#until i thought about the grimoire and the begining

[kari-go]

godsona or something

[anontheghost]

Fixing Stolitz (Non-Romance Version)

First of all, I will start by saying that the Stolas and Blitz relationship had a lot of unused potential to do something really interesting. A dark romance between an extremely powerful demon prince and one of hell’s lower classes? Sign me right up. 

However, due to several bad writing decisions and the insistance of the creator to make the ship canon no matter what, all that potential went down the drain as it turned into something creepy and extremely unhealthy no matter what angle you look at it.

However, there is a key moment that, in my humble opinion, ruined the ship since episode 1: The Full Moon Deal.

Of course, there are additional things that made the relationship a challenge to begin with: The enormous class difference, Stola’s own prejudice towards imps, Blitz’s own walls due to trauma, Stola's inmortality, etc. But for this to work in one way or another, the extremely coercive Full Moon Deal needs to be erased or changed:

I have to versions on how this relationship may work: In one, there is no romance involved and is strictly a business relationship with the possibility of friendship and the other is a complicated romance about two people who may like each other but whose own circumstances may prevent them from truly being together.

So, without further do... Let's begin!

o0o0o0o0o0o0o

At this point, Stolas did not know if he should step in. 

Sure, he wanted to teach the stupid? brave? little imp who thought it was a good idea to steal his Grimoire a lesson. But honestly, this was getting a little ridiculous; it was almost entertaining. 

40 minutes have already passed, and the imp was still trying to lift the Grimoire with no signs of giving up. No matter how many times he flipped, felt in ground or how many muscles he strained, he just kept going. 

Others would have already left, running away scared, fearful of the consequences that such actions may take.

But not him.

Curious, now he was trying to use one of his heavier books to push the Grimoire towards the edge. A relatively clever tactic if it wasn’t for the small detail that he would have to pick it up from the floor later on.

The imp didn't enter the palace by himself; two others followed him in secret. They appeared to be a pair, and they were a little smaller than him. Also, they knocked down two of his best maids and stole their uniforms to “blend in.”

Naturally, though, he would not have been duped by those poor disguises. From the cook who makes his meals to the gardener who assists him in caring for his plants, he is familiar with the names and faces of each and every one of his subordinates. He hasn't, as far as he can recall, employed any more maids, especially two who were blatantly unprepared for the position. 

They weren’t even pretending to work at this point; they were just standing guard outside of his study, where the taller imp was still trying to steal one of the most powerful magical artifacts hell possessed and failing miserably.

 "Okay, stupid book,” The imp suddenly spoke, tired that the book simply refused to move, “I don’t like you and you don’t like me, but you are going to make Daddy really rich, so please move already!”

“Sir!” one of the smaller imps said, “Please keep quiet! What about the plan of taking the book and then leaving?”

“That was until I found out that this little book weighted the same as four elephants!” The imp shouted ever higher. "This thing is not bigger than a dictionary! How is this possible?!”

Because the book senses your lack of magic

Also, he hates being disturbed.

The imp jolted from the scare and confusion and before he tried to escape, I decided that it was time for us to have a little meeting. 

O)O)O)O)O0o0o)O)O)O

In handsight, Blitz always knew this idea was terrible.

Stealing a powerful magical artifact from one of hell’s great princes? That can easily be considered a suicide mission. However, sometimes you need to do crazy things in order to put food on the table. 

Imps offering assassination services were common in hell. Being one of the few jobs imps could still do while maintaining financial independence, it was a popular career choice.

Unfortunately, that meant a lot more competition. It meant another crew offering to do the killing at a much cheaper price and stealing customers from them. If things continue the way they were going, their little company won’t last much longer.

During a one-night stand with a sinner a few months prior to the robbery, he had the brilliant idea that would save his business. They said that he would give the sinner all his money if he could murder his violent parents and send them to hell.

“They are the reason I ended up in this trash dump! I would have probably become a better person if they weren’t pieces of shit.” He remembers the sinner saying, "It is not fair that they are still up there living the high life while I am suffering here!”

How many sinners would pay him handsomely to kill the people who wronged them on  earth? There is no other assassin crew offering those services so there would be no competition; they could charge double if they want to!

Who knows, they might even save enough for an office... but he didn’t want to set his expectations way to high.

Now… How, in the name of everything unholy, are they going to go to earth?

In order for a demon to enter the human realm, they must first obtain special authorization from one of the seven deadly sins. This process is not easy and can take months or even years. The only way for it to be expedited is if one of the sins sends the demon on a special mission, which hasn't occurred in more than a century.

In other words, it would be literally impossible for him and his all-imp crew to get their hands in one of those.

There were also the succubus, who were probably the only beings in hell who were granted permission to go to earth on the regular, thanks to the Asmodean Crystals that they were all gifted on their eighteenth birthday. Sadly for them, Blitz was not on good terms with any of his succubus exes, so asking them to lend them their crystal was out of the question. 

Which is how they ended up in Prince’s Stolas Star Palace, where they were going to use all their skills to try and steal one of the most powerful magical artifacts in hell’s possession: the Lunar Grimoire, which has the power to create portals to the world of the living. 

The plan was supposed to be very simple: Considering that Prince Stolas had the fame of being a total hermit who barely left his room, all IMP needed to do was avoid the master bedroom and go directly to the main study where the book resided; grab it and leave the premises before anyone notices. 

A very simple plan, which was not simple at all.

Blitz now knew that, considering he was glued to a table located in the middle of the vast space, with the hermit prince seated on the other side and he was not what he expected.

The prince’s was tall, like probably one of the highest demons Blitz has ever seen, at least three meters tall. His feathers were picth-black, blending his entire body with the vastness of space—the only way he knew that a body was there was the loose but intricately decorated clothing he was wearing. His face, however, was the most unselteling part, being literally the silver mask of an owl, completely expressionless except for his very red eyes. 

Which were impossible to decipher. 

“So… imp.” His voice sounded like it was coming from the deepest bottoms of the earth. “May you please explain why you were doing with my palace, trying to steal my Grimoire?”

“Huh…” Come on, Blitz! Think quick! “I am... the new imp in charge of cleaning the book! It is very nice to meet your owlness; I was hired just yesterday.”

“Oh! Did Mara interview you? Or was it Keneth? I am not so sure now which one is in charge of the interviews; it has been a while after all.”

“Yes! It was that Mara chick! She was so impressed by my amazing resume that she hired me on the spot!”

“Really? Where else have you worked? In Pride’s great library I assume?”

“Yes!” Blitz now said confidently, “With all the books, tomes and other stuff that libraries have.”

“That is very interesting.”

Before Blitz could ever have the chance to speak, he suddenly felt his legs becoming limp and slowly turning into stone. In a panic, he tried to leave, but that only accelerated the pretrification process, which now covered most of his body except his face.

“Mara is on paid maternity leave and won’t be back until after her son is a year old.” Stolas said solemnly, like if he were scolding a misbehaving child. “Keneth retired after 40 years of faithful service and is now spending the rest of his days in a cozy ranch in Wrath with his family.”

Blitz was now getting desperate; what would he say to this owl to calm him down? Was he even mad or just getting some sick satisfaction from torturing him? 

Moxxie and Millie! Oh shit! What is going to happen to them after he ends up as a statue? Will they end up as statues too? That can be! Those two just got married; they have a lot to live for!

“Wait!” Blitz shouted using the last of his strength. 

“What now?”

“Please, I beg you, let my two employees go; they were just following me here because I am their boss! They won't set foot in your palace again after this, I promise!”

Hold on a second…His employees? 

Curious. 

Blitz was freed from his stone prison with a little clap from Stola’s hands and sat down at the table once more, this time prepared for a tea party: Even though Blitz wasn't a tea drinker, his cup was filled with the most exquisite tea he had ever smelled, along with sandwiches, pastries, and tiny, elegant biscuits.

This left him incredibly confused. Wasn’t the prince going to kill him a few seconds ago? Why is he now offering him tea and biscuits?

"So are you saying that the two imps that are now desperately trying to open my door work for you?”

“ Yes…” Blitz responded timidly, “We are an assassination business.”

“I have heard of imps offering their services as assassins, but they were never a company.” Stolas took a sip of his tea. “I thought imps were forbidden to even open a business without a tutor.”

How could Blitz ever forget that?

Hell's Law, Section 4b, Subparagraph 6: Every imp in charge of running a business needs a tutor to supervise all movements. If not, the company is deemed void and needs to be shut down right away. 

With how many doors were closed in his face, he has that fucking decree burned in his mind. Honestly, he was just planning to go underground and move rings constantly if that was deemed necessary. 

“And what type of assassinations do you do?” Stolas said, noticing Blitz's uncomfortable expression. “It must have something to do with the human world if you needed my book for that.”

“There is no shortage of imps working as assassins in hell; the competition is big and more than once, we have lost customers because some newbies offered to do the killing for cheaper.” Blitz grunted, “I just thought that if my company offered something no other did, then we would finally be able to pay the bills at the end of the month.”

Stolas stood there in silence. This was a curious little imp indeed; he had never in his incredibly long life seen an imp so much determination; I mean, he even tried to steal from him to make his dream come true, and it was not a bad idea after all. It was terribly planned, sure, but in handsight…

He could make use of this.

“So… I understand correctly, you are planning to do assassinations in the human real, correct? In the name of whom?”

“In the name of the sinners, a lot of them are pissed off since they truly believe they got here due to the actions of someone else, like shitty parents, ungrateful kids, a bad friend, and a big list of etcetera.” 

“That is to be expected; humans are so predictable.” Stolas signed, his voice becoming calmer. “So I see that you would accelerate them coming here? Right?”

“Exactly!”

“And what would happen if the person goes up there instead of down?” 

“That would not be my fucking problem! No refunds ever!”  Blitz exclaimed prodly, now filling comfortable enough to take a sandwich and eat it in one bite. “For Satan! This is the best grub I have eaten in a while!”

“I am glad to hear it.”

Stolas took his Grimoire, a pen that appeared to be on his feathers, and a special paper that was big enough for Blitz as he was eating another sandwich. Stolas was already typing the strangest symbols and letters Blitz had ever seen before the imp could inquire as to what was happening. What is the owl doing?

But when a portal popped out from the paper and a huge forest in the human actual appeared, his sandwich slid out of his hand.

“You see, I too have my beefs in the world of men.” Stolas explained. “Every now and then a human may think that they are smart enough to outsmart me and refuse to honor their side of the deals they make with me” 

Blitz couldn’t even talk as he felt the fresh night breeze gently touch his leathery skin. It felt surprisingly good, especially since five minutes ago he was turning into stone. 

The portal then shut, and the paper was placed right in front of Blitz after being meticulously wrapped into a scroll and secured with a Goetia seal.

Was this real? All he needed to do all this time was just... talk to the prince? All those nights he spent with Millie planning the perfect heist were for nothing? Seriously?

But, hey, you don’t look at the teeth of a gifted horse.

Blitz was just about to take the scroll when a knife was put in front of him. It was literally the most beautiful piece of metal he had ever seen.  It was an object of quiet elegance, a perfect balance between artistry and utility. The steel glistened, its surface polished to a mirror finish, reflecting the world around it in a softened, almost dreamlike way. A whisper of an edge ran along its length, honed to such precision that it seemed to promise both grace and danger in a single, fluid motion.

Blitz took it into his large hands, his four fingers fitting perfectly in the handle.

“What is your name, imp?”

"Blitz... Blitz Buckzo” 

“So, Mr. Buckzo, tell me, are you willing to make a deal with me?”

Blitz, put the knife down… a deal with one of the princes of hell will bound him forever. He has seen this type of deal happening in movies and the powerful individual is never merciful or asks for anything simple. 

What if he asks for his firstborn? For Loona?

Or what if he asks for Moxxie and Millie’s firstborn?!

Or what if he asks for a freaky sex deal where he is going to be subjected to the most humiliating acts?! Those things only sound “sexy and romantic” in amateur fanfiction written by thirteen-year-olds with divorced parents who still have no idea what a real relationship even looks like!

“Are you okay, Mr. Buckzo?” Stolas asks, “I was just about to explain the nature of the deal we were about to make; I would appreciate your attention”

“Yes?”

“Good, because I was just mentioning that the knife that you are using is not an ordinary one as it has the special ability to trap a human soul inside. Once a month, when the moon is full, I will give you an extra target to kill—a moron human who thought they could outsmart me and need to be taught a lesson.”

“So I just kill them and then stab them with the knife, got it,” Blitz said confidently. This may be easier than he thought.

“It's not that simple; you will need to make sure to deliver the final blow with that knife so the soul can be properly trapped.” 

“Okay, use the knife; got it!” Blitz smiled, “Is that all?”

“In exchange, I will not only activate the seal each month, giving you access to the human realm anytime you want, but I will also become the tutor for your business.”

What?

WHAT?

“Honesltly, I thought that you would be more pleased.” Stolas signed. “I am saving you years of legal battling and paperwork.”

“I am not giving you my business!” Blitz shouted, angry, “I can’t  even give you a share of the company! We are barely making it as it is!”

“I am not asking for a share; I am not interested in money,” Stolas replied solemnly. “But if you will be delivering sould to me, you are technically acting as one of my leggioneres, which I assume you have no intention of being.”

