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#ch: lucifer morningstar
dcmultiverse · 2 years
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Thank you, Lightbringer. The Ruler of Hell is honorable, indeed. I will not forget this. Honorable? You joke, surely. THE SANDMAN (2022- ) | 1x04: A Hope in Hell
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radiosmile · 2 months
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You are much shorter in real life.
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Vaggie: Okay, run this by me again. How did you run over Alastor? Lucifer: Charlie and I were going for a drive and I saw him crossing the road. Lucifer: So I said “Charlie, deer.” Vaggie:…And then what happened? Charlie:…I said “yes, Dad?”
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steveshcrringtons · 6 days
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👀👀👀
I’m using this to half info dump and introduce my new OC, Evelyn, who is a Hazbin Hotel OC.
A bit of Evelyn lore is that in her human life, Evelyn was a therapist and had her own practice. She ends up becoming the therapist for the hotel to help reform the guests and help them work on themselves.
Another small piece of lore to give some more insight into Evelyn ended up in hell because she had a lapse in judgement in the human world and made the mistake of having an affair with one of her patients…but that’s a story for another time if asked for👀
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viinculado · 5 months
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something to note about lucifer in case anyone would like to know what they're getting into : this is the entity that tempted eve from the heart of the divine , that bred the same deadly sin that led cain to lift a rock over his brother's head , that instills horror in the heart of all god - fearing men , that rules over the place of endless punishment , the knife that will slaughter heaven. they are a master of illusion , of temptation and persuasion. they specialize in deals that fulfill one's deepest desires , that indulges the darkest parts of themselves that they believe will only earn them judgment. they masquerade as a friend , an ally , a partner , to get what they want. their goal is to manipulate you into doing what they wish by whatever means necessary , false promises , sweet nothings , granting wishes , showering you with understanding and their twisted version of love. lucifer is not good , but they will make you believe in their vision for the future they are striving for as a means to prioritize their goal of spitting in the face of the hand that cast them out
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inmydrcams · 8 months
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@astormymind asked.
i want to punch things . (Maze @ Lucifer)
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❝ Well, don’t let me stop you, Maze. Let’s just try to keep my pretty face out of it, please. I do rather enjoy it for things other than hitting. ❞ Well, some hitting might be enjoyable, some slapping by a beautiful woman while tied up to a bed… But that’s not what Mazikeen is suggesting so maybe he should saving those thoughts for another time. Do wonder if the detective would be up for a little rougher fun times though. It could definitely be very enjoyable.
❝ Actually… please not the piano either. ❞ Yes, his eyes did just notice it on the corner of the room. And maybe not the couch… Does Maze know how long it takes for nice couches to get delivered? You’d think humans would’ve figured out a better way of doing this but even with a couples benjamins they’re still saying a week in delivery minimum. ❝ You know what, we should probably get out of here. The air outside should do you some good. ❞ Yes, he’s directing Maze out of the suite and into the street. ❝ And maybe you can find a rapist or a pedophile to send to hell! We always could use some of those down there. ❞
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Things had FINALLY gotten back to normal.
Well, as normal as they could get for the Winchester family, after it had been weeks since he's gotten Dean back after letting their world's Michael possession him and push him out of Dean and destroy him, anyways. Their world's Michael had since left his body, PROMISING to do things right this time. He had left to return to heaven to take command, attempting to fix as much as he could after he felt it was his fault heaven was in shambles.
After trying to recover from yet ANOTHER (arch)angelic possession, he decided the best way to take his mind off the recent chaos of the last year was to go through the papers and news and find a case. And oh, a case he did find. Local news said people were disappearing from a club mysteriously lured out, and the bodies were found drained of ALL color and blood.
Vampires.. There must be a nest nearby.
All the victims had disappeared from a club in LA called Lux, so that's where his search would start. He DOUBTED whoever owned the place was happy about his patrons disappearing and ending up dead- Seemed bad for business. When he pulled up into the place, the line was long. It must be popular. When he finally did get in, the place was absolutely PACKED. It was going to be an absolute nightmare to get answers.
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As soon as he stepped into the club, he felt a rather.. familiar feeling in his chest, one that touched his soul and made the grave entwined with him tingle. Hazel green eyes jerked up to where he felt that pull, and spotted a rather handsome man in a suit, and he swallowed hard. That pull could only mean ONE thing..
Lucifer. @goobwrites
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moog-rt · 2 months
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GO TO HELL [ch. 1]
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[Lucifer Morningstar x Fem!Reader]
Previous: Prologue
➨ Chapter One
Next: Chapter Two
Premise:
You love your friends. You really do. But sometimes it needs reminding when one of them accidentally sends you to Hell.
Despite falling into the hands of Hell’s loveliest princess, finding a way back to the world of the living proves difficult as you tiptoe around its king.
Warning(s): blood, gore, cannon-typical violence
If you'd prefer to read on Ao3, here is the link:
Otherwise, enjoy!
♡ ♡ ♡
CHAPTER ONE
Your head throbbed, and cradling it with your hand only turned it into a piercing pain rather than dulling it.
You were careful as you worked to stand up. It was hard to grab hold of anything sturdy enough to support your weight, and upon closer inspection, it turned out you were taking a power nap in a pile of garbage. And, boy, was that shit rank.
You stumbled your way onto solid ground whilst picking gunk-covered plastic from your shirt and hair.
The surroundings that greeted you were unlike anything you could imagine. The sky appeared polluted with red smog so thick you couldn’t see the sun, though it didn’t smell like the kind of pollution you were used to. Rather than chemical, it stank of smoke and decay.
Every breath you took of this new atmosphere felt thick and raspy. You weren’t sure you could really even consider it breathable. You were probably inhaling a handful of carcinogens by the second.
From what you could see through the gap of the two buildings that made up the alley you were in, there was a city. It was as if the materials of the buildings were selected to complement the sky. Everything was a different shade of red or burgundy. The plumes of smoke that tunneled up in the distance were mildly concerning, though they didn’t seem to be an immediate threat.
It was all enough to drive a clear sense of dread through your gut. No way in Hell were you supposed to be here. You should be on your way to Devon’s place- No, you were at Devon’s place, in their living room.
And now you were…well, you didn’t really know. That was kind of the problem.
The panic only truly set in after you tripped, scraping your knees on the filthy cement. You didn’t want to know what caused that dark brown, slightly chunky stain. Turning to face the lump that caused your stumble, your stomach plummeted. Face paled.
That was a corpse. A whole not-so-human corpse. Mangled and lying motionless in a pool of blood that was beginning to dry.
In an instant, you threw yourself off of the ground, backpedaling away from the body. What on Earth could have caused their limbs to bend in so many directions? On second thought, you hoped it would stay a mystery.
You couldn’t ruminate on it for long before you felt something large grab your shoulder, hoisting you around so your back was facing the alley. You winced as the grip grew tighter and looked up to see a green-skinned man with jagged teeth protruding from his mouth. 
In that instant, it felt as if your heart had been launched a thousand feet in the air.
His pitch-black eyes narrowed as he leaned closer to your face, and you couldn’t bring yourself to move or utter a single word. His grip moved to your neck, turning your head around so he could see you from every angle. And just when you thought it couldn’t get any more uncomfortable, he brought his nose to your cheek and inhaled deeply.
“A human,” he said in a grumbly voice. You could see a corner of his lips curl into a wicked smile. “That’s a first. It’d be a shame to let you go to waste.”
Go. You had to go.
To have a freeze-response in a situation like this was a death sentence. You hadn’t the slightest clue what this man’s–this thing’s–intentions were with you, but you had an inkling that it wouldn’t be pleasant.
You had to move. Even if it was just an inch, just enough to convince yourself that you still could. You would take either fight or flight over this.
“Is that soul still living?”
Your eyes flicked over to the source of the new voice. A tall, reptilian-looking creature with eyes that seemed to be bugging out of its head. They were no more comforting than the man who was only a few inches away from strangling you.
“Fuck off! I found ‘er. She’s mine!” Apparently, the lizard-man was enough to draw your assailant’s attention away from you.
Lizard-man did not in fact fuck off. That response was the confirmation that only further drew him in. Looking around, you noticed other inhuman creatures turning their attention toward the three of you.
The lizard-man made a sudden lunge for you, digging claws into the green man’s arms. He hollered out in pain with an endless string of curses.
In that moment, you felt his grip on you loosen, and you dropped to the ground like dead weight. This was your chance. Likely your only chance before both of them pounced on you at once. Maybe more by the looks of the other creatures closing in, as well.
Relief washed over you as you slowly moved your arm to push you up. The mental confines over your body had been released, and just in time. You were able to clumsily roll out of the way as the men threw each other to the ground, and with wobbly legs, you promptly hauled ass out of there.
You could hear screams of rage and surprise as you shoved through the people on the street, apologizing occasionally. You could feel dozens of pairs of eyes burning into the back of your head, and you were almost certain that some had given chase.
The odd buildings blurred past you. You may have caught a glimpse of a shop with televisions on display and another that looked as though human limbs were hanging on meat hooks, but this was no time for window shopping. All of it caused your head to spin from both physical and emotional whiplash.
The first corner you turned revealed a massive light-up sign that towered above everything else with text saying, “Welcome to Hell.”
What kind of twisted joke was this?
You ducked into another alleyway. Nobody was around, but you could still hear yelling close behind you. Your heart felt as though it stopped for a second as you took notice of a massive barricade blocking off the only exit. The first sliver of your luck finally showed itself to you in the form of a small gap that could be just big enough for you to fit.
You were forced to slow down in order to wiggle your way through it, allowing your pursuers to catch up. Just when you thought you had cleared the blockade, that big green hand wrapped around your ankle, yanking you back.
You cried out and pulled as much as you could until your foot slid out of your sock, successfully freeing you. Padding barefoot through this wretched city wouldn’t be pleasant, but you were sure it was better than whatever those things had planned for you.
As you pushed back into a sprint, you heard the green man’s voice screaming at the others about how he wouldn’t let them through before him. That was fine by you. He was much too big to fit through that hole, and you doubted he could scale the wall completely. If he was dead set on not letting anyone pass before him, then you probably had all the time in the world. Even so, you wouldn’t feel safe until you could get as far as your legs could carry you. 
So, ignoring your burning lungs and pounding heart, you pushed forward. Through the streets that grew more and more disheveled, collapsed buildings, cracked and upheaved asphalt roads. The lack of shoes only made it that much worse as your feet were getting sore. You were slowing down, but you refused to stop until you found someplace suitable to take refuge.
After the last main row of the city, there was a hill. And on top of that hill, there was a hotel.
Or so the sign on it said. Happy Hotel.
You could tell it was probably supposed to light up, but it wasn’t on, either because it was daytime (you assumed) or the bulbs were burnt out. Both seemed equally likely. The place was massive but appeared to be a hodgepodge of things all shoved into one, a cruise ship crashed into one side, a train on top of the roof… But despite its general run-down appearance, the stained glass windows remained untouched as if they were brand new.
It would be a gamble on whether this place was inhabited or not, but at least it was out of that shit show of a city. Probably the safest thing you’d come across thus far.
Besides, it was a hotel. Maybe you still had one of your cards in your pocket. If not, there was always Apple Pay, right?
The final push up the hill really did you in, leaving you panting and covered in sweat at the front door. You were dying to sit down and rest, but you wouldn’t feel comfortable doing so until you were inside. 
Seeing the building up close left you even more confused about whether or not the place was still running. The majority of the double front doors were stained glass with an apple shape in the center of each. It was quite beautiful. But at the same time, the edges of the frame appeared chipped and rotted, showing the building’s true age.
You were just thankful when the door creaked open without a fight. You didn’t want to resort to breaking in through one of those wonderful windows. With how loud it would be, you might as well scream out your arrival.
Aside from some of the detailed woodwork and repetitive apple iconography, the inside of the hotel was a bit sad to put it frankly. Little to no furniture. Cobwebs coating everything. The chandelier holding on by a thread (maybe the cobwebs were preventing it from falling). There was a minifridge, though!
You couldn’t imagine you would be lucky enough to find a cold bottle of water in there, but you decided to check to be sure. The cool air alone, wafting out as you opened its door, alleviated some of your discomfort. Unfortunately, there was no water or any beverage, for that matter. Inside were a couple of applesauce(?) cups and a styrofoam take-out container.
The fact that there was anything at all was concerning as it was a bit of confirmation there were already inhabitants. You would need to keep looking for a safe place to stay unless they ended up being the odd few in this town that weren’t out for blood.
On cue, cool metal prodded the back of your neck as you were closing the fridge, and you froze.
“What are you doing here?” asked the person behind you. Their voice was cold and harsh, and it made the hairs on the back of your neck stand on end. So much for going unscathed.
“I was just looking for somewhere to rest. I’m sorry for intruding,” you said just above a whisper, raising your hands instinctively. 
“You want to stay here?” a chipper voice cut through the air, echoing a bit in the large, empty foyer. They sounded almost happy you were trespassing. “Vaggie, this could be our first guest!”
“Babe, the hotel isn’t even open yet,” the first voice sighed before the metal was pulled away from your skin. You took that as an invitation to turn around.
Before you stood two young women–you’d guess late teens or early twenties. They were the most human-like people you had the pleasure of coming across since waking up in a hot pile of garbage. The only thing that threw you off was their grey and porcelain white skin tones. It was as if they were pulled out of a black-and-white movie from the ‘50s.
You’d take what you could get at this point. At least they didn’t have scales.
“We’ll just have to move up our grand opening then,” the taller girl sang with a wide, sharp-toothed grin. She bounded over to you, squatting down to meet you at eye level. “Would you be interested in a shot at redemption? It doesn’t matter what you’ve stolen or who you’ve murdered. Everyone deserves a second chance!”
Was this chick for real? What did redemption have to do with a hotel? And why would you need to be redeemed?
Your mouth hung open as your eyes bobbed between the two strangers.
“Wait a second…” The shorter girl–who you realized was the one holding a fucking spear to your neck–suddenly went wide-eyed. “You’re a human. Jesus, she’s a human!”
The blonde stared at her for a moment before turning back to you with knit eyebrows.
