the first time you snapped at him while you were under that curse shook him to his core and he was just confused because he’s never seen you act out like this before. But then, your words start to settle in and he almost bursts into tears

-The whole time his brothers are trying to sort you out, he’s panicking in the background with tears running down his face until Belphie comes up behind him and slaps him on the head, telling him to get his shit together

-Truth is: he is freaking out. Badly. Like, extremely bad. He doesn’t know what’s happening or why, he just knows that you are not feeling like yourself at the moment because you keep throwing shit at him and yelling at the top of your lungs to leave you alone

-He doesn’t want to. Leave, that is. Mammon actually feels like physically attaching himself to you by now and he probably would’ve if it weren’t for his brothers, who sensed that having him around was not doing you any good

-The worst part though was that, after a couple of days of waiting around for the curse to wear off, you began to ignore him altogether and that probably hurt him more than the way you treated him before

-Mostly because, in that case, he knew you weren’t acting like your usual self and he could reason that it was definitely the spell was that forcing you to behave like this. However, being ignored hit a bit too close to home since this is a pretty common tactic you used whenever you were seriously pissed off at him. Granted, you only ever reserved it for very serious situations but when you did apply it, Mammon usually felt as if the world was going to collapse on his head

-The silent treatment was possibly one of the worst things he could’ve endured that week because of how unwanted it made him feel and overall just worthless for not being able to protect you from this kinda stuff. Actually, he wouldn’t have been surprised if you decided to blame this on him as well, even after you’ve regained some more of your senses. To him it made perfect sense

-For the most part, the whole time Satan and other various demon doctors were trying to treat you, Mammon was most likely off sulking by himself. If I were to guess, probably in his room, back to the door and knees pressed up to his chest. Since, obviously, he wouldn’t have any motivation to go out without his lucky charm present and accounted for, so locked inside his room seemed like the only solution

-His brothers were worried but not even Lucifer could drag him out and eventually they gave up. Honestly, they were hoping bringing you back to normal would convince him to set foot outside of his bedroom again, even though it felt like a bit of wishful thinking

-Realistically, he’s going to keep his distance from you for a few days after you’ve recovered because by then he would have become quite insecure about a lot of things and really didn’t want to be in your presence until he felt safe again. Though, it wouldn’t take an awful to coax him towards you once again. He fell in love with you for a reason, after all.

-As for the stupid motherfucker that decided jinxing you was a good idea, he better thank his lucky stars that Mammon was mourning for a solid week before he could act on his emotions of anger. In my opinion, that’s enough time for the demon in question to runaway, maybe to the human world, invent a new identity. Go on holiday. To the Balkans, maybe. I don’t know. Mammon would probably find him. And as tame of a demon as he can be, no one wants to feel the wrath of the second born

-“…..Mammon, just go.”

-“…please….p-please don’t say that…”

Levi:

-“What the hell are you doing here?”

-Probably asking himself the same question, to be honest. It’s clear that you do not want to see him and that his presence was nothing more than a hindrance but for some reason, he really felt inclined to stay

-Levi was the last of the brothers to find out about your sudden predicament. After all, the incident itself took place during school hours and he was at home watching anime the whole time. Not to mention, he turned his D.D.D off completely so he wouldn’t be bothered by anyone before his marathon was finished so even though the brothers were desperately trying to call him, he obviously didn’t answer

-It was horrible, to put it mildly. Having to watch you get forcibly get strapped to the bed so you didn’t have the chance to attack anyone and even when you calmed down, it was clear you didn’t feel like talking to any of them

-In a way, this whole ordeal is really just feeding into his inferiority complex because even though he knows the words you are saying are not sincere, they still manage to affect him quite badly because it’s coming from you

-Despite the explanation being reasonable enough, he fails to not take it to heart and it sort of shifted his whole perspective on your relationship, much like Mammon, because of his insecurities

-By the time you’re back to your normal self, he is not. Completely out of energy as one might say. And yes, he’s used to not sleeping for days in a row sometimes but this is different because he is not doing it to catch up on a show he missed or to play with his fish

-This is a matter of your health being absolutely on the verge of collapsing entirely while your whole personality flipped like a switch, which made him anxious enough to not crave sleep or his usual entertainment past times

-While you’re still sick, he’s essentially hoping to Lord Diavolo himself that Satan knows what the hell he is doing since he was the one in charge of taking care of you, with him being more of an expert than any of the others and all. It’s stressful and the way you keep talking to him wasn’t helping in the slightest

-In all fairness, he’s almost acting as if you’ve died and he’s in the process of mourning you. Mostly because to him you were a completely different person altogether and he refused to believe the actual MC would be so blunt and dismissive. Even if you were to believe half the things you were saying, it’s not like you would willingly say it out loud to him no matter what because you always took into account how he felt about everything

-That’s what he keeps telling himself, though your insults are starting to get at him the more he’s in your presence. To keep himself occupied, he attempts to find the person who’s cursed you as a way to avenge you. Levi knows his brothers probably already did all sorts of horrible things to them and they obviously deserve it but he wants to take some petty revenge too! And what’s pettier than completely destroying someone’s social life through social media, especially when it’s helping him deal with the current situation <3

-“Can you just fucking leave already, you piece of shit.”