“Well…”

“Additionally, remember that sinners tend to have a pretty loose tongue, and while that may be good for your company in the long run, what would you do if one of Lucifer’s soldiers knocked at your door, demanding to see the necessary paperwork?”

"I could leave and….”

“There are only seven rings in hell and the royal guards are stationed in every single one of them, catching sinners trying to escape pride; eventually you will run out of rings to hide.”

Blitz looked at the floor defeated; he had promised himself, Millie and Moxxie that he would do everything in his power to maintain their business as imp-owned and to never make their little group of misfits subject to the wims of an uncaring overlord, royal or even other hellborn. 

If he accepts this deal, then Millie would never forgive him, not after everything they went through in the past.

But realistically speaking, will he even be able to keep that promise? Stolas is right in one thing: Imps are legally not allowed to own businesses without a tutor to supervise them; those few who have tried in the past were taught a lesson pretty quickly. 

What to do?

“I promise that I will not ask you for money, not a share of your company and your way of paying me “rent” will be delivering me those sinner souls, nothing more, nothing less.” Stolas put on a contract in front of Blitz; how on earth did he write it so fast was beyond him, but maybe that was one of the powers the prince possessed. “Additionally, with my protection, you will be able to promote your business freely without fear of the king’s army knocking at your door, because if you think that being turned into stone is a terrible punishment, you don’t want to know what our king may have in store.” 

What do you say, Mr. Buckzo?

Are you willing to fight for your dreams?

Blitz’s signed the contract. 

[thoughtfullyrainynightmare]

Jealousy

Summary: You're in a secret relationship with him, but as he sees you walking with another guy, he feels the need to throw you over his shoulder and carry you away Length: ~0,8k Contains: Themes of jealousy

Yami Sukehiro, the last man of the Yami clan, and the eldest of his family, was a sound man. He wasn’t about status, or possessions, or his own goals to begin with. He had been happy for the longest of times, if he had been able to just live his life, do things he liked… get better at it and just… have a peaceful life.

And when you had walked into his life, he… wasn’t exactly sure what to do about that. Hell, he’d say that getting together with you was a miracle in itself, because he didn’t deem himself to be anything special in the first place, but …Still, you had chosen him, a rat bastard from a foreign country with a strange grimoire. Which seemed so surreal.

But. He had to believe it. By now he had to believe it. Even if you two were keeping it on the downlow, due to him being a Captain. A lot of people might have wanted to use you to get to him, and that was the last thing he wanted.

And it wasn’t something that he was gladly thinking about, but … it was the reality in which you lived. That there were such individuals out there. And that getting under the skin of a Magic Knight Captain, would be a rock turned for the enemy.

It was all for the sake of keeping you safe. So, it would be worth the secrecy, the days and the nights during which he couldn’t see you. It would be worth all the sneaking around.

Or so he thought.

Until that one day… that one damned day when he was walking in a nearby village, and he saw you walking side by side with some guy. And obviously the guy didn’t know that you were taken. Plus, since you were in a secret relationship, with no actual proof of dating someone like a Magic Knights Captain, a title that he knew would hold some burdens, there was a good chance the guy wouldn’t believe even if you did say so.

But still…. Damn the nerve on that guy.

Just walking so casually with his spouse! It made him just bite down his molars. Irritated him. Made his breath low, and steady, and somehow rugged with every passing growl.

The nerve! The guy should just… stay in their own lane if he knew what was good for him.

He walked up to the two of you, radiating the mana only a Lord of Destruction could, and stared at him with eyes gleaming in the light of the sun.

“This guy botherin’ you?” He asked with that low baritone voice of his that vibrated through your body and soul.

“No,” you replied. “My brother isn’t bothering me.”

His eyes turned, cold and emotionless, or so one would have said as it was impossible to tell, towards the brother. The man who was feeble in comparison, and who was shaking in his shoes, looking pale as a ghost.

“I gotta talk with ye,” he told you, and before you barely had had the time to give you a nod, the mountain of a man that was known as Yami Sukehiro, threw you over his shoulder and begun carrying you away, almost as if to make a point.

“H-hey!” Your brother yelled, but you waved him off, telling him that it was fine. Really, it was fine.

And by the time Yami let you down, you were amused by the whole ordeal.

“What was that about?” You mused to yourself, while still managed to sound slightly accusatory.

“What?” He asked, as if it was clear as day. “You’re mine, and I’m territorial,” he explained. “The guy was just… trying to pick a fight.”

“My brother was trying to pick a fight by spending time with me?” You quirked an eyebrow at him, but received a kind of a shrug as a reply.

“Didn’t know it was your brother…” he uttered. “So he just looked like he was asking for it.”

That barely qualified as an answer. But you’d let it slide. This once. Just this once…

“So…” you uttered, while taking a step closer, and fumbling with this cape. “You are… territorial?” You asked, which was replied with another shrug and him rubbing the back of his neck.

“Yeah…”

“So… you’re not jealous, by any means? If I spend time with another guy despite being in a relationship with you?” There was a tease in your tone, one that made his gaze wander.

“I’m… territorial,” he repeated with a forced tone and a tense jaw.

“I know,” you mused with a kind of a giggle, “ and that’s one of the things I love about you.”

“One of the things?” He glanced with a kind of a smug face, while you knew that it wasn’t genuine smugness. Just a pleased, proud, confident smirk.

“One of the things,” you nodded while leaning forward and pressing your body against his, as he leaned down, and closer to you.

“Good to know…” he uttered with a hushed tone that tried to be a whisper, but the voice that always vibrated through you, resonated with you, wouldn’t allow it to be quite just that.

Another thing you loved about it.

[fujomoder]

some thoughts about Blitz’s feelings for Stolas throughout the show

the idea that Blitz’s feelings for Stolas in Apology Tour are unfounded is interesting to me. Blitz is very much afraid of love. his feelings would’ve never manifested any way as flagrant as Stolas’

you first have to acknowledge that Blitz is simply not aware of his feelings, nor does he want to be. you then have to believe that his feelings can be found in his rejection of Stolas

their relationship beginning as transactional is important; what is initially give and take, a familiar and digestible dynamic that Blitz can easily navigate, is gradually becoming something more unbeknownst to him

he stumbles over his words when describing what should just be a business relationship to Striker while Millie and Moxxie giggle in the background

at Ozzie’s, Stolas gives Blitz the impression that he is ashamed of being with an Imp when he shrinks behind his Menu at Asmodeus’ comments. and Blitz has always made it a point to refer to their class differences— Stolas is a pompous asshole, a rich bastard, a spoiled brat, he degrades himself as being just his little Imp boytoy, and Stolas’, frankly cringey, idea of dirty talk really only affirms that thought. He expects Stolas to look down on him, he expects Stolas to be ashamed of being with him fully clothed. he has primed himself to see Stolas in nothing but the bleak light of his social status. He’s convinced he’s nothing but being used and he himself is using Stolas here to spy on M&M. and yet he can’t help feeling betrayed by this

when Stolas clumsily asks him inside to do chaste couple-y things to make up for the night, Blitz dismisses him and says Stolas already made it clear that he only wants sex with a pained expression. it’s not just that he thinks Stolas has ulterior motives, he feels further betrayed by what he sees as Stolas veiling his intentions under the guise of spending time with him. because in his mind, Stolas has just affirmed his belief that he is incapable of being seen as an equal

blitzo isn’t the kind of person who takes transparency in the form Stolas gives it, he needs things to be spelled out for him, bold, italicized, underlined and highlighted. he needs to be able to see himself on your level, which might involve breaking down and exhausting yourself. his stubbornness isn’t the kind to be yielded by a night of cuddling because there will always be impure intentions behind those actions for him. because he is always comparing himself to people, always operating under the belief that no body appreciates him for what he is and scrutinizes him only for what he lacks (which is not entirely unfounded but i digress)

this is why it takes Fizzie breaking down during their kidnapping in OOPS for the pedestal Blitz places him on to crumble, for him to cry and admit to his faults and apologize and to tell Fizzie the ways in which the fire weighs on his heart too. it’s why it takes Stolas crying in The Full Moon for Blitz to realize he’s misjudged his intentions, and drinking so heavily in a debauched and unprincley manner in Apology Tour for Blitz to see just how hurt he is

following Ozzie’s, Stolas attempts to give him space. up until that point he’d believed that Blitz was enjoying their arrangement as much as he was, and despite the terms of their relationship being predicated on Stolas’ fantastical idea of romance, i think Blitz did appear to respond well to Stolas’ fierce attraction to him, at least to the point where nobody believed what they had was purely business. Stolas putting a hold on their monthly trysts, to Blitz, meant that Stolas had finally grown tired of him

my favorite display of this though, is in The Full Moon. Stolas’ confession is fundamentally flawed and dismissive of Blitz’s feelings in how he begins by just asking for “his grimoire back,” let’s be clear

but when he gives Blitz the Asmodeus crystal and tells him Blitz doesn’t have to stay if he doesn’t want to, he asks Stolas if it’s because he’s not good enough, tells him he can “do better.” he hates Stolas seeing him as a living dildo but abhors the idea of not having been able to please him. when Stolas then properly confesses and acknowledges the iniquities of their arrangement, Blitz then sexualizes the situation, causing Stolas to feel he is being mocked

this is all while he has already been given the crystal. despite constantly telling himself, telling everyone, that Stolas is just his meal ticket, that he fucks who he wants when he wants, he is extremely unwilling to just accept the crystal. and he would rather carry on with a relationship that made him feel used over both acknowledging Stolas’ sincerity, that his own feelings for Stolas are more complicated than he wants to admit and taking the out?

if nothing changes, he can keep “just” fucking stolas, which is as close as he’ll allow himself to get without the emotional intelligence it takes to work through why he wants that in the first place when he’s already been given the means to run his business without Stolas, without having to re-examine their relationship with this new understanding of Stolas as not being as fake as he’d believed. but he only wanted to be rid of him right? right…?

this all culminates at the party where Stolas is sucking faces with BTB guy and Blitz is very explicitly angry at him for stealing his bird. Blitz has never been so overt about his feelings for Stolas, but he’s also never seen Stolas with anyone else. for all the issues their situationship had, Stolas was loyal to and exclusively seeing Blitz, and examining why your “transactional fuck buddy” getting frisky with some dude makes you angry when you haven’t exactly been faithful yourself would naturally come with many self discoveries, realizations and regrets. which was what Apology Tour was all about for Blitz! realizing! realizing that he is loved, realizing his commitment issues, realizing the flaws in his character and how he’s hurt the people who actually gave a fuck about him. realizing he loves Stolas. even if he’s not ready to accept the implications of that yet

well that is my rant. i have been in Stolitz hell recently

[just-my-latest-hyperfixation]

Spellbound

Written for the @steddiemicrofic challenge, September 2023 edition. 

Prompt: charm, 548 words

Rated: G

CW: none

It's not Eddie’s fault.

Magic's almost extinct, everyone knows that. Even in families that still possess it, it's waning with each generation. 

Sure, Granny could brew a love potion before breakfast and had an evil eye that made the neighbors quake. Wayne makes teas against different ailments, has this knack for finding the right ingredients. 

Eddie though? Nothing magical left in him. 

Okay, there was that incident in middle school where he told Hagan to eat dirt, and later, he face-planted off his bike and cracked two teeth. Everyone thought Eddie was behind it. Hilarious, 'cause he wasn't. 

He'd know if he was, right? 

Sure, he's incorporated it into his Freak persona. It's nice when the apes at the top of high school hierarchy think their drug dealer will jinx their asses for complaining about his prices. 

It's all working out rather well for him. 

Which is why he's surprised to find Steve Harrington, the King himself, sitting awkwardly on the picnic bench behind the school one afternoon, looking so pretty in his desolation Eddie wants to cradle and console him.

Even more so when he produces his trusty lunchbox and Steve shakes his head.

"I'm not here for that." His voice is low, gold-flecked eyes darting this way and that. "I was hoping you could … help me with something else." 

*

"So, how does this work?" Steve asks, carefully handing over a lock of dark hair. "You'll turn it into an amulet for me to wear? Make her fall back in love with me?" 

"A charm," Eddie corrects. "I can't guarantee it'll work, though. I can't summon feelings that aren't there, just… amplify those that still exist." 

Steve nods and licks his lips, pink and full and shiny in the afternoon light. Eddie's heart flutters, just a bit.

"They do. Nancy's the love of my life … I just need her to remember." 

Eddie swallows. This doesn't feel like anything he should get involved in. It never ends well, meddling with matters of the heart, Granny always said. Then again, Granny was magic, and Eddie's just a fraud. 

He takes the lock of hair and Steve’s money. 

*

He doesn’t know why he goes through all the effort - waits until Wayne is gone, then digs out Granny's grimoire. Maybe it's the memory of Steve’s eyes, so sad and full of that desperation to be loved. 

It's stupid, he thinks, while he lights the incense and lays out the materials on his desk - a piece of fabric, some string, herbs and stones, the strand of hair. 

Nancy isn't right for Steve, he thinks, while he reads out the incantations. He could do so much better. 