“Really? How do you know?” she asked with a tilt of her head as her eyes darted all over you, looking for some tell-tale sign of your humanity.
In what world is it surprising to see a human? You hadn’t been shipped to Mars. That you were certain of. 
Then you came to your own realization. 
Devon must have drugged you! That was the only way this could make any sense. Was it acid? LSD? You’d have to ask them after you sobered up. Or maybe after you wring their scrawny little neck, because the therapy you’d need after this was sure to cost a fortune.
The hand that landed on your shoulder caused you to flinch. The shorter girl–Vaggie–was kneeling in front of you now. Her touch was delicate as if she was worried she’d break you if she put enough pressure. A stark contrast to the way she treated you a minute ago.
“How did you get here?” she asked in a much softer tone than earlier.
You let out a huff of air, a sorry excuse for a laugh. You smiled, shaking your head as your body slumped back against the fridge.
“I don’t even know where here is,” you laughed. “I was in my friend’s apartment one second and being hunted down by a mob of demons the next.”
The two exchanged a look before helping you to your feet. They settled you down on a couch, one of the few pieces of furniture they had, and got you a glass of water to sip on. The scrapes and cuts you had gotten during your chase, or possibly before it, were treated to, as well. The foot that lost its sock was particularly nasty.
They introduced themselves and explained that you were in Hell. You reckon you should have figured that one out from the big-ass sign you saw while running for your life.
In return, you told them the last few things you could remember before ending up here. Helping your friend with a demon-summoning ritual and getting dragged through a glowing hole in the ground as a result.
“Sounds like that backfired a bit,” Vaggie said. You couldn’t help but chuckle.
“Yeah, a bit. That’s what I get for doing my friend a solid, I guess,” you shrugged, leaning back as you gulped down more of the water. 
“Oh, don’t say that. At the end of the day, you helped a friend, and you found us! And we’ll definitely make sure you get home safe and sound,” Charlie grinned as she gently placed a hand on your knee.
You gave a small smile in return. You’re not sure how much you believed in her words, but it was sweet of her to try to reassure you. Her hope was almost infectious, and you could use as much of that as you could get.
“Also, you’re totally welcome to stay here for as long as you need! We’ve got plenty of rooms, and I’m sure we’ll start getting more furniture soon, and if there’s any food you’d like us to get, we can–”
“Baby, slow down,” Vaggie chuckled.
“Sorry…I guess I’m just really excited. You would be our first guest, and I’ve also never seen a human other than my mom before, and even she’s a special case…” Charlie said, looking off to the side as she brushed a blonde strand of hair behind her ear.
“The only humans we technically have are the ones that die and are deemed sinners,” Vaggie explained. “But they take on a new appearance. Usually, it reflects something within their soul.”
Huh.
“That’s…interesting,” you said, eyebrows tightly furrowed together. What does being a lizard man say about that dude’s soul? And what about being green? Maybe it was his favorite color? Or maybe he was green with envy. Haha.
“So what do you say?”
You looked at Charlie to see her holding her hand out to you. If the two of you were making a deal, she wasn’t really getting anything out of it. It was pure charity work…
“Please, let me know if there’s anything I can do for you in return,” you said, taking her hand.
With that, the two young women gave you a brief tour of the hotel. It was still a work in progress, but you could see Charlie’s vision. If they just cleaned it up a bit and filled in the space, it would look livable. You would be more than happy to help with that if you ended up spending enough time there, though you hoped it wouldn’t take that long.
If you weren’t back soon, your place would start getting cobwebs. You also couldn’t miss too many days of work…PTO wasn’t infinite, and you had bills to pay. Your coworkers would also have it out for you if you left them short-staffed.
What if they started putting up missing flyers? Hopefully, they wouldn’t blame the coworker you convinced to go home early. She was the last person you were spotted with in public, after all. No one knew you were going to Devon’s, so it was unlikely they’d take the blame.
Maybe the guy you had been in a situationship with for the last several months would be their suspect. Most of your friends knew all about him (primarily because you’d bitch and whine so much), and it’s not uncommon for people to point fingers at the ‘partner.’
He raised a few red flags here and there, sure, but what man hasn’t? None of them were even close to kidnap-murder level. Mostly just picking his toes in public and swearing on his life that his exes were the crazy ones, not him. Nothing necessarily surprising.
You needed to stop worrying and start embodying Charlie’s confidence in the situation. You would find a way to get back. You would not be stuck in Hell long enough to raise alarm. You just had to manifest it!
Eventually, your hosts showed you to the room you could stay in. It was one of the few furnished ones besides their room at the moment. They also gave you a change of clothes after realizing just how dirty (and smelly) yours were after waking up in a trash heap. Plus, you had two socks again!
You met back up with them in the foyer when you were finished. They wanted to discuss possible ways you could get out of Hell, which you had absolutely no problem with. The two of them brainstormed for a bit while you just sat back and listened in. Vaggie brought up that some upper-class ‘hellborns’ had ways in and out of Hell, but she didn’t have any specifics.
You felt bad not contributing, but what did you know about traveling between the living world and Hell? Jack, that’s what. 
“Do you think your dad would know? He’s probably had to get to Earth for some reason or another, yeah?” Vaggie asked, but she was met with a grumble of a response.
“I don’t know…” Charlie said with a frown, all her hopeful energy zapped away in an instant. “He’s never been super helpful with stuff like this.”
“Come on, babe. If anybody would know, it would be him,” Vaggie pressed. “He’s gotta have something we could use.”
Charlie simply groaned as she threw her upper body over the arm of the sofa and sat like that for a minute or two. It was possible that she wasn’t on very good terms with her father. Or he was just exasperating to deal with.
You sent a worried look at Vaggie, because what were you supposed to do in this situation?
“Okay, yeah. We can swing by my old house tomorrow and poke around,” Charlie said as she stood up.
“Great, but you,” Vaggie jabbed her finger in your direction. “Get ready to wake up bright and early. We’ll have to make you presentable first.”
What the hell was that supposed to mean?
Next Chapter
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starlightdreaming · 5 days
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Lucifer Morningstar x Reader! Ch. 3!
Fandom: Hazbin Hotel!
Content Warning: more… angst. with some comfort..(?) idk starve lol. blood and vulgar words. SUPER LONG CHAPTER TOO WOO! (nonproof read too)
Synopsis: after going through severe depression, you mentally and physically shut down.
Further note: THANK YOU FOR THE PEOPLE WHO ARE SUPPORTING MY SERIES (Lululuna) IT MAKES ME SO FUCKIGN HAPPY AAHAHAHHDVENE (this is also my favorite chapter I’ve been waiting to write HEHEHHE) ENJOY READING AS IVE ENJOYED WRITING IT - ✨Lolo💫
Chapters!: Chapter 1 ✧ Chapter 2 ✧ Chapter 3 (you are here) •<•)b ✧ Chapter 4
THIS CHAPTERS SONG IS uhhHhahwueh
(optional but recommended!)
。・:*:・゚Lululuna・゚:。*:・。
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After sending Lucifer away, you were silent during the whole aftermath ordeal.
You stared at the ground for a long while, sitting in the middle of the court room, ignoring and blocking everyone that was talking or looking at you. In a room so loud, in your mind, it was deathly silent.
Sera went to you, tapping your shoulder softly, “come along now, Y/n,” She says, softly, “Let’s get you home, alright?” She offers, standing up, waiting for you to collect yourself and get up as well.
the carpet was drenched with a puddle of tears, you felt like a part of you was gone forever… and you weren’t ever going to get it back. You dry your tears, using your sleeves to wipe them off your face before getting up and taking Sera’s hand into your own, she held your hand softly, teleporting you to the front of your home.
“Take all the time you need.” Sera says, understanding how much pain you were going through, you have told her everything after all in your years of working with her after you and Lucifer fell apart. She teleported away as you stood at your front door for a moment, staring at the door before unlocking it and pushing it open with no effort at all, your home was dark from how late it was,
The sun was gone, put away to rest, and the moon was present, subtle and set.
You walked into your home, stars barely dimming any light in the dark home, you closed your door behind you, leaning on it with a sigh, your exhausted eyes felt puffy from all the tears you had shed after seeing Lucifer for the last time, the way he looked at you as he fell, bore into your mind, it’s been haunting you since.
‘maybe it was a mistake?’ you thought as you conversed in your head for the nth time that day, your mind was haunting you endlessly with years of torment after Lucifer left you behind, your heart and mind were always arguing with one another, your heart always begged to talk things out even if the pain was unbearable but your mind was more of in control with your body, trying to keep your heart safe, trying to keep you safe from any more suffering. you just didn’t know what to do.
Tears fell from your eyes again that night, wishing to be held and comforted by someone who would understand the same pains as you, and that someone was no one.
Down at your door you sat, hugging your knees as you cried out your pain, the exact same spot when you cried yourself to sleep on your last birthday, the last birthday you shared with Lucifer. It wasn’t a good memory to remember but… it was a memory that was telling you, ‘here we are, once again.’ and that was enough to make you cry harder as you hugged yourself with the silence screams that no one could ever see or hear…once.. again.
✧•✧•✧•✧•✧•✧•✧
Day in, day out.
As time passed, you were slowly recovering from the losses of your childhood friend.
Day in, day out.
As time passed, you focused on your work behind the scenes, Emily bringing joy to those around Halo city, welcoming winners and Heaven born angels all around. With more Earth born angels arriving in Heaven, the population of the people grew, meaning more expansions of the city and more expansions of the city, meant you had to work much, much longer.
Day in, day out.
You were falling behind on your creations, being the only ‘angel’ that could make stars, Sera would often have to come and talk to you and your issues of the star makings. You and Sera both tried to get other angels to make the same stars as you, sentient and beautiful, but it was only ever botched and dull when anyone else tried to make them, leaving you at a loss. You often had to stay up in late night hours, until the sun came back up, barely ever giving you the chance to go back home and rest. After one problem, another came along, you began to feel confined behind those four walls.
Day in, day out.
Your life was just stuck in the same room, rarely ever getting out, star after star, it began to be repetitive and passionless, everything was the same.
Day in, day out.
Sera would often visit you, telling you to keep making an nth amount of stars today or tomorrow, sooner or later, she would just leave notes and piles of paperwork her employers would send to you, leaving you in the dust, life became frail and dulling, you were just a machine at that point, neglected and forgotten as you kept making sentient stars constantly.
Day in, day out.
Nothing’s new. Days, weeks, months, years, nothing was changing as you drowned more in more into a bleak and miserable office, you felt more and more empty, you would wake up and sleep, you lost track of time at this point, your office was just a mess of star dust and stars, the windows were black from the dust staining the windows making them unobtrusive, you sat on the floor in the center, feeling stuck and hopeless. Surrounded by the only thing that brought you comfort, now becoming the only thing you were ever useful for.
Day in, day out.
How long has passed? You didn’t care anymore. All you wanted was to escape and be free from this basked room of misery and self loathing, your stars became gloopy and sticky, they were melting in this room like you were.
Day in, day out.
You couldn’t bare another minute in the same room, your arms were stained black from stars that melted on you from time to time, the stars were barely ever successfully made anymore, you just couldn’t continue anymore.
Day in, day out.
Long and forgotten you were, nothing new and changing, just you in a black room, full of dust and gloopy stars. You laid there meaninglessly, your eyes lifeless and you completely numb, tired and exhausted.
Day in, day out.
Nothing’s new, nothing’s new, nothing’s new, nothing’s new, nothing’s new, nothing’s new, nothing’s new, nothing’s new, nothing’s new, nothing’s new, nothing’s new, nothing’s new, nothing’s new, nothing’s new.
Day in, day out.
After days of laying there, eating your own stars as survival, refusing to allow anyone into your room, Sera finally showed up for once after eons or centuries? you don’t even know anymore. She wasn’t as loving or caring as she used to be, it was to be expected since you lost sight of you as a sister and more of a machine. When she ordered you to get up and do something, you refused to respond as you continued to lay there, seeing as doing anything anymore was futile.
She commanded you again and she received no result, When she picked you up from the ground, she saw how lifeless you really were, she teleported you to a hospital, getting you attention from the doctors as quick as possible, they checked you, you were alive, obviously, but mentally, you died out long ago.
✧•✧•✧•✧•✧•✧•✧
✧•✧•✧•✧•✧•✧•✧
The nurses cleaned and fed you, you were barely responsive but it was progress to them if you ever reacted.
You laid in that hospital bed, day in, day out.
One day, Emily came to visit you, you didn’t bother until she used her powers on you. As the joy bringer of the people, she managed to give you a glimpse of happiness again and that was enough to bring color back into your eyes and look at her.
A nurse watching, left to contact a doctor. Emily smiled at you as she channeled her energy to you, hugging you and asking you questions to see if you would respond, it took awhile but you managed to wry a smile and tell her, “hi..” a croak in your voice from how raspy your throat felt, she tilted her head with a comforting smile, “hi,” she said, “how are you feeling?” she asks genuinely, her hand over your yours as she channeled more of her angelic energy, soothing you physically and mentally, “I’m alright.” you responded with a croaky voice, “yeah?” she asks, “yeah.” you respond.
A doctor showed up to give you a thorough check up, the nurse following and thanking Emily as she lightly laughed off the nurses praises. Your eyes were still dull but they had color now, the bags under your eyes were visible from the years lack of resting, black circles covered your eyes but seeing you be able to smile was just enough for the doctor to say you were responsive now. The doctor and nurse left the room to get you your meal or checking on other patients, leaving you and Emily once again.
Emily would talk to you, making small conversations, tell you about her day and sharing her energy with you again to make you more at ease, she even told you how Sera refused to let her see you cause you were always too busy for visitors, that was true but it was also the reason you were here in the first place. When visiting time was over she promised to come back to visit you tomorrow, you smiled at that, waving bye as she left.
Now it was you, yourself, and the white room and for once, you decided to stand up and look outside the window, the stars shined and dimmed brightly that night, the stars were the only thing making your eyes shine that night, their light reflecting off your eyes irises.
with the day done and in, you rested peacefully in that hospital bed, letting the day out.