-“….MC….“

Satan:

-“Piss off Satan.”

-It doesn’t take long for him to start matching your energy in terms of anger. I guess it’s to be expected since hostility is usually met with more hostility and this is especially true in Satan’s case. Though it’s not clear whether he’s angry at you or the situation as a whole. It may well be both, but just because he’s the Avatar of Wrath, that doesn’t mean he’s completely unreasonable

-As usual, he was just spending his free time inside the library of the House of Lamentation when Mammon came bursting in, panicking from the looks of things before proceeding to grab him by the sleeve and aggressively yank him towards your room

-The whole situation was pretty bewildering to begin with but then, when he noticed the exact state you were in and just how badly you needed medical help-or the demon equivalent by any means, he low key started freaking out as well

-Truthfully, it was a lot of pressure on him. It was obvious that all of his brothers had really high expectations of him and were essentially pushing him to ‘fix’ you within the next 24 hours, which was probably not possible anyway

-However, on top of all of that, your overall demeanour also caught him really off guard and he genuinely had no idea how to react to your altered self once he has been updated on the matter

-Naturally, he is used to fighting fire with fire but as much as he is inclined to do just that, it really wouldn’t be fair on you considering you are not exactly capable of resisting the curse in question

-Honestly, he’s just glad (and extremely tired) once the effects of the curse are lifted because the whole experience was draining for him and as a result, he couldn’t even imagine what you were feeling after you started regaining your senses again

-Though he’s not the Avatar of Wrath for nothing and he sometimes can hold grudges for various periods of time, he doesn’t really hold anything against you, no matter how much you may have upset him while you were in that state of mind and for a few days, he may just appreciate the fact that he was able to do anything at all as a way to help ypu

-In terms of the foolish bastard that thought doing this to you was a great idea, it doesn’t take Satan all that long to come up with some kind of scheme to take his revenge on them. The whole ordeal has left him incredibly frustrated and agitated, so who would be a better choice to let all of his anger out on if not the dumbass that caused you to go through all of this?

-Don’t worry—the fourth born tends to unwind fairly quickly after releasing some of his anger so he should be by your side the next morning as if nothing happened <3

-“I’ll fucking kill you-GET OF-“

-“…MC, for the love of all that is demonic, stay still. I am not in the mood for this right now.”

Asmo:

-“…just… get out…I don’t want to see you.”

-Yeah, that alone would do enough collateral damage to last him for the next few centuries or so. Though he’s always been good at being perceptive and noticing when something is amiss with either you or his brothers, even Asmo seemed to be take off guard by your condition

-The effect you have on him is devastating at times, you know? He genuinely doesn’t know how to feel about any of this because he’s not used to seeing you react in such a way and he’s certainly not used to his brothers acting in such a peculiar manner either. It was almost as if they were lost on what to do next and that terrified him to a certain extent

-Even though you were against anyone keeping you company, someone needed to supervise you for obvious reasons. If something were to happen or your condition were to worsen, then the outcome of that problem would be in your favour if someone was there to spot it in time. Asmo usually volunteered to stay, since he didn’t feel like doing anything else on most days now that you were bed riddled

-Of course, Mammon also tagged along quite often and the two of them sort of bonded this way, though the circumstances of their stronger relationship is dubious by all means. You wouldn’t be able to tell but despite absolutely refusing to leave your side for days on end, your words did start wearing him down a little

-It wouldn’t surprise him if he were to find out you really despised him and his siblings after everything they did to you. They still couldn’t identify the curse quite well but for all they knew, it could’ve been used as a sort of truth serum that forced you to say what was on your mind no matter what

-Luckily for everyone else involved, Asmo is certainly capable of brushing off the insults you may have hurled at him and even though he’s still hurt by your words, he seems to realise that now is not the time for him to be offended or to mop about, since your condition was suddenly going to worsen before it got better

-I guess Asmo has always been rather good at prioritising the things and people he considered to be important and you are, without a doubt, one of them so his main concern was to ensure that you get better, not to worry over what you think about him

-Surprisingly enough, he didn’t need to think about the good for nothing scum that cursed you to begin with all that much, mostly because his brothers went and took care of them long before he even had the chance to react

-Doesn’t mean he has no intention of hunting him down later (if he happens to still be alive which is doubtful) and giving them a piece of his mind as well. Does this imbecile know how much sleep he lost because of what he did??? How many hours of distress and lack of self care-yeah he is probably gonna end up taking it out on him

-The good thing about having a smart ass for a brother was that Satan did heal you and way faster than most them had hoped for. In a week’s time, you were back to your old self again and Asmo could finally….relax after several days of anxious waiting. If you expect him to unglue himself from you once you’re back to normal then you’re fatally wrong.