Someone who sees him for the sweet, vulnerable soul that he really is, he thinks, while he adds the stones and herbs to the pouch. Someone who'll shelter him, make sure he's never hurt or lonely again. 

His hand hovers over the lock of hair. His eyes flick to the scissors in the pencil holder. 

It doesn't matter, he thinks, as he stuffs the charm into his pocket, sweeps Nancy's hair to the floor. It only works if there's feelings to begin with, and it's not like he's even magic. 

So everything that happens from here really isn't his fault. 

[selemons]

now and forever

:: notes :: solomon x mc reader, gn, sfw, mc is emotional, mc has hair, hurt/comfort, fluffy, no use of caps, no use of y/n, possible ooc, canon divergence?

:: a/n :: story is following the coma after mc handed the grimoire to lucifer. setting is in cocytus hall when solomon says you don't approve of his plans. so in the game, the story kinda confuses me because like... the brothers had the grimoire in present time. i guess solomon wanted it in case something went awry in the past, but i don't really think that means mc wouldn't make such a promise to him.

also, this is the first thing i've ever written. so, constructive criticism & feedback is welcome. please just don't be a dick about it.

:: s :: t :: o :: r :: y :: ⇟ :: b :: e :: l :: o :: w ::

i shake my head with furrowed brows. i look ahead, my stare aligned with his chest and devoid of emotion.

"you're wrong," i rasp out, the exhaustion evident in my voice. i can feel my eyes start to gloss over. it has been a while since i let my pent-up frustrations out and this seems to be my breaking point.

solomon looks down at me with concern, his frown persistent, and lets out an inquisitive hum.

i finally look up to his eyes, the same ones i'd managed to get lost in many times in the past... or the present, technically?

"you're wrong," i repeat. "giving up the grimoire changes nothing; they had it in the present, before i'd even met them." i sigh and shake my head, the tears starting to well up. "i'm sorry," i croak out. "if that's not what you would've wanted, i'm just so–," my voice cracks.

solomon sighs and mutters my name. he wraps a shaky hand around my arm to pull me closer and in the next second, i'm wrapped in his warm embrace. though his nerves still persist, evident in his subtle tremble, his arms hold me tightly, making me feel secure, like it's where i belong.

tears start welling in my eyes and cascade down my cheeks, eventually dampening his shirt. i run my hands along his chest and grip onto the black fabric. his soft silvery hair tickles my cheek a bit as he buries his face into the crook of my neck.

"solomon," my voice is shaky and uneven when my lip quivers. "i'm so scared," i finally say. "i'm scared of doing the wrong thing; i want to go back so bad, but i don't want to fuck things up while i'm here."

solomon relinquishes his grip slightly and starts running his fingers through my hair in soothing strokes. "oh," he sighs my name. "you don't need to apologize," he firmly, yet quietly states. "i should've noticed your struggling." he sighs.

i shake my head slightly. "no, it's my fault," i swallow the lump in my throat to continue. "i should've opened up to you."

the tears begin to subside and my breathing evens out. i smile meekly, "we're in this together, after all."

he pulls away to observe my face and his hand that was in my hair moves to my cheek. i melt and lean into his touch as he wipes away a stray tear that just fell. his gaze flickers from my tear-stained cheek he caresses to my eyes.

we hold each other's gaze until he lets out a breathy chuckle and a small close-eyed smile. "that's right," he tilts his head slightly and opens his eyes again. "i suppose it doesn't make much of a difference," he sighs. "you just have to focus on reforging your pacts."

"i know," i reaffirm. "but still," i trail off quietly and lower my eyes to his chest once again, trying desperately to put together my thoughts and emotions into a cohesive sentence, like pieces if a jigsaw puzzle.

solomon waits patiently until i meet his eyes that have been fixed on me. i reach for his face and gently cradle him in my hands. his eyebrows raise slightly in shock from the sudden affectionate touch.

my brows draw together slightly and i softly brush my thumbs along the apples of his cheeks. "you need to know this," my voice soft, but firmer and far more resolute than before. "yes, i want to try to remain friendly with them." i nod slightly as his hands drift down to hold my waist. "but in the past which we reside in now or even in our present world."

my hands hold his face slightly firmer, as if to reiterate the sincerity in my words. "if the time comes, i will fight along side you. against anyone and anything that might threaten you or the human realm," i tilt my head up, imperceptibly closer to his.

"i will always...," our faces are now close enough for me to feel his warm, shallow breaths. his eyes cast down to my lips. "... be by your side. now and forever."

his hands resting on my waist delicately grasp me and pull me closer. our lips brush together in the lightest feathery touch and my eyes flutter closed.

our lips collide as he pulls my body flush to his, splaying his hands across my back. my hands navigate from his face to the back of his neck. my fingers tangle with the soft hair at the nape of his neck, urging him impossibly closer.

the kiss is tender and passionate, speaking thousands of unsaid words, pouring out our love and suppressed desires for each other. his lips are soft and warm like the rest of his body, always so warm and welcoming.

i feel my face warm slightly and a dusty pink paints my cheeks as we pull apart.

i catch a glimpse of his own rosy cheeks before he smiles and breathes out a "thank you" before placing his lips on my forehead in a tender kiss.

he pulls away to rest his forehead on mine and says quietly "i love you," with a small smile.

i let out a quiet chuckle and reciprocate, "i love you, too."

:: e :: n :: d ::

thanx for readinngggg. feedback is encouraged thank ya :*

[stay-prideful]

Helluva Boss x Reader (S5)

Stolas Part 5 (Rewritten): Date Night

The final (unless requested otherwise) Stolas chapter, rewritten! If this chapter doesn't make sense in some places, or you have questions, please comment your thoughts!!

Satan, if only it could’ve been that simple.

The moments afterward had been okay enough (better than okay actually. You were literally in Stola’s arms), but when it came time for your work day to end, Hell, for you two to separate, Stolas seemed reluctant to let you go. He was a mess, blushing deeply and murmuring under his breath. You asked him to talk a little louder so you could hear him, but he only got quieter and blushed deeper. It was when you finally opened a portal at the end of the work day that he finally found the courage to speak up.

“I’m not making a mistake, am I?”

Your canid ears perked up, as he finally said something intelligible. You stopped, preventing yourself from entering the portal and escaping his clinginess. You looked at the portal in front of you, the entryway to your apartment, and sighed before closing it. You turned back to Stolas. It was too bad that was what had come out of his beak, because your mental response was to immediately think of all of the reasons that this was indeed a mistake.

For one, Stolas still needed experience when it came to romantic maturity, despite his flirtatious advances and experience with physical intimacy. You had to basically pry him off of you, and you were reminded of how Blitzø had often called Stolas clingy. You remembered the messages Stolas had left for him over the phone, and while they were…interesting, it didn’t breed a lot of confidence that Stolas could handle a real relationship. Not to mention he had endured an abusive marriage that was so awful he jumped to Blitzø of all people.

Secondly, you weren’t sure if Stolas was even over Blitzø to begin with. He certainly had made a big show of breaking up with Blitzø at I.M.P., but had left open the option to still be friends with Blitzø. Surely that meant he still harbored some amount of feelings for him, right? Maybe he was just using you as a rebound until he found someone better…he is a prince after all. He could have anybody he wanted.

Lastly, if you ever did get your job back, it would just be another reason for Blitzø to permanently put an end to your afterlife. While you hadn’t actually “stolen his bird” when he snapped at you, dating Stolas now would certainly be another nail in your proverbial coffin. Even if you tried to keep it a secret, it would inevitably be discovered, and you could definitely foresee another Blitzø freakout.

No, no, no. Sure, there were some pretty big hurdles that a relationship with Stolas would have to clear, but it wasn’t as bad as you were making it out to be. Stolas not being romantically mature? He’s a fucking adult. He’s been through two toxic relationships, and honestly it’s a testament to his big heart that he was willing to try for a third time with you of all people. And you knew he had been over Blitzø for a while! For weeks you knew; and he had told you about all the months of giving Blitzø space, and how he felt abandoned in the hospital. He had had plenty of time to get over Blitzø. He had even coldly rejected Blitzø measly attempts at flirtation with him when he wanted the grimoire back. As for Blitzø finding out about you two…okay, that one might be a problem. But otherwise this relationship would turn out fine, right?!

Still, you had your reservations. Maybe the two of you just needed more time. Maybe…

“I know you think you’re a mess Stolas. I know because of how much you’ve divulged in our conversations. Over the phone at the hospital, and during these months I’ve played the act of your bodyguard. To be honest, you still kind of are.”

Stolas blinked at your sudden honesty. Your brain told you to stop, to escape him. That telling him the truth would only drive him away again, like it did the first time. But those two thought didn’t compute. How could you escape him, and yet also be with him? Your heart spoke to you, and the thoughts dissipated.

“I never…I thought I would approach you when you were ready, Stolas. When I was ready. I thought I would have more time, that my feelings wouldn’t come out by some foolish mistake…I know you’re kind of a romantic, so I thought I would learn to do something with magic for you. Some grand gesture, as well as I could, given that you’re a prince. Maybe I could conjure a rose, or a whole bouquet of flowers. I don’t know what kind of gestures you’re used to, or how big. And…I don’t want to build our relationship on the basis of sex, Stolas. Not like you did with Blitzø. I want you, in your entirety. Not just something physical, but I want you romantically. I want your charming, elegant, sad, sure, but true self. All of it. The good and the bad. Thinking about it now, that gesture would be…some kind of dinner? I’ve become really good at cooking since I’ve arrived in Hell.” You tried to finish what you said with another example of a gesture because you didn’t want to sound too sappy. Too fucking late for that, you thought.

Stolas stopped biting his lip, and the blush on his cheeks went away for a moment. Then it came back, stronger than ever, turning his entire face crimson. Was it really that much of a surprise to him? That someone wanted to well and truly love him for who he was? Without the need for sex, or favors? You thought back to what he had told you about himself during the time of your friendship. He had been in a loveless marriage, and a dark place in his life, despite his love for his daughter, when Blitzø had come to “rescue” him. Maybe he never really had somebody who loved him romantically. Ever.

Stolas was left speechless. Then he gathered the courage to.

“You want…all of me? But I…I’m—”

“I would want you even if you weren’t a prince, Stolas. I want you now, even if you think your life is a mess. I want you because of who you really are, beneath your titles, and beneath whatever you think your body has to offer.”

“That’s…” Stolas stopped to swallow, his face returning to its normal pale color. “Refreshing. That’s something new. That’s romantic,” he giggled, a soft hooting sound coming his throat, and his cheeks grew red again.

“So…when you’re ready, whenever that may be, Stolas…can I ask you out to dinner?” you asked, hesitant.

Stolas held still for a moment. He slowly nodded, content.

“I would like that.”

You stood there before him, before sheepishly giving him a hug. There was a moment of surprise on his end, but he returned it soon after.

“I won’t make you wait much longer, I promise.”

You responded by burying your face in his stomach, and he gave a little giggle. The one that sounded like hooting, and that you loved.

You still visited Stolas over the next few weeks, though as little more than a friend and bodyguard. You were able to talk with him calmly, and him you. It was if confessing your mutual feelings allowed you to be more casual, without expecting or holding anything back from one another. This was aided by the fact that you both knew you could further your relationship whenever you felt comfortable enough. Stolas, having heard your want to create some kind of gesture for him, offered to teach you magic. You graciously accepted. Other than that, you would each talk about how your lives were going. You would be a shoulder for Stolas to cry on, and him you, if you ever needed it. You would openly tell him of your worries about living up to him, or being good enough for “a prince’s attention.”

You would see Octavia occasionally. It was always a little strange, the young owlet spying on you when she thought you weren’t looking. You knew she had questions for you, like who you were, and why you were at her father’s mansion. You wish she would just come closer so you could explain everything.

Over the course of those weeks, Octavia would see you bring out a side of her father that she had never seen before. When he had been with her mother, he would always be tense, and pathetically sad. He would be horny for Blitzø, and she was disgusted by it. With you, though, she could see that Stolas genuinely enjoyed your company. She saw that you genuinely cared for him in turn. Eventually, she started to suspect there was more going on, but instead of despising you as she had done with Blitzø, she realized you were much better for him than her mother would ever be. Unbeknownst to you, she would question her father about your meetings, encouraging him to pursue you. Of course, she would do it in a way that would make her seem apathetic, and so that Stolas wouldn’t catch on, but encourage she did.

Stolas was delighted that Octavia was more inquisitive about you than she had been with Blitzø, and with the subtle encouragement from his daughter, became ready to be part of a relationship again. However, unlike last time, he asked his daughter how she would feel about it. Blitzø had driven a wedge between them, and was a great cause of Octavia’s fear that her father would abandon her. Stolas did not want that happening again. Bewildered by his honesty, Octavia would at first be apathetic and dismissive, but wouldn’t outright reject the idea. However, noticing her father’s disappointment in her reaction, would quickly clarify that it wasn’t that she didn’t care, it was that she didn’t mind. Stolas, acknowledging his daughter’s behaviour as that of one so young, saw through her and derived the true meaning of her words. He would envelop her in a grateful hug, much to her false chagrin at first, but she would return the gesture, adoring her father.