Emily visited everyday to see you, still seeing you as a sister and telling you her life stories, she even managed to make you laugh at one point, it was a big laugh but it was genuine and thats what matters to her. At one point, you managed to ramble off about stars and the ideas you had for them, you got to show her how you made them, you tried to show her as well when she requested to guide her to make one, obviously it didn’t work but she smiled whenever she got to be given the chance to, she gave you the botched star that was lavender blue, it was small with imperfections but for the first time in the longest time, someone had given you something and you never were letting it go.
You used a little bit of your stardust to make it stick in your hair, making sure it stays there, no matter what. Emily smiled when she saw it in your hair, seeing how much it matters to you. You and Emily both spent the entire day talking and creating, sharing and conversing, it was so comforting and warm, her light was guiding you out of that dark abyss you had made for yourself and eventually- you were out the hospital.
You went back to that same office room but this time, you cleaned it, you made more stars, the neglected ones being perfected and revived, sentient and chiming. With your office cleaned you decided to get a meeting with Sera personally. It took a few days but it was accepted and eventually you were in her office, she looked at you authoritatively, not seeing you as she had once, who knows long ago.
“What is it, Y/n?” She says, sitting at her desk as you walked up to her desk and took a seat in the chair at the opposite end. “I quit.” You spoke, unhesitant, “What?” She says, rather surprised, “I quit,” you smiled, crossing your arms, “at making stars for you and the people.” you finished, watching her reaction change, “and what makes you think you can?” She says with a slightly aggressive tone, glaring at you slightly, “I am my own person, I want a new job,” You say, sitting back in your chair, “then- will I make more stars for you.” You say, your her fingers intertwined and resting on your lap, legs crossed.
She stood up, her figure towering over you from over the table, “You refused to continue your work, end up in a hospital for who knows what and now you’re asking for a new job?” She asked, feeling rather insulted like you can laze around and do whatever you want, “Yes, that’s exactly what.” You smiled, unbothered, Emily made you feel this way, like a new person, she was therapy itself in a way.
“And you think you can handle a different job? even when you couldn’t even handle your own?” She glares, you leaned forward into your chair, “got bored with the stars thing, without a doubt I can do something else.” You say looking at her smugly, making her harden her glare at you. maybe Emily gave you too much of her energy.
“Fine then.” She says, turning around, looking away from you and out the window, she snapped her fingers and a man appeared next to you, “Woah- wait, what the fuck?” He says, looking around the room, looking at Sera, then at you, “You will be working with Adam from now on,” She says, turning back to you, you and Adam staring at each other awkwardly, before he began to wiggle his eyebrows at you with a flirty smirk, “Adam, you are to train and teach Y/n, show and tell her what she will be doing.” Sera orders, you had your knees up in the chair leaning away from Adam, due to him gawking at you before he looked away to Sera, “Wait now? Don’t you think it’s too soon for any recruits?” He questions, pointing a thumb at you.
“She wanted a new job since she failed to do her own,” Sera explains to Adam as you rolled your eyes from her statement, “since she says she can handle a new one, I’m giving her this one.” Sera finishes, sitting down back in her chair, “But we were just about to start? she wont even have time to prepare?” Adam responds, scratching his horn confused from this sudden meeting, “Then I suggest you get started,” Sera commands, going back to skimming through papers, “Dismissed.” She says, as you and Adam turn to each other confused.
You both left together, him leading and you following silently and awkwardly, your confidence long and left you after Adam appeared. “So what’s your name again? Already forgot.” He says looking at you, bending down slightly for you to meet face to face, you backed away from his action, “err, Y/n.” you respond, looking away for a moment before looking back at him, “Well nice to meet you, names Adam, first man, best man.” He smiles, reaching his hand out for you to take, you hesitated before shaking his hand, wrying a smile, “pleasure.” You speak, only giving him that response.
You both exited the building before flying, going to who knows where, “soo, before we get started, should probably ask what you do before you jump in the big ordeal, what do you do and how can you benefit us?” He asks, you flying alongside him, “I can do stellar manipulation, cosmic manipulation and stellar healing but im terrible at it,” You rambled, pointing a finger up after listing off your abilities, “What I can do best is making sentient stars do my bidding, like the stars that are all over Halo city? I made those.” You smiled, “Woah! wait, you made all those things come alive? that’s fucking sick!” He says complimenting you, “So you must be a big deal huh?” He smirks, “Ehh, I guess?” You shrug slightly with a smile.
“Ohoh, if you can control those stars, then you’re perfect for this job.” He smirks as he lands, you landed behind him as you looked around at everyone, them all wearing the same suits, you were confused now, just what even is this job?
“Sir? where did you go?” a female voice asked, “Sera teleported me outta nowhere for me to bring someone along with us,” he explains pointing to you, you walk up to her, “greetings, I’m Y/n.” you smile and waved, “Lute, Adam’s Lieutenant.” She says as she straightens her posture, giving you a short and slim response. “Attention ladies! we have a sudden and new guest! this is uhh,” he pauses before leaning toward you, “fucks your name again?” he asks as you deadpanned, how does someone forget a name so fast? “Y/n.” You respond, “Y/n!” He says, “Seraphim of the stars or something.” He says, trying to make you sound like big talk, “She will be joining us today, she isn’t prepared but thats okay, she will just be an audience for today at most, so everyone prepare yourselves,” Adam says as they pull out spears, making your confusion more piqued, “and let’s this fucking show on a roll!” he shouts, a portal opening, him flying off with his lieutenant.
You were caught off guard from them suddenly flying off, you followed, a little behind but you caught up quickly to Adam, (being a seraphim and all) staying behind him and Lute, when you went through the portal, you paused in the air, confused on where in the world were you? everything was red, the sky, the ground, it wasn’t long before you started hearing screaming in the distance, the angel army was flying and attacking, monster like creatures, “What the fuck is this?” You say in shock, “Oh shit, you curse too? fucking sweet!” Adam says, showing up next to you, watching the angels slaughter the creatures, “where am I?!” You ask with a shaky voice, concern and worry filling your voice, “You’re in hell, bitch!” He says, summoning an angelic guitar made of pure gold, strumming it.
“WHAT?” You say absolutely baffled from his answer, you quickly turned to look down at the destroyed city, those little things running around and screaming, pleading for their lives as they get brutally slaughtered, “why are we killing them?! they did nothing!” You say in a terrified voice, looking back at Adam, “calm down bitch, fuck,“ He says, making you glare at him instantly, “they’re sinners! We give them divine judgment!” He smirks, flying down and killing a sinner without hesitation, “Stop it!” You tell at him, your angelic form appearing from how terrified you were to discover that your divine people were slaughtering innocent souls that have done nothing but accept their damnation, “No, you stop it!” He says, flying back up to you, making you fly back when he got too close, “Sera ordered you to follow my lead, you are under my command!” He yells back, an explosion happening behind him, a city building tumbling, you stared in guilt, you didn’t even do anything to them and yet all you could feel was pure sympathy and sorrow for those souls who didn’t deserve the judgment they were receiving.
“Now, you’re going down there and helping us kill these fuckers or you can sit and watch.” Adam orders, you didn’t have any words to respond with as you looked down at the sinners, there was a young lady who was carrying a child away from the chaos, you couldn’t help but watch, you were too stunned to process anything, Adam flew off mumbling something under his breath, definitely cursing at you but you didn’t even care at that moment.
An angel chasing quickly behind the two sinners, the angels spear charging towards the two, before you can even give a second thought, you summoned a star quickly, tossing it at the angel, hitting them down before they could hurt the two, you gasped, surprised from your own actions, you hurt an angel, the angels you’re supposed to care for and protect! you watched the angel shrug it off like nothing before flying away to a different direction, giving the sinners the chance to run, why was Heaving allowing slaughter? doesn’t this go against the very foundations of Heaven? why didn’t you know about this was ever happening? and how long has it been happening? Sera assigned you here, so it’s obvious she knows! why would she allow this- wait.. does the father of Heaven know?
You quickly flew down to the city to find Adam, to find answers, but all you saw was bloodshed and destruction, spears left behind and angels flying around like they were proud of themselves, it gave you a gut wrenching feeling, “please spare me! don’t kill me!” A voice called out, you turned to see a sinner running for their life, your eyes widen when you see an angel walking up to the sinner, a manic laugh following behind them, you ran toward the sinner and the angel, you stood between them both, stopping the angel in her tracks, “I command you to stop!” you say aggressively.
The angel taken back by your sudden actions and outburst, “What are you doing? move it.” the angel said, trying to shove you away but you pushed back and it made the angel push you completely to the ground, moved to the side, you didn’t have any attributes to physical fighting and it showed, you fell to the ground, looking up quickly to see the angel about to attack, without a second thought, you summons another star, a rather big one and made it push her aggressively, you made the star make the angel collide with a building, knocking the angel out, you gasped, not meaning to go that far but you turned to the sinner and ran to their aid, “are you okay??” you ask the terrified man before you, he looked at you in awe, you angelic features making the man stunned and mesmerized, “yes… thank yo- gh-“ the man choked, a spear through his throat, his blood splattered onto your clothes, hands and face, you closed your eyes for a moment from the sudden liquid of blood covering your face.
You opened your eyes and your eyes widened when you saw Adam and Lute in front of you, the sinner headless and long gone of life, “Fuck do you think you’re doing?” Adam said, yelling at you, you looked down and stared at the red, staining your hands, your breath hitched, you were trying to save a soul and it died immediately in front of you, before your very eyes, from feeling sympathy and sorrow, you clutched your hands tightly, a fit of rage riling up inside you, “ADAM! THIS STOPS NOW!” You shout, your angelic appearance in full as you flew into the air, cosmic dust following your form, your wings emitted cosmic dust, along with your hands, star dust following suit.
You glared at Adam, Lute glaring back at you, sensing you were about to become a threat, she immediately charged at you before swinging at you, you immediately summoned a star as a shield, side eyeing her, you made the star push her down, away from you, another star attacking her swiftly and powerfully, knocking her out too, Adam watched it happen so quickly, “What the fuck was that? what did you do to Lute?!” He says, going after you next, he was much slower but he managed to fight off your stars as he kept swinging at you, you being the faster flying, dodged easily, they may have been more experienced than you but they were so damn sloppy with their attacks. not to mention as a seraphim, you are much more stronger.
You flew higher into the air, a radiant aura forming around you, “This massacre ends now, Adam.” you say in a monotone voice, focusing on your power as you began to summon multiple stars, making all sentient at once, you were using a lot of stamina for this but you were willing to do this if it meant stopping this meaningless wrath of judgment.
You had made stars fall, multiple stars stuck onto Adam as he tried to fight them off but you made the goopy ones specifically for him, eventually he was invulnerable to move, the stars sticky and drippy, making it hard for him to struggle, you glared at Adam silently as he began to curse you out, you made a big star float flatly, carrying Lute back into the portal along with Adam as the stars took his guitar and carried it with him separately, your other stars retrieved the other angels in this army, dragging them all back forcefully to the portal, you made the other spare stars fly up to the skies and make it rain stardust in the skies, the dust was full of healing properties, making sure the sinners that survived could heal physical injuries, you hoped it was enough for them since you weren’t very experienced with the healing attributes you had, feeling your stamina drained, you flew back to the portal, closing it as you flew to the grounds of Heavens cloud, panting heavily, you had never used that much of your abilities like that before, all at once in fact.
You looked up to see Adam pissed off at, struggling to break free from goopy stars you still had on him, you laughed lightly at this, that shits kinda funny.
You splat onto the cloud, face first, regaining your stamina for a bit, meanwhile the whole army Adam had was conversing in confusing, they tried to help Adam get out of the goop but that only made the. stuck with him, you turned to lay on your back, wings following and looked up to the sky, for once, you felt rather proud of yourself for being able to full something like that but now it was the worse part to come, after recollecting your energy, you got up and flew off, dragging Adam with you, the stars of goop following as he muffled our screams.
When you returned to Sera’s office, you busted down the door with any respect, “Sera!” you shouted angrily, “We need to take about this job offer.” you grumbled, slamming your hands down her desk, the goop of stars putting Adam down as he deadpanned at you and Sera. Sera’s eyes widened from your sudden outburst and the blood covering your body, “I assume you couldn’t handle it?” Sera asked, after recollecting herself, “Handle it? I more than handled it, I dragged a whole fucking army back into Heaven!” You screamed, Sera glared as she stood up, “That was not your job, your job was to follow Adams orders!” she spoke back sternly, “This job and his orders are hypocritical to what we believe in! this is conflicting to the foundation of Heaven!” You argued back as Adam watched, Sera stared at you before sighing, “Can we speak alone about this?” she requests, eyeing Adam, signaling you to let him leave, “fine.” you scowl at her in detestation, you snap your fingers and the goop evaporated, also summoning his guitar to give back to him, “Christ, you’re a crazy bitch, you know that?” He says insultingly, he spoke as soon he got his guitar but you ignored him as the ordered the with a swift of your finger, the stars dragged him out the room and shut the door, all while you stared at Sera with displeasure.
“Why would you let winners and heaven born give divine judgment to sinners? What was your plan? What the fuck even is this job??” You began, hostility filling your voice. “The sinners were uprising, they were getting more and more bigger in population!” Sera responds, beginning her explanation, “and?” you asked unconvinced, “They were getting stronger, of they become to powerful, they may even reach the Heavens! they would take over and spread evil all over our realm.” She continues as you scoff, “and why would you think that? you doubting your fathers abilities to keep that under control?” you point out as she looks away, making you ponder, “does he even know you’re allowing your people to slaughter souls?” You ask.
She glared at you as she sat up in her seat, “He doesn’t and won’t know.” she says calmly and authoritatively, “seriously?! you’re doing this behind his back?!” You say, raising your voice in shock and anger, “unbelievable!” You say as you step beck from her desk, turning to leave her office, “and where do you think you’re going?” She asks, “where am I going? i’m going to tell all of Heaven on what the fuck you’re doing thats what!” you shout back, opening the door to leave but it shits immediately, Sera now in front of you, “you’re not going anywhere.” she says darkly, her figure towering over you as eyes appeared over her body, her angelic form showing.