-“Why are you even here? I thought the perfect Asmodeus would never need the company of someone who is so clearly below him.”

-“….MC, I could never think that. I…need your company more than anyone else’s so don’t say that. It’s not fair...”

Beel:

-“I fucking hate you so don’t even fucking bother talking to me.”

-Really, startled doesn’t even begin to describe his reaction to the current situation because he just came in to ask you if you wanted to go to Hell’s Kitchen with him and he found you strapped to your bed, yelling obscenities at him whilst his brothers watched from the sides, equally dumbfounded

-Surprisingly enough however, even though he may seem like the type to get emotional (which he is capable of being no doubt), Beel becomes really frustrated and angry once Mammon explains what happened to you and why you were in such a compromising state of mind

-Like, don’t get me wrong, seeing you act so indifferently towards him hurts more than his hunger pains when he doesn’t eat for a whole day but knowing that someone out there purposefully tried to turn you against him and his brothers pisses him off a lot

-And it’s probably because he knows it took such a long time for things to finally settle down and for you to be accepted into their family just for this to happen so naturally he’s not exactly happy

-Of course, don’t expect him to go off on a rampage on his own (at least, not until you get better) because honestly, he could eat the idiot behind this whole facade if he wanted to but he wouldn’t be able to enjoy it knowing you were still very much stuck at home and bed ridden

-For the majority of your recovery, he obviously stayed by your side (though he wasn’t as committed to it as Asmo and Mammon because he constantly had to go and fetch more food from the kitchen)

-Probably slept in your room as well, him and Mammon most likely took turns because after a few days of this, they were becoming increasingly tired and your bedroom floor isn’t exactly an easy place for someone to rest. They figured they’re not gonna be able to do you much good if they are drop down exhausted all the time

-Beel probably envelops you into the hug of the century once it’s confirmed there are no traces left of the curse on you and he’s almost crushing you but that’s OK because it’s been a tough week and he needs it (you too tbh)

-I would say he’s the most unaffected brother by your interactions with him whilst you were under the influence of the spell. Even though you deliberately went out of your way to insult and insinuate all kinds of horrible stuff about him, he didn’t seem to take too much of it to heart and brushed it off almost??? Didn’t stop him from sighing in relief as you apologised to him for saying all of that

-“Go annoy someone else Beel, I’m not in the fucking mood.”

-“…MC, have you eaten anything today?”

Belphie:

-“H-HEY!! Fucking let go of me-what the hell are you doing??!!”

-Unlike his brothers, he does not believe in the art of allowing people to heal on their own nor is he any good at giving people personal space when they may want it, he is simply against it

-So he’s pretty much aggressively holding you no matter how much you thrash against him-he’s surprisingly strong for a demon that doesn’t actually do anything all day so no wonder you can barely move whilst in his embrace

-The whole ordeal has pissed him off and tired him greatly, like two seconds in and he can’t decide if he wants to take a nap or go end the piece of shit that started all of this to begin with

-Honestly, he probably decided against both because maybe-just maybe-he was more needed here, at least until you stopped throwing shit at him every time he entered the room. In a way, he thought his presence might help but that’s just wishful thinking tbh

-Not going to lie, even though he tries to make it seem as if this is not bothering him at all, it does. Out of everyone, your hatred for him is, in a way, the most justifiable. Whilst he can see your dislike of his siblings as something that was fabricated due to the curse, your feelings towards him could’ve been real for all he knew

-That could be the main reason he didn’t feel like pissing off despite you telling him to do so every hour of the day and eventually he had to be pried away by Satan once he decided his brothers were getting in the way of your recovery

-That week may as well have been torture because time was going too slow and yet too fast simultaneously and he was in a fucking horrible mood the entire time (your attitude rubbed off on him) so this eventually lead to him snapping at his brothers on several occasions and fights breaking out more often than usual

-Once you are back to your senses (more or less) expect a pillow to be thrown at your head because that time period was so stressful to him he could barely sleep and he was anxious as fuck. By now, we know Belphie expresses his concern through anger and snide remarks so that’s to be expected

-Even though he is grumpy by nature, Belphie is internally so relieved to know you were not able to control yourself whilst under the influence of the spell and just happy that now he is 100% sure you don’t hate him as much as you let on during the past few days. However, the best thing to come out of this situation?? He got dibs on breaking the ribcage of the bastard behind all of this and now he gets to be a torturous little shit to someone else for a change

-“Huh? What are you going to do? Fucking kill me again? I don’t give a shit.”

-“………..”

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