You actually did get your old job back at I.M.P., as Loona had promised. Blitzø had swallowed his pride when rehiring you. He still held some tension about the whole Stolas situation, but it was clear he no longer meant you any harm, no doubt due to a combination of Loona, Moxxie, and Millie’s efforts.

Now that you were finally able to contact your found family again, you would explain to Millie everything that had gone on. No doubt Blitzø hadn’t said anything, and Loona barely knew what was really going on (no doubt she wouldn’t have been willing to tell Millie either). You told her everything; how you and Stolas had been friends, why you had been so worried over the phone when Striker had attacked, why Blitzø had shot at and fired you…everything.

You would regale Millie with what had happened at Stolas’s regarding your accidental confession towards him, and she would screech in excitement for you. She understood that a true romantic relationship had not yet formed between you two, but she couldn’t help but give unsolicited dating advice whenever Blitzø wasn’t in the room. She of course had told Moxxie, and understandably kept it from Blitzø. It was better not to involve the imp who had wanted to kill your for “stealing Stolas,” even when it hadn’t been true at that point. Loona was indifferent, but kept up her sentiment that if you were happy, she was happy. She didn’t want to see you moping around the office again.

Another work day ended with you visiting Stolas. You had actually limited your contact with each other, finding that perhaps seeing each other so often, while not actually in a relationship, might be a little strange. You both wanted your respective alone times as well, as you both tried to become ready for a relationship with the other. This day was Friday, which meant you had a weekend with Stolas ahead of you, though it was only for a few hours at a time. Since learning how to properly use the portal spell from him, you had become extremely proficient with casting it, greatly improving the time missions took on Earth for I.M.P. You waved your practiced hand, tearing a hole in reality to Stolas’s mansion, and stepped through.

You arrived in Stolas’s study, as expected. It was where you had been meeting him as of late. You saw the owl, and smiled at him warmly, before raising an eyebrow as you saw who he had with him. You were surprised to find Octavia there, standing next to her father. She appeared to be distracted, bobbing her head to music that came through earbuds connected to a phone in her hands. Stolas was very stiff, sweating a little from what you could only assume to be anxiousness at the situation.

“Octavia, (Y/N) is here…” Stolas said, speaking through the side of his mouth. When she didn’t answer, Stolas gently nudged her side. Octavia looked up at her father in surprise, then followed his eyeline to look at you. She took her earbuds out, and you noticed for the first that neither she nor Stolas appeared to actually have ears. You rationalized that since birds didn’t have ears either, they must share a feature of auditory holes of some kind for hearing.

Octavia gave you a quick nod as a greeting, then looked back at her father.

“Dad, do we really have to do this?” she groaned. “I already know who (Y/N) is!”

“You’ve barely interacted with them, Via,” Stolas chided. “All you’ve been doing is spying on them in your free time. I know you thought you were being sneaky, but you weren’t. A proper introduction is in order, especially since you’ll be spending more time with them.” Stolas then turned to you.

“(Y/N), you and Octavia have both progressed enough in your studies to the point where it would benefit the both of you to hear from each other how you experience magic. I expect you will both be able to accelerate your learning by doing so. Congratulations! I hope this will be a wonderful collaborative experience.” Stolas said happily, clapping his hands together. Octavia rolled her eyes.

Your confusion had only grown from Octavia’s words, but the strangeness of it all was erased by Stolas’s explanation.

“Now, I know you’ve already met Octavia, but I don’t think you’ve interacted long enough to have a real conversation, as you’re always with me. She’s been asking me a lot of questions about you recently. I think it would also be a good opportunity for you two to learn more about each other!”

“DAD!” Octavia’s face went red, embarrassed that her behaviour had just been outed by her father. You gave a light chuckle.

“As such, it is important that there be a proper introduction,” Stolas continued, ignoring his daughter’s outburst. “If you would kindly begin,” Stolas prompted his daughter, bowing slightly and gesturing his hand towards her.

Octavia groaned once again.  She stepped forwards, posture slouched. “I’m Octavia,” she began, monotone. “You already know who I am.”

Stolas looked at her with some disappointment at how she was acting, but said nothing. He turned to look at you expectantly. Put on the spot, you struggled to think of something.

“I, uh…I’m (Y/N). It’s nice to meet you. Formally, I mean. I guess if you have any questions for me, feel free to ask?”

Octavia’s face exuded “I could not give less of a fuck about this” energy, but her eyes were filled with curiosity. That gave you some comfort; maybe you could try to get to know her more, as Stolas’s daughter. You hadn’t really known what eventually dating Stolas would mean in regard to her, but hopefully you two could form some sort of bond.

After the awkward introduction, Stolas led you both to a different part of the mansion from where you usually studied. You had been to different parts of the place over the last few months, of course, but you had expected to simply stay in the study to practice magic. Instead, you arrived at a library. The topic of discussion today related to stars, and you suspected that this change was because of Octavia. You remembered that she and Stolas shared a love of the cosmos, as Stolas had told you on multiple occasions when gushing about his daughter.

When Stolas left the two of you alone, giving the both of you a break, as suggested by him, you talked about how both of you perceived magic. You talked about how you had learned it for practicality, to make your life easier, and your work smoother. You dodged your main reason, though, being that you wanted to make a gesture to Stolas with it.

You knew Octavia knew Loona, so you figured telling her about how you would cure her hangovers using magic, after you had returned to I.M.P., would be at least somewhat appropriate to tell. Octavia laughed when you told her that.

“Does she really get hungover at work? That often?” she snickered.

“I think she’s actually doing it more, now that she knows I’ll fix it for her,” you responded, also laughing a bit. “Nothing wrong with a bit of a buzz, but really, Loona? I fear she’ll end up destroying her liver if she’s not careful. Anyway, what’s your perspective on magic? I’ve heard it started as an interest in stars?”

Octavia’s face became thoughtful as she considered your question. Then she blushed in embarrassment, and then groaned immediately after. What had she just thought about?

“Okay, I’m only telling you this because it’ll help you get better at magic. Supposedly.” Octavia began, gritting her teeth a little. “Yeah, it started as an interest in stars, but only because Dad would tell me about them, and he seemed really excited when he did. I wanted to learn magic because it was also about stars, and it would be a way to get closer to him.”

Octavia paused.

“Obviously, those are just the thoughts of a child. Now I do it for…practicality, like you said,” Octavia finished, but her tone betrayed her intended perception. She still adored her father.

“Right,” you said sarcastically, not believing her in the slightest. “Although, I can relate to learning magic as a way of getting closer to your dad. He really is passionate about it.”

Octavia poked your arm. “What does that mean?” she said, grinning cheekily. “You want to get closer to my dad?”

Blood rushed to your face as you realized what you had just admitted to Octavia.

“Uhh, I mean—”

“It’s alright, I get it,” Octavia said, interrupting you. “I know how you feel about Dad, it was kind of obvious. To be honest, I was asking him questions about you because I also know what you mean to him. I think you’re good for him, unlike that imp,” she said, gesturing with her hand. “I’ve never seen him so happy, except for when he’s with me.” Octavia gave another pause. “Don’t tell my dad I said any of this, alright?” she asked, eyes showing you precious vulnerability.

You nodded, touched by all that she had chosen to share with you. “Right, you only told me this because it was supposed to help me get better at magic,” you teased, recalling her earlier words. Octavia punched your arm, but the girl didn’t put any strength behind it. “Don’t fuck it up, okay?” she said, then pulled out her phone, not bothering to wait for a response. It indicated that her conversation with you was over.

You were left a little bewildered. The teenage owlet had basically just given you her approval to date her dad. You were filled with a little bit of pride at the sentiment. You became inspired to ask Stolas out again. Formally, this time. You had implied that you would give him a grand gesture when you had confessed your feelings to each other, so maybe this was the time to do it.

After a while, Stolas came back into the room. He had a smile on his face.

“So, how did it go?” he asked, already having anticipated a conversation to happen between you and his daughter. He hadn’t been present, but he could’ve easily guessed it was going to happen. This whole lesson was basically designed around it. You looked over at Octavia, who was facing the both of you, but was still looking at her phone.

“It went well,” you said. “She told me some pretty interesting things…” Stolas looked like he wanted to ask what exactly you had talked about, but you spoke before he could. “Hey, Stolas?” you asked, after mentally preparing for the moment.

Stolas gave a little “Hmmm?” and cocked his head curiously, which you found adorable. You felt the warmth rising in your chest. This was it.

With a wave of your graceful hand, you magically produced a bouquet of carnivorous plants that looked like flowers, which you promptly held out to him.  Stolas blinked in surprise.

“I feel like it’s been some time since we…talked about our feelings,” you said. You heard a small noise behind you, probably coming from Octavia. You ignored it. “I would like to treat you to dinner. As a date,” you clarified. “I’ve mentioned how I learned to cook since I’ve been in Hell, and I would like to do that for you. I can bring it over. We don’t have to eat at my place.”

Stolas blushed, and his face scrunched down into his feathers, slightly embarrassed, but loving your gesture, nonetheless. His eyes grew wide as he remembered that Octavia was in the room. You were okay with asking Stolas out in front of her, because she had just given you her approval. Stolas, on the other hand, held out his hand to you, in a “stop,” or “pause” gesture. He shifted his weight so he could look at his daughter from behind you. Before he could say anything, Octavia spoke first. The prince’s words were getting walked all over today, but it seemed to be working out in his favor.

“Just say yes, Dad. You know you want to,” Octavia said, resting her head in her hands, which were propped up by her elbows on the table. She was watching the both of you with some adoration, but mostly amusement.

Stolas, now feeling that same bewilderment from Octavia as you had felt moments before, turned back to you. Confusion faded fast as he looked at you, who was still waiting for an answer. “Yes, I accept!” he said, breathily laughing as he took your hands in his, lifting them up to his chest. “What did you have in mind?”

You were elated. You were finally going to go on a date with Stolas! It had taken ages, but you knew Stolas needed that time to heal, and it was well worth the wait. You hadn’t even done anything yet, but the feeling of holding his hands in this new context of your relationship brought you a joy you couldn’t describe. The warmth in your chest turned to a burning, though not uncomfortable.

“I know you like rats, so I can try to make something with that? I can bring it over! What day works for you?”

Stolas’s own excitement faltered a little as he heard that, but it was from curiosity, rather than any disappointment.

“You mentioned that before, eating here. Why can’t we eat at your domicile?” Stolas asked. “You’ve expressed your opinions about how you feel in this environment,” he continued, gesturing all around him, referring both to your previous job as his bodyguard, as well as the extravagant mansion. “Is there something wrong with your place?” he asked, cocking his head to the side.

A sudden twinge of shame went through you. Your apartment didn’t hold a candle to Stolas’s mansion. You knew he was used to a certain level of comfort, and you couldn’t provide that for him at your “domicile.” Surely, he would be rather stay here than visit your home?

“It’s small, and…you wouldn’t want to be there,” you said, the embarrassment leaking into your voice. You tried to let your hands slip out of his, but he felt it, and held firm, as to not let you fall to your shame.

“Nonsense! I’ll be comfortable as long as you’re with me! We’ll eat at your place. I must say, you’ve now got me a bit curious as to brief a glimpse into your life, through the eyes of your home,” Stolas said, a large grin on his face. “As for the time, I shall give you as long as you need to prepare. I will be your guest, after all.” Stolas let go of your hands to take off his hat, and brought it into a deep bow, spreading his free arm to the side.

You could see that your white fur-covered face was being stained a bright pink. Stolas had seen right through you, knowing your fears of not living up to his standards. He had chosen to show you that he cared for you, by insisting he would come regardless, and providing you with the time you needed, just like you had him. It was proof that your time together had meant something.

Stolas stood up, and put his hat back on.

“Shall we continue our lesson?” he asked, smile never fading. Octavia groaned, as she had assumed this display would have let her get out of this unorthodox meeting.

The next 2 to 3 weeks proved to be challenging. As good as you had gotten to be at cooking, rats were new for you. You asked Stolas for books on the topic, and you needed to find a butcher in Hell that actually sold quality rat meat. Luckily, magic aided you in your endeavors, proving to save lots of time on travel and confirming meat was actually up to your standards. Then came the experimenting, making sure that you actually knew how to cook it to perfection, as well as season and create sides for. There was also the matter of purchasing candles and drinks, to make sure the night was as romantic as possible. It was a lot of work. Stolas wondered what was taking so long, but you were honest and communicated with him exactly what you were doing. He flushed as you explained it all, and said he had never had anyone go to such lengths to prepare a single meal for him, not even his staff. And they made sure he was on a specialized diet half the time!

At long last, when you were confident in your ability to prepare this meal, and that the appropriate mood could be created, you informed Stolas of the night. He made sure Octavia would be okay on her own at that time, and ensured his schedule was clear.

You looked around your apartment, checking that everything was perfect one last time before you would portal him over. You had cleaned up, not that there was much to clean in the first place. Your apartment was practically barren. The only thing of note was the table and two chairs you kept in the small space between your kitchen and the rest of your place. There was a fancy purple tablecloth, with the finest dining ware you could afford. You had asked Millie to get you candles with the scent of caramel from the Lust Ring, which is what you had heard owls smelled like. Would that be something Stolas was into? Millie told you she had been shown a candle that was scented as “HORNY,” and the way she described it was so ridiculous the employee who was serving her could hear your laughter through the phone.