You stepped back, looking at her staring daggers at her as she stepped closer to you, “and what makes you think I can’t?” you taunt, as she stood tall in front of you, “you will be silenced.” She says as pulls out an angelic spear of her own, knowing that she was threatening your life now, “What will Emily think when she finds you slaughtered her own sister?” You ask, putting up a facade of bravery, trying not show that she was getting to you, “Emily is not your sister.” Sera says aggressively and threateningly with pure hostility in her voice, seeing as that got to her it made you smug, “We’ll see when she finds out about how you allow her people kill the innocent.” You smirk with a shit-eating grin, knowing that no matter what she did, it wouldn’t turn out well for her.
It in-fact: did not turn out well for you, “We’ll see, when you’re gone for good.” She says as she swiftly moved you too quickly for you to react, her angelic spear carving your back, a mass amount of pain following as you screamed, you fell forward as she pushed you down as she stabbed her spear through her wing, making you wince in pain, adrenaline fueling your body from the shock that she actually took this path of violence. You tried to get up but she stepped on your back, pushing you back down, you look up at her in fear, her cold dead eyes staring into yours, “long before you know it, Emily will forget you even exist.” She says, swinging at your back again as you scream from agony, golden blood now mixing into the dried blood that covered you, you were shaking from terror and pain, she picked you up from your neck, as you struggled in her grasp, “stop- it!-“ you begged, trying to breathe, trying to kick her off you as golden blood dripped onto the ground in her office, she didn’t respond as she opened a portal, you turned to look, the familiar red skies before your very eyes, you turn to Sera desperately, “Don’t do this!-“ you gasped, struggling more in desperation, “You can’t!” You say, trying to pull her grasp off you, you were losing air and the stamina in your body.
“But I will.” She says with no solace or pity in her voice, she threw you into the portal with a second thought, closing it quickly, you gasped for air, adrenaline fueling your body as you regained oxygen to breathe but that was the least of your worries now, you were falling and your wings were to injured to fly, you were panicking as you tried to use your wings to fly but the pain was to unbearable, you saw your stars in the sky from earlier, protecting the sinners, thats it! thats your only ticket, you immediately tried to summon stars but it was a struggle to do so from how much power you already used from earlier, you had to overexert your abilities again, you mustered all the strength you had left within you, your angelic form showing as a bright colorful aura gleamed around you, you summoned stars but it was so hard to focus with adrenaline and panic that was fueling your body, you manage to make some stars but they were falling with you, some staying in place in the air for you to land on but you would quickly bounce off them from impact, you couldn’t focus at all, the sky rained stars that you had tried to quickly make but failed to use, it was too late as you crashed into the ground, a crater formed around you.
Your whole body hurt, it hurt more than anything you felt before, you weakly tried to sit up, you look at something glowing on the ground, you look to see a lavender blue star, the imperfect perfect star Emily had gifted you fell out of your hair, you winced in pain as your reached for the star, grabbed it and holding it to your chest as you laid back onto the ground, completely lost of any stamina and energy left to give.
Golden blood began to surround and puddle around you, the adrenaline and pain was the only thing keeping you awake right now, you laid there weakly, looking at the now red skies, you couldn’t do anything but only to try and breathe, trying to stay away, you were alone and no one in hell was going to go and try to save you. You were helpless, alone, once again. You couldn’t help but cry, scream in pain, why was this always happening to you? Why couldn’t you just find happiness? Why couldn’t the universe- help its only and dearest child? Your screams were so loud but they always heard im deaf ears, why did fate choose you to suffer this path? you screamed until you couldn’t anymore, you stared at the red sky as you waited for your in pending death. While looking at the sky, you see the stars shift toward you, raining their star dust onto you, the dust leaving soft touches on your skin, they felt like cool kisses, soothing your pain, you smiled weakly at your creations, your eyes feeling heavy as they tried closing, you fighting to keep them open but you eventually lost that battle.
eventually, everything went to black.
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stormz369 · 29 days
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The King of Hell and Me: Ch 4 - The Contract
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Chapter Guide Ch 1 Ch 2 Ch 3 Ch 4
Summary: A witch summons Lucifer to earth to make a deal. Warnings: none I can think of? This is a generally sweet, fluffy chapter Word Count: 2.3k
Summoning the devil wasn't part of the plan. A demonic creature, yes, but the actual devil? The book didn't say anything about him. I was expecting to be dealing with an imp or some other kind of lower level Hellion. Someone with the power to do what I wanted, but not to completely fuck me over. Someone who'd take something I could spare. Not my soul.
The devil was also far less intimidating than I expected. He was a little on the short side, and far more human than I might have thought. Aside from the six glorious wings at his back, the least human things about him were his teeth and eyes; red and yellow, swirling with confusion and housing an ancient sorrow that seemed buried just below the surface. An unamused, but surprised look finally landed on me, knelt by the edge of the summoning circle. He made to move toward me, but was held in place by the ring of black salt. With a huff, he leaned back against the barrier, crossing his arms and observing me.
“... No one's summoned me to the mortal world in a long time. … You must be desperate.”
“I … I'll be honest, that wasn't supposed to happen, Sir … the book doesn't say anything about …” I fumbled through the book, rereading the spell. There was nothing to indicate who it called upon.
“Sir?” He chuckled, “well, that’s refreshing. Last time I was pulled into a summoning circle, the wretch had the nerve to call me ‘Dark Prince’ the whole time.”
I chuckled a bit awkwardly. “... Well, that's kind of a mouthful. If you don't mind, I think I'll stick with Mr. Morningstar?”
“Lucifer, please … but how did you know?”
“Aside from the snake and apple motifs you've got going on? You have six, very large, feathered wings. I might not be Christian, but I do know what angels are supposed to look like. … Sir.”
After a moment he let out a bark of a laugh, holding his sides. “Oh golly, you're entertaining! Alright, little witch. Whoever you were trying to summon, you've got me. So what deal were you trying to make?”
I took a deep breath to steady my nerves. Now or never, I guess. “My best friend is ill, and the doctors have given up hope. …”
“You want to trade your soul for your friend's life?” He smiled gently.
“... Does it have to be my soul?”
A strange look passed over his beautiful face, and he considered me for a moment. “... Maybe we can come to another arrangement. … There is something I can't get in Hell, and you did bring me here.”
I nodded slowly, curious what Lucifer himself could possibly want from earth. “Yes?”
“... Only sinners end up in hell. I … I gave Eve that apple for her own benefit. To help her, and her children. So they could be better, be more … more. Not just animals, consumed by their instincts. But I’ve never seen any good come of it …”
“Oh … well that's not at all fair …” I frowned, looking up at him. “Especially considering how much good there is …’’
He cleared his throat, nodding a bit. “Right, so … if you show me some of that good, I'll heal your friend. Do we have a deal?”
“Huh? N- no, I don't just want my friend healed. I want a cure.”
“... Same thing?”
“No, Sir,-”
“Lucifer.”
“... Lucifer, … the doctors don't know how to help her. Which means they don't know how to help anyone else with this illness either. I want my friend healed, but I also want there to be a cure for everyone else.”
A small smile slid across his lips. “... That amount of power will cost quite a bit more … but something tells me you're more than capable of paying the price.”
A crisp white scroll unfurled from his hand, gold ink scrawling across it before my eyes. I carefully took the paper in my hands, reading it carefully.
“... This says you decide when I've held up my side of the deal. How do I know you'll ever decide to pay up?”
He smirked a bit, sharp teeth glinting in the light. “You're a clever one. … Alright, as a show of good faith, I will heal your friend up front. … You earned that much at least.”
With a wave of his hand, the text changed. I reread the document and nodded. “... Thank you. Ok, where do I sign?”
A white feather quill appeared, and Lucifer took it. He tapped the end to his finger, and pulled away a trail of … liquid gold? He signed the bottom with a flourish, then offered me the quill.
“Touch it to the ring finger of your non-dominant hand, it will draw up a small amount of your blood to sign with.” He tapped the paper where I was to sign. 
I nodded, taking the quill, and placed it against my finger like he said. There was a brief, sharp, pain and when I pulled the quill away a trail of red followed. My finger appeared uninjured, but hurt like I had pricked it with a sewing needle. I signed where he indicated, and the summoning circle went up in flames, leaving no trace.
Lucifer smiled brightly, rolling up the scroll before he handed it to me. “Your contract, my lady.”
I took it, standing slowly. “... Thank you …”
He snapped his fingers, creating a crackle of energy throughout the room, and grinned. “There’s my side done, for now. So, how shall we start?”
///////////////
It took me all afternoon to think on what to start with. While I made tea and thought about it, he entertained himself by looking through my books and movies. His wings disappeared as he sat on my couch, reading the back cover of a book.
“... Is this for entertainment, or documentation?” He held the book up to show me the cover.
“That’s historical fiction, so entertainment based loosely on fact. It's about the wives of Henry the Eighth. … Do you know about them? How much do you know about human history?”
He chuckled. “I do keep apprised of the major headlines up here, but I don't typically bother with anything more. … You derive entertainment out of the suffering of those women?”
I chuckled a bit, setting a teacup in front of him, and sitting on the other side of the couch. “I think most people who read stories about horrible events do so because they don't understand how such things happen. We have a certain … morbid fascination with cruelty. … But I think it's usually also about honoring the dead. … They suffered so horribly, but we remember them. We don't let the bad things that happened to them get swept under the rug.”
He took the tea, watching me. “... I see …. Well, what good is there in that?”
“Ever heard the phrase ‘those who don't learn history are doomed to repeat it'?”
“You think remembering their pain will keep it at bay?”
“Something like that … can't avoid pain if you don't know what you're looking out for. Can't protect your loved ones unless you know what you're defending them against.”
He chuckled, sipping his tea. “I see…” He watched me, a curious look on his face. “So, any ideas yet?”
“Well, I was thinking we could start around town. You said it's been a while since you've been on earth?” He nodded, giving me a curious expression. “Then I think we ought to start with a little tour around town, so you can get acclimated. Maybe something will strike your fancy, yeah?”
“... You don't have to do that, you know.” A small frown slid across his face.
“Do what?”
“The tea, taking me on a tour … it's cute, but unnecessary.”
I set my teacup down, raising an eyebrow. “... Cute?”
“Trying to curry favor.” He frowned more.
A sharp laugh ripped out of me, and I covered my mouth. “... I'm sorry. … I'm not trying to ‘curry favor' with you, Lucifer. You're a guest in my home, you should be able to expect some basic hospitality. My grandma always said we should be hospitable to others, cause you never know when it'll make all the difference in their lives.”
He watched me for a moment and chuckled softly. “I don't think your grandmother meant you to be hospitable to the devil, little witch.”
“If my grandma were here right now, she would ask why I haven't set out any cookies. Sadly, I have none to offer you. But I was thinking we could stop for ice cream on our tour. There's a really cute local ice cream parlor, I'd say it definitely counts as something good people have done with free will.”
He blinked slowly. “... You are … not at all what I expected.”
“I could say the same thing about you.”
After a brief moment he smirked, standing up. “Where's this ice cream parlor?”
//////////////
So I showed Lucifer around my little town. I took him to a playground where he could see happy families together. To a riverbank where my coven picked up litter and people went tubing and swimming. The ice cream parlor, and some other local businesses I liked. I bought him an ice cream cone, and a duck plushie he seemed particularly drawn to. He was hesitant to accept it, but once it was in his hands he held it to his chest, periodically stroking the tuft of fur on its head.
We walked in the sunshine, past schools and libraries. We watched a guitar player in a park, and got tacos from a food truck. And all day, I told him stories of kindness and generosity, big and small. Everything I could think of, from the Christmas truce in World War 1 to my brother's boss giving me free coffees when I pick him up from work. Any act of kindness I had experienced, seen, or heard of became an example of good things that happen because people have free will. 
When it started to get late I took him to my favorite place to watch the sunset. He sat beside me, still hugging the duck plushie, and watched the sun dip lower and lower, the sky turning brilliant shades of purple and red.
“So? Any thoughts?” I watched him think for a minute.
“... They're good stories. But there's one problem.”
“What's that?”
“... Most of it wouldn't be necessary if evil weren't so prevalent in the world.”
“... Well, … you can't have good without bad.”
“What?” He frowned, turning to me.
“Without knowing about bad, you wouldn't know about good either. You'd just have … middle. In order to know you like something you have to be able to compare it to something you don't like. Otherwise it would all just be. … Plus, when everything’s going worst is when we notice good things the most. Smaller kindnesses mean more when we're hurting.”
Lucifer looked back at the sunset, thinking. “... Why did you give me the duck?”
I chuckled softly. “You seemed to like it, and I could afford to get it for you. Everyone should get a souvenir when they take a trip.”
“So you weren't trying to get in good with the boss of Hell?”
“Nope.”
“... Even though, by making a deal with me, you have condemned your soul to my realm when you die?”
“Anyone who thinks a duck plushie is going to buy them preferential treatment in hell is an idiot.” He gave me a skeptical look at that. “Lucifer, I swear, I only bought it for you because you seemed to like it.”
He thought for a minute, petting it absentmindedly again. “... You've held up your end of the bargain…”
“... But?”
“... When I finish my end, I go home. I can only be on earth for the time it takes to complete a deal. … I … I really enjoyed today.” As it got dark, his body started to glow with faint gold light. He looked up at the silver stars, and in that moment he seemed so sad, so delicate.
“... You know, I am asking for quite a lot … a cure for everyone with this disease, and all you get in return is some examples of kindness and an afternoon running around my town? … Maybe we could rework the contract.”
His eyes went wide as he turned to look at me. “... What did you have in mind?”
“... Well, you're not bad company. And I had a good day today too. We could do it again, if you wanted.”
Lucifer slowly grinned, and the contract was suddenly floating in front of me. An addendum was added to the bottom. Lucifer would send the necessary information to a doctor for the cure tonight, and once a month for the rest of my life, Lucifer would visit me wherever I was on earth. I would tell him more stories that showed what good has come of free will, and show him the good parts of life on earth.
I grinned, taking the quill that floated next to the scroll, and held it to my ring finger. A sharp pain later, I was signing at the bottom. Lucifer signed next to my name, his hand slightly shaking. “Alright … I'll see you again in one month then.”
I nodded. “I'm free on the third, if that works for you?”
He nodded. “The third. It's a date.”