Thoughts of horny candles settled your nerves as you created a portal in front of you. It bridged Stolas’s study to what you could only call a dining room if you believed hard enough. Stolas, who had been eagerly waiting for you, saw the portal from across the room on his side. His eyes locked onto you, and he quickly walked forward, through the portal. He had exchanged his normal red outfit for a dark blue one, and where his chest feathers normally stuck out, there was a piece of layered white cloth. The new suit also provided longer sleeves, and they ended in similar looking white cloth. A cape that seemed to contain the stars themselves was draped behind him. Stolas’s face was a bit more white than usual, and his head feathers had been slicked back. He brushed a non-existent stray feather back, pressing smooth some of his other feathers in the process.

You had also tried to dress yourself appropriately for this date, wearing a nice jacket, but you couldn’t even begin to compare yourself to how amazing he looked. You blushed furiously, and stepped up to him to take his hand in yours.

“Wow! Stolas, you look…I…you’re handsome! I mean, not that you weren’t handsome before! I just lack the right words to accurately compliment you right now,” you said, nervous. At any other time, you were sure you could come up with a thousand different compliments. However, you had been caught off guard, and could only drink in his appearance.

It was Stolas’s turn to blush, and he swept back the non-existent stray feather again. You noticed that he now bore a streak of grey in his head feathers. You furrowed your brows in confusion, and, extremely conscious of what you were doing, reached up to caress the side of his face. It became evident that the powder Stolas wore was doing nothing to contain the color that was rushing to his face. He reached up with his own hand, pressing yours gently against his cheek.

“Stolas, are you okay? Why do you have a grey streak?” You asked, concerned for his well-being.

Stolas’s eyes widened. He once again moved his hand up to his hair, and you dropped your hand. “Oh! No, this is just something I saw someone wear. Does it make me look stressed? Am I over-dressed?” he asked, now worrying about his appearance. “The last time I wore something like this, someone called it overkill…” His face looked almost shameful.

Fucking Blitzø, you thought. As much as I love him, I’ll never forgive what he did to this owl.

“No, Stolas. You look amazing. You’re perfect. You shine with the light of millions of stars. You’re a supernova. You’re the accretion disk of a black hole that’s swallowed countless universes, you’re…”

You kept complimenting Stolas. While you had been struggling for words before, you could now not stop the torrent of star-related metaphors coming from your mouth. Stolas’s face kept getting redder and redder, and the light from his study that cast into your dimly lit apartment only helped to amplify how you felt about him. You kept complimenting him until you felt you were running out of things to say. You slowed down, until you were silent. Stolas was left standing there, head turned to the side, shy, while he looked at you with adoration.

Once he had sufficiently wound down from the onslaught of verbal affection, Stolas’s eyes started to wander across your apartment. He took in how barren it was, until his attention settled onto the small table with two chairs. The level of disparity between the rest of your apartment and your small display was apparent.

“You’ve put a lot of effort into this,” Stolas said in awe as you led him to his chair, pulling it out for him. You pushed it back in when he was seated. “It’s very romantic. I hope I didn’t impose too much by insisting we eat here,” he finished. You closed the portal behind him, an indication that you didn’t mind.

“I’m actually a bit grateful,” you said as you stood by the table. “I’ve always had two chairs, but nobody to ever eat with. Today I’ll finally get to see that happen,” you said, remembering as you talked with him on the phone when he was in the hospital. You both had imagined the other sitting across from you, and now it was actually happening!

“Wait here; I’ll only be a moment,” you told him, before disappearing into the kitchen. You returned with two plates, each with your prepared dish and appropriate sides, one plate in each hand. You laid Stolas’s in front of him first, and then your own. You filled his glass with a drink, then did the same with yours. You placed the container that held the liquid at the side of the table, in case either of you wanted a refill later.

Stolas clapped his hands politely as you served him. He waited until you were seated before taking a deep breath, inhaling the scents of the dish you had made.

“This smells wonderful, (Y/N)! It seems almost a shame I’ll have to make it disappear, in order to eat it,” Stolas complimented. A slightly stupid, very flirtatious thought occurred to you at his words. You cleared your throat.

“You know, when societies of Earth were still run by kings and emperors, they would have royal food tasters, whose job was to ensure that their meals hadn’t been poisoned,” you explained, unsure of where exactly you were going with this. Were you trying to relieve him of being the first one to “destroy” your creation?

Stolas raised one of his eyebrows, the smaller eye above following suit. “Oh? Are you saying this meal could have been poisoned while you weren’t looking, (Y/N)? Or that you’ve set up a dastardly plan to assassinate me?” Stolas responded, in a deeply flirtatious voice. His eyelids fell, dropping halfway as he looked at you seductively with one pair of eyes, while the other looked at his plate, cutting off and spearing a small piece of rat meat with his fork. “Well, as a Goetian prince, I couldn’t allow myself to fall victim to such an obvious trap…I suppose I’ll just have to have you taste it for me,” he continued, in a tone that was obviously fake blasé.

You could feel a rapid beat in your chest as Stolas took his fork of meat, and leaned over the table to hold it out to you. He looked at you expectantly, a small blush across his own face. Burning intensely, you leaned your head forward, opening and closing your snout on Stolas’s fork as you looked him in the eyes, which were still half-lidded. Stolas watched closely as you slid back off the utensil, tasting the end result of what you had spent the past few weeks prepping for. Thoughts of Stolas slipped away as you closed your eyes, getting lost in the scents, flavors, and texture of that small piece of heaven you had taken. You were gone for a while, before snapping your eyes open to look at Stolas apologetically. Stolas, who had pulled the utensil you had eaten from back to his side of the table, sensually dragged it across his small triangular tongue as you did, winking with a smirk. Your face burned even brighter than before at his display, obviously recognizing the indirect kiss.

“S-Sorry about that. I kind of got lost in the taste,” you laughed nervously. Stolas, whose eyes still hadn’t left yours, unblinking, gave a slight hoot of amusement.

“It’s alright,” he said, biting the bottom of his beak. “It does look tasty…may I ask you return the favor?” he asked, an eyebrow raising slightly with the question.

Left speechless, you could only nod as you absentmindedly cut and speared a piece from your own plate for him, eyes still trapped by his enchanting gaze. You held it out to him, and Stolas kept you locked in place with his eyes as he placed his mouth around the morsel of food. He struggled to keep his eyes open to look at you, but soon melted backwards into his seat, slamming them shut as he perceived the taste. He clenched his fists on the table, and turned his head to the side as he chewed. That surprised you, as you thought he didn’t have teeth. The thought didn’t mean much to you anyway, as you were finally seeing someone enjoying your cooking at this table. It was a prince, no less!

Stolas swallowed. He turned back to you, opening his eyes just as slowly as he moved. His face was stone cold. Wait, had he ended up not liking it? Was his palette too refined, too critical, to appreciate the work you had put in?

“That. Was. Delicious!” Stolas broke into a wide smile, cutting the tension he himself had created. “I’m astonished at your abilities to capture such a variety of flavors, in just one bite! I simply must sample more of your cooking, when you have the time!” Stolas said eagerly, digging into the rest of his meal, delving into the sides, and savoring those just as much, if not more, than the main dish. “In all my time as a prince, this has to be one of the best things I’ve ever had the pleasure of tasting!”

You beamed, grateful for the compliment. You started to dine on your own meal, and you began talking with Stolas as you usually did, winding down from that exciting beginning of the date. It felt just as relaxing and joyful as all your other meetings with him had gone. The only difference now was the context. Well, there was actually more flirting that occurred, the both of you reducing each other to giggling messes. Other than that, it was if you had really been dating Stolas this entire time, the label “date” only just now being used for tonight’s occasion.

“I would love to cook for you more, Stolas. It’s just that some ingredients can get expensive, and it took my lots of time to prepare just this meal,” you told him. Stolas smiled, and slid his arm across the table to place his hand on yours. It was warm, as always.

“Money is no object for me, (Y/N). I would be happy to have the opportunity to fund your talents, as well as spend more of my time with you, especially if it means supporting something you love.”

You resisted the urge to kiss him right then and there. You gave a shy smile, thanking him. The date went on from there, and you discussed what you always had: each of your respective lives, work environments, and occasionally some issues. When the container of liquid was nearly empty, and your plates had long since been scraped clean, Stolas sensed that the time to leave was nearing.

“This was fun, (Y/N). It felt as if we’ve already been done this before, if you know what I mean,” Stolas chuckled, placing a hand to his beak. He stood up, and opened a portal back to his study. “I must check on Octavia; though I’m sure she’s had nowhere near an eventful night as ours,” Stolas laughed again.

You stood up, and approached to stand in front of him. Feeling a sudden surge of bravery, you looked up at Stolas. You held your arms up. “Do you mind if I…?” Stolas was confused, but shook his head. “No, I don’t mind. What do you mea-eean!?”

Stolas’s voice stretched out as you took the tall bird in your arms, and dipped him, as well as you could with the difference in your heights. Stolas looked up at you in wonder, arm draped across your shoulders as you held him. You moved your head slowly, and Stolas lifted his other arm to grab the side of your face as the two of you brought your faces together. He kissed you furiously, passion that had long been withheld now bubbling to the surface as he expertly used his beak against your snout to bring you physical pleasure, without the hardness of the structure bringing you pain or making you uncomfortable. You kissed him back, but mostly let him take the lead, despite him being the one in your arms.

You were like that for what felt like ages, but it was all done in a single breath, both of you having to separate. The need for air was the only thing stopping you from going longer. Who knew how long the two of you would if you didn’t?

Stolas looked up into your eyes, hand still against your cheek as you supported him. He looked like he was going to cry from happiness.

“Thank you, (Y/N). Tonight was wonderful,” he said, not taking his eyes off you. He had done that for the entire night, save for the moments when he needed to blink. “You know, if you’re truly uncomfortable with where you’re living, I wouldn’t mind making room for you.”

You looked back at him, astonished by his offer. You blinked audibly.

“I don’t mean with me, persay!” Stolas said quickly. “I meant a guest room; you could stay there, in my mansion with me. Unless you—” Stolas cleared his throat, cutting the thought off there. He shifted suddenly, and you helped him up to his feet.

You stood in front of him, his figure silhouetted by the golden light of his mansion, and thought about his offer.

“That’s…generous. Thank you, Stolas. But I have to decline. This is Hell, right? It’s supposed to punish or teach me something, even if I don’t quite know what that is yet. Despite the supposed torture, though, I’ve still found people I care about: I.M.P., Loona especially, and you, Stolas. Besides, Octavia might feel uncomfortable if I stayed at the mansion, and I wouldn’t want to impose. Still, thanks for the offer. I appreciate it.”

You took his hand in yours, lifted it up to your mouth, and pressed your lips against it. Stolas blushed for the nth time that night, not used to the romantic advances and affection you had been giving him. He moved his hand up, cradling your face in his hands. He brought himself down to kiss you once again, wanting to feel you against him one more time. He broke it off sooner this time, and turned to leave through the portal. He gave once last glance, waving back at you.

“You’re very humble, (Y/N). I may not know why you’ve come to Hell, but I’m glad it brought you to me.”

With that, he closed the portal with a smile on his beak.

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[stolitzsings]

Okay this is gonna a (VERY) long post but it's my attempt to get my thoughts in order about Stolas, Blitz, and what we've seen of their dynamic so far. I can understand why some people would think they made Stolas "too soft" or walked his less admirable character traits back too much, but I think the show's choices for him make a lot of sense in context. Helluva Boss also relies a lot on subtext, and often doesn't feel the need to directly spell things out, which I think makes a lot of sense for a show in which almost every character is dealing with some sort of trauma or issue that severely impacts how they interact with the world. Why did they do this shitty thing? Fuck, they don’t know, so how would the audience possibly find out? Everyone in this show is an unreliable narrator, and I think that's one of its strengths.

So. Blitz and Stolas are both kind of shitty to each other, and that makes them better and more interesting characters.

Let's start with Stolas. While he is clearly my favorite character, I have very little interest in making "excuses" for his behavior, and I think doing so actively takes away from what makes him interesting. Instead, I want to look at what led him to excuse his OWN behavior, and what finally made him realize how he was hurting Blitz.

So, the book. Stolas may have been a little naive about why Blitz was breaking into his room (and easily allowed himself to be convinced that fucking SOMEONE thought he was worth going even a little out of their way for), but once Blitz left with the Grimoire I bet Stolas figured it out pretty quick. I can imagine his response being mostly pain and anger; he finally thought someone wanted him, and it's just another bid for his power. Well, fine, he can play that game too.

Two of the primary relationships Stolas had, with Paimon and with Stella, were all about power. A marriage to maintain the Goetia family's power, and a father whose only solution to his son's sadness and loneliness was to throw money and influence around until something stopped the crying. So it's an easy jump for Stolas to decide to leverage his power to force Blitz back into his life. And again, this isn't about "poor sad boy didn't know relationships could be built on mutual respect," it's "this is why he decided to do this and why it was easy for him to rationalize his behavior."

On the topic of rationalization, Blitz was the one who initiated the relationship, right? And they were both getting something they wanted out of it. Blitz got the book for his little business venture, and Stolas got intimacy and contact with Blitz. That's how he justified it, anyway, while either not seeing or purposefully ignoring the way that being treated like a servant to be summoned or dismissed at will would impact Blitz. And Blitz's go-to response to anyone, even people he really cares about, is to be sarcastic and insulting, so Stolas could easily use that as justification for Blitz's harsh comments. It's just banter or Blitz being Blitz, probably. While never stopping to think about the possibility that Blitz was really uncomfortable or unhappy with their relationship. The closest he comes to acknowledging this is when he's having his little cereal and telenovela pity party, thinking about how Blitz doesn't seem to feel the same way about him, so it's possible he's already beginning to see the cracks in the foundation of their relationship, or realize that there's no amount of time he can make Blitz spend with him that will lead to him returning his feelings.

However, the first time he really understands the damage he's done is after Ozzie's. He realizes he's been treating Blitz as a plaything, something to pick up or put down whenever he wants, and so of course Blitz thinks that's all he is to Stolas. This is made clear when we see him scrolling through his camera roll, and he realizes that Blitz looks annoyed and uncomfortable with him. He understands that his relationship with Blitz is a "comfortable lie" of which he's happily convinced himself.

Immediately after realizing this we see the shift. His characterization is different in season 2 because HE'S different, or at least trying to be. He immediately tries to find a way to free Blitz from their arrangement, and tries to understand and consider his feelings. We see in his text messages that he apologizes to Blitz for his behavior at Ozzie's, and tells him that he can just leave the Grimoire at his place for the next full moon. He says he doesn't want to be a bother.

"Just Look My Way" is the culmination of everything he's been wrestling with. He expresses so much tenderness and affection for Blitz and just wants to keep him close, but "[he] know[s] better now." He has to let Blitz make his own choices, and he desperately hopes that Blitz will see that he's trying. He recognizes that he's been using Blitz as "means to an end," to get the attention and intimacy he wanted from him.

He is also trying to understand Blitz and what he's feeling. He knows that Blitz is wrestling with things Stolas doesn't know about, and wants to help. Stolas sees Blitz's ambition, his drive, and the way that Hell treats him for being an imp, and how that broke him down and made him so guarded. While it's not explicitly stated, the case could be made that Stolas is also recognizing the way in which he has belittled or dismissed Blitz because he's an imp, and how much that would have hurt and only put up more walls between them.

Finally, he recognizes that, by freeing Blitz from their arrangement, Blitz might remain permanently out of his reach, and he resigns himself to that.

To summarize, Stolas has undergone a lot of painful, difficult character growth in a very short amount of time. He has realized that he was selfish, and lied to himself in order to justify his treatment of Blitz, and because of that he may have ruined their relationship forever. His character wasn't changed by the writers, he's just changing as a character. The realization that you've hurt someone you care about can be a very powerful motivator.

Speaking of hurting people you care about, let's talk about Blitz! His emotional timeline is a little harder to pin down. We know Stolas always had a thing for him, but we don't know when Blitz began to return those feelings. You could make the case that it started as early as their first night together, when "I can do this real fast" before he absconded with the Grimoire turned into falling asleep in each other's arms. It's clear he felt something--although it may have just been pity or remorse--at finding out how desperately lonely and touch-starved Stolas had been.

Regardless of when his feelings started, we know he was becoming aware of them by "Truth Seekers," and was distinctly unsettled by how they might affect him. He clearly put Stolas on a pedestal, someone out of his reach but alluring, someone he might allow himself to be "chained" by and trapped by his own emotional vulnerability. In fact the idea of Stolas vanishing from his life like the others is represented as clinging, burning feathers that bind and torture him. While there are a lot of possible analyses of his trip sequence, I interpreted that part as, "if he goes too it might be the one that breaks me." It's something so vulnerable and raw that it manifests as physical agony.

Still, in that episode we see him realize that he needs to open up a little, and actually be honest and vulnerable with the people he cares about. He does this immediately with Moxxie, and I would argue that he does this at the end of the episode with Stolas as well. The scene between them is, well, intimate. The way he draws his finger across Stolas's face clearly communicates, "I know what you like, and I want to make you feel good" (and yes, I am completely feral about it). It's flirty, it's affectionate, and it's also the first time we see them kiss. It may be one of the first times he shows affection for Stolas in front of the other IMP employees. And for Blitz? That's a lot. It seems like he's decided to open up a bit with Stolas, as well.

His decision to ask Stolas to Ozzie's could also be part of opening up. I mean, on the one hand, it's definitely "if I show up with a demon prince they have to let me in," but there might also be a bit of "it's a convenient excuse to ask him out without having to feel vulnerable because I can pretend it's just a scheme" mixed in. He even sounds a little rueful when Stolas points out it's their first date, possibly because he's realized he's using Stolas to spy on his employees whereas Stolas seems genuinely excited for a night out together.

Unfortunately for both of them, Blitz decided to open up and was immediately forced back into his shell at Ozzie's. He tries to stick up for M&M, gets humiliated by his former best friend and his ex girlfriend, and then, when Ozzie goads Stolas about their relationship, Stolas literally hides his face behind his menu, which Blitz of course interprets as him being ashamed to be seen with him. Personally, I don't think that was Stolas's thought process. I think it's more likely he was thinking about Via and how he'd blown her life up, or worrying that he WAS just selfish and should have stayed in his marriage. Whatever it was, I think it's a lot more likely to come from Stolas's internalized guilt or shame rather than any embarassment about Blitz.

But Blitz doesn't know that, of course, so he assumes the worst. Of course Stolas is ashamed of him, who wouldn't be? And it all spirals from there. Stolas is fine with fucking him or acknowledging him in some two-bit town in Wrath, but put him among his own kind and he's too embarassed to look at him, let alone defend him. So just when he decides to be vulnerable, he immediately feels betrayed. He's convinced that Stolas doesn't actually care about him.

The scene in the van is heartbreaking on a rewatch. Stolas invites him in, which Blitz assumes is a ploy, and he literally has to hold up a hand and pause for a moment to keep himself together. He even apologizes for not coming in. He's fucking devastated, and he feels like this is just another relationship that's going to crumble into dust. He thinks he's going to die alone. We end the season with him looking back through all the relationships he's ruined and breaking down in tears. Yet again, he's pushing people away before they have the chance to leave him.

As with Stolas, Blitz's camera roll provides invaluable insight into his character. He has pictures of himself with all his loved ones, including Stolas. Either he very rarely takes pictures, or he has a folder for people who are important to him. Either way, it's clear he treasures these pictures, and he puts Stolas's photo in there, too. Crucially, it's a photo taken while Stolas is asleep. He allows himself to express his feelings for Stolas very rarely, often when he's sure Stolas can't see him. We see it in his blush over Stolas's human form in "Seeing Stars," and later in that episode when Stolas tells him he'll "leave [the audience] breathless" and we see that smile spreading over his face. The feelings are there, but showing them openly without three defensive layers of sarcasm and shittiness makes him feel too exposed.

And then here comes "Western Energy." Yeehaw. I think confining Blitz to a hospital waiting room for most of this episode was a smart way to delay gratification for an audience (me) that desperately wanted to see him come charging in action hero style to sweep Stolas off his feet. It's the perfect level of "I really need to get this mundane but very real and important thing done." He's trying to be there for his daughter when she's scared and she needs pretty critical preventative healthcare. He's stuck there, frustrated, yelling at everyone in the waiting room, clearly worried about Stolas but telling himself that Millie and Moxxie could handle it. And they did, eventually, but what might a few extra minutes have done if they didn't drop Blitz and Loona off at the hospital first?

Blitz barely sees Stolas at all in this episode, but what he does see is so impactful. Watching a swarm of doctors in the fucking SLOTH ring running to his van, getting knocked down, and then only seeing Stolas's tail feathers passing over him as he finally understands that something is terribly wrong. It's a beautifully done scene. And then his sheer disbelief when Millie and Moxxie explain what happened.

"He can get hurt?" Stolas was, to him, untouchable and unobtainable. This was the first time he had to reckon with the fact that Stolas could get injured, or even die; that there were more ways to lose him than by just pushing him away. I think it parallels how he'd been thinking about Stolas's emotions, as well. How could anything he said impact a demon prince? Especially one who just viewed him as a plaything? Realizing that Stolas was physically vulnerable made him realize that he was emotionally vulnerable, as well.

The events of "Western Energy" also parallel what we now know of his relationship with Fizz. He couldn't get help for Fizz in time, and it nearly killed him. And because Millie and Moxxie were delayed in getting to Stolas, he almost died as well. This only encouraged him to push Stolas away further. He HAS to convince himself that Stolas doesn't care about him, because that's the only way to get enough distance that it won't hurt as bad if Stolas leaves him or is taken from him.

In summary, Blitz defends himself by walling himself off, hiding his true feelings, and being an asshole to people he cares about. While he tries to open up a little after "Truth Seekers," he assumes the worst of Stolas's behavior at Ozzie's and convinces himself Stolas doesn't care about him at all. His realization that Stolas can be hurt in "Western Energy" only encourages him to push himself further away in order to preempt what he sees as the inevitable moment when he loses Stolas too.

We're coming into season 2 part 2 at a time of transition for both characters. Stolas's mistake was trying so hard to bind Blitz to him, and now he's realizing that he has to let him go. Blitz's mistake was always pushing people away, and he's finally trying to repair some relationships like with his sister and Fizz. These goals, alongside their chronic inability to communicate, could easily clash in spectacular and hearbreaking ways in the coming episodes. Whatever happens, I'm excited to see what the creators have in store.

[freezerbnuuy]

Prologue Part 2 - Fortunate (Page 2)

LORE | CHARACTERS | ABOUT / WARNINGS | CHAPTERS

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[Excerpt from Saoirse's diary (continued)]

My daughter is far too young to know of the witch-hunts. The pretty lights in between your fingers are enough. She was the reason I worked so hard on my grimoire- to give my knowledge to the next generation, so my daughter would know not just how to help others, but how to survive herself.

Brádach and I argued with each other. He hoped he would never discover her magic; some children born of witches are not born with magic, and some do not discover their magic until much later in life- if not at all in some rare cases. He hoped that his daughter would never have or find her gift. He said it was for her own safety- he is misguided, if not idiotic. So I told him exactly what I thought of his 'concern':

I told him, if he truly cared for her safety, he would be doing as I am doing- teaching the children how to survive and how to stay safe. If any witch-hunter crosses my path, I'd set him alight without a second thought. No, I am not the witch who will run and hide- I cannot let down my child like that, nor anyone else's child. I not going to tell my daughter to hide. I am going to tell the rest of the world to let her be, and if they do not listen, then I will retaliate.

Even those without magic are targets of the witch-hunts at this point, and yet those without magic are still against us, believing everything the witch-hunters and Jacobans tell them, thinking they would never become a target. They don't realise that the definitions of what constitutes a 'witch' will only become broader and broader. At first, it was about 'maleficium'- harmful witchcraft. Then the definitions broadened into any woman who didn't obey, and any man who refused to let harm come to his sister, his daughter, his partner, his wife...

[fanthirtheen]

Here's a question concerning the mortality of demons in HelluvaVerse.

Stolas is 30-something. We could debate 30-what exactly, but I think his age in the flashback of The Circus is ambiguous enough that we don't need to know exactly. He's 30-something. That has to be incredibly young for a supposedly immortal race of demons.

And "Stolas the Owl Demon of Books, Poisons, and Prophecies" is not a 30-something year old concept.

Why would the Goetia, supposedly immortal race of demons, be so preoccupied with producing precautionary heirs so early in their supposedly immortal lives if there weren't a very real and normal chance that they'd die in a vaguely human-like time frame? Why has Stolas the Demon Prince been in Earth's demonology for so long?

(Maybe questioning the status of souls of creatures that live where human souls go when they die, which is inherently a vacuume of a conversation) but is there some level of reincarnation-style scenario going on with hellborn? Like, Stolas isn't the first Stolas. He isn't the first owl demon prince who's dominion is over poisons, prophecies, and knowledge. There have been other Stolas's, and when one dies another will eventually be born to take his place so that power is recycled. Or more directly, this is just straight up not his first life and previous Stolas's were just him. Like the Stolas from ancient human demonology books was just as nerdy and awkward as our Stolas because it was the same guy.

You could just say that previous depictions of him are from prophecies, that his existence was foretold, but where were his powers before he was hatched? His father? Unlikely his father held the grimoire and those duties for thousands(?) Of years before he was born, because then his father (or whichever of his ancestors were around with the grimoire longest) wouldn't just be more well known in those duties than some owlet that hasn't even been lain yet.

So if the Ars Goetia are potentially in some level of reincarnation deal, and Octavia as a precautionary heir is simply meant to hold the grimoire and its duties until Stolas reincarnated and grows old enough again when he dies, is that specifically an Ars Goetia thing? Like, above them in ranking are the Sins, which I am under the understanding are either confirmed to be or implied to be more actually immortal, like they have been around since the beginning of Hell, they were in Lucifer's circus at the beginning, and above them we get into the Morningstar family.