With a snap of his fingers he was gone, and I knew some medical researcher somewhere was having the epiphany that would lead to the cure. In the meantime, I had a date with the devil to plan.
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dcmultiverse · 1 year
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LUCIFER (2016–2021) - 2.01 • "Everything's Coming Up Lucifer"
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redyarns · 1 month
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resist much, obey little (ch 1)
Alastor had a noose around his neck.
There was only one person who could loosen it.
--------
Temptation had never strung Lucifer along. He was an angel of Heaven no matter what anyone else said, and he had never fallen whim to any of the sins that humans were so eager to do.
And Alastor, a demon and a sinner who had fallen even further after death, was the most forbidden fruit of all.
He was the very embodiment of blasphemy.
But by God, did Lucifer want him.
--------
Knock-knock.
Lucifer let out a weak groan as he slowly let his arm slide off his eyes and off the side of the couch. Red starlight drifted through the torn curtains of a nearby window and nearly blinded him even with his eyes closed, and he had to squint and blink half a dozen times before he raised a hand and scrubbed at his face. 
Knock-knock. 
“Give me a second,” he called to the idiot who kept banging on his door. 
He felt like, well. He felt like someone had take a grinder, stuffed him inside, made him into a sausage, and then shoved said sausage into all their orifices. 
He hadn't felt this tired, this pained, in a very long time, and he liked to think he had a high pain tolerance. Nothing had hurt him quite as much as the Fall, or when Lilith left, or when he had to acknowledge his subjects, but he still couldn't quite shake the bone-aching exhaustion as there was a small rustle beside him along with a coo. 
Knock-knock-knock. 
“I said in a minute!” Lucifer barked again, the infuriating sound pacified at least for now as his tone shifted into something far more gentle while he curled around the small bundle of warmth that he had fallen asleep with. “My little princess, did you sleep well?” 
Charlotte Morningstar was the apple of his eye and she was all the more beautiful because of it. She was tucked carefully in between the solid back of the couch and his own body. There was no one in Hell or even the Heavens that would try to defy him and dare to harm her, but it quelled at least some of the constant anxiety in him to know she was near him. 
She waved her chubby fists in the air, her eyes already crinkled at the edges with her delighted smile, and he couldn't help it as he gathered her even closer and buried his nose into her soft, beautiful hair and inhale the smell of baby powder. 
“Well, starshine, I guess it's time to see who wants to bother our peace so early in the morning,” Lucifer sighed. 
Honestly, what kind of fool knocked on anyone's door this early, much less the devil's himself? He dreamed of strangling the idiot who was standing outside his house; maybe it was a stupid imp who wandered somewhere they shouldn't have, or Asmodeus coming to whine to him again, or even worse, Lili - 
KNOCK-KNOCK-KNOCK-KNOCK. 
“How dare you disturb your king's slumber?” Lucifer roared, now fully enraged as he ripped open the door so forcefully that it was torn off the hinges completely. 
Bits of wood and debris rained around him as his tail lashed in anger, his horns spontaneously grown out of the crown of his head, and he was only a second away from turning this worthless demon into a husk, only for a piece of paper to suddenly be shoved into his face. 
“What the - “ Lucifer said, and he squinted to read the blurry text, a result of staying up far too many nights in a row and refusing to do anything about it. 
Hey, Idiot! 
Want a job no other can fulfill? Do you want some light shed in your otherwise pitifully empty life? 
Are you capable of destroying the very atoms who dare to disturb my own? 
Then this is the job for you! 
Your King of Hell is in need of assistance! 
(Fail and I will rip out your intestines, stuff them with your liver and kidneys, and make you eat your meat sausages while gouging out your eyes to prepare you jelly on toast.)
Details include: 
-Changing and checking diapers
-Feeding and napping at appropriate times
-Obliterating anyone who dares to harm Charlie or make her cry 
-Entertaining her and keeping her away from that blasted thing called a television
-Keeping me, your boss (and overlord and King of Hell) updated on every activity she does
-Schedule appointments and calls accordingly
-And anything else I ask you because I said so
Contact the number below to get in touch with me, Lucifer Morningstar, to schedule an interview today! 
666-666-6666
Lucifer had to read it once, twice, before he managed to dig up some fuzzy memory from about at least four months ago. 
He remembered it in pieces; how exhausted he was as he tried to cope with the loss of his wife and the sudden gain of a child; his madness as he tried his best to coax Charlie into sleep, even as she refused and wailed; his internal grief as he tried to understand what to do or how to do it. 
He had summoned a succubus and demanded that they put up all of his haphazardly made fliers all around hell. In complete honesty, he had forgotten all about it as soon as the papers disappeared from his desk, as Charlie had proceeded to vomit over his button-up and was wailing again. She'd developed a fever and the night had dissolved into a frenzy to better her as quickly as possible. 
He hadn't expected anyone to read the flier, much less even give it a second thought, and his horns and tail slowly disappeared as he pushed aside the paper and glared at the demon who dared to show up right at his doorstep. 
The demon was a sinner. He had a soul unlike the hellborne, and seemed to enjoy it, too. He grinned too widely and seemed way too into the dress-red-for-Hell theme, and when he spoke, his voice crackled with the poor frequency of an old timey radio as he said, “well hello to you, my liege! I suppose I might have troubled you this morning, but I’m here about your curious job offer!” 
“Why are you here at all?” Lucifer snapped, balancing Charlie on his hip and bouncing her when she began to fuss. She drooled on the lapel of his jacket, but as long as she wasn't crying, that was fine by him, so he allowed her to continue as he snarled, “the flier says to call me at the number on the bottom! Are you as blind as you are disobedient?” 
The demon's grin widened just by a fraction of an inch, and he bent down into a deep, sarcastic bow. “My apologies, Your Majesty. That was not an oversight on my part; I just don't have a fondness for those… things.” 
“Things?” 
“Cellphones,” the demon said slowly, like the word was clunky and ill-fitting in his mouth. He rubbed his chin with clawed fingers in thought and said, “I'm rather old fashioned, you could say, and those little devices with their tiny buttons are beyond my time.” 
“Huh,” Lucifer grunted, less than a little interested in whatever the demon was saying. He had most of his attention on Charlie, who was now gnawing on his finger with her gums, and he said, “yeah, whatever you say, grandpa. If you want an interview then come in. But touch anything and I'll kill you.” 
“I wouldn't dream of it, sire!” The demon trilled happily as he stepped over the threshold and, bizarrely enough, summoned a microphone staff and used it like a cane. 
This demon was an unusual one, even among Lucifer's bunch of vile and annoying little shits he called his subjects, and he wondered if he made a mistake letting him in as he pointed at the now broken pieces of the door and said, “that's your first question. If you really aren't illiterate and you read that flier, then you know I don't want some useless little wimp. Show me how powerful you are and then I'll - “ 
Magic swelled in the air like a sudden puff of air, and Lucifer blinked as the door was suddenly fixed and placed back on its hinges. Why, the smug asshole even decorated the damn thing with little carvings of microphones all around the edges. 
“You didn't let me finish,” Lucifer snarled. 
“No need to, Your Majesty,” the demon said, looking rather pleased with his handiwork as he observed the wood. “What kind of assistant would I be if I couldn't at least predict your basic wants or needs?” 
Lucifer stared, tilting his head slightly.
The demon didn’t say the words in contempt. In fact, he seemed excited about it, which further solidified the idea that he was a weirdo. 
Lucifer was the leader of the Pride Ring, after all, so he was excellent at evoking hilarious reactions by poking at people's sensitive prides, but this demon didn't seem at all offended over the demeaning job of being an assistant. 
And to think a powerful demon like this existed at all… his magic from just now was similarly no joke. It was the kind of stuff that tingled across Lucifer's skin and nearly down his back and to his wings, which rustled restlessly when he thought too hard about it. 
He always had them tucked away for several reasons, but to think a sinner had the ability to create enough power to have him move even a single feather was… impressive. 
It was impressive and he was annoyed about it, which probably showed on his face as he clicked his tongue and said, “show off. Fine. Charlie has to have breakfast now, so come on.” 
Lucifer ignored the way the demon's smile crinkled at the edges as he turned on his heel and marched to the kitchen. 
It pinched the edge of his mind to see just how destroyed the place was. Various toys, baby contraptions, clothes, and uneaten food littered the place. 
It also smelled vaguely like baby powder and oil, and Lucifer himself probably looked like an actual disaster with how his hair was unkempt and he hadn't changed his clothes in three days, but he was too tired to care as he stepped over a mountain of stuffed animals. 
The kitchen was no less of a messy tornado than the living room, but at least the high-top was clean. 
Lucifer cooed to his daughter as she kicked her legs and squealed in delight when he lifted her into the air and kissed her bare belly, distracting her from destroying yet another piece of furniture. 
“She doesn't like sitting,” Lucifer sing-songed, keeping his voice as high-pitched and sweet as possible while slowly starting to lower her into the cushion of the chair. “But as long as you keep her distracted, she can do it with minimum fuss! Right, Charlie? Right, starshine? My wonderful wittie bittie girl, look how good you are!” 
Lucifer let out a huge, admittedly rather relieved sigh when she let her chubby legs stick through the opening of the high-too while she bashed her tiny fists onto the table. She only made small, little displeased noises when he tied a bib around her neck and she blew a raspberry, but that was it. 
This was turning out to be a great morning, then. 
“Go on,” Lucifer said, turning around and crossing his arms as he tried to look as intimidating as possible. It was then that he realized the demon was at least a foot taller than him; the audacity! “Feed her. That's your second question; if you really want this job, you should know how to take care of a baby.” 
“Hmm,” the demon hummed. He didn't seem at all perturbed by the hostility nor the near harassment of demands, and he merely waltzed over to the fridge, opening it and bending at the waist to observe what was inside. 
After only a moment of looking, he reached in and grabbed several apples, all bright red and crisp. He took care to avoid any of the ones with spots on them, Lucifer realized, and the demon whistled a cheery tune as he juggled four apples easily and then threw them all up at once. 
He snapped his fingers and a blender popped into existence, taking the fruits with ease and floating in the air as it blended them into a sauce. 
“There,” he said, smug and satisfied as the blender poured out several mini jars of perfectly liquified apples. “Nutritious and well-processed to avoid any chunks.” 
“Anyone can blend apples, smarta - smarty-pants,” Lucifer snapped. “I mean feed her. I don't give a shi - crud if you’re powerful and if you've read every single parenting book in the realm. If she doesn't like you, I’ll crush you here and now.” 
That was the barest truth of all of this. Lucifer was the most powerful of them all, could destroy any single one of them into dust if he truly wanted, so what did it matter if this single demon was slightly stronger than average? 
All demons had the potential to grow just as much as he had, but Lucifer didn’t give a flying rat's ass about that. It simply boiled down to if Charlie liked them. 
He refused to have someone be her caretaker if she hated them. She needed love, warmth, compassion - all the things no regular demon could give. She deserved those things, and Lucifer had already given his whole heart to her, but he knew it wasn't enough. 
For the first time since he got there, the demon hesitated. His smile waned only by a centimeter, but it was noticeable enough, and he eyed Charlie apprehensively. 
After another second of contemplation, he approached her slowly, and Lucifer watched from only a few feet away, his wings threatening to burst out of his back from how tense he was. 
He didn't know this demon, couldn't trust him as far as he could throw him, and if there was even the slightest chance that he would hurt Charlie, Lucifer had to intervene and make him eat his own intestines. 
Luckily, the demon didn't do such a thing. 
He set aside his microphone, leaning it against the counter, and he bent slightly so that he was eye-level with the baby. 
Charlie gurgled, a noise of curiosity more than apprehension or fear, and she drooled a little as she stared at him and blinked in question when he curled a finger and a jar of applesauce floated towards him. 
“Your Highness, although I know it must be very early in the morning for you, it's imperative to a young demon's health to eat well in order to grow and ascend to their rightful place,” the demon said. “In your case, it's your throne. It would be a tremendous help if you didn't make a fuss.” 
Lucifer watched in bewilderment. 
This man talked to his Charlie like she could understand a word that he just said. On good days, she could comprehend basic commands of no or stop , but that was the absolute limit. 
She didn't even know what her hands were, or had any sort of object permanence! How could this stupid demon expect her to understand any of that? 
But instead of flinging applesauce into his face like Lucifer expected, Charlie merely popped her lips, grumbled for a few seconds, and then opened her mouth obediently. 
Lucifer's jaw dropped as the demon laughed from his throat. 
“Well done, Princess,” the demon said, his eyes crescent-shaped from how pleased he was. He even spoon-fed her with his hand, not his magic, and he continued to speak like she was a grown woman instead of a baby who dribbled most of the applesauce down her chin and to her bib. “You are exceeding my expectations already. I have no doubt you will continue to do so.” 
He hummed as she continued to eat, slowly making her way through the jar of fruit. Anytime some of the sauce spilled out of the corner of her lips, he patiently wiped it away with a summoned handkerchief, and he even allowed her to grip onto one of his fingers as he fed her. 
Charlie loved grabbing things. It was her way of seeking comfort or validation when she was doing something new, and she had never eaten apples before this. She always loved to tug on Lucifer's hair or his clothes with an iron grip, but she seemed completely at ease as she licked at the spoon and smiled gummily at the demon when he tutted. 
“Your Highness, etiquette is important to proper young ladies like yourself,” he said, but his voice was gentle and not admonishing as he rubbed at her cheek again with his napkin. She beamed at the touch and giggled. “Yes, yes. You are forgiven. Now, let's make sure you don't regret your breakfast, shall we?” 
Before Lucifer even had a chance to say anything, the demon scooped Charlie up and out of her chair. Her legs kicked like she always did whenever she realized she was about to be carried, and she snuggled against his shoulder as he properly secured her to his chest and began patting her back. 
He was burping her. 
He had managed to feed her, soothe her, indulge her habit of grabbing things, and he was now burping her. 
Lucifer felt like a puppet whose strings were just cut as he sagged suddenly against the counter and had to grip it tightly to make sure he didn't crumble to the ground. 
For the first time ever since Charlie's birth, he had a moment of freedom, a moment to breathe, and he inhaled deeply as he ran a hand through his disheveled hair and hysterically thought to himself that he now had a chance to shower.