But below the Ars Goetia? Do other hellborn reincarnate? Like, the other demons of the rins die and then get shoved back into a new body with no memories, or do their "souls" burn up and spawn with each life? Because I refuse to entertain heaven/hell-ception.

*these thoughts were spawned from my wondering for some time about the whole "Stolas is only 30-something, why would he appear in demonology lore/manuscripts/whatever on Earth from hundreds of years ago?" And occasionally seeing someone pointing out that Stolas is "immortal" while Blitz is not. What if Stolas's "immortal" just means a higher resistance to damage (only hurt by blessed weapons) and a definite reincarnation cycle? He's only 30-something!

[tokiro07]

In a recent interview, Eiichiro Oda said that he probably won't do any more manga after One Piece (or at least nothing huge) because the world he constructed for One Piece inadvertently allowed him to explore pretty much every type of story he wanted to: Mock Town was a Western, Egghead is both a sci-fi and a murder mystery, Thriller Bark was a horror, etc. He never did it, but Oda probably could have found a way to work in a high school drama or romantic comedy if he'd really wanted to. I would argue that's how the Hungry Days promotion came about, he probably wanted to see it explored at least a little bit but couldn't quite find a good excuse for it

Undead Unluck, as I think at least one of us has mentioned before, is very similar: it can be whatever it wants to be whenever it wants to be. A sci-fi horror against the emotion-eating aliens on the space station, a zombie apocalypse Western against Spoil, a wuxia against Feng, competitive gaming against Spring, sports against Void, and now of course the high school AU centered around Chikara; Undead Unluck can do it all! If we end up going into Lucy's mind and it becomes a swords and sorcery fantasy with Lucy captive in a castle by a dragonified Ruin, would any of you really be surprised? Would any of you even complain? I wouldn't, and in fact I hope it happens now. That'd be such a funny way to get both Ruin and Lucy back into the main story

I don't know if I've ever really talked about it before, but there are certain niches that Jump manga fill. I don't mean in the sense of genre like sports or gag manga, I mean more thematically. When My Hero Academia started, the consensus was that it was the "new Naruto," with its plucky underdog protagonist competing with a cruel and prodigious rival and a society that discredits him for the circumstances of his birth. Black Clover draws inspiration from a ton of big name manga, but Bleach is probably the one that it best resembles in the structure of its world (the Clover Kingdom resembles Soul Society, the Magic Knight squads resemble the Thirteen Court Squads, and the Grimoires are basically simplified Zanpakutou)

Over the years, I've seen many things take major inspiration from Naruto, Bleach, Dragon Ball, etc., but shockingly, there was a long stretch where I never saw anything try to emulate One Piece, at least not in a way that was particularly obvious. The closest was Toriko, creating wild and imaginative animals, plants, etc. the same way that One Piece creates its islands, but nothing had a cast that felt reminiscent to me

Interestingly, the first one that I noticed that felt like what I was looking for was Dr. Stone, and that only sunk in for me when Senku had his group build a boat and put up a sail with their own unique symbol. I realized in that moment that where Toriko had covered the spirit of adventure that One Piece had, Dr. Stone covered the spirit of friendship and togetherness: every time a dilemma came up, the solution was almost always finding a new ally and awakening their talents, applying them in a way that they'd never thought to before, or reconciling with an old enemy for the sake of progress. "My friends are here to do the things I can't, and I'm here to do what they can't." This is one of the core tenets of One Piece, and while it took me a while to notice, it was equally a part of Dr. Stone's core as well

Undead Unluck does something pretty similar, though not as overtly, since the cast don't really have neat roles like "navigator" or "doctor" or "chef;" instead, everyone has their areas of expertise that can be used in multiple situations, so the individuals best suited for each situation are carefully selected, and if none are available, the hunt begins for someone who is. I think this didn't sink in because it didn't become nearly as prevalent until after the timeloop, but in retrospect, the first half of the story was like the pre-timeskip Straw Hats', unprepared and unable to reach the world's ceiling when finally faced with it, only to come back stronger and wiser in their journey to come back together

Coupled with its ability to be (Chucky voice) genre-fluid, Undead Unluck has unexpectedly become in my opinion a more than worthy successor to One Piece's particular niche in Jump. I've had this thought for a while now, but I think that Undead Unluck might actually be a good glimpse into what One Piece would have been like if Oda had been able to stick to his original five-year plan. It isn't able to take nearly as much time to flesh out its world, but its streamlined approach elegantly allows us to get to know enough about the cast to be invested while still allowing attentive viewers to pick up on fine details. Where One Piece ballooned to be a 30-year venture because Oda kept having more ideas he wanted to share and angles he wanted to analyze, Undead Unluck seems to have a stronger clarity to its vision and commitment to ensuring that vision is realized ASAP without sacrificing any of the essentials. Neither approach is wrong, it's just good to see that there is in fact a world that exists where One Piece would have been able to be just as solidly executed even without entertaining every whim and flight of fancy that its author could dream of

Of course, One Piece is still going, and likely will be when Undead Unluck naturally concludes, so calling UU its successor is definitely a bit of an overstatement, but my main point is that I'm glad that we're starting to see authors who aren't afraid of sharing One Piece's niche, and more importantly are doing it in a way that's fairly subtle, but identifiable. It's an extremely comforting sign for the rapidly approaching post-One Piece world, and I can't wait to see what fills the coming power vacuum

[iwitch-plus]

Online grimoire/journal, page No. 1 (probably more than that but its been years. Let's call it page one).

Getting to know my tarot deck/reintroducing myself to the community.

(In this post I write briefly about not feeling like I'm in tune with my practice, or myself at all, and then I get into my interview with my "new" tarot deck. If you just want to see the interview, keep scrolling until you see "The Interview". I think a more journal-style grimoire is the direction my posts might go. I don't see a lot of people talking about their shortcomings in this community, or maybe I just don't follow the right people who do. I used to be super active in this community, 1k followers who actually kind of cared and interacted with me on tumblr and discord. I did online readings, made posts about spells I've done, things like that. Well this isn't going to be like that. This is for me. If you feel as though you're lacking/want to get back into your practice, I feel the same. You can come with me on this journey and follow, or you can just read this and go about your day, or you can scroll right past it without giving it a thought, anything you choose to do is ok! I might share personal things on this blog. Not super personal, they will all be related to witchcraft, but instead of giving other's advice I'm going to be writing down my practices, tarot card readings, and everything else as a reference for myself. If that type of journey interests you, I implore you to give a follow and come along. Maybe if I know people are interested in that style of blog, it might motivate me to do it more lol. Thanks.)

I don't really read tarot...In fact I don't even think I can call myself a practicing witch. I've been on and off for just a little under a decade. Sounds like a long time when I say it like that, and I know so many things but I'm also still beginning my journey. CONSTANTLY beginning the same journey over and over again, it feels like.

Anyways, I got a new tarot deck probably two or three years ago...I actually got 3 new decks at the same time, and I've really only sort of used one. I've felt bad about it for a while. They just sit there collecting dust. For some reason, I was feeling drawn to this deck in particular and decided to go ahead and try my hand at getting to know the deck. Needless to say, it was a very insightful "interview" if you can even call it that. I wrote small passages in my notebook, but I wanted to type here to get my thoughts out. This might be long, you don't have to read it, I'm sort of more doing it for me...as a journal entry type thing I guess, but also as a reference to my interview with the deck so I have a more detailed version of it than just what's in my notebook. I just didn't want to use up more notebook that I needed to.

Before The Interview

Deck: The Antique Anatomy Tarot Deck

Why I bought it: I was intrigued by the name and the art style. It's beige which I like, and I love bones and antique type things so I figured hey why not.

Why I was drawn to it today: Recently I've been thinking about things I can do to help better myself. Growth wise. It's more about me and less about coming back into my practice. I have a couple decks that I thought about but none of them seemed right. Until, DUH! Antique Anatomy. It's literally focusing on the self, and not just the outer self but LITERALLY the inner self as well. That seemed helpful.

I started by cleansing it with incense smoke. I didn't do anything in particular, just held it over an incense stick that was already burning and talked to it a little.

Then, I looked at the cards. Actually looked at them. Took mental note of the colors being used, what bones were on which card, what the labels on the elixir cards said, what flowers were used in the art (if I was able to identify them by eye), how many of each flower/certain things were on the cards. I looked at EVERYTHING.

And Now, The Good Stuff. (there are 6 questions, in each one I'll include the card pulled, the zodiac sign/element related to it, numbers such as the number of the card or how many of a specific thing were on the card, and colors used on the card. I'll include key words that relate to all of those things, and then lastly I'll include my interpretation for each one.)

The Interview

Please Introduce Yourself.

Death: Scorpio - 3 - 4 - 6 - Red - Black

Key words: Stability, fairness, solution, growth, regeneration, passion, love, power, pain, necessary, emotional.

My interpretation: When I flipped the card, I literally said "how did I know it was going to be death?". I was thinking it to myself as a joke, but then I flipped it and BOOM. Death. That's alright, though. Also I find it interesting the deck showed me a Scorpio card as an introduction. I'm a Virgo, and I love/hate Scorpios. They have taught me so much, some have damaged me, some have loved me endlessly, and currently I'm in a relationship with a Scorpio. Very prevalent sign in my life. I think by introducing itself with this card, it's telling me that it is an emotional and powerful deck. It sees itself as necessary, powerful, un-biased, but at the same time also very passionate, loving, and may even acknowledge that it might sometimes tell me things I don't want to hear. It also seems to be good at helping people explore their shadow, which is interesting because that's actually something I've been doing recently, witchcraft aside.

2. What are your strengths?

7 of Rods: Fire - 5 - 7 - Yellow - Orange

Key words: Evaluation, patience, conflict, perspective, determined, optimistic, growth, success, does not give up in the face of adversity, experienced warrior.

My interpretation: By showing me the 7 of rods in response to what the deck's strengths are, I think it's telling me that it's main strengths are focused around personal growth, which I guess makes sense. It's telling me that no matter how hard it gets, or how often or little I use it, it has the patience and determination to still help me through whatever I may need guidance on. That's very kind, thank you deck. It's also telling me that it knows and has seen a lot, which I don't doubt at all. By just sitting on my shelves, it has seen me through heartache, love, sickness, new jobs, new homes, depression, happiness, tears I've cried and why I've cried them, it has seen every part of me. It has perspective that maybe I don't, and it's optimistic that we can work together to better myself.

3. What are your limitations?

Strength: Leo - 6 - 8 - Red

Key words: Control, artistic expression, ego, anger, passion, values, understanding, calm demeanor, quiet resolve, understanding.

My interpretation: Okay this one was really interesting and sort of seems like the deck pulled a "my biggest weakness is that I'm too passionate about my work!" on me, but let's see if I can make some sense out of it. By showing me Strength in response to what the deck's limitations are, I believe it's trying to tell me that it does find itself a little big-headed or mainstream in a sense. Just looking at the key word "artistic expression" makes me think it's telling me to try to look further than just the colors and numbers on the cards, because maybe what the artist is trying to express isn't precisely going to align with what I need to hear, but the deck can't express that? Some other limitations it may be trying to express is that it's not going to be quiet about things. Besides maybe sometimes having to dig past the art for guidance, it's not going to sugarcoat or hold my hand. As much as it will support and have patience for me, that doesn't mean it's going to baby me. I appreciate that.

4. What can I learn from you?

Page of Coins: Earth - 6 - Blue - Purple

Key words: Fairness, values, orderly, determined, calm, peace, grief, sadness, prophecy, dreams, high power, studious, diligent, introvert, misses out on lighthearted aspects of life, buckle down, study, money, creativity.

My interpretation: I think by showing me the page of coins in response to what I can learn from the deck, it's telling me that I can learn how to be more in tune with myself, emotionally, physically, mentally, and spiritually. It's telling me that I can learn to dig into myself (and perhaps my shadow?) to find out more about myself. It's telling me it can show me how to interpret my dreams better, it can help me stay more focused, and potentially even help me connect with a something higher than myself again. All of this seems essential for my own personal growth, and if I can learn that from this deck then I would love to work more with it.

5. What is the best way to work with you?

2 of Coins: Earth - 2 - Yellow - Purple

Key words: Balance, duality, opposing forces, orderly, determined, optimism, growth, prophecy, dreams, higher power, harmony, over-indulgence, stagnant, creative solutions.

My interpretation: By showing me the 2 of coins in response to the best way to work with the deck, I think it's telling me a couple ways, both deck and user focused. One thing it's telling me is that it might work better with a higher power also helping? I don't exactly have one I guess...I love Aphrodite and have had altars for her in the past, and still consider her my patron Goddess but it's been so long. I'd have to rekindle that relationship and I don't know if I'm ready for that right now. It also seems to be telling me that it can work better by helping interpret my dreams, too? I've never considered using a tarot deck as a dream interpreter, but I do get prophetic dreams in a sense and I take my dreams very seriously, so maybe that's something to consider. I think it's also telling me that the best way to work with it is to stop over indulging myself in things that aren't good for my mental or physical health, which makes sense. How can one effectively get guidance when they aren't in the right state of mind or physical well-being? All in all, I think that the most important thing it's trying to tell me is that no matter what I may or may not do, we can work well together if I stay optimistic and determined to grow. If I ever stop having the motivation to better myself, then it doesn't think it can do much for me.