“Demon,” he commanded as best as he could, but it really sounded like he was on the brink of toppling over as he continued to watch the pair. 
“Hmm?” The demon replied, never stopping as he continued to pat Charlie's back while walking in a circle, bouncing slightly with each step so she wouldn't grow bored. 
“Your name,” Lucifer said. 
The demon grinned at him. It was a disturbing smile, really, and Lucifer had half the mind to wipe it off his smug little face for daring to look so triumphant, but he refrained. 
After all, the demon seemed to understand the hidden meaning of his question, and when he spoke, his voice crackled at the edges of his pleasure as he bowed slightly and said, “Alastor.” 
“Well, Alastor,” Lucifer said, hauling himself up to his feet and trying to blink away the spots in his eyes. “I hope you know what you're getting yourself into.”
Alastor purred. 
“I look forward to working with you, Your Majesty.” 
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queerfanfiction · 7 months
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masterlist
I created a masterlist of my works and linked it on my page (/masterlist). However, I thought I would post it as it's own post, too.
Wednesday (TV 2022):
Larissa Weems x Reader/OC
Love Notes You’re a music teacher at Nevermore that makes encouraging handwritten notes and mix CDs for Larissa anonymously. Will Principal Weems ever find out you are her secret admirer? Ch 1 Ch 2 Ch 3 Ch 4 Ch 5 Ch 6 Ch 7 (currently writing)
Topic of Study Arriving to Nevermore on fellowship is a normie PhD student writing their dissertation on Normie/Outcast rhetoric and relations. The best way to research is hands-on, so reader has decided to make Principal Larissa Weems their main object of study. Ch 1 Ch 2 Ch 3 Ch 4 Ch 5 (currently writing)
Mummy Issues (one shot) (request)
Guardian Angel (one shot) (request)
Game of Thrones (TV 2011)
Brienne of Tarth x Reader/OC
Angel in the (K)night (one shot)
The Sandman (TV 2022)
Lucifer Morningstar x Reader/OC
Possessed (one shot) (request)
Flying (one shot) (request)
All works above are also crossposted to AO3.
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steveshcrringtons · 5 days
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👀 any oc
Currently my obsession is my Hazbin Hotel OC, Evie, and even though I did one of these about her recently, I wanna info dump more.
So some lore on Evie is that she is a reincarnation of Eve. Adam doesn’t know about her until she’s already in Hell and he runs into her during her first extermination. He tries to talk to her, but she has no idea who he is only that he’s an angel and he’s killing people around her, so she gets away with the help of Frannie ( @eddiemunscns OC), much to Adam’s dismay. He puts an instant ban on killing her during exterminations because deep down he sees her as Eve and wants her to be with him.
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coraldelusiondaze · 2 days
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First Impression Snippet
"The first thing you noticed upon Charlie pushing the door open was the piles of rubber ducks and mechanical parts you’d never hope to identify, but you quickly noticed what stopped her words in her mouth. “CHARLIE!” Stood leaning against a table in a pinstripe vest and suit pants was the man you’d only seen in pictures with Charlie."
Divine Resurgence: Ch 1 by Flamma_Lupum
Lucifer Morningstar x Reader
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Work in progress, I hope I convey this scene well. Its one my favorite cause it was so unexpected 🤣
Also expect OC to change with each art cause I'm not consistent
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daydream-cement · 1 year
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The Road Trip Ch. 6
Larissa and Phas still find one another intolerable, and Brienne and Miranda keep getting closer.
this was written in collaboration with @bri-sonat!!! single handedly might be the cutest bit of fic ive ever written
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The lilim nodded in response, bowing low before leaving the Morningstar’s side. With Miranda and Brienne now safe in the knight’s room, Lucifer was now able to focus their attention solely on the other two women, a small smirk growing on their lips as they pondered how they could challenge Phasma and Larissa even further. 
“You go first.” Larissa folded her arms, glaring into the abyss that now stood outside the bedroom door. She knew Phasma cared nothing for her personal safety, so she was happy to return the favor, “I’m not interested in crossing that threshold.”
Phasma turned on her flashlight and shone it down the dark hallway. Stepping past the door threshold, she turned back and looked at Larissa, “Stay close, princess. You never know what dangers might be lurking in the dark…”
The headmistress whined, following behind Phasma so she was close enough to grasp at the other woman’s shirt if need be. Of all people to be stuck with, Larissa knew she was in deep trouble if any of those dangers were to lurk up on her as Phasma would be happy to rid herself of the headmistress.
Phasma cringed at Larissa’s whine, rolling her eyes before voicing her thoughts, “Never pegged you for a coward, Headmistress. Pathetic…” Sweeping the corridor walls with the flashlight, the captain couldn’t help but notice that the earlier picture frames weren’t there anymore, making her furrow her brows.
“I’m sorry we all can’t be the great Captain Phasma,” Larissa’s tone was aimed at mocking the woman in front of her. The peaceful moment of their previous teamwork ending in exchange for bickering once more, “Some say those who have adverse attitudes towards you may feel the direct opposite. Does someone have a crush, dear Captain?”
Phasma scoffed, disgruntled that Larissa would even begin to assume she would have something as childish as a crush, “That’s funny.”
“And yet you talked such a big game earlier… Pathetic.” Larissa mocked the captain, her teeth chewing at her bottom lip. The headmistress’s face was red once more as she remembered Phasma’s words. She hated how the captain was able to make her feel.
Phasma laughed, amused at Larissa’s poor attempt in trying to rile her up, “If you recall my words from earlier, then you must also remember the phrasing I used. Fucktoys. Little sluts I use for my pleasure before ridding myself of them.” The captain stopped abruptly, turning around to face the headmistress, mere inches between their faces, a cocky smile on her face, “If you remember the ‘big game’ I talked, I’m sure you remember that part as well, no?”
“I remember your words perfectly fine. Thank you for asking.” Larissa was growing accustomed to the captain’s vulgar and crass way of speaking. She kept her own voice level and calm, leaning in a centimeter or two, “It’s just not a term I’m quite familiar with… and I refuse to believe you couldn’t like me just a little bit. I’m far too attractive.” The headmistress typically refused to feed her own ego, but there was something about the demeanor of her companion’s insults that inflated her pride.
The captain let out a disinterested huff, turning around to continue walking down the hallway, “I don’t care if you believe it or not. I don’t need you to believe it.” When Larissa wasn’t flustered or nervous, Phasma didn’t find it as amusing anymore, and she didn’t need the headmistress’ assurance, “What term is it you are foreign with? Allow me to explain it to you.”
“You explained it. Those you use for your pleasure and rid yourself of.” The headmistress kept the vulgar language to a minimum, her eyes shifting from Phasma to the walls, finding them to be completely barren. She wondered what was in store for them next.
“Hmph, then you shouldn’t say that you aren’t familiar,” Phasma spoke as her head turned to the left and then right, eyes searching for doors, decorative small tables, photo frames, anything that could give them a clue or new place to go, but she found nothing.
“I swear, you will try and nitpick anything I say to you. I’m unfamiliar with the term as I’ve never heard anyone be referred to in such a manner,” Larissa growled. Never before had she dealt with a person such as Phasma. Their never-ending bickering was far more intense and frequent than she and Morticia ever had. 
“I like clarity and specifics, what can I say?” Phasma’s tone remained indifferent as she followed the light with her gaze, sweeping over the empty hall. There was absolutely nothing except the corridor which seemed to go on forever, and the empty walls and floor.
Larissa only hummed to acknowledge the captain’s words. With the next few steps, Larissa could’ve sworn she felt something behind her. Holding her breath, the headmistress listened closely, hearing what sounded like nails being dragged across the wall a few feet behind herself. She reached out quickly, grabbing the back of Phasma’s shirt, bunching the fabric in her fist, and unable to speak from the fear coursing through her body.
Swatting the headmistress’ hand away, Phasma turned around to confront Larissa, being met with her fright, making her anger melt away into patronizing pity, “Aww, don’t be afraid, sweetcheeks…. The most dangerous thing in this hallway is me.” 
A growl from behind Larissa seemed to disprove that statement in the shapeshifter’s mind. Without hesitation, Larissa moved around Phasma, allowing the trooper to prove herself. The shapeshifter seemed to not know any better when she grasped Phasma’s bicep, manicured nails digging into her muscle, eyes peering into the darkness as she waited for a creature to emerge.
Shining her flashlight down the dark hallway, the captain wasn’t shocked when there was nothing there except barren walls. Releasing a sigh, she grinned, “If you wanted to feel my muscles, all you had to do was ask, there was no need to make up a reason to do so.”
“There is something back there. Didn’t you hear it, Phas?” The headmistress showed no sign of relinquishing her grip, instead, she added her other hand to Phasma’s arm. Larissa’s eyes were glued to the darkness, positive she wasn’t hearing things. She hated how fear-filled her voice was as showing weakness in front of the captain was never a good option, “God, please, tell me you heard it.”
Phasma ripped her arm away from Larissa’s death grip, her hand squeezing in the same place Brienne’s had earlier that morning, causing a mild discomfort for the captain, and she didn’t enjoy being touched or held in place. “I didn’t hear it, and there’s nothing there.” She turned around to keep walking down the long corridor, not even caring that the headmistress seemed to be frozen in place, “Are you coming, or are you going to stand there forever?”
Larissa resumed following Phasma, the sickening growl of a creature lurking behind herself. She had it in her mind to shapeshift and save herself somehow, but she didn’t even know where to begin in the process to save herself. The headmistress knew she sounded weak as she whimpered each time the creature let out its sickening growl, but there was quite little to be done when this was all inside her mind.
With every whimper and whine from Larissa, Phasma’s irritation only grew, eyes in a constant rotation as she rolled them over and over, sighing and huffing like a bull at the depressing noises the shapeshifter was making. Usually, she enjoyed the sounds of fear and terror, but these ones were only joyless for the captain, in most cases, those noises would’ve transitioned into screams of agony by now.
Just when Phasma was about to turn around and tell Larissa to shut up or she would turn the whines into screams of anguish, a door came into view, illuminated by the flashlight in the captain’s hand. She reached out a hand to try the handle, and to the captain’s pleasure, the door opened with a slight creak. “Looky here. Looks like we found our destination.”
Larissa was practically on top of the captain as she opened the door, slipping into the room before Phasma even had the opportunity. In a flash she was around the inside of the new room, back flat against the wall as the sounds of the creature seemed to dissipate. The adrenaline coursing through her body was more than Larissa had felt in a long while. Her eyes grounded themselves on the floor beneath her, awaiting the ruthless teasing from Phasma.
Phasma stepped into the room, shining the light around before landing on Larissa’s panic-stricken face, a malicious grin spread across her lips, an evil glint in her eyes. “If you had made any more of those noises I would’ve had to kill you. They usually don’t whimper for long before they scream out in excruciating pain and beg for mercy.” 
“I can’t wait for the moment Lucifer gives us a challenge where your life is at stake and I let you die.” Larissa glanced up at Phasma, her eyes furious and deadly. Never before had she wished such ill-will on another person, but Larissa was confident in the moral correctness of her statement that she felt no qualms with it. With that, the headmistress shoved her fear deep down and swallowed it whole, not wishing for the vile woman to see her weak any longer.
The captain let out an amused scoff, “They know better than to put my life at stake.” Phasma moved the light away from the shapeshifter, deciding to see what kind of room they had ended up in, being faced with multiple different famous paintings. The captain only recognized a few. She mumbled to herself as she swept the beacon from one painting to the other, “Monet, da Vinci, Van Gogh, Picasso, Munch, Vermeer…”
The headmistress felt stubborn as a mule, not wishing to work with this evil woman any longer. Sliding down the wall, she took a seat on the floor, ignoring the names of painters she adored, knowing there would most likely be others that held even more significance to Larissa. She pushed the heels off her feet and settled in watching Phasma walk about, her eyes radiating her intense loathing of the other woman.
Landing on the famous painting of Edvard Munch, Phasma cringed slightly before smiling in morbid enjoyment, “Freaky… I love it.” She kept up her sightseeing as she pondered what they were supposed to do with the art gracing the walls, her fingers dancing over the canvases, gently tapping to see if any were hollow or if anything was hiding behind the material.
The headmistress tore her eyes away from the captain, disgusted she would be willing to touch such great works. Glancing to the wall to her right, Larissa gazed up at the blueprints of a home, biting her upper lip when she realized the significance of the American architect, Frank Llyod Wright. It took every ounce of her stubbornness not to study the sketches further, knowing they could relate to the layout of the room in some manner.
When Phasma’s fingers tapped over the smile of Mona Lisa, an accomplished and overweening smile crept up on her lips, “Looks like your smile hides more than just your secrets and mysteries, dear Mona Lisa…” Reaching into her back pocket, the captain remembered that she had not brought her switchblade. Releasing a sigh, she looked back at Larissa, “Uh, to just what extent can you shapeshift?”
“What do you want?” Larissa huffed, drawing her gaze back up to the captain who stood across the room.
Phasma motioned to the painting she was currently shining her flashlight on with her head as she kept her eyes on Larissa, “I need to see what’s behind this. Could you shapeshift a claw, or really sharp nails, or something?”
With a hand on the wall, Larissa pushed herself to stand, making her way to where Phasma stood. Holding up a hand, the headmistress paused for a moment, a pained look on her face, “You want me to destroy the Mona Lisa?” 
“You do know it’s not the original one, right?” Phasma spoke as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. If it had a clue, she didn’t understand why they wouldn’t cut it open. “Cuntifer would never spend that much money.”
Larissa whined, hand shapeshifting like that of the hyde that tormented her students and herself. With a deep breath, she dragged her claws down the front of the painted woman’s face, leaving the da Vinci sliced to ribbons. Bringing her hand away from the painting, Larissa stepped away needing to space herself from the damage she had done. The headmistress began moving to the next few paintings, repeating the same process the next few paintings. When the great ‘American Gothic’ proved to hollow underneath, Larissa winced, knowing she would have to repeat the process once more.
Phasma watched Larissa walk away, shrugging before finishing the removal of the image, revealing a letter stuck to the inside, just behind where Mona Lisa’s mystifying smile had previously been. Deft fingers reached forward and ripped it away, unfolding it before calling out to her companion, “We have another riddle.”
Maybe being with Phasma wasn’t Larissa’s personal hell. It was the fact she was destroying art which she loved so much. She tore apart ‘American Gothic’ by Grant Wood, ‘The Kiss’ by Gustav Klimt, and ‘Salomé’ by Henri Regnault, gathering the clue from each and trying to ignore the pit in her stomach. Holding out the slips to Phasma, the shapeshifter was melodramatic as ever, “Here are more.” Fake or not, Larissa was in mourning for the art she had destroyed.
“I think you jumped the gun a tiny bit, I’ll read it to you. ‘Move from Eldon to the golden period, scream out into the starry night for the saving grace.’ I think the scream and starry night parts are quite obvious. The Eldon and golden period ones, as well as the ‘saving grace,’ could refer to the ones you’ve already collected.” After Phasma had finished reading the note to Larissa, she nodded over Van Goghs’ ‘Starry Night’ and Edvard Munchs’ ‘The Scream,’ encouraging the headmistress to go slice them open as well.
The platinum-blonde woman only nodded, walking off to repeat the same process on the Van Gogh and Munch, feeling less guilty about destroying the paintings as she went. Upon retrieving the two new clues, Larissa handed them over to Phasma, allowing the captain to fully take over, “Here.”
Taking hold of the new clues, Phasma settled on the floor, “Alright.” She laid the riddle now turned instructions in front of her, her free hand rearranging the scraps as she murmured to herself, “Move from Eldon,” she took the piece of paper retrieved from ‘American Gothic’ and placed it first, “to the golden period.” The scrap from ‘The Kiss’ was placed under the first clue. “Scream out into the starry night.” The papers from ‘The Scream’ and ‘Starry Night’ were next, taking their places next to Eldon and the golden period. “For the saving grace…” The captain furrowed her brows as she looked for the last clues' rightful spot. She raised her voice so her companion could hear her next words, “We are missing one.”
“The saving grace?” Larissa glanced about the room, mentally reciting the names and artists of each of the paintings, her eyes finally settling on ‘Grace’ by Eric Enstrom. 
Phasma held up the paper collected from ‘Salomé,’ “No. That one is right here. We are missing a sixth clue. The puzzle, or map, or whatever it is I’m building here, won’t be completed with just five.” The captain sighed, “What- Does Dickifer just expect us to tear up every single painting in this room to find the sixth clue they couldn’t even be bothered to mention?”
“Oh…” The headmistress shook her head, upset that she hadn’t been thinking, “Well, there is a blueprint to a home by the door.”
The captain looked up at the shapeshifter incredulously, “Why didn’t you say anything? That’s probably the sixth clue.” Standing up, Phasma shone her light towards the door they had entered from, “Where?”
Now looking back at the door, Larissa pointed off to the left, “There. It’s the blueprint for a Frank Llyod Wright. They are known for being intricate and unique.”
Phasma hummed as she looked at the blueprint, flashlight held up next to her ear as she cocked her head to the side, “The name Frank Lloyd Wright tells me nothing. Is there supposed to be some sort of significance in this?” The question was mostly meant for herself, trying to pry the information out of her brain.
Approaching the captain, Larissa glanced over at the other woman’s shoulder, “Well, first off, the markings of the room’s windows correspond to where our paintings are… So the door must be… here.” Pressing a finger to the marked exit of the sketch, Larissa glanced over to the back wall where a door should be.
The captain laid notice to the windows not adding up with the number of clues they found; there were six of them. Turning her head to where the sixth window, and by proxy, the clue, would be, she made eye contact with Vermeers’ ‘Girl with a Pearl Earring.’ “Gotcha.” Phasma grinned unnervingly large and malignant as she approached the painting, waiting for her teammate to arrive with her abilities.
Once again Larissa’s claws raked through the painting. The shapeshifter quickly dropped her hand when the job was completed, shaking the claws away and her usual manicure returning to her hand. Larissa spoke sternly, “Get us out of here.”
Ripping away the canvas and pulling out the last clue, Phasma looked at her teammate, a teasing and joshing tone as she spoke, “Whatever you say, Headmistress Weems.” The captain returned to her space on the floor, placing down the ‘saving grace’ clue and the window one in their respective places, revealing some sort of battlefield strategy, something the trooper was well knowledgeable in and acquainted with.
“Alrighty, warmonger, get to it.” Larissa stood above the captain, speaking after she saw the battle-related clue that she wouldn’t even know where to begin. With a hand on her hip, the headmistress watched the captain work.
The captain grunted at the shapeshifter’s nickname, a small chuckle hiding in it. She placed a finger on the sketch of a group of troops on the paper, dragging her finger along as she explained what it meant for their escape, “See, this platoon here is supposed to represent us, and the different markings, here, that usually marks enemy bases and targets to hit, are supposed to play the part of the letter we found and the clues. Which means that this,” Phasma placed her finger on the symbol that is used to mark escape routes, “is our exit.”
Larissa turned her heels, looking about the room as she attempted to line up the captain’s directions with the room they were in. She couldn’t deny that she still found the directions a tad confusing.
Phasma looked at the closest symbol to the escape route, “This symbol is used to mark our primary target. I believe this to ideate the Mona Lisa.” The captain stood from her location on the floor, bringing the scrap with the escape route’s symbol on it with her. She walked up to the ripped-open da Vinci, measuring the distance from it to the potential exit with her steps, basing the gap on the usual scaling she used in her battle strategies.
The trooper stopped in front of a bare wall, running her eyes over it. She reached out a hand and pushed it, causing it to give off a soft pop and open, revealing Larissa’s room before Phasma, “Cupcake, look, it’s your room.” The captain snickered at how the shapeshifter had seemed to decorate it as she stepped into the room, turning around to look at the headmistress.
“Don’t be snappy because you lack all sense of style and personality.” Larissa marched into her room with a growl, taking a seat on her bed. All the headmistress wanted was a few hours of silence, a shower, and a tall glass of wine. 
Phasma only watched Larissa with a fabricated offense as she sat down on her bed, the captain moving to close the door they had just entered from only to see that it was no longer open, or there; it had seemingly vanished as if it never existed. The trooper didn’t put much thought into that, however; sick of, and past the point of being surprised by, Lucifer’s antics. She only decided to march right up to the shapeshifter’s door, wanting to leave as fast as possible, only to discover that it was locked, making her roar out in wrath and exasperation.
She had just been forced to work together with Larissa for God knows how many hours, and now she was stuck in a room with her? This really was her own personal hell. This was too much human interaction for one day for her.
Lucifer’s voice rang out through the bedrooms, clearly pleased with the events over the course of the past day, “Settle in for the night, dear children. You’ll continue your journey after some much needed sustenance and rest.” With their words, food appeared in the rooms for the women and the house went silent, leaving the women alone once more with their respective companions.
“No! No! Lucifer, you can’t do this!” Larissa screamed, pleading with the being, begging them. She couldn’t be stuck with this villainous woman any longer.
Phasma’s voice was as loud as a hungry lion, equally as angry as one, as she screamed, “Show your face, you coward!”
“You rang?” Lucifer appeared in the bedroom, delighted at Phasma’s request for their presence. They loomed over the captain, clearly unafraid of the mortal woman. Their hands were crossed delicately in front of them, ready for the tirade Phasma was about to go on. 
The captain was seething once she laid her eyes on Lucifer, not able to hold her fury or outburst in anymore, and now there was no Brienne there to hold her back. She strode right up to the Lightbringer, her teeth gritted, piercing eyes unwaveringly staring into theirs. Phasma’s lip was twitching, her brows knitted together in outrage. Her voice was low and threatening, practically a growl, “Give me one good reason as to why I shouldn’t break this door down and then kill you.”
“Brienne and Miranda are behaving so nicely. Why can’t you do the same?” Morningstar clearly had no concern for the threats of the captain. With their celestial abilities, there would be no broken doors and the angel certainly wouldn’t be dying today, “The challenge may be over tomorrow. Why do you fuss so much? After all of your flirting, I thought you would appreciate the alone time.”
Phasma scoffed at the mention of their two co-players, “Because lovey-dovey Lord Brienne and puppy-dog Constable Miranda have the base of actually liking each other and getting along. Me and the primadonna here, do not have either of those foundations.” The captain was vexed, the devil was turning out to be an extremely frustrating person. “I need my alone time. And we have not been ‘flirting.’ Flirting would have to be derived from any sort of attraction, no?”
“Then how would you describe your behaviors? Not often do I see others offering to… fuck one another without some semblance of attraction… You are an odd one…” It was clear Lucifer didn’t quite appreciate the term Phasma had earlier used for Larissa, but it was the best descriptor for the moment. They sighed, clearly growing tired of the lack of entertainment, “I must be going. More valuable things to attend to than… you.” The lightbringer looked Phasma up and down, a graceful smirk appearing on their lips before they disappeared once more.
This made Phasma even more pissed, they didn’t even have the decency to stay after questioning the captain’s reasonable behavior and words, “Yeah, just run away again, you son of a bitch! You’re a fucking candy-ass!”
“Will you stop yelling?” Larissa hissed, moving to stretch out across her bed. She began taking the pins out of her hair one by one, allowing the locks to fall, massaging her scalp when she was finished. 
Phasma didn’t stop, she looked at Larissa who had now made the mistake of opening her mouth, and continued her rampage, “Oh, I’m so sorry, did I break the princess’ eardrum?” She spat out her words with spite, her voice dripping with sarcasm as she dragged out her o’s, exhausted from this entire day and then forced to spend even more time with the shapeshifter.
“No. I just long for silence as much as you.” Larissa sat up once more, pushing herself up from the bed. She crossed the room, unzipping her dress as she did so, not caring what the captain saw. The headmistress wanted her night clothes on and to crawl into bed once more. She dropped her dress to the floor and pulled a night dress over her head in return, looking to ignore the captain at all costs, “I’m not giving up my bed by the way. You can sleep on the floor.”
The captain let out a ‘hmph’ as she walked to the same wall they had entered from, leaned up against it, and slid down until her ass made contact with the cold floor. Leaning her forearms on her knees, she rolled her head back and closed her eyes, not really caring about what the shapeshifter was doing, “I don’t care. I can sleep anywhere, I was going to take the floor either way.”
Larissa made her way back to the bed, throwing back the covers. She pulled a spare pillow and an under blanket from the bed, tossing them at Phasma, the pillow hitting the captain in the face and the blanket covering her form. The shapeshifter smiled in sweet satisfaction at getting to fuck with the captain as she crawled into bed. 
Phasma removed the pillow and blanket, throwing it back from where it came from, “I don’t need your charity.” She let out a huff before retaking her previous position, knowing that she’d fall into a slumber shortly after closing her eyes.
Kicking the pillow and blanket Phasma threw back off the bed to the floor, Larissa bedded down for the night, turning her back to the captain. Perhaps this was all one bad dream and Larissa would wake up in her bed-chambers of Nevermore so this whole ordeal could become a distant memory.
Miranda glanced over to Brienne at hearing Lucifer’s words before scrambling to her feet, moving to the bedroom door so as to try the door handle, finding the door was locked, “Well, Bri, it looks like we are gonna have a little sleepover.” Turning her head to gaze back at her companion, Miranda forced a smile, shrugging at the knight. The constable returned near the spot where she had been laying on the floor with the knight, only now she sat on the edge of the bed, eyes gazing down at Brienne, “Did you have slumber parties as a girl?”
The knight looked up at the constable with sorrowful eyes, but there was a smile on her lips, there to attempt to drive away the attention from the sadness Miranda’s question had inspired, “No. I did not. What does a ‘slumber party’ entail, exactly?”
Miranda saw the flash of sadness in the knight’s eyes, seeing it fit to make this the best slumber party ever if this were to be Brienne’s first. Scooting back on the bed, Miranda hit the space in which she once sat, beckoning the knight to come to sit with her. The constable’s enthusiasm seemed to be endless, “I didn’t have many, but you’re supposed to stay up, eat snacks, share stories… You could tell me about being Lord Commander or the place you grew up in?” Miranda reached back to grasp for a pillow, bringing it to her chest so she could rest her head on it as the knight spoke.
Brienne rose from the floor, moving to sit on the bed, she maintained a chivalrous and comfortable distance between her and Miranda as she sat rigidly on the soft mattress. Her grief had hastily dissipated once the knight had seen the constable’s excitement. “I can’t stay up, unfortunately. I do need my sleep, but we can share stories until it is time for bed.”
“Oh, I forgot about your beauty rest.” Miranda teased, tossing the pillow at the knight before grabbing the last one behind herself to replace the one she threw. The constable leaned forward across the bed, almost looking like she was crawling towards Brienne, “Do you have any cool scars? I only have one…”
The knight caught the pillow with her hands, holding it in front of her face to cover the dumbstruck smile and blush that had crept up on her face. Brienne knew that Miranda was true in her words and compliments about her, but she didn’t know if she actually meant them. She did not know if they were meant as friendly banter, or if she was being flirted with, as if. Sadly, she had no experience with either of the two, so for now she had to stay curiously unaware.
After a moment, Brienne removed the pillow from her face and placed it beside her on the duvet cover, the blush and smile now gone, replaced with a neutral countenance, “I have many scars, it comes with the job.” The knight subconsciously leaned back when she saw Miranda getting closer, feeling a pang of guilt once she did but she did not correct it, not wanting to cross any boundaries, as if having someone’s legs on her shoulders and heaving someone up by the thighs wasn’t ‘crossing boundaries.’ “Really? From what?”
Miranda moved back upright, lifting her shirt for Brienne to see the gunshot wound she had suffered a year back. She traced the fresh scar with her fingertips, thinking about how frightening the whole ordeal had been, “I was just a little too reckless that day. I was shot while undercover.”
Brienne’s eyes widened at the sudden display of skin and she had to abstain from reaching out and tracing the scar herself. She settled with looking at it before looking up at her face again, the knight’s interest peaked at the mention of Miranda being ‘undercover,’ and wanted to learn more. “Undercover?”