6. What is the outcome of our relationship?

Knight of Elixirs: Water - 4 - Purple

Key words: Stability, foundation, nurturing, caring, mystery, prophecy, dreams, high power, luxury, expansion, growth, loving, appreciate beautiful things, affectionate disposition, finding ideal partner.

My interpretation: By showing me this card in response to the outcome of our relationship, I think it's telling me that I'll be able to have a little bit more routine and stability in my everyday life. I think it's also telling me I'll be able to connect with my subconscious mind more, as well as my softer emotions such as nurturing, caring, and loving. It can help me appreciate smaller things in life instead of always looking at the bigger picture. By "finding the ideal partner" I think the deck means that it can help me find things in everyday life that will help with my personal growth. Ideal things to interact with and love besides literally the people and animals I love.

Very insightful. If you got through this whole thing, thanks for reading. I'm going to post a bit more frequently and hopefully that will actually help me gain the motivation to do this stuff more than just once every 6 months. I think it's essential for my personal growth, and for some reason I'm really obsessed with that right now but I lack the time and motivation. I don't actually lack time, but things are hard when you wake up late and you feel like every day is sleep, work, maybe eat, sleep, repeat. Here's to hoping this is the beginning of a new chapter for me.

[xfangheartx]

How I would go about Full Moon and Apology Tour.

Since I can't seem to get it out of my head, I just thought I'd share my take on how Full Moon and Apology Tour would go.

SPOILERS UNDER THE CUT! Enjoy.

Instead of Stolas just springing the crystal on Blitzø, he calls him in advance and tells him that they don't have to have their usual "transactions". Instead, he tells him that he wants to trade the grimoire for a present he got him.

When Blitzø gets there and gets the Asmodean Crystal and Stolas confesses his feelings for him, Blitzø thanks him for the gift, but tells him he needs time to think about things first.

Blitzø is left feeling confused and miserable, so Fizz decides to take him out so he can blow off some steam. Blitzø ends up meeting a cute incubus guy (not the "Better Than Blitzo" Guy who I have affectionately named Brian), and at first, things are fun, but then, as they're getting in bed, Blitzø realizes that he can't sleep with him with Stolas on his mind...and even worse, his self-hate issues start coming out again.

Blitzø ultimately calls Stolas and tells him that he does love him, but he can't be with him because of that.

Stolas is confused and heartbroken by this, and Blitzø, unfortunately, doesn't explain things any further.

Taking this as a sign that they're broken up, Stolas decides to go to Verosika's party if only to get back at Blitzø.

Of course, Blitzø goes there when he finds out about the party, but instead of trying to make Stolas leave, he just quietly follows him around in disguise.

When he hears Stolas sing about him, Blitzø realizes that he really needs to work on himself before he can even think of being with Stolas at all.

Verosika spots Blitzø, who tells her that he's genuinely sorry and explains to her that if he can't love himself, how is he supposed to love anybody?

Verosika realizes that Blitzø really means to change and she decides to wish him luck when he reveals that he's going to be getting some professional help.

As he sadly watches Stolas dance with Brian, he quietly hopes that he'll be happy before he leaves.

As for Stolas, he and Brian decide to go upstairs and have a little fun of their own, but just as they're about to, Stolas starts crying as he realizes that he can't do it because Brian isn't the same as Blitzø, someone who Stolas knows.

He goes out and starts crying on the stairs, and as Verosika sits with him, Stolas explains that he just wanted Blitzø to fall in love with him after he got him the crystal. Instead, what he got was even more strife and heartache and he was tired of it.

However, when he starts listing off all the times he called Blitzø all those pet names, Verosika realizes that Stolas had messed up, as well, making him realize that while he hadn't intended to, he hurt Blitzø just as much as Blitzø had hurt him.

It hits Stolas that he also needs to change how he acts. It's not enough that he and Blitzø have decided not to make every meeting they have about having sex. They have to work on themselves before they can even begin to have a true relationship.

Not just that, but Stolas also needs to change the way he treats imps and lesser demons in general, or else Blitzø will think that he's not even trying when he is.

For now, they decide to stay apart and heal until they feel ready, even if it takes a while.

[thelazuliwitch]

Soulmate Au planning!!! Okay I don't think I am gonna post the outline here because, spoilers. But I think the general idea now is, 20 chapters. First chapter Yuno and Noelle, second chapter is Asta and Lolo, and going on. Pacing, I think each chapter is 3k words, but I also am worried about time skips, because you know they are going to exist. Like??? This is definitely a fic that works moment to moment, and not with the show exactly. I think chapter 1-2 (maybe only 1) will be when they are babies (and by babies I mean like six-seven) though. _____ Okay worldbuilding! And this I would love to hear your thoughts on. We know this is a share pain soulmate au. And I want Yuno to know, and Asta to be clueless until later on. We know mana and the soul are interconnected, souls are a pretty big thing in the Black Clover universe. And I recall that kids have higher magic amounts to their adult counterpart (baby Noelle's mana > teen Noelle's mana--- hence why her siblings treated her poorly). They learn to control it and it stabilizes over time, but expected to learn control quickly. Could be wrong, so let me know. So maybe the soul is awakened with mana, and the more mana you have, the faster your bound develops. So maybe Noelle, Yuno, and Lolopechka are freaks for starting to feel pain so easily. While Asta, getting his grimoire is like the defibrillator to his soul, and he suddenly can feel his soulmates pain. But here is when things get interesting!!! When dealing with Yuno and Asta, you can't ignore that they are both connected with another soul. Asta and Liebe, with how they share a grimoire, and Yuno with Licht and Tetia's dead half-elf baby with how they share a body. And I think that could be fun to play with. Like I don't think Yuno is connected to Leibe, but I think he feels the smallest traces of Liebe's pain, because his souls are slighly connected to Liebe too, simply because the soulbound is being channeled to Asta through the grimoire. It could be interesting, actually, if all of Yuno's pain went to Liebe in the beginning, but once Asta gets' the grimoire Asta starts to feel Yuno's pain in small doses, but he feels the pain of both the souls. I feel like Dead-half-elf-baby techincally is Yuno, like he grew up in Yuno, could for some part only experienced what Yuno did, and the only name he ever had attached to him is Yuno. But he isn't Yuno, and no matter if he was dormant (which I don't think he was because Yuno was using his magic), felt emotional pain. I guess what I'm saying, is maybe Asta and Yuno just have a very complicated bound because Yuno has two souls, Asta is connected to another in a very different way that he is to Yuno's souls, and Asta doesn't have any magic power. So he needs his grimoire to even start feeling pain. Also because it is emotional pain, what if Yuno decided to bottle his emotions, because he at a young age could feel Asta's (even if didn't know it at the time), and was like. fuck, can't do that to my soulmate and just started checking out from what he was feeling.

What are your'e thoughts?

[consumedbyfeels]

Ever since Vivzipop confirmed we are getting a Stolas and Blitzo duet I can't stop thinking about it . 

I feel like it's going to be quite similar to the Fizz/Ozzie duet in "Mammon Magnificent Musical  Mid- Season Special '' In the special Fizz  is feeling very insecure over whether he is good enough for Ozzie. He is expressing the feeling that if he isn't the best and doesn't win Mammon competition then Ozzie won't love him anymore because Ozzie fell in love with 'The Great Fizzaroli' . Now much of this I interpret as coming from Mammon's constant emotional abuse and manipulation. Mammon has convinced Fizz that he is nothing without him. That everything great about Fizz came from what Mammon made him. I would also think that Mammon's manipulations had been helped by Fizz's past trauma from the circus. Buckzo was awful and then Fizz thought that his best friend Blitzo had abandoned him. For a while all Blitzo and Fizz really had were each other so Fizz thinking he was abandoned by Blitzo for 15 years would have done some damage.  Now Fizz and Blitzo both have plenty of trauma to work through on their own and mending to be done to their relationship and I'm excited to see that moving forward.  Now the entire time Fizz is voicing these concerns Ozzie is doing his best to reassure Fizz of his love. He is telling Fizz how much he loves him and that he fell in love with who Fizz is inside, not the version of him that Mammon is using but the real him. that doesn't care about any of the fame. Fizz already knows in his heart that Ozzie loves him; they are already established in their relationship. Fizz believes Ozzie as quickly as does and is reassured and given the confidence to quite and tell mammon to fuck off because Ozzie had been prove to Fizz everyday how much he loves him in all the little ways that most people take for granted. I would argue that they, and M&M are the healthiest relationships in Helluva Boss. 

Now I think that Stolas/Blitzo duet will be similar with Blitzo being insecure about being not good enough for Stolas and Stolas trying to reassure Blitzo that he is. However since their relationship had thus far been a transactional  thing where they exchange Sex for use of the Grimoire it will be harder for Blitzo to truly believe that Stolas cares. We see that he cares for Stolas. Case and point being "He can get hurt" in "Western Energy '' when Stolas is rushed to the hospital after Strikers attack, that alone says it all.  When they went to Ozzie's they were having an admittedly awkward but still okay time for their standards with the bad communication skills they have until Ozzie and Fizz put the spotlight on them. And Honestly I lowkey hate them for that but not really. There are a lot of little things throughout that make it clear that they care about each other and I would even go as far to say they are in love. I think Blitzo is still in denial about it but it's there.  But as we see in hi conversation with Fizz when they are kidnaped he doesn't believe Stolas feels that way for him. It will be harder for Blitz to except Stolas's reassurance but it will be a nice step to change there relationship from what it is to what they both want it to be. Then after this turning point they can begin to be more. They will both need to work hard to prove to each other that they do in fact love one another but I think once the initial hump of getting there feelings out there is taken care of they can do so and be fine eventually. It'll take time and I can't wait to see it.

[lyranova]

Healing

Hiya guys! Here’s the next one for Greyche week with the prompt “healing” and it does contain brief manga spoilers, but I hope you all enjoy~!

Word Count: 671

Taglist: @bceventshub

Warnings: Brief Manga Spoilers

———

Grey paced back and forth as Owen healed Gauche for what felt like the millionth time. Gauche had gone out on a mission with the other Bulls earlier. It was supposed to be a simple, easy-to-manage one, but it ended up being more complicated. And as a result, Gauche had gotten injured while protecting the others. Grey’s heart dropped into the pit of her stomach when she had first heard he had gotten injured, and she quickly raced to his side.

“ He’ll be fine,” Owen suddenly said as he stood up and put his grimoire away. “ He just needs some rest, and so do you,” Owen added as he walked towards Grey and put a gentle hand on her shoulder.

“ Stress and worry isn’t good for the baby.” He said as he patted her shoulder before walking out of the room.

Grey and Gauche stood quietly and awkwardly in the room. They both had so much they wanted to say, but neither one knew quite where to begin or how to start. Gauche opened his mouth to apologize, but Grey quickly cut him off.

“ Why…W-Why are you so reckless?” She asked quietly, her face hidden behind her short blue hair. “ Do you think you’re invincible? Or do you think someone with a healing spell will always be around to make sure you stay alive?” Gauche winced and looked away for a moment.

“ Do you not care about me? Care about our baby?” She suddenly asked, causing his head to snap in her direction.

“ Of course, I do-!”

“ Then why aren’t you acting like it?” She asked again, not raising her voice even a little. “ If you cared about us, then you wouldn’t be so reckless with your life!” She continued, her voice a little more firm and serious. Gauche’s heart sank into the pit of his stomach as Grey lifted her head, revealing her face.

She had tears streaming down her face and her cheeks were bright red.

“ You didn’t care about your health when Damnatio attacked me, you didn’t care about your health during the battle with Lucius. And you still don’t care about your health, even now that you’re married and are about to be a father!” Grey said before she covered her face with her hands. Gauche quickly stood up and walked towards her before he wrapped his arms around her and hugged her tightly.

“ I’m sorry Grey, I wasn’t thinking…” Gauche muttered into her hair as he placed a kiss on the top of her head.

Ever since the two had been attacked and nearly killed by Damnatio, Grey had been like this. Actually, as he thought about it, she had been worried about him and his health since Dante had nearly killed him those many, many years ago. He thought she had healed and worked through all of that trauma, but apparently, she hadn’t. She just managed to hide it well until now.

And all because of him and his reckless nature.

“ You and our baby are two of the most important things in my life, Marie, and the Black Bulls following right behind. I will risk everything, even my life, in order to protect you and keep you all safe.” Gauche said softly but determinedly. “ But you’re right, I need to stop being so reckless. So from now on I’ll do everything I can to avoid getting hurt. Because the last thing I want to do in this world is leave you and our child all alone.”

He heard Grey sniffle and cry a little harder into his chest as he finished speaking. He hugged her tighter and kissed the top of her head again, uttering that it was okay and that he was so sorry for being inconsiderate, and that he would do better from now on.

Now, instead of letting Grey help him heal his body and mind, he would now help Grey heal her heart and mind. She was always supporting him, and now it was his turn to do the supporting.

———

Thank you all so much for reading and I hope you all have a good day~!