Miranda dropped her shirt and began regaling Brienne with her own tale, “Uhm, there was a man hiding on the beach. He would have seen us coming in uniform so I had to wear ‘civilian clothes’. We were combing the beach and we found a suspicious box.” She fidgeted nervously, stretching one leg out, her socked foot tapping Brienne’s knee. “My boss wanted us to wait, but I moved it anyway. A man was waiting in the sand. They say I was about to die, but I don’t believe that for a second.” Miranda had been making eye contact as she told her story, but turned her eyes downward at the end, not needing Brienne to see that the thought of death had truly terrified her. 
The knight listened intently to Miranda’s story, not paying attention when the constable’s foot nudged her knee; completely emerged in her teammate’s retelling. When Brienne saw the cop evade her eyes, she felt deep sympathy. Her limb moved faster than her brain, and her hand shot out to place a comforting hand on her companion’s outstretched ankle, only realizing her action once her hand had made contact with the hot bare skin.
The Lord Commander knew she couldn’t remove her hand without it seeming like regret, so she let it stay, keeping it completely still, refraining from stroking the soft skin with her thumb. She smiled softly at Miranda, even if she couldn’t see her do it, “That sounds frightening. I’m glad you survived.”
“Oh, Bri. You’re so sweet.” Miranda glanced up at Brienne, ready for the attention to be of herself, a smirk growing on her face, “I’ve shown you mine so now you have to show me yours.”
Brienne laughed softly, closing her eyes momentarily before looking at Miranda again, “If I am to show you every single one of my scars, I will have to take all of my clothes off.” 
“And?” Miranda was purely teasing, giggling after she spoke, her foot jostling the blonde knight. The constable was flirting with Brienne, even if she hadn’t noticed it herself. She immediately remembered how she had upset Brienne the previous night, causing her to apologize profusely, “Oh… I’m sorry. That was inappropriate. Sorry..”
The knight turned her head down, to hide her blush but also to avoid seeing Miranda’s face at her next self-deprecating words, “You don’t want to see that, trust me.” She ignored the constable’s apologies, the only thing that would hurt her was if the cop was being non-serious, she was used to people making comments about her body by now, “I could show you the one on my collarbone if that will satisfy. You’ve already seen it, though. Or you should have when we played volleyball yesterday.” 
Miranda took a deep breath, considering the knight’s words and whether or not she deemed them to be true or not. There was no doubt in the constable’s mind that Brienne was attractive. At the notion of seeing her without clothes, Miranda’s cheeks were set aflame and her eyes wandered down, wondering what Brinne looked like unclothed. The constable coughed, shaking herself from leering any longer, “I, uhm, no. I-I can’t say I remember…”
“Hmm,” Brienne hummed thoughtfully, looking up to meet Miranda’s eyes. She brought her hand from the cop’s leg up to the neckline of her shirt, pulling it down to reveal three claw marks on her left collarbone, turning her head to the right for the constable to see them better, “I got them whilst fighting a bear.”
“I can’t stand you. You fight zombies and bears? You’re the whole package!” Miranda began tallying the knight’s traits in her head: strong, beautiful, and kind. Leaning back on her hands, Miranda stretched out her other leg, placing it on the other side of Brienne. The constable’s voice was thick with appreciation and awe, “Is there anything you cannot do?”
Brienne released a singular chuckle before releasing her shirt and turning her head back to face the woman before her, “It wasn’t by choice. I was forced to.” Thinking back to the terrifying experience of being stuck in a pit with a hungry bear with nothing but a heavy satin dress and a wooden sword, she didn’t even take in Miranda’s comment on her being a ‘whole package.’ “There are many things I can not do…” Instead of going down the path of her not being able to be feminine enough, or to be able to have any sort of self-confidence, she decided that it would be best to call it a night, “Like keep my eyes open, we should go to sleep. Who knows what Lucifer has in store for us tomorrow? We need all the energy and sleep we can get.”
“Oh, Bri! No. I’m not tired yet.” Miranda pouted, attempting puppy-dog eyes on the knight. She could stay up talking to Brienne all night if the knight allowed. Leaning forward, she grasped at the woman’s knees, shaking her lightly, “You need to tell me a bedtime story first.”
How could she possibly resist when Miranda looked at her like that and when she was so unapologetically her? Brienne tittered before giving in to the constable’s request, “Very well, what would you like to hear? Something made up, or something out of my arsenal of tales?”
“Something made up. Tell me a story from when you were little.” Miranda quickly adjusted her position on the bed, turning her body around and placing the pillow behind her head so she could recline back into Brienne’s lap. Her eyes shone up at the knight, grinning in anticipation for the story she was about to be told.
Brienne sat still once Miranda’s head landed in her lap, stiffer than she had ever been as she wondered what to do with her hands. They eventually landed on her knees on either side of the constable’s head, “Those two contradict each other, you know. You want something made up but also a story from when I was little?”
“Yes, a story you were told when you were little, Bri.” Miranda laughed at the misunderstanding, her kind blue hues boring into that of the knight. 
The knight’s mouth fell open in a silent ‘oh’ once she realized what Miranda had meant. She felt a little embarrassed at not having gotten it the first time around, making her cheeks heat up the tiniest bit, “I see. Okay. I will tell you one I was told quite a lot as a child but I will change it up a tiny bit…” Brienne had many stories told to her as a child, yet there was one that stuck with her once she realized she was the knight in the story and not the Lady. The eye contact was burning the Lord Commander up from the inside as she gazed down at the constable in her lap, “Are you comfortable?”
Miranda turned over onto her side, burying her face in her pillow, tucking a hand under Brienne’s leg while the other hand rested on the knight’s calf. With a deep sigh, Miranda hummed to Brienne so she knew she was ready for her story. Miranda scratched lightly at Brienne’s leg, allowing her fingertips to explore a small area of the woman’s leg, wanting the other woman to know she was awake.
The other woman’s hands and fingers on Brienne’s legs were making her mind all scrambled, and she couldn’t for the life of her figure out why. Why was it that just this person made her so nervous? She was freaking out, her heart racing, desperately grasping for something to hold on to as Miranda’s fingertips touched her cloth-clad leg. 
Once she had regained some of her brain power, Brienne began regaling Miranda with the revamped story from her childhood as she looked down at the constable’s side profile, “In a kingdom far away, there was a knight. A knight with shiny, shiny armor, a trusty steed, and a sharp sword. The knight had many stories of accomplishments on the battlefield and was often found surrounded by women, women who fawned over the knight. Though, the knight had no interest in any of these women, for he had found the love of his life. His Lady, who was the fairest of the fair, was always there to care for him when he returned from battle. His Lady was the most beautiful maiden in all the land and every time sh- he looked at her, he saw forever, eternity, and endless love and grace in her eyes.”
Brienne did not take her eyes off Miranda for even one second as she told the story, not even when she had messed up, slipped up, and said the wrong pronoun, almost like she had been referring to herself as the knight in the story. She quickly corrected herself and moved on, hoping that the constable in her lap hadn’t noticed.
“Did she love him? I bet she loved him endlessly,” Miranda murmured, fingers dancing up Brienne’s knee and back down again, “Was the knight handsome too?”
The Lord Commander nodded before answering, “She did. She loved him very much.” Brienne felt like her skin was on fire, Miranda’s fingers being so close to her hand that was resting on her knee were making her insides flutter in the most foreign way, but she couldn’t deny that it wasn’t somehow pleasant. “The knight was very handsome. Or, so they say.”
“I bet he had the most wonderful blue eyes, blonde hair that falls in his face… Nice hands too.” When Miranda’s hand bumped Brienne’s, it caused her hand to retract a moment, feeling as though she had crossed a line. The constable’s heart was beating rapidly as she reached her hand out to touch Brienne’s once more, fingers tracing lines down the knight’s scarred pointer and middle finger, “And he was chivalrous and kind. Patient and fair. Kinda like you, Bri…”
The knight cleared her throat and retracted her hand. Miranda’s fingers drawing lines up and down on hers was too much for Brienne to handle, “It has been said that he had light brown hair, and green eyes as majestic as trees in summer, actually. I don’t know anything about his hands, but I would take an educated guess and say they are about as scarred and calloused as mine… And those traits you mentioned are just knightly virtues… Can’t say I am alone in that.” The Lord Commander cringed at her words, being well aware that she was very alone in having the traits that a knight should have.
“It’s a made-up story, Brienne… The knight could be a woman with a Lady of her own…” Miranda pondered aloud, turning her head to look up at the knight. She held up her hand to Brienne, flexing her fingers as she did, “Let me see your hand.”
The Lord Commander kept her eyes fixed on Miranda’s soft, blue irises, trying her very best to remain unemotional at the way the constable was looking at her with such adoration, “That would be wishful thinking… I am very sure that no stories about women loving women would ever be created… It is severely frowned upon, I’m afraid…” Brienne held her hand out for the woman in her lap to see, flexing her calloused and scarred fingers.
“Then I’ll create one for you.” Miranda smiled, turning her body to have access to both of her hands. With one she grabbed Brienne’s wrist, holding it still while the other slid from the base of her palm, upwards to the tops of Brienne’s fingers. The constable hummed in deep appreciation for the texture of the knight’s hands, only imagining how much they had endured, “There was once a lady knight who was very skilled and brave. She was very protective, especially when it came to her heart, but… she found her very own Lady. One that appreciated and adored her knight very much and they lived happily ever after… How was that story?”
Brienne’s eyes discreetly widened at the gentle caress of her hands, never had someone studied her in this way without it being used for insults. She swallowed a thick lump in her throat, “I think that it’s a very creative and imaginative story…”
The knight felt like her mouth was drier than the Dornish desert, she needed to get herself out of this situation or she felt like she couldn’t be responsible for her possible drastic actions, whatever they ended up being. For every second spent staring into Miranda’s eyes with her hot touch on her bare hands and clothed wrist, she could feel her judgment slip further and further away. Despite this, she was still able to croak out a short sentence, and hopefully, it would work this time, “We really should sleep.”
“Yeah…” The constable couldn’t hide her look of disappointment, but she nodded, bringing herself into a seated position so the knight wouldn’t be weighed down by her. Miranda shifted around to the left side of the bed, leaving space for Brienne on the right to lay next to her.
Brienne started to remove herself from the bed, moving to lay down on the floor next to the bed, speaking as she did, “Alright. Goodnight, Mirandy… Sleep tight.” She took her place on the carpet on the cold floor, laying down on her back, her hands entwined on her chest. The knight closed her eyes, more than ready to sleep and leave the long and hellish day behind; falling into slumber not long after doing so.
Rather than question Brienne, the constable allowed her companion to lay on the ground instead of the bed, but Miranda began tossing and turning, nowhere near tired enough to sleep yet. Her thoughts lingered on Brienne. They had been such a wonderful team today, sharing many of the same values and beliefs while Miranda’s more outgoing personality balanced out Brienne’s subtle seriousness. 
With a sigh, she rolled over once more, creeping to the edge of the bed to glance down at Brienne’s sleeping form on the floor. The only light guiding Miranda’s eyes over the sleeping woman’s face was the moonlight streaming in the window. Brienne looked less serious now, face softened, looking so wonderfully peaceful. The knight’s jaw was so defined and sharp Miranda wondered if she would cut herself when she kissed it, suddenly the constable’s eyes widened at the realization; she had a crush on Brienne of Tarth.
A couple of stray locks found their way onto the knight’s forehead and Miranda lost the internal battle of keeping her hands to herself. Reaching down gingerly, the constable swept the hairs away from Brienne’s face, allowing them to join the rest of her swept-back hair. 
Brienne’s eyes shot open at the subtle graze, and she was up and sitting in a flash, her hand reaching for her sword out of reflex, “What!?” Her head was turning in all different directions, trying to figure out what had awoken her. She was ultimately met with Miranda’s soft eyes, and her entire being relaxed once she realized that there was no danger, “Is something the matter?”
“I’m sorry… I just- What if I wake up and I’m alone again? I'm scared that if I close my eyes you will disappear…” The admission was incredibly embarrassing, but Brienne had been understanding of everything Miranda had shared thus far. She reached out and tucked a few stray hairs behind Brienne’s ear, her own sad face half hidden by her pillow.
The knight’s face was burning once Miranda’s fingers made contact with her bare skin, and she was praying to the Gods that it was so dark in the room that the constable wouldn’t be able to see it. She was incredibly sympathetic at her teammate’s admission, knowing she would most definitely be the same way if she wasn’t used to being alone.
She smiled fondly at her companion, even if she knew the woman on the bed wasn’t able to see it, the Lord Commander hoped she would at least be able to hear it, “I will be right here. I will not leave your side, this I swear.” Brienne pondered if she should pick up her sword to actually swear it as she would usually do when making oaths, but she didn’t know if that would end up having any importance for the blonde Aussie woman, even if it meant so much to her alone.
“Will you sleep here with me, please…? I-I can’t be alone up here, Bri…” Miranda was happy it was dark so the knight couldn’t see her eyes welling with tears. The daunting thought of beginning tomorrow’s challenge without Brienne frightened Miranda more than anything she had experienced today. If the knight wouldn’t agree, Miranda would probably just join her on the floor to keep herself from becoming emotional.
All of the personal voices inside Brienne’s head were screaming at her to say no, to stay on the floor. Knowing that Miranda might regret asking in the morning, disgusted and repulsed after waking up next to Brienne the Beauty. But the professional ones, like protecting the innocent, were shrieking for her to get up on that bed, to offer a secure presence. She knew she had to keep the oath she had sworn, “If it will ease your anxieties.” The Lord Commander rose from her spot on the floor, and watched the constable, waiting for her to lay back down so the knight could take her place next to her worried companion.
Miranda scooched over quickly, snuggling into the far side of the bed so Brienne could lay next to her. The constable couldn’t help but release a content sigh, happy the knight was in close proximity once more. She was partially embarrassed, but more so satisfied that she had gotten her way, “Thank you…”
The knight laid down on her back on the soft mattress, the bed dipping with her added weight. She retook her previous hand placement, elbows tucked into her side, hands entwined on her chest. She closed her eyes once again, mumbling her last words for the night before falling asleep once again, “Sleep tight, MirMir.”
“Goodnight, Bri.” Now with the knight at her side, Miranda quickly fell asleep from the soothing aura of her companion. 
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